Stargate is a Norwegian record producing and songwriting team, composed of Tor Erik Hermansen (born 14 October 1972) and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen (born in 1972), based in New York City. The team's genres include R&B, pop and hip hop. Stargate was established in Trondheim, Norway.

Stargate broke into the American recording industry in 2006, with the release of the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, "So Sick", produced and co-written by the team and performed by singer Ne-Yo. They also produced and co-wrote with singer Beyoncé Knowles her worldwide hit single "Irreplaceable", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for ten consecutive weeks. Throughout their career they have been noted for their extensive work with Rihanna, writing and producing three consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles with the Barbadian singer in 2010 and 2011.

The team has worked with various American artists and received mainstream awards including the Songwriters of the Year accolade at the 2007 ASCAP/PRS Awards and the 2009 ASCAP Pop Songwriters of the Year. #1 Producers of the Year on the Billboard Hot 100 Year End Chart 2006 and 2008. Hitmakers of the Year in Rolling Stone magazine 2008

Formation and early works[link]

Stargate began in 1997 as a song-writing trio in Trondheim, Norway, consisting of Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, and Hallgeir Rustan.^[1][2] When they first met, Hermansen was a talent scout for the Norwegian branch of the record label Warner Music Group, Eriksen owned a studio,^[3] and Rustan was a mechanical engineer before becoming involved in music.^[4] One of their first successful productions was with Norwegian R&B singer Noora Noor. Her first album "Curious" was produced in their Trondheim studio. Noora Noor was signed to the Norwegian branch of the record label Warner Music Group. Her main hit from this album "Need You" was released throughout Europe and gave Stargate attention from the UK music industry. While in Norway, they ventured into the British market, mostly writing songs for R&B-pop performers.^[4] At this time they called the team Stargate, a name specifically established for their projects in the United Kingdom.^[4]

The team's initial successes were in the British market.^[1] Stargate's first international success came with British pop outfit S Club, whose 1999 single "S Club Party" reached number one in Australia and New Zealand. This success was followed with another British pop group, Hear'Say's single "The Way To Your Love", which peaked at number one in the United Kingdom in 2001.^[5] The team has also produced many Top 10 hits in the United Kingdom for acts such as Blue, Mis-Teeq and Atomic Kitten,^[1] and worked with European acts Javine, Shola Ama, Five, and Samantha Mumba.^[6][7]

The team had been listening to American hits and "trying to measure up".^[1] They remixed American hip-hop and R&B songs, adding layers of melody to suit the European radio audience. In the wake of their early successes, the team had to choose whether to remain in Norway or move to pursue their goals: "We knew that to make the records we really wanted to make, we had to go to America."^[1] Hermansen and Eriksen chose to produce records in the United States, while Rustan preferred to remain a producer in Norway because he did not want to leave his family behind.^[2][4]

In 2001, Stargate produced and co-wrote songs for American pop singer Mikaila's self-titled debut album. "So in Love With Two", a track from the album, had reached number 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100,^[8] becoming one of the team's earliest co-written singles that appeared on the US charts. It was followed three years later with Mis-Teeq's "Scandalous", which peaked at number 35 on the Hot 100 and number two in the United Kingdom.^[3]

In the spring of 2005, Eriksen and Hermansen settled in New York. Initially, their work was slow until they met singer-songwriter Ne-Yo in a hallway at Sony Music Studios in New York. Ne-Yo, who had been working on his debut album, In My Own Words, decided to collaborate with the team, aware that Stargate produced R&B records. After listening to each other's music, a songwriting session ensued and spawned in its second day the song "So Sick", which later topped the Billboard Hot 100 and ushered Stargate into American pop songwriting.^[1][3]

A documentary about Stargate will be aired in March, 2012. Made by Norwegian director Truels Zeiner-Henriksen and acclaimed writer Petter Skavlan, the one-hour film will be released in Norwegian and international versions. Starring Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen, Beyoncé, Rhianna, Ne-Yo, Katy Perry, Wiz Kalifa and Lionel Ritchie, the film chronicles Stargate's rise from Norwegian obscurity to the pinnacle of the American music industry.

Notable collaborations[link]

Stargate and Ne-Yo collaborated on the hit single "Unfaithful" for Barbadian singer Rihanna's 2006 album A Girl Like Me.^[1] In the same year, Stargate again collaborated with Ne-Yo for the single "Irreplaceable", recorded by American singer Beyoncé Knowles. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for ten consecutive weeks in 2007.^[9] Also in 2006, Stargate and Taj Jackson gave American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie his first R&B hit, "I Call It Love", in 10 years.^[10]

With the team's contributions to music, Stargate emerged as the number-one hot producer on the 2006 Billboard Year End Chart.^[10] In the following year, Stargate received a Spellemann (Norwegian Grammy). The team received three awards at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards 2007 in Los Angeles, for the songs "So Sick", "Sexy Love" and "Unfaithful"; and two awards at the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards 2007 for "So Sick" and "Sexy Love". They were named Songwriters of the Year at the 2007 ASCAP/PRS in London, receiving nine awards including Song of the Year for "So Sick".^[11][12]

In 2007, "Beautiful Liar", a duet between Knowles and Colombian singer Shakira, became another hit for Stargate, reaching number one in more than 30 countries including the United Kingdom.^[13] The song earned Hermansen and Eriksen the Ivor Novello Award for Best-Selling British song. Although "Beautiful Liar" is chiefly an American song, it includes British songwriters Amanda Ghost and Ian Dench, thus eligible for the award.^[14][15]

At the 2008 ASCAP Pop Music Awards, Hermansen and Eriksen received five awards for most performed songs, including "Irreplaceable" among the top five.^[16][17] Stargate was named Best Hitmakers in Rolling Stone magazine's "Best of Rock 2008".^[18] Eriksen and Hermansen received Grammy nominations for five separate songs in six categories for the 2008 Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year for "Irreplaceable", Best R&B Song for "Hate That I Love You" and Best Dance Record for "Don't Stop The Music".^[7][19]

