STARGATE WITHOUT DANIEL IS LIKE STAR TREK WITHOUT SPOCK

"I thought what I was doing in the show was becoming seemingly more confined. And having broached the subject with the powers who control these things, it became clear that the character wasn't important enough to the overall process to warrant an upgrade." -- Michael Shanks, Dreamwatch #88, December 2001

Already aired in the UK, the fifth season episode "Meridian" featured the demise of Dr. Daniel Jackson.  The episode caught many viewers by surprise and fans are reeling in shock from the departure. The episode provoked an unprecedented outpouring of protest  from unhappy fans who the deluged the office of MGM President Hank Cohen with overseas phone calls.   "...by mid-afternoon on the day after "Meridian" was broadcast in the U.K., more than 1,000 protests had been phoned into [MGM Television President] Cohen's office." (Fan rebellion threatens Stargate, www.salon.com)

We are appealing for his return.  Concerned Stargate SG-1 fans from the online fandom and from around the world are taking direct action.  Letters, faxes, phone calls, postcards and emails are being sent daily to MGM and The SciFi Channel.  An advert has been placed in "TV Zone" along with full page ads in "The Hollywood Reporter" and "Variety", all paid for by donations from many, many fans all over the world.

In total accord with the feeling of most of the audience in Vancouver and around the world, Wright went on to say, “It’s not an easy thing to just say goodbye to a character that in many ways was the heart and soul of your series.  Rick (Dean Anderson)  is the name above the title, but Michael Shanks’ character of Daniel carried the morality of Stargate, and that is something we will simply struggle to replace.  However, Daniel’s arc was over.  But make no mistake, the method by which he’s leaving completely leaves the door open, and if it works out – he will return.”  -- Brad Wright, SciFi Magazine, April 2002 edition.

Why are we so upset?   Daniel is an archaeologist, linguist, expert on ancient languages and cultures, anthropologist and de facto diplomat.  He opened the Stargate, solving the mysteries that made the TV series possible, secured the commitment to peaceful exploration, providing a vital and necessary balance to his colleagues with their focus on the military and technological agendas.  His empathy, intelligence, compassion, integrity and thirst for knowledge and exploration have enthralled us since the very beginning.

"The SciFi Channel is our new broadcaster, and we'll have a whole lot of new viewers, so our new guy is going to provide an enthusiasm and a newness to the team that the new viewers deserve.  Nobody wants to tune in to a show for the first time and see a bunch of characters going through the Stargate where every one of them is in `been there, seen that' mode." -- Brad Wright, SciFi Magazine, April 2002 edition.

Brad Wright claims that Daniel's arc is over, that the 'new' viewers at SciFi Channel deserve a new character, but we believe Daniel is an essential and irreplaceable member of the SG-1 team.  We also believe, because of his popularity, that his departure endangers the future of the entire Stargate franchise.  In a current poll, admittedly anecdotal, 30% of viewers are now saying they won’t watch Season Six, with a further 15% undecided.   We are asking MGM to return Daniel Jackson to the team for the final season, as promised by Brad Wright at Gatecon 2001. 

Stargate: a History

In the first three seasons, the show gained a loyal following among fans who admired its depth of characterization, deft mixture of humour and drama, original storylines, and fidelity to the original movie. Particularly popular was the friendship between O'Neill and Daniel whose witty banter (often adlibbed by the actors) and complex, constantly evolving relationship was frequently cited by actors (including Anderson and Shanks), writers, and fans as a key element in the show's success.  A great part of the show's appeal is the unique chemistry and family bond between the four members of SG-1.

Stargate SG-1 was regularly nominated for awards for its actors, writing, and special effects, and was gaining new fans in countries all over the world.  The character of Daniel Jackson consistently topped fan polls and Shanks was dubbed 'Young Lord of the Internet' by his fellow actors because of the number of fan sites dedicated to him.  The feature article at www.salon.com notes that Shanks has as many devotional websites as Matt Damon or Brad Pitt.

