When we think about sci-fi, about marching out into the stars and encounters with aliens, we think of a time when technology has evolved to the point of travel. A short cut was taken by Stargate. What if we could just go out there right now?
The story was so compelling that it spanned over fifteen seasons of television on three shows. Although it might not be counted alongside the other Star greats of Wars and Trek, Stargate should be remembered as a landmark sci-fi show because it showed us that humanity's evolution wasn't a fantasy of the future.
The 25th anniversary of the show is a great time to look back on what made it great, and explore why the world needs the show now more than ever.
We were unique because it was rooting in the here. Brad Wright is one of the co- creators of the show. The original movie was produced by MGM and spawned two spinoff shows. Two writers from The Outer Limits were recruited by the studio to work on a pilot for a Stargate series. Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner were the writing partners who came up with the idea of the Gate traveling to more than one planet.
Wright saw the chance to fulfill a niche, juxtaposing human technical ingenuity with far more advanced alien villains. Wright said that they are people from the here and now. We are not ready for this and succeeding anyway. The team who were stand-ins for the early NASA astronauts were the core of this concept. The "leave no man behind" mission statement was what bound them together according to Wright.
The original film centered on two characters, Daniel Jackson and Jack O'Neil, who led the charge through the Gate to another world. A new Daniel and Jack had to be found. Richard Dean Anderson was hired by the studio to act as an executive producer on the show. After eight years on a show that focused on his character, Anderson wanted to share the spotlight with the rest of the cast. Sitting in on the auditioning, Anderson helped pick his new team, which included Michael Shanks as Daniel, as well as the new characters ofSamantha Carter and Teal'c.
There are two L's in Stargate.
Over the next few years, the easy chemistry between the four leads sparkled through the screen, and this chemistry began in the auditioning room, where Tapping, Shanks, and Judge quickly bond and help each other with their lines. After the show got a season order, they continued to stay at each other's houses while they found a home of their own. The cohesiveness of that team was important to us according to the person who told me. We looked out for each other, and we really loved each other. I think that connection made its way to the screen.
It stands out because it feels like you are hanging out with a group of friends. SG-1's brand of sci-fi is not the same as Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica, but it is still quite different. Even though they were frequently captured, tortured, and grieving for lost spouses and children, they still found a way to laugh at the situation. If anything, this tongue-in-cheek humor made the situation worse. There is always joy to be found no matter what the situation is.
A far cry from the dour film version of the character, the humor was driven by Jack O'Neill. Anderson's character had to have a sense of humor in order for him to join this shift. The blend was perfect with the writers own sense of humor. Wright says that the humor is theirs. Unless he is funny at the same time, he doesn't feel genuine. In the early days of the show, Richard Dean Anderson would change dialogue on set while he was an executive producer. Christopher Judge said that Rick's dialogue was like the end of a milk carton. It was a suggestion, that's what it was. The writers adjusted to Anderson's voice and made for a challenging environment. It took a while for him to trust me.
The collaborative approach was not unique to Anderson. After the pilot, I told Jonathan and Brad that I thought Teal'c should not say anything. As a turncoat alien soldier known as a Jaffa, Teal'c gave vital strategic information to the team. Judge thought that his calm demeanor would add to the mystery. "I wanted his silence to be intelligent because Hollywood is very fast to give characters of color super strength but they're reluctant to give them super intelligence." That is what I wanted to have. Some people said that Judge's eyeshadow was effeminate. I said it was perfect. It was a success. It was important that the audience didn't know who he was immediately. The judge thought that the Jaffa did not obey the same gender hierarchy as humans. It just mattered how good of a warrior you were.
The writers were dedicated to grounded, character-driven stories, as they relied on the team to save the day. The writers paid particular attention to how the actors created their roles. "As the seasons progressed, they were so good at calling us in and saying 'how are you feeling, is there anything you think we're missing?'" She was vocal about her role from the beginning. She thinks they wrote her as trying too hard to prove herself because they tried so hard to write her in a male-dominated field. In the pilot episode, Carter is reluctant to join the team because of her reproductive organs being on the inside. She retorts: "Just because my reproductive organs are on the inside, doesn't mean I can't handle anything you can handle."
Captain Sam Carter stands up for her beliefs.
