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Stargate Atlantis (often abbreviated as SGA) is an American-Canadian science fiction television program, part of the Stargate franchise owned by MGM. Developed by producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, it is a spin-off from the television series Stargate SG-1. It was filmed and produced in Canada.
Stargate Atlantis followed the adventures of a human expedition to the lost city of Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy. The Stargate has brought humanity into contact with other cultures, including new and powerful enemies: the Wraith, the Genii, and later the Asurans and a lost tribe of Asgard, all while trying to uncover the secrets the Ancients left behind.
Stargate Atlantis premiered on the US Sci Fi Channel on July 16, 2004 with "Rising", a movie-style two-part episode, that guest starred Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks from Stargate SG-1.
Discussion
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Quotations
Dr. McKay:
I can't even hallucinate right today!
Dr. McKay:
I don't think I would even believe that if you were naked.
Dr. McKay:
No. No, I'm not gonna fall for your plan, Lt. Col. Siren!
Dr. McKay:
These things used to be plug and play, this device must be using another version of Windows.
Dr. McKay:
Well, that was refreshing! He didn't try to kill us even once.
Dr. McKay:
You know, if people could just learn to keep their secret underground hatches locked…
Encyclopedia
Stargate Atlantis (often abbreviated as SGA) is an American-Canadian science fiction television program, part of the Stargate franchise owned by MGM. Developed by producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, it is a spin-off from the television series Stargate SG-1. It was filmed and produced in Canada.
Stargate Atlantis followed the adventures of a human expedition to the lost city of Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy. The Stargate has brought humanity into contact with other cultures, including new and powerful enemies: the Wraith, the Genii, and later the Asurans and a lost tribe of Asgard, all while trying to uncover the secrets the Ancients left behind.
Stargate Atlantis premiered on the US Sci Fi Channel on July 16, 2004 with "Rising", a movie-style two-part episode, that guest starred Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks from Stargate SG-1. The series is broadcast in HD in selected countries including the US, which is shown sometimes on Universal HD and as of 2007 is now simulcast in HD on Sci Fi. It is broadcast in HD on The Movie Network in Canada. In the United Kingdom Stargate Atlantis is shown on Sky1 HD. In Latin America the Series was broadcast by the FOX Cable Network and since season 3 it has been broadcast by the FX Latin America channel, Season 5 will premiere in 2009.
On January 9, 2009, after 100 episodes and five seasons, the series ended. At least one two-hour movie will follow.
Production
When Stargate SG-1 producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper thought the original Stargate SG-1 series was going to end after season five, due to Showtime's announcement that they were canceling the show, they came up with the idea of making a new feature film. However, as the ratings on its new home at the Sci Fi Channel were quite good, the idea was pushed to season six and then to season seven. Wright had initially intended to set the new show in Antarctica under the ice. It would have replaced Stargate Command as Earth's conduit to other worlds.
Late in season seven of SG-1, talks began of a spin-off series and the producers were left with a serious dilemma, since the seventh season of Stargate SG-1 had been planned to lead up to the great discovery of the lost city of the Ancients, Atlantis. The Stargate SG-1 seventh season ending two part episode "Lost City," was supposed to be a bridge between Stargate SG-1 and a new spin-off, either a show or a movie, which was not planned to run at the same time as Stargate SG-1. Wright and Cooper rewrote the script as the two-part season seven finale, and moved the setting of the story. The city of Atlantis, originally planned to be on Earth under Antarctica in place of the SGC, was moved to the Pegasus Galaxy. This change not only addressed the problem of fans wondering why Stargate Command would not be coming to the aid of the Atlantis Expedition with each episode, but it also gave the producers a chance to start afresh with new ideas instead of having an identical copy of the original show.
The series received the green light on November 17, 2003 and started shooting in February 2004. It premiered on July 16 of the same year.
From the start, Wright and Cooper ruled out casting "star names", on the basis of the financial pressures they were already experiencing with "star names" on Stargate SG-1. The casting was made more complicated because Atlantis got the go-ahead in November, and had to compete with other networks during pilot season.
The character most difficult to cast was the then-called Dr. Ingram, an unexcitable scientist expert on the Stargate. As the first day of shooting drew nearer and they were unable to find the right actor, they came to realize they had brought in the wrong character. Longtime Stargate director Martin Wood and Brad Wright thought it should be Dr. Rodney McKay, who had already appeared in a guest role in three episodes of Stargate SG-1. Actor David Hewlett was contacted and arrived at the set the day after filming had started. Dr. Ingram had already been written in to the pilot episode of the show and so the same script was used and the character's name simply changed to McKay. Later scripts were written with Dr. McKay in mind.
