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Rising (Stargate Atlantis)
Encyclopedia
"Rising" is the pilot episode for season one
of the military science fiction
television series Stargate Atlantis
, a Canadian-American spin off
series of Stargate SG-1
. The episodes were written by executive producers Brad Wright
and Robert C. Cooper
, the episodes were directed by Martin Wood
. The episodes is the series strongest episode to date in season 1 (and the whole series) on Nielsen household ratings
. The episode got strong reviews from major media publishers worldwide.
"Rising" is about the establishment of the Atlantis expedition
, it follows Major John Sheppard
(Joe Flanigan
) and Colonel Marshall Sumner (Robert Patrick
) and their mission to the Pegasus Galaxy in part one. The second part is about the awakening of the Wraith
and freeing prisoners of war from them. The pilot has various guest stars from Stargate SG-1 as for example Jack O'Neill
(Richard Dean Anderson
) and Siler (Dan Shea) among others.
race from Stargate SG-1
series voyaged to the Pegasus Galaxy
from Earth
via a colossal starship to spread new life. The city of Atlantis
served as a maneuvering station as well as a base of operations. Their mission was unsuccessful and they met a terrible new enemy called the Wraith
, the Ancients lost the war and Atlantis was submerged under the ocean.
Discovering evidence of the Ancients journey to another galaxy, a large team of scientists and military personnel, led by diplomat Elizabeth Weir
(Torri Higginson
) examine residual technology in an Antarctic outpost with hopes to travel to Atlantis, thereby discovering any knowledge left behind and unraveling the mystery of the abrupt disappearance of its citizens. With the assistance of Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks
) and Jack O'Neill
(Richard Dean Anderson
) they are able to travel to Atlantis through the Stargate
.
Using an Ancient power resource known as the Zero Point Module (ZPM) to supply the energy essential for the unusually extended wormhole, an assembly of volunteer representatives from many different countries joins the Atlantis expedition under the command of Colonel Marshall Sumner (Robert Patrick
) of the United States Marine Corps
. Shortly after crossing, Dr. Rodney McKay
(David Hewlett
) determines that because of the immediate depletion of power due to their arrival, the protective shield will imminently collapse leaving nothing to defend the city from the ocean. Without enough energy to return to Earth, a squadron including Colonel Sumner, Major John Sheppard
(Joe Flanigan
), and Lieutenant Aiden Ford
(Rainbow Sun Francks
) travels to a random planet for help. The local villagers, led by Teyla Emmagan
(Rachel Luttrell
), are permitted to breed for generations before being systematically harvested by the Wraith. They assist the strangers, but as Colonel Sumner arranges an exploration of a vacant Ancient settlement, three Wraith starships travel through the Athosian Stargate to begin herding the planet’s human inhabitants.
starships head toward the village and start attacking. The military personnel start attacking the starships, but are eventually outmaneuvered by the Wraith. Back in Atlantis the shield is getting weaker and the remaining personnel there receive immediate orders to evacuate. Before they are able to press the gate address John Sheppard
and the Athosian villagers come through the Stargate. Rather than taking on water, the city rises to the ocean surface. The captured military personnel and Athosian villagers wake up in a Wraith cell, three Wraith starts picking out one prisoner at the time. After tracking where the Wraith hideout is, Rodney McKay
reveals to Sheppard that he can use one of the spaceships. In the meantime, Carson Beckett
shows Elizabeth Weir
what he found out about the Wraith DNA and their body build up.
Weir authorizes the rescue mission led by Sheppard, he assembles a team with Aiden Ford
through the Stargate. They eventually find the location of the Wraith base, Marshall Sumner is in the meantime confronted by a Wraith woman. She tells him about their race and then uses her telepathic abilities to find out about Earth
which she hopes to use as a new feeding ground for her race. At the meantime Sheppard and Ford are in the Wraith base and trying to locate the survivors from the Wraith attack. When he sees what the Wraith have done to Sumner, he shoots him dead. Ford locates the others survivors and lead them out of hostile territory.
The remaining soldiers outside the base are attacked by Wraith Darts, but the ships are not able to capture any of them. Sheppard and the remaining military personnel leave the planet and fight their way back to Atlantis. In the evening Sheppard, Ford and Weir talk about their situation and Sheppard apologizes because he hasn't made them any friends. However Weir then shows him the Athosians and Teyla Emmagan
agrees with her since they will help them find more friends. In the end Weir asks Sheppard what members he wants in his team since they have to go out there.
