Poll Is there any benefit to watching Trek in original broadcast order?

[retroenzo]

As mentioned elsewhere I've been rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation and introducing it to my girlfriend. I'm looking forward to getting to DS9 (my personal favourite Trek series).

I've been wondering when to start showing it to her. Each has its plus and minus points.

Broadcast order: My favoured option: but a bit annoying when trying to work out which episode of TNG, or DS9 or (eventually) Voyager to watch next.

All of TNG, then all of DS9, then all of Voyager: Character crossovers such as Bashir appearing in TNG, or the EMH appearing in DS9 (-ish). Easy to explain but more fun if you know who the characters are already. Also, the TNG Maquis storyline...

Starting to watch DS9/Voyager/Enterprise now alongside TNG. Possibly the easiest but the Picard/Locutus link may be confusing as we haven't got to Best of Both Worlds yet, but may be confusing with all the different characters and ships in play.

(Oh and I'll be introducing her to original Trek at some point too - I get a feeling I can squeeze that in anywhere)

 

[The Old Mixer]

Ah, this isn't what I thought it would be. If you were asking about individual series, particularly TOS, I'd say, "Hell, yeah!" But if you're talking about watching multiple series at the same time in broadcast order, I have a less strong opinion about that. It might help to keep them broadly within the correct order (don't watch a season of one series before you've watched the seasons up to that point of the other series), but there isn't much in the way of episode-by-episode continuity between different series to make it worth going out of ones way to alternate series episode by episode in broadcast order. Maybe alternate series by parallel seasons, or by DVD discs from parallel seasons if you're watching that way.

 

[retroenzo]

Ah, this isn't what I thought it would be. If you were asking about individual series, particularly TOS, I'd say, "Hell, yeah!" But if you're talking about watching multiple series at the same time in broadcast order, I have a less strong opinion about that. It might help to keep them broadly within the correct order (don't watch a season of one series before you've watched the seasons up to that point of the other series), but there isn't much in the way of episode-by-episode continuity between different series to make it worth going out of ones way to alternate series episode by episode in broadcast order. Maybe alternate series by parallel seasons, or by DVD discs from parallel seasons if you're watching that way.

Funnily enough, after I'd posted I thought of that option too. That's how I ended up watching it myself as Sky TV over here would show all of one DS9 season, then all of one Voyager season. When they'd finished Voyager, the new season of DS9 had started so they could repeat ad nauseum.

As for TOS I've always held to the opinion that broadcast order is the right order, even though I know it's not the intended order.

 

[Tracy Trek]

Um, well in the case of TNG and DS9, I would say broadcast. Because there is some crossover. The major crossover is the O'Brien family. But I think there was a later episode of TNG that was a slight crossover.

Since Voyager starts after TNG ends and there's no mention of Voyager that I can recall on DS9. You could probably wait for Voyager.

 

[Horizons96]

I'm currently watching through all series' according to http://thestartrekchronologyproject.blogspot.com.au/
It's the first time I've tried watching more than one series at a time, and to me it's the best way to experience the unfolding Star Trek universe. There are many crossovers between concurrent episodes, particularly TNG and DS9. Some of these are very subtle and might not be noticeable unless you're watching through chronologically.

 

[The Old Mixer]

As for TOS I've always held to the opinion that broadcast order is the right order, even though I know it's not the intended order.

I don't think there is an "intended order" for TOS. Broadcast order has been pushed in home video releases since the DVD era, but that was originally determined by how long it took them to get individual episodes through post-production. Production order had been the standard order in the VHS era, and watching TOS in that order makes a LOT more sense.

The TNG era series, on the other hand, often did multi-part episodes (and at least one major character death) out of production order, so broadcast order makes more sense for them.

 

[retroenzo]

I'm currently watching through all series' according to http://thestartrekchronologyproject.blogspot.com.au/
It's the first time I've tried watching more than one series at a time, and to me it's the best way to experience the unfolding Star Trek universe. There are many crossovers between concurrent episodes, particularly TNG and DS9. Some of these are very subtle and might not be noticeable unless you're watching through chronologically.

Thank you! I'd completely forgotten about this list. I'm liking this order a lot.

 

[retroenzo]

The TNG era series, on the other hand, often did multi-part episodes (and at least one major character death) out of production order, so broadcast order makes more sense for them.

