I was sad that ST:V didn’t turn out better, because my family and I happened to be living in the small desert town where the God-planet sequences were being filmed at the time (it was a temporary move for my dad’s job). We drove around one day, trying to spy anything from the set, and we saw that creepy white tree from the opening sequence sitting in the back of a pick-up truck. When we finally saw the movie, we got all excited in the first 30 seconds when we saw that tree. Then the rest of the movie happened…
OK, so I’ve watched Star Trek movies 1 - 3. Thanks for the warning about #1, as I wasn’t fazed about the slow pace, but still watched it first for background. I really liked 2 and 3, and looking forward to seeing the rest.
Now my question is, I’d like to watch some of the tv series. Where should I start? The Patrick Stewart series appeals.
If you can ignore the sometimes over-the-top acting, and the fact that there is very little continuity between episodes, the original series is still very good TV. If you can ignore the big picture and just watch every episode as an individual story, you will not be disappointed.
I’m just finishing up season 1 of my rewatch (I’m nose-to-the-grindstone going through every single piece of video they ever released, from TOS episode 1 to the newest movie, in order of production)
Many grew up with TNG and it is less dated than the '60s series. That being said, there are many Original Series episodes that hold well, even today.
Balance of Terror
Space Seed (the prequel for Wrath of Khan)
This Side of Paradise
The Devil in the Dark
The City on the Edge of Forever
Amok Time
Mirror, Mirror
The Trouble with Tribbles
All Our Yesterdays
I have my favorites (The Enemy Within, Shore Leave, Arena) but from our recent frak parties, I think these will appeal to folks accustomed to modern TV. You’ll have to remember that this was 60s TV and some opinions are dated. These episodes should also give you a good idea of the characters and the appeal of Star Trek.
I had seen bits and pieces of different series growing up, but when I decided to DVD them, I did it in the following order: DS9; TOS; TNG; VOY; ENT
I know a number of the GWCers loved TOS, but the only way I managed to actually watch them all was the frak parties - for me it was difficult to get past some of the race and gender politics, even though they were fairly progressive for their era.
I’d say - if you want to start with TNG, start with TNG! There is plenty of Star Trek to watch, and the beauty of it (I found) was that having seen one series helped me to enjoy the rest.
Deep Space Nine is my personal favorite. It was able to discuss topics on that show that were somewhat “radical” by mid-09s standards, including racism, murder, sexism, homosexuality, and of course, the Dominion War (which was dramatically different than anything that Star Trek had done before). It wasn’t a Starfleet captain swooping in on his starship to save the day. There were real topics that ordinary people dealt with on a day-to-day basis. While the characters are not as engaging as the TNG characters (save for Ben Sisko and Julian Bashir, in my opinion), the overall feel of the show is what really captivated me.
Voyager was a whole different animal. From a television standpoint, Voyager was excellent. The set design, CG graphics, costumes, makeup (Westmore is a genius), and even the acting (well, most of the acting…) were all very well executed. From a Star Trek standpoint, Voyager was sub-par. I would estimate that a good 70% of Voyager episodes were recycled and re-scripted episodes from both TNG and DS9. While there are a few standout episodes from Voyager, it didn’t really stand out to me until it’s final season. Jokingly called the “technobabble series,” Voyager was all about pushing scientific boundaries, moreso than the other Treks (including TNG).
Enterprise is where things get complicated. I watched the pilot episode when it first aired, and I was so disgusted with it that I turned it off. My thoughts were, ‘This is WAY too futuristic to be considered a precursor to TOS." And because of that, I didn’t watch another episode until about a year ago. My wife and I NetFlix’d the entire series, and we both became quite fond of it. And while it still looked too futuristic, the setting was indeed not. There is no Federation, no Starfleet, and no broad rules/regulations (i.e., the prime directive). No one else in the universe has heard of Humans, or Earth. The Vulcan culture in Enterprise is a 100% turn around from what you’ll be used to, if you’ve watched the other series’ before. The non-connecting episodes transformed into a season-long arc involving an attack on Earth (which directly corresponds with the September 11th attacks), and then this story evolves to become the birth of the Federation at the very end of the series. What disappointed me most about Enterprise, was the re-use of former Star Trek actors. Not small, one-time character actors- but actors who have played major roles in other Star Trek works (most notably, Jeffery Combs, J.G. Hertzler, Casey Biggs and Brent Spiner).
