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One of the longest-running sci-fi shows of the late ’90s and early 2000s has made its way to Netflix. The show in question is none other than “Stargate SG-1,” which ran for a whopping 10 seasons, airing more than 200 episodes from 1997 to 2007. Now, returning fans or new viewers can binge it all from beginning to end.
Streaming now on Netflix, “Stargate SG-1” was created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner. 1994’s “Stargate” movie was supposed to kick off an entire trilogy; that didn’t pan out, but the franchise found life in a big way when it went from the big screen to the small screen. And this particular show was just the tip of the iceberg and a launch pad for so much more.
The series picks up where the movie left off, centering on a military team based at Stargate Command. This secret military facility utilizes an ancient alien technology known as a 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 foes.
The writers of “Stargate SG-1” had one rule that guided the entire show, which is that all these stories had to have heart. So, beyond alien adventures and the sci-fi tale of the week, this was a show that had characters people loved and emotions viewers could latch onto. That helped carry it for an entire decade with at least 20 episodes per season (none of this “one eight episode season every two years” nonsense).
It admittedly wasn’t all smooth sailing throughout the show’s run. “Stargate SG-1” was nearly 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 it became SyFy) midway through its run.
More than anything, though, “SG-1” helped launch what became a sprawling sci-fi franchise in the years that followed. “Stargate Atlantis” was eventually canceled by the Sci-Fi channel, but only after it had a huge run of its own, lasting for 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 beyond a couple of seasons.
Several made-for-TV movies were also produced, including “Stargate: The Ark of Truth” and “Stargate: Continuum” (that’s in addition to an absolutely wild-sounding “Stargate SG-1” movie called “Stargate: Revolution” that was scrapped). Those hundreds of episodes of TV and several movies might not have been possible without the success “SG-1” enjoyed.
As we speak, Amazon is currently working on bringing the “Stargate” franchise back to life for Prime Video, with franchise writer/producer Martin Gero on board. Details on the new series remain scarce for the time being, but in the meantime, now is the perfect time to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the show that changed it all.
You can also grab “Stargate SG-1: The Complete Series” on Blu-ray or DVD from Amazon.