Unless you have a brain, in which case you should start with the series.
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- Thread starter Louis
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Unless you have a brain, in which case you should start with the series.
Best advice given in this entire thread.
But I'm really quite serious when I say this.
I think a person has a better chance of liking ALL the Trek shows if they stay the hell away from HERE.
TheLonelySquire
Vice Admiral
Start with TOS. Balance of Terror is the best ep of any Trek, so start there. You will be happy you did.
TOS is unaccessible to those who crave the visual over the story (a lot of modern audiences, sadly). As a rule, I've always said that if you don't like seeing plays at the theater, you probably won't like TOS 
TOS does have some great action episode, mind, which look even better with the new Remastered boxed sets (CGI replaces the iffy 1960s effects...which were kind of cheap in their day, too). 'Balance of Terror', 'Arena', 'The Doomsday Machine', 'The Ultimate Computer', 'Amok Time', 'Mirror, Mirror' and 'Court Martial' are all favourites of mine that are light on the sci-fi and heavy on the action/drama (though I obviously have other favourites that are heavier on the sci-fi). Probably easier as jump-in points.
TOS does have some great action episode, mind, which look even better with the new Remastered boxed sets (CGI replaces the iffy 1960s effects...which were kind of cheap in their day, too). 'Balance of Terror', 'Arena', 'The Doomsday Machine', 'The Ultimate Computer', 'Amok Time', 'Mirror, Mirror' and 'Court Martial' are all favourites of mine that are light on the sci-fi and heavy on the action/drama (though I obviously have other favourites that are heavier on the sci-fi). Probably easier as jump-in points.
I strongly disagree. TOS was far more visually striking than modern Trek. It had cinematographers, directors and set designers who knew how to compose a shot.
As a rule, I've always said that if you don't like seeing plays at the theater, you probably won't like TOS
Why bother with such people?
Corrected.
Watch DS9 - it's the best of the bunch - the most engaging characters and definitely the best storyline (the others didn't have ongoing storylines, except for S3-S4 of ENT). If you're easily bored or frustrated, just watch Emissary, Battle Lines, Duet and In the Hands of the Prophets from S1, which is the weakest season. After that, it's good most of the time.
TheLonelySquire
Vice Admiral
If watching paint dry is a plot, then yeah it has a plot.
Louis,
If I was you...I watch the series in this order (yes, TOS is the first series and Enterprise is the 5th series), start with Enterprise first since it takes place 100 years before TOS, then watch TOS after that. After your done with those 2 series, then watch TNG next, DS9 after that and Voyager last.
Just to point out that TOS only had 3 seasons and Enterprise has 4 seasons. You'll get through those 2 series pretty fast before you even know it lol
And don't forget one thing....enjoy!
If you wish to know what years the shows started and ended (and also what years in the trek universe it takes place from start to end going by how long the shows aired)...here:
1. The Original Series (TOS)- Sept 8, 1966 to June 3, 1969 (in Trek Universe, 2265-2269), 3 seasons (79 episodes)
2. The Next Generation (TNG)- Sept 28, 1987 to May 23, 1994 (in Trek universe, 2364-2370), 7 seasons (178 episodes)
3. Deep Space Nine (DS9) - Jan 3, 1993 to June 2, 1999 )in Trek universe, 2369-2375), 7 seasons (176 episodes)
4. Voyager (VOY) - Jan 16, 1995 to May 23, 2001 (in Trek universe, 2371-2377), 7 seasons (172 episodes)
5. Enterprise (ENT), note: it was just called Enterprise for the first season, when season 2 came...they added Star Trek to the title (Star Trek: Enterprise)- Sept 26, 2001 to May 13, 2005 (in Trek universe, 2151 to 2154 "final episode in season 4 took place in 2161"), 4 seasons (98 episodes)
There has been 10 Trek movies.
The first trek movies are the TOS movies...
