Stargate SG-1: The Complete Series Collection

Before saying anything else, there is one inescapable issue with this set, and it is well-documented through other reviews: This is, without a doubt, the worst packaging of any series I've ever encountered. The outer box is attractive, and it looks great on my shelf, but that's the only positive thing I can say. You can't just open it like a normal box; you have to lift the entire thing off the base, so it's inconvenient to do that every time you want to access a disc. Once open, that's when the real horror is revealed. The discs are held in the worst possible way, as though the designers were trying to ruin discs and make it as horrible for the user as possible. It's so bad that Amazon added a warning about it in bold print near the price listings. It's simply an embarrassment. I was lucky, though: Taking the advice of another reviewer, I purchased some disc-sleeves and carefully placed each disc in one, inspecting them for scratches as I went. Fortunately - miraculously - nothing got scratched, and I was able to watch the series without technical difficulties. So, if you do get this set, keep in mind that you'll have this issue to contend with. For me, I took the risk, payed a little bit extra for sleeves, and it paid off. I got a great deal on a tremendous series. For others, the packaging led to damaged goods, and it was not worth their troubles.Some more background on my perspective: Before purchasing this set, I'd never seen an episode of the show. In fact, I'd avoided it. Catching glimpses of it here and there, it never looked very good to me. I had seen the original film, though, and after years of watching Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, and other shows, I wanted to try something different, and I figured a show that ran for ten seasons must be better than I'd given it credit for in the past. Also, I am a huge Farscape fan. When I heard that Ben Browder and Claudia Black were on the last two seasons, I was sure that I needed to see this show.All that said, I reach the first point I'd like to make: Stargate SG-1, in my view, is two different shows. The first one ran for eight seasons. The second, after an unexpected renewal by the network, ran for two. Both are excellent, but they are clearly distinct from each other. The most obvious aspect is that Richard Dean Anderson left the show after the eighth season, and he was the first among equals when it came to the starring cast, even if his role was limited during particularly the seventh season. The other is that they wrapped up the main storylines at the end of the eighth season, not anticipating a ninth or tenth. New story arcs came about to go along with the updated cast, so it has the feel of a spin-off at least as much as a continuation.I watched SG-1 just about every night for eight months. I would watch one episode a night, in general, occasionally watching two or skipping a night for various reasons. Going through ten seasons, it never got old. Not every episode was a masterpiece, but few were really bad. Most ranged from good to outstanding.I love that they don't recreate the original movie. Instead, they go a year into the future, recast the two lead roles, and take things from there. It's a great way to get a running start in the series premiere. (Notably, there's a scene with full-frontal nudity in the first episode, but you can get the revised "Children of the Gods" on a separate DVD. There's even a set with that and the two post-finale movies that were made.)Every science-fiction show has some hurdles to contend with. The main one, by far, is the Star Trek comparison. You simply cannot make a sci-fi show and not have it compared to the various incarnations of Star Trek. It set the template, so now shows have to either accept certain conventions or make choices to differentiate their own creation. Farscape, for example, had the concepts of a living ship and bacteria that acted as the "universal translator." Stargate SG-1 has the original movie giving it its foundation, but to become a series it had to do adopt some television conventions. In many ways, I do think Stargate is derivative, pulling influences from other sci-fi programs, but they always have a nice twist to make it fit well to this individual series. The stargate itself is a network of wormholes, which we'd seen in Deep Space 9 and Babylon 5; the rings are a new take on the transporter; the zat guns are a particular type of phaser. Add into the mix the occasional actor