The US Sci Fi Channel has announced that it is commissioning a new Stargate TV series, Stargate Universe, to replace Stargate Atlantis, which will finish regular instalments at the end of the current season.

A two-hour adventure will continue the story of the Atlantis crew, premiering on Sci Fi and then appearing on DVD. "We're excited to tell Atlantis stories on a bigger canvas," executive producers Brad Wright and Robert Cooper stated. "The successes of the two original Stargate DTV movies The Ark of Truth and Continuum have shown us the opportunities that the movie format offers."

Meanwhile new series Stargate Universe will launch with a two-hour movie early in 2009, with regular hour-long episodes starting in the summer. Universe introduces a team of explorers who find an ancient unmanned ship called the Destiny. Unable to return to Earth, the crew must fend for themselves aboard the ship, which has a pre-programmed mission taking them to the far reaches of the universe.

Sci Fi president Dave Howe sees the new show as "an opportunity to reinvent this franchise and make it relevant to a new generation", with Wright and Cooper noting that "In Universe, we plan to keep those elements that have made the franchise a success, such as adventure and humour, while breaking new ground in the relationships between mostly young and desperate explorers, thrust together and far from home. Above all, we believe the Stargate itself remains an enduring icon with infinite potential as a jumping-off point for telling stories."

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