So SG1 has finally gone the way of the Dodo. The final episode was a huge disappointment although I suppose it did take us into the heads and personal lives of some of the characters in an unusual way. Still, it’s not a soap opera, I’d watch Emmerdale or Cornation Street if I wanted personal conflict and relationships.
The last episode of the current series of Stargate Atlantis on the other hand was literally “out of this world!” If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a great ending.
I thought the final season of SG1 was so very disappointing. It felt like the plot had lost it’s way, that they were meandering through the series until the very end. It was easy viewing. I built up quite a collection of Stargate episodes on my Sky+ box as well as Battlestar Galactica, 24 and Lost. The two Stargate series were always the first to be watched because I knew they wouldn’t strain my tired brain too much.
For fans like myself who haven’t seen the early years of Stargate, earlier episodes are being repeated on Sky Two throughout the week. I watched The Broca Divide the other night and it was strange to see the much younger looking members of SG1 do their stuff! Richard Dean Anderson was great playing a deranged out-of-his-mind crazy guy!
This leads me on to the question, is there any proper way of ending a long running television series? How did MacGyver end? The last I watched of the series it was getting all environmental and boring. Less gadgets and MacGyver magic and more talking if memory serves. Is every successful franchise doomed to disappoint?
The last standard episode of MacGyver (from season 7) was called “Mountain of Youth” involved MacGyver and Jack Dalton search for the fountain of youth. It aired in May of 1992.
There were two “made for TV” movies, called “Lost Treasure of Atlantis” and “Trail to Doomsday” which came out in 1994.
Yes, I watched it when it was running on RTE Two (Network 2 at the time) but I wasn’t a “fan-boy” … I got this info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MacGyver_episodes#Season_7:_1991-1992
By the way… WikiPedia have a List of Problems solved by MacGyver – reading it makes for an interesting way to kill some time..!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_problems_solved_by_MacGyver
Yeah they really should have ended it when they beat the G’oauld (or however to spell it). It did drag on.
A real pity.
I disagree, I loved the final season of Stargate SG-1, but then I’m a sucker for any scifi. None of it bad, just varying degrees of good. What is good is the way Cooper and Wright left just a few arcs open to blend in nicely with the new direct to DVD flick Ark of Truth and then for something completely different Continuum
Totally agree with your assessment of Atlantis, it’s going the same way as SG-1, by season four SG-1 was grabbing the viewer and by S5 it had us all hooked lock stock and barrel.
Cheers from Australia
They are trying to lead up to two SG1 Movies. It’s a pain in the hole, but hopefully the movies will make up for it.
They seem to be Direct-To-DVD though, so it will be interesting to see how it goes.
Also, if you want an example of a fairly long running series that getting crap, look at Family Guy which is now at Season 6. It’s gone from brilliant gags throughout, to lots of totally random crap which is painful to watch 🙁
Ok, obviously the author of this little tiny blog site here is seriously lacking information.
The knowledge level of `Donncha` is pretty low here.
Obviously not in the film and television industry, but sheesh, at the VERY least they could have taken the time to at least take some time away from the mushroom farm to have a google search hit them in the face, because there is really a serious case of Donncha not knowing what’s going on in the world.
Ok, here is some information for you, so that you don’t keep spreading and typing stuff that’s misleading or under false impression:
First of all, ALL THE STARGATE SG-1 SHOWS that you *just* watched, were all filmed at the studio OVER 1 YEAR AGO. Ok? This means, in case you aren’t immediately connecting the dots here, that ALL of the episodes, including the last SG-1 were filmed BEFORE THE WRITERS, ACTORS, CAST, CREW knew ANYTHING about the show going to get cancelled.
