The Stargate Legacy of the Sci-Fi Channel

When Stargate SG-1 ended after 10 fantastic seasons in 2007, fans of the SciFi Channel series were saddened to see the show come to an end. The success of the franchise continued though with the release of two DTV movies, The Ark of Truth and Stargate Continuum in 2008, by once again capturing the audience with the exploits of the SG-1 team, including an appearance by Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson).

With the spin-off series Stargate Atlantis to come to a close after only 5 seasons in January 2009, SciFi Channel executives and MGM Inc have green-lighted a movie project for the Atlantis crew as well. Not many details of the project are known at this time, including the title, but producers promise the movie will fulfill the expectations of Stargate fans. Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi has indicated that if the movie draws the support that he expects, then fans can expect many more Stargate movies in the future.

The decision to pull the plug on the Stargate series despite a solid fan base was in part due to rising production costs and the economy in general. However, the SciFi channel may have another plan that has yet to be revealed. Executives have hinted that the franchise will go on. Whether they are alluding to the Stargate movies or perhaps another series is unknown. In 2007, producers pitched a third Stargate series called Stargate Universe and though it was not accepted at the time, the cancellation of Atlantis may have opened up the opportunity for another installment of the Stargate legacy.

The Stargate Universe story takes place upon an Ancient ship. The ship was part of an experiment devised by the ancients to build the Stargate network and then explore the Universe. This storyline would be a prequel to the original Stargate story by a several thousand years, giving viewers an insight to the great Ancient technology that we have only been introduced to in the archeological context. Viewing the Ancients as explorers rather than the mysterious force that left obscure weapons and knowledge behind will be an interesting twist. Perhaps the storyline will further explain how the Alliance of the Four Great Races evolved.

For now, Stargate fans will have to be content with watching the new episodes of Stargate Atlantis and the old SG-1 shows that run in syndication on the SciFi Channel though they will be anxiously awaiting news of what lies ahead on the Stargate frontier