Consensus fan favorite series

[F. King Daniel]

Whereas in regards to the franchise and not the show, TNG just is 'Star Trek' really.

Let me guess. You didn't grow up in the sixties or seventies, right?

Like I said, this is a generational thing. Nobody my age is likely to concede that "TNG" trumps everything else.

Don't get me wrong. I watched all the latter-day shows religiously, too, but TOS is Star Trek to me. Just like TNG is to you.

Yeah I guess you're right, hadn't really thought of it like that.
I got into Trek about 1993-94ish, aged 9-10.

I think I just said that as a provider for my love of Star Trek after that was collecting the Star Trek Fact Files, from early 1997 to late 2002. And because the one image they used on all the folders was a shot of the Enterprise-D. Not the 1701, not the A, not DS9, not Voyager, but the D.
And even now on the recent Star Trek: Stellar Cartography book, they could've picked any ship to represent the franchise, and they chose the Enterprise-D.

So that's kinda why I think that.



(Interesting that on Star Trek: Star Charts they used the NX-01, but as it was released in 2002 I think that was more a marketing decision as it was the "current" ship.)

The Fact Files were based on the Star Trek Chronology and Encyclopedia, both the work of TNG staffers (Mike Okuda) and released during TNG's peak. It was their version of the universe, so to speak, somewhat different to the TOS and movie-era stuff previously published. Having a TOS ship on the front of volumes of TNG technobabble would have been weird.

 

[MacLeod]

Are there differences between countries in terms of how fans rate the shows? As for re-runs at the moment in the UK; TOS, TNG, DSN and ENT are all re-running. Not sure about VOY.

 

[Plomeek Broth]

My favorite series is DS9

About to start the journey again for the first time in a decade today with Emissary

However I know DS9 is not the most popular Trek series amongst every hardcore Trek fan, casual fan, and general public

It has to be TOS or TNG

Didn't TOS popularity grow more after it's original airing than while it was actually on? I was too young in the 80s to remember how big of a deal TNG was. Any teenagers or older in the 80s who can remember how prevalent TNG was in pop culture at that point?

 

[bbailey861]

I had a chuckle when I read the thread title and the posts pretty much confirmed what I suspected. I don't think there will ever be a 'consensus' on Trek is favourite . My favourite is and has always been TOS. Even when I am revisiting the other series (I am currently in S5 of TNG), I invariably take a break and rewatch TOS for a bit (like now). It's like I need to go back and see them - even though I've seen them an innumerable amount of times before. There's room for everybody in the Trek pool.

 

[Plomeek Broth]

I'm not asking what is your personal favorite series.

People keep posting what their personal favorite series is.

I'm asking (and some posters understood)-

If you were to ask every hardcore Trek fan, casual Trek fan, and people worldwide who stumbled across Trek in their lifetime, what is their favorite series? And if you had all of these votes hypothetically, how would the series rank from favorite to least favorite?

Rank how would you would logically speculate how they would vote the series from best to worst and the film series as well if you so desire.

It has to be TOS or TNG at the top but I can't figure out which one is more popular.

 

[BillJ]

I think, without an iota of evidence to back me up, that TOS is the most popular. It seems to be the only one that got more popular after ending its first run. It lead to eight financially successful films and was/is still well known by the general populace.

I believe TNG is a strong number two. But was ill suited for the big screen and its failures there have tainted its legacy. It might be more fondly remembered if it had ended after season four or five and some time elapsed before going to big screen.

 

[Gotham Central]

I'm not asking what is your personal favorite series.

People keep posting what their personal favorite series is.

I'm asking (and some posters understood)-

If you were to ask every hardcore Trek fan, casual Trek fan, and people worldwide who stumbled across Trek in their lifetime, what is their favorite series? And if you had all of these votes hypothetically, how would the series rank from favorite to least favorite?

Rank how would you would logically speculate how they would vote the series from best to worst and the film series as well if you so desire.

It has to be TOS or TNG at the top but I can't figure out which one is more popular.

On the whole, if you could poll Trek fans globally it would probably fall out this way:

Top: TOS and TNG (They probably shift between 1 and 2 over time)

Bottom: Voyager and Enterprise. As with those at the top, these two shift back and forth as the least liked Trek series.

