3.2 on the Nielsen ratings. The episode was the most watched episode ever broadcast by Sci Fi Channel gathering over 4 million viewers in the United States according to Variety in 2004, but was beaten by Warehouse 13 in 2009. In the United Kingdom, it was viewed by 1.28 million people, placing it first in the most viewed shows in Sky One for the week. The two-part pilot episode was released on DVD after its initial broadcast on TV. The pilot episode was awarded a Gemini Award in the category Best Visual Effects. The episode was also nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series", a Leo Award for "Best Production Design in a Dramatic Series", and a Visual Effects Society Award for "Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series". The original and first release date of "Rising (Part 1)" was on July 16, 2004 and was released internationally on September 19, 2005. "Rising (Part 2)" was released at the same time as Part 1 in the United States, but was released internationally on September 26, 2006. David Nusair from Reel Film Reviews said "as a pilot episode, there's no denying that "Rising" gets the job done." IGN reviewer Filip Vukcevic gave the episode, 6 out of 10 and said "while this pilot does have promise, it doesn't appear to deliver anything but average sci-fi fare. Hopefully the series itself has more spice." Dan Heaton from Digitally Obsessed said "Rising provides a strong introduction to an original series that retains the positive aspects of its predecessor but does not simply copy its success," and gave the episode an A. Taylor Brown when reviewing the Rising (Part 1) from GateWorld said "as a pilot episode, "Rising" gives viewers a lot of hope for the series to come," the episode was given 4 out of 5 stars. Virginia Heffernan from The New York Times called the episode "Dull" and further commented that it was a "relic of our own unenlightened time," but said that the show could win fans with its "Lavish special effects". References External links Rising Part 1 and Part 2 at mgm.com Rising at scifi.com Television episodes set in Antarctica Stargate Atlantis episodes American television series premieres 2004 American television episodes