Stargate hasn’t graced our televisions with a new episode since May of 2011, when the last episode of Stargate Universe aired.

By then, there had been three series, three movies (if you include the 1994 movie that started it all), hundreds of episodes, and Stargate in some form had been on TV for 16 years!

Without a doubt, a hardcore fanbase had been created.

(Prime Video/Screenshot)

These fans have remained dedicated to the show for years. And in an era of reboots, remakes, and limitless sequels, plenty of people have wondered whether another Stargate series would ever become a reality.

Not long after Amazon bought MGM, rumblings of a new Stargate show began to seep through the internet.

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It seemed possible fans would be rewarded for their loyalty to the storied franchise, which never seems to get the same amount of recognition as Star Wars or Star Trek.

In fact, Martin Gero, one of the creators of Stargate Atlantis, had a new series greenlit. The episodes were written, actors were cast, and people were already on location in the UK, ready to film.

Days before cameras rolled, Prime Video changed its mind and canceled it all.

(Prime Video/Screenshot)

Of course, at this point, a statement needed to be made. Many people had already put in hard work to make a new Stargate show a reality, and fans were clamoring for whatever would come next.

Why did Amazon cancel the show when it was already exiting pre-production? Concern that “Gero’s take on the series would not have broad appeal beyond the franchise’s already dedicated fanbase.”

Let that sink in.

The fandom that was large enough to keep the original series running for ten years, with two movies and two spinoff series, isn’t who they’re targeting with a new Stargate show.

(Prime Video/Screenshot)

How much bigger a built-in audience does one need?

Besides that, in an era of streaming, people are more than happy to start at the beginning of a show with a massive backlist and watch all the way through.

A Fan’s Worst Fear

A dedicated, positive, and large fandom is hard to come by. But Stargate has managed to cultivate one.

When a show creates a community like this, its fans become extremely dedicated. Through multiple rewatches, they come to know every storyline, character trait, and rule of the story’s universe intimately.

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They will know the show at least as well as the actors and writers, if not a bit better.

The biggest fear for any of these fans is that a new entry to the franchise won’t honor what they’ve already come to adore. Rejecting what made the show and creating it anew feels akin to a slap in the face.

(Prime Video/Screenshot)

That’s precisely why fans were thrilled, albeit tentatively, that the new Stargate series would be a continuation, not a remake. A remake means forgetting everything you already loved and starting from scratch.

Fans also felt more confident when they heard names from the original shows attached to the new Amazon-funded series.

Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich, Brad Wright, and Joseph Mallozzi were all listed as collaborators on the new series, not just Martin Gero.

Fans were promised a project that was new & fresh, but still from the minds of the very people who had already brought them so much joy. With any luck, that meant the new show would feel like it was honoring its roots.

And then Amazon backed out at the last second.

The Fandom is Larger Than You Think (Prime Video/Screenshot)

Stargate is seemingly underestimated at all turns and somehow feels more like it has a cult following than mainstream popularity. But that doesn’t mean it’s a small fandom.

The fandom is large and, despite not having any new shows to offer in more than a decade — it’s ever-growing.

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When people love something, they want to share it.

Stargate fans have encouraged friends, family, and co-workers to watch the show they hold near and dear, and they never stopped.

In fact, I’m proud to say I’m one of the co-workers who was converted by a quick pitch at a Christmas party back when I was a writing tutor in 2018.

(Prime Video/Screenshot)

Then I got multiple other people to watch it too.

I may not have watched episodes as they aired, but I have seen every single episode and movie at least once, and often twice.

I deeply love this show, and my husband often looks at me in surprise when I can identify what episode he’s watching within fifteen seconds of entering the room.

I wouldn’t call myself a casual fan of Stargate, even if I am late to the party.

Catering to the existing fandom is not a sin — it’s a superpower.

(Prime Video/Screenshot)

Initial ratings would not be low with a fandom as large as Stargate’s. And viewership numbers could easily swell when existing fans are excited. Even in the 21st century, the best advertising is word of mouth.

People will watch what a trusted friend recommends.

Don’t Lose the Fans

Simply slapping the name “Stargate” on a new series doesn’t guarantee that current fans will blindly love whatever comes out.

It may guarantee that everyone watches the first episode, but you can lose them. And people will stop watching if a new Stargate show doesn’t feel true to what came before.

(Prime Video/Screenshot)

If the goal is to lure in new viewers, regardless of what the old fans think, you will end up with nothing but a dud. Because old fans will turn it off, and creating new fans is hard work when the existing ones are warning everyone else it’s garbage.

Personally, I won’t touch whatever Amazon chooses to spit out and slap the name Stargate upon if none of the original creators are attached.

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I will happily live in a bubble where the last Stargate content ever created was Stargate Universe even though Stargate Universe is already the weakest link in the franchise and almost worth ignoring entirely.

What We Almost Had

The show was on the precipice of filming, but a cagey executive unceremoniously canceled it; it would have taken place in an alternate universe where beloved character Daniel Jackson finds himself after some kind of accident.

Michael Shanks was still set to play Jackson, and he likely would have gotten into plenty of space-related shenanigans while trying to find a way back to his own universe.

(Prime Video/Screenshot)

Since the cancellation, it was also revealed that many familiar faces would have appeared on the show.

Yet the alternate universe would allow new rules and lore without plot holes or broken in-universe logic. This would let new-to-the-franchise viewers jump in without feeling lost.

This sounds like a perfect balance. Existing fans would have familiar faces and a show that explores the themes they know and love in a modern setting without alienating potential new viewers.

But apparently new viewers matter more than the fans who have championed Stargate for decades.

Now it’s being said that the show is fully scrapped and Amazon is starting over, looking for new writers to conjure up a series.

(Prime Video/ Screenshot)

If that ever comes to fruition… I say let it rot.

While an alternate universe could feel like a disappointment where everything we once knew is no longer true, I trust the original creators implicitly.

If anyone can create a new Stargate show that resonates with fans, it’s the people who created what we all fell in love with in the first place.

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Fans don’t love the name Stargate; they love the characters, heartfelt story arcs, and sprawling world they were invited into that had an internal logic. Without those things, you may as well change the show’s name too.

Despite a petition with over 6,200 signatures, Amazon hasn’t budged on its asinine decision. And that’s a mistake.

What do you think? Are you glad they scrapped the alternate universe series? Do you think you’ll watch a show that none of the original creators are part of?

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