Ok, so put yourself in the position of the show. Let’s imagine You were in this position. Let’s say you were writing little installments to your little tiny blog here, and you had written 10 posts that you scheduled on your blog to automatically post 1 per week. You wrote them already, they have been submitted, but they won’t all post and final ones show up until 10 weeks from now. Ok, AFTER you clicked SUBMIT, tomorrow someone comes in and cuts off your access to your blog. You are shut down. You can’t access it, your ISP decided they wanted to use your domain for their own Google ADWORD hits or something, and cover your site with ads. But since your site is still up, your blog posts continue to post 1 per week…. And you have fans of your little blog here, that liked to visit you each week and see what you had to say. But your ISP is taking advantage of this, and decides to rake in the advert revenue, and draw out your blog posts to capitalize on your continuing visitors… and decide to post 5 weeks worth of your blogs, then wait 6 months, and post the last 5, 1 per week, meanwhile there’s nothing you can do about it. You can’t change your posts, and your visitors are still viewing them, some are even unaware that you are NOT even on the site anymore and your site has been cancelled and you are locked out. Now it’s a year later, and people have along the way finally learned the news that your site is going to be shut down after your last and final 10th blog post that you wrote a year ago. And everyone comes to your little blog site here and reads it and goes…..Huh? What the? Sheesh. What the heck is with this Donncha guy he didn’t even say goodbye or anything! We have been reading all their posts, replying, and commenting and came here for weeks, and then even waited 6 months waiting and anticipating the final farewell, and Donncha’s last and final post was about HAGGIS. OMG what a let down! And how disloyal! He didn’t even bother to say goodbye or thank the fans, or make a climactic END or make a grand exit or ANYTHING! Pfft. What a loser Donncha is for not doing that! …..
That is what happened to SG-1, man. So here you are with posts like this, and you don’t realize it. ALL the shows you saw right now, were shot at The Bridge Studios, on stage 6, in Burnaby British Columbia Canada over a YEAR ago. February/March of 2006. And if you are in the television or film industry, you know, that the scripts were actually written BEFORE that, November December of 2005. Because the scripts need to be written out, printed up, the sets need to be built, the props need to be manufactured, the CGI computer graphics need to be produced, and the scripts need to be delivered to the actors PRIOR to the shooting dates so that they can study and memorize their lines.
ALL of this happened BEFORE any of the cast, crew, producers, writers, or directors KNEW that the 1 drongo named Mark Stern at NBC sci fi channel was going to cancel the show. So regarding what you’re watching here, Nobody had a chance to script, write, produce or create any sort of farewell, not even a chance to say goodbye.
When these were produced, the show had always gone forward, Brad and Rob Cooper had no foreknowledge in order to prepare some grand farewell to please you. ALL of the actors had contracts and had signed on for the next season. All the shows were going strong, the new spinoff Atlantis doing great as well, SG-1 was(is!) the FLAGSHIP show of the entire network, and it wasn’t until all of the episodes were completed that the dunderhead responsible for putting professional WRESTLING onto the science fiction channel decided to drop the bomb that the show was cancelled. That was in August 21st, 2006.
Ok? Are you getting the picture yet here? So you’re coming around 1 year later wondering why the team of a great show didn’t write you Grand Finale so you could feel good about the show ending with a climax. And talking like after providing 10 years of enjoyable shows, that may have entertained you, given you some fun times, and some laughs, that you’ve been somehow ripped off or deprived because the show is now cut without you getting your fluffy exit.
And whether you are just unaware, or you just don’t know, or live in a place without a newspaper, there has been a FURIOUS UPROAR all over the world about what NBC sci fi channel did.
MGM is moving full force behind Stargate SG-1.
MGM has now funded and bankrolled 2 new Stargate SG-1 movies.
There is now a 3rd STARGATE series coming out.
There is a huge convention going on right now as we speak in Vancouver Canada for Stargate SG-1 with thousands and thousands of visitors attending.
Studio tours are going on.
There is a pipe and drum performance for the Scottish character of Carson Beckett.
Thousands upon thousands of fans have signed Petitions against Sci Fi channel, and FOR Stargate SG-1
Millions of people are writing letters, sending faxes to the executives of NBC, and parent company GE corporation.
