Only Two Stargate SG-1 Stars Appeared In Over 200 Episodes Of The Hit Sci-Fi Series

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When we talk about legendary science fiction television, it's easy to jump right to "Star Trek" or even "Battlestar Galactica." But right there in the conversation should be "Stargate SG-1." Spun out of what was supposed to be a big movie franchise, the show ran for ten seasons and over 200 episodes. It also led to several spin-offs, creating a massive universe. During the show's incredible run, only two actors appeared in at least 200 episodes, anchoring the series from beginning to end.

"Stargate SG-1" has a total of 214 episodes and is now streaming on Netflix. The series is set after the events of the 1994's "Stargate" movie and follows SG-1, a group of soldiers and scientists who travel through a gateway to other planets, fighting dangerous aliens in order to protect Earth.

The series was led by Richard Dean Anderson as Jack O'Neill, who conditionally replaced Kurt Russell, the actor who originated the role in the movie. However, he "only" appeared in 177 episodes, despite being the series lead for much of its run. Instead, it was Christopher Judge and Amanda Tapping, who played Teal'c and Samantha Carter, respectively, who broke the 200 episode barrier.

Each actor is credited with 213 episodes on IMDb (due to different approaches about how to count two-parter episodes, the number of total "SG-1" episodes is apparently a matter of dispute). Some of those appearances are "credit only," but even accounting for that, they both acted in over 200 episodes each and were there just about every step of the way from the start of "SG-1" in 1997 through its end in 2007. A run that long on any show is something relatively few actors can claim. It's nothing shy of impressive.

Christopher Judge and Amanda Tapping were part of the core ensemble from the beginning of the show, alongside Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks, who portrayed Dr. Daniel Jackson. Shanks appeared in 198 episodes, falling just short of the 200 mark. There was also Don S. Davis, who showed up as George Hammond in 161 episodes.

Anderson eventually left "Stargate SG-1," which paved the way for the rest of the cast to have a little bit more to do. That led to Judge and Tapping having a truly legendary run for the ages. Not only did they both hit the 200 episode mark in this show, but they also continued on in their roles in shows like "Stargate Continuum" and "Stargate Atlantis," respectively.

In the case of Tapping, she was supposed to co-star in a canceled "Stargate" spin-off that would have focused on two beloved characters, namely Samantha Carter and Malcolm Barrett (Peter Flemming). It didn't move forward, but if it had, Tapping's contributions to this universe would have grown even more.

Looking towards the future, a "Stargate" veteran is getting ready to bring the franchise back for Prime Video: Martin Gero, who produced several of the previous shows, is set to head up a new series. Details remain somewhat scarce, but it's not impossible that some of these characters could return, unless we're getting a full-on reboot.

You can grab "Stargate SG-1: The Complete Series" on DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon.