New syndication season opens with 1.1 ratings

In a syndication market that’s … not quite dead, Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis continued their dominance the week of September 14. The shows aired their season premieres, each earning a 1.1 average household rating — second only to off-network reruns of Alias (2.0), according to SCI FI Wire.

Season Nine of SG-1 kicked off with “Avalon, Part 1,” introducing the show’s new storyline and new series co-stars, Ben Browder and Beau Bridges.

Atlantis debuted its second season in syndication, with “The Siege, Part 3.”

The U.S. syndication market was a major venue for science fiction and fantasy television a decade ago, before the rise of original programming on cable. Series such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Babylon 5, and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys aired their entire runs in syndication (with the exception of B5, which moved to cable for its final year), and dominated the weekend landscape.

There are virtually no new, first-run dramas in syndication this year. Perhaps the closest is Da Vinci’s Inquest, which has aired successfully in Canada for years but was heretofor unseen in the United States. But it’s still a great way for Stargate fans without SCI FI Channel to catch up on their favorite shows.

New syndication episodes air every weekend from now until Thanksgiving! Check GateWorld’s syndication schedule to see what is ahead.