ORIGINAL U.S. AIR DATE - October 2, 2009 General details on the third Stargate TV series, now airing Friday nights on Syfy!

NOTES & SPOILERS (Newest information is added to the bottom) Stargate Universe went before cameras in February 2009, at The Bridge Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia (where Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis were shot). Show creators Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper are serving as co-showrunners, and intend to also write a lot of the show, Wright told GateWorld in an interview. "Brad and I have written up basically a one-page document that outlines the concept and the characters for the series. That's being used as a sales document to put together the financing. It is definitely very, very high on the agenda of things for MGM to get going. They're asking us. Basically, MGM is saying to Brad and I, 'When can you have it ready? When can you physically, actually write the script and start production?' These things take time. They aren't just born and grow on their own, unfortunately. "... In [the] typical Stargate world, it's not really a pilot. It's a premiere. We generally sell and proceed with a full season of television. "... What I can tell you about the third Stargate series, conceptually as we've conceived it, is that it is a completely separate, third entity. Much more so than Atlantis was. Atlantis was much more of a spin-off series of SG-1. It was born out of SG-1. "The idea for this -- this is going to sound like a broken record -- but it started as a movie idea. We originally were sitting around talking about this. We were trying to come up with ideas for a Stargate feature. Not an SG-1 feature or an Atlantis feature, but a feature that would fit into the Stargate franchise that we feel we've created. Because the studio, if they're going to spend whatever X millions of dollars on a movie, it needs to appeal to a broad audience. Maybe even a bigger audience than is loyal to the show. "Although mathematically, if everyone around the world who watched the show went to the movie, it would be a tremendous success! Still, the studio is thinking bigger. And I think we were thinking bigger too. We were thinking, 'How do we create a third arm to the franchise that is very connective, and that fans will feel is born out of the material that has come before, but at the same time is very-much something that stands alone?' "So when it became clear that a third series was a more realistic possibility at this point, from the studio's standpoint, we figured out how to tweak that idea and give it a little more legs than it would have had as a one-off story. We always, in the back of our minds, even in coming up with that concept, felt it could launch a third series. The idea was we do this big movie and then use that to launch the series. But now that story has become the core idea for the new show. "One of the things that we love about Stargate is that it's us. It's our military. It's our scientists. It's our people. And we're going out into the galaxy and the universe to discover all the wonders that are out there, and dealing with our own limitations versus things that are far more advanced to us. That's identifiable. It's what we deal with every day in terms of medicine and science and astrophysics. We're just babies. We would always want to maintain that in anything that was Stargate-related. "It certainly plays into mythology that's been pre-established, but it doesn't directly relate to anything that has been in either series, SG-1 or Atlantis." (Series co-creator Robert C. Cooper, in an exclusive interview with GateWorld) When Stargate Universe does get here how different do you think this series needs to be to move the franchise forward and attract new viewers? How closely, on the other hand, does it need to stay to the established formula? "Well, you just hit the nail on the head because it's got to be both. It has to feel like Stargate and it has to feel new. And that's the tightrope, that's the balance you have to maintain, and that's the challenge. To put it in the simplest terms, if we had ever just done SG-2 as a series it would never have worked. It's not the C.S.I. model. And it's frankly because of the heroes that our team is. "... The pitch [to the network] was received very well. ... We pitched an expensive series. The idea we have is not cheap. Universe, if we do it the way we want to do it, is very expensive, and I think we've proven ourselves, so 'Can we please have enough money to do it right this time?' And if not, then honestly I don't want to do it. Why do it wrong? "... Stargate Universe, the idea of it, is that it is set on a ship that was part of an Ancient experiment that was set in motion probably millions of years ago. One that they never saw to fruition but that we can. They got a little busy with the whole ascension thing. "Their goal for the creation of this experiment, which is to send a ship literally across the universe, and to send one ahead of it seeding the galaxies that they encounter with Stargates. And that they would one day use the ninth chevron to get there, and that's what Stargate Universe is." (Series co-creator Brad Wright, in an exclusive interview with GateWorld) "Robert and I feel like we're growing and have new challenges to do ourselves. And we feel like we want to be the agents of that change ourselves, and feel like we're capable of coming up with another engaging television show that is possibly more mainstream, possibly a little outside the Stargate box. Because we know where we've been. For us to remain engaged in the show creatively, we need to make those changes ourselves." What do you mean by making it a little more mainstream? "Maybe a little more character-based, a little less rooted in a sci-fi mythology. Those kinds of things -- that's all. "I find the word 'mainstream' kind of silly. But it really does come down to characters and stories that are engaging, and that people want to see -- that they feel like they haven't seen before." (Series co-creator Brad Wright, in an interview with GateWorld) Here is how MGM and Syfy describe the new series, in the first official press release: After unlocking the mystery of the Stargate's ninth chevron, a team of explorers travels to an unmanned starship called the