Well so much for all the hope and praying by longtime “Stargate” fans that the SyFy Channel will see the error of their ways and dump “Stargate: Universe”, because it’s now official: the cable channel has given the much-derided “Universe” a Season 2 commitment, along with handing out a third season to its original series “Sanctuary” starring former “Stargate” alum Amanda Tapping.
“Universe” is currently on its first mid-season hiatus, and will return in April of next year with its slate of second half first season episodes. Once it finishes that run, Season 2 will commence in the Fall with a full 20-episode order. Likewise for “Sanctuary”, which will feature a 20-episode Season 3. No doubt the SyFy Channel was heartened by steady ratings for both shows, with “Universe” averaging 2.6 million viewers when 7-day DVR data is included, and 2.2 million for “Sanctuary”. That may not seem like a lot, but consider that these are pay basic cable channels.
On the renewal of “Stargate: Universe” for a second season, producer Robert Cooper promises more serialized storytelling, less cutaways back to Earth, and — gasp! — an actual, honest to goodness alien on the show that isn’t just some cloud dusts, etc. But before you get too excited, Cooper adds:
“The show was always intended to be a drama and about people who are struggling to survive. There is a sci-fi element, but it was never going to turn into the “alien of the week.” However, there is a big story point coming up that does introduce an alien race that’s a very cool CG alien. It’s more along the line of a “District 9″-type of alien. Our interaction is handled in a very “Universe” way — they’re not the typical “Stargate” alien bad guys.”
There is an interview with Cooper at THR, in which he addresses a lot of issues fans and non-fans have brought up in regards to the show. Mind you, not that he actually answers all of them, but he does take them head-on.
Although it’s interesting to note that while he acknowledges the issue of characters taking over someone’s body on Earth, and then using those bodies to do, er, various things with them bring up lots of ramifications, I get this feeling it never occurred to the writers when they first introduced the concept. Go figure.
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I`m delightedly surprised. Stargate needs to be a Stargate themed show or it might as well be called something else. From that quote it does sound that they might bring it a little bit back on its proper flightpath. The aliens are optional, but we should be going through the Iris at least once every episode.
Amanda Tapping yummmmmmmmmmmmeeee.
Yay, it’s a great show.
I love this s how too. Thank god, because I hate Sanctuary.
It’s a great show and glad to have stumbled upon it like I did. Can’t stand it that Season 2 is so far away.
I think Cooper is making an over-broad sweeping excuse in terms of those who do not enjoy the show. While it’s true some are upset because it isn’t more of the same, others like me are upset because the show is filled with poor writing, boring plots, and terrible arc design. Everything is so forced and so artificially crafted, it’s painfully obvious. I can watch 24, Star Trek: Voyager, Survivor, Lost, and Battlestar Galactica and enjoy each of them as their own separate entities. I don’t need all of those infused into one hybrid that’s a jack of all trades but a master of none—be it Stargate or anything else. I also don’t need overly manufactured tension each episode to amp up the stress levels. No water. No power. No air. Flying into a star. Death sickness. It’s just one forced, linear catastrophe after another. Just when one problem is solved, another critical problem magically appears with the ship at the end of the episode. This is a sign of tepid and uninspired writing, compounded in folly by most of the characters being boring, one dimensional cardboard cut outs. If this show is about drama with a little sci-fi sprinkled in, then why even have it in space? Why even call it Stargate? “Stargate Universe” seems to imply more than just interpersonal human relationships, but maybe I’m reading too much into the title. I personally feel it’s more about the bad writing, poor characterization, and boring plots that people are griping about, not necessarily because it isn’t a clone of SG-1. But with that said, I am glad it’s getting a second season. Despite everyone else, I do want to see what happens with Dr. Rush, Colonel Young, and Sgt. Greer–the only three characters that I actually care about.
So they do admit that SGU is nowhere like Stargate… so why calling it that then?
The show sucks, but B5 was not all that wonderful the first season too. But unlike B5, where I found the characters intriguing, the characters in Universe leave a lot to be desired. I still will not watch unless they make some major changes to the show.
Come on peolpe look at the big picture here if it was the exact same as the first 2 i would not watch. The mere fact that they made them show up on a ship far from earth is what got me and a ship thats being flying for billions of years is going to have some problems they can just come aboard and know everything about the ship and start whiping ass right away give it some time theres only been 10 episodes. I bet my life the show will only get better.
And for those of you who are star trek fans voyager dident do that well its first season etheir but be came in my opinion the best one of them all nothing beats a story about getting home. Plus with any show it trail and error so sit back chill out and watch it all unfold
Hey I think what happened in the last episode really makes the story more Intrigiugibg
the story is right for this series and hopefully they keep more big events coming
I wish they would be back Stargate Atlantis. That show rocked
I know I loved stargate Atlantis it was my favorite of all three. I know sg-1was okay and got exciting at times my least fav was universe. I know people think it is horrible and I agree, I mean when I heard about it I was thinking awesome alien space battles but when I heard it was power problems I stopped watching immediantely.