Trivia / Stargate Universe

• Directed by Cast Member:
  • Robert Carlyle directed the season 2 episode "Pathogen".
  • David Blue directed a number of planet scenes in the first season episode "Time".
• Franchise Killer: On his February 11th 2011 blog, Joseph Mallozzi mentioned that SGU's cancellation puts a definite hiatus to plans for further Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1 films. Though they were also cancelled for the same reasons as Atlantis, that the network decided they didn't want to pay the cost of the series with the current recession, and generally didn't inform the producers of the status of the series at any point along the line. The cast were informed of the cancellation by fans via Twitter, who actually had heard it before they did... which pretty much sums how Screwed by the Network Universe was. The franchise would be on a six-year hiatus until American Mythology began publishing a comic book continuation of Universe and Stargate Origins a year later, after Ronald Emmerich's planned film reboot trilogy failed to materialise.
• Friday Night Death Slot: Friday is actually Syfy's best night, so moving SGU to Tuesday was essentially the Syfy equivalent for the trope.
• Promoted Fanboy: Eli's actor, David Blue, was a fan of Stargate even before joining Universe's cast. One of the creators even referred to him as an actor and technical adviser in one package, which is ironic given Eli's status as The Watson.
• Recycled Set: Icarus base in the series premiere "Air" is a redressed Stargate Command set from Stargate SG-1.
  • The Homeworld Security sets are also a redress of the SGC Briefing Room and Hammond's office.
• Screwed by the Network: Moving the series (Stargate has always been a Friday tradition) to Tuesday nights, with no significant lead-ins (twenty year old Star Trek TNG episodes after Caprica was canned), in the middle of the Fall season, in the same timeslot as two of the most popular shows on television? There was no way that would go wrong! This sums it up well.
• Shrug of God: After the show's cancellation, the showrunners admitted that they did not have time to plan anything for Season 3, which means that there's no official answer to Eli's fate. However,they do point out that the silver lining is that fans can come up with whatever scenario they desire.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Season 1 was going to have an episode called “Fire”, but the script was so extensive it was split into two episodes as “Darkness” and “Light”. This resulted in later episodes being pushed back in the order, notably making “Justice” the mid-season finale instead of “Space” as originally intended.
  • Originally a background crew member was going to become pregnant. When Alaina Huffman became pregnant, the plot was shifted to TJ.
  • This article spells out a lot of the possible plot lines they might have gone with in season 3 or in a made-for-TV movie/miniseries. What a shame...
• You Look Familiar:
  • Bill Y.W. Butt (Balding Asian Guy) played a medic on Atlantis.
  • Mike Dopud (Varro) has played three other roles in Stargate: the Russian Colonel in "Full Alert", the bounty hunter Odai Ventrell in SG-1, and the Runner who captured Dr. Keller in Stargate Atlantis.
  • Anna Galvin (Patricia Armstrong) played a hot scientist who was horribly murdered after sleeping with Mitchell in SG-1, then another hot scientist created by an AI to communicate with Woolsey in Atlantis.
  • Ona Grauer (Emily Young) played the Human Popsicle Ancient in "Frozen" and again in "Rising".
  • Julia Benson (Lt. Vanessa James), previously appeared as one of Lucius Lavin's wives in the Stargate Atlantis episode "Irresistible".
  • Patrick Gilmore (Dale Volker) has the unfortunate distinction of playing characters who have a habit of dying. He played a Genii soldier who was shot by Sheppard in Atlantis, and an SG medic who died of an aneurysm in SG-1. At least he has better luck this time around.
  • Peter Kelamis (Adam Brody) played an Area 51 scientist who stole holographic mimic devices in SG-1, and the Half-Human Hybrid race commentator in "Space Race".

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