Stargate has some really interesting plots, great characters, and some truly hilarious moments. I love the IP dearly, and Atlantis is my favorite of the bunch. It’s more light-hearted and pulpy than Star Trek, but it’s still great. I am jealous of you getting to watch it for the first time. I wish I could do that again.
I will echo what others have said. The first season is rough, especially the beginning. But it gets good towards the latter half. The following seasons have sold some stinkers, like every show, but the seasons in general get better as it goes on. I definitely recommend it if you like Star Trek.
Yeah, RDA is a treasure and he is great in the show. He and the other producers specifically wanted to change the O’Neill from the movie by giving him more humor and personality, because it made him more likeable. And it was the right call. I don’t think I would have liked the show as much with a movie-version of O’Neill leading the team.