Could Stargate SG-1’s classic pilot episode “Children of the Gods” still sell a television series today?
In this episode of SciFiPulse Now, Ian Cullen and Marx Pyle revisit the feature-length opening story that introduced audiences to the television version of Stargate. We discuss how successfully Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge and the rest of the cast established characters who would become science-fiction favourites, while expanding the mythology of the original Stargate movie into something capable of sustaining a long-running television series.
We also ask what would have to change if “Children of the Gods” were produced today. Would Samantha Carter’s introduction be handled differently? Would modern television executives allow lengthy conversations about Stargate technology and planetary drift, or would they demand more action and a faster pace?
From Apophis and the Goa’uld to the introduction of the Jaffa and the enormous expansion of Stargate mythology, we examine why the original pilot still holds up remarkably well nearly three decades later.
Finally, we tackle the bigger question facing Stargate today: does the franchise actually need a reboot, or should a new series simply continue the universe that fans already love?
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