Star Trek knowledge needed

[Guest]

[Morningangel-Iola]

Now I bet there is at least one person out there that can help me. I'm currently doing an undergrad course on film and TV history this year and I have an end assignment of 4000 words  And I am doing it on scifi namely Dr who and Star Trek. Now your probably know that I'm ok on my Dr who but I need my head sorted with star trek. I can think of the orginal series, next generation, voyager and enterprise. Now are there others I have missed out. And what happens on Voyager and enterprise as I have seen the others.

Hope you can help

Thanks 

[kbmum]

There's also Deep Space Nine.   This site has info for all of the series and movies.

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/index.html

[Morningangel-Iola]

Ah yes, I remeber that now. Thanks I'll go and have a nosey

[sketchqueen]

If you have specific questions, you can email me at jkohlbus@comcast.net for DS9, Voyager or Enterprise. I'm not so well-versed in The Original Series or Next Generation, but I know someone who is

[Morningangel-Iola]

Thanks thats great

[Morningangel-Iola]

Ok folks its me again. Now I would like you opinions. As Star Trek fans, why do you think it has stood the test of time and remained so popular? We're getting one a day of the original series on the Scifi channel here, which I have been enjoying.

I would be interested to see what fans think. (Is it the tight uniforms and the short skirts  )

[Nienna]

The Original series was ground-breaking in many ways ....
An alien first officer (Spock), a communications officer who was both black AND female (Uhura) ... then there was Chekhov .... a Russian, at a time when the Cold War was at it's height.
The special effects were often rather shaky, but you also have to bear in mind that the Space Program was also at it's height when these first episodes were screened and the public lapped them up!!
I'll admit to being a bit of a closet-Trekkie - Tuesday early-evening viewing was never the same when ST finished!

The short-skirted females obviously kept the hot-blooded male fans hooked to the screens, though I don't recall the tight uniforms on the men being of much interest to me when I watched them - perhaps cos I was a tad too young at the time to fully appreciate how form-fitting they actually were.

The other thing you have to take into account is that some of the technology so glibly described by Kirk, Spock et al has actually become science fact, rather than remain fiction.

[Sharon]

As Jules says one of the things that has kept Star Trek popular is that a lot of the technology is now in daily use.  Automatic doors, mobile phones (ie communicators), wireless headsets (Uhura) just to name a few of the more mainstream things.  If you want to get really technical I think the original ST was the first to theorise about things like tachyons (?), warp drive and transporters all of which are now in development.  When you watch things like UFO and Space 1999 everyone was walking around in bacofoil with purple hair.  These things just haven't happened so the shows look dated and tacky (even though I still like them).

The other thing to remember is that Star Trek (in all it's forms) is basically a soap opera, with all the trials and tribblelations* that goes with it.  It is about character development with real people and real problems.  Even when the Klingon's are on the starboard bow the sub plot involves the second lieutenant falling for the ships nurse or some other story.  Everyone loves a soap opera and this is just one with zero gravity.


* 

[Morningangel-Iola]

Thanks people I had thought about the multiracial aspect. Which is cool. But I hadn't really thought about the technology, although the comunicators are just like mobiles these days aren't they. Also is that Blue tooth Uhura has Now maybe the purpled hair person was a witch

Thats very true, apparently the creator wanted it to be a space wester to begin with.

Now how do you lot feel towards the newer ones? Do you still love the orginal the best?

[Nienna]

Tribblelations indeed!!
Only on your birthday can you get away with dreadful puns like that  one!!

TNG - yep, watched quite a few episodes of those and enjoyed them.
DS9 - didn't get to watch quite as many of those & there were a few personnel who were crossovers from TNG, but yep I enjoyed this Trekkie incarnation.
Voyager - again, didn't get to watch as many episodes as I would've liked & didn't enjoy this series quite as much as the others, but it still beats hands-down a LOT of the crud that's on the box nowadays.

I don't care what anyone says, ST was science fiction/fantasy at it's best - as Sharon says, the soap opera element of the storylines kept us coming back for more. The level of writing re the technology aspects of the series was on a par with SF writes like Isaac Asimov - the Three Laws of Robotics were penned by him.

As you've probably gathered, I'm a bit of a SciFi nut and have read a HUGE quantity of SciFi/SciFantasy books, many of which are sitting in over-full bookcases around my home! 
A defining moment for me was being taken to see '2001: A Space Odyssey' when I was nine - truly memorable ....

[Sharon]

I actually don't think the spin offs will survive the test of time like the original series.  I have just started re-watching TNG (well actually Bogleg has and I just look over from time to time) and they do look very dated.

DS9 may fair a little better as this was set on a space station and so we have nothing to compare it to in our everyday lives and it had a lot more aliens with full background stories.  Voyager had moments of brilliance and moments of pure tripe and I don't think this will improve with age.  Now Enterprise I think will be one of those that I re-watch in a few years time and think mmmmm that was really good.

My favourite of all the series was DS9, but not necessarily the Klingon episodes.  I liked the fact that this had a story ark that spanned all of the series, not just stand alone episodes.

[Morningangel-Iola]

Is it that Orginal is so old its datedness makes it cool. And TNG hasn't quite got there yet? We did used to what TNG I liked it, although didn't like it when what his face grew a beard as he was quite cute before that.

[Kelly]

I agree with the above posts.  I think the best sci-fi shows are the ones about the people instead of just the cool futuristic ships and gadgets.  TOS was a very breakthrough show.  First interracial kiss, first time (I think) that people from many different nations were united in a show and working together.  Also the technology stuff.  I'm always making fun of Phil when he has his Bluetooth in his ear.  "Captian, we're being hailed.  Should I put it on screen?" 

[Rich65]

To Me Deep Space Nine was by far the best of the spin off shows. It dealt with so many issues like the original series did and also had a great cast who had great chemistry together and the stories never put the gadgets above the characters. There were some episodes that were better than others of course but on a whole this was a fantastic show that should stand the test of time along side the original series and is finally getting the respect it deserves. And besides DS9 is the only show where You can see Q get His lights punched out.

[Morningangel-Iola]

I thought you might like to have a look at this

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5285732.stm?dynamic_vote=ON#vote_star_trek

You can vote for your favourite. Its nearly its 40th

[Morningangel-Iola]

Thank you for all your help . My assignment has now been sent off (I some how managed the Dr who bit on my own  )and here's hoping for a good mark 

Thanks 

[Nienna]

Good Luck Dawn!! Fingers and toes crossed for ya too!

[Morningangel-Iola]

Thanks