As much as I’ve reviewed all the new series and talked about my favorite returners so far, seek pilule it may be hard to believe that my most anticipated television show has yet to premiere. Even more interesting is this anticipated show won’t even be airing on one of the main broadcast networks. And even more peculiar is it will be premiering and regularly airing on a Friday night. But then the most bewildering thing of all is that it’s not even a completely original show, medications but both a spin-off and a reboot of the shows that came before it. Don’t worry though, you don’t have to have seen or have any knowledge of it’s predecessors to enjoy this new offering from the television gods.

So yes, despite everything Stargate Universe has still managed to become one of the most buzzed about and top 10 most anticipated new shows of the fall. So sit back and let me have a couple minutes to suggest why you should join me tonight at 9pm on SyFy. Hopefully after you read this you’ll be as excited as I am about it. But we’re not going to take my word for it.

Background

“The first and most important fact about SGU is that it is truly accessible to anyone. If you’ve never seen an episode of Stargate before, that’s ok! … Stargate Universe gives television viewers a fresh start to, no pun intended, the universe that is Stargate, without having to know about a single character from either series.” (Source)

“I am not a big fan of the various Stargate TV shows. I liked the movie – by which I mean the Kurt Russel/James Spader one – but never really dug the television versions. … The only reason this is significant now is because of how much I absolutely loved Stargate Universe. … It would be bold, and probably a bit dangerous, but if SyFy were serious about this they would try to create a vehicle that looped in the hardened core of Stargate fans while simultaneously reaching out to the skeptics, like me. Thankfully, SyFy took that chance.” (Source)

“And while it’s a darker version, there are still enough elements of “Stargate” here to keep long-time fans satisfied. But the biggest strength is that, aside from a few familiar cameos, the pilot is accessible enough that fans who have little or no background in the previous two series can watch, enjoy and embrace this latest installment.” (Source)

“Universe is definitely a departure from the previous Stargate series . . . and yet not. All the roots, the elements that make Stargate what it is and all the reasons that we love it, are there. … Universe is not too dark. Small rays of hope come from surprising sources, touchingly beautiful in their simplicity.” (Source)

“Stargate Universe brings a fresh look to a relatively young television genre: dark sci-fi. Battlestar Galactica went there but overreached, being a little too dark for a lot of people. But SGU seems to have found the sweet spot somewhere in the middle. Pain borne of great loss and sacrifice, confusion, fear, questioning who the people around you really are when it matters most, and finally achieving that moment we can all identify with just after the storm, when you’re supremely grateful that everything is finally going to be okay, if only for a little while. That is Stargate Universe in a nutshell.” (Source)

“It lands firmly in between the hokey optimism of “Star Trek Voyager” and the grimness of “Battlestar Galactica,” two series with similar beginnings. It also pays homage to its franchise forebears “SG-1” and “Atlantis,” but it looks and feels brand spanking new. Stargate Universe boldly goes where no “Stargate” series has gone before.” (Source)

Premise

“Early on in the three-hour “Stargate: Universe” pilot, it becomes apparent this isn’t your daddy’s “Stargate” series. The greatest threat isn’t from an external threat like the Wraith or the G’ould but instead comes from the question of who you can and should trust among a rag-tag group of humans thrown together on a distant starship, trying to find a way to survive and, possibly a way to get back home. (Source)

“I think this one, while it’s retaining the features that made the other ones successful, hopefully, it’s slightly different in the respect that this is about a struggle for survival. The guys, everyone’s been transferred onto this massive spaceship, the Destiny. … The Destiny is where the story then really takes off, and it’s how these guys survive. … Simple things like life support, air … The first three episodes are called “Air,” the struggle to breathe; “Water,” that’s another title; “Fire” is another; “Earth” is another. So there’s something quite basic about it. There’s not so much, maybe, alien interaction. It’s maybe a bit more drama this time, a bit more character-driven.” (Source)