On Ne-Yo's third solo-album, Year of the Gentleman, Stargate have produced and co-written four songs, among them the singles "Closer" and "Miss Independent", the latter of which had reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[20] Stargate received nominations in more than 10 categories for the 2009 Grammy Awards.^[21] They won their first Grammy in 2009 in the Best R&B Song category for "Miss Independent", performed by Ne-Yo.^[22]

Stargate produced "Black and Yellow" for rapper Wiz Khalifa in 2010 and the song become a great success, reaching No. 1 in the Billboard U.S Charts. They also produced "Letting Go" which was Sean Kingston's song featuring Nicki Minaj. It featured in the Billboard Top 40 in 2010 Stargate produced four number one singles for Rihanna: Rude Boy, Only Girl (In The World), What's My Name and S&M. In addition,they produced three tracks from her new album Talk That Talk

Stargate co-wrote and co-produced Owl City's single "Shooting Star" which was released on the Shooting Star EP on May 15th, 2012.^[23]

Other ventures[link]

Stargate teamed-up with American hip hop mogul Jay-Z to launch the record label StarRoc. The label, which is based at Jay-Z's Roc The Mic studio in Manhattan, will be a 50/50 partnership with the team and Jay-Z's entertainment company Roc Nation.^[24] Eriksen and Hermansen's connection with Jay-Z, who was then the CEO of the record label Def Jam, began with the release of "So Sick". They met through Ty Ty Smith, A&R from record label Def Jam and a long-time friend of Jay-Z.^[25]

In addition to their new venture, Eriksen signed a global co-publishing deal with EMI Music Publishing.^[6] According to Music Week, his relationship with EMI will further the publishing company's involvement on Stargate's future projects.^[26] Prior to the deal, EMI has been involved with Hermansen's projects for nearly ten years since he signed a deal in 1999.^[6] Hermansen and Eriksen will also continue their joint-venture partnership, Stellar Songs, with EMI.^[26]

Influences and style[link]

Stargate chiefly produces songs in the genres R&B, pop, and hip hop.^[3] Hermansen and Eriksen grew up as R&B and hip hop fanatics in Norwegian suburbs, where most children listen to Euro pop and American rock.^[18] Their interest in music started in the 1980s with breakdance and rap.^[2] Eriksen and Hermansen were raised on pop music, growing up listening to music of 1970s pop group ABBA and Germany-based pop outfit Boney M. In an article by The New York Times, Barry Weiss, president of Jive Records, who had hired Stargate to produce songs, "Those influences lend themselves to them making very melodic pop records, with great hooks and choruses."^[1] According to the team, they have always loved American music, citing acts such as Prince, Michael Jackson, Usher, Destiny's Child, and R. Kelly and the English band Depeche Mode as their inspiration.^[2] The team also cited producers Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds of the 1980s R&B band The Deele, and R&B-pop production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as their early influences.^[3]

In their usual production style, Stargate first creates an instrumental backing track—also common in pop and hip hop productions—from which a collaborator would write lyrics and add vocal melody into.^[1] In an interview with About.com, the team explained their style:

We always start out with a musical idea. Great effort goes into creating a solid melodic core. We both play the keyboards and program, but in general Mikkel plays the instruments and controls Pro Tools, while Tor has the executive overlook as well as lyrical input. However, we both are hands on and have no rules or limitations. When we have some killer beats and musical starting points, we hook up with one of our favorite topline writers, who gets cracking on the lyrics and melody. We make sure there's a lot of melody in the track, so it can inspire the writer. Together with the topline writer we work, often tweek and simplify the song, and never quit before we feel we've got a killer hook.^[25]

Ben Sisario of The New York Times described Stargate's music as "sugary, lilting R&B in the Michael Jackson vein leavened with the kind of melody-rich European pop that paints everything in bright primary colors ... Their work carries on a tradition of Scandinavian bubble-gum artistry that stretches from Abba to Max Martin".^[1] Sisario added that, unlike other's producers in the United States, "Stargate signature is more difficult to detect, because to some degree the duo’s style is an adaptable method, not a specific sound".^[1] Steve Lunt, an A&R executive at Atlantic Records, pointed out, however, that "if you put a bunch of Stargate songs together you will see the thread running through them".^[1]

Critical reception[link]

Stargate's works have received critical response from mainstream publications. In a review for singer Jordin Sparks' self-titled debut album, Rolling Stone magazine music critic Sheffield praised Stargate's works, calling them "most of the other winners" on the album.^[27]

Critics found some of Stargate's succeeding works a replica of "Irreplaceable"'s musical formula. Sheffield commented that, in the song "Tattoo" by Sparks, the team "have no shame about churning out 'Irreplaceable' replicants forever", reprising the acoustic guitar-drum loop formula.^[27] The New York Times music critic Kelefa Sanneh deemed it "sounds like a cousin" of "Irreplaceable".^[28] The release of R&B singer Chris Brown's 2007 single "With You" produced similar impressions: Sheffield, in his review for Brown's album, noted that "Stargate was just trying to roll out 'Irreplaceable' one more time".^[29] Hillary Crosley of Billboard magazine wrote that "With You" "leans a bit too heavily" toward "Irreplaceable".^[30] Stylus Magazine also noted that Rihanna's Stargate produced single, "Hate That I Love You" was a rehash of Ne-Yo and Stargate's previous works saying, "Here you’ve got the 'Sexy Love' drums, the 'Irreplaceable' strum, and a bit of the synth and chorus melody from 'So Sick'... is hardly the new twist all these old bits need to sound fresh."^[31]

Critical reception to their latest efforts, including the US #1 single "Rude Boy" and "Te Amo" by Rihanna and "Beautiful Monster" by Ne-Yo has been mainly positive, noting a departure from their signature sound of 2007 and 2008. This is further demonstrated in the 2010 Billboard Hot 100 #1 records "Firework" for Katy Perry, "Only Girl (In The World)" and "What´s My Name?" for Rihanna. In 2011, the production team were able to add two more #1 singles to their discography when Wiz Khalifa's song "Black and Yellow" and Rihanna's song "S&M" both topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Discography[link]

For a complete list, see Stargate production discography

Top ten singles[link]

The following singles peaked inside the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and/or the UK Singles Chart.