The pilot episodes, "Rising (part one and two)" was written by Robert C. Cooper
and Brad Wright
, and directed by Martin Wood
. The Pemberton Glacier in British Columbia
doubles for Antarctica during the opening flying sequence. The Antarctic
scenes in the start of the episode was filmed in Vancouver
, Canada
. The budget for the two parter episodes was estimated around $5 million US dollars
. Rodney McKay
was actually supposed to be African-Canadian under the name Dr. Benjamin Ingram, this didn't stop David Hewlett
auditioning. The producers eventually came to a solution where Ingram would be replaced by McKay from the former Stargate SG-1
series. The character Teyla Emmagan
was originally named "Mikala" in the early drafts of the Stargate Atlantis script. At the end of February, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
(MGM) announced the inclusion of Robert Patrick
's character Marshall Sumner. The official announcement said that he would only be featured in part one, but was later extended to part one and two. In January, 2004 the Stargate producers
announced including Jack O'Neill
(portrayed by Richard Dean Anderson
) and Daniel Jackson (portrayed by Michael Shanks
) in the two hour premiere pilot episode to make it easier for fans to relate to.
Stargate Atlantis was supposed to be set on present day Earth
, after Stargate SG-1 was canceled. This didn't happen and Stargate Atlantis
was released while Stargate SG-1 was still airing, so the story arc
was set in a new galaxy
under the name, Pegasus. The story was set in another galaxy so the two running series would not collide with each others and to stop plot interferences. For "Rising", the Pemberton Glacier in British Columbia
doubles for Antarctica during the opening flying sequence.
"Rising" is Stargate Atlantis strongest episode to date, gaining 3.2 on the Nielsen ratings
.
The episode was the most watched episode ever broadcasted by Sci Fi Channel gathering over 4 million viewers in the United States according to Variety Magazine in 2004, but was beaten by Warehouse 13
in 2009. In the United Kingdom
, it was viewed by 1.28 million people, placing it first in the most viewed shows in Sky One
for the week. The two part pilot episodes were released on DVD
format after its initially broadcast on TV. The pilot episode was awarded a Gemini Award
in the category Best Visual Effects. The episodes were also nominated for an Emmy Award
for "Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series", a Leo Award for "Best Production Design in a Dramatic Series", and a Visual Effects Society
Award for "Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series". The original and first release date of "Rising (Part 1)" was on July 16, 2004 and was released internationally on September 19, 2005. "Rising (Part 2)" was released at the same time as part 1 in the United States
, but was released internationally on September 26, 2006.
David Nusair from Reel Film Reviews said "as a pilot episode, there's no denying that "Rising" gets the job done," commenting to the one episode release of the pilot on DVD
format. IGN
reviewer Filip Vukcevic gave the episode
, DVD 6 out of 10 and said "while this pilot does have promise, it doesn't appear to deliver anything but average sci-fi fare. Hopefully the series itself has more spice." Dan Heaton from Digitally Obsessed said "Rising provides a strong introduction to an original series that retains the positive aspects of its predecessor but does not simply copy its success," and gave the episode an A. Taylor Brown when reviewing the Rising (part 1) from GateWorld
said "as a pilot episode, "Rising" gives viewers a lot of hope for the series to come," the episode was given 4 out of 5 stars. Virginia Heffernan from The New York Times
called the episode "Dull" and further commented that it was "Relic of our own unenlightened time." But said that the show could win fans with its "Lavish special effects".
Stargate Atlantis (season 1)
The first season of the television series Stargate Atlantis commenced airing on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on July 16, 2004, concluded on The Movie Network in Canada on January 31, 2005, and contained 20 episodes. The show was a spin off of sister show, Stargate SG-1...
of the military science fiction
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
television series Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
, a Canadian-American spin off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series of Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
. The episodes were written by executive producers Brad Wright
Brad Wright
Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the creator or co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe...
and Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the Stargate franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis until both series conclusion and currently holds the same title on the third Stargate series Stargate Universe...
, the episodes were directed by Martin Wood
Martin Wood
Martin Wood is a Canadian television director who has been directing since the mid 1990s. Specializing in science fiction, where he is best known for his work as a director and producer on Stargate SG-1 , as well as its spin-off series Stargate Atlantis .-Career:Martin Wood began his television...
