The Music

[ATimson]

And, syndication? is that a channel, and showtime? stargate is on sci-fi. and why would different channels have different openings?

Showtime is another cable channel, a premium one like HBO (where you have to pay money specifically for that channel, as opposed to Sci-Fi). It was where the first five seasons of SG-1 aired.

Syndication isn't a cable channel, but rather a distribution method. The show is sold to specific stations (those airing hour-long dramas are usually ones in the UHF band, belonging to Fox, UPN, and the WB), rather than a network; each station gets an episode a week, and chooses when within that week to air it. The syndicated episodes are two or three seasons behind the original broadcasts on cable. (Other examples of syndicated shows include the original runs of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, the first four seasons of Babylon 5, and Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda--which is still airing in syndication its fifth season, but will be a week behind the episodes on Sci-Fi.)

[uknesvuinng]

Showtime is another cable channel, a premium one like HBO (where you have to pay money specifically for that channel, as opposed to Sci-Fi). It was where the first five seasons of SG-1 aired.

Syndication isn't a cable channel, but rather a distribution method. The show is sold to specific stations (those airing hour-long dramas are usually ones in the UHF band, belonging to Fox, UPN, and the WB), rather than a network; each station gets an episode a week, and chooses when within that week to air it. The syndicated episodes are two or three seasons behind the original broadcasts on cable. (Other examples of syndicated shows include the original runs of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, the first four seasons of Babylon 5, and Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda--which is still airing in syndication its fifth season, but will be a week behind the episodes on Sci-Fi.)

Interestingly enough, we have a Fox station in our area that shows Andromeda episodes in syndication a week ahead of Sci-Fi. I think WGN shows them a week ahead as well on Sunday nights.

[Anthro Girl]

I didn't mind the Pharoah opening sequence (although it did work better the movie), but my favorite is the no-clips, spinning gate opener for Season 6.

I wrote this somewhere else, but the music being played when they first get to Atlantis and are exploring the city is from SG-1's episode The Light. Joel Goldsmith has been doing the scores for SG-1 all along and I've found them to be quite beautifully crafted. His dad is quite a famous film and television composer (Gunsmoke, Twilight Zone, Planet of the Apes, Alien, Omen, several Star Trek movies and series), so it runs in the family.

[Torley]

To be fair, electronic music can sound just as "big" than any acoustic symphony orchestra. Some of those pad sounds and other synthetic leads are YUGE (in the Donald Trump sense) . Although if you want to sound like real instruments, for authenticity's sake, then use real instruments! Don't make a cat pretend to be a dog because it won't work out, play on the strengths of both.

I've heard too many hackeneyed ripoffs of the greats like John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith with big orchestral blasts, and I enjoy Joel's work in his own right and light to shine. There are many misunderstandings about which can do what, and does anyone else remember how dramatic the music on Star Trek: TNG generally was before the end of the 3rd season? Then it kind of got more subdued from there, which wasn't my taste. I like the catchy melodies, but I've got to hear what the end result is. Stargate SG-1 has had many memorable themes and scores composed by a handful of contributors over the years, but consistently good I think.

[ATimson]

Interestingly enough, we have a Fox station in our area that shows Andromeda episodes in syndication a week ahead of Sci-Fi. I think WGN shows them a week ahead as well on Sunday nights.

That'll change next season; they're behind now because their deal to air GRA was signed mid-season.

[ATimson]

There are many misunderstandings about which can do what, and does anyone else remember how dramatic the music on Star Trek: TNG generally was before the end of the 3rd season? Then it kind of got more subdued from there, which wasn't my taste.

That would coincide with the firing of Ron Jones (since he consistently went over budget; we got excellent scores like "Best of Both Worlds" from him, though) and Rick Berman reining in the other composers. There was an occasional outstanding score after then, though mostly for "event" episodes: "Way of the Warrior" and "Broken Bow" both come to mind.