This approach was off-putting and disingenuous to how a woman would handle herself in that situation. She asked the writers to write Sam as a man. Sam should be a part of that because the guys had this easy way of speaking with each other. She became one of the strongest parts of the show after Carter changed his writing. The lynch pin was held together by Carter. Carter could always come up with a solution to save the day, even if it meant blowing up a sun or sending a Stargate into the air. Wright says that Sam is almost a superhero, but it works because of the work done by the other person. You can't write that shit and have it come out as believable as she said it was, because she did it with enough authority and intelligence.
The spirit of collaboration was what made the show work. Even though the show was about the U.S. military, it was still about bringing people to the diplomacy table and building a network. The writers and cast had to fight to make the show they wanted to make.
Although it was produced by an American studio, it was a solidly Canadian production. Wright pushed back against studio execs who pressured him to hire from the U.S., even though he was born in Toronto. My back was going to go up. An American executive might think that an American would be better. Wright said he would get the best writers Canada had to offer because they were working on a bigger budget show.
While production is based in Canada, most of the writing is done in Los Angeles. The Bridge Studios, where the show was filmed, gave the writers and production crew easy access to each other. "Rob wanted to do a water set, where we went through the Stargate into the water." Robert C. Cooper, who started as a staff writer and ended up as the show's showrunner by season seven, went to the visual effects team but was told it wasn't possible. The same visual effects guy told Rob that he couldn't do that story last year. It is possible for you to do it right now. We rented it because James CAMERON created a piece of software to make a movie.
The doctor goes through the gate.
The direct line from the set to the writers made it easier for the actors to flag things they were not comfortable with. The MGM executive gave the woman the low cut tank top and the push up bra, according to the person. It was a shock when she encountered this in her first costume fitting. I refuse to wear it because I burst into tears in front of the wardrobe woman. It felt like an unfair deal. The costume designer called Wright and Glassner to say that the costume didn't work for the character. Carter was wearing the same uniform as the men. Even though there were frequently alien women who were scantily clad, she felt an immense sense of responsibility with Carter.
The producers listened to the cast's concerns when there was an issue with representation. Judge had to say something about casting choices. Judge jokes that he is the only one here again. There was a prison scene with people of color. The judge called Wright. They brought in a new background. If there are only episodes where people of color are seen, I will be damned. He fixed the problem. Judge says that racialized bias becomes part of the unconscious mind and part of the status quo unless you push against it.
There were other times when Judge noticed a bias in the show. I went to Brad and asked if anyone noticed that when we go to these planets the women are only attracted to O'Neil or Jackson. Brad said the studio doesn't want it. The studio didn't like the fact that Teal'c had a wife and an old flame who died in the third season. Wright wanted Judge to write his own episodes. I was taken aback. It was foreign to have a boss who gave you the chance to write your own stories. The supportive atmosphere that kept Judge on the show was what made him stay on the show. I wanted to be supportive and inclusive after I got to where I was.
The first person to admit that they could have done things differently is Wright. He said that his daughter raised the issue with him. My daughter is gay. She said there weren't enough gay characters in the show. Wright made good on his promise and added a lesbian character to the main cast of Universe. We probably should have addressed it a lot earlier.
The writers and actors who made the show what it was would not be the same if it were made today. As the relationship between the show and the military grew stronger, the Air Force and Navy invited the show to play with their toys. The F15 aircraft and T38s were sent to us just for shots.
The military focused on fact-checking to make sure that all regulations were being met. The officers' decorum was only affected by that. The biggest barrier to the show was the fact that Carter and O'Neill couldn't be in a relationship. When the writers wanted the couple to be married in an alternate universe episode, the military objected. Cooper came up with a solution that would keep the story going. She doesn't need to be a military person. The military accepted the rewritten episode because Carter is a doctor instead of an Air Force captain. The writers incorporated the reality of the situation when they were trying to develop the romance between O'Neill and Carter. The chemistry and mutual pining of this season was very compelling to watch.
Finding a way around it or finding a way to use it were the main concerns of the military. The military advisers were as tongue-in-cheek as the writers were. There was a time when the Air Force said there was no Area 51. Wright said that they added that line into the script. We asked if we could have an officer tell us that there is no Area 51. The Air Force agreed. That will be hilarious. Area 52 was renamed by the writers.
