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Star Trek is not just a TV show, or 5 TV shows, or
movie; it is a
cultural experience. The original "Star Trek" began in the 1960's
when there was little scifi around in TV or movies. NBC viewed the
show as a children's show, even though it was clearly written on an
adult level. The show was canceled after two seasons but brought
back for a third season after a massive fan write-in campaign.
Unless
you've been living in a cave, you know that the original Trek was about
a starship exploring space. Captain Kirk and his crew met new
aliens every week. The show was one of the first of its kind to have a
multi-racial cast and deal with "issues" of the day. Many of us
grew up watching the show in re-runs and its fan base grew larger and
larger, even though it was off the air. It's optimism about the
future and a better mankind are just part of what makes the show so
popular. The cast returned for their first movie in 1979, due in
part to the success of "Star Wars". 6 more movies followed with the
original cast.
In 1987, the first spin-off, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" debuted
in syndication. It was hugely successful, more than the
original series, and lasted for 8 years. The show followed the
same basic formula as the original Trek. The Next Gen cast took
over in the movies, starting from "Star Trek: Generations" in 1994.
They made 3 more movies, but each was less successful.
In 1993, the next spin-off, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" debuted,
also in syndication. This series was still about a Starfleet crew,
but they ran a space station instead of a starship. This was the
first and only Trek series to have a black commander, and his
second-in-command were both women. Two of Next Gen's characters (Worf
and O'Brien) joined the cast of DS9. The show featured many aliens
and also an intergalactic war. The show lasted 6 years.
Gene Roddenberry, the creator of all of the Star Trek series, died
just toward the end of Next Gen, but DS9 was already in the works.
His vision lived on. His second-in-command during Next Gen, Rick
Berman, took over, assisted ably by Michael Piller.
The next Trek spin-off was "Star Trek: Voyager". This show went
back to the original formula of a starship that was exploring space.
However, this crew was stranded in another galaxy, the Delta Quadrant.
While they tried to get back home, they explored and met up with aliens,
many of them hostile. This was the first Trek show to have a woman
in command.
The first 21st centry Star Trek spin-off was "Enterprise" (later renamed "Star
Trek: Enterprise"). This was a prequel show about Captain Archer
and his crew, the first Starfleet Enterprise to explore space. It
is set in the near-future, at the beginning of the formation of
Starfleet and the Federation. Writers had to be careful not to
mess with the history that fans already knew from the other shows.
It was canceled in May, 2005 after 4 years.
A new Star Trek movie came out in 2009,
with new actors playing the original
Enterprise crew. It was very successful; then there
was a sequel, "Star Trek Into Darkness" in
2013. The latest one, "Star Trek Beyond"
premiered July 22. The next one will
reportedly be released on December 22, 2023,
assuming there are no further delays.
"Star Trek: Discovery"
premiered 9/24/17 on CBS and subsequent
episodes only appear on CBS All Access (now
known as Paramount+),
their digital subscription channel.
The show originally took place a decade before the
original Star Trek. The exploratory vessel
Discovery is diverted from its mission to
wage war on the Klingon Empire. This is the
first "Star Trek" to feature someone other
than the captain as the star.
Moreover, the star is a black woman, raised
by Spock's father, Sarek. The show is a huge
hit.
"Star Trek: Picard" is a
great Star Trek series on the streaming
service featuring Admiral Picard (from the
Next Gen series) and also featuring Trois,
Riker and Seven of Nine.
"Star Trek: Lower Decks" is
an animated, humorous Star Trek series on
the streaming service about service
personnel on the USS Cerritos in 2380.
"Star Trek: Prodigy" is
aimed at kids and airs on Nickelodeon as
well as Paramount+. It's the 10th Star Trek
series and the first to use computer
animation. Adults should enjoy it, too.
"Star Trek: Strange New
Worlds" is a spin-off from "Star Trek:
Discovery" featuring Captain Pike as the
captain of the Enterprise, his science
office Mr. Spock and other familiar
characters. |
