Another one bites the dust. Syfy, which recently yanked 'Caprica,' has also canceled 'Stargate Universe.'

Like 'Caprica,' 'SGU' was a spinoff of a very successful franchise, but neither show ever caught fire in the ratings. According to Deadline, the remaining episodes in the show's second season will air in the spring, but that will be that.

'SGU' was billed as the darker, grittier, edgier show of the 'Stargate' franchise. But some fans thought that 'SGU,' which debuted in the fall of 2009, failed to capitalize on the things that made 'SG-1' such a long-running hit and also didn't deliver the kind of thematic and dramatic complexity that its producers had promised.

In a blog post that became somewhat notorious within the 'Stargate Universe' fandom, I said all that and more.

In that post, I was responding to a comment that 'SGU' executive producer Brad Wright had left on my site. A sci-fi brouhaha ensued. But truth be told, I always thought the most interesting thing about that exchange was not what I said or what Wright said (though I do wonder if, despite Wright's prediction, ABC's 'V' will outlast 'SGU').

No, the most interesting thing about that incident was that it seemed to give fans who'd felt ignored a voice. I've been a critic for seven years but the ferocity of the reaction to that post was nothing short of amazing. To say I didn't expect that massive outpouring from fans is an understatement. But I welcomed the brouhaha (or kerfuffle, if you prefer), because the commenters were saying things that needed to be said. Whether or not I agreed with a particular opinion, I was glad all those thoughts were all getting an airing in a relatively mainstream forum.

It seemed to me that intelligent, thoughtful and well-spoken fans of the 'Stargate' shows had a lot to say on the subject of 'SGU' and the producers' decisions, and I certainly didn't get the impression that these fans were being listened to in a serious way by the show's brain trust.

Do I think that fans should determine the creative direction of a TV show? No. But it was surprising to me that a franchise that is so dependent on its fans for survival should react so casually to their opinions. Speaking for myself, it's not that I didn't understand what the producers were going for. I just didn't feel they were actually doing what they said they wanted to do. But the producers, in public comments and in online interactions with fans, sometimes left the impression that fans just didn't get the innovations and creativity on display. That kind of thing gets old fast.

I said in that 2009 post that I was done watching 'SGU,' but the truth is, I watched one or two later season 1 episodes without writing about it. I wanted to see if the show evolved in a positive direction, but I found my criticisms of it hadn't changed. I didn't write about watching those episodes, because frankly, I didn't want to be perceived as having an ax to grind against 'SGU.' I never did, and I don't now. I was disappointed by 'SGU,' but only because I'd had such high hopes for it. I was a longtime watcher of all the 'Stargate' shows, and I welcomed the darker direction of the franchise, but the execution, at least what I saw of it in season 1, didn't do anything for me.

Fans who watched the show into its second season, please let me know what you thought about how it evolved. I'm truly interested to read what readers have to say about 'SGU' and whether they think it reached its potential.

In any case, it's the end of an era: The 'Stargate' franchise has been on TV since 1997. 'Stargate SG-1' debuted that year on Showtime, and it later transferred to Syfy, where 'Stargate Atlantis' joined the lineup in 2004 (that show ended its run in 2009).

There's no word on whether a new 'Stargate' TV show will ever grace the airwaves again. But if it returns, I think there needs to be some fresh blood involved in leading the franchise. I say that with no malice, only gratitude for the things I liked about the 'Stargate' shows (all three shows had some very good actors, there's no doubt about that). But I felt this way after 'Star Trek: Enterprise' went off the air. That particular show got better during the course of its run, but overall, the 'Trek' franchise felt tired and the stories were repetitive. All things 'Trek' needed a rest and, when it was time for it to return, the 'Trek' franchise needed new creative vision. I think the 'Stargate' franchise is in that situation now.

Do you agree, 'Stargate' fans? Leave your thoughts below.


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