Stargate Atlantis Season 1

Stargate Atlantis Season 1
Last DVD set of Season 1
Country of origin	USA Canada
No. of episodes	20
Broadcast
Original channel	Sci Fi Channel
Original run	July 16, 2004 — January 31, 2005
Home video release
DVD release
Region 1	November 15, 2005
Region 2	March 13, 2006
Region 4	November 16, 2005
Season chronology
Season 2
List of episodes

The first season of the television series Stargate Atlantis commenced airing on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on July 16, 2004, concluded on The Movie Network in Canada on January 31, 2005, and contained 20 episodes. The show was a spin off of sister show, Stargate SG-1. Stargate Atlantis re-introduced supporting characters from the SG-1 universe, such as Elizabeth Weir and Rodney McKay among others. The show also included new characters such as Teyla Emmagan and John Sheppard. The first season is about a military-science expedition team discovering Atlantis and exploring the Pegasus Galaxy. However, there is no way to return home, and they inadvertently awake a hostile alien race known as the Wraith, whose primary goal is to gather a fleet to invade Atlantis and find their new "feeding ground", Earth.

The two-hour premiere "Rising", which aired on July 16, 2004, received Sci Fi Channel's highest-ever rating for a series premiere and episode ever released, it is also the most watched broadcast release ever released by the Sci Fi Channel in the United States. The average viewing rate for the first ten episodes were around 3-4 million in the United States. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, who also served as executive producers. Season one regular cast members included Joe Flanigan, Torri Higginson, Rachel Luttrell, Rainbow Sun Francks, and David Hewlett.

Production

For "Rising", the Pemberton Glacier in British Columbia doubled for Antarctica during the opening flying sequence. Simon, Elizabeth's fiancé in "Rising" and "Home", was played by Garwin Sanford, who had previously played Narim on Stargate SG-1. Mario Azzopardi makes his return to the Stargate franchise in "Thirty Eight Minutes". He had the distinctive honor of directing the pilot episode of Stargate SG-1, "Children of the Gods". This is his first time directing an episode of the franchise since the Season 1 Episode "Cor-ai". Mario Azzopardi (as of December 2006) has only directed Season 1 Episodes of both SG-1 and Atlantis. "Thirty-Eight Minutes" is the only episode in both SG-1 and Atlantis to actually occur in real-time; between the opening of the Stargate and the resolution, 38 minutes of screentime do occur. Courtenay J. Stevens, who appears in "Childhood's End", had originally played the role of Lieutenant Elliot in Stargate SG-1, appearing in the Season 5 episodes "Proving Ground", Episode not found and "Last Stand". Writer Martin Gero compared Ares in "Childhood's End" to a villain in The Incredibles. In the scene of the final confrontation with Major John Sheppard, he began "monologuing," which is a key feature of villains in the film. The dog that appeared in Dr. Weir's illusion in "Home" is actually owned by actress Torri Higginson who plays her.

Michael Puttonen, who played Smeadon in "The Storm", first appeared in the second season of Stargate SG-1 as Simian, the blind prisoner in the episode "Prisoners". "The Defiant One" was filmed at the Richmond sand dunes. Richard Ian Cox, who appeared in "The Defiant One", previously appeared in the season 3 Stargate SG-1 episode "New Ground" as Nyan. "Letters From Pegasus" is the first clip show episode of Stargate Atlantis. The title of this episode was inspired by the 1987 PBS TV documentary Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam. This was Samantha Carter's first appearance on Stargate Atlantis. At the end of the episode, she and Sergeant Harriman were briefly shown at Stargate Command (SGC) when they received the data burst from Atlantis. A deleted scene from "The Siege", Part 2 showed Sora being returned to the Genii as part of their deal for the nuclear weapons, but this was cut due to time constraints; so it is unclear if the event occurred or if Sora may still be being held.

Release and reception

"Rising" was the strongest episode to date gaining a 3.2 on the Nielsen ratings. "The Brotherhood" received ratings of 2.3 when it initially aired on Sci Fi. The worst rated episode in the season was "Home", which received an 1.7 rating. John Sinnott from DVDTalk called season one a "very good spinoff," certifying it "highly recommended." Dan Heaton from Digitally Obsessed was positive to the first season, and said the pilot started "in fashion." Reviewer Dan Phelps from DVDFanatic gave the series "thumbs up" and gave the series an A-.

"Rising" was nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Production Design". "Childhood's End" was one of only two Stargate franchise episodes (with "Poisoning the Well") directed by Sci-Fi veteran David Winning. It won three international awards for directing; New York, Chicago and Houston. For "Poisoning The Well", Paul McGillion and David Nykl were nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Supporting Performance by a Male", and Allison Hossack was nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Supporting Performance by a Female". "The Storm" was nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Overall Sound". "The Eye" was nominated for a Gemini Award in the category "Best Visual Effects", was nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Picture Editing", and won a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Visual Effects". For "The Defiant One", director Peter DeLuise was nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Direction" and in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Screenwriting". "Before I Sleep" was nominated for a Gemini Award in the category "Best Achievement in Make-Up". For "The Brotherhood", writer Martin Gero was nominated for a Gemini Award in the category "Best Writing in a Dramatic Series".