NBC is now losing money after the loss of Stargate SG-1.
NBC, owner of the sci fi channel is now last in the ratings. 4th out of 4th place.
NBC has lost $600 million dollars, and had to cut 700 jobs.
Meanwhile, the cast of Stargate SG-1 is right now as we speak heading up to the NORTH POLE.
Yes, that’s right, the ARCTIC. And filming scenes for the brand new blockbuster Stargate SG-1 DVD movie.
Amanda, Rick, Ben, and Beau, are right now on a NUCLEAR SUBMARINE, heading up to Prudhoe bay in Alaska and are going to head within a few kilometers of the North Pole at an ARCTIC scientific research station operated by the UNITED STATES NAVY, who invited them because the Commander of the base is a Fan of the show.
Shots will include footage of the huge nuclear submarine breaking the surface up through the ice.
Some fantastic shots, and that’s just the 1st of it.
So the only one whimpering around here is your imagination. Millions of *true* fans around the world are FIGHTING for the show, and MGM has called it their most successful franchise comparing up there in powerful stature with their other little whimpering loser of a series that they own, the James Bond movies. You may have heard of them. There is a new MASSIVE Multiplayer online Stargate game coming out, on the level of World of Warcraft. And production on Stargate SG-1 motion pictures is going on FULL FORCE right as we speak, so watch out because everyone’s fighting against this dodo Mark Stern and his little minions at sci fi channel, and for STARGATE SG-1, and you’re going to have to eat those words up there, and if you are a true fan, you’ll LOVE IT too! 🙂
That still doesn’t change the fact that the series ended badly. Even as a normal end-of-season finishing episode it was weak. Where was the cliff hanger?
Thanks for your passionate and knowledgable comment Jonathan. I’m looking forward to the dvd movies too!
I suspect Donncha did know all that stuff Jonathon as does the rest of the world, it’s really difficult to get past it, especially out here in the world, I think he’s having a loan of you mate
Nial, I remember watching that when it first aired. By jasus, I was only 10 at the time. Didn’t MacGyver go into the fountain and then suddenly age drastically? Or am I mistaken.
I stopped watching Stargate once Daniel Jackson got “killed-off” and they introduced a cabbage patch doll in his place. Whenever you see an attempt from the writers to make a Sci-Fi show a bit funny then press the eject button immediately!
BattleStar Galactica is in a bit of a demise too. Last episode of Season 3 is tonight I think and it’s really been a poor one. And FG is also going down the pan…Sad times.
The only tv shows worth watching at the moment are Heroes and the US Office.
I’m sort of with Donncha on this. The last episode was a great episode (I’ve always enjoyed the self-parody) but not really a season let alone a series ender.
I have to say though that I loved the musical montage:
As to how a series should end? I always thought ST:TNG did it brilliantly with All Good Things… – especially the final poker game. I also loved Deep Space Nine’s ending even more even though it was quite disjointed and definitely a matter of personal taste!
Actually, I think Lost has improved drastically in the last couple of episodes… but then I’ve been watching it since the season 1 pilot and I’m not about to stop.
I haven’t gotten swept up in the Heroes tidal wave just yet and I never liked the Office – either version. Horses, courses, and all that.
Why does DOCTOR JONATHON TRENT (valid points and all that he makes) get his comment in BOLD? Kinda outshines the rest of us…
Dr. Johny there might want to get his facts straight…especially when he bolded them 😛
[i]”First of all, ALL THE STARGATE SG-1 SHOWS that you *just* watched, were all filmed at the studio OVER 1 YEAR AGO. Ok? This means, in case you aren’t immediately connecting the dots here, that ALL of the episodes, including the last SG-1 were filmed BEFORE THE WRITERS, ACTORS, CAST, CREW knew ANYTHING about the show going to get cancelled.”[/i]
The cast and crew were notified of the cancellation August last year, they were filming “Bad Guys” at the time, and had written all but the last 3 episodes. If you take note, they slip several references about the cancellation into Family Ties. 😉
I suggest you keep the condescending tone to yourself…don’t want to appear the juxtaposal fool now do we?