• 1999: "S Club Party" (S Club 7)
• 1999: "Always Come Back to Your Love" (Samantha Mumba)
• 1999: "Two in a Million" (S Club 7)
• 2000: "Day & Night" (Billie Piper)
• 2000: "Mama - Who Da Man?" (Richard Blackwood)
• 2000: "Sweet Love 2K" (Fierce)
• 2000: "The Way to Your Love" (Hear'Say)
• 2001: "One Night Stand" (Mis-Teeq)
• 2001: "All Rise" (Blue)
• 2002: "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (Blue featuring Elton John)
• 2003: "Scandalous" (Mis-Teeq)
• 2003: "Real Things" (Javine)
• 2006: "So Sick" (Ne-Yo)
• 2006: "Unfaithful" (Rihanna)
• 2006: "Irreplaceable" (Beyoncé)
• 2007: "Beautiful Liar" (Beyoncé & Shakira)
• 2007: "Because of You" (Ne-Yo)
• 2007: "Hate That I Love You" (Ne-Yo & Rihanna)
• 2007: "Don't Stop the Music" (Rihanna)
• 2007: "Tattoo" (Jordin Sparks)
• 2007: "With You" (Chris Brown)
• 2008: "Take a Bow" (Rihanna)
• 2008: "Bossy" (Lindsay Lohan)
• 2008: "Closer" (Ne-Yo)
• 2010: "Rude Boy" (Rihanna)
• 2010: "Beautiful Monster" (Ne-Yo)
• 2010: "Happiness" (Alexis Jordan)
• 2010: "Only Girl (In the World)" (Rihanna)
• 2010: "What's My Name?" (Rihanna)
• 2010: "Firework" (Katy Perry)
• 2011: "Black and Yellow" (Wiz Khalifa)
• 2011: "S&M" (Rihanna)
• 2011: "Good Girl" (Alexis Jordan)
• 2011: "I'm Into You" (Jennifer Lopez)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Stargate discography at Discogs
• Extensive Interview with Stargate in Sound on Sound magazine by Paul Tingen.
• [1]

Stargate was an 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 $200 million (USD) worldwide.^[1][2] Three years later, Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner created a television series titled Stargate SG-1 as a sequel for the film.

In addition to film and television, the Stargate franchise has expanded into other media, including books, video games, and comic books. These supplements to the film and television series have resulted in significant development of the show's fictional universe and mythology. In 2008, the films Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Continuum were released direct-to-DVD, which in total grossed over $21 million in the United States. In 2002 the franchise's first animated series, Stargate Infinity, began airing, which holds no canonicity in the franchise despite its Stargate SG-1-inspired plot. In 2004, the TV series Stargate Atlantis was released as a spin off from Stargate SG-1 and a third series, Stargate Universe, premiered on October 2, 2009. Stargate Universe was cancelled during its second season, leaving it on a semi-cliffhanger.^[3] Then on April 17, 2011, Stargate producer Brad Wright announced that any plans for the continuation of the franchise had been cancelled indefinitely, ending 17 seasons of Stargate television production.^[4]

Premise[link]

Stargate productions center on the premise of a "Stargate", a ring-shaped device that creates a wormhole enabling personal transportation to complementary devices located cosmic distances away. Under the control of the United States government, the Stargate discovered on Earth is kept a secret from the public. This allows for storylines to present no contradiction between depicted events and reality, an effect compounded by setting Stargate in the present day and depicting Earth accurately, with any unrealistic technology originating solely from alien civilizations. These extraterrestrial civilizations are typically more pre-industrial than scientifically advanced and are almost always human. Together, this allows for stories dominated by human interaction in Earth-like environments, an unusual feature for a science fiction franchise focused on exploration of other worlds.

In the story, this is explained as being the result of alien interference in Earth's distant past—the concept influenced by the ideas of Erich von Däniken. Many ancient mythologies are shown to be the result of aliens who had visited Earth posing as gods by using their technology to give the impression of deific power. While some of these aliens had benign intentions, a race later known in Stargate SG-1 as the "Goa'uld" used Stargates to move slaves from Ancient Egypt to other habitable planets, simultaneously being responsible for the Egyptian religion and culture. Following a successful rebellion, the Goa'uld fled Earth, and the Stargate was buried and forgotten until modern times, when the United States acquired it following an archaeological dig. With the rediscovery of the function of the Stargate, the galaxy becomes a source of knowledge as well as threats, and the attention of the Goa'uld is drawn once more to Earth.

Franchise releases[link]

Due to multiple developers working separately and independently on the franchise over the years, the various Stargate productions are not entirely consistent with each other; and while no set of works forms an official canon,^[5] the largest following exists for the three live-action series.^[6] Through the work of various authors and developers, at least six separate story cycles can be discerned, some of which are continuations of the other ones (either endorsed or unendorsed by their predecessor).

Media releases[link]

Game releases[link]

• Stargate: Resistance is an online, third-person shooter. It was released February 10, 2010. It has since been canceled due to contracts with MGM. It is still downloadable however.
• Stargate Worlds was a Stargate-universe Massively multiplayer online role-playing game in development prior to its cancellation. The writers and producers of Stargate viewed Stargate Worlds as running side by side with the show in complete canon.
• Stargate SG-1: The Alliance was a computer game based on the Stargate universe, which was due to be released in late 2005, but was canceled.
• A Stargate Trading Card game was released in May 2007. It is available in both Online and Print forms. Designed by Sony Online Entertainment—who also run the Online version of the game—and published by Comic Images.
• A Stargate Role-Playing Game (RPG) was produced by Alderac Entertainment. It was considered canon by both the publishers, and the staff of MGM.^[13] However, when Sony bought MGM, they lost the license to produce Stargate RPG products and the RPG license is currently unassigned.
• Two video games based on the film were released by Acclaim Entertainment: a 1995 eponymous side-scrolling platformer for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis, and a Tetris-like puzzle game for the Sega Game Gear and Nintendo Game Boy.
• There are three simulator-style amusement park rides named Stargate SG-3000 located at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, Six Flags Great America, and Six Flags Marine World.
• A Stargate pinball game has been produced by Gottlieb.
• Text and turn-based games were also created with the theme of the original universe of Stargate, although slightly different from "reality", all made by Kingdom Games Ltd. Many versions of the same stargate universe have been created and still work in parallel. Among those are Stargate Wars, Quantum Gate, and BattleCorp. On the forums related to the stargate games developed by Kingdom Games Ltd. a text-based roleplaying story was created, called the Enmity Saga. This story takes place in the starting universe of Stargate:SG1, mainly on unvisited planets.
• Asgard Heroes is an online browser mmorpg created by Evolution Vault that pays homage to Stargate. The initial release received some poor reviews which helped the development of the game and a better user interface.

