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[gategrrl]

It's all over my flist--Atlantis cancelled. After a five year run with a turnstile for the actors and halfway through a new set of producers, it was finally officially canned by SciFi.

Did you really want to continue twisting in the wind with the pallid story-lines, revolving cast, and improbable romantic relationships? Would it *really* be desirable to have it spiral down in quality even *more*?

Comments

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

LOL I'm not particularly upset with the cancellation, but I will miss it. I never loved it (or hated it!) as much as SG-1, so I was able to just take this show as it was. There were no characters I hated, nothing they ever did that really pissed me off. It was something to watch that mostly kept me entertained during the time that it was on, and I never thought about it much otherwise. I never got into fanfic for this show, because I didn't care enough about it. I was never that interested in meta or even...well, anything about the show other than watching it at my convenience.

So...I will miss it. There are pretty much no shows on now that I really like. Stargate Atlantis was the last one. I have a few other shows that I'm watching, but most of them I don't even like as much as I liked SGA. Well...Robin Hood, but apparently that's been fucked up.

[lavvyan.livejournal.com]

There was always the chance of the show miraculously improving again, you know. I mean, I thought season four was better than season two. *shrugs*

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree. I actually was surprised by how enjoyable season four was. The stories actually hung together, most of the time, and Carter was barely there.

I suppose it could have improved, but according the producers/writers/staff and suits, it always was improving anyhow with each change and addition and subtraction in front of and behind the camera.

I will miss seeing Robert Picardo on a series again, though. :-(

Hey! Maybe some of these folks will show up on Boston Legal! THAT would rock!

[amycooper.livejournal.com]

Sadly, my first reaction to the news was, "Great! Now they'd never be able to f*** it up to the extent that they did SG-1."

Like SG-1 before it, SGA had giant plot holes, poor writing and often wrote characters differently every week. I think part of the reason I liked Rodney was because he was one of the most consistent characters on the show. (Methinks the fact that he's an arrogant ass made it easier for the writers to be consistent with his characterization). Often times the message the show sent about women and minorities were troubling at best. Characters made arbitrary decisions ("Like, Teyla can't go to the mall to look for the father of her soon-to-be born son...because...uh...because we say so!") or don't react with the appropriate weight (Carson!) when they have to do something ethically questionable.*

Yet, somehow I liked it. I think that all the actors and actresses did the best they could with what they had. That helps. It really is something that despite all of that, the show had a good following. There was just something about it. I'm sad to see it go, but I feel rather okay about it, almost relieved.

*Ethically questionable makes good drama, but doing it without thought, reflection or conflict doesn't. I so could have gone with and been cool with Carson's actions and character if we saw him and others debate and agonize over it. Made it hard. Sadly, that didn't happen.

[nialla]

Sadly, my first reaction to the news was, "Great! Now they'd never be able to f*** it up to the extent that they did SG-1."

I sort of agree with you there, but I'm curious how far in the planning stage things were. Are they planning to go out shipping characters all to hell and gone now that the end is nigh and there's nothing fans could do about it at this point? Or at least push it as far as they dare, considering there's movies in the pipe.

The ethical points were always something that troubled me with Atlantis. I get the whole, "We're in a war!" thing, but sometimes decisions were made with a reason given (if we were lucky) but no indication it was made after any deliberation over the options.

This was an unfortunate result of TPTB wanting to just get on with the action, because we all know that's what everyone's tuning in for, right?

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

The premiere episode had me gnashing my teeth. It was too easy for them, and they fubared it all up all by themselves. Not to mention the shady, unethical and utterly jaw-droppingly bad decisions made by everyone up and down the line and everyone thinking it was a-okay!

On a good day, Atlantis engendered a strong feeling of complete disgust. These people weren't heroes in any sense of the word. But sure, characters like Zelenka were entertaining, and the actors tried their best to get around shitty writing and written characterization.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

I feel bad for the fans because losing a show always sucks, but since I was never interested in SGA it doesn't hit me either way.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering if Stargate Universe is in the pipeworks or not. Preferably not. But ultimately, I don't care. If I want the gaddamn Stargate magic back, I'll huddle down with the original movie.

[amycooper.livejournal.com]

I'm going to follow SGA to the end of the season. I'm unsure if I'll see the movie. I will probably wait for reviews before deciding. But I've already decided that if they do get a new series, I'm not watching it. I've had enough.

[nialla]

I've been wondering about Universe as well. I know there was a big discussion about it almost being and "either/or" situation because TPTB didn't want to ruin run two shows at once again.

They may very well have gotten a deal for Universe (for which they wanted a bigger budget) from MGM or some combo of sources that may or may not include Sci Fi, so Atlantis was a casualty.

Or it could simply be a casualty of the weak US dollar just not buying what it used to in Canada (which used to give SG-1 a budget boost after currency conversion), plus it's just doing "OK" in the ratings and for the money invested, they probably want a much bigger return.