Star Trek I: The Motion Pictures (2271)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (2285
Star Trek: III: The Search for Spock (2285)
Star Trek: IV: The Voyage Home (2286)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (2287)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (2293)
The Next Generation movies are:
Star Trek VII: Generations (2371)
Star Trek VIII: First Contact (2373)
Star Trek IX: Insurrection (2375)
Star Trek X: Nemesis (2379)
Here are some sites you might be interested in looking at the learn about Star Trek more and its trek universe:
http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/index.php/Main_Page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek
http://www.ditl.org/
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/
If I was you...I watch the series in this order (yes, TOS is the first series and Enterprise is the 5th series), start with Enterprise first since it takes place 100 years before TOS, then watch TOS after that. After your done with those 2 series, then watch TNG next, DS9 after that and Voyager last.
Just to point out that TOS only had 3 seasons and Enterprise has 4 seasons. You'll get through those 2 series pretty fast before you even know it lol
And don't forget one thing....enjoy!
If you wish to know what years the shows started and ended (and also what years in the trek universe it takes place from start to end going by how long the shows aired)...here:
1. The Original Series (TOS)- Sept 8, 1966 to June 3, 1969 (in Trek Universe, 2265-2269), 3 seasons (79 episodes)
2. The Next Generation (TNG)- Sept 28, 1987 to May 23, 1994 (in Trek universe, 2364-2370), 7 seasons (178 episodes)
3. Deep Space Nine (DS9) - Jan 3, 1993 to June 2, 1999 )in Trek universe, 2369-2375), 7 seasons (176 episodes)
4. Voyager (VOY) - Jan 16, 1995 to May 23, 2001 (in Trek universe, 2371-2377), 7 seasons (172 episodes)
5. Enterprise (ENT), note: it was just called Enterprise for the first season, when season 2 came...they added Star Trek to the title (Star Trek: Enterprise)- Sept 26, 2001 to May 13, 2005 (in Trek universe, 2151 to 2154 "final episode in season 4 took place in 2161"), 4 seasons (98 episodes)
There has been 10 Trek movies.
The first trek movies are the TOS movies...
Star Trek I: The Motion Pictures (2271)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (2285
Star Trek: III: The Search for Spock (2285)
Star Trek: IV: The Voyage Home (2286)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (2287)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (2293)
The Next Generation movies are:
Star Trek VII: Generations (2371)
Star Trek VIII: First Contact (2373)
Star Trek IX: Insurrection (2375)
Star Trek X: Nemesis (2379)
Here are some sites you might be interested in looking at the learn about Star Trek more and its trek universe:
http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/index.php/Main_Page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek
http://www.ditl.org/
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/
Louis, you have a lot of fun time ahead of you! I envy you that you have not ever watched the show yet because it will be a real discovery for you. Personally I think The Next Generation (TNG) is the easiest to get into for most people. It certainly has the largest fanbase of all the series. The Original Series (TOS) is what I grew up watching in the 60's and it will always have a special place in my heart but I much prefer the later shows. My personal favorite is Deep Space Nine (DS9). It's quite a good show with an excellent cast, writers and stories. It is darker than the other Trek series and yet still Star Trek. Voyager is a fine show for what it is and I think it gets run down way more than it deserves. Enterprise (ENT) had some moments of brilliance but comes in last on my list of favorites. However, I am a fan of all the series and not like some fans who hate certain Trek shows and refuse to watch them. Finally in the TV shows there is also the Animated Series (TAS) and it is somewhat like a 4th season of TOS using most of the same actors for voices. It's a little cheesy by todays cartoon standards but I still think it's fun!
Like others above I would highly recommend watching all the movies in release order and with little time between viewings if possible. Each movie somewhat builds on what went before and I have found that I get the most out of them if I don't have long gaps between watching each one.
I'm glad to know that there are still people out there discovering this great show for the first time! I hope the new movie coming this next Christmas will bring in a whole new generation of Star Trek fans and fandom.
Kevin
Like others above I would highly recommend watching all the movies in release order and with little time between viewings if possible. Each movie somewhat builds on what went before and I have found that I get the most out of them if I don't have long gaps between watching each one.
I'm glad to know that there are still people out there discovering this great show for the first time! I hope the new movie coming this next Christmas will bring in a whole new generation of Star Trek fans and fandom.
Kevin
Welcome to the land of Star Trek, Louis, your life will never be the same (though I'm not going to say if it will get better or worse )
Here's my read on the series:
TOS: Not a bad series, some episodes have aged better than others, but it was overall the most creative and unique of the five. When you look at some of the stories the told, you can tell that they would have never even been considered nowadays, and those stories make it pretty entertaining. It is also the funnest of the five.
