CBS Trek

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

We had the original show in the 60's followed by Roddenberry/Berman Trek from 1987-2005. Now we have CBS Trek. Do you feel like modern Trek is on par, lesser, or better? I love the serialization, but shorter seasons means no stand alone episodes. I love the greater emphasis on emotional drama without loosing focus on the plot. However, I feel like DIS lacks the morality lessoms of 90's Trek. Picard seems to retain that, though it lacks the ship beauty shots that we get on DIS. The Short Treks are fun. I liked the tribble one despite it not quite fitting in with established lore. Yes, the Captain was atrocious, but I think that was on purpose. She was as bad a captain as the other guy was a scientist. Anyway, it was just a bit of humor that at worst, didn't work. What I didn't like was how the tribbles bred so damn fast. Speed of the plot, I guess? I don't like Lower Decks, mostly because I just find it falling flat. Cartoons should be funny. This one doesn't make me laugh. Given the first season is only 10 episodes, going to finish the season and give it a chance. Lots of good shows have awkward opening seaosns. Looking forward to Strange New Worlds and a return to episodic stories.

This thread is aimed at the overall CBS All Access take on Star Trek, not one specific series. Come share your love, hate, or indifference with us.

 

[Lord Garth]

I like CBS Trek better than UPN Trek.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

No love for Voyager or Enterprise?

 

[KennyB]

No love for Voyager or Enterprise?

Better doesn't mean no love.........I too prefer the epic feel to CBS Trek. I really did not like all the tans and soft focus of the Berman era. Loved Enterprise and DS9. Liked TNG and VOY.

 

[Lord Garth]

No love for Voyager or Enterprise?

I didn't say that, I just like DSC and PIC better.

I'd give a more elaborate answer if it wasn't 3:00 in the morning in my time zone.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Used to people hating UPN Trek, I guess. Though Voyager was more of an action show compared to TNG's "thinking our way through" take on story telling, I personally found it to be an equal to TNG. It's why I'm hoping for both TNG and VOY guest stars on Picard, if they fit the plot.

I love that DIS returned to the idea of a woman scientist being the lead character. It's a nice call back to Janeaway.

 

[Alexander Corrino]

I like TNG better than any of the other shows. But I like DSC better than DS9 and VOY. And I like ENT better than TOS.

So I can’t really say which “kind” of Trek I prefer. The only thing that’s safe for me to say is that nothing compares to TNG in my book.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Think less favorite series, more favorite overall production.

Original Series (1966-69)
Roddenberry/Berman (1987-2005)
CBS All Access (2017-present)

 

[F. King Daniel]

I'm loving what the current team in doing in charge of Trek. And I'm certainly finding it more interesting than the 90's. Voyager and DS9 didn't really click with me. Trek was just "on" whereas since 2007 or whenever the reboot was announced I'm actively looking forward to it.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Not a fan.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Why not? Critisism is welcome!

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Why not? Critisism is welcome!

In my experience, its really not.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I'm not sure that I can really answer your question other than to say (1) I don't think the eras you define are monolithic and (2) I am very excited by several directions that the current series are going in.

Is Berman Trek really a thing--beyond being Star Trek under the tutelage of Rick Berman? There was quality and consistency when it came to the look and overall presentation. However, the individual series were different from one another. The two most similar were probably Voyager and Enterprise, likely because Brannon Braga carried over from one to the other. Even so, the types of stories each told differed. Within each of those series, the modes and the areas of interest shifted from pilot to finale as the seasons past.

I also don't find Discovery to be as vapid as you suggest. No, there are no morality plays, but that does not mean that Discovery does not stir the intellect. Season 2 had two great episodes examining how we interact with peoples of other cultures,New Eden and The Sound of Thunder. There was a fresh interpretation of sibling relationships. They used science fiction conceits to look at mourning and post-marital relationships. And they had one of the best goddam speeches in Star Trek since "Risk is our business": "You believe in service, sacrifice, compassion, and love. No. I’m not going to abandon the things that made me who I am because of a future that contains an ending I hadn’t foreseen for myself."

The things that make the current series visually different from the 80s, 90s and early 00s doesn't bother me. What made them dramatically similar were strictures imposed on the writers from without. In the 10s and 20s, we have an effort to better explore the different ways Star Trek can tell stories. As Rowan Coleman puts it, Star Trek is a robust universe where any number of dramatic genres can be explored, something no other franchise can claim. Discovery, Picard and Lower Decks are all different from one another, each offering something different to the viewer. Picard explores issues related toTNG under new circumstances. Lower Decks is a running commentary on what makes Star Trek. I don't know if Kurtzman realizes this or not, but there is a tremendous variety of for us to enjoy and contemplate. DS9 and TOS are still my favorites, but this new "era" has a lot to offer.

 

[KennyB]

Voyager and DS9 didn't really click with me.

Still find Voyager the LEAST interesting and I did not enjoy DS9 until I caught In The Pale Moonlight randomly one night.....then watched it till the series finale. Went back then and cause 1st-5th season. I thought on a station it was going to be Love Boat in space with Charo dropping by week to week......And it did take 3 seasons to get going but Sisko is now my favorite Captain. So I was really wrong about that one when it aired.

 

[Vger23]

I like all Star Trek to varying degrees. And I don't feel endlessly compelled to talk about/criticize the stuff I like to a lesser degree.

I seem to be in the minority on that on that one, though.

 

[KennyB]

I like all Star Trek to varying degrees. And I don't feel endlessly compelled to talk about/criticize the stuff I like to a lesser degree.

I seem to be in the minority on that on that one, though.

#same........if I don't like, I just don't watch or discuss. Crazy right?

 

[F. King Daniel]

I don't know if Kurtzman realizes this or not, but there is a tremendous variety of for us to enjoy and contemplate

It's literally the point

 

[ChallengerHK]

This thread is aimed at the overall CBS All Access take on Star Trek, not one specific series. Come share your love, hate, or indifference with us.

I think I understand your goal for this restriction, but for me it keeps me from responding in any meaningful way. Among the series which are on or coming out "shortly":

• One I thought was tolerable to good
• One was a huge waste of my money and time that I'll never get back
• One struck me as being so bad an idea that I doubt I'll ever watch it
• One I'm looking forward to
• One I'll at least watch early on to see what they do with it

So, it's kind of hard to condense that to a single post on CBS Trek.

 

[Tim Thomason]

If we're talking US broadcaster, we have:

* NBC Trek: TOS, TAS
* Syndicated Trek: TNG, DS9
* UPN Trek: Voyager, Enterprise
* CBS All-Access Trek: Discovery, Short Treks, Picard, LD, S31, SNW
* Nickelodeon Trek: Prodigy

 

[BillJ]

On the whole, I prefer the stakes not be the universe every week, so I've had more trouble getting into most of the CBS fare, though I am loving Lower Decks. Though going back to 1966, all Trek has had its ups and downs.