Childhood's_End_(Stargate_Atlantis)
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American science fiction television series created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin off from its sister show, Stargate SG-1. The series resumes the story of the "Lost City" and "New Order" episodes of SG-1, where a military team led by Colonel (now Brigadier General) Jack O'Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Major (now Lt. Colonel) Samantha Carter and the Jaffa Teal'c, use an ancient alien artifact called the Stargate to travel to different planets to explore and find new technology. The series pilot "Rising" takes place in the year 2004 after the events of "Lost City" and "New Order", when they finally find the lost city of the Ancients.
Stargate Atlantis premiered on July 16, 2004 on the channel Sci Fi Channel. The Sci Fi Channel would air all the five seasons made for the series. Since the American broadcast splits each season to allow the production to catch up, the British and Canadian channels Sky One and The Movie Network aired the second part of some seasons before their American counterpart. Stargate Atlantis' finale episode premiered in the United States on the Sci Fi Channel on January 9, 2009. The series finale was also the series' 100th episode. All five seasons of Stargate Atlantis are available on DVD. A direct-to-DVD film tentatively titled Stargate: Extinction was planned, but was later shelved.[1]
The cast of the first season consisted of Joe Flanigan starring as Maj. John Sheppard, David Hewlett as Dr. Rodney McKay, Rachel Luttrell as Teyla Emmagan, Torri Higginson as Elizabeth Weir and Rainbow Sun Francks as First Lt. Aiden Ford. Aiden Ford was reduced to recurring character in season two and was replaced by Jason Momoa as the extraterrestrial human Ronon Dex in episode three of season two. Francks continued to have a recurring role in season 2, until his character's death (although this was not confirmed). After Torri Higginson's departure as a main character from Stargate Atlantis after Season 3, she was replaced by Amanda Tapping's Carter from the sister show. Paul McGillion, Robert Picardo and Jewel Staite were also main characters. McGillion became a main character in season two until season three as Carson Beckett, Picardo replaced Tapping as a main character as the new leader of the Atlantis expedition as Richard Woolsey for season five, and Staite portrayed Jennifer Keller as a main character in season five.
