|
|
Post by nucleusofswarm on Jun 9, 2016 22:43:21 GMT
One great thing about these forums is the wealth of knowledge, courtesy of the main aficionados that frequent here.
So, here's one for you: what's the story with BF's Stargate, and did it have any major ramifications?
|
|
|
|
Post by omega on Jun 9, 2016 23:40:53 GMT
The main reason for the range being so small was because the majority of the Stargate fanbase didn't take to the audios because of the format. Radio drama is bigger in the UK than it is in the US.
Another factor could be that there were still TV episodes of the Stargate franchise being made and released, with the second SG-1 movie and the final season of Atlantis airing or being released during the period the first audio season was coming out. The second audio series was released while Universe was in production. Here it contrasts with Dark Shadows, which hadn't had any new TV episodes in over a decade before Big Finish began that line of audios (and that's the revival series that began twenty years after the original series ended!).
In terms of ramifications I'd say that the experience encouraged Big Finish to choose properties with a cult following to adapt (thus an established audience), as well as those that hadn't had much action for a while. British shows like Survivors, The Avengers and The Prisoner have met with more rapturous reception. 2008/2009 saw Big Finish produce audios for franchise like Robin Hood (which was released during the same period of the final season of the TV show) and Highlander, like Stargate not doing well in terms of sales and the licences cancelled early last year. Personally, I believe a significant factor is that these three ranges were released in busy months (Robin Hood was six audios, released two a month across three months), something the box set format improves on massively.
|
|
|
|
Post by elkawho on Jun 12, 2016 4:08:06 GMT
I wish that I could still buy Stargate audios. I'm a huge Stargate fan and bought 2 or three early on in my BF listening. I didn't buy many after that because I was waiting for sales and then I was heavily into the Doctor Who titles and figured I could wait. But I was so wrong, since they were taken off the market so abruptly. I would have bought a slew of them if we had been given any warning.
|
|
|
|
Post by omega on Jun 12, 2016 4:47:46 GMT
I wish that I could still buy Stargate audios. I'm a huge Stargate fan and bought 2 or three early on in my BF listening. I didn't buy many after that because I was waiting for sales and then I was heavily into the Doctor Who titles and figured I could wait. But I was so wrong, since they were taken off the market so abruptly. I would have bought a slew of them if we had been given any warning. Me too. There was as sale in May 2013, but there weren't any more between then and when Big Finish were forced to withdraw them from sale. A final everything must go sale would have brought in some money for BF and they could have had lower prices than usual because the licence was going to end. I wonder what happened to the unsold CDs. Did they go back to MGM, or just get chucked out? If it's the latter, it's a shame. |
|
|
|
Post by omega on Jun 12, 2016 5:02:19 GMT
I suppose a factor in not pursuing renewing the licence was that the CDs were taking up space in the warehouse that could be better used for higher interest product. Another reason might be that Paul Spragg was the Stargate fan in the office, and that when he passed there was little interest in the range from inside the company.
|
|
|
|
Post by redsharkJason on Jun 12, 2016 6:20:30 GMT
The Stargate range retiring along with Highlander, Sapphire & Steel and Robin Hood seemed so very abrupt almost as if Big Finish itself was caught off guard with the expiring of those licenses.
What surprises me is that Big Finish bothers to continue licensing 2000 AD. I wonder if that range will ever again produce new audio releases.
|
|
|
|
Post by pawntake on Jun 12, 2016 7:59:18 GMT
We know why "Sapphire and Steel" was terminated.(Well reasons given by BF) Perhaps "Stargate" suffered the same fate??
|
|
|
|
Post by Digi on Jun 12, 2016 11:19:52 GMT
I have no idea whether there's any truth to it or not, but at the time they all went away, there was a bunch of discussion on the old forum that they may simply have been forgotten about, as Paul Spragg was the guy who had been taking care of their license renewals.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2016 11:51:40 GMT
The Stargate range retiring along with Highlander, Sapphire & Steel and Robin Hood seemed so very abrupt almost as if Big Finish itself was caught off guard with the expiring of those licenses. What surprises me is that Big Finish bothers to continue licensing 2000 AD. I wonder if that range will ever again produce new audio releases. I don't think they do keep licensing 2000ad. I heard someone say they got a clause to say they could continue to sell the back book until existing stocks were used up. It's just taking a while. |
|
|
|
Post by elkawho on Jun 12, 2016 12:45:15 GMT
I wish that I could still buy Stargate audios. I'm a huge Stargate fan and bought 2 or three early on in my BF listening. I didn't buy many after that because I was waiting for sales and then I was heavily into the Doctor Who titles and figured I could wait. But I was so wrong, since they were taken off the market so abruptly. I would have bought a slew of them if we had been given any warning. Me too. There was as sale in May 2013, but there weren't any more between then and when Big Finish were forced to withdraw them from sale. A final everything must go sale would have brought in some money for BF and they could have had lower prices than usual because the licence was going to end. I wonder what happened to the unsold CDs. Did they go back to MGM, or just get chucked out? If it's the latter, it's a shame. And I started listening to BF in Dec. 2013. I remember that I was so excited to see those Stargate audios the first time I logged onto the website and started looking around. Even if I wasn't quite sure what I was looking at at the time.  (I had no clue what I was doing on that site. It took me about 4 visits before I ordered anything because I was so confused.) |
