Ok, in an effort to appear more studious I neglected to make a post yesterday. Sorry About that.

Hmmm...

What to say about "Opening Day '06"...

Well, have you read the book Much Ado About Nothing? Yeah, that's it right there. Cliché I know, but that sums it up well.

Erhem, also, after that post about StarGate SG-1, I feel I should say something about this...

The Show has been canceled.

The timing of this could not be more bizarre, the show was by no means loosing steam, in fact, by the 200th episode, it seemed like the show was winding up for another 10 years on the air. Problem is, though the producers seemed to have handled the many obstacles to the show's continued success admirably, ratings were apparently quite low. They'd patched the hole that O'Neill's departure left, imagined an enemy so powerful as to seemingly trump all opponents prior. They had what seemed like a strong show that could last for a few seasons to come at the least, but then MGM said no.

And for this, though it may seem a strange connection, I blame it on the PS3. Sony seems to have made a mistake or to. Back in the days of stand-alone gadgets, they were the king. And it was their system of small groups of engineers working on projects of their choice that had made them what they were. But now as electronics evolve, we expect more. Perhaps we are all spoiled, but Sony's gadgets face relentless criticism as the consumer becomes more familiar with such devices.

"Why do I have to use this Sony memory card? Last time I got a new camera I just popped the new one in and started shooting."

See, Sony's research teams are fiercely competitive. I have no doubt that they have a hard time just trying to pick a standard for their own products, let alone consent to use the industry's. For this reason, they've been having a rough time of it. Though their products still show the same mark of quality design they are so well known for, the company may be on it's last legs. Sony's execs. pour money into pet projects, and they seem to have great difficulty working all as one as is common these days. The product the ailing company has come to lean on is by far the one they've screwed up the most.
The PS3 has yet to do anything but disappoint. At crucial moments, they have failed to deliver, apparently making a demonstration this last E3 almost identical to the one a year earlier, presented to the same crowd.

And that pissed-off their fan-base. With so much of the company's reputation riding on their marketing an impressive Gaming Console, It's hard to see how they could have screwed things up so much.

Right... where was I? Right... MGM.

Where and how does this effect StarGate? Well, first I should apologize, that was a bit of a rant before. But the point was that Sony, or more accurately, Sony Electronics, is in trouble. And what does any responsible CEO do when his publicly traded company is in such trouble? Much like the captain of a ship, he battens down the hatches. Orders his crew to "brace for impact!" Shatner-Style. And what is MGM to Sony anyway?

Last time I checked, MGM is a subsidiary of Sony!

Now you see! (or should by now) MGM, just like all of Sony's other assets has cash-leaks, in StarGate's case, not necessarily a major one, but they were under-performing. I'm sure it's a pet-project of someone. One of their Jr. Execs probably is a fan of the series or something. Regardless, with the company under fire, just breaking even isn't enough for any endeavor. (I'm assuming StarGate wasn't actually loosing them money.)

So Stargate didn't make the cut it seems. them troops were needed to reinforce the rear (lest they be taken a tergo). Of course by troops I mean money again. Heh, I always thought the AirForce should subsidize the show, seeing as it paints such a flattering picture of them. (they've given awards to cast and crew in the past.)

Of course, that only accounts for their part of the deal, MGM only owns the license. Since 2002 it has been SciFi network's responsibility to produce the show. Ultimately I suppose it was their call. Not MGM's...

But don't ignore that part about MGM having a part in this! I blame them for a lack of advertising!

SciFi network of course also hurt the Shows ratings when they decided to remove an anchor show for the series, BattleStar Galactica... Leaving SG-1 to stand alone against shows like the USA Network's Monk.

That hardly seems fair.

Stargate Atlantis HAS been renewed for another year, and I am thankful for that. If I had to pick one, I'd rather have the fresher of the two anyway.

MGM still has the lucrative StarGate license, and has plans for it. Things like their planned MMORPG: StarGate: Worlds and others. The franchise is far from dead.

And most inspiring for me, the team hopes to find a new "outlet" for their story to continue. The series on a new network? A StarGate Movie? (probably of the made-for-tv variety)

Finaly, I'd like to say that the episode that has done so much to boost season 10's meager ratings: "200", has arrived on iTunes, oddly renamed: "Remember When".

Oh, and one last thought, you know what other ailing company is behind SciFi's decision to cancel the show? None other than our friend Micr$oft. Yeah, thought you'd like to know.