When Stargate SG-1 ended its run in March 2007, fans of the franchise could take solace that they’d still have weekly Stargate adventures courtesy of spin-off Stargate Atlantis. Now, Atlantis is being cancelled as well.
Stargate Atlantis debuted on July 16, 2004 on Sci Fi. The series follows the adventures of a human expedition to the lost city of Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy. While Atlantis generally hasn’t been as popular as the SG-1 series, it still has a lot of fans. After five seasons on the air, Sci Fi Channel has announced that the series is ending.
The cancellation didn’t come as a complete surprise to the producers. On his blog, showrunner Joseph Mallozzi cites rising production costs and the decline of the US dollar as contributors. He and showrunner Paul Mullie broke the news to the cast and crew themselves. Thankfully it seems like the adventure isn’t over quite yet.
The second half of season five will air as expected on Sci Fi beginning in January. The 100th episode, titled “Enemy At the Gate,” will be the show’s last. The Atlantis story will then continue in a two-hour movie. The as-yet-untitled movie will run on Sci Fi and soonafter be released on DVD.
Mallozzi and Mullie will write the movie script. It’s not yet known who will direct the project. Mallozzi writes, “Obviously, I can’t say much about it at this point but suffice it to say that it should include the entire cast in addition to a certain gaunt and pallid flowing-locked guest star.” A release date should be forthcoming soon.
Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, the SG-1 and Atlantis co-creators, are upbeat about the news. In a statement, they said, “We’re excited to tell Atlantis stories on a bigger canvas. The successes of the two original Stargate DTV movies The Ark of Truth and Continuum have shown us the opportunities that the movie format offers. We have plans for both SG-1 and Atlantis to remain vital as we expand the franchise.”
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“We share in the producers’ enthusiasm to move forward in this direction and we look forward to a strong and continued relationship on Stargate Atlantis in this new format,” said Thomas Vitale, Sci Fi’s Senior Vice President of Programming & Original Movies.
The network has indicated that “the show will live on as a network franchise.” What the statement actually means is unclear. Sci Fi may be planning additional Atlantis movies, or it could be a general indication that the Stargate franchise will continue, likely as a third series.
In late 2007, Cooper and Wright pitched Stargate Universe to the channel. Earlier this year, Wright told Gateworld, “The idea of Stargate Universe is that it is set on a ship that was part of an Ancient experiment that was set in motion probably millions of years ago — one that they never saw to fruition, but that we can.” He went on to say that the ship’s mission would be to help seed the galaxies with Stargates. Universe hasn’t been given a greenlight yet but, now that Atlantis has been cancelled, Sci Fi may have the funds to do it.
Though the Atlantis cancellation is surely a disappointment to fans, Mallozzi is confident the story isn’t over. He writes, “And, if [the Atlantis movie] proves anywhere as successful as the first two SG-1 direct-to-video features, you can be assured that this will be the first in a long, long line of Stargate Atlantis movies.” Stay tuned! 
Photo courtesy SciFi Channel/Joe Pugliese.
Scifi cancelling sga now is a complete disappointment, and i will be boycotting their channel, i will boycott and not buy any products advertised on their channel, and i will never come back to scifi. It is ridiculous that just because they can get more money selling movies instead of the series, that they would cancel the show. I have no respect for scifi and i will be joining boycotters around the world to put pressure on scifi. BRING BACK SG1 AND DONT KILL ATLANTIS. They are perfectly good shows.
Stargate atlantis is great, its a shame the first stargate was canceled.
Bring it back!
I have been a huge fan of Atlantis since I caught a marathon of season 1 in 2005-06 and I never stopped watching thereafter. I had NEVER seen SG-1 prior to this, and as a result I found myself involved with that show earier this year and have loved it as well. I’m a 29 year old male, and about 6 months ago I got my 59 year old father involved in Atlantis AND SG-1 (we like Atlantis better of the two) and I make it a point to be at my parents’ house to watch it with him every… Read more »
WHY??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! i loved stargate sg-1. and i was upset when it went off the air but i was glad cause atlantis was still going. and now there canelling that after only a year. Universe better be good and have some of the other characters from SG-1 and Atlantis if there stopping them both now. great shows are leaving tv and being replaced with bad stuff. atleast if you like Sci-Fi stuff.
