Nothing has been produced in the “Stargate” universe ever since the “Stargate: Universe” series ended prematurely, leaving its fans with an unresolved cliffhanger. However, as IO9 reports, MGM is about to produce a 10 part web series called “Stargate: Origins” depicting the early adventures of Catherine Langford, the daughter of the archeologist who first discovered the stargates back in the 1920s. The ten-minute episodes will usher in the launch of a new web platform called Stargate: Command.
Who is Catherine Langford?
We first meet Catherine in a brief scene of her as a young girl at the beginning of the film version of “Stargate” in 1928.
Almost 70 years later she recruits Dr. Daniel Jackson to the Stargate project as a translator of ancient glyphs that unlock how to operate the technology that allows instantaneous star travel.
The character shows up a couple of more times during the “Stargate: SG1” series. Once, the fact is revealed that the Stargate was successfully operated in 1945 with Catherine’s finance going through the portal and having been presumed lost. In fact, the man was trapped for 50 years on an alien planet. Catherine and the team rescue the man, and the two are reunited. The second occurrence took place in 1969 when a younger Catherine meets the SG1 team which had been accidentally transported back in time. The character dies in 2005 at the ripe age of 102.
The Stargate franchise
Besides the big screen film, the Stargate franchise spun off three episodic television shows, “Stargate: SG1.” “Stargate: Atlantis,” and “Stargate: Universe” as well as some made for TV movies. The first series depicts the adventures of a team consisting of military personnel, a scientist, and a friendly alien as they travel to alien worlds having adventures.
The second series was set in an alien city in a far distant galaxy. The third was set on board an out of control alien starship at the far end of the galaxy. “Stargate” has often been compared to “Star Trek” in the breadth of its vision of interstellar exploration, but with the twist that it takes place in the present day rather than the far future.
Is “Stargate: Origins” a sign of things to come?
One can only hope that MGM’s production of a web series is a hint that bigger things are in the offing. The abrupt cancellation of “Stargate: Universe” rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. With space adventures now back in vogue with the advent of such shows as “The Expanse” and a new “Star Trek” series coming soon, one can only hope that people will be going through the Stargate once again to find wonder and danger at the far side of the universe.
