Posted on: June 22nd, 2009 Get your Stargate fix with Stargate: Universe
I’ve always been a pretty big fan of Stargate in all it’s various incarnations over different mediums. From the first time watching the movie that launched a sci-fi phenomenon, Stargate, I was hooked on the possibilities of the concept and what it could mean for comic books, television, and movies. Stargate hasn’t exactly been a successful franchise, at least monetarily, and it’s struggled to captivate a mainstream audience. The franchise didn’t take off on the big screen, but there have been direct-to-dvd releases and a successful television series’ based on the franchise. No matter what middle America thinks of the franchise, sci-fi fans have proved loyal, and have been rewarded with a lengthy television run for Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis along with a not so successful cartoon series, Stargate Infinity. The last episode of Atlantis aired in January of 09, and I have been itching for some fresh Stargate action ever since. Fortunately for me, and for sci-fi fans in general, Stargate will be returning to television soon. In case you don’t know, Stargate Universe will captivate audiences starting in October on the Sci-Fi (SyFy) channel with a 2 or 3 hour premier film to be followed by regular hour long episodes each week. The series will bring a unique new idea to the franchise and attempt to explore an idea that has not been touched on very frequently in the other iterations of the franchise, to give SGU a fresh feel. I just can’t wait any longer. Perhaps telling you everything I know about the series will help me deal with my Stargate withdrawals. The series is being written by Stargate Atlantis co-creators Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper. Check out what Brad Wright had to say about the new series:
“The idea of Stargate Universe is that it is set on a ship that was part of an Ancient experiment that was set in motion probably millions of years ago — one that they never saw to fruition, but that we can… They got busy with the whole ascension thing.” The experiment is “to send a ship across the universe, and to send one ahead of it to seed the galaxies with Stargates, and that they would one day use the ninth chevron to get there [to the ship]. And that’s what Stargate Universe is.”
I think this is a pretty intriguing concept. It’s pretty clear that there are many different ways they can go with the show. As much as I loved SG-1 and Atlantis, they began to get a little stale towards the end of their television runs. If this show ends up just being a retread of previous Stargate concepts and plot devices then it will end up being a massive disappointment. I’m not exactly sure what to expect from the show in terms of plot lines, but I do know that the show promises to be darker, grittier and sexier? That’s right, sexier. Think space lesbians. In case you missed that, that was SPACE LESBIANS!!! In case you don’t believe me, check out this brief post and interview clip about SGU from our friends over at SciFiCool.com. Great stuff.
The show boasts a very intriguing cast, including Robert Carlyle, Justin Lewis, David Blue, and Ming-Na. The series also lists Lou Diamond Phillips on the official press release and he appears in the cast photos, but it is as yet unlcear whether he would be a full time cast member or just a part time recurring character. With or without him, fans will get to watch a varied cast of talented actors with plenty of range. I’m particularly looking forward to watching Robert Carlyle as the shows lead. He has a knack for dramatic acting, and his casting adds a bit of credibility to a fledgling series. In various interviews with Carlyle, he mentioned that he was intrigued by the possibilities of drama in space, which gives us a little idea as to what we can expect from the tone of the new series. Lou Diamond Phillips, were he to join the cast in a more permanent role, would also add some credibility and dramatic ability. For the comic relief, look no farther than David Blue, who’s character is a “total slacker” in his early twenties and an “utter genius” in mathematics, computers and other fields. He is a social outcast with an “acerbic sense of humor”, and lacks confidence in his intelligence. The character breakdown compares him to “Matt Damon’s character from Good Will Hunting with a little Jack Black thrown in”. He is expected to be the comic relief of the show. Sounds pretty funny to me.
I know that there is an extreme dearth of fresh ideas in Hollywood that is seeping into our living rooms on television sets. Spin-off series’ from a successful series are all too common. CSI was spun off into CSI New York and CSI Miami, Law & Order was spun off into Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: CI and Law & Order: Trial by Jury and Law & Order: Crime and Punishment, and surprisingly enough, I could list more Law & Order Spin offs. Sad, huh? I’m just as sick of it as I’m sure you all are. But I’m looking forward to Stargate Universe, not because I am a fan of the franchise, but because SGU promises to do what most of the other spin-offs fail to do; explore subject matter that is far enough away from the original to feellike something completely new. Sure, it could end up being nothing more than SG-1 with a fresh coat of paint. But at least right now, it doesn’t look that way. I’ll be keeping my eye on this, and refuse to judge the show until I see it. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who will be looking forward to this with cautious optimism. Now that Atlantis is over, there are plenty of Stargate fans looking for a new show to love.
Remember: Stargate Universe is coming to the Sci-Fi (SyFy) channel in October. Stay tuned, as I’ll be happy to keep you updated on any and all SGU news, right here on GKS!
One Response to “Get your Stargate fix with Stargate: Universe”
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Stargate Atlantis Says:
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:12 amI found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.