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Nerdist Article: "Every Star Trek Series, Ranked from Worst to Best

Oh, yeah, I also consider TAS, for the most part, to be TOS season 4. Certainly DC Fontana considered them canon even after GR, who I guess was later embarassed by them, said they weren't.
 
Oh, yeah, I also consider TAS, for the most part, to be TOS season 4. Certainly DC Fontana considered them canon even after GR, who I guess was later embarassed by them, said they weren't.
Quality aside, the problem with TAS, as I can remember, were more technical. Personal force fields to breath underwater and stuff like that. It was a cartoon that didn’t fit its live-action property.
 
Quality aside, the problem with TAS, as I can remember, were more technical. Personal force fields to breath underwater and stuff like that. It was a cartoon that didn’t fit its live-action property.

Well, yeah, they used the force fields in a couple of episodes, but that wasn't a big deal. If you redid them, just replace them with forcefields. Again, the stories were largely first rate, and, imo, they shouldn't be discounted as canon.

They had sequels to The Trouble With Tribbles and Shore Leave and another story with Harry Mudd. They had great, new, non-humanoid alien designs too, and even an adaptation of a Larry Niven story (and the introduction of the Kzinti into the ST universe). Good stuff!
 
Well, yeah, they used the force fields in a couple of episodes, but that wasn't a big deal. If you redid them, just replace them with forcefields. Again, the stories were largely first rate, and, imo, they shouldn't be discounted as canon.

They had sequels to The Trouble With Tribbles and Shore Leave and another story with Harry Mudd. They had great, new, non-humanoid alien designs too, and even an adaptation of a Larry Niven story (and the introduction of the Kzinti into the ST universe). Good stuff!
The non-humanoids are its biggest draw for me. Beyond “Yesteryear,” the stories I found mostly forgettable, even the ones I liked among those I managed to get through. It’s a cartoon primarily for younger audiences, not my cup of tea when I found it. Though I’d love for other series to revisit elements from it.
 
Well, in the sense that TAS is animated and is shorter which kind of means drama and character development take a back seat to plot, then yes, that is conducive to a younger audience. That said, again, they had DC Fontana, David Gerrold, and Larry Niven writing stories for the show. Those folks all have sci-fi cred.

Oh, and Samuel Peeples too. He wrote the second ST pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before."
 
Lower Decks has featured and mentioned several species from TAS.
Yep. Picard also, in at least one instance.

The Kzinti were name-checked in Picard "Nepenthe."

Also, Memory Alpha cites Caitains as being present in TVH, but I'm not sure how canonical that assertion is. The Federation Council members in TVH certainly look like what you'd expect from male Caitans.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Caitian

There's a reference to STID, but I know there's at least some dispute as to how canonical it is that those women were Caitans.

That article also cites DISCO "Brothers," but I don't know at this moment exactly what the reference there to Caitans is.
 
Lower Decks has featured and mentioned several species from TAS.
Oh I noticed. But I’m thinking more like ENT Season 5 was going to. I want those Aurellians we saw in the background on LWD in live action. Or a Nasat. Or a Phylosian. Or a Vendorian. Or...
 
Best to worst

1. DS9
2. TNG
3. TOS
4. VOY
5. LD
6. ENT
7. TAS
8. PIC
9. DIS

I find it difficult to rank the animated shows against the live-action ones tbh, but if strictly asked for how much I enjoy watching the different series, I think that's where they go.
 
I've completely re-watched TNG and ENT in the current era (meaning from DSC on, when Star Trek began streaming new content). Until I completely re-watch TOS, TAS, DS9, and VOY, I think it's probably a mistake for me to rank them top-to-bottom. It really boils down to a matter of my perspective Now versus my perspective during my Teens and 20s. And there are enough differences that I know it's not going to line-up 1:1.
 
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My list (top to bottom):
TOS: The biggest variety and storytelling options are explored here. Few times does Trek endeavor to try bigger fun things as often as in TOS. The characters work well, the adventures are usually fun, and it is quite quotable.

DS9: More interesting in its longer form storytelling, including how it weaves in elements from past Treks in a dynamic way. Few shows really are able to hook me back in to a watch of three episodes straight like DS9 once it gets rolling. The main downside is so many different characters that I find annoying.

DSC: Long form storytelling and characters I really enjoy make this show a lot of fun to watch, but less value to me in a full rewatch. I do enjoy a lot of moments, and Michael Burnham is probably one the more interesting characters in current Trek. Also, Pike.

PIC: Interesting character exploration and some Romulan expansion. Diminished by the Borg.

LD: Mariner makes this show for me. Fun and rewatchable if a bit annoying at times in the animation.

TNG: More interesting for stories and concepts than characters or character arcs. Hit and miss in terms of episodes I enjoy but it has some great ones that do quite well. Certainly does well enough to set the ground work for DS9.

VOY: Fewer characters that I care about and a lack of consequences. Has some bright moments but they are few. The concept is criminally underutilized.

ENT: Same as above. The characters I like rarely feature, and the emphasis on phasers and torpedoes makes it rather uninteresting as a prequel.
 
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