In the fourth season the show ran into trouble with fans, critics, the United States Air Force (which acts as a technical advisor for the show) and even the actors themselves with an attempt to appeal to what writer, director and creative consultant Peter DeLuise refers to as 'the Seven of Nine' demographic, the mythically desirable marketing demographic of males aged between 18-24.

"This was during a time during the show when we were trying to bump up the ratings.  We were taking our cue from Seven of Nine, thinking that that might help the show and in fact the show didn't need help.  It was perfectly fine the way it was and we didn't need half-naked, really hot, skilled actresses walking around trying to keep our interest." -- Peter DeLuise, Director's audio commentary on Region 2 UK Stargate DVD volume 14, episode 'Crossroads'

Season Four's first run episodes, airing on cable network Showtime, shed 26% of the Stargate audience by episode six, around a million viewers, even though among the coveted 18-24 demographic they rose 25%.  The figures for the first week of February sweeps (Season Four syndicated) on Fox in the US include a demographic snapshot:

Ages 18-49:
Stargate: SG-1 (1.9, -5),
Ages 25-54:
Stargate: SG-1 (2.0, - 9)
A18-34:
Stargate: SG-1 (1.8, no change)
Source: Nielsen Media Research (season to-date through 1/20/02). Syndicated First-Run Weeklies: A Demographic Snapshot

Among the three highest rated episodes of Stargate Season Four thus far in syndication are 'The First Ones' and 'The Curse', both of which are focused on Dr. Daniel Jackson.

WEEK OF OCTOBER 22
Stargate SG-1 (3.1/3.3) "The First Ones"
WEEK OF JANUARY 14
Stargate SG-1 (3.1/3.3) "The Curse"
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, MediaWeek.com

In Season Five there was more controversy as a number of episodes were taken up with the furtherance of what fans mockingly dub 'X-Gate', a convoluted Earthbound 'conspiracy theory' storyline contrary to the original spirit of the show.  Showtime has not provided ratings figures for Season Five, even to journalists requesting them.  The SciFi press supports fan assertions that the premise of the show has undeniably changed.

"Put simply, the charge from Shanks and others is a series that to begin with was mainly focused on Daniel and the relationship between him and Jack O'Neill (played by Richard Dean Anderson) has rather lost its way. The focus of this year's (fifth) season has been less on the exploration and cultural discovery to which Jackson (a linguistic expert and anthropologist) could contribute, and more on the conspiracies and machinations of the military characters, in which he could have little or no significant role.  There really is no denying that this has been a trend in Stargate lately." -- John Binns, "Times past" editorial, Cult Times #78, February 2002

As well as supporting many of the issues raised by campaigners, the editorial in "Cult Times" agrees with the right of fans to raise concerns, although it does question the extent of the protest.

Fans united to fight long and hard to help secure a sixth season for Stargate SG-1.  Some of the same committed fans were at first shocked and then angered by the news - delivered without warning by executive producer Brad Wright in response to a direct question at the fan convention 'Gatecon' held in Vancouver in September 2001 - that Shanks would be leaving the show at the end of Season Five because he wanted to 'do other projects'.   Fans do appreciate that Wright honourably and honestly answered in the most difficult of circumstances. 

The Departure of Michael Shanks

"To be quite honest, Michael leaving is a product of the respective parties making decisions based on what their projected needs are going to be in the long term. Michael indicated that he wanted to move on, which is quite a natural reaction after five long years of the rigors of this show. He is also an actor who's young and has a lot to do with his career. I think he knew that going in and what we've done is address the issue. It is a massive, big, big change but I support his decision wholeheartedly." -- Richard Dean Anderson, Cult Times #75, December 2001.

While remaining utterly respectful of his colleagues, Shanks contradicted these statements in an impressive convention appearance in Australia and three interviews with UK sci-fi magazines (Dreamwatch #88, TV Zone #146 and Cult Times #77) stating that he had no other projects in hand.  In contrast to Wright's assertion, Shanks cited his reasons for leaving as the change of direction in the show in the last two seasons, especially with more focus on military storylines at the expense of the exploration of the galaxy and discovery of ancient civilizations which made the movie and series such a hit with fans in the first place.  He also cites the demotion of his character from major player to 'wallpaper' in the fifth season as a major factor in his decision to leave.