known for roles on Star Trek, and I think SG-1 reveals that it's aware of its influences and embraces the plethora of science fiction that came before.It helps immensely that the show has so much humor and a great set of lead actors. I didn't particularly care for Teryl Rothery as Dr. Fraser, and Don S. Davis' General Hammond too often did little more than say, "you have a go," but they were typically peripheral to the adventures of the SG-1 team, and each certainly had their moments over the years. Richard Dean Anderson brought a ton of charisma and humor to the show. It took me a little while to stop seeing him as MacGyver, but eventually I was able to embrace him wholly as Jack O'Neal. Michael Shanks also managed to make the role of Daniel Jackson his own. Characters that hadn't been in the original movie, Amanda Tapping as Samantha Carter and Christopher Judge as Teal'c, also become deep and interesting as the series progresses. Corin Nemec did well in his one season as Quinn. It's too bad they didn't find a way to keep him involved. I also found the additions of Ben Browder and Claudia Black to be a great way to inject some interesting new energy and ideas into the final two seasons.Also key to the show's success was its rotation of guest stars, particularly Tony Amendola and Carmen Agenziano. Many of the one-off guest stars were only so-so, but SG-1 had a great set of recurring characters that would show up once in a while to help out or make trouble, like Ronny Cox's Senator Kinsey and Tom McBeath's Harry Maybourne.As with Babylon 5, Stargate SG-1 dealt with trouble both "off-world" and at home. I never found the Earthbound political issues as compelling as the adventures on the other side of the stargate, but it was great that the show was willing to call into question the motives and occasional hypocrisy of our own government. Also like B5, there seemed to be a focus on the Americans and Russians without much, if any, mention of other Earth cultures. It fits with the notion of which countries were involved with the space race, but sometimes I wondered why the show never touched on those modern cultures, especially since it dealt so heavily with ancient cultures and religions.And that's another aspect Stargate did so well: using ancient religious beliefs and mythologies to drive storylines. It's very secular viewpoint clashed against the "false gods" that abound in our history and (in the universe of the show) were really just powerful aliens playing gods. Occasionally, it veered into the realm of straw man arguments against believing in false gods, but generally this was avoided, as fighting these aliens was so central to the overall plot of the series.So, this set gets four stars from me. I have to deduct one star due to the egregious packaging flaw (though, if the discs arrive without scratches, you can get past it by investing a few extra bucks in disc sleeves, which you can then store in the box). Other than the packaging issue, the series itself deserves five stars for sure. It's got action, wonder, intriguing ideas, and, most of all, characters that are worth spending ten long seasons with. I'm happy to add it to my list of must-see sci-fi series along with Star Trek, TNG, DS9, B5, Battlestar Galactica, and Farscape.

This review presumes you have some familiarity with the series; instead it covers severe problems associated with disc manufacture and packaging, and not (with noted exceptions) the content of these programs. Had the problems described below not existed, I would have rated the series (not including the special features) a 5.Amazon sent me this product three times in succession in an effort to get one complete, undamaged set of discs; after thirty+ hours of effort reviewing every episode at either 2x or 10x normal speed, I (hopefully) have managed to obtain one set--which still contains one defective episode and multiple defective special features. The defects consist of: 1) discs so damaged, they will not play at all; 2) pixilated episodes; and, 3) skips forward on the discs. There were approximately 36 defective discs among those I reviewed (including reviewing the same disc from different sets to find an undamaged one). The disc packaging (three discs in vertical slots both front and back in a long accordion) is ludicrous, and the episode guide is full of "will SG-1 save earth again?" and/or "SG-1 tries to save the universe again!" type of phrases, but at least there is an episode list by season. The guide book does allow you to pick