Atlantis (Stargate)
Ancient city-ship, base of the Atlantis expedition.
Atlantis is a fictional starship and city in the Stargate television franchise, primarily serving as the setting of the series Stargate Atlantis (2004-2009). Constructed millions of years ago by the Ancients, the city was abandoned in the Pegasus Galaxy before being discovered and occupied by a civilian and military expedition led by Elizabeth Weir in 2004. Its design was overseen by production designer Bridget McGuire, with James Robbins later contributing, and the exterior look was developed in collaboration with visual effects supervisor John Gajdecki and concept artist Chris Wren.
Quick Facts
- Franchise
- Stargate Atlantis
- First minor
- Rising
- First date
- 2004
- Last minor
- Enemy at the Gate
- Last date
- 2009
- Creator
- Bridget McGuire
- Affiliation
- Ancients
- Class
- City Ship
Facts from the source article.
Development and production
Development of an Atlantis spin-off began around 2001 during Stargate SG-1's fifth season, initiated by the show's co-creator and executive producer. The project underwent several iterations: initially, Atlantis would have been discovered beneath Antarctic ice in a Stargate SG-1 feature film, setting up a spin-off series set on Earth. After SG-1 was renewed for a sixth and seventh season, the concept shifted to a Stargate feature film. When SG-1 was renewed for an eighth season and a Stargate Atlantis television series was ordered, the setting was moved to the Pegasus Galaxy. Following work on SG-1's seventh season, production designer Bridget McGuire and her art department went on hiatus. Although SG-1 had been confirmed for an eighth season in July 2003, no series order for Stargate Atlantis had been made, and McGuire assumed the show would not proceed that year. The series was greenlit on November 17, 2003; McGuire stated that the day after meeting with executive producer John Smith, she returned to work designing Atlantis. The city was conceived as a creation of the Ancients, a race previously established in Stargate SG-1. The story followed a joint civilian-military expedition that discovers Atlantis 'pristine and untouched', underwater on a planet in the Pegasus Galaxy. While the city's discovery drew primarily from franchise mythology, some elements of the Ancient Greek Plato myth of Atlantis were incorporated. During SG-1's seventh season, McGuire developed design motifs for an Ancient Outpost that would tie into Atlantis, should the series be made. While researching crystalline structures, she encountered electron-microscopic images of snowflakes, which she felt 'looked more like spaceships rather than snowflakes' and incorporated them into her designs.
Depiction
The Lost City of the Ancients is first mentioned in the Stargate SG-1 episode 'Full Circle', where SG-1 finds a tablet describing a city containing powerful Ancient weapons. In the episode 'Lost City', SG-1 travels to the planet Praclarush Taonas, discovers an Ancient outpost, and learns the Lost City is called Atlantis. Directed back to Earth, they find another Ancient outpost. In the Stargate Atlantis episode 'Rising', study of that outpost yields a Stargate address for Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy. Dr. Elizabeth Weir leads an expedition through the Stargate, finding Atlantis at the bottom of an ocean. As the city loses power, it rises to the surface and becomes a human base. In 'The Storm' and 'The Eye', after most personnel evacuate due to an approaching storm, the Genii, led by Commander Acastus Kolya, take over Atlantis until Major Shepherd forces them to retreat. In 2005, two Wraith Hive Ships attack Atlantis; the Earth ship Daedalus, commanded by Colonel Steven Caldwell, arrives to repel them in 'The Siege'. After encountering their ship, a group of Ancients return to Atlantis, and control is given to their leader Helia, before the Asurans siege the city and kill her in 'The Return'. Colonel Samantha Carter takes command in 2007 in 'Reunion', replaced a year later by Richard Woolsey in 'Search and Rescue'. In 2009, an enhanced Wraith Hive Ship heads to Earth; unable to defeat it with Earth ships, Atlantis leaves the Pegasus Galaxy, returns to Earth, destroys the Wraith ship, and lands in San Francisco Bay overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge in 'Enemy at the Gate'.
More in Works Set in Atlantis
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced