The day is set! The Stargate franchise will gate to a whole new universe on Friday, July 16, 2004, when its second television series, Stargate Atlantis premieres. The 2-hour event will air at 10 p.m. Eastern/Pacific on The Sci-Fi Channel in the U.S.

The network has ordered another 18 episodes so far, which will air in the same time slot each week, after new episodes of Stargate SG-1.

MGM has recently launched it's official Web site for the new show atStargateAtlantis.com! In addition to the premiere date announcement, the growing site currently features a series synopsis, behind-the-scenes photos, concept art, and a press release detailing the new cast.

The Sci-Fi Channel also tonight debuted its first teaser ad for Atlantis. The camera rushes through an underwater environment up to a submerged Stargate (complete with blue chevrons), while displaying the words: "This summer the greatest secret in human history will be revealed."

GateWorld has acquired the first photo of the brand new Stargate Atlantis team, who will travel to the distant Pegasus galaxy in the upcoming spin-off series! The show began filming just last week in Vancouver, B.C., in anticipation of a July premiere on The Sci-Fi Channel in the U.S. The photo reveals the team's new and varied uniforms, which include a new "Atlantis" insignia on the right sleeve and a flag from the person's country of origin on the left (notice that Dr. McKay is sporting the flag of Canada). Dr. Weir is also now a brunette, as is to be expected with the switch from actress Jessica Steen (who plays a blonde Dr. Weir in the upcoming SG-1 season finale).

Stargate Atlantis is created and executive produced by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, two of the talents behind Stargate SG-1.

"We have met with hundreds of actors in order to assemble just the right ensemble cast for this series, and we are certain that we have found the perfect Stargate Atlantis team," Hank Cohen, President, MGM Television Entertainment, told GateWorld. "We are confident that come July, Stargate fans all over the world will be thrilled as this terrific cast leads us on many new missions and explores countless new worlds in the Pegasus galaxy. All of us on the production side are gratified by The Sci-Fi Channel's belief in us by ordering this exciting extension of the Stargate brand directly to series, and airing it concurrently with the extremely popular SG-1."

Without further ado, meet the new team!

JOE FLANIGAN
as Major John Sheppard Leading the Stargate Atlantis team is Joe Flanigan. Flanigan earned a degree in history from the University of Colorado before becoming a full-time actor. He has appeared in such series as C.S.I. Miami, Tru Calling and Birds of Prey, and has played recurring characters on Profiler, Sisters, Providence and Dawson's Creek.

TORRI HIGGINSON
as Dr. Elizabeth Weir Ontario-born Higginson's list of credits includes "Storm of the Century," "The English Patient," and The Outer Limits. She also played the recurring role of Beth Kittridge in the "TekWar" TV movie series. Higginson replaces actress Jessica Steen, who played Dr. Weir in the Season Seven finale of Stargate SG-1 (airing in March). Weir is put in charge of the Atlantis mission, but is not military.

DAVID HEWLETT
as Dr. Rodney McKay Hewlett reprises his character of Dr. McKay, the arrogant but brilliant astrophysicist who traded barbs with Samantha Carter in SG-1 Season Five's "48 Hours" and Season Six's "Redemption." The 35-year-old actor is a native of Redhill, Surrey, England, and has also appeared in Without a Trace, ER, Twice in a Lifetime, and numerous films. McKay -- a Canadian -- is the only permanent cross-over from Stargate SG-1, and replaces the character of Dr. Benjamin Ingram, who was originally conceived for the new series.

RAINBOW SUN FRANCKS
as Lieutenant Aiden Ford A native of Toronto, Francks' list of credits includes Twice In a Lifetime, "Love Song" and "Love Come Down." He is also a VJ for Canada's MuchMusic, and a songwriter and producer for rap/hip-hop group The Oddities. His character, Lt. Ford, is an eager young officer who becomes Major Sheppard's second-in-command. (An interesting "Atlantis" connection: Francks is the brother of actress Cree Summer, who performed the voice of Princess Kida in Disney's Stargate-esque animated film "Atlantis: The Lost Empire.")

RACHEL LUTTRELL
as Teyla Emmagan Luttrell has made guest appearances on such shows as Charmed, Touched By an Angel, ER and Street Legal, and recently appeared with Gary Sinise and Madeleine Stowe in 2002's "Impostor." She plays Teyla (formerly "Mikala"), a leader among the alien people that the team meets on the post-apocalyptic planet Athos.

With the first week of filming on the new series complete, Stargate Atlantis executive producer and co-creator Brad Wright is enthusiastic about the new cast. "As amazing as our visual effects and production design are for Atlantis, the secret to a successful television series is a cast that people want to invite into their homes every week. After a week of shooting, Robert and I couldn't be happier," Wright told GateWorld. "Joe Flanigan's natural charm and sense of humor come through in every shot. Torri Higginson, Rainbow Francks and Rachel Luttrell are equally fabulous, and David Hewlett as Dr. McKay is brilliant and hilarious."

