1. TOS A++++ Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, Chekov et al, I will always love you! 2. VOY B+ I guess I just really connected with the characters, and we got a sense of exploration back in Trek. 3. TNG B The first two seasons are my favourite - let's see what's out there. 4. ENT B- Seasons three and four are excellent. 5. DS9 C+ The tediously overlong war and religious overtones really brought the show down for me. I certainly don't dislike it though.
Personally, I think The Next Generation seasons one and two were the most creative of Modern Trek and made space seem like a vast wilderness. A feeling that was quickly lost in season three and they never recovered even when using locales on the other side of the galaxy.
In my opinion if they had made the way a 2 or 3 episode stroy arc it would have ruined it. It would have detracted from its impact and the fact it was meant to be super devistating war and that diplomacy cant work all the time. Maybe but the terrible acting and overbearing condescending preachyness plus the Wesly Crusher saves the day storylines ruined it.
For me, seasons one and two had a palpable "TOS-like" vibe to them - I can't help but be drawn to them!
But then TOS never had the preachy we are so evolved crap. Nor did it have a braty kid that comes out with a deus ex machina every other episode.
I have to go with TNG, though DS9 is close. Story: I would go with TNG over DS9. Yeah, DS9 would win for overall arc, but TNG had the best writing for individual episodes, IMO. DS9 fell back more on standard TV conventions a lot more than TNG did, and the only argument that it had better writing is that stories in episodes happened to be linked together more. Characters: DS9 Special effects: Not that it affects my opinion of the show, but Enterprise.
TOS for me. I grew up with it and it will always have a huge nostalgia bonus for me. I am fond of TNG and also really like ENT. DS9 lost me somewhere in the fourth season and I never cared for VOY.
Well put. I would also add the unintentional humor (like the "liquids vs. solids" thing). Not a horrible show by any stretch, but not my cup of tea.
I'm in the process of rewatching TNG and just finished DS9. I haven't watched either in at least 10 years so I'm having fun revisiting them. So with them fresh in my mind: TNG A+ DS9 B TOS B+ VOY C ENT C
Not voting, because it requires choosing one above all others. I date back to the Stone Age, when all that existed were things like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and Lost in Space. And then Star Trek raised its head and changed the face of science fiction on television. That incarnation of Star Trek is all we had for 20 years. The later series are simply variations on the theme. Each successive series has its own moments of excellence and pitfalls, just as the original show did. I like them all, though Star Trek is the oldest friend. TNG introduced the ensemble cast format, which I have never really been a big fan of for any television show. DS9 showed the concept could work in a setting other than a starship, but then it failed to hold that premise and introduced its own ship. It's as if it tried to be two shows in one. I liked Voyager because it had some of the wildest mind-bending stories ever presented. I'm still digesting Enterprise as I wasn't able to view the entire series until this year. It took a lot of chances, some of them worked and others didn't. It does have some of the most impressive visual effects of all of the series.
For me, TOS will always have the top spot, partly because that's the Trek I first fell in love with. My preference for the shows is more emotion based than academic (plot, effects, etc). For a series to make an impression on me, I have to grow to love at least some of the characters. All the shows had merit, I didn't find any of them awful, but if I didn't fall in love with the characters pretty soon, then it didn't become a favorite. After TOS, I liked TNG and VOY the most, and I while I did enjoy watching DS9, I was never deeply into it. Same with Enterprise, it wasn't unpleasant to watch but the characters didn't affect me on an emotional level, so both it and DS9 rank lower in my personal list.
DS9. TOS is my favorite due to my love of those characters, but I've always thought DS9 was the best Star Trek series. All the main and recurring cast was developed well and there was a very compelling arc.