SG: Universe sounds like the "young Stargate" parody from "200"

[V]

I have been aware since the day after news of the cancellation came out, that they were moving on to "Stargate: Universe"

(btw, notice the spin; they don't say "it was canceled" as news on scifi.com, they say "straight to DVD Atlantis DVD's announced!!"...ugh)

Still, I actually thought this was a GOOD idea in theory: it has often been said that it was a mistake to run 2 Treks at the same time, Deep Space Nine and Voyager, because this divided attention (of both the writers and viewers) and BOTH couldn't be great at the same time (look at SG-1's final years and Atlantis, before last year)

So in theory, the idea would be that "Stargate" would continue as a franchise, uninterrupted, but focusing on an entirely different story. End one series (which ran a...decent, length of 5 seasons) and immediately start the next.

In theory, I support that and only that.

But their....description of their goals for Stargate: Universe....

Howe said the new series will reinvigorate the franchise by targeting a younger audience.

“This is an opportunity to reinvent this franchise and make it relevant to a new generation,” Howe said. “We really don’t want to be more of the same. It’s going to build clearly off the existing franchise but with a cast that gives it a younger vibe.”

Said co-creators Wright and Cooper: “In ‘Universe,’ we plan to keep those elements that have made the franchise a success, such as adventure and humor, while breaking new ground in the relationships between mostly young and desperate explorers, thrust together and far from home.

This literally sounds like the "hip young Stargate series" parody done in the SG-1 episode "200":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwyIMzfzz8o


What they do not seem to realize is that there's a difference between "new user friendly" and "we're trying to hook a younger audience demographic"

allow me to explain: JJ Abrams "Star Trek" isn't "Trek XI" he's just calling it "Star Trek", and it is intentionally supposed to be a "reboot" of the series because as both Abrams AND Ron Moore have agreed, the internal backstory is just so dense and complicated now that it would be easier to start over again. This makes a lot of sense.

But notice, that Abram's "Trek 11" isn't trying to specifically "hook Young People", it's just trying to get "people who didn't watch all of Next Gen and Deep Space Nine"

I mean Doctor Who did this too: while the series IS set in the same continuity as the original series, and season 1 of new Doctor Who they openly said was "basically season 27".......they made it a point, in interviews and the finished product, to stress "someone who never watched Doctor Who before should be able to enjoy this"

This is blatantly "90210 in space"


****The most insulting part is..........I myself am a "young" person of 22, and even WE, all of my friends, hate shows like this: it's not "how we act" at all, but shallow attempts by over-the-hill 40-something Hollywood writers to painfully imitate what THEY think "hip 20 somethings act like"

by which I mean (not to be insulting to people older than me, what I mean is...) look at the "young Stargate" clip; it's not "ugh, this is targeted at women or young people....which is a real complaint I've heard made by old Trekkie men about some shows which were actually quite good.

No, what I'm saying is that it often ends up being a really bad failure of an attempt to imitate what "the young people" are doing these days

the same way their idea of a "BSG prequel" was "lets have hot young Cylon girls at raves"....ugh

 

[Temis the Vorta]

My bet: it will be targeted at "young viewers" not so much by having teenaged characters but by having an even higher action/explosions quotient than Stargate currently has.

 

[V]

well what I'm saying is....

....like, instead of "explosions sex and violence", don't they realize that that's now what "young people" think of as "good shows"?

I mean...."Ginger Snaps". Take "Ginger Snaps"; yeah it had some violence but was mostly about teenaged isolation etc. THAT is what gets an audience or something

well Temis, unfortunately they in the description say in as many words, "mostly young explorers"

 

[The Wormhole]

Yeah, these past couple of days I've heard a lot of jokes and comparisons to 200's teen drama skit.

Personally, I think its still too soon to make any sort of judgment, and we probably should have a wait and see attitude. That being said, however, from what we've heard I question the story logic. After dialling the ninth chevron, the SGC sends a team of young, and probably inexperianced people? Shouldn't a breakthrough as important as a nine chevron address warrant a team like SG-1 or some other team of Stargate experts?

 

[Broccoli]

V, the logic behind many of your posts make little sense to me.

I love how the term "young" automatically translates into crap. I'm sorry, but the fact that people thing this is going to be Gossip Girl befuddles me. There are many ways to skew younger w/o having the characters bed hop. I suspect SGU will go for the younger crowd the same way Atlantis did. I read the description as being "new user friendly" to use your own words.

Can be be like Gossip Girl. Sure, but the truth is, we don't know anything yet. Until we see a casting sheet or, you know, the cast, we can't judge. To do so before hand would be utterly stupid and judgmental.

allow me to explain: JJ Abrams "Star Trek" isn't "Trek XI" he's just calling it "Star Trek", and it is intentionally supposed to be a "reboot" of the series because as both Abrams AND Ron Moore have agreed, the internal backstory is just so dense and complicated now that it would be easier to start over again. This makes a lot of sense.

For one, what does Ron Moore have to do with Trek XI and two, Trek XI isn't a reboot. Abrams has said this repeatedly and, as far as I know, has never said that its easier to start over. Care to provide a link for this?

