My topic title here is a little weird, so let me explain: Amazon cancelled the Stargate reboot reportedly because they didn't feel like it would appeal to new fans. Obviously you want new fan appeal. However, the point of rebooting what I consider to be legacy sci-fi (like coming up with something new in Star Wars or Star Trek or even this Stargate thing) is to also appeal to existing fans.

This got me to thinking about whether it is actually POSSIBLE to do a reboot correctly or in a way that works both for the business side of things and the fan/creative side of things. What is the balance? Obviously anything new would need to have grown and changed but can existing fans accept change? What's the balance? What's the line?

Yeah, it increasingly seems near-impossible, certainly across all the major franchises on TV in recent years: Star Wars with The Acolyte (and a few other examples, but that's the most prominent one in this particular discussion), Doctor Who with RTD's return, several Star Trek TV shows, all resulting in backlashes - albeit often from a vocal minority of older fans for all the wrong reasons - and cancellations or uncertain futures in DW's case. Smaller scale, Quantum Leap seems to have been liked by OG fans, but without winning enough new ones. Alien: Earth has a second season confirmed, but is also divisive. Looking at movies, Predator might be the most successful example this decade (I'm not including Dune because the original movie wasn't popular). POTA, to a lesser extent, because Kingdom wasn't quite as well-received as the 2010s reboot, has done well too.

idk what the answer to it is, there's such a feeling of ownership and disagreements over what these things fundamentally are/should be that it's always going to be difficult

I admit, I'm feeling rather frustrated with it all right now lol. It does feel increasingly difficult, and I wonder if we're moving into a period where studios have to move on to NEW franchises rather than build on old ones. On the one hand, I'd like that to happen because every generation deserves their own Big Thing (I think KPop Demon Hunters is one here), but on the other... yeah, I'm gutted right now with Stargate lol. After this and Buffy, it is very hard for me to be enthusiastic about a relaunch or revival.

2 hours ago, Tom Bacon said:

I admit, I'm feeling rather frustrated with it all right now lol. It does feel increasingly difficult, and I wonder if we're moving into a period where studios have to move on to NEW franchises rather than build on old ones. On the one hand, I'd like that to happen because every generation deserves their own Big Thing (I think KPop Demon Hunters is one here), but on the other... yeah, I'm gutted right now with Stargate lol. After this and Buffy, it is very hard for me to be enthusiastic about a relaunch or revival.

Honestly? I want new things before getting reboots and continuations. I love the franchises and IP I grew up with, but I also love that they sort of naturally resolve (or should) and allow me to sort of run with my own imagination. Having something new to explore would be a chance to find a new favorite to be excited about instead of feeling like I have to fight for a place in a fandom.

I’m sad for all the Stargate fans. But I hope we eventually get something completely new and different for a fresh IP so we can keep our love for the old while also moving on.

It used to be possible (look at Battlestar Galactica), but since TV's changed so much that it seems impossible to please all avenues now.

On 6/3/2026 at 2:29 PM, Valdezology said:

It used to be possible (look at Battlestar Galactica), but since TV's changed so much that it seems impossible to please all avenues now.

Yeah I think this might be the correct answer.

I am unhappy it has been cancelled. We all should call, email, post on social media etc to Amazon and make a complaint to bring back and continue making Martin Gero's Stargate series.
Just FYI, it was mentioned by Martin Gero that it is not a remake/reboot. It was planned to be a new live action Stargate continuation series.

They'll just screw us over like they did with Universe and pull the plug after the first season anyway.

I think that there is a lot of opportunity for intelligent new shows if writers would stop trying to reboot something or make something totally unique. It’s all been pretty much done. I think SciFi fans would have the ability and interest in something that takes some good stuff from legacy properties and writes in some awesome, radical, totally unexpected elements. E.g. firefly

On 6/5/2026 at 6:02 AM, Raj Luthra said:

I am unhappy it has been cancelled. We all should call, email, post on social media etc to Amazon and make a complaint to bring back and continue making Martin Gero's Stargate series.
Just FYI, it was mentioned by Martin Gero that it is not a remake/reboot. It was planned to be a new live action Stargate continuation series.

One could probably make the argument that any new series within a franchise would "reboot" the overall franchise in the most basic sense of the term (as in bring new life to it after years of dormancy) but I completely understand what Gero means.

13 hours ago, Pluckynotplucky said:

I think that there is a lot of opportunity for intelligent new shows if writers would stop trying to reboot something or make something totally unique. It’s all been pretty much done. I think SciFi fans would have the ability and interest in something that takes some good stuff from legacy properties and writes in some awesome, radical, totally unexpected elements. E.g. firefly

I personally would LOVE some new things. I mean, after all, we're already living in the future that a lot of older sci-fi imagined. I'd be wildly interested in seeing what new things we could imagine.

8 hours ago, Nicole Drum said:

I personally would LOVE some new things. I mean, after all, we're already living in the future that a lot of older sci-fi imagined. I'd be wildly interested in seeing what new things we could imagine.

Right?? I mean the tech and graphics pretty much give creators/writers a free pass to get super-cool and super-weird. Already happening, I mean Ruffalo’s having an oat milk latte in his trailer while we’re lulled into thinking he’s green.fingers crossed! Fun question.