Stargate’s Next Chapter: Why Skaara’s Afterlife Could Save the Franchise

Amazon passed on Martin Gero’s Stargate pitch, but the franchise’s best next step was never about military ops anyway. Here’s why Skaara’s afterlife is the story worth telling.

Stargate The Skarra ChroniclesMovement on reviving Stargate is on hold following the news that Amazon execs didn’t like the idea showrunner Martin Gero pitched. He worked on SG-1 and Atlantis, and many fans thought whatever he pitched would automatically get green lit. His track record is generally good since he’s even helped bring Quantum Leap back, even though that never saw a finale.

According to Variety, a source with knowledge of the production had to let the cat out of the bag. He did not say what the concerns were, other than that the concept may alienate part of the fandom. The social media post from Joseph Mallozzi didn’t say much either.

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You Spin Me ‘Round & Round: Stargate Origins, a Review

Stargate Origins

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Stargate Command is a website and an app for all things related to this series owned by MGM. When the announcement arrived at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con about a new web series during the SG-1’s 20th-anniversary celebrations, I was excited. The fact it’s going back to the basics as imagined by original creators Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich made me giddy. My love for archaeological adventure in the style of the pulps got me anxious.

However, I knew that I did not need to jump into the launch of this service right away; I knew this series would not be immediately coming. Origins had no confirmed release date. Accessing this site for detailed content about the franchise is nowhere as comprehensive as GateWorld.net — which offered essays and detailed synopsis of the entire franchise.

The one-time fee of $20 (online price) or $29.99 (through the app) to watch the everything that made up SG-1 and onwards is very questionable. The premium content, to which there’s only a handful, I found feels scant. When this offer disappears in May, I have to wonder how much of it will be gone? It’s no loss when compared to the content the DVD releases offer, namely all the commentary tracks and featurettes offered. To sell this online service, all these extras should have been included. To have “The Secret Files of the SGC—The Stargate Universe” or “Stargate SG-1: Timeline to the Future—Legacy of the Gate” under one cloud service make paying the fee all the more worthwhile.

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My Hopes for Stargate: Origins, an Editorial

Stargate OriginsBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

The news arrived a few weeks ago during San Diego Comic-con (SDCC) about a prequel series for the Stargate franchise. Afterwards, I had to rewatch the movie, read the novels, see the entire television series to find clues to answer myself about what I loved from the franchise which defines the experience and maybe answer where Origins may go.

In the episode “Torment of Tantalus,” Catherine Langford (Elizabeth Hoffman) revealed how the science team managed to activate the wormhole transportation tube. She lost her fiancée, Ernest Littlefield (Paul McGillion) in those early experiments and I can see how the 10 episode series can expand on this central plot. No details were offered at SDCC other than Mark Ilvedson and Justin Michael Terry are attached to writing this pilot season. The only detail revealed is that it will revolve around the daughter of archaeologist Paul Langford (who discovered the mysterious metallic ring). The timeline is tight. Filming is supposedly starting in August.

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