. The episodes is the series strongest episode to date in season 1 (and the whole series) on Nielsen household ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. The episode got strong reviews from major media publishers worldwide.
"Rising" is about the establishment of the Atlantis expedition
Atlantis (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the spin-off of Stargate SG-1, Atlantis is a city-sized starship originally located in the Pegasus galaxy. Atlantis serves as the base of operations for the main characters, from which they explore other planets through the Stargate...
, it follows Major John Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
(Joe Flanigan
Joe Flanigan
Joe Flanigan is an American television actor best known for his portrayal of the character Major/Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:Flanigan was born Joseph Dunnigan III in Los Angeles, California...
) and Colonel Marshall Sumner (Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
) and their mission to the Pegasus Galaxy in part one. The second part is about the awakening of the Wraith
Wraith (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the Wraith are the original enemy alien species, first introduced in the pilot episode . In the series, they are a vampire-like telepathic race who feed on the "life-force" of humans, and are the dominant power in the Pegasus galaxy...
and freeing prisoners of war from them. The pilot has various guest stars from Stargate SG-1 as for example Jack O'Neill
Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
(Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
) and Siler (Dan Shea) among others.
Part 1
The technologically advanced AncientAncient (Stargate)
The Ancients are a humanoid race in the fictional Stargate universe. They are called "Ancients" in the Milky Way, but are also known as Lanteans or Ancestors in the Pegasus galaxy and as the Alterans in their home galaxy, and they sometimes call themselves Anquietas in their language...
race from Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
series voyaged to the Pegasus Galaxy
Pegasus Dwarf Irregular Galaxy
The Pegasus Dwarf Irregular Galaxy is an irregular galaxy and a dwarf galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pegasus. It was discovered by A.G. Wilson in the 1950s...
from Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
via a colossal starship to spread new life. The city of Atlantis
Atlantis (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the spin-off of Stargate SG-1, Atlantis is a city-sized starship originally located in the Pegasus galaxy. Atlantis serves as the base of operations for the main characters, from which they explore other planets through the Stargate...
served as a maneuvering station as well as a base of operations. Their mission was unsuccessful and they met a terrible new enemy called the Wraith
Wraith (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the Wraith are the original enemy alien species, first introduced in the pilot episode . In the series, they are a vampire-like telepathic race who feed on the "life-force" of humans, and are the dominant power in the Pegasus galaxy...
, the Ancients lost the war and Atlantis was submerged under the ocean.
Discovering evidence of the Ancients journey to another galaxy, a large team of scientists and military personnel, led by diplomat Elizabeth Weir
Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)
Dr. Elizabeth Weir is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate Atlantis, a military science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Elizabeth Weir is introduced as a recurring character in...
(Torri Higginson
Torri Higginson
Sarah Victoria "Torri" Higginson is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles in the TekWar movies and series, The English Patient, Bliss, and Stargate Atlantis...
) examine residual technology in an Antarctic outpost with hopes to travel to Atlantis, thereby discovering any knowledge left behind and unraveling the mystery of the abrupt disappearance of its citizens. With the assistance of Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
) and Jack O'Neill
Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
(Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
) they are able to travel to Atlantis through the Stargate
Stargate (device)
A Stargate is a portal device within the Stargate fictional universe that allows practical, rapid travel between two distant locations. The devices first appear in the 1994 Roland Emmerich film Stargate, and thereafter in the television series Stargate SG-1 and its spin-offs...
.
Using an Ancient power resource known as the Zero Point Module (ZPM) to supply the energy essential for the unusually extended wormhole, an assembly of volunteer representatives from many different countries joins the Atlantis expedition under the command of Colonel Marshall Sumner (Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
) of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. Shortly after crossing, Dr. Rodney McKay
Rodney McKay
Doctor Meredith Rodney McKay, Ph.D, is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, two military science fiction television shows about a military team exploring two galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices...
(David Hewlett
David Hewlett
David Ian Hewlett is an English-born Canadian actor best known for his role as Dr. Meredith Rodney McKay on the science fiction television shows Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:...
) determines that because of the immediate depletion of power due to their arrival, the protective shield will imminently collapse leaving nothing to defend the city from the ocean. Without enough energy to return to Earth, a squadron including Colonel Sumner, Major John Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
(Joe Flanigan
Joe Flanigan
Joe Flanigan is an American television actor best known for his portrayal of the character Major/Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:Flanigan was born Joseph Dunnigan III in Los Angeles, California...
