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    Stargate - Beyond just T.V.

    Hello, i have visited this site more than once, but never made an account. However...It's time...


    Stargate SG-1 - A family program.

    When i was young, my parents got divorced, i had weekends with my dad, and we would watch T.V. together, but that is about it. Other than that, i was in my room, only to come out for meals (not that this was any different from my moms house, except it was)

    With my dad we would watch T.V. together, and just to hear the 'oooo' from my dad when something happened relating to the plot, and then went to commercial and left you in a mild cliffhanger, was the most excitement i have ever had. We both knew that what happened next was going to be great.

    When i look back at my childhood, i don't see a white picket fence, i see Stargate SG-1. I see the SG-1 team, and my dad not getting up to get another alcoholic beverage, for fear of missing what would happen next, like when teal'c had a Salem witch trial ordeal, and almost drowned. He looked back at me from the couch that was closer to the T.V. than the chair, and we both would have a slight smile on our face, if only to cover our fear that our beloved character might not make it.

    That moment when my dad would inhale and release an 'ooohh' at the sight of the dramatic experience happening on T.V., when he would look at me, and I him, both of us with a slight smile, and anticipation of what would happen next, that is when i realized, that this show, Stargate SG-1, was not only great because of the sheer awesomeness that would come forth from the T.V. week after week, but because it gave me something....it gave us something, that can only be described by a pitiful display of words that could never touch the emotions felt. It brought us together, and the moments it has given me with my dad, will ALWAYS be remembered.

    My worst realization growing up, was that the actors were getting older, and that, despite me wanting to have this show, and this connection with my dad forever, that eventually it would end. Fortunately, we had a spin off series called Stargate Atlantis.


    Stargate Atlantis.

    This was a whole new premise to what we have already seen on SG-1. I remember being wowed by the visuals, being inspired by the new younger lead character (he was everything i wanted to be, good looking, brave, and selfless) and being stuck in my own head about how cool it was that they worked Atlantis into the show with their (Stargates) own twist.

    While my weekends with my dad were slowing (sometimes i would skip weekends) watching this with him (when i was there) brought forth the same connection as SG-1. I will admit, i was a little more hesitant with this one that SG-1. I was afraid of letting go of the past, but eventually it got me, it sucked me in.

    Then, years later, on thanksgiving, before a mouthful of turkey, as we all sat around the table and discussed everything and anything that came to mind (mostly jokes) my dad informed me of a new Stargate that was coming out! Stragate Universe!

    When i got home the first thing i did was google 'Stargate universe'. As i saw the results light up my screen, i couldn't help but wonder how i had not heard of this. I became exited, i waited for what seemed like an eternity for the pilot. I passed the time by watching episodes of Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis, then watched them again and again! Until finally, the pilot aired. I felt a mixture of fear and excitement. I was excited to see the next piece to the puzzle that is the Stargate franchise, but fearful that it wouldn't be as good as SG-1 or Atlantis.

    I finished the pilot episode...

    I couldn't help but giggle like a schoolgirl, despite being a man. This was surely going to be a long series, and with such a relatable character like Eli....I was going to connect even harder than i had with any character from previous Stargate series.

    I saw what was going to be an amazing relationship. Eli and Chloe. The geek who wins over a beautiful woman through his personality and genius....or so i thought.

    The series ultimately ended on a cliffhanger, and here i wait. I wait for the next Stargate series, I wait for the next chapter of a program that has done so much for me, from providing me with emotionally entertaining T.V., to a fun childhood, and to a connection with my dad.


    I guess in essence, this post was meant to simply say, Stargate is more that just a show, to myself, and many others. Without it, I, as i'm sure many others, feel lost. Stargate is beyond a T.V. show, it is family.

    #2
    Out of my family and my family friends I know one thing is for sure, there has only ever been 2 tv series that we all watched as families and that was doctor who and stargate. Stargate does a good job on bringing people together and I will never forget the times I've had watching it. It's sad it's ended but it leaves good memories I just hope one day it will return

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      #3
      Simply an amazing essay. It proves that not only is Stargate just a sci-fi franchise but it's something that the entire family can enjoy as a whole; I hate it when shows get typecast as niche because ST:TNG has that same family appeal, you just wanted to watch the adventures, see what happens next and have fun doing so but there was just something about Stargate that made it appeal to a certain audience, that just make it more fun and sci-fiy for lack of a better term. Maybe it was because the universe was colorful, maybe because it was the original Stargate film; who knows but what I know is that there was something that set it apart.

