Stargate SG-1's pilot episode originally contained a risqué scene that was ultimately cut, and it's a good thing it was. The Stargate franchise is often considered one for the family (at least those 13 and up), filled with wonderfully cheesy science fiction and season after season of adventure. However, the early episodes of SG-1 had a very different feel and themes that would have been better suited for mature audiences. As it turns out, this had much to do with the creative difference between the show's creators and the network bringing it to life.

The original Stargate movie (1994) that started Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson's story was rated PG-13. The film was full of fantasy violence, and there was the implication of nudity and sex. Still, it was hardly any worse than Star Wars, meaning many modern Stargate fans first watched the movie as a child. Later, in 1997, the series Stargate SG-1 aired on Showtime, and the pilot episode was far from appropriate for those same young audiences.

Stargate SG-1 Was Right To Cut Sha're's Pilot Episode Possession Scene

In the first episode of Stargate SG-1, Sha-re (Vaitiare Bandera), was captured by the Goa'uld to become a host. During the scene leading up to her possession, Sha're was stripped naked—something the camera caught in full detail. This full-frontal nudity was nothing new to Showtime, the network that aired the series, but it was far from the flavor that audiences came to love from the Stargate franchise.

It later turned out that Showtime had been adamant that Stargate SG-1 embrace these mature themes since when the series switched to the SYFY network in 2002, the director reshot the pilot and cut out the nudity. This was a joyfully accepted change since the full nudity in "Children of the Gods" was never necessary to the plot and felt like a cheap gimmick for a show that could succeed without it. Ultimately, Stargate's original creators agreed.

Stargate SG-1's Sha're Scene Angered The Original Creators

Fans of the original Stargate movie weren't the only ones surprised by Sha're's full-frontal nudity in SG-1's pilot. The original co-writer and producer Dean Devlin shared in an interview (via Dial the Gate) that he had not been included in making the TV series and was frustrated with the more mature themes he witnessed in the first episode. "That's not Stargate," he said, "Do you guys have any idea what show we are doing?"

Thankfully, Stargate SG-1 wasn't forced to commit to this mature rating, and the series (especially the final cut) is still seen as an excellent show for older children and teens. However, the Showtime version has hung around to haunt audiences and show creators alike. When Netflix started streaming the series in 2020, it displayed a rating of TV-MA, indicating that this was the Showtime cut of the series. This was a big surprise for fans who remembered a more wholesome version of Stargate SG-1 and proved that the series had been right to make the change.