Premise and characters of Stargate Atlantis revealed

I got this from http:www.gateworld.net I cant wait for Stargate Atlantis. It sounds like its going to be cool
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Stargate: Atlantis" follows an international team of scientists and military personnel representing Earth who have ventured to a newly discovered and abandoned Ancient City on a distant planet in the Pegasus Galaxy. From there, they encounter a whole new Stargate network that leads to numerous human populated worlds. They will also come to face a sinister new enemy called the Wraith who is even more powerful than the Ancients who were originally being sought.
The new team will be comprised of at least three regulars, including:

Major John Sheppard: "A gifted military pilot, posted at McMurdoch Air Force Base because it's the only place they will let him fly; Sheppard once defied a direct order and flew his helicopter to rescue two Rangers trapped behind enemy lines. Though people might see a good-ol' boy exterior he is also a closet mathematical genius. He has a wry sense of humor and likes to pretend he's not as smart as he really is.

"Most of the time a perfect gentlemen -- who tries his best to be charming -- when he's pushed to fight he can be an absolute animal with single-minded purpose. He distrusts authority and always goes with his gut letting his strong sense of common sense morality lead his actions. The character is listed as being between 35 and 40 years old."

Mikala: "Beautiful and soulful, she is a native of [the] post-apocalyptic alien world viewers will encounter in the initial episode and has lost most of her family to the Wraith. Despite her youth, she has become somewhat of a leader to her people. Initially seen as a love interest for Sheppard, she joins our team's effort to defeat our common enemy in the Wraith and their budding romance becomes playful sexual tension as they focus on their mission.

"She proves herself early on to be a surprisingly scrappy fighter, a survivor under any circumstances and an invaluable source of knowledge about the people and worlds we will be visiting. The producers are looking for an actress of any ethnicity for the role, which is listed as being between 20 and 25 years old."

In a surprise turn of events, Dr. Elizabeth Weir will indeed be in the new series, according to the report -- but is being recast by the studio. The role was originally portrayed by Jessica Steen in the SG-1 Season Seven finale, "The Lost City" (airing in early 2004). Weir is described thusly (beware of spoilers for "The Lost City"):

"Described as 'attractive, brilliant, and the master of five languages,' this 35-year-old started out as a critic of government spending on the military. But she ultimately decided the best way to fight the establishment was to join it and change what she could from within by brokering peace and being a voice of reason to whoever would listen. She worked behind the scenes for the U.S. government as a high level international negotiator for years before being offered command of the Stargate Program by the new President. Now, she has been given the opportunity to lead an international team through the gate to a new galaxy on a grand mission to save all of humanity and she is not one to turn that challenge down."

Keep in mind that this list of characters is not necessarily complete. More details should be forthcoming.

The report also indicates that John Smith, another of Stargate SG-1's long-time executive producers, will join the new show to executive produce alongside Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper. Stargate Atlantis begins production in early 2004, and is expected to premiere with a 2-hour movie event in June on The Sci-Fi Channel.
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Here are some concept pics:







[Edited on 7-12-2003 by jetsetter]

Great find Jetsetter.

Well here are some real photos.
















These are from the last episode of season 7. It is showing the lost city that is found on Earth. This is ment to lead into the new season.