Season 2 brought casting changes. The creators found themselves with a problem with the character of Lt. Aiden Ford (Rainbow Sun Francks), a first season regular that the producers, and the actor himself, felt had not worked as intended and was highly underused as a result. Unwilling to write him out, the writers came with an idea to make the character more important, but that downgraded him to recurring. To replace him, they created Ronon Dex as a sidekick for Lt. Col. John Sheppard, but finding an actor with the physical presence and the acting ability necessary was not easy until they saw Jason Momoa's tape. X-files veteran Mitch Pileggi was added to the cast in the recurring role of Col. Steven Caldwell. Paul McGillion's character, Dr. Carson Beckett, became a regular in season two.
Seasons 3 and 4 changed the cast lineup again. Paul McGillion's Dr. Carson Beckett was killed in the season 3 episode "Sunday", then brought back at the end of season 4 as a recurring character. Amanda Tapping's Samantha Carter crossed from Stargate SG-1 for 14 episodes in Season 4, as the new leader of the expedition, while Torri Higginson's Elizabeth Weir became a recurring character in season 4 instead of a regular.
In Season 5 Robert Picardo became a regular as his character (Richard Woolsey) replaced Samantha Carter as the commander of the Atlantis Expedition. Torri Higginson declined to appear as a guest star, instead her character Elizabeth Weir was portrayed by Michelle Morgan. Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson guest starred in a two-part episode. Dr. Carson Beckett, played by Paul McGillion, guest starred in several episodes.
Each season of Stargate: Atlantis featured 20 episodes, and in the United States they are broadcast in two series of 10 episodes. The first 10 episodes air from mid-July to September in the United States, ending in the cliffhanger of a two-parter episode. The second half airs first in Canada, from November to January, ending also with a cliffhanger. In the United States, the second half aired from January to March during seasons 1 and 2, but season 3 aired from April to June 2007. Because of the offset, the show has often been bootlegged by American viewers.
Stargate: Atlantis episodes feature a self-contained story that also contributes to the larger storyline of the war against the Wraith and their search for the means to destroy their enemy. Each season has also featured a two-parter episode, and a few episodes that, while not technically two-parters, had continued directly the story of the previous episode (for example, season 3 "Progeny" and "The Real World").
Each show begins with a cold open, sometimes preceded with a recap of events relevant to the upcoming narrative. The opening credits feature an original theme by Joel Goldsmith. Though they were drastically cut at the start of season 2, the full credits were recovered after the mid-season parter. They were again cut short in the 5th season.
The show blends different types of approaches to science-fiction, from action to comedy.
Stargate Atlantis is shot at Bridge studios in Vancouver and on location in several places in British Columbia. The Pemberton Glacier doubled for Antarctica during the opening flying sequence in series premiere "Rising". Lynn Valley Canyon was, for example, where the episode "Instinct" was filmed.
Stargate Atlantis inherited Blade Trinitys effects stage. The Blade Trinity production gave the set to Stargate Atlantis to save the high cost of dismantling the massive construct. The set has appeared several times. For example, the walkway Sheppard walks in "The Storm" is the topmost part of the Blade Trinity set.
The majority of episodes used James Bamford as a stunt coordinator. He specializes in martial arts and has the nickname of Bam Bam.
On August 20, 2008 it was announced that Season 5 of Atlantis would be its last. Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi also confirmed this in his blog. On August 21, 2008 it was announced that the series will continue with at least one 2-hour direct-to-video movie..
Plot
Stargate Atlantis is set in the city of Atlantis, on a planet called "Lantea" in the Pegasus galaxy, built millions of years ago by one of the most advanced race of the Stargate universe: the Ancients. Five to ten million years ago, due to a plague in the Milky Way Galaxy, they were forced to flee to a planet in the Pegasus Galaxy and there they seeded life on hundreds of worlds as they had done in the Milky Way. After encountering a powerful enemy known as the Wraith and going to war with them for more than one hundred years, the Ancients ultimately lost and were forced to submerge their city beneath Lantea's ocean, which, in the Stargate universe, is the source of the Greek myth of the Lost City of Atlantis.
