Editing Stargate SG-1 (section)

== Themes and allusions ==
{{Main|Mythology of Stargate{{!}}Mythology of ''Stargate''}}
[[File:La Tombe de Horemheb cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|Many ''SG-1'' stories are built around Egyptian gods, such as (from left to right) Osiris, Anubis and Horus.]]
''Stargate SG-1'' takes place in a [[military science fiction]] environment and employs the common science fiction concepts of strongly differentiated characters fighting an unequivocally evil enemy (the [[Goa'uld]]). However, it links alien races with well-known Earth mythologies, by use of the central Stargate device. Near-instantaneous interplanetary travel allows quick narrative shifts between the politics on Earth and the realities of fighting an interstellar war.<ref>Beeler 2008, pp. 267–269.</ref> ''Stargate SG-1'' gradually evolves the basic premise of the ''[[Stargate (film)|Stargate]]'' film into its own unique mythological superstructure,<ref name=beeler_intro>Beeler and Dickson 2005. "Introduction", pp. 1–5.</ref> expanding upon [[Ancient Egyptian religion|Egyptian mythology]] (notably the gods [[Apep]]/Apophis and [[Anubis]] as Goa'uld villains), [[Norse mythology]] (notably the god [[Thor]] as an [[Asgard (Stargate)|Asgard ally]]) and [[Arthurian legend]] (notably [[Merlin]] as an [[Ancient (Stargate)|Ancient ally]] against the god-like [[Ori (Stargate)|Ori]]), among others. ''SG-1'' introduces new alien races (as opposed to alien human civilizations) less often than other science fiction television series and integrates newly encountered races or visited planets in stand-alone episodes into its established mythology while leaving the plotlines accessible for new audience members.<ref>Beeler 2008, pp. 273–277.</ref> Despite the show's extensive intergalactic mythology and science fiction elements, scholar M. Keith Booker considered ''SG-1'' ultimately character-driven and heavily dependent on the camaraderie among the SG-1 members.<ref name=booker_181>Booker 2004, pp. 181–182.</ref>

The producers embraced humor and wanted ''SG-1'' to be a fun show that did not take itself too seriously.<ref name=vs_success/> Brad Wright regarded ''SG-1'' as a family show with adequate violence as opposed to random or gratuitous violence.<ref name=gw_specialpilot/> Christopher Judge did not consider ''SG-1'' as a "message show by any stretch of the imagination, but occasionally there are messages there".<ref>Gibson 2003, p. 92.</ref> Aimed at a popular audience, ''Stargate SG-1'' emphasized its present-day-Earth story frame by frequently referring to [[popular culture]], like ''[[The X-Files]]'' and ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' had done before.<ref name=hipple>Hipple, Dave, "Stargate SG-1: Self-possessed Science Fiction". In Beeler and Dickson 2005, p. 27–28.</ref> Jonathan Glassner had written ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' references into his own scripts since the first season, which the other writers imitated after Richard Dean Anderson began referring to the film on his own.<ref name=dvduniverse>{{cite video |people=[[Jonathan Glassner|Glassner, Jonathan]] |date=2002 |title=Stargate SG-1: Season 4 – The Stargate Universe | medium = DVD |publisher=[[MGM Home Entertainment]]}}</ref> O'Neill refers to Richard Dean Anderson's favorite television series, ''[[The Simpsons]]'', throughout the show.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sumner|first=Darren|url=https://gateworld.net/news/2005/06/anderson-to-guest-star-on-the-simpsons/|title=Anderson to guest star on The Simpsons|publisher=[[GateWorld]]|date=June 20, 2005|access-date=April 3, 2009|archive-date=February 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202154338/https://www.gateworld.net/news/2005/06/anderson-to-guest-star-on-the-simpsons/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''SG-1'' makes meta-textual references to the process of writing and filming a science fiction TV series in several episodes<ref>Beeler 2008, pp. 277–278.</ref> and alludes to the main actors' previous TV roles in the [[Children of the Gods|pilot episode]] (Carter: "It took us fifteen years and three supercomputers to [[MacGyver (1985 TV series)|MacGyver]] a system for the gate on Earth")<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Allan |date=July 26, 1997 |title='Stargate': New Challenge for 'MacGyver' Star |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-07-27-9707270340-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328010042/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-07-27-9707270340-story.html |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> and in a ''[[Farscape]]'' vignette in the milestone episode "[[200 (Stargate SG-1)|200]]".