Mount Star trek

[RobertScorpio]

Star trek is about to be relaunched next year. And, if all goes according to plan, Star trek may reach new heights, indeed international heights, in ways we have never seen before...

But at what point, up to now, do you think star trek was at it's pinnacle? When was it at its most popular moment in time...

Was it that area of time between Best of Both worlds pt1 and pt2?

Was it after the success of The Voyage Home?

So, in essence; When was Star trek at the highest point of its popularity???

 

[Michael]

I thought it is generally agreed that the time around the release of Generations marked the apex of the franchises popularity.

 

[greenmystik]

I have to agree. I think the last two season of TNG up until Voy marked it's apex.

 

[Forbin]

The mid-1970s, when the fans were in charge and the "professionals" hadn't had a chance to ruin it yet.

 

[Outpost4]

^ I'd say a couple of years later, with the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Don't forget that TMP made money. A lot of people went to see it. Star Trek had been brought back from the grave just because it was a really cool idea. Yes, having Star Wars a success sure helped, but nobody resurrected old TV shows for movies back then. Now it's done all the time, even really bad ones (The A-Team, anyone?).

I agree with Forbin, though. After TMP, Trek became a product, something to be marketed, instead of a cool concept. It wasn't fan driven and that is the essence of the question.

 

[erastus25]

I thought it is generally agreed that the time around the release of Generations marked the apex of the franchises popularity.

I'm only 24, but in my lifetime the apex was probably from the 25th anniversary and release of TUC through the release of Generations. I think the TV ratings back me up too. Plus, Star Trek toys were everywhere at the time, and there was even that traveling Star Trek exhibit making the rounds at local science museums.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I agree with erastus, although I'll extend it to First Contact (even though DS9 and Voyager were experiencing ratings declines, First Contact still was popular with the mainstream public).

 

[EnsignRicky]

In my opinion, The Best Of Both Worlds was the apex, shortly before the market got flooded with spin offs/knock offs. Hey let's do Babylon 5. Why not do Lost In Space? How about a nice prequel tril... er, series. As far as the new movie launching the franchise to new heights, I unfortunately get the vibe that it's actually, finally reducing it down to the level of The Addams Family and The Brady Bunch. But on the bright side, as long as others have good ideas, Star Trek will never run out of inspiration.

 

[ialfan]

I would have to say around TUC-FC. Two of the highest grossing trek films, trek was doing it's best in the ratings then too. It wasn't as lamented as it is publically today.

 

[HoundDog]

Looking at Tv-ratings/movie box offices/popularity with the general audience, I think Star Trek peaked around 1993-1996: TNG was nominated for Emmy-Award as best series/drama for its final season in 1994, the ratings peaked around this time, and in 1996 the last Trek-movie that was popular with the general audience came out, "First Contact" -although I believe that "Insurrection" performed even better in German theaters (when the VHS/DVD came out here, they promoted it as the "most succesful Star Trek film in Germany" or something like that).

Anyway, Trek peaked in the middle of the 90s.

 

[ToddPence]

Unquestionably the 1970's. The show seemed to get more and more popular the more they were rerun. I remember at one point WDCA-20 took the show off the air after rerunning it for years, figuring that it had reached its saturation point. Oh boy, were they wrong. They immediately received a firestorm of outraged protest and were forced to put the show back on their schedule. In 1976, MAD Magazine correctly observed "The most popular show on TV is one that was canceled seven years ago."

 

[THE_FETT]

TOS is clearly the pinnacle that was set in the 70's. The 80's TNG was able to ride into existence on the coattails of that pinnacle, but the pinnacle has already been reached, and the series was headed down the other side of Mount Trek. DS9, VOY and ENT (while all great series to me) marked the plateau on the other side.