 

[V]

actually Abrams has repeatedly said that, the franchise taken as a whole, needs a reboot....of course, using the plot devise of a time travel problem that gets fixed but not entirely (i.e. like when Homer Simpson, after traveling through hundreds of alternate timelines nothing like the original, finally manages to create a timeline almost exactly like his original timeline, with the only exception being that everyone eats using frog-like prehensile tongues. Given all of the zany-ness he went through, he just shrugs in exhaustion and says "eh, close enough")

so Trek 11 will start out in the "original" Trek timeline, and end with Spock restoring the timeline 99% or so, so it will be "new" to us

but I digress....

Ron Moore I remember mentioned his opinion of it in interviews and in case we've forgotten, he was a big Trek writer on TNG and DS9 for many years so I took notice.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

well Temis, unfortunately they in the description say in as many words, "mostly young explorers"

Young like Teyla, Ford and Ronin, hopefully. Not like Wesley Crusher?

I love how the term "young" automatically translates into crap.

Realistically, it's a code word for "let's do something totally brainless!" I'm sure that's unfair to young people, but this is less about what young people like or want, and more about what TV people think they like or want.

 

[Samurai8472]

Show wise maybe a younger cast is because this journey is a one way thing. As Weir said in "Rising"

You are the world's best and brightest. And in light of the adventure we are about to embark on, you're also the bravest. I hope we all return one day having discovered a whole new realm of humanity to explore, but as all of you know, we may never be able to return home. I'd like to offer you all one last chance to withdraw your participation.

so the destiny could be like some genesis ark

This may irk some but i've always want to see an episode of SG-1 or Atlantis where all of our team is turned into kids.

Young Sheppard stealing something from Mckay causing him to cry and Weir acting as mom lol

 

[Barbados Slim]

Universe sounds like the "young Stargate" parody from "200"

I mentioned this somewhere else...jokingly. It's sad that you're whining about it without irony.

Wait until they cast the thing, and then start your bitchin'.

 

[Broccoli]

actually Abrams has repeatedly said that, the franchise taken as a whole, needs a reboot.

When has he said this? I'm not trying to be a jerk here. Honestly, everything that I have read has suggested otherwise about Trek XI

Ron Moore I remember mentioned his opinion of it in interviews and in case we've forgotten, he was a big Trek writer on TNG and DS9 for many years so I took notice.

Oh, I think many of us know Ron Moore's opinions on Trek.

 

[JoeZhang]

I suspect SGU will go for the younger crowd the same way Atlantis did.

How did it differ? from the episodes I saw it didn't seem to have any major tonal differences from SG1.

 

[Australis]

I love how the term "young" automatically translates into crap.

because it's really some old teevee exec's idea of 'youf dramma' to get the 16-30s in. It usually is crap.

 

[Kelso]

I've said this in another thread... but if they're going for a young cast, I'd like to see Michael Welch return as that Jack-clone.

Hell, the next series lead will probably be a clone of O'Niell, anyway... why not make it official?

 

[Harvey]

I've said this in another thread... but if they're going for a young cast, I'd like to see Michael Welch return as that Jack-clone.

Hell, the next series lead will probably be a clone of O'Niell, anyway... why not make it official?

I actually liked that episode. One of the few times they creatively wrote around O'Niell's absence in seasons 6-8. But the lack of follow-up in almost four seasons suggests it won't happen.

 

[DWF]

I've said this in another thread... but if they're going for a young cast, I'd like to see Michael Welch return as that Jack-clone.

Hell, the next series lead will probably be a clone of O'Niell, anyway... why not make it official?

I actually liked that episode. One of the few times they creatively wrote around O'Niell's absence in seasons 6-8. But the lack of follow-up in almost four seasons suggests it won't happen.

Michael Welch was a regular on Joan Of Arcadia for two years I think that had something to do with it.

 

[Harvey]

Michael Welch was a regular on Joan Of Arcadia for two years I think that had something to do with it.

Hardly a permanent obstacle towards one further guest appearance, but regardless of the reason, it's past when I'd expect him to return. I was surprised once or twice in season four of Atlantis (when Bates returned, when Kavanaugh returned) to see them bring back long absent characters, but I'm still not holding my breath.

Still, he was good in the episode, and if the young people route is taken, Michael Welch would certainly be one of the more tolerable options for a lead.

 

[DWF]

Michael Welch was a regular on Joan Of Arcadia for two years I think that had something to do with it.

Hardly a permanent obstacle towards one further guest appearance, but regardless of the reason, it's past when I'd expect him to return. I was surprised once or twice in season four of Atlantis (when Bates returned, when Kavanaugh returned) to see them bring back long absent characters, but I'm still not holding my breath.

Still, he was good in the episode, and if the young people route is taken, Michael Welch would certainly be one of the more tolerable options for a lead.

Without RDA on SG1 I can't see a reason for him to return, he'd just remind people of how much better they though the show with RDA.

 

[Gertch]

Before Atlantis started and they showed the first cast pics I thought it was going to be 90120 in Pegasus. And it wasn't quite that.

So I'll wait and see what this one is like. I just hope they don't try to be a nuBSG clone. It didn't work for them either.

 

[Broccoli]

I suspect SGU will go for the younger crowd the same way Atlantis did.

How did it differ? from the episodes I saw it didn't seem to have any major tonal differences from SG1.

Tonal differences? No, but the cast was younger and had a "hipper" look, which is kinda what I meant.

Before Atlantis started and they showed the first cast pics I thought it was going to be 90120 in Pegasus. And it wasn't quite that.

What Gertch said.