STARGATE: A LOOK BACK

[MichaelDoran]

ETERNALLY UNENDING: THE HISTORY OF STARGATE

by Steve Fritz

Last December, the TV series Stargate SG-1 made a little bit of history. After ten years of struggle, cast changes and network shuffles, it became the longest running American science fiction TV series, ever.

Let’s repeat that. Ever.

Longer than any of the incarnations of Star Trek. Same for Babylon 5 or Battlestar Galactica. Ditto X-Files, Twilight Zone, Outer Limits or any other U.S. domestic series tripping the TV rift.

Of course, anyone from the other side of the Atlantic can look at the incredible number of years that Doctor Who has been televised and, maybe even righteously, up their nose at SG-1’s decade of existence. But even the seemingly unkillable Doctor spent quite a bit of time travelling anywhere in dimensions and space but on Earth’s airwaves, too. Still, when you consider the number of non-news/talk shows that have lasted longer than ten years anyway, the list is surprisingly small, especially here in the U.S.

Considering the history of the franchise, that’s truly saying something. Especially when the original movie came out in 1994. No one, not a single person of even the slightest media importance, probably would ever had figured Stargate would still be coming out with new material to this day.

When the original movie was introduced in 1994, it didn’t do bad box office for the day at $71 million (all figures from www.boxofficemojo.com) domestically. That placed it as the 17th most attended film of the year. Not too shabby when you look at the several hundred commercial releases of the year.

Still, it was the international box office that probably got the producers thinking. Over the rest of the world the film raked in over $125 million, ranking it 13th. Directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day) with a script co-written by longtime partner-in-crime Dean Devlin, the film was initially considered a sci-fi vehicle for the then pretty big star Kurt Russell as Colonel Jonathan “Jack” O’Neil (but he’ll always be Snake Plisskin). It also starred the incredibly talented James Spader (now making waves on Boston Legal) as Dr. Daniel Jackson.

Most importantly, the movie introduced the main plotline of the series, that there are a series of alien and incredibly sophisticated devices eventually called “stargates” planted throughout the universe by a race called the Ancients. These Ancients originally hailed from Earth but, as we would learn over time, eventually “ascend,” leaving the universe to other aliens. Among them are the Goa’uld, who once enslaved humanity and used them to see a number of other worlds throughout the galaxy.

The movie covers the discovery of Earth’s own Stargate in Giza, Egypt, in 1928 and the present-day formation of a team of explorers, led by O’Neill and Jackson to see what they can see. In the process, they bring down the Goa’uld on themselves, and barely manage to get out of it alive (of course).

The first incarnation of the TV series, which started on Showtime in 1997, picks up the storyline a year after the movie. For this series, Russell has been replaced by Richard Dean Anderson (best remembered previously for his work on MacGuyver). Spader has been replaced by Michael Shanks. Rounding out the TV team are Amanda Tapping as Captain Samantha Carter and Christopher Judge as the alien Teal’c, who is part of a race called the Jaffa.

Seasons One through Four are generally referred to as the Goa’uld Arc, and concerns the aftermath from the original movie. During this time, O’Neill and company, generally referred to as SG-1, become the elite team in charge of keeping the parasitic invaders from reclaiming our planet as their own.

This series is important for introducing a number of other major elements to the series. Among the other races introduced over this arc would be the Asgard, Furlings (never seen directly) and Nox, who were three of the four races who once dominated the galaxy after the departure of the Ancients (the last being the Goa’uld). Each would have their play in the arc.

Season Three is also important for introducing the Replicators, who still plague the Stargate universe today. These mechanical beings like doing two things: “eat” all the metal and other matter they can get their little claws on and, two, then use their findings to make more Replicators. If left unchecked, they will cannibalize a world faster than a pack of mechanical cockroaches, and are just as persistent and voracious. They will be a constant threat to Earth and everyone else even into the new DVDs.

This arc ends when SG-1 finally manage to muster enough support to defeat the Goa’uld System Lord, Apophis.

Seasons Five through Eight are considered the second major story arc, the Anubis arc. Anubis is a Goa’uld who attempts to reclaim the power once held by Apophis. More importantly, the concept of “ascension” is given a thorough examination replete with Jackson eventually becoming ascended himself. This would mean that Michael Shanks would not be seen much for the bulk of season Six. His replacement on the team would be the character of Jonas Quinn (Corin Nemec).

Among the other interesting developments in this arc is the discovery of the lost city of Atlantis, which would create the show’s first spin-off. Another major character, the Goa’uld Baal, is also introduced. More importantly, by the end of this arc it looks like all SG-1’s problems are resolved, but the network that is now airing the series, the Sci-Fi Channel, has other intentions.

