I posed the following question at the beginning of the week: What is your favorite Star Trek series of all-time? The results and the discussions that followed were interesting on so many levels. There was plenty of passion as you would expect from such a fan base. When all was said and done, over 100 votes were cast and I was grateful to each and every one of those votes and the fans were defended their choices.
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THE RESULTS:
Deep Space Nine
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42.9%
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The Original Series
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27.0%
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The Next Generation
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25.4%
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3.2%
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Voyager
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1.5%
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The Animated Series
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0.0%
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Was I more surprised at how well DS9 did or how poorly TOS & TNG did in comparison? Perhaps a little of both. I have always known that there has been a special sense of admiration towards DS9 within the Trek community. In so many ways DS9 is very underrated in the whole Star Trek canon. What was more surprising was the overwhelming dislike for Star Trek: Voyager. Yes, the animated series had no votes as favorite but in many of the discussion rankings, TAS came out ahead on many occasions over Voyager and sometimes Enterprise as well. Some cited Voyager as boring and uninspiring. While others felt it suffered from an overall weak cast. Although, Kate Mulgrew as Janeway did get positive reviews despite the shows overall bleak outlook.
On the other hand, while for many the original Star Trek and the Next Generation have a special place in everyone’s heart (neither show ranking lower than 3rd) it was the complex and challenging story lines of Deep Space Nine that hit home for most of the voters.
With that said, let us take a look at each series in reverse order starting with…
With that said, let us take a look at each series in reverse order starting with…
STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE
(4 seasons, 2001 to 2005, 98 episodes)
Unfortunately the legacy for this series is that it became the death nail of a 18 year run that started in 1987 with The Next Generation. It’s also the only series besides the original to be cancelled.
Set between the events of First Contact and Star Trek: The Original Series, Enterprise shows the origins of the Federation and the birth of the first starship called Enterprise Enterprise
STAR TREK: VOYAGER
(7 seasons, 1995 to 2001, 172 Episodes)
Voyager is the only Star Trek series to feature a female captain as its main character. It follows the exploits of Kathryn Janeway played by Kate Mulgrew and her crew as they pursued a renegade off shoot of Starfleet officers called the Maquis. In doing so, they go through a wormhole and end up in the unexplored Delta Quadrant some 75,000 light years from Earth. Realizing their unfortunate fate, both crews had to settle their differences and merge as one crew and begin their 75-year journey home together. Along the way, they will encounter new species never seen before in the Trek universe but it will be their encounter with the Borg that defines the rest the series, good or bad for the rest of it’s run. But perhaps Voyager’s greatest claim to fame is the fact that it was the centerpiece of the newly created UPN network that Paramount
STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE
(7 seasons, 1993 to 1999, 176 Episodes)
(7 seasons, 1993 to 1999, 176 Episodes)
Six years after TNG made its debut, Deep Space Nine became the first spin off of a Trek TV series. DS9 centered around a former Cardassian occupied space station that orbited the planet of Bajor. It was also located next to a wormhole that led to the Gamma Quadrant and was the centerpiece of many story lines during their 7-year run. The station was under the Federation leadership of Commander (later Captain) Sisko played by Avery Brooks. Unlike its predecessors, DS9 had story arcs that spanned several episodes and even an entire season. To many it was the most hardcore of all the series. One of Star Trek’s greatest strengths was taking present day problems and putting a futuristic spin on it. Whether it was oppression, racism or even terrorism, the writers of Star Trek had a brilliant way to bring it to light. I believe this if for no other reason, played a major role as to why DS9 has become such a hit within the Trek community. The only thing I wish they did was make their own feature. This show and her crew was worthy of such an opportunity.
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
(7 seasons + 4 films, 1987 to 1994, 178 Episodes)
From the very first moment the thought of a new Trek series was being discussed everyone had an opinion. Some embraced the idea while others were against it. How can you replace Kirk & Spock with a new crew? Honestly, you can’t. But what you can do is build on their legacy. I was cautiously interested in this new series set 80 years after Kirk. I remember hating the jumpsuit uniforms of the first couple of seasons but their was something about Captain Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) that intrigued me. He was his own man and not a Kirk wannabe. More the diplomat and less the cowboy. Product of the time I would guess.
As each season passed, these characters grew on me and they established themselves with their own identity. They didn’t have to compete with the original. They were creating their own legacy and made it so. After 178 episodes, TNG is officially the longest running Trek series of all-time and add 4 films to boot for good measure.
STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES
(2 seasons, 1973 to 1974, 22 episodes)
Even after the Original got cancelled, there was still this huge cult following that wanted more Trek. It was the pressure of its fans that led to the revival of the Trek franchise in this animated form. With the exception of Walter Koenig (Chekov), all the original cast members provided the voice work for their respective roles. After its conclusion in 1974, it would be another five years until we hear and see them again when Star Trek: The Motion Picture made its big screen debut in 1979.
STAR TREK aka The Original Series
(3 seasons + 6 films, 1966 to 1969, 79 episodes)
The one that started it all. Without this crew, the discussion on which Trek is your favorite would be rendered as moot. There would be no Trek without the adventures of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. Star Trek is arguably the greatest Sci-Fi franchise of all time. The numbers simply speak for themselves. It has spawned six television series totaling 725 episodes and 12 theatrical films. The last two being part of the Star Trek reboot that took place in 2009 with, you guess it, the origin story of the original crew. All this and not to mention the countless books, games and other products it has generated over the years. It has even influenced the scientific community into exploring the world of possibilities that Star Trek had put forth in front of their eyes. If imitation is the highest form of flattery, than TOS is in a class all its own. Entering its 47th year, it has certainly Lived Long and Prospered. This is the late Gene Roddenberry’s legacy. It was his vision of the final frontier where humankind got past its petty differences and strives for something better than themselves. To be able to reach for the stars and beyond. In other words, to boldly go where no man, where no one has gone before.
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