“As a fan of Star Trek Voyager, I can tell you that, while there are similar aspects in the plots, Universe is a whole new monster in so many ways. … The differences lie in the fact that they are not in control of the Destiny. Creature comforts are at a minimum, supplies are almost non-existent, and their surroundings are crumbing around them. They don’t know how half of it works, and they certainly can’t just turn the Destiny around. Also, internal turmoil – both within themselves and amongst each other – is going to be key in this crew’s story. I know that I can say with absolute conviction that Universe is going to surpass Voyager in complexity, creativity, and variety so fast that Voyager will be left millions of light-years behind.” (Source)

“What’s also very good about the premiere is how small it really is. The span of time that passes is really only hours in the lives of the characters. They are all brought together in one place, something really bad happens, and then they are thrown onto the Destiny, an Ancient ship traveling from galaxy to galaxy on a sort-of automated landlord’s tour of every stargate seeded across billions of lightyears of space. … But what also happens is some tremendous character work that usually takes a show a season to establish and flesh out.” (Source)

The People

“When I met up with [Stargate Universe executive producers] Brad [Wright] and Robert [C. Cooper], I was just really impressed by them as people. And, to be honest, at first I was very much like ‘Why do you want me to do this?’ But when they explained the steps and their take on the drama they were trying to do on the show, I said, ‘I can understand why you wanted me to do this now.’ And the cast they’ve assembled around and about me is the top class.” – Robert Carlyle (Source)

“SGU marries many familiar sci-fi conventions with relatable emotional stories to create a non-genre spectacular. If you root for the underdog, you’ll love this completely enthralling, heartbreaking and inspiring epic. … The fact that this ambitious blockbuster is built with the intimate, personal stories of its characters is testament to the talents of Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright, the writers/creators who are vets of the previous “Stargate” series.” (Source)

“The characters are astounding in their complexity, and if you can’t identify with their individual traits and histories, you will still identify with their reactions to their plight on a profound level.”( Source)

“Over the course of the first three hours, we’ll find that not all these characters are the squeaky clean people with came to know and love in ‘SG1.” And they’re not all on the same page about decisions and the command structure aboard the Destiny. “Air” seems to be setting up some potentially fascinating and complex character dynamics and conflict that could have some great payoff as the series goes.” (Source)

“While everything talked about above is very promising for the continuing Stargate franchise, the cast of this new edition is what will make this show go on. I was very surprised with how well this cast came together in the first three hours of SGU and made it believable. Anyone can write a show about a group of people who are stuck on a ship without any chance of returning home, but it takes a great troop of actors to make it believable and that’s exactly what they did.” (Source)

“The stellar ensemble, of course, brings the emotions of “SGU” to life. Robert Carlyle, Lou Diamond Phillips and Ming-Na may be the most familiar names here, but no one in the cast gets lost behind their star power. … Even secondary cast members–and I call them that for lack of a better term–bring it. I get the impression that by the end of the first season’s 20 hours, Wright, Cooper and Co. will have peeled back so many details about these characters that viewers will be hard pressed to pick a favorite.” (Source)

Reviews

“Stargate Universe is fantastic Sci-Fi fun wrapped in a compelling mystery populated by addictive characters whose fates you will willingly become invested in. This television season offers a lot of genre options, SGU is one that you should not pass up. And as someone who passed on SG-1 and Atlantis, I can honestly say that you don’t need to be steeped in Stargate lore to jump on board and have a good time.” (Source)

“There is no doubt in my mind that SGU will be a hit. With a more serialized season forthcoming, viewers will truly get a chance to get to know these characters while also going through the pains and hardships of life aboard the Destiny, Billions of light years away from home. If this show gets a chance to really grow, there is no telling how many more amazing stories this fabulous writers will come up with. … After watching “Air” part III, I was definitely left wanting more. All I know is that for the time being, Stargate is back, and it’s bigger and better than ever, 4/5!” (Source)

“Slice of SciFi Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0. And if the coming installments prove as fascinating and compelling as “Air,” Stargate Universe could prove to be the best entry we’ve had so far in this long-running franchise. (Source)

“The series premiere of the latest in the “Stargate” franchise rocked my universe.” – from Red Eye’s Fall TV report card. (Source)

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