DS9 on BBC America

[Titus Andronicus]

Tonight, BBC America is showing some DS9 episodes for the first time—part of a “Best Trek Battles” marathon. Also, they’ve shown a commercial that indicates they’ll be showing DS9 on a regular basis starting on January 20. I’d assume they’ll show it for a full day, once a week, as they do with TNG and Voyager.

 

[Boris Skrbic]

Realistically, though, isn’t this announcement quite a bit 20th-century? Sure, back in the 90s I might’ve been interested that DS9 was being rerun and I could (re)watch and tape it (store-bought VHS was expensive) but I’ve had the show on DVD and Netflix for years and don’t really feel like rewatching it unless and until it’s remastered. Are there really TrekBBS readers who’d watch the show with commercials or time-shift it in 2020?

(I’ve always had this idea that Star Trek fans can’t wait to get their hands on the latest technology, so it’s a bit surprising to see that scheduled programming may still be relevant to some except for brand-new, network-TV-only releases. Or is this more about making like it’s 1995?)

 

[BillJ]

Are there really TrekBBS readers who’d watch the show with commercials or time-shift it in 2020?

I imagine there are quite a few. And what does it hurt to let everyone know?

 

[Sakonna]

Are there really TrekBBS readers who’d watch the show with commercials or time-shift it in 2020?

The TV in my home office is permanently set to BBC America, their Trek rerun blocks are the perfect background on my more tedious work days. I love syndicated reruns for when I'm only half there and doing something else, so this is great news for me. Streaming is for the times I'm planning to properly focus on the episode.

 

[UssGlenn]

Sometimes I like having the episode chosen for me, one of the few things I dislike about streaming is the need to decide what to watch. The Random button is a severely underdeveloped aspect of streaming services. Plus I have Philo so I can fast forward through the commercials of recently aired episodes.

 

[tomalak301]

Sometimes I like having the episode chosen for me, one of the few things I dislike about streaming is the need to decide what to watch. The Random button is a severely underdeveloped aspect of streaming services. Plus I have Philo so I can fast forward through the commercials of recently aired episodes.

I still wish they incorporated a Shuffle feature into streaming. So for example, if I'm on netflix and want to see TNG, I would hit shuffle and maybe the first episode would be a 5th season episode and the second would be a first. Of course that doesn't really work with arc based shows but maybe people like that kind of thing.

 

[Boris Skrbic]

Ok, those are some interesting comments. I guess I’d differ in the notion of watching DS9 at all, having rewatched various episodes so many times in their heyday, and then the entire show in full on DVD (so I could see it all in English as opposed to German). I’ll obviously rewatch it remastered if that ever happens, but if I had a habit of leaving the TV on, it would probably be showing something else (especially content I really don’t mind registering only in the background).

 

[UssGlenn]

It's nearly a requirement for older shows. I'm not planning on bingeing all of Knight Rider or Macguyver, but I still feel obligated to start them from the beginning, even though the shows are at their best once the settle in later in their run. The Random button makes a decision for me.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I was actually a little bit miffed that BBCA had weekly blocks of TNG and VOY, but not DS9. Although I saw every episode of DS9 during its initial run in syndication, it'd actually been over a decade since I last saw an episode (back when it was running on the now defunct Spike TV). It was cool seeing Sisko & the gang again.

 

[Sakonna]

I'm always trying to use this to pick random episodes for me...

randomstartrek.com/

But then I discover I want to reject the first 5 - 25 random choices it presents to me until one pops up that gets me excited, so I'm pickier than I think.

 

[Boris Skrbic]

I'm always trying to use this to pick random episodes for me...

randomstartrek.com/

But then I discover I want to reject the first 5 - 25 random choices it presents to me until one pops up that gets me excited, so I'm pickier than I think.

But why not go for a practical application of IDIC and pick a random show or a movie instead? Best to have fun with streaming services and play something they wouldn’t suggest to you in a million years.

 

[Jayson1]

Are they butchering the episodes liked they started to do with TNG by cutting out scenes to make room for adds? I never trusted them since then.

Jason

 

[Farscape One]

Dollars to donuts, they'll delete imporyant little character scenes.

Like the Quark, Garak, and root beer.

 

[Titus Andronicus]

Dollars to donuts, they'll delete imporyant little character scenes.

