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Quite a few shows have been generated from successful movies over the years. Everything from Disney’s “Aladdin” to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” spawned TV versions of themselves. But few managed to do so as successfully as “Stargate SG-1,” which lasted for 10 seasons across multiple networks from 1997 to 2007. It also generated several spin-offs, creating a full-blown franchise. For as successful as the show was, it had a somewhat rocky start.
In a 2024 interview with “Dial the Gate,” director Mario Azzopardi reflected on making the very first episode of “Stargate SG-1,” a made-for-TV movie titled “Children of the Gods” that was intended to kick off the series with a bang. Though successful in the end, getting the project to air was no easy task. “We were rained out of Vancouver,” Azzopardi said, reflecting on the terrible weather that they faced on the first day of filming. Sets were broken, headaches were abundant, and delays resulted.
Because “Stargate” movie director Roland Emmerich didn’t return for “SG-1,” these issues became Azzopardi’s to manage. “I remember once we finished the first day [it felt like] we were about one week behind schedule,” director Azzopardi said with a laugh. Though he has a good attitude about it now, during filming, it was tough sledding. Azzopardi further explained that he arrived on set every day expecting a new batch of issues.
“The standing joke when I go on set every day I always welcomed my AD [assistant director] with, ‘Okay, what’s the problem for the day?’ Because like that, whatever comes in, it’s going to surprise. I’d go in there knowing that there’s going to be a problem!”
The first episode of Stargate SG-1 was nearly ruined
The conditions on location were difficult enough for the cast and crew. The cast was led by Richard Dean Anderson as Jack O’Neil, who took over for Kurt Russell, the actor who played the role in the film. Unfortunately, yet another major issue threatened to ruin “Children of the Gods.” The producers discovered that the pilot, which was shot on 16-millimeter film, had a dark scratch all the way down the film.
This was long before the days of filming on digital cameras. There was a physical piece of film that had a major blemish on it. As Azzopardi recounted, even though this was an intensely stressful situation, they decided to just put their heads down and figure it out.
“We are all professionals, [and] these things happen. You go into your Winnebago, you close the door, you close the windows, you swear a lot! And then you put on a nice face, a nice smile, you calm down, you ask for a coffee and they bring it to you, and you say, ‘OK, what’s next?'”
In the end, the pilot was a success and led to not just a ten-season run for “SG-1,” but other spin-offs such as “Stargate Atlantis” and the relatively short-lived “Stargate Universe,” which aired for two seasons. Remarkably, Azzopardi’s attitude was more positive than one might have expected during all of this turmoil. Buttoning the whole thing up, the director revealed that he just put his head down and focused on the work day in and day out.
“At the end of the day you say, ‘Okay, that’s a wrap for today, people. We’ll see you at the hotel. Let’s go have a drink.’ And that’s what you do. You go to your room, you have a drink, and you prepare for the next day.”
You can grab “Stargate SG-1: The Complete Series” on DVD from Amazon.
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