), and Lieutenant Aiden Ford
Aiden Ford
Aiden Ford is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate Atlantis, a military science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
(Rainbow Sun Francks
Rainbow Sun Francks
Rainbow Sun Francks is an actor and songwriter. He is the son of actor/musician Don Francks and dancer Lili Francks, a member of the Plains Cree First Nation. He is also the brother of Cree Summer. For a brief time, he was an on-air personality at MuchMusic, a Canadian music video and variety...
) travels to a random planet for help. The local villagers, led by Teyla Emmagan
Teyla Emmagan
Teyla Emmagan was a primary fictional character played by Rachel Luttrell in the science fiction series, Stargate Atlantis. In the show, she is the daughter of Tagan, and was a leader of a village on the planet Athos...
(Rachel Luttrell
Rachel Luttrell
Rachel Luttrell is an actress best known for her role as Teyla Emmagan, an Athosian warrior leader on Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:...
), are permitted to breed for generations before being systematically harvested by the Wraith. They assist the strangers, but as Colonel Sumner arranges an exploration of a vacant Ancient settlement, three Wraith starships travel through the Athosian Stargate to begin herding the planet’s human inhabitants.
Part 2
The WraithWraith (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the Wraith are the original enemy alien species, first introduced in the pilot episode . In the series, they are a vampire-like telepathic race who feed on the "life-force" of humans, and are the dominant power in the Pegasus galaxy...
starships head toward the village and start attacking. The military personnel start attacking the starships, but are eventually outmaneuvered by the Wraith. Back in Atlantis the shield is getting weaker and the remaining personnel there receive immediate orders to evacuate. Before they are able to press the gate address John Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
and the Athosian villagers come through the Stargate. Rather than taking on water, the city rises to the ocean surface. The captured military personnel and Athosian villagers wake up in a Wraith cell, three Wraith starts picking out one prisoner at the time. After tracking where the Wraith hideout is, Rodney McKay
Rodney McKay
Doctor Meredith Rodney McKay, Ph.D, is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, two military science fiction television shows about a military team exploring two galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices...
reveals to Sheppard that he can use one of the spaceships. In the meantime, Carson Beckett
Carson Beckett
Dr. Carson Beckett is a fictional Scottish character in the Canadian-American science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1. He is portrayed by Scottish-born Canadian actor Paul McGillion, who previously played Dr. Ernest Littlefield in the first season of...
shows Elizabeth Weir
Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)
Dr. Elizabeth Weir is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate Atlantis, a military science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Elizabeth Weir is introduced as a recurring character in...
what he found out about the Wraith DNA and their body build up.
Weir authorizes the rescue mission led by Sheppard, he assembles a team with Aiden Ford
Aiden Ford
Aiden Ford is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate Atlantis, a military science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
through the Stargate. They eventually find the location of the Wraith base, Marshall Sumner is in the meantime confronted by a Wraith woman. She tells him about their race and then uses her telepathic abilities to find out about Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
which she hopes to use as a new feeding ground for her race. At the meantime Sheppard and Ford are in the Wraith base and trying to locate the survivors from the Wraith attack. When he sees what the Wraith have done to Sumner, he shoots him dead. Ford locates the others survivors and lead them out of hostile territory.
The remaining soldiers outside the base are attacked by Wraith Darts, but the ships are not able to capture any of them. Sheppard and the remaining military personnel leave the planet and fight their way back to Atlantis. In the evening Sheppard, Ford and Weir talk about their situation and Sheppard apologizes because he hasn't made them any friends. However Weir then shows him the Athosians and Teyla Emmagan
Teyla Emmagan
Teyla Emmagan was a primary fictional character played by Rachel Luttrell in the science fiction series, Stargate Atlantis. In the show, she is the daughter of Tagan, and was a leader of a village on the planet Athos...
agrees with her since they will help them find more friends. In the end Weir asks Sheppard what members he wants in his team since they have to go out there.
Production
Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the Stargate franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis until both series conclusion and currently holds the same title on the third Stargate series Stargate Universe...
and Brad Wright
Brad Wright
Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the creator or co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe...
, and directed by Martin Wood
Martin Wood
Martin Wood is a Canadian television director who has been directing since the mid 1990s. Specializing in science fiction, where he is best known for his work as a director and producer on Stargate SG-1 , as well as its spin-off series Stargate Atlantis .-Career:Martin Wood began his television...
