Voyager memories

[RagazzaMatta]

In honor of the 20th anniversary, what are some memories you have thanks to the show? And how did you get into it?

It was my first Star Trek series. My dad, a lifelong Trek fan, would have me watch it work him because he thought Captain Janeway would be a good role model.

When I was in middle school one of my best friends was a big fan, so we would get out my video camera and make our own movies. They were hilariously bad. I played B'Ellana and we drew my cranial ridges on with eyeliner, so they faded throughout the movie. We actually tried doing scenes in engineering with the warp core. We used a spinning silver hula hoop. Complete with the hand spinning it appearing in the frame constantly!

In college my chemistry professor was introducing himself to the class and said "I'm the 7th of 9 children, so you can call me 7 of 9!" I laughed really loud and I was the only one. In a class of 60, I was the only one who got the joke! So he looked me right away and I soon became his favorite student. We would ride the elevator to lab together and talk about nerdy stuff. So I ended up really enjoying the class and doing really well in it.

I've met so few VOY fans in my lifetime, when I found out my husband was a fan I knew we were meant to be. As an added bonus he looks a lot like Tom Paris. But best of all I can expect awesome Trek stuff for everyday Christmas and birthday.

 

[SPCTRE]

It was the first Star Trek show where I actually managed to catch the pilot when it premiered in Germany. I remember I was very excited and enjoyed it a lot. I still think it's the best pilot episode in the franchise.

I seem to remember the premiere was in a super weird time slot, like 12 p.m. on a Sunday?

ETA: Looked it up, it was on a Friday, which makes more sense

 

[Kobayshi Maru]

Funnily enough, voyager was the first ST series I ever saw an episode of. It wasn't the first Star Trek thing though. That was quite a few years before. We were between friends at a weekend gathering, and one of us had brought a few rented tapes from the store. So I took one and put it in the VCR and we started watching, after a few minutes we thought it was too boring, so we removed it and watched the next tape on the pile instead. Believe it or not but it was my first star trek experience. The movie was "First Contact" as I learned many years later after I had almost completely forgotten about the incident.

Anyway, the first Voyager episode I saw was Basics part II,( by accident while looking with the remote what was on the cable, turns out we had a sci. Fi Channel and I didn't even know about it), needless to say, it left a few questions unanswered... But it got me intrigued and so here I am, many years later, older and hopefully wiser.

 

[dub]

I was super hyped about the show before it aired. The high point for me was the preview show that aired right before the premiere hosted by Robert Picardo. That really got me excited for the series. I loved the ship. I loved the concept. I loved the main theme (best in franchise). I loved the show open (best in frachise).

 

[Melakon]

I seem to remember the premiere was in a super weird time slot, like 12 p.m. on a Sunday?

ETA: Looked it up, it was on a Friday, which makes more sense

Here in the States, some stations would repeat that week's episode on weekends, so maybe you did see it on a Sunday.

 

[Trek Survivor]

I tuned out after season 2, but I vividly remember the excitement of late '94/early '95 before the series arrived here in the UK. We'd get little tidbits of upcoming episode news from the US, pictures of characters in sci-fi mags etc...

And then I remember buying "Caretaker" on VHS (the series made its debut in the UK on VHS BEFORE any broadcast)...I think I got it on first day of release. I was bowled over, loved it! My Trek fan-love was VERY high in 95/96!!

 

[hux]

Voyager was the first Trek i ever saw and the one that got me into the whole franchise. Back when BBC2 did their daily teatime 6pm slot. Star Trek, Sliders, Farscape, Simpsons, Buffy etc

BBC would never show that stuff now

 

[Iamnotspock]

Voyager was the first Trek i ever saw and the one that got me into the whole franchise. Back when BBC2 did their daily teatime 6pm slot. Star Trek, Sliders, Farscape, Simpsons, Buffy etc

BBC would never show that stuff now

Why not? If anything, I'd say SF has had a bit of a resurgence since then. That was during the drought period when the genre was hugely unpopular with UK broadcasters and programme-makers, and we had to look to US imports for our fix. Even then, they were relegated to the 6pm "cult" slot, and the idea that such things could ever be considered mainstream wasn't even entertained. Buffy, for example, was screened at 6:45pm in an edited format, and when viewers complained that we weren't getting the full experience, BBC2 started screening an unedited repeat of each episode in a graveyard slot (no pun intended) the following night, so the show built up two audiences either side of prime time.

Later, when Doctor Who was brought back in what was perhaps seen as a risky move, it revitalised the whole genre, and we got Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes, Being Human, The Fades, Misfits, In the Flesh, Outcasts, Torchwood etc. If Buffy had come along a few years later it would have been given a decent 8pm slot on BBC2 in the first place, and probably a behind-the-scenes documentary, as Heroes did. It would be interesting to see what sort of treatment a new Star Trek series would get now.

Voyager premièred on BBC2 as part of a themed "Star Trek Night" to celebrate the 30th anniversary in 1996. I wasn't allowed to stay up for the whole night but we recorded it on VHS. "Caretaker" was screened at 10:50pm, and I watched it quite excitedly the next day and loved it. The show is not my favourite Trek series but I have fond memories of its début, and the sense of occasion that it evoked.

