I was looking for Mission Genesis information several years ago and came across the 1997, Science Fiction Weekly (TM) article that featured the both of them. I thought a little Stargate news history might be interesting.
Review by Kathie Huddleston
Stargate SG-1
Starring Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks
Showtime
Nudity, Violence, Adult Language
Premieres July 27, 8 p.m. ET
It's been over a year since Colonel Jack O'Neil (Anderson) traveled through the "stargate" with Dr. Daniel Jackson (Shanks). The stargate turned out to be the passageway to another planet, Abydos, which was ruled by an evil alien being who called himself Ra. O'Neil and Jackson did battle with Ra and dispatched him with a nuclear weapon.
After his retirement from the military, O'Neil isn't surprised when he's called back to discuss his mission through the stargate. He disobeyed orders to destroy the stargate on Abydos, which would have closed the passageway forever and, perhaps, killed everyone on the planet. Instead he left Jackson there to live with the people.
The stargate has been opened on the other side, and a raid by someone very much like Ra has left four soldiers dead and one missing. After admitting that he lied in his report, O'Neil is called into action again to lead another team through the stargate to see if there's a threat and if Jackson is still alive.
After leading the team through the stargate, O'Neil discovers that the threat didn't come from Abydos. However, Jackson has found hieroglyphics that lead him to believe they are a map of many stargates throughout the galaxy. If that is the case, then the attack could have come from any planet with a stargate.
After an attack on the Abydos people which leaves many dead and Jackson's wife and another kidnapped, O'Neil and Jackson realize they must track down this new threat for the sake of those taken and to protect the Earth.
Another promising series for Showtime
Stargate SG-1 doesn't miss a beat as it picks up where the movie ended. Executive producers Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright have done a good job bringing the series to life, keeping most of the original premise intact. There's still plenty of action, and the special effects, while TV-sized, are reminiscent of the movie.
Fans of the original movie will not be disappointed, although some changes have been made to accommodate the series. Ra was thought to be the last of his kind. That he is not was to be expected if Stargate was to continue as a series. A little harder to swallow is the fact that Ra's people suddenly speak fluent English. The way in which Ra's people take over a human body is also a new development.
Richard Dean Anderson leads the cast in the role of Jack O'Neil (originally played by Kurt Russell). Anderson doesn't waste time trying to do an imitation of Russell, instead inhabiting O'Neil as his own character, without much MacGyver hanging around. Shanks takes over the role of Dr. Daniel Jackson (originally played by James Spader), and does a fairly good take on Spader's original characterization. Amanda Tapping as Capt. Samantha Carter seems a bit out of place as the writers try to create sexual tension between her and Anderson (not terribly successfully at this stage).
If this follows in the tradition of The Outer Limits and Poltergeist: The Legacy (which it undoubtedly will), the series will eventually become syndicated, so viewers without access to Showtime will have a chance to see it in time. And with a 44 episode commitment, Stargate SG-1 looks to be around for a while.
Stargate was a fun B movie. Stargate SG-1 looks to be a fun, blast-'em-up, B television series. If you're a fan of the movie, the series will not disappoint. Maybe it's time to get Showtime. -- Kathie
Review by Kathie Huddleston
Stargate SG-1
Starring Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks
Showtime
Nudity, Violence, Adult Language
Premieres July 27, 8 p.m. ET
It's been over a year since Colonel Jack O'Neil (Anderson) traveled through the "stargate" with Dr. Daniel Jackson (Shanks). The stargate turned out to be the passageway to another planet, Abydos, which was ruled by an evil alien being who called himself Ra. O'Neil and Jackson did battle with Ra and dispatched him with a nuclear weapon.
After his retirement from the military, O'Neil isn't surprised when he's called back to discuss his mission through the stargate. He disobeyed orders to destroy the stargate on Abydos, which would have closed the passageway forever and, perhaps, killed everyone on the planet. Instead he left Jackson there to live with the people.
The stargate has been opened on the other side, and a raid by someone very much like Ra has left four soldiers dead and one missing. After admitting that he lied in his report, O'Neil is called into action again to lead another team through the stargate to see if there's a threat and if Jackson is still alive.
After leading the team through the stargate, O'Neil discovers that the threat didn't come from Abydos. However, Jackson has found hieroglyphics that lead him to believe they are a map of many stargates throughout the galaxy. If that is the case, then the attack could have come from any planet with a stargate.
After an attack on the Abydos people which leaves many dead and Jackson's wife and another kidnapped, O'Neil and Jackson realize they must track down this new threat for the sake of those taken and to protect the Earth.
Another promising series for Showtime
Stargate SG-1 doesn't miss a beat as it picks up where the movie ended. Executive producers Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright have done a good job bringing the series to life, keeping most of the original premise intact. There's still plenty of action, and the special effects, while TV-sized, are reminiscent of the movie.
Fans of the original movie will not be disappointed, although some changes have been made to accommodate the series. Ra was thought to be the last of his kind. That he is not was to be expected if Stargate was to continue as a series. A little harder to swallow is the fact that Ra's people suddenly speak fluent English. The way in which Ra's people take over a human body is also a new development.
Richard Dean Anderson leads the cast in the role of Jack O'Neil (originally played by Kurt Russell). Anderson doesn't waste time trying to do an imitation of Russell, instead inhabiting O'Neil as his own character, without much MacGyver hanging around. Shanks takes over the role of Dr. Daniel Jackson (originally played by James Spader), and does a fairly good take on Spader's original characterization. Amanda Tapping as Capt. Samantha Carter seems a bit out of place as the writers try to create sexual tension between her and Anderson (not terribly successfully at this stage).
If this follows in the tradition of The Outer Limits and Poltergeist: The Legacy (which it undoubtedly will), the series will eventually become syndicated, so viewers without access to Showtime will have a chance to see it in time. And with a 44 episode commitment, Stargate SG-1 looks to be around for a while.
Stargate was a fun B movie. Stargate SG-1 looks to be a fun, blast-'em-up, B television series. If you're a fan of the movie, the series will not disappoint. Maybe it's time to get Showtime. -- Kathie
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