Moopher

Now, I did see the recent movie that came out in theaters, and I really liked it. There is obviously a mythology in this universe, and I believe it might be something I want to delve into. Is this a good idea? Was the original show any good? How about following variations of the Star Trek tv show?

For a frame of reference to what I dig when it comes to Sci-fi...I HATE Star Wars, it's just a lot of boring to me, however, I LOVED Battlestar Galactica Re-imagined. Firefly was actually quite good as well, shame it never got the chance to flesh out more.

Jadzia

I love the more modern incarnations of Trek: Next Generation and Deep Space 9. I highly recommend you watch those series. Great TV!

(I am not a Star Wars fan either).

brainee

Well, sure its good ... you don't think it would've developed such a following if it wasn't?

But seriously ... I think appreciation of the original series requires a taste of 60's sensibilities. You probably know best if that's the kind of thing you could get into, or if the trappings of the time period would make it unwatchable for you. The nice thing about classic trek is that there's no continuity - as soon as you're up to speed with who the main characters are, it doesn't really matter what you watch. Check out a few of the episodes that are considered "classics" (like "City on the Edge of Forever") and take it from there. Or you could watch "Space Seed" and follow it up with "Wrath of Khan"! You might want to start with the remastered eps (some CGI touches here and there). And beware that like almost every series, there are some clunkers, so don't judge too much if you catch one of them by mistake.

The Next Generation is a bit more modern, though I think it took a couple seasons to find its legs. Deep Space Nine is also highly regarded, but is a lot more dependent on continuity (like we saw with the new BSG). Though if you're looking for more of the characters you saw in the new movie, you need to stick with the original series.

That probably bodes well ... you seem to like sci-fi that is more character and situation -driven than action and effects - which generally describes Star Trek (at least the series).

maingon

I liked the movie, and a couple other star trek movies, but I never could get into the series. and this is someone who LOVES firefly, Battlestar Galatica, Star wars etc.

Thrush

Since youre a Battlestar fan. I would definitely recommend Deep Space Nine. Not only is it the best Trek show (IMO) its also probably the most accessible to non Trek fans. Ron Moore who was the Mastermind of Battlestar was also an exec producer on DS9 and wrote many of its better episodes. After DS9 I'd go with Next Generation.

dan30oly

I've spent the last month revisiting DS9 and will just warn you to be patient with the series. It doesn't start getting really good until season 4. Not to say there's anything wrong with 1-3, but it's a bit slow in developing. I have only season 7 to finish up with.

gmanca

That's the main reason why I never got into it; when the transition came from TNG to DS9, it was a pretty big shock as to how slow and meandering it was.

I would say watch TNG if you're into the space exploration/science of Sci-Fi, DS9 if you like political/social arcs, and Voyager if you want standard fare.

The Original Series is pretty good but I'd watch it after you see the modern series to appreciate it; the remastered version is a good way to go too.

Shady12

I LOVED TNG when I was a kid, I've seen every episode multiple times. I can still watch it now but don't like it as much as I used to. I watched the first season of DS9 on dvd and it didn't hold my interest, although I know it's supposed to get crankin' later on. Never watched Voyager, watched a lot of Enterprise, which could have been good but sucked.

Ginwen

I like the original much more than the others, but all the 60s qualities of it a plus for me. A lot of the stuff in the new movie referenced things from the original series so if you like that kind of thing you might check out a few episodes (or at least the Menagerie).

movieking

I loved ST:TNG but never really watched the Original Series. However, I just got the first two seasons on Blu-ray, and the third one is coming out soon, so I plan to go through them all. I'd pick up ST:TNG full collection in a heartbeat if the packaging wasn't so crappy (according to what I've read).

Jeraden

I guess I'm an old-school Star Trek fan compared to people above. I loved TNG and watched it a lot. I also enjoyed the original series. DS9 I just found really boring and could never get into it. Voyager, same thing. I TRIED to get into Enterprise, but honestly I thought it was just horrible - I did manage to watch the entire first season as it aired, but gave up after that.

Red Dog

I would agree. Frankly, I would be surprised if someone who is relatively young (say, under 30) could get into the original Trek and what passed as special effects for the time. I started watching TOS in the late 70s so it wasn't that hard for me to buy it. It still and always will be my favorite.

I really liked TNG too - asking for the complete series for X-mas. It follows the same basic pattern of TOS, although I think it's more idealistic and utopian than the original, which usually tried to give a futuristic spin on current political and social issues.

DS9 is pretty good, but it isn't all that Trek to me.

Don't bother with Voyager. Enterprise was mostly miss, particularly before the 4th season.

Chew

Anybody who gave up on Enterprise should certainly watch the fourth and final season (well, except the two-part premiere and the final episode). It was the best overall season of Trek since DS9 ended.

DS9 boring?!? I guess he quit before the Dominion.

Goat3001

FWIW, I too liked the new movie but I can barely get through anything else in the Star Trek universe.

Double_Oh_7

You can skip the first two seasons of TNG. Just awful, and amazing it survived them to become a great show.

DS9 is terrific, but a slow burn. It holds the honor of producing one of the best episodes in TV history, if not THE best, with "The Visitor." Even if you have no heart, that ep. will choke you up.

Start watching Voyager at season 4 with the introduction of Seven of Nine.

Enterprise. Meh.

Red Dog

You can probably say that about all the successor shows....w/o the Trek label, none of them would have survived their first few seasons. I still can't believe Voyager went on for so long.

Chew

If somebody intends to pick up TNG with the 3rd season, you really don't want to skip "Q Who?".

Travis McClain

I concur with most of the sentiments already expressed. I would suggest that newbies consider the Best of DVD compilations or the Fan Collective packages. With regards to the former, there are currently two, four-episode volumes each of the original series and The Next Generation. As for the Fan Collectives, the two most noteworthy are the volumes of Borg and Q, because they contain every relevant episode thereof (in the case of Q, it's got all of his appearances). The rest of them are debatable and can be frustrating because they overlap with some episodes (the Voyager series finale appears in both the Borg and Time Travel collections).

Currently, the Captain's Log and Time Travel collections can be had for $13 at Walmart.

Double_Oh_7

Eh, the Borg are overrated.

milo bloom

Right on. It's currently the only season of ENT we own (with Connor Trinnear's autograph on the case no less!) and is what a prequel series should have been from the start. If they had let it go on another couple of seasons, I think it could have been really, really good.

And as much as I liked the new movie, the two parter episode In a Mirror, Darkly proves that the older "look" of the show could have been only slightly tweaked and made to look good on the big screen.

chuckd21

Most species are.

Red Dog

Chew

Only after Voyager neutered them.

Superboy

If you want to be a real Star Trek fan, you have to watch the absolute best episode of Star Trek ever:

"Threshold" from Star Trek: Voyager.

Superboy

TNG did that on its own well before Voyager did.