 

[SPCTRE]

I seem to remember the premiere was in a super weird time slot, like 12 p.m. on a Sunday?

ETA: Looked it up, it was on a Friday, which makes more sense

Here in the States, some stations would repeat that week's episode on weekends, so maybe you did see it on a Sunday.

You might be right - yeah, I think it was the repeat that I actually saw, not the Friday night premiere - bear in mind, I was only 11 then

 

[hux]

Why not?

Most of the BBC shows you mentioned were relegated to spin off channels for spin off viewers. Sure there was more British output but i've never been a fan of homegrown Sci-fi anyway (i just don't think we do it well) Fades was interesting but what happened to that after one series?

I'm talking about US sci-fi on the BBC at prime time

BBC just wouldn't do that now (and i would also say that their obsession with Dr Who has not been good for the genre as a whole)

 

[Kobayshi Maru]

Why not?

Most of the BBC shows you mentioned were relegated to spin off channels for spin off viewers. Sure there was more British output but i've never been a fan of homegrown Sci-fi anyway (i just don't think we do it well) Fades was interesting but what happened to that after one series?

I'm talking about US sci-fi on the BBC at prime time

BBC just wouldn't do that now (and i would also say that their obsession with Dr Who has not been good for the genre as a whole)

I have British Friends that can't stop raving about doctor who. Personally I saw a couple episodes and was unconvinced. Maybe I should ask their top ten episodes and see if I like them.

 

[Catarina]

I had not planned on watching Voyager. I had my back turned to the TV but then I heard Mulgrew's peculiar voice and I turned around and saw her and scoffed thinking they made a female commander. It was dark and chaotic, I couldn't make out the pips yet. And I assumed since the ship was so messed up I assumed the captain was away on a diplomatic trip. LOL. I was 13 and saw a handful of TNG which depicted that very scenario.;-)

I didn't start liking Voyager until season two. Now my tastes are different as and adult and I can enjoy season one.

Season four: when I saw the busty Borg female, come out of that alcove I knew the show was trying to go main stream. I got nervous and wasn't sure.

Season six-seven my memories remember perceiving bektran and mulgrew's fatigue as it didn't seem their heart was in it anymore.

 

[Kobayshi Maru]

I've always found it strange that they made such a fuss over the fact that she was a female Captain, even the lizard guy in Distant Origin concluded that it was a matriarchal society based on her alone (I mean there weren't that many females among the bridge crew) but then it turned out that the ruler of the lizards WAS a female and his remark became simply ridiculous, probably due to shoddy writing. The village idiot got the job that week, again!

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

If it hadn't been for OITNB I never would have discovered Voyager. So many great shows I missed out on... Xena, Buffy, Voyager. I wish that I could go back in time and be born in the early 80's so then I would have been aware. It's so much more fun to be a part of a show during it's run.

 

[Praetorian]

Voyager was the first Star Trek I really watched (might have seen the odd TOS or TNG episode but I don't remember)

The episode was Projections, at 1 AM, and was totally engrossed because I had no idea if the Doc was really a hologram or not.

A couple of weeks later I caught Caretaker and watched the series until Scorpion part one, when the channel stopped airing the show.

I was so mad that I called the network asking more episodes, but unfortunately they started airing TNG Season 1 and then stopped as well.

But those were great times, each day (yep, they aired an episode per day when I started watching), after school, I would go running to my house to watch the next exciting Voyager adventure, and it was great...

This is why, even if now I realise the series' flaws, it will always have a special place in my heart (I rank it as my number 2, after DS9).

 

[Kobayshi Maru]

If it hadn't been for OITNB I never would have discovered Voyager. So many great shows I missed out on... Xena, Buffy, Voyager. I wish that I could go back in time and be born in the early 80's so then I would have been aware. It's so much more fun to be a part of a show during it's run.

On the other hand if you were born earlier you'd be closer to death.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

True, and I don't think I'm ready to hit my 30's yet either.

 

[hux]

I have British Friends that can't stop raving about doctor who. Personally I saw a couple episodes and was unconvinced. Maybe I should ask their top ten episodes and see if I like them.

The modern version is way better than the crap i saw as a kid (the doctor fighting a man made of liquorice) but it's still lacking. I have seen a few really good episodes but in general, i'm just not a fan of Doctor Who

 

[Kobayshi Maru]

I have British Friends that can't stop raving about doctor who. Personally I saw a couple episodes and was unconvinced. Maybe I should ask their top ten episodes and see if I like them.

The modern version is way better than the crap i saw as a kid (the doctor fighting a man made of liquorice) but it's still lacking. I have seen a few really good episodes but in general, i'm just not a fan of Doctor Who

I believe he's been played by ten different actors or about.

 

[JanewayRulz!]

If it hadn't been for OITNB I never would have discovered Voyager. So many great shows I missed out on... Xena, Buffy, Voyager. I wish that I could go back in time and be born in the early 80's so then I would have been aware. It's so much more fun to be a part of a show during it's run.

On the other hand if you were born earlier you'd be closer to death.

Plus, back then it would have taken you 7 years to watch 7 seasons of Voyager, rather than just a month.