Like that other great institution of sci-fi TV, Star Trek, I've never consciously watched any of the various incarnations of the Stargate series. I've seen the movie, which had nothing to do with my decision not to watch the series; it was more a matter of priorities.

With so many excellent sci-fi shows on TV, and only so many hours in the day, sometimes choices have to be made about whether to invest time in the characters and their universe.

Even when this latest excursion into the Stargate universe aired on TV, I didn't take the time to join the new crews adventure from the outset, but now it is out on DVD/Blu-ray, and had plenty of positive feedback on the series when it showed, it seemed like an appropriate moment to make the jump.

For a long-running series with such a dense mythology, the original movie provides enough background for an understanding of the show's basic premise. In this new series, the team discover the purpose of the “ninth chevron” after being forced through the Stargate when their hidden base comes under attack.

Upon entering the gate the survivors of the attack find themselves aboard a massive, abandoned spaceship called “The Destiny”, which was built millions of years ago by the Ancients to seed distant galaxies with Stargates.

Stranded on the ship, which is locked on an unknown course and unable to return back to Earth, in an attempt save themselves, the Stargate crew are forced to explore dangerous new territories and unexplored deserts determined by the ship, as they unlock the secrets of The Destiny’s Stargate, which gives plenty of opportunity for adventure of the week, within the main overriding story arc.

Alongside the military crew are scientist Dr Rush (Robert Carlyle), newly recruited geek Eli Wallace (David Blue) and daughter of a US senator, Chloe Armstrong (Elyse Levesque). This gives the show a touch of Battlestar Galactica about it, with civilians and military together on a ship trying to find their way back to Earth, along with its quasi-religious mythology.

Due to late arrival of the review discs I haven't had chance to watch the whole first season yet, but from what I've seen so far it's looking good, although not with the same dramatic impact as the aforementioned Battlestar Galactica.

For a newby like myself it is engrossing enough to want to watch more, so for existing fans of the previous outings it will be a welcome new chapter.

Stargate Universe Season One is out now on DVD and Blu-ray, and is available from Play and all good retailers.