The city of Atlantis hosts much of the action in the series and is the source of much of the technology which the characters employ. While trying to uncover the secrets the city still holds from her new human inhabitants, the Atlantis expedition also use the Stargate to explore the Pegasus galaxy, looking for energy sources and other technology that the Ancients may have left behind and that may help them defeat the Wraith.
The events of Stargate Atlantis follow the cliffhanger Stargate SG-1 seventh season finale "Lost City", where SG-1 found an outpost made by the race known as the Ancients in Antarctica. After the events of Stargate SG-1 season eight premiere "New Order", the Stargate Command sends an international team to investigate the outpost. Soon, Dr. Jackson discovers the location of the greatest city created by the Ancients, Atlantis.
During Season 4, the expedition team moved the city of Atlantis to a new planet, designated M35-117, to avoid destruction at the hands of the Asurans. In the series finale, Atlantis is taken to Earth to defend it against a ZPM-powered Wraith hive ship. The city is damaged in the battle and lands in the Pacific Ocean near San Francisco.
Season 1
Season 1 began airing in the United States on July 16, 2004. The Atlantis expedition, led by Dr. Weir, arrives at the city of the Ancients and quickly find themselves in a dire situation that forces them to seek new friends, the Athosians, but that also lands them with a powerful new enemy: the Wraith. Cut off from Earth, the expedition must survive in a new galaxy, while deciphering the Ancients' technology and finding a way to destroy the Wraith. Major Sheppard puts together a team consisting of himself, Dr. McKay, Lt. Ford and the Athosian leader Teyla, who serve as Atlantis' first contact team. In one of their first missions, they make another enemy in the Genii, a human militaristic civilization with a 1950s level of technology. After several more revelations about the Wraith are made the expedition prepares to evacuate. Just before they do, however, a military contingent from Earth arrives to help defend the city against the impending Wraith attack long enough for Earth's latest battleship to arrive. The season ends with a cliffhanger, while the city is still under siege by the Wraith.
Season 2
Season 2 began airing in the United States on July 15, 2005, and it picked up just where Season 1 ended. The Atlantis expedition successfully avoids being culled by the Wraith by making them believe Atlantis has been destroyed, and they recover semi-regular contact with Earth, thanks to the Daedalus and the new ZPM. Sheppard is promoted to Lt. Colonel and former Runner Ronon Dex replaces Lt. Ford, now MIA.
The central plot of this second season is the development of Dr. Beckett's retrovirus, which can, theoretically, turn a Wraith into a human. While an incomplete version makes a young Wraith girl lose all her humanity and almost turns Sheppard into an Iratus bug, a more developed version is tested in a living Wraith, "Michael", with mixed results. Michael's wraith faction proposes an alliance with Atlantis, but they betray the team. The season closes again with a cliffhanger - the Wraith on their way to Earth.
Season 3
Season 3 premiered in the United States on July 14, 2006, picking up just where season 2 ended. Having stopped the Wraith from reaching Earth and having achieved another failure with the Wraith retrovirus, the expedition faces its third year in the Pegasus galaxy with the Wraith still a threat and a new powerful enemy bent on destroying the expedition and Atlantis: the Asurans. The situation becomes complicated when an experiment gone awry drains their only ZPM, leaving them without a power source for the city's shields. Soon thereafter, they find a lost Ancient vessel and subsequently lose the city of Atlantis when the crew of the Ancient ship reclaims it. The SGC sends General O'Neill and Richard Woolsey to try to negotiate an agreement between Earth and the Ancients to allow the expedition back in Atlantis. O'Neill and Woolsey dial Earth and inform them that the Asurans (self-replicating nanobots, also known as Replicators) are taking over the city. They kill off the Ancient crew who reclaimed the city after 10,000 years. The main members of the Atlantis expedition on Earth disobey the orders and go back to the city, rescue O'Neill and Woolsey, and cleverly repel the Asuran invasion. The season finale starts off with Earth launching a first strike against the Asurans who are building an armada to attack Earth. The Asurans counterattack by attacking Atlantis by means of a powerful beam weapon fired through a satellite housing a Stargate. As the last resort, the Atlantis team fires up the city's stardrive and escapes into space. The finale ends when the hyperdrive malfunctions, leaving the city flying through uncharted space with a day's worth of energy left in their sole ZPM and Dr. Weir critically injured.