Stargate Atlantis is now in production in Vancouver, B.C.

THE TECH. A team of scientists has been pouring over the Ancients' Antarctic outpost since SG-1 discovered it buried a mile beneath the ice in "The Lost City," and have learned that only people with a very rare gene are able to operate the intuitive technology found there -- one person in 16,000, to be exact. Dr. Benjamin Ingram is a brilliant scientist who works to interface Earth technology with that of the Ancients, but is frustrated by the fact that he himself does not possess the gene. Another of the scientists, however -- Dr. Beckett -- does possess the gene and accidentally launches an Ancient attack drone from the outpost. They also quickly learn that Major Sheppard has the gene; the ability to use the Ancients' tech will come in very handy when the team reaches the lost city of Atlantis in the distant Pegasus galaxy.

Vital to the operation of the city (and to the team's ability to gate to another galaxy) is the Z.P.M., an Ancient power module that was probably the basis for the device O'Neill constructed in "The Fifth Race" while under the influence of the Ancients' library of knowledge. Atlantis is powered by three of the devices.

As hoped, the lost city is indeed a treasure trove of advanced technology, which includes such things as a universal translation device. Each team member travelling off-world receives one, which is capable of instantly translating virtually any language encountered.

THE SHIPS. As an accomplished pilot, Sheppard is particularly interested in a bay filled with Ancient ships discovered in Atlantis. The ship of choice is nicknamed "Puddle Jumper," as it is designed to travel through the Stargate. In fact, the ship has a miniature dialing device on the main console, allowing remote-access dialing of the Stargate. It is also equipped with stealth mode, allowing it to become invisible. The ship seems to operate in part by reading the pilot's thoughts. The jumper is large enough to seat at least two at the forward controls, and at least six in the rear.

The enemy possesses advanced ships too, of course. The Wraith Dart is a small, maneuverable ship capable of gate travel. It is described as oily black, sharply pointed and with a glowing underside. The Wraith planet has a Stargate in orbit, indicating that it's rather common to travel the Stargate network by ship in this part of the universe.

ATLANTIS. The lost city of the Ancients is an island unto itself, surrounded by a vast body of water on the surface of a planet in the Pegasus galaxy (... eventually). It has been abandoned by the Ancients but left in perfect condition, and the team from Earth must begin the task of exploring it. Atlantis is equipped with a powerful energy shield, which is vital to protecting the new base of operations from enemy attack. Within the city is, of course, a Stargate -- but one unlike any previously seen.

THE STARGATE. The chevrons are blue on the Atlantis gate, and, of course, the symbols themselves are different in this galaxy. Instead of physically spinning, the inner track spins in a pattern of light. The brightly-lit symbols also rotate around much faster than Earth's gate.

The team accesses the gate's control systems -- more like a computer than a D.H.D. -- along with a new library of addresses, most of which are presumably for the Pegasus galaxy's gate network. After dialing another world, the tried-and-true system of M.A.L.P. probes and G.D.O. transmitters are still used. At the touch of a button, the gate may be protected by an iris-like energy shield.

THE WRAITH. They are the enemy that defeated the Ancients themselves long ago. The Wraith are a hive-based species with a queen, and horrifically feed off the life force of other beings. They maintain a thousand worlds populated by beings used for food. The Wraith are described as having pale green-tinged skin and black eyes, and have an incredible power to regenerate -- so much so that Dr. Beckett speculates that they may not even die of old age the same way that humans do. They also appear to have some form of psionic ability.

Stargate Atlantis begins production in late February, and will premiere early this summer on The Sci-Fi Channel! Keep your chevrons lock on the Atlantis section for continuing developments and a Season One episode guide.

Beware of spoilers below for the Atlantis premiere, "Rising," and for the Season Seven SG-1 finale, "The Lost City."

Having been promoted to the rank of general, Jack O'Neill revisits the outpost of the Ancients buried a mile beneath the ice of Antarctica. When his helicopter (piloted by Major John Sheppard) lands, he is met by Dr. Daniel Jackson, whom he introduces to Sheppard. Daniel is working with the scientists at the base, led by Elizabeth Weir, and discusses the apparent location of the Ancients' lost city -- the distant Pegasus galaxy.

Weir and her team travel to the planet via the Stargate at the S.G.C., also indicating that actor Gary Jones may be called upon to reprise his character of Technician Davis, calling out the eight chevrons required to dial the world on which Atlantis is located.

Stargate Atlantis is expected to premiere in June, alongside SG-1's eighth season.

Colonel O'Neill appears in the episode to help convince Major John Sheppard, one of Atlantis' regular characters, to join the dangerous mission to another galaxy.

Anderson also said that Season Eight of SG-1, which begins filming in February, will be his final year with the long-running series.

"I have a five-year-old daughter who I don't get to see enough," Anderson said, "I'm going to build a house in California and I'm going to learn Spanish."