Thursday, August 24, 2006

SG-1

As one might expect, a Save Stargate SG-1 campaign has started. It has the great merit, however, of being different from most such campaigns. One of the major differences is that both Stargate Productions and MGM(who own the relevant rights) have indicated that they are strongly supportive of continuing SG-1 in some form. MGM in particular has found SG-1 to be a very lucrative investment; unlike SciFi and other networks, which only receive income from SG-1 through advertising, MGM benefits from network licensing, overseas distribution, DVD sales, game sales, and other merchandise, and the show has been very good to them on all such accounts, so they are naturally interested in continuing with it if there is any feasible way to do so. It's just unclear at present whether continuing with it will mean continuing in the same format (another season) or shifting formats (e.g., TV movies or feature films). So the movement is not a protest movement (as save-the-show campaigns are) but a support movement -- to support the studio in its effort to find some definite way to continue SG-1 beyond Season 10, whether that continuation be in a new season on another channel, a mini-series, a feature film, or what have you. In essence, it's not trying to change minds so much as trying to make sure that plans already in the air don't fizzle out.

In any case, the web headquarters are here, for those interested in more information about it.

[UPDATE: According to this, SciFi is using its contract to block MGM from giving a new SG-1 season to another (U.S.) channel. But there are still the other possibilities.]