The last two seasons of the series introduce a new villain, another ascended race called The Ori. There are other major changes in the show, primarily in the cast. O'Neill is promoted to the rank of Major General, and is eventually reduced to guest appearances by Anderson. Another stalwart of the team, the Stargate general who’s overseen everything for ages, General Hammond (Don Davis) is also “promoted” and replaced by Major General Hank Landry (Beau Bridges). The replacement for O'Neill in the "conventional action hero role" is Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder). Also joining the team is an alien thief introduced seasons back named Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black). She made her first appearance in Season Eight, but would become a regular from this point on. As it stands, the addition of Browder and Black brought some new life to the team.

The best way to describe the Ori is a science fiction nightmare built around religious fanaticism. They recruit various humans to become their proselytizers, spreading their concept of Origin. In return, the new recruits become Priors, and are given a number of powers to back themselves up, among them the power to destroy a “non-believer” on the spot.

Actually from another galaxy, the Ori, as any good race of bad guys, see the Milky Way as prime territory to spread their beliefs. As can also be expected, SG-1 stands in their way. As far as the TV show is concerned, this arc would not be resolved on the small screen because of Sci-Fi Channel’s sudden decision to pull the plug on the series. As fans now know, it’s now being handled in the first of the new direct-to-DVD releases, Ark of Truth.

That doesn’t mean every plot thread has been answered though. As it stands, Stargate SG-1 is still an ongoing project. Another D2D, currently titled Continuum is apparently slated for release this July. Another spin-off series, Universe is also in the works and just might have characters from the original SG-1 series in it.

All one can say is time will tell. After all, it’s a darn big universe out there.

[luckybucky]

OK, that's a bit of a spin. I consider modern Star Trek to be a single production. That ran from 1986 thru 2004, nearly twice as long, before going out of production.

And Doctor Who has them all beat at 30+ years, so the "American" qualifier is a rather important one.

[Zechs]

Hail Anubis!! Hail!

[TheWay]

Originally Posted by luckybucky

OK, that's a bit of a spin. I consider modern Star Trek to be a single production. That ran from 1986 thru 2004, nearly twice as long, before going out of production.

And Doctor Who has them all beat at 30+ years, so the "American" qualifier is a rather important one.

Well if one is considering all of Star Trek as a single production then I guess Stargate is still ongoing since Stargate Atlantis is still in production. I think they are just refferring to the original series here.

As for Doctor Who, well even thought the name has never really changed I would not really consider it a single series, but I can see the argument there.

[brawl2099]

Originally Posted by luckybucky

OK, that's a bit of a spin. I consider modern Star Trek to be a single production. That ran from 1986 thru 2004, nearly twice as long, before going out of production.

And Doctor Who has them all beat at 30+ years, so the "American" qualifier is a rather important one.

Star Trek does have more episodes as a franchise, but how can you consider TNG, DS9 and Voyager all a single production? They were all very different, creatively and production-wise. Besides, Stargate is still in production, with Atlantis starting season five in the summer, and Universe most likely premiering in '09. Who's to say the SG franchise won't be in production for 18 years?

I think the appeal of the SG franchise has been "This is our world!" The Doctor has trippy adventures across time. The Enterprise explores strange new worlds. O'Neil... forgot to tape the Simpsons. We see O'Neil, Jackson and Carter carrying earth weapons. McKay uses Dell laptops to make Ancient tech work in Atlantis (or they at least look like Dells). That's the biggest reason I like the franchise so much (plus the snarkiest dialog in sci-fi history).

[ParisCub]

Originally Posted by TheWay

As for Doctor Who, well even thought the name has never really changed I would not really consider it a single series, but I can see the argument there.

Actually, following your reasoning, Doctor Who could only be considered 2 series, the first one having run for 27 seasons of continuing interlocked stories, the changes of actors being integral to the stories. And the new one is about to start its fourth year.

However, as it continues the stories of the first series (no reboot, no remake, everything that came before happened), Doctor Who can indeed be considered a 30 seasons series so far.
In both cases, it's the longest running science-fiction TV series in the world.

[durkadurka]

Originally Posted by TheWay

Well if one is considering all of Star Trek as a single production then I guess Stargate is still ongoing since Stargate Atlantis is still in production. I think they are just refferring to the original series here.

As for Doctor Who, well even thought the name has never really changed I would not really consider it a single series, but I can see the argument there.

