Season Four to premiere this fall

Stargate Atlantis will return for its fourth season this fall in the U.S., SCI FI Channel announced today.

Stargate SG-1 co-star Amanda Tapping will join the cast of Atlantis in the show’s fourth season, the network officially confirmed. Tapping will appear as Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter in 14 of Season Four’s 20 episodes.

“Taking the torch from SG-1 as television’s most thrilling adventure series, Atlantis, slated to begin production in Vancouver next month, promises to up the ante this season by introducing a powerful new race, welcoming new cast members and mourning the loss of some beloved friends,” the network said in a press release.

“For ten seasons, Tapping starred on Stargate SG-1 as the intelligent and beautiful Samantha Carter. Her combination of Gate expertise, in-depth scientific knowledge and military training made her a critical member of SG-1. She will need to draw upon all these resources as she assumes her new role on Atlantis.”

It is the first fall premiere ever for a Stargate series, which have debuted in the summertime every year for a decade. SCI FI began a new program of year-round originally programming in 2006, leading to the 3-month delay of the second half of the current season.

Jewel Staite (Firefly) also joins the cast in a recurring role, Atlantis chief medical officer Dr. Keller. Staite — who played the Wraith girl Ellia in Season Two’s “Instinct” — will appear in the season finale and is currently on board for eight episodes in Season Four.

The network also announced a new start date of Friday, April 13 for new episodes of SG-1 and Atlantis (one week later than previously advertised). Ten episodes of each will round out the current season before Season Four premieres, following a summer break.

The two shows will lead into the series premiere of SCI FI’s Painkiller Jane this spring.