Destiny, launched by the Ancients at the height of their civilization as a grand experiment set in motion, but never completed. What starts as a simple reconnaissance turns into a never ending mission, as the Stargate Universe crew discovers the ship is unable to return to Earth, and they must now fend for themselves aboard the Destiny. The crew will travel to the far reaches of the universe, connecting with each of the previously launched Stargates, thus fulfilling the Destiny's original mission. Challenges will arise though as the ship comes into range of Stargates placed centuries ahead of the Destiny and the crew is unable to control the ship's navigational schedule. If someone is left behind, there is no way to go back for them, adding to the drama of encountering new races, enemies and adventures. Read the complete press release (August 2008) here. "The intention here is to make this one skew young and give it a contemporary vibe. ... As a network, obviously we look at Battlestar Galactica, that's set the standard in terms of tense character drama. Stargate does not have the intensity of a Battlestar Galactica. But it may well be somewhere in between. "Brad and Robert are very eager to keep the action and adventure and the sense of humor [in Stargate Universe]. But I think there's an opportunity to maybe inject a bit more dramatic intensity into the series. But that's obviously a conversation for them as they start to script and move into development." (SCI FI Channel president Dave Howe, in an interview with Multichannel News) "What we endeavor to do each time is to introduce the franchise to a new audience, make it a bit more contemporary, more relatable. The ambition with Universe is to skew it younger than the previous two chapters and fill it with a fresh-faced cast; and a storytelling that is more for the late 2000s than it is for the 1990s. "... What's unique about this [Stargate] chapter is it's going to be set entirely in space. ... That's also an opportunity for us because as Battlestar Galactica reaches a conclusion, it's nice for us to have within the mix of programming a space opera that serves the audience that's really into space operas." (SCI FI Channel president Dave Howe, in an interview with Multichannel News) Casting calls have gone out for the third series' main characters, with the short character break-downs arriving at GateWorld. As anticipated, the team is led by an older veteran officer, Colonel Everett Young. Young is described as "like the Jack O'Neill of ten years ago, but Young's edges have tended to sharpen over time." The show's producers are looking to cast an established, "name" actor in this role. The rest of the cast of characters is made up of young men and women, mostly in their early to mid twenties: Tamara Jon, Chloe Carpenter, Eli Hitchcock, Lt. Jared Nash, and Ron "Psycho" Stasiak. Read all about the show's main characters here! "One of the things I'm really excited about is that we're looking for people who are a little more identifiable and contemporary. I always thought one of the things that was attractive about the original series was the 'everyman on the street' point of view that O'Neill had to science fiction. It made the characters identifiable. They were more like we would be in a science fiction situation, and how we would react. And that's what we're trying to do with the new show -- create characters that are going to be challenged by the situation. "The team that ends up on the ship is not really who was supposed to go, and in some cases they're very unprepared and unqualified to be in that situation. So they don't have all the answers as quickly, and the challenges are greater than they would be for people who have seen it all and don't have as far to go as characters when they encounter an incredible situation." "... It's an all new cast. There will certainly be plenty of opportunity for cross over, and there certainly might be some familiar faces in the premiere and in subsequent episodes. But the core of the show is all new. "... It says Stargate in the title, but it's also going to be something that is very different in tone. It will certainly have a Stargate in it, but is going to be unlike anything Stargate we've ever done before." (Co-creator Robert C. Cooper, in an interview with Stargate.MGM.com) "The premise of SGU is ... more intimate -- a limited group of people trapped aboard a space ship hurtling through distant space -- and therefore necessitates a more intimate form of storytelling." (Writer-producer Joseph Mallozzi, in a post at his blog) "Stargate Universe is a series that draws on established mythology yet blazes a bold, new path for the franchise. It's definitely more character-centered and intimate in its exploration of the interpersonal dynamics that will drive a lot of the shipboard developments (and, no, I'm not talking about romance). The premise of this ship hurtling through uncharted territories offers up unbounded story possibilities, yet also forces us to adopt a very different approach toward alien encounters and planetary investigation. Twin themes mentioned over the course of today's conversations: survival and sacrifice." (Writer-producer Joseph Mallozzi, in a post at his blog) Casting announcements announced in early 2009 included several name changes for the show's main characters (story). The final line-up for the main cast: Robert Carlyle as Dr. Nicholas Rush (formerly David Rush) Louis Ferreira (formerly Justin Louis) as Colonel Everett Young Brian J. Smith as Lt. Matthew Scott (formerly Jared Nash) Elyse Levesque as Chloe Armstrong (formerly Chloe Walker, formerly Chloe Carpenter), also a civilian David Blue as Eli Wallace (formerly Eli Hitchcock), a civilian Alaina Huffman as 1st Lt. Tamara Johansen (formerly reported as Tamara Jon) Jamil Walker Smith as MSgt. Ronald Greer (formerly Ron "Psycho" Stasiak) Ming-Na as Camille Wray, a representative of the I.O.A. Lou Diamond Phillips also guest stars as Colonel Telford. "SGU will definitely be more of an arc-driven series. Although it will have its fair share of stand-alone and multi-parters, the show will have more season-long plot and character threads running through every episode." (Writer-producer Joseph Mallozzi, in a post at his blog) "Given the premise of the series, it will be darker and more serialized