Based on the 1994 movie Stargate, featuring Kurt Russell and James Spader as Col. Jack O'Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson, the series was originally shown on Showcase for the first four seasons. In the series, Richard Dean Anderson of McGuyver fame played O'Neill, while Micheal Shanks took on the duties of Dr. Jackson. To fill out the television adaptation of the movie, the Jaffa Teal'c (played by Christopher Judge) and Capt. Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) were created to form the SG-1 team. The show focused on the main enemy that was introduced in the movie, the Goa'uld. The Goa'uld are a parasitic species that forceably take hosts to appear to humans as Gods. On Earth Ra appeared over 10 000 years ago. They for the most part take on the mythos of ancient Egyptian deities (Ra, Apophis, Anubis, Hathor, etc.) The Goa'uld use slaves to raise their young, the Jaffa; They in turn are granted long life and the healing abilities that a Goa'uld naturally possesses. Over Eight seasons, the Goa'uld were joined by the Replicators as SG-1's main nemesis. SG-1 was about exploring new planets and meeting new races and species. One of SG-1's major allies throughout the series were the Asgard, who are very similar in appearance to the traditional representation of an alien. They were part of an alliance of four species (as well as the Nox, the Ancients, and the Furlings) who were the protectors of the Milkyway; the Asgard themselves not being from our galaxy, but one named Ida. Also introduced as an ally were the Tok'ra (literally meaning against Ra), an offshoot of the Goa'uld who did not see themselves as Gods, but took hosts willingly to fight against the Goa'uld. In later seasons, the Jaffa with Teal'c's leadership freed themselves of the Goa'uld. By season eight, the Goa'uld storyline had pretty much run it's course. In season nine and ten, the Ori were SG-1's major foe. Also, three new characters were introduced, Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell and Vala Maldoran. Brig. Gen Jack O'Neill was replaced by Mitchell as SG-1's leader, and General George Hammond (Don S. Davis) was replaced by General Hank Landry (Beau Bridges). In total, Stargate SG-1 was one of the most successful Sci-Fi shows in TV history, going an unprecidented ten seasons (the last six of which were on the SciFi channel). SG-1 continues to have a huge fanbase and has pursued a new medium to tell its stories in movies; namely the recently released Stargate: The Ark Of Truth, and the forecoming time-traveling story, Stargate: Continuum, due in July 2008.
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