out many episodes by story arc (e.g., all of the Asgard or Replicator stories), if you haven't gotten a list by googling, e.g., "Asgard story arc" on your computer.HERE IS THE WAY TO ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN ONE COMPLETE SET: BUY: 1) CLEAR plastic DVD jewel cases to replace the disc packaging provided, such as the 40 case pack by Memorex (also comes in 10 clear case packs--you do not need the thicker 10-pack jewel cases, which I reserve for movies, and which are more expensive per disc) and, 2) a Sharpie fine point black permanent marker. I buy a two pack and leave one at each of my TV sets to mark jewel cases and DVD RWs that I record off the TV. If you make an error on either the jewel case (or, FYI, any personal recordings you may make using DVD RW discs you wish to re-use), rubbing alcohol easily removes the marker. Simply wet part of a folded paper towel with rubbing alcohol and use it to remove the markings; this does not damage either jewel cases or reusable discs (don't pour rubbing alcohol directly onto a disc). Save the SG-1 box: its deep lid can be used either as a container for 1/2 of your jewel cases--with the bottom of the box, of course, for the other half plus the guide book--or use the boxes in which your jewel cases come for their storage and use the SG-1 box for trinkets or give it to your children who are old enough not to hurt themselves on the corners; the box is approximately 8" high.START with the first entire set SG-1 set that you receive from Amazon: Begin with disc one, season one; examine the disc for obvious defects: as you proceed (reviewing every episode one disc at a time) you will learn that many discs are very abraded across one half of the disc; these probably will be rejected as unplayable by your DVD player. Small abrasions or scratches MAY OR MAY NOT play without a problem. While your DVD player loads, use the marker on the VERY TOP EDGE of a jewel box (for example, picking Season #1, disc #2) PRINTING ON THE BOX AS FOLLOWS: Season 1 Episodes 4 through 8 Disc #2. Across the TOP FRONT EDGE, which has a wider space, print: 4) Broca Divide 5) 1st Commandment 6) Brief Candle 7) Cold Lazarus 8) Thor's Hammer, in 2 lines of print. Note that THE SG-1 DISCS DO NOT INDICATE WHAT EPISODES ARE ON EACH DISC. For example, this particular disc only indicates "Season 1 Volume 1 Disc 2." I never quite got the rationale for the volume numbers--they were irrelevant to me. Labeling your discs in this way will help you locate (and later return to storage) your desired program more quickly by looking down at the top of the case using the program guide to narrow your search. If you simply retain the original packaging, you will struggle mightily with it; toss the packaging when you have compiled a completely finished set--54 discs. Don't accidentally discard packaging for sets you must return.TRY TO PLAY EACH DISC. MGM and FOX will force you to sit through their opening display of stars, movie trailers and copy protection legal notices; you cannot fast forward, nor can you stop the play. Watch each episode at 2x speed if it's one you particularly like; choose 10x speed for your lesser favorites). Remember there is a 30-day return time limit and you have 10 years of episodes to watch (not including special features). Also: you are not watching the episode for the story. You are watching the media process on the screen. Use soft eyes. If you stare intently, you will probably have headaches and find it difficult to pay continuous attention (requiring aspirin and eye drops). At 2x or 10x speed, you will have an opportunity to stop the play and go back a bit to see if something visually unusual is merely a special effect, flashing lights on SG-1 machines, focal/quick cut shifts, or an actual defect such as pixilation or skipping. I left my DVD player timer status showing on the screen and dropped to straight play at 40 minutes to the end of the episode.IF disc quality is ACCEPTABLE to you, place the disc in its pre-labeled jewel box and drop it in your desired container, with each successive box placed behind the previous one. IF the disc is DAMAGED, set the disc aside (I put the rejects in the deep lid from set of DVD blanks) and put the empty pre-labeled jewel box in your container, so you can go back later to locate it and fill in with a disc from the next set you will receive by immediately advising Amazon of the problem; set two will arrive by expedited shipping. The rejects will also stay (fairly ) in order (given duplicate