Middle: DS9

TAS is usually not included because it has traditionally existed on the periphery of fandom.

Individuals may have their favorites, but on average this is what the breakdown would look like. Its rare to see TOS or TNG at the bottom and equally rare to see Voyager or Enterprise at the top.

 

[LOKAI of CHERON]

My favourite is and has always been TOS. Even when I am revisiting the other series (I am currently in S5 of TNG), I invariably take a break and rewatch TOS for a bit (like now). It's like I need to go back and see them - even though I've seen them an innumerable amount of times before.

This is me to a tee! I did it only this morning - I slipped "Bread And Circuses" into my playlist while going through my recently arrived ENT Season 3 Blu-ray set! I just couldn't help myself!

 

[F. King Daniel]

I'm not asking what is your personal favorite series.

People keep posting what their personal favorite series is.

I'm asking (and some posters understood)-

If you were to ask every hardcore Trek fan, casual Trek fan, and people worldwide who stumbled across Trek in their lifetime, what is their favorite series? And if you had all of these votes hypothetically, how would the series rank from favorite to least favorite?

Rank how would you would logically speculate how they would vote the series from best to worst and the film series as well if you so desire.

It has to be TOS or TNG at the top but I can't figure out which one is more popular.

I can tell you that CBS makes a lot of money on TOS merchandise each year and there are big budget movies based on TOS. What new TNG merchandise is there these days? Bluray re-releases and...?

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Perhaps I'm trying too hard to think orthagonally, but I suspect that if pressed, the period between TWO and TUC/Unification would be the consensus choice. Judging from what I hear fans say, it's the period in which the franchise goes from lost treasure to being completed concept.

 

[Greg Cox]

Whereas in regards to the franchise and not the show, TNG just is 'Star Trek' really.

Let me guess. You didn't grow up in the sixties or seventies, right?

Like I said, this is a generational thing. Nobody my age is likely to concede that "TNG" trumps everything else.

Don't get me wrong. I watched all the latter-day shows religiously, too, but TOS is Star Trek to me. Just like TNG is to you.

Yeah I guess you're right, hadn't really thought of it like that.
I got into Trek about 1993-94ish, aged 9-10.

Whereas I got into Trek around 1966 or so, at age 7, and grew up endlessly watching TOS reruns in syndication. I was well out of college by the time the later shows came around. Gives you a whole different perspective!

Like the saying goes, the golden age of Star Trek is twelve . . . or younger!

 

[sonak]

I had a chuckle when I read the thread title and the posts pretty much confirmed what I suspected. I don't think there will ever be a 'consensus' on Trek is favourite . My favourite is and has always been TOS. Even when I am revisiting the other series (I am currently in S5 of TNG), I invariably take a break and rewatch TOS for a bit (like now). It's like I need to go back and see them - even though I've seen them an innumerable amount of times before. There's room for everybody in the Trek pool.

er, this thread, much less this board is not representative of all of Trek fandom. By ratings and franchise success alone(ENT didn't make past four seasons and DS9 and VOY weren't successful enough for movies), the answer is clearly either TOS or TNG. If DS9 were as popular with the fanbase as it is on this board, they'd have made six movies.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I had a chuckle when I read the thread title and the posts pretty much confirmed what I suspected. I don't think there will ever be a 'consensus' on Trek is favourite . My favourite is and has always been TOS. Even when I am revisiting the other series (I am currently in S5 of TNG), I invariably take a break and rewatch TOS for a bit (like now). It's like I need to go back and see them - even though I've seen them an innumerable amount of times before. There's room for everybody in the Trek pool.

er, this thread, much less this board is not representative of all of Trek fandom. By ratings and franchise success alone(ENT didn't make past four seasons and DS9 and VOY weren't successful enough for movies), the answer is clearly either TOS or TNG. If DS9 were as popular with the fanbase as it is on this board, they'd have made six movies.

Audience and fandom are not, however, equivalent concepts. A fan--an abbreviation of fanatic--is much more active in his or her appreciation, not just a casual participant. It would be possible for fandom to come to a conclusion about a show that would contradict what the raw ratings would suggest. Indeed, the long term success the franchise depends on the notion that fans were more motivated by Star Trek than was the general audience of the 1960s.

 

[Ethros]

I'm not asking what is your personal favorite series.

People keep posting what their personal favorite series is.

