The Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Considering the case for the sci fi and fantasy television shows that should be counted among the greatest of all time.
What Is It?
A gateway that allowed ancient aliens to travel to Earth is discovered and Stargate Command is established to monitor activity and guard against hostiles that present a threat to the planet. Several teams are set up to travel through the gate and explore new worlds with the primary team, SG-1, consisting of Colonel Jack O’Neill, Captain Samantha Carter, scientist Daniel Jackson, and the alien Teal’c. They travel to the worlds that the ancient aliens had previously visited while also defending against threats such as the Goa-uld, the Replicators, and the Ori. The series is a continuation of the 1994 film Stargate.
Aired: Showtime / The Sci Fi Channel, 1997-2007, 10 Seasons Totaling 214 Episodes
Starring: Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Don S. Davis, Ben Browder, Claudia Black
Created By: Brad Wright, Jonathan Glassner
Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows:
In 1994, a little film titled Stargate hit the theaters and received only a lukewarm reception from critics, though it went on to have a successful run at the Box Office. It certainly set up the potential for a sequel film, but instead the story continued on television when Showtime picked it up as an original series and it would eventually go on to be one of the longest-running sci fi TV shows of all time (carrying on at The Sci Fi Channel starting with its sixth year). Stargate SG-1 delivered a budget-conscious way to explore the galaxy by relying on the stargate portal which required fewer special effects than a spaceship. But it still delivered its share of space craft over the years as well as sfx-heavy stories as it established itself as an important entry in the genre.
The Stargate film set up part of the mythology the show would use and that would continue to grow and expand over its ten-year run, giving us a very well-developed universe. But it was the core actors that really brought this show together. Richard Dean Anderson offered the perfect lead, jumping over from a seven-year run on MacGyver and making the role of Jack O’Neill (played by Kurt Russell in the film) very much his own. Amanada Tapping stepped up to deliver a strong female lead as Samantha Carter while Michael Shanks offered the non-military presence with the brainy Daniel Jackson (originally played by James Spader in the film). Christopher Judge gave us the obligatory alien character, though he did a good job of steering Teal’c away from pure cliché during the show’s run.
The cast and universe they populated along with strong writing (particularly during the show’s early years) made Stargate SG-1 stand out and it compared favorably to the other space-based entries of the ’90s like the Star Trek entries and Babylon 5. It also went on to generate two live-action spin-offs and a further continuation of its story is currently under consideration at Amazon’s Prime Video, so this one should certainly be included in the rankings when tallying up the best sci fi TV shows of all time. (Read more about the show at this link.)
Argument Against:
While Stargate SG-1 did have a notable tenure, it may have gone on too long. The twenty-plus episode seasons led to a fair amount of padding each year, and by its later years the show definitely started to feel rather long-in-the-tooth, especially once the central cast members started leaving. It also tended to introduce some very interesting ideas and concepts but then it failed to fully explore them (this was particularly notable during the second half of its run). And after it had been on the air for several years, the show started to feel rather old school as the early years of prestige television began to change the television landscape. Farscape offered a much more cinematic experience while the Battlestar: Galactica reboot redefined the genre. Stargate SG-1, on the other hand, just plodded along with the same type of stories it had been doing for years and it eventually felt like it had overstayed its welcome. If it had wrapped up around its fifth year, that might have given the show a tighter and better-respected run. But ultimately, its longevity may have worked against it.
Johnny Jay’s Take:
While I agree with the arguments that Stargate SG-1 may have stuck around too long, I don’t believe that diminishes the show’s overall accomplishment. The first five or so seasons were the best in my opinion, but the show still had plenty to offer after that. And when Ben Browder and Claudia Black jumped onboard in the last two seasons, they definitely injected a new energy into the show. SG-1 may not have been at the same heights as its early years, but it was still worth watching and it took some chances from time to time, especially with the meta episodes. In addition, the sfx hold up pretty well for this show, possibly in part because they used those more judiciously. Your mileage may vary on this one while working your way through its entire ten-year run, but overall this still counts as one of the greatest sci fi TV shows of all time.
Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series has been released on DVD and Blu-ray. It is currently available for streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video along with the movies The Ark of Truth and Continuum as well as the sequel series Stargate: Atlantis and Stargate Universe. The original movie is streaming on MGM+ and you can also watch it for free (with ads) on services like The Roku Channel and Tubi TV.
Do you consider Stargate SG-1 one of the greatest sci fi TV shows of all time, or does it count as a lesser genre entry? Chime in with your thoughts below.
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
Definitely one of the greats. I’m not sure why it seems “old school” to some in any way other than perhaps dated effects and picture quality – which is inevitable. I think the storytelling style from older shows is great. By contrast, most ‘Prestige TV’ is not really fun to watch and thus has poor rewatchability. It doesn’t help that alot of these shows like Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Last of Us ( and even to some extent the BSG reboot that sort of got the ball rolling) just seem like misery porn to me.
They definitely knew how to have fun with this one. While I like some of the darker sci fi shows from the past twenty years or so, SG-1 is always reliable as show that knew how to do good sci fi but never got overly depressing.