TV-Reviewed

It is fair to say that I’m not a big sci-fi fan. I’ve never followed Star Wars, Star Trek or any other TV series or film franchise with much passion. I know Stargate SG-1 developed quite a following over its years on Showtime and Sci-Fi, but I never gave it much of a look. I did, however, see the Stargate film the series is based off and I did enjoy it, but I didn’t love it.

What I did like about the film was the concept of a gateway that could connect nearly every planet. That, at its most basic concept was very intriguing and as it turned out, great for a series.

The pilot served as a very nice bridge between the film and the new series. There were a number of changes between the series and the film. The cast was the most obvious change. Kurt Russel, for instance, was replaced by Richard Dean Anderson. RDA is a long-time favorite actor of mine, going back to the eighties when he played the very memorable MacGyver character.

The hero, Jack O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) is a more likable character in the series compared to the one portrayed by Kurt Russel. To be frank, some of his personality traits remind me of myself. I suppose that’s one reason I’m liking this series. The pilot had a lot of dramatic moments and O’Neill’s sarcastic sense of humor helped balance things out to keep things from getting too heated.

It is good to see that they introduced a female character to the group. The original squad in the Stargate film consisted solely of men. Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) was a very well written character. She’s a good, tough soldier, but is also very attractive. There were some great exchanges between Carter and O’Neill during their initial meeting.

Some of the special effects in the pilot were less than impressive. The Egyptian attire was embarrassing compared to what was used in the film. When the special effects and costumes are the biggest complaints, I think you have a winner.

I’m only a couple of episodes into this Stargate SG-1, but I’m liking it so far. Traveling from one planet to another is quite interesting, but I would think this show is going to get a little long in the tooth at some point. But the pilot was very good. It served very well as an introduction into the series.

Stargate SG-1 - Children of the Dogs
Original Air Date: July 27, 1997

Rating: 7.8