The character of Daniel Jackson allowed the show to critique America's military aims despite the fact that each script was checked by the Air Force. Jackson was not a military man, but he was a vocal advocate of diplomacy and morality. Jackson will always fight for the alternate perspective, even if they have to bash heads a bit to find a solution, and O'Neill will always do what's right, even if they have to bash heads a bit to find a solution.
Since when did he start?
Even the cast members were surprised by the commentary on the U.S. military's acquisition of resources and weapons on alien soil. The season one episode "Cor Ai" is what Christopher Judge said he raised an eyebrow at. The man said to the man that he had done some terrible things. I don't think you could say that about what it is to be a soldier and get the military's blessing. It is not possible to be supportive yet critical of what America is doing.
One perspective that flew under the radar was the most progressive one that the show offered. The show was even-handed, but the writers admit to being left-leaning in their approach to religion. Cooper said that Stargate pokes holes in the idea of using religion as a means of oppression. It is pro-science and anti- religion. The main antagonists of the show were the aliens who pretended to be gods in order to rule over and enslave people. The mission of SG-1 is to get those people to challenge their beliefs and authority.
Wright and Cooper have had conversations with religious fans who never felt like they were being criticized for their beliefs, but for others it was a lifesaver. I was raised with a belief in Christianity. The pastor godparents and the worship-leader parents are home-schooled. D told io9 that Stargate helped them learn about other religions and questioned what they had been told. D was banned from watching a lot of media. It made me feel like a different person. It was my first time talking about religion that wasn't focused on my religion. It was a catalyst that helped me break out of the bubble I was raised in, when they talked about the huge amount of religions on Earth. It was like freedom when I was a fan of Starrgate.
It's hard to stand out in a pop culture landscape filled with space operas. Although it is fondly remembered by its fans, Stargate doesn't have the pop culture power of Star Trek or Star Wars. The cancellation of SG-1 in 2007, Atlantis in 2009, and Universe in 2011 could have been related to this. The changing culture of television is one of the reasons for the franchise's demise. The new network didn't have a stake in the shows because they weren't originals. The ratings were going down. That was the beginning of the end for networks. The rating we were getting was really great.
Even though there has been no new show for 11 years, the fans are still very much interested in a revival of the franchise. Fans were excited to hear that Brad Wright was writing a new Stargate pilot and that MGM was shopping it. Wright wanted to bring back members of the team that fans knew and introduce new characters. The amount of time is the same. It is important to me that Stargate is here. Wright hasn't revealed much about his pilot, but his script "strongly infers" that Carter and O'Neill are finally together, even if Carter is busy "running the show." MGM, seemingly on the rocks financially again, was purchased by Amazon before Wright's pilot could see the light of day.
A press release about the sale listed the properties that Amazon was looking to create new content for, and it seems like the company is ready to use MGM's back catalog. While there hasn't been an update on what Amazon is planning to do with its new MGM toybox, a revival of the show seems all but inevitable. What will Amazon do with its own Star-franchise? The cult film and the TV spinoffs are two different eras of the show. Different teams are behind each one.
The creators of the original film want to make a sequel to their version of the franchise. The movie trilogy was supposed to return to the plot of the first film, ignoring the world building added by the TV shows. This project was put on hold in the year 2016 If Amazon wants to create a new film franchise, it would be a good idea to look at Devlin and Emmerich. If Amazon wants to give Stargate a home on Prime, they could either tap Wright, Cooper, and their writing team, or they could go in a completely different direction.
Amazon may be able to wipe the slate clean, but this decision could hurt the fans who have been with the company for a long time. Creating a story that provides new viewers with an entry point into the franchise is a balanced approach. Ben said that any new show should beevolutionary. He said to turn the camera to a different angle and follow the approach of other revivals. As the new leader of the show, he has some experience of reinventing it, but at its core, it must be optimistic. It is an adventure when you step through the gate.
There are many things that made Stargate so popular, from its scientific problem-solving and exploration of mythology, to its fantastic character development and team dynamics, to the spirit of adventure which enthralled viewers year after year. It's main appeal is that it's possible that this could all be happening right now and that it's a gateway to other worlds. If we stepped out into the stars with modern-day technology against aliens who were already there, we could see what we could become. Stargate showed us how to get there if Star Trek showed us a utopian future.
Christopher Judge said it was about hope. Right now, that message could be useful.
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