than SG-1 or Atlantis. That said, there will still be plenty of opportunities for humor and the series will be firmly rooted in established Stargate mythology. Yes, the series will focus on survival, but it will also focus on exploration and adventure -- and, by extension, the occasional alien encounter as well." (Consulting producer Joseph Mallozzi, in a post at his blog) "[The show] is much more character-driven, much more of a drama. Survival is the main thing. [It's] much less interaction with alien species and more about who's in charge, who's going to run this ship, who's going to survive. There's two or three deaths, in fact, in the first three episodes, and a suicide by episode six. So this is a harsh world." "It's got more reality, but then there are fantasy elements. There's nothing wrong with that. There will still be adventures to be had. But I think that [creators] Robert Cooper and Brad Wright have done an awful lot with Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis [and] they've been looking for something slightly different. I think they want to try to propel this craft through character rather than through action." Why did Carlyle, a successful film star, decide to commit to a science fiction cable series? "A point came about a year ago where I thought, 'I've kinda had it. I've kinda done that. I need something different to keep this process new.' And I went to Los Angeles and spoke to some television companies, some stuff was offered to me, and this was the one that I liked the best. And to be honest, if you had told me that before, I'd have said you're crazy. Because it's not a world that I'd have thought I could inhabit. But [it was] suddenly a drama opening up in space, [and] in the past that was something that was slightly missing from the genre." (Actor Robert Carlyle, in an interview with IGN.com [SCI FI advertising upfront]) "The producers, particularly Brad Wright and Robert Cooper, these guys are the main reason why I'm here. They explained it extremely well when they got in contact with me at first. The first thing I said was: 'Why do you want me in it?' The way they put it was very interesting: They said they wanted someone who can 'make unattractive things seem quite attractive.' I said: 'I'm your man.'" "[Justin Louis] is another terrific actor [on the show]. Lou Diamond Phillips is in there as well. David Blue, a good young actor. And there's a couple of youngsters, a guy called Brian J. Smith, who's working out extremely well, and a girl called Elyse Levesque -- she's actually from Vancouver, a wonderful young actress, the first thing she's ever done." "I'm very happy to be here, that's all I can say. I've done an awful lot of nitty-gritty type of stuff in my career over the last 15 to 20 years or so, and I felt it was time for a change. I wanted something different. When I came out to Los Angeles about a year ago, I talked to various television people with various ideas. I put it out that I was looking for something that was going to interest me. And I was very fortunate, three or four things came in. This one, for me, was by far and away the best." (Actor Robert Carlyle, in an interview with Multichannel News [SCI FI advertising upfront]) Multichannel also reports that Carlyle has three children -- ages 3, 5, and 7 -- who live in Glasgow, Scotland, and who will come with him to Vancouver during shooting. "It gives me more time to be a dad at the weekend," he said. "The series as a whole will be more arc-driven than its predecessors. That said, we know where we're headed for our season finale and second season." (Consulting producer Joseph Mallozzi, in a post at his blog) Will the show's Stargate be different? "Yep, all new gate. Or, actually, all new old gate. I'd say it's probably the coolest of the three gates, almost steam punk in operation. The SG-1 gate comes a close second. Atlantis's Vegas design, while certainly nice, doesn't really compare." (Consulting producer Joseph Mallozzi, in a post at his blog) "We're making it a point to explore all of [the characters'] back-stories over the course of the show's first season." (Consulting producer Joseph Mallozzi, in a post at his blog) Supporting cast includes: Julia Benson - 2nd Lt. Vanessa James Haig Sutherland - Sgt. Hunter Riley Jennifer Spence - Lisa Park Peter Kelamis - Adam Brody Mark Burgess - Jeremy Franklin Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman - Pvt. Darren Becker Josh Blacker - Marine Sgt. Spencer Patrick Gilmore - Dale Volker "[SGU] won't be as arc-driven as [24, Prison Break, LOST or Heroes, which often end episodes on cliffhangers]. That said, it will certainly be more arc-driven than the previous two Stargate series. We're trying to strike a nice balance between the two -- a show that develops its characters, their relationships, and an overall story while, at the same time, proving accessible to first-time viewers or those who may only join us several episodes into the season." (Consulting producer Joseph Mallozzi, in a post at his blog) Here is how MGM and Syfy describe the new series, as of summer 2009: SGU follows a band of soldiers, scientists and civilians, who must fend for themselves as they are forced through a Stargate when their hidden base comes under attack. The desperate survivors emerge aboard an ancient ship, which is locked on an unknown course and unable to return to Earth. Faced with meeting the most basic needs of food, water and air, the group must unlock the secrets of the ship's Stargate to survive. The danger, adventure and hope they find on board the Destiny will reveal the heroes and villains among them. "It's not a new Stargate. It is, in fact, a very old Stargate. It's the prototype. It has a limited range, a far more limited range than the Milky Way or Pegasus Galaxy Stargates. For example, if the Destiny is traveling through a galaxy it can't go anywhere in that galaxy -- it can only go within a limited range. "That's why they put it on a ship, so as it moves through the galaxy it can move across it and explore Stargates that have been seeded by other ships prior to the launch of the Destiny, who knows how many hundreds of years before." (Co-creator Brad Wright, in an interview at Moviehole)

As information is listed here while the episode is still in production, remember that it is subject to change.