Stargate is a military science fiction media franchise based on the film of the same name. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien Einstein–Rosen bridge device (the Stargate) that enables nearly instantaneous travel across the cosmos. The franchise began with the film Stargate, released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, which grossed US$197 million worldwide. In 1997, Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner created a television series titled Stargate SG-1 as a sequel to the film. This show was joined by Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe, and a prequel web series, Stargate Origins. Also consistent with the same story are a variety of books, video games and comic books, as well as the direct-to-DVD movies The Ark of Truth and Continuum, which concluded the first television show after 10 seasons.
With the instantaneous travels the stargate allows, it's a different take then the usual star ship travel that most space science fiction shows utilize. Most encounters are with other humans, that have generally evolved in much different ways than humans on earth. Eventually, the teams meet actual aliens and begin star ship travel. But the stargate remains the primary source of space travel for the franchise.