Episodes

"Rising", Part 1 "Rising", Part 2 "Hide and Seek" "Thirty Eight Minutes" "Suspicion" "Childhood's End" "Poisoning the Well" "Underground" "Home" "The Storm" "The Eye" "The Defiant One" "Hot Zone" "Sanctuary" "Before I Sleep" "The Brotherhood" "Letters From Pegasus" "The Gift" "The Siege", Part 1 "The Siege", Part 2

Image	Title	Ep. Nb	Written by	Directed by	Original air date
	"Rising", Part 1 (1 of 2)	1.01	Robert C. Cooper	Martin Wood	16 July 2004
	A new Stargate team embarks on a dangerous mission to a distant galaxy, where they discover a mythical lost city — and a deadly new enemy.
	"Rising", Part 2 (2 of 2)	1.02	Robert C. Cooper	Martin Wood	Unknown
	The Wraith have captured many of the Athosians and Atlantis expedition members, before leaving through the Stargate. When Major Sheppard comes back with refugies to the newly found city of Atlantis, he discovers that the city is on the verge to collapse.
	"Hide and Seek"	1.03	Story by: Robert C. Cooper Teleplay by: Robert C. Cooper	David Warry-Smith	Unknown
	The Atlantis base is threatened when the team discovers that an alien entity is in the city. McKay's experiment with alien technology goes awry.
	"Thirty Eight Minutes"	1.04	Teleplay by: Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie	Mario Azzopardi	Unknown
	The team finds themselves in mortal danger when their Puddle Jumper ship becomes lodged in the Stargate.
	"Suspicion"	1.05		Mario Azzopardi	Unknown
	After a series of run-ins with the Wraith, the team begins to suspect their Athosian allies of having a spy in their midst.
	"Childhood's End"	1.06	Martin Gero		Unknown
	Sheppard and the team visit a world where no one is over 24 years old — because of a ritual suicide practice they believe keeps the Wraith at bay.
	"Poisoning the Well"	1.07		Brad Turner	Unknown
	The team finds a world whose people are on the brink of a discovery that may make them immune to the Wraith feeding.
	"Underground"	1.08	Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie	Brad Turner	Unknown
	Efforts to open trade relations with a species called the Genii turn sour when the team discovers their new "allies" have ulterior motives.
	"Home"	1.09			Unknown
	McKay's efforts to harness the energy of an alien planet's atmosphere allows for a return trip to Earth — but the team may not be able to return to Atlantis.
	"The Storm" (1 of 2)	1.10	Teleplay by: Martin Gero	Martin Wood	Unknown
	When a massive storm threatens the city, Atlantis is evacuated — only to be taken over by the team's newest enemy.
	"The Eye" (2 of 2)	1.11	Martin Gero	Martin Wood	8 November 2004
	Major Sheppard plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse with soldiers who have seized control of Atlantis and taken Weir and McKay hostage.
	"The Defiant One"	1.12			15 November 2004
	Sheppard's team investigates a downed Wraith ship, and find themselves stuck on a planet with a lone Wraith survivor.
	"Hot Zone"	1.13	Martin Gero	Mario Azzopardi	22 November 2004
	Nearly a third of Atlantis's residents are infected with a deadly virus that causes hallucinations and death, forcing a lockdown of the city.
	"Sanctuary"	1.14	Carl Binder		29 November 2004
	The team finds a paradise world that would make an ideal sanctuary for those fleeing from the Wraith, but the local inhabitants believe their goddess will not permit it.
	"Before I Sleep"	1.15		Andy Mikita	6 December 2004
	A woman is found in suspended animation in Atlantis, and the team is shocked to see that it is Dr. Weir herself, who tells them of her trip 10,000 years into the city's past.
	"The Brotherhood"	1.16	Carl Binder, Martin Gero	Martin Wood	3 January 2005
	The team searches for a valuable Zero Point Module rumored to be hidden on the planet Dagan — but their new allies have motives of their own.
	"Letters From Pegasus"	1.17	Story by: Robert C. Cooper Teleplay by: Robert C. Cooper	Mario Azzopardi	10 January 2005
	With a brief opportunity to send a data transmission to Earth, members of the Atlantis expedition compose video messages home to their loved ones.
	"The Gift"	1.18	Story by: Martin Gero		17 January 2005
	Plagued by terrifying nightmares, Teyla begins to recall a time when she and her father were captured by the Wraith and subjected to disturbing experiments.
	"The Siege", Part 1 (1 of 3)	1.19	Martin Gero	Martin Wood	24 January 2005
	With a group of Wraith hive ships on the way to Atlantis, the team searches for a place to flee and a way to destroy the city. McKay leads a team to try and activate the Ancients' orbital weapons platform.
	"The Siege", Part 2 (2 of 3)	1.20	Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie	Martin Wood	31 January 2005
	A new military contingent from Earth is sent to take command of Atlantis and defend it from the impending Wraith attack.