So far, I find it to be better than the original, not that often for spin-offs imo.
After having seen only several episodes on the television (and due to my own lazy nature, missing out on a lot more), I was only too happy to watch a friend's DVD set of the first three seasons and I have to admit I am very impressed.
The original series had decent characters and at least during the first six or seven seasons, decent stories too. But Stargate Atlantis for me have better characters, actors and stories.
The villains are more interesting, the interaction between the team members (as the structure of the original show is pretty much kept the same, one gate and one main team, with more happening at the "homefront" this time) is more fun, the mood of the show is a bit more dire though and it all struck me as a bit harsher, especially Sheppard is a lot more coldblooded than Jack O'Neill.
The new team is pretty much a carboncopy of the original team but at least they made it work and not make it feel too much like it being just a copy.
Ofcourse, I've only seen the first three seasons and some episodes of the fourth so far. It isn't really fair to compare a ten year show with one that is still running and has only four ones so far. The first four or so series of Stargate were pretty good too, not many bad episodes in them either.
Sad episode near the end of the third season, but it was a very brilliant episode though, and in the world of the stargate show, nothing is always 100% as it seems nor as definite as people would think apparently.
I just hope they won't let it become like the original show, season 9 and 10 were not good, nor was the very disappointing movie Ark of Truth. Even Claudia Black and Ben Browder couldn't save that.
Forgot to add: if I were forced to chose between Stargate Atlantis and the other top science fiction show Battlestar Galactica, my choice would be easy. BSG might have had a superior first year, after that the show became too erratic and the fourth (and final) season isn't promising much better.
Smasharoo might be putting it a little too blunt imo, he's not that far off with his comments.
Edited, May 1st 2008 9:54pm by Zieveraar
Which is the better show?
| Stargate: |    | 3 (23.1%) |
| Stargate Atlantis: | | 5 (38.5%) |
| Neither, they both are good: | | 4 (30.8%) |
| Neither, they both are bad: | | 1 (7.7%) |
| Total: | 13 |
Edited, May 2nd 2008 11:57am by Zieveraar