Stargate SG-1 DVDs

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Hollywood's film archives overflow with the carcasses of dismal movies based on lame '60s and '70s television shows, a syndrome that shows no sign of abating. But here's evidence that the reverse effect, turning a movie into a TV series, can have surprisingly positive results. Indeed, based on the 21 episodes produced for the first season of Stargate SG-1, it could be argued that this show is significantly better than the 1994 feature it's derived from.

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The 1994 movie Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted with Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. Replacing the roles of Colonel Jack O'Neill (Kurt Russell) and Dr. Daniel Jackson (James Spader) are, respectively, Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks.

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To resolve the season 2 cliffhanger, General Hammond rounds up every conceivable ally to rescue the SG-1 team from Hathor's clutches and gets a much-needed field trip in the process. "Into the Fire " is actually a weak opening for the new year, but does boast some impressive visuals as Hammond and Brat'ac pilot a shuttle through an open Stargate (euphemistically called "threading the needle").

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It wasn't until the beginning of Stargate SG-1's fourth season that fans knew to take the Replicator threat seriously. The spidery nasties had only seemed like one of many new enemies introduced in previous years. But when the one seemingly omnipotent backbone of the galaxy was asking Earth for help, clearly we were in real trouble! In fact, the team's list of enemies expanded and got far more complicated this year. Proving without a shadow of a doubt that this is science fiction, the Russians reveal they have their own Stargate program and ask the Americans for help.

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It now seems clear that season 5 of Stargate SG-1 will be remembered as the one in which something went awry with Daniel Jackson. Lots of behind-the-scenes rumors fueled the idea of cast tension, but whatever the problem, his sudden departure from the show was obviously through a quickly contrived scenario. In retrospect, there must have been a problem for some while before the weird penultimate episode ("Meridian"). Michael Shanks looks frequently bored in his rare moments of individual screen time as he infiltrates a Goa'uld meeting and even when making friends with a creature everyone else wants dead.

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The biggest change for Stargate SG-1's sixth season was its move to the Sci-Fi Channel. Financial rescue or genre haven from cancellation? Whatever the behind-the-scenes politics, the departure of Daniel Jackson (actor Michael Shanks) the previous year most certainly contributed to the need to run a tighter ship somewhere.

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A gradual shift in overall style, character homecomings and departures, and evolving on- and off-screen roles for the major players are among the attractions of the seventh season of Stargate SG-1. Spread out over five discs, these 21 episodes are ample indication that changes notwithstanding--and admittedly, not all of them are for the better--the series remains arguably the best-made, most compelling sci-fi program on television.

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The beat goes on for Stargate SG-1 in this five-disc set containing all 20 episodes from the show's eighth season. If that beat is now a bit more faint than in previous years, that's not particularly surprising when a franchise has been around this long; what's more, if Season 8 has some fairly odd aspects to it ("Threads," which appears to have been planned as the final episode of the entire series, is followed by two more in this set alone… not to mention an unexpected renewal that led to an all-new Season 9), that too isn't exactly unusual in the wacky world of series television.

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Stargate SG-1 soldiers on with this five-disc, 20-episode set from the sturdy franchise's ninth season (2005-06), incorporating numerous changes while continuing to distinguish itself as one of the television's best sci-fi shows. Longtime star Richard Dean Anderson makes only brief cameos these days, after seven seasons as Lieutenant Colonel and one as Brigadier General Jack O'Neill. Stalwarts Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, and Michael Shanks (as Samantha Carter, Teal'c, and Daniel Jackson, respectively), are still on hand, but with Season 9, Ben Browder (known to many genre fans for his lead role in the excellent Farscape series) takes over as leader of SG-1, the Stargate project's ace team in the field.

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If this five-disc, 20-episode, tenth season set really is the end of Stargate SG-1--and considering the number of reprieves the show has already had and the rumors of various movie spin-offs, not to mention the fact that the final installment is entitled "Unending," who knows?--then the folks responsible for this durable sci-fi series can be proud that they finished it off in style, with a run of episodes that are for the most part highly entertaining, exciting, and fun, offering resolution if not complete closure. And if sharks were jumped, at least they were small ones.

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Episode Description:
Discs 1- 5: Stargate SG-1 Season 1
Discs 6-10: Starage SG-1 Season 2
Discs 11-15: Stargate SG-1 Season 3
Discs 16-20: Stargate SG-1 Season 4
Discs 21-25: Stargate SG-1 Season 5
Discs 26-30: Stargate SG-1 Season 6
Discs 31-35: Stargate SG-1 Season 7
Discs 36-40: Stargate SG-1 Season 8
Discs 41-45: Stargate SG-1 Season 9
Discs 46-50: Stargate SG-1 Season 10