Now in response to Donncha’s post, I quite liked the last episode, and I’ve found that the personal conflict and relationships of the characters is one of the aspects I particularly enjoy about SG-1, and I thought it added so much more deapth, being the final episode and all.
This episode worked for me as the last because it wasn’t the cliffhanging shoot ’em up perilous adventure that we’ve come to expect from the series. It was nice, a subtle ending, and hint at the grandeur that I’m sure the movies will provide themselves to be.
Good luck with catching up on the earlier seasons! 🙂
In full agreeance with Barry Donovan, I nearly fell off me chair when Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Have you ever seen the rain’ faded in. Ah the memories of my nearly mispent youth just came flooding back
Speaking of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upGDFv5OiLU
It’s actually the Rod Stewart version they play… I think.
Er… noob question I guess, but how do I stop your site emailing me every time someone posts a comment on this entry?
(Thanks Donncha, .. man I feel stupid now! .. long day .. tired brain .. yadda )
Actually I think mailing people who leave comments is a great idea. What is the name of the plugin you use to do it?
It’s Mark Jaquith’s Subscribe to comments plugin for WordPress. Works a treat!
Oh it’s a good idea, – I’ll install it myself, tbh … I just won’t have had the “mail me” box ticked by default, as some people mightn’t notice it.
Like I didn’t 🙂
Niall – sorry about that. I thought it was unchecked! I’ve changed it now so it’ll be unchecked by default. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
Barry Donovan wrote: It’s actually the Rod Stewart version they play… I think.
Holey Shmoley, I could’ve sworn it was John Fogerty’s voice, maybe the tinnitus in me ears……….
Now Ive got to go and get Mr Stewart’s rendition, I shall be very, very disappointed if it is Rod the Lad.
I was disappointed with the SG1 wrap-up also. The plotting of the ender was too deliberate. The getting caught in time piece, just didn’t work. The passage of time was treated badly. Instead of giving us minute snippets to tell us that timewas passing, why didn’t the writers use it more as an instrument of psychology surgery? Bah!
I guess they wanted to bow out like ST:TNG did.
Ya’ll got to see the end of SG1 already???
I’m SO freaking jealous – we haven’t even gotten the second half of season 10 🙁
Oh! One fact that the good doctor above forgot to mention is that MGM is trying to farm out the SG1 actors to other shows. Despite the fan protest, and the outrage, I don’t think that the production company has much confidence that they’re going to be able to keep the non-Canadian actors around long enough to keep filming any more movies beyond the first two.
I can’t mourn it too much, my two favorite characters (Jack and Rodney McKay) had already left SG1. **I know that Jack is supposed to come back in some capacity for the end of season 10, but don’t spoil me too badly, please!?!**
Anyway, we’re still fiending for our beloved show here, with a mixture of elation and anticipation.
Y’all have an excellent Easter over there! yours, Charleen
Hey, dont feel bad, Charleen, I live in the US amd we havent gotten anything yet either. ours starts april 13 for the last ten eps, so i know what you mean. i dont know where u live but yeah i know how you feel. I just got irked and anxious so i read them online and i thought te ending did kind of suck, but oh well. At least we get movies. :o) I just want to know whats going to happen with the relationships on the show because theyve screwed around with the oneill/carter thing and now the daniel/vala dilly. im a chesy kinda guy when it comes to that stuff but still. cuz i real something SPOILER ALERT… where in one of the ovies Valas husband comes back, but like what abou what happened in Unending? its stupid. Tomin is a pretty dumb character anyways so they should just kill him off or let him find someone else. lol. i dunno. Am i the only one who this drives nuts? maybe its cuz im in high school and its a phase…lol i dont know. any words of wisdom? haha. what do you guys think about it?
look at the date stamp under the names. The first post was back on march 26. They only just started showing the second half of season 10 so they haven’t seen the end of shit. All they saw was the end of the first half of season 10.