TNG: Like TOS, it is primarily a show about one ship buzzing through the galaxy meeting new people. It's a good series, and like others have said, probably a pretty good gateway series.
DS9: My favorite of the bunch. A story-arc that lasts nearly the whole series. Many of the episodes are top-notch material, you get to know and become attached to the characters, and it is overall highly entertaining.
VOY: This is my least favorite of the 5. As others have said, it was "Lost in Space" Trek style. It was a good concept, but wasn't executed to it's full potential. There simply wasn't enough of a sense that they were lost and on their own... it was TNG without meeting other Starfleet ships. It had a few jems, but for the most part, it was just kinda meh.
ENT: I was personlly fond of this series, which it seems I a wee bit of a minority on. I thought most of the characters were very interesting, though at times, it didn't quite give it enough of a prequel feel. The first season was good, season 2 was a bit of a let down, but season 3, and especially 4, really hit their stride and started producing excellent shows.
For the movies, I think it's important to watch the first 7 in order (Motion Picture through Generations) because they are a sequential story, and movies 2-4 are actually a trilogy of sorts. The last 3 aren't as important to go in order on, but you may as well. On a final note, I will agree with the other posters: if you want your own experience on watching these, avoid this place, or at leas the Trek section until you finish. We are very opinionated, and like spoiling things. Have fun!
)Here's my read on the series:
TOS: Not a bad series, some episodes have aged better than others, but it was overall the most creative and unique of the five. When you look at some of the stories the told, you can tell that they would have never even been considered nowadays, and those stories make it pretty entertaining. It is also the funnest of the five.
TNG: Like TOS, it is primarily a show about one ship buzzing through the galaxy meeting new people. It's a good series, and like others have said, probably a pretty good gateway series.
DS9: My favorite of the bunch. A story-arc that lasts nearly the whole series. Many of the episodes are top-notch material, you get to know and become attached to the characters, and it is overall highly entertaining.
VOY: This is my least favorite of the 5. As others have said, it was "Lost in Space" Trek style. It was a good concept, but wasn't executed to it's full potential. There simply wasn't enough of a sense that they were lost and on their own... it was TNG without meeting other Starfleet ships. It had a few jems, but for the most part, it was just kinda meh.
ENT: I was personlly fond of this series, which it seems I a wee bit of a minority on. I thought most of the characters were very interesting, though at times, it didn't quite give it enough of a prequel feel. The first season was good, season 2 was a bit of a let down, but season 3, and especially 4, really hit their stride and started producing excellent shows.
For the movies, I think it's important to watch the first 7 in order (Motion Picture through Generations) because they are a sequential story, and movies 2-4 are actually a trilogy of sorts. The last 3 aren't as important to go in order on, but you may as well. On a final note, I will agree with the other posters: if you want your own experience on watching these, avoid this place, or at leas the Trek section until you finish. We are very opinionated, and like spoiling things. Have fun!
Personally, I would say star with TOS since it was the first series and it introduces us to the universe. IMHO you probably won't get quite as much entertainment out of Enterprise if you aren't already familiar with the universe and the concepts behind it. If you decide TOS doesn't do anything for you I would say start with The Next Generation, since it kind of reintroduces everything.
My personal favorite series would have to be DS9, it had amazing characters, great plots, and IMHO it probably had the best group of people behind the secenes.
Don't know if you are interested, but alot of the people who worked behind the scenes on Trek have gone on to other great shows.
Ronald D Moore (TNG writer/DS9 writer/executive producer):
Battlestar Galactica started as a miniseries in 2003, series ran from 2004-2008 in it's last season(executive producer/writer/creator) IMHO one of the best shows on TV right now, won a Peabody award during it's second season.
Carnivale (Exectuive producer, writer, later showrunner) ran from 2003-'05 never got to finish it's storyline I only watched a few episodes because I didn't want to get into an unfinished storyline, but what I saw seemed pretty good.
Michael Piller (DS9/TNG executive producer, writer):
The Dead Zone (creator, writer, possibly showrunner) 2002-07 I watched this pretty regularly for the last couple years and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Sadly they just announced it won't be coming back for any more seasons. This show starred Nicole De Boer from the final season of DS9.