. The Pemberton Glacier in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
doubles for Antarctica during the opening flying sequence. The Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
scenes in the start of the episode was filmed in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The budget for the two parter episodes was estimated around $5 million US dollars
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
. Rodney McKay
Rodney McKay
Doctor Meredith Rodney McKay, Ph.D, is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, two military science fiction television shows about a military team exploring two galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices...
was actually supposed to be African-Canadian under the name Dr. Benjamin Ingram, this didn't stop David Hewlett
David Hewlett
David Ian Hewlett is an English-born Canadian actor best known for his role as Dr. Meredith Rodney McKay on the science fiction television shows Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:...
auditioning. The producers eventually came to a solution where Ingram would be replaced by McKay from the former Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
series. The character Teyla Emmagan
Teyla Emmagan
Teyla Emmagan was a primary fictional character played by Rachel Luttrell in the science fiction series, Stargate Atlantis. In the show, she is the daughter of Tagan, and was a leader of a village on the planet Athos...
was originally named "Mikala" in the early drafts of the Stargate Atlantis script. At the end of February, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
(MGM) announced the inclusion of Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
's character Marshall Sumner. The official announcement said that he would only be featured in part one, but was later extended to part one and two. In January, 2004 the Stargate producers
Stargate
Stargate is a adventure military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a hit, grossing nearly...
announced including Jack O'Neill
Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
(portrayed by Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
) and Daniel Jackson (portrayed by Michael Shanks
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
) in the two hour premiere pilot episode to make it easier for fans to relate to.
Stargate Atlantis was supposed to be set on present day Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, after Stargate SG-1 was canceled. This didn't happen and Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
was released while Stargate SG-1 was still airing, so the story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
was set in a new galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
under the name, Pegasus. The story was set in another galaxy so the two running series would not collide with each others and to stop plot interferences. For "Rising", the Pemberton Glacier in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
doubles for Antarctica during the opening flying sequence.
Reception
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
.
The episode was the most watched episode ever broadcasted by Sci Fi Channel gathering over 4 million viewers in the United States according to Variety Magazine in 2004, but was beaten by Warehouse 13
Warehouse 13
Warehouse 13 is an American fantasy television series that premiered on July 7, 2009 on the Syfy network.Executive-produced by Jack Kenny and David Simkins, the dramatic comedy from Universal Media Studios has been described as borrowing much from 1980s television series Friday the 13th: The...
in 2009. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, it was viewed by 1.28 million people, placing it first in the most viewed shows in Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
for the week. The two part pilot episodes were released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
format after its initially broadcast on TV. The pilot episode was awarded a Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
in the category Best Visual Effects. The episodes were also nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for "Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series", a Leo Award for "Best Production Design in a Dramatic Series", and a Visual Effects Society
Visual Effects Society
The Visual Effects Society is the entertainment industry's only organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners including artists, animators, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in all areas of...
Award for "Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series". The original and first release date of "Rising (Part 1)" was on July 16, 2004 and was released internationally on September 19, 2005. "Rising (Part 2)" was released at the same time as part 1 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but was released internationally on September 26, 2006.
David Nusair from Reel Film Reviews said "as a pilot episode, there's no denying that "Rising" gets the job done," commenting to the one episode release of the pilot on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
format. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
reviewer Filip Vukcevic gave the episode
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
, DVD 6 out of 10 and said "while this pilot does have promise, it doesn't appear to deliver anything but average sci-fi fare. Hopefully the series itself has more spice." Dan Heaton from Digitally Obsessed said "Rising provides a strong introduction to an original series that retains the positive aspects of its predecessor but does not simply copy its success," and gave the episode an A. Taylor Brown when reviewing the Rising (part 1) from GateWorld
GateWorld
Stargate fandom is a community of people actively interested in the military science fiction film Stargate and the television shows Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Infinity , Stargate Atlantis , Stargate Universe and their spin offs...
said "as a pilot episode, "Rising" gives viewers a lot of hope for the series to come," the episode was given 4 out of 5 stars. Virginia Heffernan from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called the episode "Dull" and further commented that it was "Relic of our own unenlightened time." But said that the show could win fans with its "Lavish special effects".
External links
- Rising Part 1 and Part 2 at mgm.com
- Rising at scifi.comSci Fi Channel (United States)Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...