The ‘Stargate’ crew jumps back into action

After six seasons and more than 130 episodes, you’d think the “Stargate SG-1” team would be making some headway in its mission to keep Earth safe from interstellar evil.

But as the seventh season unfolds tonight in a two-hour premiere (9 p.m. on the Sci Fi Channel), it quickly becomes clear that space is still a dangerous place, and that the show remains one of the delights of its genre.

For those who haven’t previously tuned in to Sci Fi’s top-rated series (based on the 1994 theatrical release “Stargate,” starring Kurt Russell), the cable outfit’s making it easy for you to jump on board: Prior to the new episode (actually two linked, hourlong segments), the channel will air a 60-minute clips show at 8 p.m. that sketches out the past, present and future of the series.

The biggest news for the new season is the return of Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson, a former regular who jumped ship for a season. He makes quite an entrance, tumbling naked from the sky with no memory of his work with SG-1 mates Col. Jack O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson), Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping), Jonas Quinn (Corin Nemec) and Teal’c (Christopher Judge).

There is little time to get him up to speed: The dastardly Anubis is on the warpath and the hastily assembled coalition of good guys seems ill-equipped to mount a credible defense, a fact not lost on the delightfully droll O’Neill.

“All right,” he mutters after hearing the game plan, “everybody who thinks this is an absolutely insane idea, raise your hands.” I think I may have lifted my hand, but it wasn’t to grab the remote. Crazy or not, who’d want to miss how it all turns out?