|
|
|
Post by jasonward on Jun 12, 2016 13:13:25 GMT
I wonder what happened to the unsold CDs. Did they go back to MGM, or just get chucked out? If it's the latter, it's a shame. Back to MGM? The CD's never belonged to MGM and nor did the stories on the CD's. I imagine the CD's have either been destroyed, or stuck in the back of some room somewhere. I suspect BF may be able to give away any remainder CD's so long as there was no sense in which that give away could be seen as sales, or promoting sales. |
|
|
|
Post by jasonward on Jun 12, 2016 13:16:25 GMT
The Stargate range retiring along with Highlander, Sapphire & Steel and Robin Hood seemed so very abrupt almost as if Big Finish itself was caught off guard with the expiring of those licenses. What surprises me is that Big Finish bothers to continue licensing 2000 AD. I wonder if that range will ever again produce new audio releases. I don't think they do keep licensing 2000ad. I heard someone say they got a clause to say they could continue to sell the back book until existing stocks were used up. It's just taking a while. That seems far more likely to me, obtaining licences costs money, time and effort. It would be good to think that BF at least try to get similar clauses in all their licences. |
|
|
|
Post by jasonward on Jun 12, 2016 13:19:26 GMT
Have to say I thought Stargate was a great franchise for BF, and I eagerly purchases them as they were released, I wonder if the licence was quite expensive and it's not that sales didn't justify the cost of making the stories, but infact didn't justify the cost of the licence.
|
|
|
|
Post by muckypup on Jun 12, 2016 14:04:02 GMT
I don't know much, but paul spragg one said in an email to me that the box sets (ie series 3) was a nightmare to produce, as recording was all done separately and over a long period of time, and by the time it had been got ready for release, stargate's time had passed and orders were poor. he was a bit disappointed in that.
that's all I know
|
|
|
|
Post by Feroniya27 on Jun 13, 2016 2:32:39 GMT
I wish that I could still buy Stargate audios. I'm a huge Stargate fan and bought 2 or three early on in my BF listening. I didn't buy many after that because I was waiting for sales and then I was heavily into the Doctor Who titles and figured I could wait. But I was so wrong, since they were taken off the market so abruptly. I would have bought a slew of them if we had been given any warning. Me too. There was as sale in May 2013, but there weren't any more between then and when Big Finish were forced to withdraw them from sale. A final everything must go sale would have brought in some money for BF and they could have had lower prices than usual because the licence was going to end. I wonder what happened to the unsold CDs. Did they go back to MGM, or just get chucked out? If it's the latter, it's a shame. There actually was another sale, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't announced by Big Finish; I think I found out about it through a Facebook Stargate page. According to my order history it was in August 2013. The sale was for a whopping 75% off! I took that as a sign that it might be going away soon and filled all the holes in my collection. Sadly I was right. |
|
|
|
Post by omega on Jun 13, 2016 2:56:46 GMT
I don't know much, but paul spragg one said in an email to me that the box sets (ie series 3) was a nightmare to produce, as recording was all done separately and over a long period of time, and by the time it had been got ready for release, stargate's time had passed and orders were poor. he was a bit disappointed in that. that's all I know It was also recorded over Skype for some actors. There's loads of Behind the Scenes info in a Vortex from when the first box set was released. |
|
|
|
Post by nucleusofswarm on Jun 19, 2016 21:52:34 GMT
I don't know much, but paul spragg one said in an email to me that the box sets (ie series 3) was a nightmare to produce, as recording was all done separately and over a long period of time, and by the time it had been got ready for release, stargate's time had passed and orders were poor. he was a bit disappointed in that. that's all I know Makes one wonder if SG had been a bigger hit, BF wouldn't be tackling other big properties right now. Who knows, maybe we would see Trek or Galactica audios now too... |
|
|
|
Post by Ela on Jun 19, 2016 23:47:35 GMT
I don't know much, but paul spragg one said in an email to me that the box sets (ie series 3) was a nightmare to produce, as recording was all done separately and over a long period of time, and by the time it had been got ready for release, stargate's time had passed and orders were poor. he was a bit disappointed in that. that's all I know Makes one wonder if SG had been a bigger hit, BF wouldn't be tackling other big properties right now. Who knows, maybe we would see Trek or Galactica audios now too... I would doubt they'd be able to get the rights to Star Trek or Galactica, to be honest. |
|
|
|
Post by nucleusofswarm on Jun 22, 2016 21:02:02 GMT
Makes one wonder if SG had been a bigger hit, BF wouldn't be tackling other big properties right now. Who knows, maybe we would see Trek or Galactica audios now too... I would doubt they'd be able to get the rights to Star Trek or Galactica, to be honest. A man can dream. A man can dream... |
|
(I had no clue what I was doing on that site. It took me about 4 visits before I ordered anything because I was so confused.)