defective discs) when it comes time to repackage and return them. Amazon provides a return label you can print off your computer; they are apparently very aware of the problems with this particular product, and extremely helpful to those of us who are willing to go through the effort to weed out the defective discs. Repeat this process through every episode (and special features, if you desire) on all 54 discs in number order. Use set two from Amazon to fill the empty jewel cases from set one; you may need a set three (which, I believe, is as far as Amazon will go) to get a complete set. Even using three sets from Amazon, I never managed to form one complete set, but compromised with the defects I found acceptable. Hopefully, when I play my set through at normal speed I will find I didn't miss anything important to me.You will need to reassemble the sets you are returning in the proper order. The remaining disc packaging will be partially full with the discs you did not examine because the you found an acceptable copy in an earlier set. Reassembling is a real chore, and you may need to find the proper order to insert the defective discs only by working backward from the discs still in the packaging. If returned within 30 days of each order, Amazon WILL NOT BILL your credit card for the extra sets, DOES PROVIDE return postage labels, DOES SEND REMINDERS of needed return, and WILL NOTIFY YOU of receipt of the returned merchandise. REMEMBER TO SAVE YOUR ORIGINAL SHIPPING CONTAINERS AND PACKING MATERIAL FOR EASIER RETURNS.PARENTAL WARNINGS: 1) The first episode, Children of the Gods, contains FULL female frontal nudity throughout the scene where Sha're is being examined for selection by Apophis; you may have some explaining to do about both the nudity and the violence toward women; violence toward men tends to be a commonplace of war rather than gender exploitation--male frontal nudity is not a feature of this series. 2) Among the special features, a director discusses his fascination with constipation and euphemisms for excrement and excretion, while two of the show's top stars sit sniggering next to him. In another feature, the same director escorts you to his urinal and describes its problems at some length. Private bodily functions are clearly part of his personal focus, however irrelevant this is to any plot or process of the series; by season (7?) there are actual viewer warnings that commentaries are not attributable to anyone but the speaker. 3) Finally, remember parents, the morality tales your children are seeing also come with a great deal of explicit violence and death from beginning to end without evident Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, lasting physical consequence, or emotional distress beyond the episode in which these problems arise--with exceptions for the death of an SG-1 spouse or child and perhaps Teal'c's apparently irreversible aging in the final episode. Take the Parental Warnings and Ratings seriously for both the "inherent scariness factor" and the desensitizing effect of repeated violent images given the maturity level of your child(ren). Although older children may appreciate this material as simply Sci-Fi entertainment, we have come a long way from playing cowboys with cap pistols and squirt guns; cinematically and as "breaking news!", we blow huge numbers of people away daily; even children occasionally suffer/die as part of this series: enough said.The PROs for buying this product: If you really, really enjoy this series and its stars, you will put in the hours of work and schlep returns to UPS in order to have the complete series without the irritating pop-up promos repeatedly forced upon you in the midst of the program by commercial TV stations. Some of the special features are worth watching (such as Rick Anderson's efforts to document great rivers of the world, or the way in which the particular type of martial arts was discovered and utilized in "The Warrior" episode, and anything to do with the late actor (and excellent painter) Don S. Davis, as General George Hammond. Some of the special features are juvenile, others are fascinating, and the choice is yours.The CONS are obvious, so I bid you careful shopping.I'm a retired Deputy DA, so I have no connection to any company or product mentioned. I hope this review helps you fully anticipate and overcome the difficulties of a purchase connected with this product. I likely will never buy another MGM or FOX series again because of my experience with this product.