[forcryinoutloud.livejournal.com]

Honestly, the writing wasn't the best but I watched it for John and Rodney and as long as they didn't fuck them up too much it was bareable. Granted they were heading (still are) down the fuck-it-up-good trail with the whole Rodney/Keller thing and I've no doubts there will be WAY too much John/Teyla for my tastes but dammit, I LOVED seeing Hewlett and Flanigan on my screen every week. I loved watching John and Rodney being goofy and adorable and bestest friends every week. :( They are the ones I'm going to miss. :(

[seanchaidh.livejournal.com]

If only Stargate SG-1 had been canned at that point.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

You mean after five seasons? Yeah, I think that would have been best, although season 6 is okay for the most part. I think those were left-over scripts from the Showtime era.

[seanchaidh.livejournal.com]

Too true. Woe.

[iloveatlantis.livejournal.com]

I can agree with you there.

[amycooper.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I think after S5, they hand maybe what, five good episodes? Not even that?

By then they had already done some worrying things with Sam Carter, but hadn't completely destroyed her character yet. Looking back, it would have been for the best if SG1 was canned then.

[seanchaidh.livejournal.com]

Maybe roughly a dozen, if I want to be generous.

[nialla]

I think if SG-1 had ended at season five, Sam Carter wouldn't be as reviled in some quarters as she is now. TPTB had played with ship, but it hadn't yet become the carrot to dangle for attention.

Also, ending at season five would have kept Sci Fi out of the picture as far as producing new stuff. I don't think they were as bad as some networks on making demands, but then the current Boyz at Bridge were giving them the great tasting generic sci fi they wanted.

[iloveatlantis.livejournal.com]

I have to admit they've pulled some really stupid moves with this series--replacing a beloved character like Carson with the laughable Keller comes first to mind--but as long as they had John and Rodney on the series with a clear friendship between them, I could live with it. I think the longer the series continued the more likely we were at this point to sink into the abyss of Rodney/Keller ship (and I cringe as I even type those two names in connection). I also doubt they'll let us get through these final 15 episodes and the coming TV movie without inflicting that on us in disgusting doses--but I will really miss the series and will enjoy these final shows as fully as possible (after judicious use of the pause button while recording it to DVR upon any hints of Rodney/Keller nonsense).

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm one of those, like Aizjanika, who just watched because it was on, or because another person in the house watched it.

I saw the appeal between John and Rodney, but never saw the electricity. I know others did.

I dunno: a show like Star Trek or Firefly or Farscape I can see the reason for a SAVE THE SHOW! campaign, but I get the feeling the decision for this was made a while ago.

[iloveatlantis.livejournal.com]

And there is a Save the Show campaign ramping up. I'll undoubtedly send off a letter or two myself just because I do love what the series is to me, which is John and Rodney--but I think you're right. I do believe there is little hope of any chance whatsoever that it would be miraculously picked back up for another season after the MGM announcement. I think most of the people affiliated with it were shocked to get season five, and, as much as I will miss it, I would rather see it go at the end of this season than see it run five more and become what SG-1 became, which was a joke compared to what it was in its first seasons.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

Just make sure the letters go to the correct people: see Nialla's post down at the end of the thread.

[amycooper.livejournal.com]

*nods*

Teyla and John are similar. Funny how when the writer has a nice scene where they are just friends it goes so well, whereas when they try to make it romantic, it looks awkward.

I sorta like Keller, but I strongly suspect it is because I have purposefully avoided Trio and Missing. I've come to learn to avoid episodes that are heavy on the "character development" of female characters on Stargate. As the Boys @ Bridge have proven that they haven't a clue.

[superbadgirl]

Honestly? Color me surprised it lasted as long as it did. I will watch it in syndie sometimes, but ... not a show I could ever fall for hook, line and plot hole.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not unsurprised. This show was a mess from the beginning.

[nialla]

Something I've read in recent comments is apparently Sci Fi didn't cancel the show, MGM pulled the plug. Some are now blaming MGM, thinking they're planning on being able to make more money by going with DVDs.

I think it just boils down to Sci Fi not being willing to pay what MGM requested, and MGM blinked.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

I think the shit SciFi pulled with the matter of the SG1 cancellation, and stringing that clause in the contract out of their collective suited butts, is coming home to roost. Not that I think anyone over at either studio is exactly losing sleep over anything to do with Atlantis, but payback be payback. If it IS payback.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

er, the clause I meant was the one in which SciFi retained *exclusive* showing rights for anything Stargate for all time, or whatever it was. They played crap, and it hit the fan. Again, though, I think the only stakes in this game were the wooden ones holding the tents up on the sets.

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

Too true. I've hated the ship. I don't believe Dr. Keller at all and the scripts have gotten weaker. I"m sure it would have gotten worse.

But I really like the Stargate and will miss it.