The Ultimate Guide to Watching Stargate in Chronological Order

Summary

Stargate's success led to a TV franchise rather than big screen sequels, allowing for more exploration of different planets and alien races.

Stargate SG-1 enjoyed immense popularity and had a successful run of ten seasons, leading to the creation of Stargate: Atlantis as its primary spinoff. Understanding the Stargate timeline can be challenging, but a user-friendly strategy is to alternate between the later seasons of SG-1 and the initial three seasons of Atlantis. Certain fans opt to skip the prequel Origins, released in 2018, due to its lack of connections and uncertain quality.

Stargate, a sprawling franchise, has taken a different approach to its storytelling. Director Roland Emmerich's initial success with the 1994 sci-fi blockbuster starring Kurt Russell paved the way for bigger budget disaster movies like Independence Day or 2012. However, in comparison, the magnitude of the Stargate movie seems relatively small now. Instead of pursuing sequels on the big screen, the franchise found its place on television.

Interestingly, Stargate's legacy primarily lies in its long-running TV franchise rather than its presence in cinemas. This choice makes sense as the episodic format allows for more opportunities to delve into various planets and encounter new alien races compared to a traditional film sequel. Despite the success of the Stargate saga, it has been absent from screens since the early 2010s. Attempts to launch reboots or revivals have been unsuccessful thus far.

How To Watch Stargate In Release Order

The Stargate franchise originated with the 1994 film "Stargate," followed by the TV series SG-1. Afterward, the timeline of the saga might become confusing for newcomers. Undoubtedly, the unexpected success of SG-1 prompted MGM to develop other spinoffs, ensuring the franchise's continued success. This led to the creation of an animated show, a couple of TV movies, and eventually a web series, currently serving as the final chapter in the franchise.

Stargate (1994)

Stargate SG-1 (1997 - 2007)

Stargate Infinity (2002 - 2003)

Stargate: Atlantis (2004 - 2009)

Stargate: The Ark of Truth (2008)

Stargate: Continuum (2009)

Stargate: Universe (2009 - 2011)

Stargate Origins (2018)

How To Watch Stargate In Chronological Order

Stargate Origins (2018) was the latest installment in the TV franchise. It gained immense popularity mainly due to its talented ensemble cast comprising of Richard Dean Anderson, Christopher Judge, Michael Shanks, and Amanda Tapping. After its successful ten-season run, SG-1 was cancelled. Following that, Atlantis became the first major live-action spinoff, which lasted for five years and included crossovers with SG-1 in terms of both cast and storylines. In an ill-fated and low-budget attempt, Infinity was introduced as an animated offshoot. However, it received universally negative reviews, lasted for just one season, and is not considered canon to the main franchise.

Stargate (1994)

Stargate SG-1 (Season 1 - 7)

Stargate: SG-1 (Seasons 8 - 10) / Stargate: Atlantis (Seasons 1 - 3)

Stargate: The Ark of Truth (2008)

Stargate: Continuum (2009)

Stargate: Atlantis (Seasons 4 - 5)

Stargate: Universe (2009 - 2011)

After the seventh season of SG-1, the Stargate timeline becomes somewhat confusing. From season 8 onwards, Atlantis becomes closely intertwined with SG-1. Although it is not recommended to watch the episodes in the order they aired, a more user-friendly approach is to alternate between the later series of SG-1 and the first three seasons of Atlantis.

The Ark of Truth and Continuum mark the conclusion of the SG-1 era in TV movies, with Universe being the most ambitious of the TV shows, albeit running for only two years. Origins, a 2018 prequel, is often bypassed by fans due to its minimal connections to the other Stargate shows and its disappointing quality.