Doctor Who is also supposed to be a continuous story, with the Doctor himself being the same person, just regenerating with each new Doctor. They bring back characters from previous series, such as Sarah Jane and K-9 (that crazy robot dog).
I had no idea Stargate was going to have another spin off. Stargate: Universe? I have no idea what that could be about.

[deathmasterj]

As a huge fan of Stargate I've never understood why the comics have been so limited. Did Avatar have restrictions put on them or did they not make full use of the license? Stargate has the potential to be a brilliant comic with many stories, not just a few mini-series and a few one-shots.

[kalorama]

Originally Posted by luckybucky

OK, that's a bit of a spin. I consider modern Star Trek to be a single production. That ran from 1986 thru 2004, nearly twice as long, before going out of production.

There's no "spin" at all. Each iteration of Star Trek was a different show with a different cast set in a different time period. Stargate maintained a single continuity throughout its entire run.

[BlueBeetleIII]

I'd like to see why you think Doctor Who is not considered one series. I could see not counting the break but still 27 years still makes it the longest series.

The original series even tied allthe episodes together and they lead into each other up until, I believe, The Savages.

They also recently had the 10th doctor meet the 5th and tied in the original series.

Star Trek does not count as one series. It is a shared universe. Different concept, one can exisit without the other.

Crusade and the movies do not add to B5's length. they are just other stories.

As for Stargate. Series lost it for me years ago. Lost it's edge, especially without Richard Dean Anderson. Atlantis doesn't have it for me either

Will watch the new stuff to see though

Still give it credit for lasting as long as it did.

[Bender-braü]

Good article. Ten years of storyline is certainly not easy to condense into one short article...but I have two nitpicks:

Originally Posted by Steve Fritz

"If left unchecked, they will cannibalize a world faster than a pack of mechanical cockroaches"

Ummm....okay?? Usually comparisons are made using something familiar to better explain something that is not. If I wasn't at all familiar with Stargate how the heck would imaginary "pack of mechanical cockroaches" help me better understand what the Replicators are?

I mean, come on! What's next: "Superman's stronger then an Alpha-tectonic Flim Flam Widget"...oh, well, when you put it that way, it's all so clear now!

Originally Posted by Steve Fritz

"The replacement for Jackson is Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder)"

To the best of my knowledge Mitchell was the replacement for Richard Dean Anderson, AKA O'Neill (with two L's )

[deathmasterj]

Originally Posted by Bender-braü

To the best of my knowledge Mitchell was the replacement for Richard Dean Anderson, AKA O'Neill (with two L's )

I pointed that out in my first post, which has seemingly been edited Maybe the replicators got in there and ate half my post?

[CharleyX]

SG1 was great - so upset they stopped the series. Looking fwd to the movies but it's not the same.

2 things - Hank Landry with an N and the Furlings have yet to be seen....

[ejulp]

So it sounds like, there is a lot of progression and vision for the series...that while they where in point a-b-c, they had an idea of a z...thats enough of a reason for me to get into this...I actually do like continuity in tv shows...go figure.

Weird though, I think this show had a much wider appeal than Star Trek...I had a friend who joined the army a few years back, and was not a sci fi fan at all, but was OBSSESSED with this show.

Oh, and Richard Dean Anderson is a f***ing cool bean.

[luckybucky]

Star Trek = same studio, same producer, same production company, same soundstages from TNG thru ENT. One, ongoing franchise produced by the same company unbroken from 1986 thru 2004.

Doctor Who = Original series ran unbroken from 1963 thru 1989.

Either way, both are longer single productions than Stargate.

[Troy Brownfield]

Originally Posted by luckybucky

Star Trek = same studio, same producer, same production company, same soundstages from TNG thru ENT. One, ongoing franchise produced by the same company unbroken from 1986 thru 2004.

Doctor Who = Original series ran unbroken from 1963 thru 1989.

Either way, both are longer single productions than Stargate.

You have to remember that Steve used the word "American", which let's "Doctor Who" out.

As for "Star Trek", ST:TNG ended in the mid '90s, DS9 ended in 1999, Voyager in '01 and ST:E didn't emerge until 2001. You're using a sliding standard. No single series went 10. That would make it 18 years stretched over four series.

That said, Stargate Atlantis still continues, and Universe is pending, meaning that the streak is likely to continue for some time. So, if you allow Stargate the same allowances you're giving Trek . . . they're on 11 years and counting.

[deathmasterj]

Originally Posted by luckybucky

Star Trek = same studio, same producer, same production company, same soundstages from TNG thru ENT. One, ongoing franchise produced by the same company unbroken from 1986 thru 2004.

