'Atlantis' Will Return With Later Timeslot
The fall season is brimming with new shows ready to battle it out for ratings success, and when it comes to time slots, some are luckier than others.
What has fans of returning series Stargate: Atlantis concerned is the recent announcement that the show will be making its comeback at the later time of 10 p.m. However, fans shouldnt worry about the move as this isnt an attempt by the SciFi Channel to kill of the series, but instead to allow it a little more freedom in the kinds of stories it tells, producers said.
Back when the first season debuted in 2004, Atlantis originally held the later 10 p.m. timeslot before finally being shunted to the slightly earlier time of 9 p.m. in order to make way for the anticipated debut of Battlestar Galactica, a series the network felt had a much darker influence than the earlier time slot warranted.
This year, "Galactica" won't return until 2008, but will give fans a taster of the upcoming season with the premiere of a special-length telemovie featuring the saga of the Battlestar Pegasus after the initial attack on the colonies. The original cast of the series will all feature in the movie as will the previously seen characters from the second season two-parter Pegasus.
Like any move, shifting Atlantis will come under intense ratings scrutiny to identify if the slot is right for the series. However if the move proves to be a scheduling blunder, it is possible that the show will join its parent series Stargate SG-1 which was cancelled last year. So if youre a fan of the show, now is the perfect time to start introducing the fantastic universe of "Atlantis" to friends and family.
Traditionally the show has begun its run in high summer before taking a mid-season break at the end of the fall. This year marks the first year that the show will premiere in the highly competitive fall season that has a host of new series set to begin their run.
Among these new shows are Flash Gordon and Bionic Woman, which will also help make up SciFis Friday night schedule. The rerun of NBCs Bionic Woman is set to kick-start the night at 7 p.m., followed by all-new episodes of Doctor Who and Flash Gordon before Atlantis finally hits the screens on Sept 28.
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