A flip side of the question, "How "realistic" should STAR TREK be?", could anyone envision a Trek series that is a cross between Horatio Hornblower and "Gulliver's Travel's" meets "Dune", with a side of "Star Wars"? If such a series took place, let's say, 3000 years into the future (instead of 300 years into the future), I think the series could work. The level of science and technology would border on looking like magic to us, and the culture would be nearly unrecognizable, with nearly ZERO reference to Earth. That is, assuming Earth still exists as "Earth". For all we'd know, Earth in the future would be a barren wasteland, or one big park reserve and heritage site. Couplings between humans and anything imaginable would be the norm. Changing one's appearance, including sexual characteristics would be like changing clothes. And maybe, augmentation for maximum adaptation on any given world would justify the "humans with bumpy-foreheads" trope.
Then again, what makes STAR TREK special is that while the franchise pushes the sci-fy envelope, it still has elements that is recognizable for today's audience. It certainly did when I first watched TOS, back in the day...
Then again, what makes STAR TREK special is that while the franchise pushes the sci-fy envelope, it still has elements that is recognizable for today's audience. It certainly did when I first watched TOS, back in the day...