[edit] Stargate franchise timeline

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Theatrical films[link]

[edit] Stargate

In 1994, the military science fiction feature film Stargate was released; directed by Roland Emmerich and co-written by Dean Devlin. The film lays the foundation for all the Stargate productions that come after it, by explaining the notion, function, and history of the Stargate.

The theatrical version of the film begins with the unearthing of the Stargate in Giza in 1928. As of Present Day (i.e. 1994), the failing egyptologist Daniel Jackson (James Spader) helps to make the Stargate work again by deciphering the hieroglyphs on the cover stones of the Stargate, now housed at a military base in Creek Mountain, Colorado. A team led by Colonel Jack O'Neil (Kurt Russell) is ordered to step through the Stargate and identify potential military threats on the other side. Jackson accompanies them to aid in translations to allow them to return home later. At their arrival, the team discovers a slave civilization serving an alien who is posing as the Egyptian god Ra (Jaye Davidson). He and his minion-gods have taken human form, commanding the slaves with brute force. With the help of the locals, O'Neil's team is eventually able to instigate a slave rebellion, overwhelming Ra's forces. Ra escapes in his mothership, but O'Neil is able to teleport and detonate a nuclear warhead on-board Ra's ship in orbit. With Ra dead, the civilization can live in peace; O'Neil and his team return home through the Stargate, but Daniel Jackson stays on the planet with a young local woman named Sha'uri.

[edit] Other releases and future development

After Bill McCay had written a series of five novels continuing the story the original creators had envisioned, and despite the success of the Stargate television series, Dean Devlin stated in 2006 that "he has struck a production deal with MGM and is developing the long-delayed sequel feature films that will pick up the story from the 1994 original"^[14] According to Devlin, two movie sequels would have picked up the story from the 1994 original, but not the mythology of the SG-1 and Atlantis series, with the original stars Kurt Russell and James Spader. Devlin regretted giving MGM control over the franchise.^[14] The first movie already tapped into Egyptian mythology; the second one would have moved into other mythologies; and the third would tie all the mythologies together.^[15] Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis producer Brad Wright said in 2002 that "Devlin can wish to do a sequel to Stargate all he wants. MGM owns the rights, and I doubt very much that they'll ask him to do it. He knows better."^[16]

Plans for producing two sequels of the original film were announced by the original film's creator Dean Devlin at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con. He has said he is currently in talks with MGM to produce four films and he would like two of them to be the final two films in his envisioned Stargate trilogy. In an interview with Sci Fi Wire, Devlin says that should the sequels be made, he hopes to enlist Kurt Russell and James Spader in the two sequels. Both Russell and Spader have expressed interest, Devlin revealed. "They've always said they wanted to do it. The irony is actually because it was 12 years ago that we made Stargate, [and] part two was actually supposed to take place about 12 years later. We were just going to kind of age them up as actors. So it actually works out really nicely." These sequels would bypass the 12 years of mythology created by SG-1 and Atlantis if they are produced.^[14]

Dean Devlin has spoken out again on July 4, 2011 stating that he hasn't given up on the idea of sequels to his 1994 feature film. He talked about the idea again in a new interview with Collider. Devlin actually wrote it as a trilogy of movies, but was never able to do parts two and three. His hope is, now that the series is starting to wind down, that perhaps it will be time to actually get to do parts two and three.

Devlin has said "I think it'll change a little bit from our original idea since so many years have passed," he said. "We wanted to explore the idea of how the Stargates were built originally, and where else in the universe they exist, and why they exist — and where else they exist on Earth. We had really planned out, as a trilogy of films, to allow this mythology to grow bigger and bigger." "^[17]

Stargate was directed by Roland Emmerich, and starred Kurt Russell as Colonel Jack O'Neil and James Spader as Dr. Daniel Jackson. Devlin said he would absolutely want to use the same actors. The movie was shot with a modest budget of $55 million, and released in October 1994.

In the meantime, Lionsgate remains the major rights holder to the original film; this was due to the fact that its predecessor, Live Entertainment, owned home video rights to the Carolco Pictures library and had also owned international distribution rights, although Carolco itself was on the brink of bankruptcy when they produced this film.^{[citation needed]}

Television[link]

[edit] SG-1

In 1997, Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright co-developed Stargate SG-1, a television series intended to continue the story laid down by the original film. Although new actors were cast, several roles from the film were reprised, including the main characters Daniel Jackson and Jack O'Neill (which was re-spelled to include an extra "L"). The Stargate Command setting was transferred from a fictional military facility located in Creek Mountain, to the Cheyenne Mountain military complex. Other variations and differences between the original film and SG-1 mostly concern the location of the planet Abydos, the alien Ra, the race of Ra's underlings (Jaffa), and Stargate travel.^[18][19]

The series debuted on Showtime on July 27, 1997, and moved to the Sci-Fi Channel after its fifth season.^[20] It starred Richard Dean Anderson (as O'Neill) and Michael Shanks (as Jackson), alongside Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge and Don S. Davis playing the new characters Samantha Carter, Teal'c and George Hammond. The cast remained fairly regular for most of SG-1's run, but experienced some changes. Michael Shanks left the show at the end of Season 5 and was replaced by Corin Nemec as Jonas Quinn. Shanks returned at the beginning of Season 7 and Nemec was written out. At the end of Season 7 Davis left the show and Anderson filled the gap he left in the story. Season 9 saw the departure of Anderson, but added new regulars Beau Bridges and Ben Browder. After a debut episode in Season 8, followed by appearances in eight episodes of Season 9, Claudia Black's popular reception earned her a position in the regular cast in Season 10.^[21]

MGM put an average of $1,400,000 into each episode of the show, and regards it as one of its most important franchises.^[22] Stargate was taken off air in 2007; however, two movies entitled Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum were made to tie up loose ends.