I am heart broken, I can’t beleive another show I love is being cancelled. I know money is tight, but if the show is doing Great and I think it is!!! the people should have a say in it. I see where Samantha went, Sancturay is ok but it is not as good as Stargate Atlantis! I am a 54 year old female and there alot of us out here, I would go over the books one more time, b4 you put this one to bed… I won’t watch SIFI Channel any more if you let this one end, and… Read more »
I guess its almost time to stop watching Sci-Fithey only have two good shows left Sanctuary and DR.Who But you can watch The Original Dr.Who runs on BBC America. Sci-Fi for some reason wants to run itself into the ground.
With more and more crappy shows being shown, and then cancelled very quickly, why would anyone cancel a perfectly good series. Very enjoyable to watch, and nice to follow the continuing episodes. It sucked when SG1 ended, and now wth Atlantis ending, there isn’t much to look forward to watching. The other dissapointment is with the upcoming end of Battlestar Galactica ending as well. Get a grip producers, keep with a working show. As for continuing with made for TV movies of Atlantis, I guess it is something in a pretty dismal TV season.
I watched SG1 from the very beginning, before it was on the Sci-Fi channel and happily followed when it changed networks. I never missed an episode and loyally followed Stargate Atlantis, even more so when SG1 was cancelled. Now another show that is worth watching is being cancelled. I don’t watch much tv and it looks like I will watch even less now. Wrestling on Sci-Fi? What am I not getting here? Guess it’s time to go back to no tv in the house except for movies as becoming involved in a series worth watching will only lead to cancellation.… Read more »
alot of show i like get cancelled but if they do go on to make a movie or two after it is done i would like to see like a small function of the goa uld to have made it to the Pegasus Glaxies but forced into hideing with the fear of the wraith feeding on them because of their long life. what would yall think
I really hope they reconsider cancelling this show. Even my wife, who doesn’t get into the sci-fi that much, enjoys watching this show. This is really the only regular TV show I watch. Hopefully they won’t leave us hanging.
Yeah I agree with most of you..This is the most amazing show and one I watch immediately on my DVR. I did not see this coming. i would have to say that it is the best produced and if I had to choose only 1 series to keep on my DVR out of the 50 I have it would be this show..>WHY SCFI???? WHYYYyyyyy!
I am profoundly disappointed by this cancelation. I have been a trekkie since 1967 and I loved the nerdy tech flavor of atlantis. Its cancelation is another example of human stupidity of the highest order,
It figures, when I like a show it gets cancelled. Hopefully they will follow through with the movies so I can still enjoy the Stargate Atlantis series. I agree that Sanctuary should be cancelled as it is a terrible show. Ghost Hunters is just retarded so I don’t see why that is so popular. There is plenty of room for Sci-Fi to clean up air space and save money to fund the Stargate series and maybe even greenlight the Stargate Universe series.
Are you KIDDING ME? When SG1 was canceled, my only consolation was that the Atlantis series was alive and well. I was delighted by the SG1 cast guest appearances, but puzzled by the stilted, wooden, mostly invisible role given to Carter. Amanda Tapping deserved better. We deserve better. Sanctuary is NOT better. I can only hope that the Sci-Fi channel reconsiders canceling Atlantis. A hybrid SG1/SGAtlantis series would be even better. For a trifecta, pick-up Firefly. If not, I’ll be patronizing the public library for (good) science fiction. The Sci-Fi channel does want people to watch, right? That is the… Read more »
The Sci-Fi Channel has now cancelled two sucessful shows with great ratings and a strong following, Stargate SG1 and Atlantis. This channel seems out to ruin the sci-fi medium it claims to support. Instead they will be showing more wrestling, ghost hunting and their latest low budget crap Sanctuary. I for one will no longer be watching.