Season 4
Season 4 premiered in the USA on September 28, 2007, and in the UK on October 9, 2007. The writers stated that season 4 would take the series in a new direction. The future appears bleak with the incapacitation of Weir and multiple injuries among the senior members of the expedition. With the city damaged, running out of power and drifting in space, cut off from Earth, the Atlantis expedition raids Asuras to obtain a ZPM and is able to travel to a nearby planet. Weir is captured by the Asurans and Colonel Samantha Carter joins as a regular and acts as the expedition leader. She appeared in the episode "Lifeline" after helping to find and land Atlantis on its new home planet; however, it is stated that she has been ordered back to the SGC at this point. In episode 3, however, under the IOA's orders, Carter returns to Atlantis as the new leader of the expedition after Atlantis lands. Generally, the season focuses on the main antagonists the Asurans and the Wraith, as early on the Asuran base code is reprogrammed by McKay to start a war with the Wraith. Midway through the season the Asurans are seemingly destroyed, and the remaining episodes concentrate mainly on Michael's efforts against both humans and the other Wraith. Carson Beckett and Teal'c both appear in several episodes
Season 5
The fifth, and final, season began production in February 2008 and began airing on July 11, 2008. Actors Joe Flanigan, Rachel Luttrell, Jason Momoa and David Hewlett return, reprising their roles as Lt. Col. John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex and Dr. Rodney McKay respectively. Due to the SciFi Channel's acquisition of the Sanctuary web-series, Amanda Tapping (Col. Samantha Carter) is not to be a regular cast member in Season 5, but will return as a special guest star for two episodes. Actress Jewel Staite (Dr. Jennifer Keller) has been promoted to series regular. Robert Picardo (Richard Woolsey) has joined the show as a regular cast member and the new commander of the Atlantis Expedition. He appeared in 14 of the 20 episodes for the final season. The season also saw Paul McGillion (Dr. Carson Beckett) return for five episodes and Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson) appeared in two episodes, the mid-season two parter. Despite earlier plans, Torri Higginson (Dr. Elizabeth Weir) declined to return for the fifth season. This series also sees Atlantis return to Earth after several million years.
Cast
de facto commander of Atlantis' military contingent after the original mission commander Colonel Marshall Sumner is killed. His position is made official in season 2 after Atlantis re-establishes contact with Earth, and he is promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.David Hewlett as Rodney McKay (seasons 1–5 main) – a brilliant scientist who is a member of Sheppard's team and the head of the Science and Research Departments on Atlantis. One of the foremost experts on Ancient technology, he was first introduced as a professional rival of Samantha Carter in the fifth season of Stargate SG-1.Rachel Luttrell as Teyla Emmagan (seasons 1–5 main) – the leader of the Athosians, a race of humans native to the Pegasus galaxy. She befriends Sheppard when he visits her homeworld and joins his team in order to fight the Wraith. She has the ability to sense the presence of the Wraith.Rainbow Sun Francks as Aiden Ford (season 1 main, seasons 2, 5 recurring) – a young First Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps, who is a member of Sheppard's team in season 1. In season 2, he becomes mentally unstable due to an overdose of Wraith feeding enzyme, and abandons Atlantis.Torri Higginson as Elizabeth Weir (seasons 1–3 main, seasons 4–5 recurring) – a diplomat and expert in international politics, who leads the initial Atlantis Expedition after briefly serving as the head of Stargate Command in Stargate SG-1. She is a main character in seasons 1-3; in the season 3 finale she is critically wounded by a Replicator attack. She is a recurring character in season 4, having been captured by the Replicators.Paul McGillion as Carson Beckett (seasons 2–3 main, seasons 1, 4–5 recurring) – the Chief of Medicine of Atlantis in seasons 1-3. In the season 3 episode , he is killed in an explosion caused by Ancient technology. However, a clone of him created by the rogue Wraith "Michael" appears as a recurring character in seasons 4 and 5.Jason Momoa as Ronon Dex (seasons 2–5 main) – a weapons specialist from the Pegasus planet Sateda. After his world fell to the Wraith, he was turned into a "runner" and hunted relentlessly for seven years. He joins Sheppard's team on Atlantis after Dr. Beckett removes his Wraith tracking device.Amanda Tapping as Samantha Carter (season 4 main, seasons 1–3, 5 recurring) – an astrophysicist and United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, who was a main character for the entire run of Stargate SG-1. In season 4, she is promoted to Colonel and given command of the Atlantis Expedition.Jewel Staite as Jennifer Keller (season 5 main, seasons 3–4 recurring) – the Chief of Medicine on Atlantis, who replaces Dr. Beckett in the third season finale. She is listed as a recurring character in season 4 and appears in the main title credits in season 5.Robert Picardo as Richard Woolsey (season 5 main, seasons 3–4 recurring) – a representative of the International Oversight Advisory, who first appeared as an agent of the NID in season 7 of Stargate SG-1. In season 5, he replaces Samantha Carter as commander of Atlantis.
