Star Trek Newbie... (1 Viewer)

[Brent_H]

This may be a dumb question, but I want to get into Star Trek but I don't know where to start....should I begin with the original series or TNG? Also, where do all of the feature-films tie in??
thanks
~Brent

 

[Neil Joseph]

A lot of that will depend on how much you want to part with ($$$). I believe there are at least 30 original series DVD's with 2 episodes per disk. Personally, I would get ST1, ST2 and the upcoming ST3 & ST4 movie SE DVD's and begin collecting the STTNG boxsets but I admit that this is a personal bias. Paramount is revisiting the movie DVD's so purchasing the any movie after The Wrath Of Khan at this time may mean possibly repurchasing again when they hit the shelves.

 

[Eggert]

Are you talking about getting into collecting the DVDs or getting into Star Trek itself (as in not having seen much of it before)?? I took it you meant the latter, but I might be wrong there.
Not a dumb question at all. As you might know, Star Trek includes the following series:

• The Original Series (TOS)
• The Next Generation (TNG)
• Deep Space 9 (DS9)
• Voyager (VOY)
• Enterprise (ENT)

The movies have included the cast from TOS (movie nr. I to VI) and TNG (VII and above).
What series you begin with does, in my opinion, not matter very much. The series take place in a certain order (the above list is the correct order, except that Enterprise takes place about a 100 years before the original series).
I personally started with the movies, then went to the Next Generation and from there on to the other series.
Best regards,
Eggert O.

 

[Brent_H]

thanks for the input! I don't plan on BUYING any of it at this point....I save my $$$ for my most favorite shows, which Star Trek isn't, YET. I will be renting from Netflix Although, it might take me a year to get through them all, or more. Anyways, I already have the first disc from TNG, so I guess I will start with that. I must say, for being from the late 80's, the video looks impressive....and 5.1? I am shocked. Awesome!!
Thanks again

 

[Eggert]

No problem. Just get ready for a very pleasant addiction. I have been hooked on Star Trek for almost my entire life (my father introduced me to Star Trek The Motion Picture when I was about 4 or 5).
TNG is an excellent starting point. Just keep in mind the series didn't really take of until the third season or so. Not to say the first two seasons are bad in any way.
And, if you have not seen Babylon 5 before, then you should definately check that out also (not that it has anything to do with Star Trek, just another excellent Sci-Fi series).
A little bit more specific about time frame:

• Enterprise - about 2151 I think.
• The Original Series - from 2264 to 2269
• The Next Generation - 2363 to 2370
• Deep Space 9 - 2369 to 2375
• Voyager - 2371 to 2378

The movies

• Star Trek The Motion Picture (TOS cast) - 2271
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn (TOS) - 2285
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (TOS) - 2285
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (TOS) - 2286
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (TOS) - 2287
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (TOS) - 2293
• Star Trek: Generations (TOS and TNG) - 2371
• Star Trek: First Contact (TNG) - 2373
• Star Trek: Insurrection (TNG) - ??

Best regards,
Eggert O.

 

[todd stone]

TNG owns all star treks

 

[Ric Easton]

TNG owns all star treks

Maybe so... But you would be wise to check out some of the original Trek episodes that got the whole ball rolling.

Off the top of my head here are several of the must sees... (according to me anyway!)

The Enemy Within
The Menagerie: Parts one and two
Balance of Terror
Space Seed
The Naked Time
Errand of Mercy
This Side of Paradise
Devil in the Dark
City on the Edge of Forever
Operation: Annhiliate
Amok Time
Mirror Mirror
Return to Tomorrow
The Trouble with Tribbles
A Piece of the Action
Journey to Babel
For the World is Hollow and I have Touched the Sky

That should get you in good shape to then watch the TOS Movies 1-6 If that's too much... at least check out Space Seed before you watch Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan.

I kind of envy you discovering this for the first time. I first hopped on board in the early seventies when the original series had gone into syndication. (it was cancelled after its 3rd season in 1969) I have been a fan ever since. Back then I never could have dreamed that this cancelled show would become the juggernaut it has.

It seemed like I had waited a lifetime for that first ST movie in 1979. I was there opening night. The line went around the block. While I was happy to see the show finally hit the big time... it wasn't til the next movie (wrath of Khan) that the movie franchise really hit it's stride. That was really the beginning of the return of Trek and all its incarnations.


Ric

 

[CaptDS9E]

Sorry but DS9 owns all treks It just wasnt as popular

I totally Agree with what ric said. Watch those TOS episodes, Plus add the Mudd Shows(Mudds Women, I Mudd) and also add Space Seed. Then go onto the movies starting with Star Trek II:Wrath of Kahn work your way through all the TOS movies. Then hop onto TNG. If you are starting out in Trek dont watch the first movie. It will put you to sleep


I got into Trek through DS9 actually even though i had seen the Trek movies before. DS9 got me hooked

Capt

 

[Jeff Kleist]

yep, hate to tell you TNG heads, but as someone who started a TOS fan when I was but a whee lad watching it in syndication in the early 80s, DS9 owns them all. The quality of writing is just phenomenal, especially for the last 3 years. Every ep was better tahn the last

 

[David Lambert]

