Wednesday, December 2, 1998
‘Stargate SG-1’ teleports into second season of production
TELEVISION: Sci-fi series expands on plot of film predecessor,
wins fans
A.J. Harwin
Daily Bruin Contributor
Imagine a present day Star Trek without the ship, and you have
MGM’s "Stargate SG-1," which explores uncharted regions of the
universe in a weekly syndicated TV show.
Based on the Roland Emmerich film "Stargate," "SG-1" picks up
the storyline where the motion picture left off.
A Stargate, a mysterious portal leading to a planet on the
opposite end of the universe, was mysteriously reactivated by a
deadly alien race bent on taking over the universe and destroying
anyone or anything that stands in its way. The SG-1 team has now
been reorganized to travel through the ancient Stargate portal to
new worlds and civilizations, and boldly go where no human being
has gone before in order to protect earth from the impending attack
of the bloodthirsty Goaulds.
Richard Dean Anderson, best known for his lead role on the
long-running action series "MacGyver," takes over the role of
special forces colonel Jack O’Neil, played by Kurt Russell in the
movie. Michael Shanks replaces James Spader as Egyptologist Daniel
Jackson.
O’Neil and Jackson are joined on the new missions by
astrophysicist Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and Tealc
(Christopher Judge).
When producer and writer Brad Wright watched the original
"Stargate" movie he saw the potential for a television spin-off
based on the range of possible storylines that could take place on
a present-day sci-fi program.
"The possibility that there are more of these Stargates on other
worlds provided a conduit for travelers to go all over the galaxy
without a spaceship," Wright said. "Unlike other science fiction
shows, we are space travelers from the here and now. These events
which take place in the series could be happening secretly as we
speak and I think that’s what’s intriguing."
As MacGyver, Anderson had spent each episode getting in and out
of bad situations, something that he will continue to do on his
missions to alien worlds. Although wary about the move from the
adventure to the sci-fi genre, Anderson quickly saw the promise of
the movie-inspired show.
"There are a few elements that attracted me to the show," said
Anderson. "First of all, I had worked with John Symes, president of
MGM Worldwide Television Group, when he was at Paramount for
MacGyver, and he asked me to become involved with the project. So,
I watched the movie a few times and decided that it was the perfect
vehicle for a series."
"The concept alone allowed for expansion into a weekly series.
Secondly, I had never been a real fan of the sci-fi genre, but I
have always said that I will try anything once. It would have been
hypocritical of me not to consider the genre."
Now in its second season on Showtime, the first season of
"Stargate S-G1" has currently entered syndication. Among new
syndicated hour-long programs, it currently ranks second behind the
Pamela Anderson vehicle "VIP."
Trekkie fans will probably be attracted to the show. Star Trek
fans or not, the makers of "Stargate SG-1" hope that viewers will
find a very enjoyable program that focuses on acting and drama,
based on characters that are more human and more relatable
(emotion-wise) to someone from the 20th century.
Stargate SG-1 can be seen in Los Angeles Saturdays on Channel 11
at 5 p.m.
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