NextGen is your prototypical Star Trek series, in which the Enterprise swoops in to save the day, and the entire crew works together to overcome an objective. The vast majority of it’s episodes are disconnected from eachother, and there is little reference to themes from past episodes in the dialogue. It is overall the most respected and loved of all the Star Trek series (there are a few hardliners that say the TOS is the most respected and loved, but that’s an argument for another day), and it’s characters are nearly as iconic of those from TOS.
And this brings us to The Original Series. Now, some may argue that TOS was the best Star Trek series ever made, but I would have to disagree with that assessment. To be perfectly frank, I found TOS to be unimpressive. It’s slow, not very powerful, poor acting, and the writing leaves much to be desired. There are some episodes that stand out as being done really well (my favorite being “The Enterprise Incident”), but I found the most of them to be a drag.
It’s hard to say where to start, but not because you would have missed stuff and be lost, but because there is so much Trek that every season can have its ups and downs. I think Next Gen is a great place to start for you though. Season 1 of Next Gen is a little weak compaired to what goes on later. You could go ahead and just start with the first episode and go foward. If you find you are not liking it, skip to season 3 or 4 and see if you like it any better.
To my fairly young eyes, Season 1 and 2 of Next-Gen always looked much “older” to me. Not sure why, possibly just the visual and special effects got much better as the series went on, or the quality of the film/tape they used was better. In any case, Next Generation is a great show and a great place to start.
Success = bigger budget = prettier show.
Success = bigger budget = prettier show.
Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one. You’re probably 100% correct.
Good list. I’d add “The Changeling,” since it was the model for the first movie in some ways.
After that watch the Animated Series’ “Yesteryear” since provides a lot of detail about Vulcan that was incorporated into later iterations of Trek. (It’s also a damn good episode.)
If books aren’t canon, do we consider animation to be canon?
They’re not canon in themselves, but the better bits are mined by later writers. Once it shows up again in a live action production, then it’s canon. “Yesteryear” is notable in that a LOT of it has been incorporated into subsequent episodes.
Wow, I go to sleep and a ton of responses come in, thanks everybody!
I think I will watch the selected TOS episodes you listed, as wading through the whole thing is a bit daunting. Plus I will start on Next Gen. I think I’ll enjoy it no matter which series I start with, so may as well start with something familiar.
Once you get to TNG, here are my suggestions for season 1:
The Big Goodbye
Datalore
Heart of Glory
Conspiracy
FYI. A character dies in the first season in an episode entitled ‘Skin of Evil’.
Yes and weren’t they sorry they did that. Some people don’t know what they got till they don’t have it. I know one actor on that show was happy they left.
Once you get to TNG, here are my suggestions for season 1:
The Big Goodbye
Datalore
Heart of Glory
Conspiracy
A very good list of Season 1 episodes. I would also add “The Neutral Zone” to that list, which is the season 1 finale.
DC Fontana and Rodenberry produced it so many consider it canon. And some of it even appears in Starfleet Battles, and ST IV (The Kzinti). Here is some stuff from ‘The Book of Knowledge’ on the issue.
The Star Trek Chronology by production staffers Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda does not include the animated series, but does include certain events from “Yesteryear” and acknowledges Robert April as first captain of the Enterprise.[5] The timeline in Voyages of the Imagination dates the events of the series to 2269-2270, assuming the events of the show represented the final part of Kirk’s five-year mission, and using revised Alan Dean Foster stardates. In the updated October 1999 edition of their book: ‘The Star Trek Encyclopedia: A Reference Guide to the Future’, Michael and Denise Okuda state that:
‘In a related vein, this work (ie. book) adheres to Paramount studio policy that regards the animated Star Trek series as not being part of the “official” Star Trek universe, even though we count ourselves among that show’s fans. Of course, the final decision as to the “authenticity” of the animated episodes, as with all elements of the show, must clearly be the choice of each individual reader.’