And Unification part 2, would occur before Unification part 1 due to Leonard Nimoy's schedule at the time.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

The benefits to interleaving episodes from the individual series are quite low, and they are not worth the effort to coordinate. Indeed, watching one series at a time, in order, is incredibly satisfying. There is maybe one episode, TNG's Preemptive Strike, that has a backstory in another series, but that episode introduces enough exposition to introduce the subject matter, and the previous DS9 episodes can be enjoyed well enough knowing what happens in Preemptive Strike.

As for TOS, any order would be fine, although I think keeping whole seasons together helps to maintain the sense that the characters are progressing and developing.

 

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Watching TOS you should at least watch The Cage, WNMHGB and The Corbomite Maneuver before the others, for stylistic reasons alone.

 

[Nerys Myk]

A Chrono watch might be interesting. I tend to pick and choose rather than binge, though.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Watching TOS you should at least watch The Cage, WNMHGB and The Corbomite Maneuver before the others, for stylistic reasons alone.

I tend to recommend not starting with "The Cage," as you'll get the bulk of its story soon enough (in its proper context continuity-wise) in "The Menagerie". It was never a standalone episode in broadcast or syndication.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

If you can find a way to queue them up to play that way automatically I say go for it. But otherwise it's not worth the chore of tracking what to watch next. There isn't much gained by watching chronologically other then the geek out factor as even the crossovers don't influence each other.

The season by season approach probably makes the most sense, only possible issue I see there is the TNG ep that references the Maquis.

 

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

I tend to recommend not starting with "The Cage," as you'll get the bulk of its story soon enough (in its proper context continuity-wise) in "The Menagerie". It was never a standalone episode in broadcast or syndication.

I beg to differ. I've always liked The Cage and wondered what kind of Trek we would have if that had been the real pilot. It's one of the reasons why I'm excited about Discovery. And The Menagerie doesn't give you all of it. But a newbie will be spoiled about the story obviously. Whenever I rewatch TOS I always start with The Cage. YMMV of course.

 

[The Old Mixer]

It's worth watching on its own eventually, but it's more of an extra than a separate installment of the series...particularly given the proximity of "The Menagerie".

 

[Nerys Myk]

For me, TOS has to be in Production Order.

 

[Terok Nor]

I'm doing a full (I hope I live that long anyway) rewatch of the whole franchise right now. I've just finished TOS (in production order) and TAS and I'm now watching the TOS movies. I plan to watch Star Trek V and VI before TNG even though they were made during it. It just seems silly to start another show and then go back in time to watch the last 2 movies with the original crew.

When I get to TNG S6 I'll start alternating episodes of TNG and DS9 until TNG ends. I think the best place to start watching DS9 is after the "Chain Of Command" 2 parter. Then I'll do the same with Voyager and DS9 (probably during the early part of DS9 S3) and mix the TNG movies in during DS9 S3/Voyager S1, DS9 S5/Voyager S3 and DS9 S7/Voyager S5 before ending the TNG/DS9/Voyager era with Nemesis. I haven't decided on whether to try Enterprise again but whether I do or don't I'll rewatch the JJVerse trilogy at the end of it all.

I have to be honest, without Netflix I would not even attempt this.

 

[JoeCabby]

Um, well in the case of TNG and DS9, I would say broadcast. Because there is some crossover. The major crossover is the O'Brien family. But I think there was a later episode of TNG that was a slight crossover.

Since Voyager starts after TNG ends and there's no mention of Voyager that I can recall on DS9. You could probably wait for Voyager.

There's a little bit of mention of eachother. In DS9 they mention Voyager, but it's like one sentence and it's not even by name.

In Voyager, they do mention some happenings that have happened in DS9 and it is a big part of the story's episode. Watching the Voyager episode first might spoil what happens in DS9. In that case, probably better to watch DS9 before Voyager.

 

[-SS-]

I watched TNG, DS9 and Voyager mostly in broadcast order, until I got to DS9 The Final Chapter which I watched all at once. It was very interesting to see how TNG and DS9 evolved concurrently, how different and similar they could be. You can fit the TNG films in there as well.

 

[T'Nara]

I'm currently watching through all series' according to http://thestartrekchronologyproject.blogspot.com.au/
It's the first time I've tried watching more than one series at a time, and to me it's the best way to experience the unfolding Star Trek universe. There are many crossovers between concurrent episodes, particularly TNG and DS9. Some of these are very subtle and might not be noticeable unless you're watching through chronologically.

Same here I am currently re-watching all the series according to the in-universe chronological order set out in:

http://thestartrekchronologyproject.blogspot.com.au/

I try to keep my mind open and watch the Star Trek universe unfolding to me slowly. So far it's been interesting.