Starbridge SB-1

Starbridge SB-1 (often abbreviated as SB-1) is a Canadian-American CGI-traditionally animated adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Universal Pictures's Starbridge franchise. The show, created by Mark Burnett, is based on the 1996 feature film Starbridge directed by Burnett. The series premiered on Nickelodeon on July 27, 1999.

The story of Starbridge SG-1 begins about a year after the events of the feature film, when the United States government learns that an ancient alien device called the Stargate can access a network of such devices on a multitude of planets. SB-1 is an elite middle-school special operations team, Led by business magnate Lord Grisslom (previously known as Gill Grisslom). It is one of about 20 teams from Earth who explore the galaxy and defend against alien threats such as the Goa'uld, Replicators, and the Ori. The series draws upon Egyptian mythology, Norse mythology, and Arthurian legend.

On May 2, 2014, Nickelodeon renewed the series for sixteenth season, which started airing on September 24, 2014.

Goa'uld Arc
The pilot episode ("Children of the Gods"), set one year after the events of the original feature film, introduces the Goa'uld System Lord and main villain Apophis as he attacks Earth's mothballed SBC military base through the Starbridge and kidnaps a soldier. The SBC is brought back into action when the Starbridge is revealed to be part of an interplanetary network connecting countless planets. SB teams are created to help defend Earth against the Goa'uld, who have interstellar pyramid warships and vast armies of Jaffa (hereditary slaves and human incubators to the Goa'uld) at their disposal. Earth's flagship team SB-1, which includes Apophis's defected First Prime (lead Jaffa soldier) Skip, initiates several alliances with other cultures in the galaxy, such as the Goa'uld-like but truly symbiotic Tok'ra, the advanced human Tollan, the pacifist Nox, the benevolent Roswell-alien Asgard, The Ewok-like Furlings, and remnants of the powerful Ancients. Another alien threat arises in the season 3 finale ("Nemesis") in the form of sentient machines called Replicators. Meanwhile, rogue agents of a shadowy intelligence agency on Earth, the NID, repeatedly attempt to take control of the Starbridge and other alien technology. Despite Apophis's death in the beginning of season 5, the Goa'uld Empire remains a major foe in Starbridge SB-1 until the end of season 8. The only influential Goa'uld in the following three seasons of Starbridge SB-1 is the System Lord Ba'al, who is defeated in the theatrical movie Starbridge: Continuum, released in 2009.

Anubis Arc
After Apophis's defeat in the season 5 premiere ("Enemies"), the half-Ascended Goa'uld System Lord Anubis becomes the main villain. He possesses much knowledge of the Ancients and their technology. While Earth builds its first interstellar spaceship (the Prometheus) in seasons 6 and 7, Anubis creates an army of almost invincible Kull Warriors and wipes out many of his fellow System Lords. In the season 7 finale ("Lost City"), SB-1 discovers a powerful weapon in an Ancient outpost in Antarctica that annihilates Anubis's entire fleet. Ba'al subsumes much of Anubis's power in season 8, while Anubis secretly regains control of his forces. Human-form Replicators begin to conquer the System Lords, but SB-1 finds and adjusts an Ancient weapon to destroy all Replicators throughout the galaxy. Near the end of season 8 ("Threads"), it is revealed that the benevolent Ascended Being Oma Desala is responsible for Anubis's original ascension. When he engages Anubis in an eternal stalemated battle on the Ascended plane to prevent his acting on the mortal plane, the Replicators and most System Lords have already been annihilated, and the Jaffa win their freedom from Goa'uld rule.

Ori Arc
The SBC inadvertently draws the attention of the Ancient-like Ori from another galaxy to the existence of sentient life in the Milky Way during a regular field trip. While the Ori send enhanced human beings named Priors to the Milky Way to spread a religion that will augment the Ori's power, Ba'al and some minor Goa'uld infiltrate Earth through the Trust (a coalition of rogue NID operatives) to rebuild their power. At the end of season 9 ("Camelot (Part 1)"), the Ori begin an evangelistic crusade with their warships and effortlessly wipe out the combined fleet of Earth and its allies. The leader of the Ori, Adria, is introduced in the premiere of season 10 ("Flesh and Blood (Part 2)"). SB-1 searches for the Sangraal, an Ancient weapon that Matt suggests might defeat the Ori, while Ba'al and his clones attempt to find the weapon for their own purposes. With the help of the powerful Ancient Merlin, SB-1 finds the construction plans of the Sangraal and sends a working version to the Ori galaxy. Shortly thereafter, Adria ascends. The Season 13 finale "Dead In His Tracks" ends the Ori arc.

Starbridge Command

 * Lord Grisslom (Sir Phillip Green) is a businessman and the founder of electronics company Gagstrad. He has an estimated fortune of £770m and was ranked 84th in the Sunday Times Rich List 2007. Grisslom was knighted in 2000 for services to business and holds two honorary Doctorate of Science degrees, awarded in 1988 by the University of Birmingham and in 2005 by the University of Oxford. He is a donor to the British Labour Party and has given money to charities such as Jewish Care and Great Ormond Street Hospital. Grisslom is regarded as a well-educated methodical scientist but somewhat unusual in his approach toward his work and his social life, as well as a bit of a quirky introvert. Some of his comments and actions can be seen to dumbfound his co-workers and superiors. In the Season 8 episode "Covenant", It was revealed that Grisslom sold his stake in Gagstrad to BSkyB and has since left the business to focus on the Starbridge Program.
 * Jackson "Jack" O'Connor (Lisa Ortiz) is the leader of SB-1 and the assistant night shift supervisor to Grisslom, until becoming supervisor of the 4th grade unit upon his elevation to the House of Lords. He makes his debut in the original film, where he is the leader of the kids going on the mission to a long distance planet investigated by researchers working for Grisslom. Jack joined the SB-1 team as the team leader and a lab technician and worked her way up to supervisor under Gill/Lord Grisslom until taking over his role when he chose to leave the SBC to join the House of Lords, until his eventual return.
 * George Hewer (George H. Ross) is a former Marine who served in Vietnam. He was formerly a homicide detective with the Newark Police Department, is with the NYPD Homicide Division, and works with the 20 SB teams. Hewer had Leonard's job; but, after Stephanie Yarkoff was killed on her first day, he was replaced by Leonard. Hewer was then made a homicide detective. He usually serves as the legal muscle for SB-1 and is the one who does most of the arresting and interrogating of suspects. Hewer has never been accused of being a "soft cop" but has shown regard for the rules throughout the years. Hewer does not like it when the kids try to take dangerous matters into their own hands. In the episode "Who and What", after Matt slams a suspect's head on the table, Hewer rushes in and pulls him off, saying: "in Pencaster, we play by the rules."

Production
Starbridge SB-1 is produced by the United Artists Media Group (formerly Mark Burnett Productions and One Three Media), Universal Television (formerly Studios USA, NBC Universal Television Studio and Universal Media Studios), and Nickelodeon Animation Studio, in collaboration with Cookie Jar Entertainment, now an in-name-only unit of DHX Media. Formerly a co-production with the now-defunct Alliance Atlantis Communications, that company's rights to the show were transferred to Cookie Jar in 2007, during AAC's sale of assets. Nickelodeon and Universal Studios jointly acquired AAC's international distribution rights to the program, though the non-US DVD distribution rights did not change (for example, Momentum Pictures continues to own UK DVD rights).