Like the Quark, Garak, and root beer.

It's funny you should mention that scene, because they did show it last week when they broadcast "The Way of the Warrior."

But I completely understand worrying about them not showing such scenes.

 

[BillJ]

Dollars to donuts, they'll delete imporyant little character scenes.

Part of Trek tradition. I didn't see the entire episodes of TOS until late in the 1980's on home video.

 

[DS9forever]

For UK viewers, DS9 started today on Syfy. Two episodes a day.

 

[Farscape One]

It's not TREK tradition. It's how tv is run.

In the 60s, there would only be about 8-9 minutes of commercials in an hour of television, which is why a STAR TREK episode is roughly 50-51 minutes long, when you add the trailer for next week and the end credits... which would actually air back then.

When TNG aired, tv had about 14 minutes of commercials per hour, having roughly 45-46 minutes of the episode, adding trailer and end credits... which actually aired.

DS9, the same.

VOYAGER, the same until their 6th season, which started to drop to 42 minute episodes, more often than not. Same with ENTERPRISE, which was all 42 minutes except season 1, if memory serves me.

At least, that's how tv has been in the US.

I have personally never been a fan of streaming shows, but the one thing I can say in its favor is that they are not constrained to the hour format of broadcast tv. Same with HBO, SHOWTIME, etc. FX and AMC are a little more lenient with some episodes, too... though they still mostly follow the current commercial-laden hour long format.

(I will say that my biggest issue with some DISCOVERY episodes, mostly in season 1, was that they SHOULD be longer than even STAR TREK ones were. Not fully taking advantage of the lack of hour long constraints just doesn't make sense. Not saying an episode has to drag, but you can add some minutes for just simple character scenes. DS9 found a way to do them and STILL work within the format. Streaming shows don't have that excuse.

Having said that, season 2 of DISCOVERY did improve on this, and I hope they continue to for season 3, and hopefully onward.)

 

[mlbach]

It really steamed me that they would drop the farewell scene between Garak and Bashir in WYLB. And they cut out the funny bit in the episode when Kira Damar and Garak were going to “storm the castle” and they don’t have the proper weapon and they start laughing hysterically. Why cut out the laughter? Good comic relief.

 

[kkt]

It's not TREK tradition. It's how tv is run.

In the 60s, there would only be about 8-9 minutes of commercials in an hour of television, which is why a STAR TREK episode is roughly 50-51 minutes long, when you add the trailer for next week and the end credits... which would actually air back then.

When TNG aired, tv had about 14 minutes of commercials per hour, having roughly 45-46 minutes of the episode, adding trailer and end credits... which actually aired.

DS9, the same.

VOYAGER, the same until their 6th season, which started to drop to 42 minute episodes, more often than not. Same with ENTERPRISE, which was all 42 minutes except season 1, if memory serves me.

At least, that's how tv has been in the US.

I have personally never been a fan of streaming shows, but the one thing I can say in its favor is that they are not constrained to the hour format of broadcast tv. Same with HBO, SHOWTIME, etc. FX and AMC are a little more lenient with some episodes, too... though they still mostly follow the current commercial-laden hour long format.

(I will say that my biggest issue with some DISCOVERY episodes, mostly in season 1, was that they SHOULD be longer than even STAR TREK ones were. Not fully taking advantage of the lack of hour long constraints just doesn't make sense. Not saying an episode has to drag, but you can add some minutes for just simple character scenes. DS9 found a way to do them and STILL work within the format. Streaming shows don't have that excuse.

Having said that, season 2 of DISCOVERY did improve on this, and I hope they continue to for season 3, and hopefully onward.)

I just finished watching Discovery season 1. I was disappointed by the lack of character development - they had lots of good ideas for the characters' backgrounds, but hardly ever explored what they meant and how they felt about it. They were too busy yelling things because they were all about to die... no downtime. I'm glad to hear season 2 is better, maybe I'll try to get ahold of it.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I just finished watching Discovery season 1. I was disappointed by the lack of character development - they had lots of good ideas for the characters' backgrounds, but hardly ever explored what they meant and how they felt about it. They were too busy yelling things because they were all about to die... no downtime. I'm glad to hear season 2 is better, maybe I'll try to get ahold of it.

I agree with everything you've written. Season 2 does get better (although the wrap-around story ends up being a little thin).