[edit] Atlantis

The Stargate Atlantis series follows the adventures of the "Atlantis expedition", a combination of military forces and civilian scientists that travel to the Pegasus galaxy in search of the Lost City of Atlantis, left behind by the most powerful race known to ever have lived, referred to as the Ancients, also known as Lanteans and Alterrans. The finding of the city had been a plot arc for most of SG-1's Season 7, and the Ancients themselves had been a long-running facet of the SG-1 setting. Arriving at the City, the expedition discover that the Pegasus galaxy is dominated by a terrible enemy known as the "Wraith", against whom they must defend themselves, despite being vastly outnumbered.

Stargate Atlantis was a spin-off television series from Stargate SG-1. A new feature film was originally intended to transition the two series after the sixth season of SG-1. Later, SG-1 was renewed for a seventh season, and the feature film was then planned to transition that season. Finally, when SG-1 was renewed for an eighth season, the intended film instead became the two-part season finale episode "Lost City", and the setting of Stargate Atlantis was moved to the Pegasus galaxy.^[23] This allowed the two shows to exist side-by-side within the same fictional universe, and later the two shows even become interconnected. Atlantis was developed by most of the same people and in the same studios as SG-1.

Atlantis debuted on the Sci-Fi Channel on July 16, 2004, starring Joe Flanigan and Torri Higginson in the lead roles, with Rainbow Sun Francks, David Hewlett, and Rachel Luttrell alongside. Hewlett and Higginson's characters had previously appeared in SG-1 (though Higginson inherited the role from actress Jessica Steen). In Atlantis' second season, Paul McGillion and Jason Momoa (replacing Francks) were added as regulars. At the end of the third season, Higginson and McGillion were removed as regulars, both serving recurring roles in the 4th season. Season 4 brought in Amanda Tapping, reprising her role as Samantha Carter from SG-1, and Jewel Staite in a recurring role. Tapping left the show for season five to concentrate on Sanctuary, and was replaced by Robert Picardo, who reprised his role as Richard Woolsey from both SG-1 and Atlantis. However, in late summer 2008 it was announced that SciFi would not renew Atlantis. The final episode aired on January 9, 2009.

[edit] Universe

Stargate Universe is the third live-action Stargate series, and premiered on October 2, 2009. The series was pitched to the Sci Fi Channel in the fall of 2007, just before the writer's strike—which put a hold on the project. "The pitch was received very well," according to Stargate Atlantis co-creator Brad Wright. Sci Fi Channel ordered Universe after announcing the cancellation of Stargate Atlantis. Syfy announced on December 16, 2010 that they would not pick the show up for a third season.^[24] The final episode aired May 9, 2011.

After the events of Stargate Atlantis research into the Stargates 9th and final chevron^[25] lead to an expedition being stranded across the universe on board an Ancient ship called "Destiny" which has been traveling through the universe unmanned for millions of years and is presently several billion light years from Earth. With no apparent way home, the show follows the crew as they struggle to survive on board Destiny. The show was intended to have a darker tone than its predecessors as well as delve more into the humanity of the characters and their relationships with each other while also remaining true to the Stargate mythology and continuity.

[edit] The Ark of Truth & Continuum

Stargate: The Ark of Truth is a direct-to-DVD movie written and directed by Robert C. Cooper. The film is the conclusion of Stargate SG-1's Ori arc, and picks up after the SG-1 series finale, but takes place before the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis. The Ark of Truth was released as a Region 1 DVD release on March 11, 2008. Sky One has broadcast the film on March 24, 2008, to be followed by the Region 2 DVD release on April 28, 2008, with the Region 4 DVD release on April 9, 2008.^[26]

Stargate: Continuum is a direct-to-DVD movie written by Brad Wright and directed by Martin Wood. Some scenes for this movie were already shot at the end of March 2007, but the original start date was set for May 22 at Vancouver's Bridge Studios. The production budget was $7 million.^[27] The movie was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on July 29, 2008. The Region 4 DVD was released on August 6, 2008 with the Region 2 DVD released on August 18, 2008;^[28] followed by possible TV broadcasts.^[29] The film is a time-travel adventure and is the second sequel to Stargate SG-1, after Stargate: The Ark of Truth.

Future feature film projects[link]

Executive producer Brad Wright has revealed that "Children of the Gods", Stargate SG-1's pilot episode, is being re-cut into a Stargate SG-1 direct-to-DVD movie with brand new visual effects and scenes not previously included in the television version.^[30]

In April 2009, MGM confirmed a third SG-1 new film that Brad Wright had first announced in May 2008.^[31][32] Wright will co-write the film with former Stargate Atlantis executive producer Carl Binder.^[33] Martin Wood will serve as director.^[34] According to Wright, the film would center on the Jack O'Neill character and will reunite as many of the SG-1 cast as possible, depending on the cost of the film and actor availability.^[31] Michael Shanks (Daniel Jackson) has confirmed his and Richard Dean Anderson's participation.^[35] Amanda Tapping confirmed her appearance in the third SG-1 film and the first Atlantis movie.^[36] According to Wright, the character of Vala Mal Doran will not appear in the film.^[34] The working title for the film, Stargate: Revolution was revealed by Joseph Mallozzi in his blog.^[37]

According to Sci-Fi and Joseph Mallozzi, a Stargate Atlantis two hour direct-to-DVD movie has been given the go ahead after the series was cancelled at the end of its fifth season. More movies are expected to follow in the Atlantis series if the first movie is successful.^[38] The rumored working title for the film is Stargate Extinction. By May 2009 the script for the film was finished.^[39]

