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One of the longest-running sci-fi shows of the late ’90s and early ’00s has arrived on Netflix. The show in question is none other than “Stargate SG-1,” which ran for 10 seasons and over 200 episodes between 1997 and 2007. Now, returning fans or new viewers can enjoy the whole thing from start to finish.
Now streaming on Netflix, “Stargate SG-1” was created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner. The 1994 film “Stargate” was supposed to kick off an entire trilogy; That didn’t work out, but the franchise found life in a big way when it transitioned from the big screen to the small screen. And this particular show was just the tip of the iceberg and a launching pad for much more.
The series picks up where the movie left off, focusing on a military team based at Stargate Command. This secret military facility uses ancient alien technology known as the Stargate to travel between planets with ease. The team is led by Jack O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and also includes the likes of archaeologist Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), scientist Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping), and an alien warrior named Teal’c (Christopher Judge). They generally explore alien worlds and defend the planet from interstellar enemies.
The writers of “Stargate SG-1” had one rule that guided the entire show, and that is that all of these stories had to have heart. So beyond the alien adventures and sci-fi story of the week, this was a show that had characters people loved and emotions viewers could hold on to. That helped sustain it for an entire decade with at least 20 episodes per season (none of that “an eight-episode season every two years” nonsense).
Stargate SG-1 is a pillar within an expanding sci-fi franchise
It is true that not everything was easy during the duration of the program. “Stargate SG-1” was almost canceled after season 8 to make room for a different show within the franchise. The series also had to move from Showtime to the Sci-Fi Channel (before becoming SyFy) midway through its run.
More than anything, though, “SG-1” helped launch what became a sprawling science fiction franchise in the years that followed. “Stargate Atlantis” was eventually canceled by the sci-fi channel, but only after it had a great run of its own, lasting five full seasons and 100 episodes after its start in 2004. Other shows followed, including “Stargate Universe,” “Stargate Infinity” and “Stargate Origins,” but none of them lasted more than a couple of seasons.
Several made-for-TV movies were also produced, including “Stargate: The Ark of Truth” and “Stargate: Continuum” (plus an absolutely wild-sounding “Stargate SG-1” movie called “Stargate: Revolution” that was scrapped). Those hundreds of television episodes and several movies might not have been possible without the success that “SG-1” had.
As we speak, Amazon is currently working to bring the “Stargate” franchise back to life for Prime Video, with franchise writer and producer Martin Gero on board. Details about the new series remain scarce at the moment, but in the meantime, now is the perfect time to get reacquainted (or reacquainted) with the show that changed everything.
You can also get “Stargate SG-1: The Complete Series” on Blu-ray or DVD from Amazon.