Fifth season of space spin-off will be its last, says network; but all is not lost…there is some good news.

The Stargate is closing for good…on television anyway. Sci Fi Channel today quietly revealed that Stargate Atlantis would not be renewing the show for a sixth season and that season five, currently airing, would be its last.

Executive producer Joseph Mallozzi also confirmed the end of the series in his blog, simply saying, “Yes it’s true. I’m disappointed but not surprised.” He is expected to discuss the matter further sometime today.

Stargate Atlantis is a spin-off of Stargate SG-1, which ran for 10 years on both Showtime and Sci Fi beginning in 1997. Atlantis began airing in 2004, and will conclude with its 100th episode in January 2009.

Atlantis built on the successful science-fiction franchise created by the 1994 MGM film Stargate, and follows a crew of explorers who travel to a far off galaxy to learn about the lost city of Atlantis.

The show won’t simply blink out of existence, however. Sci Fi’s subtle announcement of the show’s cancellation came in a press release revealing that a Stargate Atlantis movie is in the works. Following in the bootprints of fellow Sci Fi fare such as Battlestar Galactica and SG-1, the two-hour film will debut on Sci Fi Channel and be released on DVD shortly after. There’s no word yet on what the movie will detail or when it will be released.

No more Stargate anything on television? The end of an era! At least Stargate fans have the MMORPG Stargate Worlds to look forward to. Say your farewells below!