Star Trek Fans Have To Check Out This Sci-Fi Military Series That's Streaming For Free
When it comes to classic sci-fi TV franchises, the two that normally dominate conversations are "Star Trek" and "Doctor Who." Of those two, it's "Star Trek" that has had the greatest worldwide impact, with its characters and iconography having entered the common parlance. But a third sci-fi television franchise that rarely gets the recognition it deserves, "Stargate SG-1," is now streaming for free on Pluto TV.
Despite its greater focus on the military aspects of interstellar conflict, fans of "Star Trek" will find a lot to love about "Stargate SG-1." A spin-off of the 1994 film "Stargate," the series centers on a team of military specialists who explore alien worlds through a series of portals discovered on Earth. While the movie was mostly an action spectacle, the TV spin-off explores the political and military ramifications of forming relations with civilizations across the stars, and the moral and ethical problems that result — in the best tradition of "Star Trek."
Even better, though, is that "Stargate SG-1" understood the appeal of a good crossover, and looked to "Star Trek" for many of its recurring and guest stars. "Deep Space Nine" stars Rene Auberjonois and Armin Shimmerman, "Next Generation" leading lady Marina Sirtis, and "Star Trek: Enterprise" favorite Jolene Blalock appear in multiple episodes. And now you can see all that they, and the 11 seasons of "SG1," have to offer, free of charge.
Stargate was the sci-fi successor to Star Trek on TV
After being canceled in 1969, "Star Trek" didn't return to television screens for nearly 20 years, when "Star Trek: The Next Generation" premiered in 1987. Over the next two decades, the "Trek" franchise continued with three spin-offs, with the last, "Star Trek: Enterprise" unceremoniously ending in 2005. That conclusion, however, allowed "Stargate" to live long and prosper on its own, filling the sci-fi void left by "Star Trek's" absence.
"Stargate SG-1" premiered in 1997 on Showtime before moving to the SyFy Channel in 2002. Its first live-action spin-off premiered in 2004, the same year when the last season of "Enterprise" began airing. Titled "Stargate: Atlantis," it boasted "Star Trek: Voyager" alum Robert Picardo in a recurring role and even starred a young Jason Momoa as series regular Ronon Dex. "Stargate Universe" followed in 2009, and three direct-to-DVD movies were released, too.
But "Stargate" also boldly went where "Star Trek" never did — with a 10-episode web series titled "Stargate Origins" released in 2018. It also received a foreign spin-off in the form of "Stargate Infinity," a French-produced animated series that aired for one season in 2002. The best news, though? All three live-action "Stargate" shows can be watched for free on Pluto TV — just be sure to do so in the correct order.