Stargate Finds New Dimension - Your iPod

Proving once again that it's the little scifi series that could, Sci Fi Channel's wormhole travel show Stargate is about to make the jump into a whole new medium: the audio play. According to an interview with Jason Haigh-Ellery, the head of Doctor Who and Dark Shadows audio producer Big Finish, SG might be the first of several shows about to cross over into mp3 fuel for your daily commute.

Speaking to SFX Magazine, Haigh-Ellery talked about their latest signing:

Stargate's an interesting one... It took about a year to negotiate. We're vey, very happy that we're going to do something new. And something that is very well supported. The initial reaction has been very, very positive.

But that's just the start of their push into American scifi, he hinted:

We are in negotiations over a couple of other properties. You'd probably be able to figure them out but I can't say. I can tell you who we're not doing. We're not doing Babylon 5. We tried. It just wasn't possible. It's a shame really, because it's died off a bit now. Quite a lot, actually.

Someone, somewhere, is preparing a "Babylon 5 will never die" response to that last line. And that someone's name is J. Michael Straczynski.

The Big Boss [SFX.co.uk]

9:20 AM on Mon Feb 18 2008
By Graeme McMillan
1,086 views
10 comments

Comments

DocGratis at 09:41 AM on 02/18/08
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Ohh look in the shimmery portal.. it is that doctor who died so the show promos could make us think that Jack O'Neil might not back it back.. what a sacrifice...
Git Em SteveDave seeks... at 09:52 AM on 02/18/08
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Connectedness Index: 177

I could dig that. It's easier, makes for better actors, and the special effects budget is whittled down to just a little over what Geico is paying Michael Winslow, so he'll leave.
RRich at 10:24 AM on 02/18/08
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Joe is not a fan of SFX magaizine, btw, and others have approached him about doing B5 spinoffs into other media, but the property is owned by Warners, so he's probably not the reason it hasn't happened, imho.
shudderstep at 11:30 AM on 02/18/08
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Saying he's not a fan of SFX is an understatement.

Babylon 5 did put out that "lost tales" thing last year. But JMS has gotten a shit-ton of work since his script for "The Changeling" got picked up by Clint Eastwood. He's also writing World War Z and the silver surfer movie. I think B5 will be on the back-burner while he rakes it in for a while.

And good for him, cause he's awesome.
Lampbane at 11:59 AM on 02/18/08
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@DocGratis:

Stargate hates doctors.
Lieutenant 030 at 01:28 PM on 02/18/08
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Shudderstep, I saw The Lost Tales. It proves beyond doubt that if JMS was awesome once, he certainly isn't now. But if he gets lots of big-paying jobs that have nothing to do with B5, so much the better. Anything to keep him from wiping out every last bit of goodwill I have towards a show I once loved. (Before the fifth season, and the TV movies, and Crusade, and Legend of the Rangers...)
sugardeath at 11:05 PM on 02/18/08
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@Lampbane:

You're telling me! I was so sad about when
*SPOILER*
Carson Beckett (is that his last name?) died near the end of Atlantis season 3 :(
*SPOILER*
shudderstep at 06:22 AM on 02/19/08
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LT:

Yeah, even Joe's admitted to some burn-out with Crusade. Though it got MAJORLY dicked by TNT as well.

I kind of dug The Lost Tales. I would have rather seen a Londo story though. Dear God, I loved that character so much. When I heard that Andreas (G'Kar) had passed away I had the utterly nerdish thought "Damn now I'll never get to see him and Londo go at it again".

But hey, JMS is making bank on a movie directed by Dirty Harry starring Angelina Jolie. NERDS WIN!
Meiran at 12:02 PM on 02/19/08
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The trick with JMS and B5 is that he doesn't know when to let something go. He's bad at ending stories.

Seasons 1-4 or B5 are some of the best television America has EVER produced. Flat out, no question in my mind. Rewatching some of the stories about the Nightwatch and the "abridgements" of personal freedom are just downright scary in today's political climate.

But season 5, the short story epilogues he wrote, Crusade, and even Lost Tales don't have that magic. I think it might be a case where JMS is becoming a bit like George Lucas and not letting other people play in his sandbox.

But JMS is always at his best playing in somebody else's sandbox. His run on Spider-man was amazing, and going back to see some of the other television he's done in his decades of working, you see the best episodes of those series. The man is fantastic, I want him to do more. But I'd personally rather it wasn't B5.

If somebody else could write it, I'd love to see more stories with my favorite characters, but I think he's done with them, and needs to let it go.
thomaswilliam at 06:09 AM on 05/07/08
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Anyone missing Babylon 5 can catch a number of episodes, mainly from series 1, on Joost.