Wildfire (creator, don't know what else)2005-present. One of only two non Sci-fi shows on this list, and one of two I've never seen.
Ira Steven Behr (writer TNG/DS9 writer/executive producer and "he deserves the most credit for Deep Space Nine's Dominion War arc")
Twilight Zone (2002-2003 series) (executive producer, possibly more) Second show I've never seen.
The 4400 (executive producer, writer) 2004-'07 Great show, often shown as a companion to DZ, also just ended.
René Echevarria (TNG writer, DS9 writer/executive producer)
The 4400 (cocreator, writer, possibly show runner)
Naren Shankar (TNG Science consultant/story edito, DS9 writer/science consultant)
Farscape(writer/executive producer) ran 1999-2003, returned in late '04 for a miniseries, and will return as a series of webisodes later this year Amazing show, IMHO one of the best sci-fi shows ever. Starred Stargate SG-1's Ben Browder and Claudia Black.
CSI '00-present (head writer) All I think that needs to be said about this is the fact that it is one of the most popular shows on TV, for good reason IMO.
My personal favorite series would have to be DS9, it had amazing characters, great plots, and IMHO it probably had the best group of people behind the secenes.
Don't know if you are interested, but alot of the people who worked behind the scenes on Trek have gone on to other great shows.
Ronald D Moore (TNG writer/DS9 writer/executive producer):
Battlestar Galactica started as a miniseries in 2003, series ran from 2004-2008 in it's last season(executive producer/writer/creator) IMHO one of the best shows on TV right now, won a Peabody award during it's second season.
Carnivale (Exectuive producer, writer, later showrunner) ran from 2003-'05 never got to finish it's storyline I only watched a few episodes because I didn't want to get into an unfinished storyline, but what I saw seemed pretty good.
Michael Piller (DS9/TNG executive producer, writer):
The Dead Zone (creator, writer, possibly showrunner) 2002-07 I watched this pretty regularly for the last couple years and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Sadly they just announced it won't be coming back for any more seasons. This show starred Nicole De Boer from the final season of DS9.
Wildfire (creator, don't know what else)2005-present. One of only two non Sci-fi shows on this list, and one of two I've never seen.
Ira Steven Behr (writer TNG/DS9 writer/executive producer and "he deserves the most credit for Deep Space Nine's Dominion War arc")
Twilight Zone (2002-2003 series) (executive producer, possibly more) Second show I've never seen.
The 4400 (executive producer, writer) 2004-'07 Great show, often shown as a companion to DZ, also just ended.
René Echevarria (TNG writer, DS9 writer/executive producer)
The 4400 (cocreator, writer, possibly show runner)
Naren Shankar (TNG Science consultant/story edito, DS9 writer/science consultant)
Farscape(writer/executive producer) ran 1999-2003, returned in late '04 for a miniseries, and will return as a series of webisodes later this year Amazing show, IMHO one of the best sci-fi shows ever. Starred Stargate SG-1's Ben Browder and Claudia Black.
CSI '00-present (head writer) All I think that needs to be said about this is the fact that it is one of the most popular shows on TV, for good reason IMO.
TheLonelySquire said:
If watching paint dry is a plot, then yeah it has a plot.
Let's be honest here. All the of others are all the same show with different characters, minus the later years of Enterprise. They all follow the same formula just about every episode. The Enterprise visits a planet with aliens that look just like humans but with clay bumps on their heads. Some weird spacial entity thingy threatens to destroy the ship. They techobable thier way out of it and have a good laugh. The end. I'd much rather see Sisko and Kira kill bad guys. TOS gets a pass because it invented the formula.
Have you actually watched TOS?
Watching Trek fans argue over which series is best is like asking folks what their favorite car is; the answers are all different because the people are different. I suggest renting a few DVDs from each series to see which set of characters you like best. It’s almost a certainty you won’t like all five series, very few people do. As to the movies, skip ‘em all, they are a waste of time as the TV series they are based on are always much better.
Rent anything from:
TOS: 1st season
TNG: 5th season
DS9: 4th or 5th season
VOY: um…don’t know
ENT: 4th season
Rent anything from:
TOS: 1st season
TNG: 5th season
DS9: 4th or 5th season
VOY: um…don’t know
ENT: 4th season
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