Since Roddenberry’s death in 1991 and the consequent firing of Richard H. Arnold (who vetted the licensed tie-ins for Roddenberry’s “Star Trek Office” at Paramount during its later years), there have been several references to the animated series in the various live-action series. In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Once More Unto the Breach”, Kor referred to his ship, the Klothos, which was first named in the TAS episode “The Time Trap”. Other DS9 episodes to make reference to the animated series include “Broken Link”, where Elim Garak mentions Edosian orchids (Arex is an Edosian) and “Tears of the Prophets” where a Miranda class starship is called the USS ShirKahr (sic) after Shikahr, the city from “Yesteryear”. David Gerrold, who contributed two stories to TAS, stated in an interview his views on the canon issue:
Arguments about “canon” are silly. I always felt that Star Trek Animated was part of Star Trek because Gene Roddenberry accepted the paycheck for it and put his name on the credits. And DC Fontana—and all the other writers involved—busted their butts to make it the best Star Trek they could. But this whole business of “canon” really originated with Gene’s errand boy. Gene liked giving people titles instead of raises, so the errand boy got named “archivist” and apparently it went to his head. Gene handed him the responsibility of answering all fan questions, silly or otherwise, and he apparently let that go to his head.[7]
Writer-producer D. C. Fontana discussed the TAS Canon issue in 2007:
I suppose “canon” means what Gene Roddenberry decided it was. Remember, we were making it up as we went along on the original series (and on the animated one, too). We had a research company to keep us on the straight and narrow as to science, projected science based on known science, science fiction references (we didn’t want to step on anyone’s exclusive ideas in movies, other TV shows, or printed work). They also helped prevent contradictions and common reference errors. So the so-called canon evolved in its own way and its own time. For whatever reason, Gene Roddenberry apparently didn’t take the animated series seriously (no pun intended), although we worked very hard to do original STAR TREK stories and concepts at all times in the animated series.[8]
More DS9 references to the animated series include the episode “Prophet Motive” where the title of healer is resurrected from “Yesteryear” as well. Vulcan’s Forge is also mentioned in “Change of Heart”, in which Worf wants himself and Jadzia Dax to honeymoon there, as well as in episodes “The Forge”, “Awakening” and “Kir’Shara” from Star Trek: Enterprise.
The Star Trek: Enterprise episodes “The Catwalk” and “The Forge” included references to “Yesteryear”, the latter featuring a CGI rendition of a wild sehlat. The remastered Original Series episode “Amok Time” featured Shikahr in the background as Spock beams up at the episode’s end.[9]
Carter Winston, from “The Survivor”, has a small but important role late in the 1984 tie-in novel The Final Reflection by John M. Ford. In recent years, references to The Animated Series have also cropped up again in the licensed books and comics. M’Ress and Arex, characters from the animated series, appear in the Star Trek: New Frontier novels by Peter David, in which M’Ress and Arex are transported through time to the 24th Century, and are made officers on board the USS Trident. (David’s previous use of these characters, in TOS movie-era comics published by DC Comics, had been prevented by Gene Roddenberry’s office.[10])
A race introduced in the episode “The Jihad”, represented by a character named M3 Green, is named the Nasat in the Starfleet Corps of Engineers e-book novellas. These stories feature a regular Nasat character, P8 Blue. The Vulcan city of ShiKahr also appears in many books. Paula Block, then of CBS Consumer Products, was responsible for approving proposals and all completed manuscripts for the licensed media tie-ins, and granted many such uses of TAS material since Roddenberry’s passing.
Amarillo Design Bureau has—as part of its license for the Star Fleet Universe series of games—incorporated many aspects of The Animated Series into its works, not least being the inclusion of the Kzinti, although in a modified form. In addition FASA used elements from The Animated Series in its sourcebooks and modules for its Star Trek role-playing game.
Star Trek: Enterprise producer Manny Coto has commented that had that show been renewed for a fifth season, the Kzinti would have been introduced.[11] Starship designs were produced which closely resemble the Kzinti/Mirak ships from the Star Fleet Universe, a gaming universe that includes the boardgame Star Fleet Battles and its PC analogue Star Fleet Command.
On June 27, 2007, Star Trek’s official site incorporated information from The Animated Series into its library section,[12] although it is unclear here if TAS is indeed part of Star Trek canon or not.
Wow, thanks for the write up Omra! I have to agree with David Gerrold though, arguments about Canon, at least about the details of it like if such and such count are silly. In my mind the cannon is everything, until it is contradicted by something else on screen. Even then you can often justify some contradictions. Its not like what is considered cannon is without flaws or contradictions.