Other media
Fiction books
In late 2005, Fandemonium Press, which also publishes Stargate SG-1 books, launched a new series of books based on Stargate Atlantis. These books are available in all English-speaking countries and through online bookstores.
The official Stargate Magazine, produced by Titan Publishing, began publishing short stories written by Fandemonium authors in their 8th issue. The stories alternate between both SG-1 and Atlantis.
Non-fiction books
Stargate Atlantis Official Companions are published by Titan Books.
Stargate Atlantis: The Official Companion Season 1 by Sharon Gosling. Stargate Atlantis: The Official Companion Season 2 by Sharon Gosling. Stargate Atlantis: The Official Companion Season 3 by Sharon Gosling. Stargate Atlantis: The Official Companion Season 4 by Sharon Gosling.
Stargate Atlantis: The Official Companion Season 5 is announced for May 2009.
Comics
In 2006, Avatar Press launched a series of comics based on Stargate Atlantis. Set in season 1, Wraithfall features story by Stewart Moore and art by Mauricio Melo. In this story, the Atlantis team meets the Karrans, a race that has made a bizarre deal with the Wraith.
Soundtrack
Stargate Atlantis features a symphonic orchestra soundtrack composed by Joel Goldsmith. Goldsmith's first task for the series was to compose the main title song, which was nominated for the Outstanding Main Title Theme Music Emmy Award in 2005. When composing the music, Goldsmith went for a more pastoral, European and Americana approach, while keeping the adventurous, symphonic approach the producers wanted. Goldsmith's score for season 2 episode "Grace Under Pressure" was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Dramatic Underscore) in 2006.
On November 22, 2005, Varèse Sarabande Records released the Stargate Atlantis Original Television Soundtrack CD. It contains 16 tracks, all from the series pilot "Rising", with a total running time of 42:18.
Home release
| Season | Episodes | DVD release date | Blu-Ray
release date |
|---|
| United States (R1) | United Kingdom (R2) | Australia (R4) |
|---|
| | Season 1 (2004-2005) | 20 | November 15, 2005 | March 13, 2006 | November 16, 2005 | — | | | Season 2 (2005-2006) | 20 | March 6, 2007 | February 26, 2007 | November 8, 2006 | — | | | Season 3 (2006-2007) | 20 | September 18, 2007 | January 14, 2008 | September 25, 2007 | — | | | Season 4 (2007-2008) | 20 | July 8, 2008 | August 4, 2008 | September 3, 2008 | — | | | Season 5 (2008-2009) | 20 | TBA | TBA | TBA | — | | | Untitled Atlantis Movie | Film | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | | | Stargate Atlantis Fan's Choice | 2 | — | — | — | TBA |
The first U.S. Stargate DVD release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Stargate SG-1, or Atlantis, was the pilot episode, Rising, as a standalone episode. It was released, in North America, on June 7, 2005. The full first season was released, in North America, on November 15, 2005, in new slim line cases. Soon after the release of the first season set Sony received complaints that some Canadian customers bought sets that had the same content on both disk 1 and 5. Sony quickly offered a replacement disc. In early 2006, Sony announced that Atlantis would become the first TV series released on the next generation Blu-ray platform. In mid-2006 MGM, the producers of both Stargate series, switched DVD distribution companies from Sony to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The distributor switch led to a delay in the release of the Season 2 box set, which was released on March 6, 2007, in North America.
Reception
Stargate Atlantis was voted as the inaugural "Favorite Sci-Fi Show" during the 34th People's Choice Awards. It beat Battlestar Galactica and Doctor Who for the honour.
- The season one episode "Childhood's End" won three international awards for Direction in 2005; New York, Houston and Chicago. Directed by Sci Fi veteran David Winning.
- Nominated in the Gemini awards for: best makeup achievement, best visual effects, best sounds in a dramatic series, and best performance by an actress in a continual dramatic series.
- Nominated in the Emmy Awards for: outstanding title theme music, outstanding visual effects for a series, and outstanding music composition for a series.
- Nominated for 10 Leo awards.
- Nominated for 3 Saturn awards including: best syndicated visual television series and best supporting actress on television.
- 2.2 million weekly viewers on average.
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