That's like saying that X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, X-Force, X-Factor, Generation X, New Mutants, Mutant X etc etc are all one ongoing run, which they aren't.

[CodeGuy]

Originally Posted by luckybucky

Star Trek = same studio, same producer, same production company, same soundstages from TNG thru ENT. One, ongoing franchise produced by the same company unbroken from 1986 thru 2004.

Doctor Who = Original series ran unbroken from 1963 thru 1989.

Either way, both are longer single productions than Stargate.

It's all just semantics. Whether you call them one production or not, I think we can all agree that Star Trek did not have a series that lasted longer than seven years. There is a reasonable chance that Next Generation could have lasted longer than that if they had wanted to, but for whatever reason, it didn't.

Stargate SG1 lasted longer as a single show than any other American sci-fi series. It may not be the longest running franchise, but it is the longest single show. It doesn't take anything away from Star Trek to say that.

[MrNEWZ]

Originally Posted by luckybucky

Star Trek = same studio, same producer, same production company, same soundstages from TNG thru ENT. One, ongoing franchise produced by the same company unbroken from 1986 thru 2004.

Doctor Who = Original series ran unbroken from 1963 thru 1989.

Either way, both are longer single productions than Stargate.

By your logic, the Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman comic franchises are actually on #10,000+

[Bender-braü]

Originally Posted by ejulp

I had a friend who joined the army a few years back, and was not a sci fi fan at all, but was OBSSESSED with this show.

Boy I sure hope your friend didn't join up thinking that the real military structure is anything like Stargate.

I love this show but I shudder at the astronomical number of times that they break just about every military protocol and chain of command structure. "Insubordination" doesn't even begin to describe how badly these soldiers listened to their CO. The only rule that they seemed to adhere to was rules against fraternization between superiors and subordinates. LOL!

Stargate is to the Air Force what the movie Top Gun was to the Navy.

[luckybucky]

I am fully aware that each series was its own series. I never missed a new episode during the entire run.

But from the point of view of the fan/reader, "Star Trek" was one show.

Beginning in 1986, I started tuning in each week to watch a new "Star Trek." Whatever came after the colon was irrelevant. "Star Trek" stopped airing each week in 2004, and I stopped watching.

One show. Sorry. That's the experience.

Superman's Action Comics is in the 800s. They haven't broken the run.
Same with Detective Comics.

I'd argur that LIKE Marvel's Spider-Man, Avengers, and FF series, DC should RENUMBER some legacy titles to make them carry through their earlier runs.

Wonder Woman and JLA should be above 500, not the low teens.

They did, after all, keep the original Flash numbering when they introduced Barry Allen in the 1950s, and when they restored Wally West last year. But these should also be joined into a single count.

As should Green Lantern.

[kalorama]

Originally Posted by luckybucky

Star Trek = same studio, same producer, same production company, same soundstages from TNG thru ENT.

Different characters, different settings, different casts, different time periods.

If having the same producer and production company makes it count as one show, then I guess Ally McBeal, The Practice, and Boston Legal all count as one show, since they were all legal dramas set in Boston produced by David Kelly. Hell, if anything, those shows actually had more in common than Deep Space Nine had with Voyager.

[Troy Brownfield]

Originally Posted by luckybucky

I am fully aware that each series was its own series. I never missed a new episode during the entire run.

But from the point of view of the fan/reader, "Star Trek" was one show.

Beginning in 1986, I started tuning in each week to watch a new "Star Trek." Whatever came after the colon was irrelevant. "Star Trek" stopped airing each week in 2004, and I stopped watching.

One show. Sorry. That's the experience.

Actually, that's your experience. There are plenty of people who watched TNG who did not transition to DS9. You're making a semantic argument that doesn't correspond to the way that the shows were aired, distributed on video/DVD, syndicated, or regarded by most fans, the talent, or the studio.

[BlueBeetleIII]

Also if you look at the "one studio" example Law & Order is one show

They all had Law & Order in the name. They also tied into Homicide, heck Richard Belzer plays the same character from Homicide on SVU.

So how long has that been running? Would you count each series years and add them together?

Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley were the same studio. Do we count that as one show?

I know I sure don't. Spin-offs do not count. Each Star Trek spun off from the original.

[Bender-braü]

Originally Posted by BlueBeetleIII

They also tied into Homicide, heck Richard Belzer plays the same character from Homicide on SVU.

He also played the same character on an episode of "The X Files", an episode of "The Beat" an episode of "Law & Order: Trial by Jury", and episode of "The Wire" and the finale of "Arrested Development".