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Stargate's success is out of this world
Series have brought $500 million US in production to B.C.
Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun
Published: Saturday, April 08, 2006Stargate SG-1, now in its 10th season in Vancouver, is currently shooting its 200th episode, making it the longest-running drama series on cable television, and the longest-running sci-fi series ever made on this continent.
Asked why the show has had such long legs, show creator Brad Wright, a Vancouverite, cites continuity in its creative team, and the fact that the show has a loyal following.
"A lot of television franchises go off the rails because there's a turnover of the creative people behind the show," says Wright.
"We were off the radar for so long. We started off on Showtime and then in syndication, and we were like the slowly burning candle. We're not a huge hit by any means. We're a nice little show that does well and makes MGM a lot of money.
"The show doesn't take itself too seriously. It's meant to be a fun show."
Between 10 seasons of Stargate SG-1 and its spinoff series, Stargate Atlantis (now in its third season), Stargate has brought $500 million US in production to British Columbia.
And the revenue stream runs deeper for MGM/Sony, because the Stargate franchise has spawned DVDs, books, merchandise, a magazine, comic books and theme park rides.
Stargate SG-1 began in Vancouver 10 years ago. Wright, who was writing for and executive producing the MGM series The Outer Limits, saw the 1994 Kurt Russell feature film Stargate and, with co-creator John Glassner, pitched it to MGM as a series.
Glassner, an American, left as executive producer of the series after the third season. Canadian Robert C. Cooper currently shares executive producer chores with Wright.
The show, shot mostly at The Bridge studios, is almost entirely Canadian, the only Americans being certain cast members and the show's composer.
"Occasionally we'll bring up an American guest star, but I always look here first," says writer and executive producer Wright.
Cast and crew usually total about 200 union employees, although that number can exceed 300 if a lot of carpenters are called in to build some of the show's elaborate sets.
Cost per episode is around
$2 million US.
Stargate SG-1 is currently shown in 100 countries, with a weekly viewership of 10 million. The response to the show is particularly fervent in Australia, Germany, France and Great Britain.
"The show is so much bigger in England than it is in Canada that it's almost embarrassing," says Wright. "The show does okay in Canada, but we aired opposite Friends for a long time. Our biggest resurgence in Canada has come from sales of the DVDs."
Stargate SG-1 has become a franchise, spawning an industry of spinoff products. A second series, Stargate Atlantis, is currently in its third season of shooting in Vancouver, and has similar cast and crew numbers to the original series. DVD box sets of the various seasons are available, and have sold more than 30 million copies. There are action figures, coffee mugs and a line of clothing. Titan publishes Stargate books and a Stargate magazine. Avatar Press has a series of Stargate comic books. Cheyenne Mountain is making a multi-player role-playing video game, Stargate Worlds.