On April 17, 2011, Stargate writer and executive producer Brad Wright announced that the SGU movie is not going to happen. He also confirmed that the proposed Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis movies have been permanently shelved, along with another movie idea he had been trying to get a greenlight on which would have involved cast members of all three series.^[4] Still, Wright did not rule out future Stargate films, saying; "It's a franchise. Stargate is not over. Somebody smart from MGM is going to figure it out, and something will happen."^[40]

[edit] Infinity

Stargate Infinity is an American animated science fiction television series created by Eric Lewald and Michael Maliani as a spin off from its sister show, Stargate SG-1. The story arc in Infinity is set 30 years into the future and follows Gus Bonner and his team. Bonner's team was created after he was framed for a crime he did not commit. He escaped from Stargate Command (SGC) after the hostile alien race Tlak'kahn attacked the SGC to find the chrysalis. Together with his team he escapes through the Stargate with the chrysalis. From that point forward they go from planet to planet until they find the evidence to clear their names while learning about the unique cultures in the galaxy, so that they can one day return back to Earth.^[41] The story arc was never resolved because of low viewership ratings, the show was cancelled in 2003.^{[citation needed]}

Stargate Infinity premiered in September 2002 as part of 4Kids Entertainment’s FOX BOX Saturday morning line-up on FOX and went off the air in June 2003. Due to its lack of popularity the show is almost completely unrecognized. The series was cancelled before any of its story arcs could be resolved. The show was of low budget, which was constantly noted by the media.^[42][43] DIC Entertainment released a 4-episode DVD on October 7, 2003 in Region 1. MGM Home Entertainment released a five disc season box set on August 13, 2007 in region 2.^[42] Shout! Factory, a company known for releasing cult animated series, acquired the rights to the show and released the entire series to DVD on May 13, 2008 in Region 1.^[43] As of 2009, there is yet to come a release of Stargate Infinity package in Region 4, namely Oceania and Latin America.^[44]

The writers and producers of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe and the main canon of the Stargate franchise were not involved with Infinity, and neither MGM, the production teams nor the fans of Stargate consider Infinity to be an official part of the Stargate universe. According to Stargate SG-1 co-creator Brad Wright, the animated series should not be considered official Stargate canon. Commenting on it, he stated, "I don't have a problem with it. I'm just not involved."^[45]

Reception[link]

Stargate took in $16.7 million on its opening weekend,^[46] and received mixed reactions from critics; while it was panned by the likes of Roger Ebert,^[47] several positive reviews counterbalanced this leading to a score of 46% on Rotten Tomatoes.^[48] Although the film was originally intended as the first of a trilogy of films,^[14] Emmerich and Devlin ultimately moved on to produce Independence Day, and it was not until 2006 that Devlin showed renewed interest in developing sequels.^[15] In the intervening time, copyright-holder MGM succeeded the film with the television series Stargate SG-1 without the input of Emmerich and Devlin.

Fans (called "Gaters") posing as SG teams at Dragon Con in 2008

Stargate SG-1 has won the Saturn Award for Best Syndicated Television Series on numerous occasions, and its cast has won similar awards for acting.^[49] More recently it has received acclaim for its visual effects, which increased in quality and realism as the show gained a larger budget.^[50] On August 21, 2006, the Sci Fi Channel announced that it would not be renewing Stargate SG-1 for an eleventh season after a series of poor performances in the Nielsen ratings.^[51] Many fans were enraged at the news, even creating websites in reaction to exhibit their commitment to the series.^[52] Spokesmen for the production have said all options for the continuation of SG-1 are being considered, including complete digital broadcasting.^[53] Executive producer Robert C. Cooper told the fansite GateWorld exclusively that he was working to continue SG-1.^[54] Currently, no network or company has ordered new episodes of SG-1, so the show is on hold until a new buyer can be found. However, SciFi has attempted to block other networks from taking up the show, citing its original exclusive contract with MGM.^[55] Stargate Atlantis has won several awards for its actors, visual effects and directors, including a WorldFest Platinum Award for David Winning's direction of an early Season 1 episode.^[56] Atlantis proved to be equally as successful as SG-1, with Nielsen ratings and viewership. The Stargate franchise in 2009 won a Constellation Award in the category of Outstanding Canadian Contribution to Science Fiction Film or Television in 2008.^[57]

The average viewership to Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis was around 10 million a week worldwide. According to Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis co-creator Brad Wright, the show is very popular in Great Britain, Germany, France and Australia, but with a steadily declining viewership in homeland Canada. It was estimated that around 30 million Stargate DVDs were sold worldwide in 2006.^[58]

The DVD release of Stargate: The Ark of Truth in the US earned MGM/Fox US $1.59 million in rentals in the first week after the release, and another US $1.38 million in rentals in the second week. In its third week it earned US $1.19 million in rentals totaling US $4.16 million . The DVD has also earned US $9.0 million in sales.^[7] Stargate: Continuum would go on to gross over $8 million United States dollars in the United States.^[8] The film sparked mostly positive reviews with movie critics.^[59][60][61] A third Stargate SG-1 movie was planned to follow Continuum but the third movie was put on hold with any other future Stargate movies; the film will center around the character of Jack O'Neill.^[62]

Literature[link]

There are three series of novels based on the Stargate franchise, one based on the original Stargate film and two based in the Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis television shows. A series of books written by Bill McCay were published from 1995 to 1999 that were unofficial sequels to the film.^[63] These were produced by consulting the original notes made by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, in an attempt to envision where the film "would have gone". Neither party has commented on whether McCay's interpretation was correct. Despite the fact that he attempted to remain close to the original vision, the subsequent television series Stargate SG-1 (which began under an entirely independent development) developed the story along different lines, making no attempt to reconcile the plot lines of the books. This marked the first major branching of the franchise.