I'm asking (and some posters understood)-

If you were to ask every hardcore Trek fan, casual Trek fan, and people worldwide who stumbled across Trek in their lifetime, what is their favorite series? And if you had all of these votes hypothetically, how would the series rank from favorite to least favorite?

Yeah, I was thinking if you asked every every fan who would happily calls themself a "Star Trek fan" to score each of the 5 live action series, their favourite with 5 points, second favourite 4 points, etc etc
Yeah it would be very close with TOS & TNG but I think TNG would be the overall winner IMO.
That doesn't make it better, or even my favourite. But as I said I can't really see why a fan of the franchise would score TNG low down, whereas I think 'younger' fans like myself (if you count being 29 young) may not dislike TOS but would prefer some of the others over it- TNG or DS9 etc.


But hey until that supermassive global poll happens who am I to say!

 

[sonak]

I had a chuckle when I read the thread title and the posts pretty much confirmed what I suspected. I don't think there will ever be a 'consensus' on Trek is favourite . My favourite is and has always been TOS. Even when I am revisiting the other series (I am currently in S5 of TNG), I invariably take a break and rewatch TOS for a bit (like now). It's like I need to go back and see them - even though I've seen them an innumerable amount of times before. There's room for everybody in the Trek pool.

er, this thread, much less this board is not representative of all of Trek fandom. By ratings and franchise success alone(ENT didn't make past four seasons and DS9 and VOY weren't successful enough for movies), the answer is clearly either TOS or TNG. If DS9 were as popular with the fanbase as it is on this board, they'd have made six movies.

Audience and fandom are not, however, equivalent concepts. A fan--an abbreviation of fanatic--is much more active in his or her appreciation, not just a casual participant. It would be possible for fandom to come to a conclusion about a show that would contradict what the raw ratings would suggest. Indeed, the long term success the franchise depends on the notion that fans were more motivated by Star Trek than was the general audience of the 1960s.

Possibly, but it's extremely unlikely that there was a hardcore and large base of fans out there who were simply not watching the later Trek series for whatever reason. This thread is about fandom consensus, and I would contend that series that had significantly lower ratings than others within the same franchise can't be in the conversation for "fan favorite."

The internet, by its nature, can make a small but extremely dedicated fanbase seem much larger and more influential than it really is. The popularity of DS9 among the more dedicated fans is an example of that, where what you have is the more casual fans not being counted and overlooked because they're less vocal.

 

[Greg Cox]

Of the "middle era" shows (TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT), it depends on how you define "fan favorite." TNG is far and away the most popular and successful variant, and the only one that comes close to TOS in making an impression on general public, while DS9 is arguably the most critically-acclaimed and artistically ambitious Trek show, even if it's largely overlooked outside fan circles.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

^DS9 is my favorite, but I know it's inside baseball.

 

[Galileo7]

J.J. Trek films
TOS Trek films
TOS
TNG
TNG Trek films
DS9
VOY
ENT

 

[Random_Spock]

Are there differences between countries in terms of how fans rate the shows? As for re-runs at the moment in the UK; TOS, TNG, DSN and ENT are all re-running. Not sure about VOY.

Voyager reruns aren't even being shown in the US as far as I know . It's mainly TOS and TNG ones. DSN isn't even in reruns. Not that I mind on that one, wasn't a fan of it to be honest. Thought it was too soapy for my taste.

 

[Gotham Central]

Are there differences between countries in terms of how fans rate the shows? As for re-runs at the moment in the UK; TOS, TNG, DSN and ENT are all re-running. Not sure about VOY.

Voyager reruns aren't even being shown in the US as far as I know . It's mainly TOS and TNG ones. DSN isn't even in reruns. Not that I mind on that one, wasn't a fan of it to be honest. Thought it was too soapy for my taste.

The funny thing is that even TOS reruns are harder to find these days than used to be the case.

For the most part the only Trek that is in active circulation is really TNG.

It helps that Patrick Stewart is something of a cultural phenomenon right now. Anything that he does seems to get attention.

Honestly, I think that one of the reasons that the other shows are not getting rerun as often is the lack of HD quality videos. TOS is in limited reruns and TNG is only now getting the conversion. The only series that was genuinely in HD was Enterprise and no one is interested in airing a series considered a creative failure.