I'm only on page 2 of this, so I apologize if I'm repeating anyone.
All I can say is, it's a good thing TOS was filmed in color, or some people would refuse to watch it just because of that. It saddens me that there are those who ignore some of the greatest films in history because they're in black and white.
With the surprising-to-me large percentage of youngers who don't seem to 'reach' TOS, I'm wondering if any of them can get through FORBIDDEN PLANET or THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL or COLOSSUS THE FORBIN PROJECT, to name 3 pretty solid pics (even if FP has got some 50s-isms that are flinch-worthy.) I'm thinking 2001 would be totally off the table for most, if it is a matter of attention span.
I don't think it's a matter of attention span. I think it more comes down to the fact that the world newer generations have grown up in is very different than the world we grew up in.
I think the only remedy is probably going to be a new Trek series that is relevant to the world they're living in now.
Wouldn't explain the continued relevancy of others that have withstood the test of time.
I also think that the changes in our world are largely cosmetic. We don't have to go downtown to the library to do our research, but we still have governments discrediting do-gooders or those who think outside proscribed boxes, and crimes predicated on race and so many other damn things that are the same that it isn't funny.
One other aspect these quotes touch on revolves around 21st Century production values and storytelling methods. Most (if not all) TOS only has 1 story per episode. There are no A storylines and B storylines. Today it seems that most (if not all) television shows have multiple plot lines going on in every episode with only the occasional "big" episodes (like season finales) exclusively devoted to a single plot. You can call it the ADD mentality or whatever, but the thinking is that viewers are either not interested in just one plot or some producers may hope to keep viewers by giving them a choice as to which plot they may be more interested in.
Additionally we have multi episode story arcs in a lot of TV shows now that was unheard of in TOS.
Along with a difference in storytelling comes the way the episodes are shot and produced. Camera angles, etc... I watched or heard a commentary about television production for sporting events in the past vs. today that will illustrate my point. In the past sporting events were shot with one, two or relatively few cameras. Today sporting events use a wide variety of cameras, angles and positions to cover the action. Further, they try to avoid staying with one camera for more than 30 seconds before switching. The reason for this is to keep viewers. The thinking is if the camera isn't constantly switching to provide different angles of action, the viewer gets bored and changes the channel.
I've noticed this with some television episodes. They are switching angles, cameras, views all the time, even if the scene is just a conversation between two individuals. Or they try something new like shooting through the window or through the glass bottle or whatever is "in the way" to give a certain stylistic ambiance to the scene.
Today's viewers are used to all of these developments even if they're not consciously aware of it. As stated, it's great that TOS is in color or so many fewer people would be watching it than they do now. My step-son refuses to watch anything in B&W. Today's generation want quick slick looking scenes with lots of lights and explosions.
To gain the most viewers the product has to appeal to the largest audience.
Plus, the TOS stories are kinda dated. As pointed out by others, it's so much easier to point out the plot holes and inconsistencies now and 21st Century science fact has outpaced 1960s science fiction in a lot of areas. Audiences are a lot more cosmopolitan nowadays. What seemed like a cool idea in 1969 can seem quite hokey today.
