Stargate: Recycled

I've been watching Stargate: SG-1 for a while now, first on Showtime, now on the Sci-Fi channel. It's a fairly innocent piece of fluff. It's diverting, and it's on Friday nights, when there really isn't much better to do. Now entering it's eighth season, it's just spawned a spin-off series Stargate Atlantis. The build-up to the season seven finale set up the premier of Atlantis, and would have replaced SG1, but SG1 was renewed for at least another season, so we've got both.

I'm not sure how good an idea it was to have both series running at the same time and in back-to-back time slots. It just emphasises the fact that Atlantis is complete copy of the SG1 formula. Even the cast is basically the same: female scientist, slightly stiff; male scientist, the nerdy, talking one; male military figure, irreverent and distrusting of authority; and the token black guy. Atlantis does add one more person to the central group of characters, and mixes up the power structure a bit (the female scientist is in charge), but the basic structure of the show seems to be the same. Group visits a random and previously unexplored world, group experiences alien weirdness, hijinxs ensue. There's even an overwhelmingly powerful alien race bent on the destruction of humanity, that humanity manages to outwit at every turn. Just a different one from SG1.

There is, however, a bright light in all this. Paul McGillion plays Dr. Beckett, a supporting, but recurring, character. Hunky, and that (Scottish?) accent.... Woo. Screenshots here and here.