Chris – the final season of Stargate SG1 was aired in the UK and Ireland several months before the US and Canada. Sky 1 premiered it. No shit here boyo! 🙂
I have to say that SG1 last season ended terribly, the writing had become so boring and weak. I mean the episode with Carter and the multiverse(weak) Daniel formerly accended now a Prior (weak)Unending and the Asgard what a load of trash. Unending again with the we are trapped in time for almost the entire episode…this was the series finale, you can’t be serious. What RUBBISH
they should have used the tech and go back in time for carter to find a cure for the asgards with the ancients knowledge in jack o neill to prevent them dieing, and be waiting in there present time for the ori with asgard fleet that would have been a better ending.
OK, here we are 16 months later and a lot has transpired, SG-1 the series, gone, Ark of Truth released and now lovingly owned by SG-1 and ditto Stargate Continuum.
Stargate Atlantis – gone, cancelled at S5 with direct to DVD films to follow. Just to add S5 is a stunningly superior season
A new series penned and crewed by Wight and Cooper and we hope the Mallozzi’s, The Mullie’s the Binders, the Gero’s the Mikita’s and the rest will be involve, as well as some new folk.
Stargate Universe, Ne Multus: 3 to 5 crew in a starship lost in space. A Colonel aged 45 years, 2 or 3 x 20 to 35 something military folk aged and a civilian aged hmmmm pick an age and filming in Bridge Studios, all we await is the go ahead from MGM
Seeyas
woohoo cant wait
Being a Stargate fan I cant wait
Long live the Stargate franchise oi!
im angry about the way they ended the last stargate why kill of the asgard they where the best aliens in it, why not kill of the tokra they where nowhere as advanced as the asgard it brought a tear to my eye cause with out them the s.g.c are screwed and with the ori being more advanced than the s.g.c. what if they decided to bring stargate back it won’t be the same with out the asgard and i won’t be watching it because of that it will be crap i can handle a new sg1 team cause the old cast well there getting old.
This might sound crazy but I just started recently watching Stargate SG1 on space channel in Canada. I was bored one night to decided to try it. I put off watching this show for years and years. I figured there is not much advertising or talk about the show, it probley can’t be that good.
Wow it’s the best sci fi show I have ever watched. I told my friends about it they were like whats Stargate SG1? Hardly anyone knows about it. Was this show not advertised much in the past or something?? Maybe if someone spent advertising dollars on it, it would be so strong it would still be running today. I am just amazed by this show but it’s very sad such an amazing thing is gone. It should be much much more popular and known then it is.
Made it’s own advertising John. It was made in Canada too, Vancouver, I still miss it, another straight to DVD movie coming out soonish
Well I suppose it couldn’t go on forever, and after 10 years, we don’t really have anything to complain about.
I do miss watching new episodes though. I watched every episode from the first UK premiere to the finale, and Iwas really quite invested in the series by the end.
If I had the choice of arranging the ending, I would have done a final self-parody, like wormhole xtreme or 200. Those were really great, self-aware shows which were hugely popular with the fans and showed how mature the show had become, that it could take the piss out of itself.
But all in all, I’m just glad we had 10 great years of SG-1.
Totally agree with you there Paul “But all in all, I’m just glad we had 10 great years of SG-1.”
I have to admit in the intervening years I’ve gone of scifi a tad, Stargate Universe is rubbish, I really hope another scifi thing like SG1, that is plot based and not character based, Universe fails for me on that score, character based scifi just doesn’t work for me
I knew that the final season was a waste of time. In fact it was only the die-hards like myself who probably gave the show any credible ratings. And you are right, the last episode ( which I have on tape and will stay with me forever) was a true disappointment.
The introduction of the shemale, Claudia Black and Ben Browder completely ruined it for me. Then to really drive the coffin nails in, it turned into Star Trek, too much time in space ships and not enough time through the Stargate. And I won’t even waste my time mentioning the plots from season 9-10!