May I respectfully suggest that we cut out the ra-ra TNG vs. DS9 stuff? Everyone has their own opinion (I'm a TNG man myself), and each appeals to a different audience. They were fundamentally different shows. And the debate won't solve Brent's confusion.
Brent, since the same amount of Rental money is involved either way, I suggest you start where it all began in 1966:

 

[Matt_P]

Being a lifelong Trek fan, I can say that the opinions presented here are all valid. Many consider TNG to be the best (including me, with DS9 being a very close second when comparing the "modern" series)--however this doesn't mean you should discount the other shows, which are all outstanding in their own right. I'd recommend starting with TNG, the feature films, some of the TOS episodes mentioned by Ric (you've got to see where it all began!), and try to catch bits of some of the other series during the process. Enterprise is on Wednesday nights, and is quite strong for being less than 2 seasons old--try to catch some of these if you get the chance. DS9 and VOY should be in syndication in some areas. This should give you a good sampling, allowing you to make the call as to where you want to focus your viewing.

You are about to embark on an entertaining and enlightening journey. Enjoy, and take your time!

 

[Jack Briggs]

There are forty TOS discs, by the way (two episodes per disc, plus the original pilot in two versions on the fortieth disc).

Since I started watching this phenomenon in September 1966, I cannot see truly appreciating Star Trek until one has cycled through all the original episodes. Then I would move on to the TNG boxsets, adding the feature films as appropriate.

 

[David Lambert]

THANK YOU, Jack! I could never imagine telling someone to discover Star Trek without going through all the highs and lows of the original series.

I mean, one cannot truly appreciate City on the Edge of Forever without experiencing the low of an episode such as Spock's Brain. "Brain and brain! What IS 'brain'?" Heh...so classic, they spoofed it in The Wonder Years!

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Actually, DS9 is on at either 11(very few) or 4AM in most of the country. You can check at StarTrek.com for your local listings. TOS is exclusive to the Sci-Fi Channel, while TNG and soon DS9 are exclusive to the bizarre squish-o-vision black barred ad-filled nightmare that is TNN. Voyager MAY still be on a local station, but here they dropped 5 nights a week real fast and it's only on Sundays at 11PM
Again, Startrek.com will give a complet listing of all Trek in your area, including digital channels

 

[Jason_Els]

Oh yes, do start with the original series. Throughout all the other series there are references going back to TOS. It is also essential to know something of the history of the period to truly understand just how ground-breaking TOS was. The first show with principle multi-racial characters, the first interracial kiss on television, lots of plots referring to controversial current events. Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura was contemplating quitting the show at one point but was requested to stay by Martin Luther King because her role as a competent black female officer was completely unique at the time.
But what TOS really has going for it is its (usually) outstanding writing and a cast that fits together perfectly. Everyone agreed that TNG would live or die by the quality of its cast. Without that chemistry the show would have crashed and burned.
It is virtually impossible to enjoy the TOS-cast movies without seeing the original series. So much history, so many references to the past, I couldn't imagine enjoying them nearly as much without knowing the background. To also experience the changes in the characters, how they grow, age, and develop is a marvelous thing. Thirty years the original cast kept TOS in the forefront of the science fiction experience.
I couldn't imagine Star Trek without:
Harvey Mudd
Sarek and Amanda
T'Pao
Diana Muldauer (lovely in her youth)
Bela Oxmix (sp?)
and of course, Joan Collins in The City on the Edge of Forever, possibly the best episode.
TOS does get hokey at times, there is bad acting, cheesy sets, primitive effects, and some real stinkers. But its strength is in the same thing that makes every great TV show of any genre, exceptional cast and solid writing.
Like Glinda told Dorothy, "It is always best to start at the beginning".

 

[Brent_H]

Okay, I got through the first disc of TNG Season 1....and I found it rather boring Maybe there is no hope for me. As much as I WANT to get into Star Trek...maybe its not for me...heheh. I will maybe try TOS and see how it is.

 

[Eggert]

Hang in there, TNG takes a while to really get going (although season 1 is no slouch). Just wait until you get to episodes in later seasons like Inner Light, Yesterday's Enterprise, Best of Both Worlds Part I and II, Who Watches the Watchers, and many others, and you will not regret having invested time in Star Trek.


Best regards,
Eggert O.

 

[David Lambert]

Another good reason to start at the beginning.

TOS was as good as it ever got right off the bat, pretty much...with a few stand-out episodes coming along before the 1st season was halfway over. Each of the two coming seasons saw some deterioration, until the nonsense hit the fan with its final bow, "Turnabound Intruder".

TNG and DS9, according to their biggest fans, each got REALLY good around the 3rd season. So they are slower to get into...standout shows (like TNG winners "Conspiracy" (S1) and "The Measure of a Man" (S2)) notwithstanding!

 

[JamesHromadka]

Wasn't T'Pal (sic?) from Enterprise in some of the original episodes? Which ones? I would like to rent those to get a better perspective on her.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Wasn't T'Pal (sic?) from Enterprise in some of the original episodes? Which ones? I would like to rent those to get a better perspective on her.

No, you're thinking of T'Pring. She was in Amok Time, and was seen again in ST:TMP and Star Trek 3.