There's a great deal to like about this set. The huge, chunky box full of discs. The feeling when you start opening one of the binders of discs, and it just keeps unfolding and unfolding and unfolding, and then you remember that there's *another* one still in the box. The huge amount of special features, commentaries and extras. And, of course, the fact that it contains over eight *thousand* minutes of arguably one of the best sci-fi shows of all time.But then things start to go wrong. It's little things mostly, like the absence of subtitles on the early seasons, and the fact that the packaging is, after the initial awe passes, distinctly underwhelming. The discs are basically just all the series boxed sets in new packaging, so it's all there, just not as solidly packaged as it could have been. A more cohesive design on the discs and menus would have been nice too, but it doesn't really affect my enjoyment of the discs.The one major annoyance is the fact that the disc numbering is off. Instead of just marking them "Season one, disc one", they've chosen a curious mixture of "volume 54" and "season three, volume five" and all sorts of other variations. Unless you're watching the discs in sequence it makes it very difficult and tedious to find the right episode - particularly as the later discs have those interminable "You Wouldn't Steal A Car" anti-piracy videos play, unskippable, before getting to the episode listing.Oh, and just to make things more annoying, the brochure that accompanies the set doesn't match the disc numbers. You look up an episode, count out the disc number (because the brochure uses "season/disc" format), find the disc - and find that the corresponding disc is actually three discs on. And the special features are rarely on the disc the brochure says they're on.All in all, it's a set that's easy to find fault with, but I suspect most people will quickly make a note of which discs contain their favourite features anyway. The faults are many and annoying, but minor - it's still every episode of a great show, with overall very nice transfers to DVD. So if you can stand the annoyance - of course you can, though let me know if MGM decide to retool the set - it's a box well worth getting.

I'm not quite sure what all the complaints are about. I received this box set for Christmas and had been quite concerned after reading comments on here about scratched discs and missing episodes. I shouldn't have been. The discs are all in excellent condition, bar one which I can live with - it plays perfectly. I also made a point of loading up each and every disc and checked the episodes off against an episode guide, and they are all present and correct.It is undoubtedly the enclosed booklet that has caused the confusion as it omits a few episodes from its listing, which isn't very helpful at all. As has been mentioned, these are the original discs repackaged. As a result you'll have to put up with the idiosyncracies of the original releases: odd disc numbering (mainly because volume 1 was a "best of season 1" set, volume 2 was the beginning of season 2 etc - the complete season 1 release didn't happen until later, by which time the horse had bolted). At the end of season 2 we also get two season 1 episodes (Hathor and Thor's Hammer) repeated. This must have been done to "fill up" the dvd, but only occurs this once. It's no big deal. It's no surprise to find that this is also the disc that includes two of the so-called "missing" episodes, 1969 and Out Of Mind. Trust me, they're all here!Again, I'm not sure about the complaints about the packaging either. I'm not entirely sure how else they were supposed to do it short of giving us a box the size of my living room!In the end this set has done exactly what I wanted it to do - given me the whole series (excluding the movies) and saved me a hell of a lot of shelf space. I previously owned seasons 1 to 6 individually. This box set takes up about a third of the space that those six managed to use.Now I can settle back and watch seasons 6 - 10, which I have never seen. Great stuff.

It was in a language/style we cannot use, I had been told to return it so I did - without touching it.

I bought this product for my childs christmas. The product information stated region 2. This product IS REGION 1 NOT 2. Please be very aware of this before buying. I would not recommend buying this product to anyone due to the false advertising.

10シーズン全部そろって、このお値段。リージョン1なので一般のDVDプレーヤーでは再生できないことを承知で買うなら（もちろん、リージョン１のディスクを再生できる環境をお持ちなら）、悪くない買い物です。スピンオフの『スターゲート・アトランティス』のリージョン1ディスクは英語字幕がありますが、こちらはクローズド・キャプションのみ。字幕を見たかったらキャプション信号認識機能があるDVDプレイヤー＋キャプションデコーダーを使う必要があります（私はApple Computerを使っていますが、OS10.4のDVDプレイヤーはクローズド・キャプションの表示が可能。リージョン１に設定した外付DVDドライブをつないで見ることもあります）。ちょっとどうかなと思ったのは、DVDを収納しているケース。外箱にスターゲートがレリーフになっている(!)のは、ご愛嬌としても、内側のケース（英語小説の朗読CDによくある紙製のフォルダーみたいなの）がちゃち（ディスクが半分むき出し）で、取り出しにくいこと！取り出すたびに傷をつけないかとヒヤヒヤするのがいやで、他のケースに移しかえました。中身については、なにしろ54枚もあるので、まだ全部見られていませんが、見逃していたエピソードを中心に楽しんで見ているところです。