SCI FI Channel announced that it has ordered a second season of its hit original series Stargate Atlantis and a ninth season of its long-lived Stargate SG-1. The channel has ordered 20 new episodes of each show from MGM Television Entertainment, and production on both is set to begin in March 2005 for summer premieres on SCI FI.

Stargate Atlantis debuted in July and drew more than 4.2 million viewers, breaking ratings records. The second season will bring back stars Joe Flanigan, Torri Higginson, David Hewlett, Rainbow Sun Francks, Rachel Luttrell and Paul McGillion.

With a ninth original season, Stargate SG-1 will tie Fox’s The X-Files as the longest-running SF drama series on American TV. MGM is currently in talks with the series original cast members for their return.

Robert C. Cooper and SG-1 co-creator Brad Wright will continue to serve as executive producers on both series, which are distributed by MGM Worldwide Television Distribution.

The remaining new episodes of SG-1’s current eighth season and Atlantis’s first season will return in January 2005, along with the series premiere of Battlestar Galactica.