Why Stargate Universe Ended After Season 2
Sophia Edwards Stargate Universe survived two years on the network Syfy, but sadly the spin-off TV series was canceled in 2010 due to poor viewing figures.
In 2010, Stargate Universe was sadly canceled by Syfy due to poor viewing figures. The Stargate franchise began in 1994 with the release of a popular blockbuster movie. In 1997, the movie was followed by the tremendous Stargate series, and the franchise flourished for over a decade, spawning tie-ins, spin-offs, and direct-to-DVD movies.
Stargate's small-screen run was brought to a close in the spin-off series Stargate Universe. This was essentially a reinvention of the show, a darker character-focused series akin to early seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It starred a small group who had become stranded on an ancient spaceship called Destiny in the depths of space, and who was forced to explore the universe and try to figure out what their vessel was actually doing out there in the first place. Stargate Universe came to a dramatic close in season 2, a cliffhanger ending in which Destiny jumped to an entirely different universe. Most of the crew were in suspended animation, save one starring character who would have to figure out how to repair a damaged pod in order to survive.
The cliffhanger was never resolved. Sadly, Syfy chose to cancel Stargate Universe after two seasons, much to the fury of its fans. Unusually, Craig Engler, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Syfy Digital, issued an open letter on the GateWorld fan-site to explain the network's controversial decision. "Because Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis had performed so well for us in the past, we felt confident about SGU and committed to a two-season deal for it, as long as the show met certain milestones along the way," he explained. Unfortunately Stargate Universe failed to hit these milestones, and Engler pointed to various strategies they'd tried in order to improve viewing figures, notably switching the viewing slots in which the show aired. Nothing worked, and consequently cancellation became inevitable.
Engler's comments are useful, and they provide the business rationale for the cancellation, but they do not explain why Stargate Universe failed. The core problem is likely that it was actually quite a bold and experimental new direction for the Stargate franchise, and it just didn't connect with viewers. Old-school fans who enjoyed the humor of Stargate-SG1 and Stargate Atlantis were surprised at the much darker tone of Stargate Universe, while viewers who would have enjoyed that style of series didn't expect their tastes to be met by a Stargate show in the first place. Engler's account rings true that Syfy really did try to save Stargate Universe; he was able to explain why the network tried different time-slots, based on successes with shows like Warehouse 13. But, sadly, some experiments simply don't work out, and Stargate Universe failed to perform well enough to be renewed.
The story of Stargate Universe was ultimately continued in a tie-in comic, although the canonicity of that story is questionable, given none of the original creators were involved in the comic book run. Sadly, the cancellation of Stargate Universe essentially led to the end of the entire Stargate franchise, and there hasn't been a new series on TV since 2011.
