Beware of spoilers for the 2-part premiere in the report below:

Teyla (formerly "Mikala") now has a last name, "Emmagan." Locations in the first episode include Atlantis, Athos city ("Athos" may be the name of the planet), and an alien encampment. The team from Earth is in a distant galaxy far from home, and are looking for something called ZPMs. The Wraith are believed to be aliens that defeated the Ancients long ago (possibly the virus that nearly wiped out the Ancients was no accident).

The inhabitants of the world featured in this episode -- apparently a different world than the one where Atlantis is located, the show's home base -- were once advanced, but when the Wraith attack happened, they where decimated. These are Teyla's people, and they fear to return to the great city their ancestors once inhabited, believing that the Wraith will return. They now live in a primitive state, at least by appearances, but still possess some high-level technology and the knowledge of how to use it. They do not allow themselves to become too advanced, because every few hundred years the Wraith return to "cull their human herd." They believe that if they advance to their previous level, the Wraith will annihilate them completely.

The new series is based in the lost city of Atlantis, in another galaxy. Under the command of Dr. Elizabeth Weir, the team will eventually establish a base in the city, which includes a Stargate. But in the premiere, Atlantis seems to be underwater, or at least at the edge of an ocean, so that a great energy shield must hold back the waters. The team's arrival damages this, forcing them at one point to abandon the city before the shield fails completely. (The episode's title, "Rising," could refer to the eventual destination of the city and the new base.)

Other characters, both regulars and guest characters for the premiere, include Colonel Marshall Sumner (the military commander), Major John Sheppard (a team member, who builds a relationship with the alien Teyla), Lieutenant Aiden Ford (another team member), Bates, (another team member), Wex, Jinto, Halling, and Toran (four of Teyla's people), Dr. Benjamin Ingrim (a scientist), and Grodin (apparently a scientist or engineer, who works with Dr. Ingrim).

Based on previous reports, it appears as though the series regulars for Atlantis include at least Weir, Sheppard, Ingrim, Ford, and Teyla. Though only a major in rank, Sheppard will probably become the commander of the exploratory team after Colonel Sumner meets an ill fate. Weir will likely remain at the Atlantis base, in a role similar to that played by General Hammond on SG-1.

Stargate Atlantis premieres this June on The Sci-Fi Channel, and is expected to air alongside SG-1's eighth season on Friday nights. Keep your chevrons locked on GateWorld for more news!

(Big thanks to Brent Spargo for the info!)

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