Amazon.co.uk Review
The 1994 movie Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted celebrating their Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. Replacing the Kurt Russell and James Spader roles of Colonel Jack O’Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson respectively are Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks. They are joined by Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and guilt-stricken former alien baddie Teal’c (Christopher Judge) to form the teacher’s pet primary unit SG-1. With a seemingly endless network of Stargates found to exist on planets all across the known universe, their mission is to make first contact with as many friendly races as possible. Chasing their heels at almost every turn are the “overlord” pharaohnic Goa’uld–the ancient Egyptian Gods who are none too chummy after the events of the original film. The welcome notion of a continued plot thread sees offshoots that follow the reincarnation of Daniel’s wife, Sam’s father literally joining a renegade faction of the Goa’uld, and Jack in an unending quest to out-sarcasm everyone. There’s something of The Time Tunnel to the show’s premise, but amid a dearth of derivative look-a-likes, Stargate has held its own with stories that put the science fiction back into TV sci-fi. The episodes are not always properly sequenced on the tapes, making the order of events potentially confusing, something that ought to be taken into account when viewing.

It’s one year after the events of the original motion picture. We find that Colonel O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson replacing Kurt Russell) has retired from the military, thinking he can forget about the Stargate and those who were left behind. Events conspire to re-commission him alongside old faces and new when it’s discovered there’s more than one Gate in the galaxy. A lot more! Although it assumes familiarity with the preceding movie, “Children of the Gods” is still an excellent pilot show. Characters are introduced sensibly, the expanded premise is engaging, and there’s clearly a healthy sense of never taking itself too seriously. –Paul Tonks Amazon.co.uk Review
The 1994 movie Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted celebrating their Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. Replacing the Kurt Russell and James Spader roles of Colonel Jack O’Neill and Dr Daniel Jackson respectively are Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks. They are joined by Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and guilt-stricken former alien baddie Teal’c (Christopher Judge) to form the teacher’s pet primary unit SG-1 With a seemingly endless network of Stargates found to exist on planets all across the known universe, their mission is to make first contact with as many friendly races as possible. Chasing their heels at almost every turn are the “overlord” pharaoh-like Goa’uld–the ancient Egyptian Gods who are none too chummy after the events of the original film. The welcome notion of a continued plot thread sees offshoots that follow the reincarnation of Daniel’s wife; Sam’s father literally joining a renegade faction of the Goa’uld; and Jack in an unending quest to out-sarcasm everyone. There’s something of The Time Tunnel to the show’s premise, but amid a dearth of derivative look-a-likes, Stargate has held its own with stories that put the science fiction back into TV sci-fi. The episodes are not always properly sequenced on the tapes, making the order of events potentially confusing, something that ought to be taken into account when viewing.

This volume presents another fantastic coupling of episodes. “Tin Man” sustains the most unnerving of mysteries through to the very end. The team awakes after being zapped unconscious and is reassured by crackpot scientist Harlan that they’ve been “improved”. Exactly what he means, and why they can never go back makes this a truly thought-provoking segment. The same can be said for the alternate universe presented in “There but for the Grace of God”, when Daniel’s curiosity over an alien artefact presents him with a view of the explosive way things may go with the Goa’uld. This is the start of a trilogy building toward the season climax. –Paul Tonks

Stargate SG-1 Vol. 1.10 – Missions 1.18 & 1.19

Amazon.co.uk Review
The 1994 movie Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted celebrating their Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. Replacing the Kurt Russell and James Spader roles of Colonel Jack O’Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson respectively are Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks. They are joined by Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and guilt-stricken former alien baddie Teal’c (Christopher Judge) to form the teacher’s pet primary unit SG-1. With a seemingly endless network of Stargates found to exist on planets all across the known universe, their mission is to make first contact with as many friendly races as possible. Chasing their heels at almost every turn are the “overlord” pharaohnic Goa’uld–the ancient Egyptian Gods who are none too chummy after the events of the original film. The welcome notion of a continued plot thread sees offshoots that follow the reincarnation of Daniel’s wife, Sam’s father literally joining a renegade faction of the Goa’uld, and Jack in an unending quest to out-sarcasm everyone. There’s something of The Time Tunnel to the show’s premise, but amid a dearth of derivative look-a-likes, Stargate has held its own with stories that put the science fiction back into TV sci-fi. The episodes are not always properly sequenced on the tapes, making the order of events potentially confusing, something that ought to be taken into account when viewing.

It’s one year after the events of the original motion picture. We find that Colonel O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson replacing Kurt Russell) has retired from the military, thinking he can forget about the Stargate and those who were left behind. Events conspire to re-commission him alongside old faces and new when it’s discovered there’s more than one Gate in the galaxy. A lot more! Although it assumes familiarity with the preceding movie, “Children of the Gods” is still an excellent pilot show. Characters are introduced sensibly, the expanded premise is engaging, and there’s clearly a healthy sense of never taking itself too seriously. –Paul Tonks Amazon.co.uk Review
The 1994 movie Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted celebrating their Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. Replacing the Kurt Russell and James Spader roles of Colonel Jack O’Neill and Dr Daniel Jackson respectively are Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks. They are joined by Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and guilt-stricken former alien baddie Teal’c (Christopher Judge) to form the teacher’s pet primary unit SG-1 With a seemingly endless network of Stargates found to exist on planets all across the known universe, their mission is to make first contact with as many friendly races as possible. Chasing their heels at almost every turn are the “overlord” pharaoh-like Goa’uld–the ancient Egyptian Gods who are none too chummy after the events of the original film. The welcome notion of a continued plot thread sees offshoots that follow the reincarnation of Daniel’s wife; Sam’s father literally joining a renegade faction of the Goa’uld; and Jack in an unending quest to out-sarcasm everyone. There’s something of The Time Tunnel to the show’s premise, but amid a dearth of derivative look-a-likes, Stargate has held its own with stories that put the science fiction back into TV sci-fi. The episodes are not always properly sequenced on the tapes, making the order of events potentially confusing, something that ought to be taken into account when viewing.

This is possibly one of the best pairings of episodes, despite being the eleventh and seventh chronologically speaking. A fantastic link back to the original film leads the team to Professor Ernest Littlefield who has been trapped on a planet for 40 years unable to get the Gate working at his end. “The Torment of Tantalus” is a real showcase for Michael Shanks as Dr Jackson who is enthralled by the knowledge Littlefield has become privy to. The spotlight then shifts to O’Neill who has never come to terms with the death of his son. “Cold Lazarus” is another terrific piece of science fiction, as the team riddles the mystery of the planet of blue crystals. –Paul Tonks

Stargate SG-1 Vol. 1.6 – Missions 1.10 & 1.11