Later, from 1999 to 2001, ROC published four novels based in Stargate SG-1 written by Ashley McConnell.^[64] In 2004, UK-based Fandemonium Press started a new series of licensed tie-in novels based on Stargate SG-1. Due to the conflict with ROC's license, these books were available in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK, but not in the US. Fandemonium books became available in the US in 2006. The official Stargate Magazine, produced by Titan Publishing, began publishing short stories written by Fandemonium authors in their 8th issue. The stories alternate between both SG-1 and Atlantis.^[65]

A series of comic books, based on Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, began to be published by Avatar Press in 2003. Five have been published to date, with stories by James Anthony and artwork by Jorge Correa.^[66] In February 2008 it was announced that Big Finish Productions would release officially-licensed audiobooks featuring members of the cast reading new stories. The first two stories, available on CD and digital download, are Gift of the Gods read by Michael Shanks and A Necessary Evil read by Torri Higginson.^[67]

References[link]

External links[link]

• SyFy Channel Stargate Website
• MGM Stargate Film
• Stargate Talking Books Official Site
• Official Stargate site at mgm.com

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David Brandt Berg (18 February 1919 in Oakland, California, United States - 1 October 1994 in Portugal), frequently known by the pseudonym Moses David, was the founder and leader of the New Religious Movement formerly called Children of God, now called "The Family International".

Life[link]

Early years (1919 - 1968)[link]

Berg was born to Hjalmer Emmanuel Berg and Rev. Virginia Lee Brandt, the youngest of three children. Virginia Brandt, a Christian evangelist, was the daughter of Rev. John Lincoln Brandt (1860–1946), a Disciples of Christ minister, author, and lecturer of Muskogee, Oklahoma. David Berg graduated from Monterey High School (in California) in 1935 and later attended Elliott School of Business Administration.

Berg often said that his rich heritage played a key role in shaping his character and religious convictions. Many of his forefathers, as well as both of his parents, were deeply committed Christians. His maternal forefathers were German Jews who converted to Christianity in the mid-18th century.^{[citation needed]} They subsequently joined the Dunkards, a conservative offshoot of the Church of the Brethren. State persecution of the sect soon drove the Brandt family to America, where they settled in Pennsylvania and Ohio around 1750.

Dr. John Lincoln Brandt, Berg's grandfather, had a dramatic conversion in his mid-twenties and immediately entered full-time Christian service. For years he was a Methodist circuit rider. He later became a leader of the Alexander Campbell movement of the Disciples of Christ, a restoration movement that developed into the current Protestant denomination Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Virginia Brandt Berg, David Berg's mother, is the individual whom he credits for influencing him the most. Although raised in a Christian home, Virginia became an atheist and wild society girl during her college years. However, shortly after the birth of her first child, she broke her back in an accident and spent the next five years as a bedridden invalid, often hovering near death. Eventually she recovered and spent the rest of her life with her husband, Hjalmer, in active Christian service as a pastor and evangelist. Virginia and Hjalmer were no strangers to controversy. They were expelled from the Christian Church after publicly testifying of her "divine healing", which was contrary to church doctrine. They subsequently joined a new denomination, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, shortly before David Berg's birth. In later years, their missionary zeal and disdain for denominational politicking often set them at variance with the conservative faction of that church's hierarchy, causing them to work largely as independent pastors and evangelists.

Berg spent his early years traveling with his parents, who pursued their evangelical mission with a passion. In 1924, they settled in Miami, Florida, after Virginia successfully led a series of large revivals at the Miami Gospel Tabernacle. This became Berg's home for the next 14 years, while his mother and father were pastors a number of Miami churches.

As is the case with many pastors and their dependents, the Berg family depended entirely on the generosity of their parishioners for their support, and often had difficulty making ends meet. This instilled in Berg a lifelong habit of frugality, which he encouraged his followers to adopt.

In the late 1930s, Virginia Berg returned to her favorite ministry, that of a traveling evangelist. David Berg accompanied her, and for most of the next 10 years acted as her chauffeur, song leader, and general assistant.

Like his father, Berg became a minister in the Christian and Missionary Alliance, and was placed at Valley Farms, Arizona. Berg was eventually expelled from the organization for differences in teachings and for alleged sexual misconduct with a church employee. In Berg's writings he claimed the expulsion was due to his support for greater racial diversity among his congregation.

Fred Jordan, Berg's friend and boss, allowed Berg and his personal family to open a branch of his Soul Clinic in Miami, Florida as a missionary training school. After running into trouble with local authorities for his aggressive disapproval with evolution being taught as fact in public schools, Berg moved his family to Fred Jordan's Texas Soul Clinic, in Western Texas.

The Children of God/The Family (1968 - 1994)[link]

David Berg (also known as King David, Mo, Moses David, Father David, Dad, or Grandpa to members of the Children of God) founded the organization known as the Children of God, later known as "The Family of Love" or "The Family" and currently "The Family International", in 1968.

Berg called on his followers to devote their full time to spreading the message of Jesus' love and salvation as far and wide as possible, unfettered by convention or tradition, and to teach others to do the same.

Berg also decried the de-Christianization and decay in moral values of Western society. He viewed the trend towards a New World Order as setting the stage for the rise of the Antichrist.

Berg lived in seclusion, communicating with his followers and the public via nearly 3,000 "Mo Letters"^[1] that he wrote on a wide variety of subjects. His writings were often extreme and uncompromising in their denunciation of evil, yet he always admonished the reader to "love the sinner but hate the sin". He espoused doctrines that some mainstream Christians denounce as heretical. However, his followers argue that his writings are permeated with a love of God.

Death[link]

Berg died in 1994 and was buried in Costa de Caparica, Portugal. (His remains have since been cremated.)

Controversy[link]

He lived in total seclusion and secrecy from his followers and, along with Karen Zerby is thought to have used a fake Australian passport when traveling.

He was also outspoken, and widely reputed to be an anti-Semite and a pedophile.^[2][3][4][5]

In a child-custody case in the United Kingdom Berg's granddaughter, Merry Berg, testified that Berg sexually molested her when she was a young teenager. Another of Berg's granddaughters, Joyanne Treadwell Berg, spoke on American television about being sexually abused by David Berg. Berg's adopted son, Ricky Rodriguez, wrote an article on the Web site MovingOn.org in which he describes Berg's deviant sexual activity involving a number of women and children. Davida Kelley, the daughter of Rodriguez's nanny, Sarah Kelley, accused Berg of molesting her in a June 2005 Rolling Stone article.^[6] In the same article, a woman identified as Armendria alleged that David Berg sexually abused her when she was thirteen years old.

