Wright: It’s like old times with Anderson

Having Stargate SG-1‘s leading man on the set is like old times, executive producer Brad Wright told SciFi Wire. Richard Dean Anderson (Jack O’Neill) returns for several guest appearances on both SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis this season. Anderson reprises his role as General Jack O’Neill in the episode aptly titled “200,” SG-1‘s two-hundredth episode.

The landmark show will air on August 18 as part of the series’ record breaking 10th season, the site confirmed.

“It’s been a lot of fun to see him again,” Wright said in an interview. “He’s doing two episodes of SG-1 and three episodes of Atlantis.”

Wright said that SG-1 just had to have its two-hundredth episode with its original leading man. “He was so much the face of SG-1 for so many years,” Wright said. “We did go on without him and made some fine television, but for the two-hundredth episode there was just no way we could even consider doing it without bringing him back. And, of course, when we called him to ask him to do that, he said, ‘Just one?’ So it was nice to know that he wanted to come back.

“And it’s actually kind of a testament to the environment we have here. People miss it when they’re gone. It’s just a fun place to work, and it’s a fun show to work on. That’s why everybody still works their butt off and why we’re still on the air, I guess, because it shows on the screen.”

Anderson left the show after Season Eight to spend more time with his daughter in California. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight Canada, Anderson said he had permission from his 7-year-old to go back to work.

“[Wylie] said, ‘Yeah sure, Dad. If you want to go back to work, you can. I’m okay.’ So I said to her, ‘Well, what about me? Maybe I’ll miss you too much.’ And she said, put her hand on me and said, ‘Dad, you’ll be okay.'”

“I think we’ve been around awhile,” said Anderson joking to Space Channel about the two-hundredth episode. “What we’re celebrating is longevity, age, old folks, and the young people who watch them.”

Stargate SG-1‘s tenth season and Stargate Atlantis‘s third season will premiere on July 14 on SCI FI Channel in the U.S.