Shanks is careful not to lay all of the blame for his discontent on the shoulders of the writers or the executive producers of the show with whom he still has the warmest relationship.  "...naturally you want to be doing more as the show progresses, yet I found myself going in the opposite direction and saw the character being involved less in stories. So with all these things in mind it was not without a heavy heart that I said, ‘Well, okay, if this is the way it’s going to go then I don’t want to be here’. -- Michael Shanks, Cult Times #77, January 2002

There has been no official statement from MGM about Shanks' departure, no press release and no mention at MGM's official website (www.stargate-sg1.com).  Despite Stargate previously having been consistently among its highest rated series, Showtime has delayed airing the remainder of the fifth season from its traditional first Friday in January slot until March 8th.  MGM has recently signed a multi-million dollar deal with The SciFi Channel to make the sixth season which begins airing on June 6th.  As well as losing Shanks outright, Stargate lead Anderson is cutting back his appearances next season to an unprecedented level as revealed in a recent zap2it.com interview, seriously affecting the 'family' feel that draws fans so strongly to the show.  "Meridian" doesn't air in the US on Showtime until May, just one month before Season Six begins airing on SciFi Channel.  By that time, half the Season Six episodes will have been filmed, denying fans a chance to voice their feelings or have any influence on the number of guest appearances offered to Michael Shanks for Daniel.  

The Health and Future of Stargate

Why are fans involved in this global grass roots campaign so determined to fight for the future of the show?  All the published data and all the informal online fandom polls point to the overwhelming popularity of Daniel Jackson and actor Michael Shanks with remarkable consistency, no matter the context of the poll.  Campaigners are deeply concerned because MGM and SciFi Channel have dramatically misread the "Stargate" audience.

Among actively involved online fans, we estimate fallout from losing Daniel Jackson could be around 45% of the audience, including undecided fans withholding judgement until they see the quality of writing and the creative direction of Season Six.  Many fans involved in the campaign are among those switching off because of the depth of our attachment to this beloved character and our stunning, unexpected grief at his avoidable loss.

Not all campaigners intend to switch off but we are united in our love of this character, the team and the show and our determination to help MGM and SciFi Channel realise that this situation is still retrievable.  Michael Shanks has stated his desire to return to Stargate again and again.  It is within the power of the studio to make this right and it is to them we look now to negotiate with Mr. Shanks.  MGM will be as aware as we that the fallout among the offline viewers - not as 'invested' in the show as we online fans - will be significantly higher.

"Stargate had become a programme about a military group in a military institution surrounded by all the various aspects and organizations that people in the military might have to deal with. As the sole civilian of the team, other than Teal'c, there wasn't much for Daniel to do." -- Michael Shanks TV Zone #146 December 2001

We believe peaceful exploration and the search for ways to defend Earth from its primary enemies is what Stargate SG-1 is, and has always been, all about.  To all appearances Stargate is no longer the unique and honored sci-fi drama it has been in the past, and will not return to that status given a new season with so many things out of place. We believe people not online or without access to the few publications covering this situation should be made aware of what is going on behind the scenes of this show and be given the opportunity to choose for themselves if they wish to continue supporting it in its current path.

The original spirit of the show and the integral importance of both the original characters, Jackson and O'Neill (and the actors who play them) are vital elements in its success to date. MGM, the Stargate Production crew, and The SciFi Channel need to be made aware that this sixth season, in its current projected form, is not something all fans will be willing or eager to support.

For more information contact:
(US) J. Mason:jmtm1@eastky.net (UK) A.Butler: lovelysilksworth@btopenworld.com

Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, SCI FI Channel, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. All blog entries represent the opinion of the poster. All editorials represent the opinion of the author. All linked content represents the opinion of the linked site's webmaster. Copyright on all articles/editorials/blog entries belongs to the original author. Offer void where prohibited. Please remain seated while the aircraft is in motion. Warning: Coffee will be hot. A moose once bit my sister.