      I'll have more later but amazing essay.
      Back from the grave.

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        #4
        For me...Stargate well...back in the late 90s I was still just a teenager and not too old for heroes and I was able to bond with SG1 more than I could with the Babylon 5 characters overall!

        And then it proved to be my first real intro to fandom...I went to Uni...graduated...moved city...got involved in fields I never expected to touch before both online and offline and the world generally went nuts in the meantime...yet SG remained as a touchstone...a link to a more straightforward time...and now it's gone...and even three years later it's proved irreplacable...
        I SURF FOR THE FREEDOM!

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          #5
          Reading this reminded me again why Stargate is something special, why it brings people together to share all those great moments it gave us as fans. One of the most heartfelt stories of what Stargate is to a person I've read in a long time.

          It truly reminded me of family, for me it is the Stargate family, all those in RL I've met that share these moments and understand the magic of it, and those here on GW. I wish I had a close family member that shared my love of this show that I could sit with every week through the years to share those ''wow' moments. Being able to read and talk about others' experiences and mine has made up for that for me though, sharing those moments that makes Stargate special for all of us, and isn't that what we do as a 'family'.

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            #6
            I first saw the 1994 movie when I was very small(and all I remembered were sand dunes and an Egyptian atmosphere). Then, my parents got me Stargate Atlantis Season 1. I was hooked to the series immediately and watched it from the beginning.
            I remember my mom was a big fan of SG-1 and to a lesser extent, Atlantis.
            Then Universe came out... she only watched it cause it was Stargate, but I thought it was the best SG show yet.
            That damn cliffhanger...

            Isn't anyone going to mention Infinity? Never saw that one.
            "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

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              #7
              I got into the Stargate when I saw SG-1 airing on a slovenian comercial television station. Not sure which season was airing at the time and which was the first episode I've seen, but I ended up seeing that season finale where Anubis tries to blow up SGC by sending a huge-ass charge trough the womhole which pervents it to shut down after 38 minutes.

              Then a few years later, in 2009, I got into SGA for the first time. Then SGU came out and I was totally hooked into the TV series.

              So much, that I watched SG-1's season 8,9 and 10 and SGA's seasons 1,2 and 3 back-to-back. Two episodes of SG-1 and two episodes of SGA. I started my complete re-watch with the 1994 movie and ended it with Gauntlet.

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                #8
                I saw Stargate:Atlantis in 2010 on the TV. A few month later i saw SG-1 on the DVD. I really like watch this show because this television series mix of phantasy,sci fi,drama and e.t.c.
                sigpic

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                  #9
                  I don't have any nostalgia about the Stargate TV series, as I only started watching them a little while ago (and I've seen all of SG-1, most of Atlantis, and the two DTV movies now). I did see the original Stargate movie when it was new, back in the mid 1990s, and I loved it; I was fascinated by the idea of ancient mythical gods being aliens possessing advanced technology. I like the Star Trek episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?" for the same reason.

                  However, I was 20 years old when I saw the original Stargate movie in probably 1995, so I have no sense of nostalgia attached to it. I'm only nostalgic for things from my childhood, and that would be the 1980s. I can relate to your post, but for me the TV show was Magnum, P.I., which I watched with my father and older brother every Thursday night at 8 PM on CBS for years. We watched a lot of TV shows, but MPI is the one that stands out the most for me, because it was my favorite show, and one of the few that all 3 of us always agreed to watch without any argument. I remember the week before the final episode aired in 1988; I was both excited to see how it would end, but also disappointed that it was ending. It had been on for 8 years, and when you are only 13 years old, 8 years represents over half your lifetime, and spans back through your memories to some of the earliest ones you can recall. In other words, it seems like something that has "always" been there is suddenly going away.

                  Many of the Stargate episodes are quite entertaining, and I'm sure I would have loved it as a kid had it been around. I certainly loved the Star Trek (original series) reruns when I was a kid, and Stargate is the same idea.

                  By the way, when I see Richard Dean Anderson, I think "MacGyver" (Dad loved that show; I liked it too, but not as much as MPI). I suppose that younger people think "Jack O'Neill" instead.

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                    #10
                    Particularly as McGuyvver wasn't that well known in the UK! Hadn't heard of RDA prior to SG1!
                    I SURF FOR THE FREEDOM!

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