Day after SG Atlantis is given end date, Sci-Fi greenlights Stargate Universe.

All is right with the world–actually, universe–again! The whole fabric of space and time as it relates to science-fiction television was momentarily ripped asunder yesterday, when the Sci Fi Channel dropped some bad news for Stargate fans: at the conclusion of the currently airing fifth season, the network was retiring Stargate Atlantis.

Thankfully, the thought of television without a Stargate-branded series only had to last one day. This morning, Sci Fi sent out a blast that was a blessing to Stargaters everywhere–a new Stargate series is in the works.

Stargate Universe will take over the reins of the franchise sometime next summer, says the network. The idea was initially pitched last year, but was forced to take a backseat due to other Stargate projects as well as complications from the writers’ strike.

The series will be in good hands; Brad Wright and Robert Cooper, the duo that created and produced both Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, will serve as executive producers and writers on Universe.

In a statement, the pair said, “In Universe, we plan to keep those elements that have made the franchise a success, such as adventure and humor, while breaking new ground in the relationships between mostly young and desperate explorers, thrust together and far from home. Above all, we believe the Stargate itself remains an enduring icon with infinite potential as a jumping off point for telling stories.”

Universe will debut with a two-hour television event before heading to a weekly series, and will see a group of explorers board an abandoned, Ancients-built starship called The Destiny. Of course things won’t go smoothly, and the crew soon finds itself essentially trapped onboard The Destiny and heading to strange worlds.

Previous intel on Universe said that the show will deal with the ninth chevron, and that the cast will be new, with a possibility that a familiar face may show up.

From TV.com