TOS is at the top of my list (since I was watching in 1966), with TNG and DS9 battling for last place. VOY over ENT I think.
For me, it'll always be DS9 - that just took Trek to a whole other level of characterisation & narrative than anything before, or indeed since. Beyond that, TNG would be my second as I grow more appreciative of it as the years roll by. ENT perhaps third thanks to a great final two seasons & some underrated characters. TOS fourth as it has a few great eps, and of course wonderful characters, but a *lot* of it is repetitive & suffers from duff writing. VOY last because, perhaps half a dozen eps aside, it was just ass.
I did consider adding a poll. But I felt that it was probably done already, and I've only been on this forum about a month, or so.
TNG, absolutely. DS9 is my second favorite. TOS and the first couple seasons of ENT (haven't watched the rest) tie for third. VOY and TAS aren't even on the list.
Definitely watch seasons 3 & 4 (minus the series finale)! And let us know what you think when you do in the ENT forum!
ENT definitely improves vastly once Manny Coto comes on. TOS definitely has some of the franchise's best episodes. It falls behind TNG and DS9 IMO because all the action being channeled through the same three character dynamic deprives the show of variety.
I don't know if I would say "vastly." It went from "meh" to slightly better than meh. Both season three and four have their fair share of boners.
Every Trek series has a fair share of boners, but starting mid season 3 the show has good episodes too.
Though I like all the series*, my favorite remains Deep Space Nine. *just started watching TAS for the first time recently, but I'm liking it so far.
Yeah I just started watching TAS, that's loads of fun - and I love it's proper 'wacka wacka' 70's era music, it's really funky!
Voyager first, and a long way ahead of the others. Season 7 of DS9 was good. TNG movies next, because I've actually sat through them. Enterprise. DS9 seasons 1 - 6 TNG actual show - have tried to watch it and never gotten through a whole episode. I've never seen an episode of TOS so can't comment on that.
For me, I think the difference between TOS and the spin-offs (beyond nostalgia), is the actors and how they relate to bad episodes. The spin-offs could be absolutely brilliant at times, but when a script was bad the actors/characters weren't enough to hold my interest. I don't know the reason, but Shatner, Nimoy and Kelly could make even the worst material watchable.
I must say I agree with you on that. TOS has plenty of duff episodes but those three are so charismatic they carry you through.
That is a tough choice, since my two favorites constantly jockey for first position, but usually it's like this: DS9 - I love the premise, love the characters, the "look," and the story lines. For me, it's just a winning combination that proves itself over and over again. Plenty of action, but also a fantastic mix of religion, philosophy, and character study. All around, this is my favorite series. Outstanding Episode: "In The Pale Moonlight" TOS - Great stories, great settings, and some of the best characters in TV history. What else can I say about the epic awesome that is Kirk/Spock/McCoy? Outstanding Episode: "Balance of Terror" TNG - Strong morality plays, a bit over-preachy at times, but still an excellent cast with lots of great stories. While I love them all, Patrick Stewart carries the series, though it takes all involved to make it whole. Outstanding Episode: "Who Watches the Watchers?" ENT - I didn't like it the first time out, but after a rewatch, it has grown on me. I love the idea of being on the bleeding edge of the frontier (it's part of why I love DS9), boldly exploring out of our element as humans. My favorite character is, easily, Dr. Phlox. Outstanding Episode: "Carbon Creek" TAS - A whiff of the original series mixed with Saturday Morning cartoons. Some good stories. The animation wasn't the best, but it did offer the chance to see truly alien creatures. Outstanding Episode: "The Magicks of Megas-Tu" VOY - Not really a fan of Voyager, though there are episodes I like, and some of the characters are decent. Outstanding Episode: "Future's End" (Pts 1&2)