The TV Addict 

Sorry, I don’t get the Stargate comment. Can you give specific examples of how the Stargate franchise is a place where careers go to die?

Richard Dean Anderson, as Colonel Jack O’Neil, was a the lead role of SG-1 for seven seasons, played a slightly diminished role in season eight, continued to make guest appearances for the next two years, and starred in one of the two SG-1 DVD movies. That surpasses his role of MacGyver which lasted seven seasons. I’m not positive, but I think RDA was also a producer on SG-1. I’d consider that a significant career extension, not a career killer.

Stargate SG-1 was on long enough that it *made* the careers of Amanda Tapping, Michaels Shanks, and Christopher Judge who all had *ten* seasons (longer than X-Files and any Star Trek series) and two movies of steady work, plus guest appearances on Atlantis. Amanda Tapping got an 11th year in the franchise when her character joined Atlantis after SG-1’s end, and now, she is star & producer of her own show, Sanctuary. I’ve read rumors that Shanks & Judge are collaborating on a new project as well. Had anyone ever heard of those three before Stargate?

And as for the late-comers, Ben Browder & Claudia Black were probably glad to get the work after Sci-Fi unfairly canceled their other series, Farscape. And, according to his filmography on Wikipedia, Beau Bridges has had more work (both in & out of Stargate) since he started on Stargate three years ago than he did in the three years before that.

David Hewlett guest starred on SG-1 twice before winning the Stargate: Atlantis role of Dr. Rodney McKay which has lasted five full years plus four more guest appearances on SG-1 — plus at least one upcoming Atlantis DVD movie. As for the other stars of the show, had anyone ever heard of Joe Flannigan, Torri Higginson, Rachel Luttrell, or Paul McGillion (who *almost* got the role of Scotty in the 2009 Star Trek film). And, had anyone seen much of Jason Momoa since Baywatch or Jewel Staite since Firefly? Robert Picardo went from being a recurring guest actor on both Stargate series to being a lead actor as the base commander in Atlantis’s fifth season — a move I was skeptical about but have been pleasantly surprised by.

Maybe sci-fi isn’t the most glamorous, respected, or highest-rated of TV genres by the general audience, but these are still quality shows with avid, loyal fan bases. And, for actors, steady work on quality TV shows isn’t anything to be embarrassed about, especially with the crowded market that’s getting squeezed by reality shows, game shows, and Jay Leno five nights a week. I just named *15* careers that were started, extended, improved or rejuvenated by Stargate. How many exactly have perished by its hands?

(Don’t get the wrong idea about the tone of this post. I’m not mad. I love this site. Just trying to make a point as specifically as I can. Okay, maybe I got a little carried away.)

I agree with the previous posters. Where did you get that impression, TVA?. Atlantis *might* not be up to par for some (comparing it to the earlier seasons of SG-1, I mean), but I can’t think of a single career that Stargate has killed. If anything, it’s just the opposite.

You don’t like Stargate?. OK. But that comment wasn’t warranted at all.

Dear STARGATE Fans,

While I can appreciate that you’re all fans of the show, I’ve always found the entire STARGATE series the ugly stepsister of SciFi. Say what you will about it, but it doesn’t have the cache of BSG, and is certainly no TNG or DS9.

Paketep,

I was being facetious! Obviously it’s not a career ender. I mean Robert Carlyle is going to get years out of this job and no doubt millions.

That said, I do think many would agree with my assessment that Stargate is a step down from a network series, and/or anything BSG related. It’s a low budget, genre show with a very niche audience.

Come on. Comparing Stargate to BSG is comparing apples to oranges. BSG is where you go for in-your-face seriousness for 42 minutes. SG-1 was a lighter romp, moving between funny and serious (and occasionally heartbreaking). Two different sides of the same genre coin. And, unlike Trek, SG-1 wasn’t about some futuristic, unrelated world — it was us, in the here and now, going out and trying to make a difference.

“That said, I do think many would agree with my assessment that Stargate is a step down from a network series.”

Um. No. And saying things like THAT make me realize… you really don’t know what you’re talking about.

The production qualities on that show were on par with every “network” shows I’ve watched. The special effects were better than anything Trek ever had, as well as Battlestar (and yes, I’ve watched too much Trek to count and every episode of BSG). Every show has to scrounge for money in some ways, but it’s more obvious in sci-fi (like Todd mentioned above, lots of alien worlds have Vancouver pine trees). But at the end of the day, SG-1 was never half-assed. Ever.

“It’s a low budget, genre show with a very niche audience.”

No. And no. In season eight, the average episode was $1.7 million per episode. (And, yes, larger shows cost more, but they’re having to pay their diva stars half a million dollars an episode, which seriously ups the costs.) The last direct-to-DVD movie (so, basically a really long episode) cost $7 million.

Did it blow up the ratings? For cable, it was decent. But more than that, it was a worldwide success. A couple years back, MGM clocked airings in about 120 countries. (Shows like Gossip Girl will never, ever reach that level of notoriety.) Lastly, it was a show accessible to the entire family. Do I enjoy the hot and dirty sex on BSG? Hell yes. Would I want my ten-year-old cousin to watch the same hot and dirty sex? Not so much. So, niche perhaps, but niche does not necessarily equal small.

I’m going to stop now, because I realize I’m preaching to the wrong choir. I get that you don’t like it, and that’s fine. But (as you’re aware) television is a big, wide world with lots to offer everyone of different tastes. If it’s not your thing, it’s not your thing. Whatever. But the general, sweeping statements bashing a show a bunch of people clearly love? From someone who claims to appreciate and understand the medium of television? Not cool.

Yeah, I don’t want to beat a dead horse.

I’ve been reading The TV Addict for a while now, so I hope he’s not taken anything too personally. I tried to stick with the facts to make my arguments (well, mostly… emotions do come into play when you’re dealing with something you care about).

Todd, you’ll notice I conveniently left Altantis off my argument (although some of the points are certainly valid for both series). Mostly because I couldn’t honestly defend it against much of what was said. I do think a lot of the previously mentioned shows are probably better, overall.

I’ve watched Atlantis from day one, so I know the show, but my continuing reason to watch has simply been because it was in the SG universe (and crossovers happen). Creatively or emotionally, I was never drawn to it. I liked certain characters, but it took three seasons to develop any sort of team-yness, which was what sucked me into SG-1. It’s those relationships that build a show, and early Atlantis was all about blowing stuff up and shiny, pretty sets.

… and now that you’ve agreed to give it a chance, watch Universe fail epically.

*le sigh*

We shall see.