Children of the Gods

"Children of the Gods" is the first episode of the military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. It was written by producers Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright and was directed by Mario Azzopardi. The episode first aired on July 27, 1997, on Showtime. Originally presented as a television movie, the episode would later be split into two parts for repeats and syndicated viewings. A new updated cut entitled "Children of the Gods – The Final Cut" was released on DVD on July 21, 2009 by MGM Home Entertainment.

The story follows retired United States Air Force Colonel Jack O'Neill (portrayed by Richard Dean Anderson) who is recalled by General George Hammond (portrayed by Don S. Davis) to Stargate Command after it is attacked by an alien force. After being reunited with Dr. Daniel Jackson (portrayed by Michael Shanks) who has been living in secret on the alien world of Abydos, O'Neill and Captain Samantha Carter (portrayed by Amanda Tapping) learn that the Stargate network traverses the entire galaxy. After O'Neill, Carter, and Jackson discover where the attackers came from, the team travels to a new world where they encounter a race of beings posing as Gods called the Goa'uld and find an unlikely ally named Teal'c (portrayed by Christopher Judge).

Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright developed the series to follow on from the events of 1994 film by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, incorporating a number of elements such as settings and characters. The pilot was filmed in and around Vancouver, British Columbia and had a budget of $7.5 million. While the episode originally received mixed reviews, it gained a sizable following that would lead to the show lasting for 10 seasons with 214 episodes as well as various spinoff shows.