Berg predicted several apocalyptic events that did not occur. His most well-known prediction was that comet Kohoutek (1974) would cause much havoc and possible destruction.^[7] This prediction was shared by others outside The Family such as Joseph F. Goodavage in the January 1974 issue of SAGA magazine.^{[citation needed]} He also predicted that California would imminently fall into the ocean, the tribulation would begin in 1989 and that the second coming of Jesus would happen in 1993.^[8]

Berg wrote or dictated nearly 3,000 "Mo Letters"^[1] ("Mo" being abbreviated from his pseudonym "Moses David"), which typically covered spiritual or practical subjects and were used as a way of disseminating and introducing policy and religious doctrine to his followers. Due to his obsession with secrecy, until his death, any photos of him appearing in the group's publications had his face covered with rudimentary pencil drawings, often depicting him as an anthropomorphic lion.

Personal family[link]

David Berg married his first wife, Jane Miller (known as "Mother Eve" in the Children of God), on 22 July 1944 in Glendale, California. They had four children together: Linda (known as "Deborah" in the Children of God); Paul, d. April 1973 (known as "Aaron" in the Children of God); Jonathan Emanue (known as "Hosea" in the Children of God); and Faith.

Berg also informally adopted Ricky Rodriguez, the son of his second wife Karen Zerby (who continues to be a leader of the Children of God). In the 1970s and 1980s sexually suggestive photographic depictions of Rodriguez (aka "Davidito") with adult caretakers were disseminated throughout the group by Berg and Zerby in a child rearing handbook known as "The Story of Davidito".^[9] In January 2005, Ricky Rodriguez murdered one of the female caretakers (also shown in the handbook) before taking his own life several hours later.

Sociological views[link]

The sociologist Dr. Thomas Robbins argued that Berg's leadership of the Children of God was based on charismatic authority.^[10]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• TheFamily.org - Biography of David Berg on The Family's official website
• David Berg on xFamily.org, a wiki about the Children of God
• Brandt, John Lincoln (1910-10-19). "The Evangelization of the World". Centennial Convention Report. Carnegie Hall: The Standard Publishing Company. http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts/wwarren/ccr/CCR19B.HTM. Retrieved 2008-11-09. 
• Jones, Paul (1998). "The Family (The Children of God)" New Religious Movements

Sean Paul
Sean Paul at the International Reggae and World Music Awards.
Background information
Birth name	Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques
Born	(1973-01-09) January 9, 1973 (age 39) Kingston, Jamaica
Genres	Dancehall, reggae, R&B, ragga
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, producer, actor
Years active	1996–present
Labels	VP, Atlantic
Website	allseanpaul.com

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques^[1] (born January 9, 1973),^[1][2] who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist.

Life and career[link]

1973–96: Early life[link]

Sean Paul was born in Kingston and spent his early years in Upper Andrew Parish, a few miles north of Kingston.^[2] His parents, Garth and Frances, were both talented athletes, and his mother is a well-known painter.^[3] His paternal grandfather was a Sephardic Jew whose family emigrated from Portugal, and his paternal grandmother was Afro-Caribbean; his mother is of English and Chinese Jamaican descent.^[4][5] Sean Paul was raised as a Catholic.^[6] Many members of his family are swimmers. His grandfather was on the first Jamaican men's national water polo team. His father also played water polo for the team in the 1960s, and competed in long-distance swimming, while Sean Paul's mother was a backstroke swimmer. Sean Paul played for the national water polo team from the age of thirteen to twenty-one, when he gave up the sport in order to launch his musical career. He attended the Wolmers High School for Boys, Belair School, Hillel Academy High School, and the College of Arts, Science, and Technology, now known as the University of Technology, where he was trained in commerce with a view to pursuing an occupation in hotel management.

[edit] 1998–2000: Stage One

Sean Paul's manager and producer Jeremy Harding first heard about the singer when his brother told him about seeing someone at a small open mic event in Kingston who sounded a lot like the popular dancehall DJ and toaster Super Cat.^[7] Harding eventually met the singer when Sean Paul came by his studio to ask for some advice. During the meeting Paul recorded a vocal over Harding's rhythm track and in the process created the song "Baby Girl".^[7] Sean Paul began hanging out at the studio every day, and the pair collaborated on several more tracks. When they recorded "Infiltrate" they decided they had something good enough to get on the radio. As Sean Paul started to attract local attention, Harding began looking after his affairs. He later told HitQuarters that his support of Paul's fledgling career initially led him assuming the roles of "DJ, manager, road manager and security guard."^[7] Sean Paul made a quick cameo appearance in the 1998 film Belly on stage performing. He made a very successful collaboration with DMX & Mr. Vegas (Top Shotter) as a soundtrack of the film. In 2000, Sean Paul released his debut album, Stage One with VP Records.

[edit] 2001–02: Dutty Rock

In 2002, he began working extensively with a team of producers and choreographers from Toronto, namely Jae Blaze and Blaze Entertainment and announced the release of his second album, Dutty Rock. Pushed by the success of the singles "Gimme the Light" and the Billboard Hot 100 topper, "Get Busy", the album was a worldwide success, eventually selling over six million copies. Simultaneously, Sean Paul was heard on Beyoncé's U.S. #1 single "Baby Boy" and Blu Cantrell's "Breathe", a chart hit in Europe. Both helped to push his reputation further still in the United States. He appeared on Punk'd, 106 & Park, Sean Paul Respect, Making the Video ("Get Busy", "Gimme the Light", and "Like Glue") and his music videos have been broadcast on MTV and BET. Paul's biggest hits included "Get Busy", "Like Glue", "Gimme the Light", "Baby Boy", and "I'm Still in Love with You".

[edit] 2003–05: The Trinity