Stargate SG-1 - TV-PG

Sci-fi drama has lots of potential. Tweens OK.

TV Rating: TV-PG Network: SciFi, Syndicated Cast: Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Richard Dean Anderson Genre: Science Fiction
Available on: DVDDownload

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that the series' main villains are a rather unsavory species called the Goa'uld, snake-like parasites that burrow into victims, take over their mind, and then use their body as an unwilling host. The process can be scary for young children to watch, and the concept of being taken over by a Goa'uld can be even more disturbing.

Families can discuss whether they think there's life on other planets. In the Stargate universe, the galaxy is connected by a network of gates, and many planets have various types of intelligent life. Some are quite similar to humans and some quite different; some are friendly, some are indifferent, and a few are clearly hostile -- all of which might prompt parents and kids to wonder about humanity's role in the universe. Do you think we're alone out here? Do you think that an encounter with a hostile alien culture would convince us to put aside global bickering?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Will Wade

STARGATE SG-1 is a show about possibilities. The basic premise is that a secret military team has discovered a network of portals that can instantly transport people all over the galaxy -- so, with typically earnest human curiosity, they set off to discover the mysteries of the cosmos.

This engrossing series, based on the 1994 film, debuted in 1997 (many seasons are available on DVD), giving the Stargate team plenty of time to encounter countless alien cultures and a wide variety of races, many of whom are very much like us.

Stargate SG-1's writers have slowly revealed a very complex mythology: The Stargates were created by the Ancients, an ultra-advanced race that disappeared eons ago, and humans and several other races are slowly figuring out how to use them. One of these is the Goa'uld, a snake-like species of parasites bent on taking over the galaxy; until the Stargate team arrived on the scene to oppose them, they were close to attaining their goal.

Richard Dean Anderson (aka MacGyver) starred as Major General Jack O'Neill from 1997-2005; other key personnel include chief researcher Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), Lt. Col. Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping), Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder), and Teal'c (Christopher Judge).

Part of the show's appeal is that the potential of the Stargate portals is virtually limitless -- the gate is wide open for the team to find just about anything on a new world, and they often do. (The equally popular spin-off show, Stargate Atlantis, revealed that the fabled lost city was built on Earth by the Ancients and transported long ago to a distant galaxy, a concept that's equally full of exciting potential storylines.) This never-ending potential makes the show rather addicting, though new viewers may require several episodes to figure out what's going on.

All of that said, Stargate SG-1 is still a fairly conventional TV space opera. The heroes are plucky, the evil villains are rather one-dimensional in their quest for galactic domination, and the crisis du jour is almost always neatly wrapped up before the top of the hour.

Fans will definitely enjoy Stargate Atlantis, as well as the original movie and Battlestar Galactica.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content No explicit sexual scenes or nudity, though some alien cultures have relatively racy outfits.
Violence Rather mild combat scenes against aliens; few fights involve much visible bloodshed. The Goa'ulds' takeover process can be a bit scary to watch.
Language
Message
	Social Behavior The Stargate project is run by the military, and the crew tends to follow orders. Disobedience is not unheard of -- for example, when a gutsy character decides to follow a hunch. Such choices make for dramatic cliffhangers and, because they almost invariably turn out to be correct, are usually praised by superiors. The evil aliens are rather one-dimensional in their desire to rule the galaxy and are easy to root against.
	Commercialism
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Virtually none.