Happy 20th birthday, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
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Happy 20th birthday, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
From Startrek.com
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine debuted in first-run syndication the week of January 4, 1993, with a two-hour pilot entitled "Emissary." It was -- especially compared to The Next Generation -- the dark Trek, a gritty, angry, contentious spin on Gene Roddenberry’s Wagon Train to the Stars concept. Characters who disliked each other? A commander who didn’t want to be there? Who had a young child on board with him? A space station that boldly went… nowhere? Is this even Star Trek at all?
Twenty years on, it’s safe to say, the answer is YES.
For many fans, DS9 is their absolute favorite of the five live-action Trek series. Others appreciate it more now in retrospect, as it grew on them over time. And, yes, there are those Trek fans who, to this day, still despise the show.
The idea for DS9, the initial kernel, came from then-Paramount Pictures boss Brandon Tartikoff, who, according to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, put the notion of “a man and a boy in space” in the ear of Rick Berman, who teamed with Michael Piller to create the show.
DS9 boasted the largest and best ensemble of recurring guest stars of any Trek series. “Emissary” introduced Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat, Aron Eisenberg as Nog, and the uncredited Mark Allen Shepherd as Morn, while Max Grodenchik portrayed a character credited as Ferengi Pit Boss and John Noah Hertzler (who came to be known as J.G. Hertzler) appeared as the Vulcan Captain. Later, of course, fans were introduced to such frequent returnees as Jeffrey Combs, Andrew Robinson, Casey Biggs, Chase Masterson, Penny Johnson, Barry Jenner, Salome Jens, Wallace Shawn, Robert O’Reilly, Brock Peters, Louise Fletcher, Frank Langella and Rosalind Chao, among others.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine debuted in first-run syndication the week of January 4, 1993, with a two-hour pilot entitled "Emissary." It was -- especially compared to The Next Generation -- the dark Trek, a gritty, angry, contentious spin on Gene Roddenberry’s Wagon Train to the Stars concept. Characters who disliked each other? A commander who didn’t want to be there? Who had a young child on board with him? A space station that boldly went… nowhere? Is this even Star Trek at all?
Twenty years on, it’s safe to say, the answer is YES.
For many fans, DS9 is their absolute favorite of the five live-action Trek series. Others appreciate it more now in retrospect, as it grew on them over time. And, yes, there are those Trek fans who, to this day, still despise the show.
The idea for DS9, the initial kernel, came from then-Paramount Pictures boss Brandon Tartikoff, who, according to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, put the notion of “a man and a boy in space” in the ear of Rick Berman, who teamed with Michael Piller to create the show.
DS9 boasted the largest and best ensemble of recurring guest stars of any Trek series. “Emissary” introduced Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat, Aron Eisenberg as Nog, and the uncredited Mark Allen Shepherd as Morn, while Max Grodenchik portrayed a character credited as Ferengi Pit Boss and John Noah Hertzler (who came to be known as J.G. Hertzler) appeared as the Vulcan Captain. Later, of course, fans were introduced to such frequent returnees as Jeffrey Combs, Andrew Robinson, Casey Biggs, Chase Masterson, Penny Johnson, Barry Jenner, Salome Jens, Wallace Shawn, Robert O’Reilly, Brock Peters, Louise Fletcher, Frank Langella and Rosalind Chao, among others.
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Re: Happy 20th birthday, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
DS9 is not my favorite Trek series, but it is the most ambitious and artistically daring. I hope that once all of TNG is released on Blu-ray that Paramount puts in the expense to do DS9 as well.
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Re: Happy 20th birthday, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
The Next Generation will always be my favorite for a variety of reasons, but since around its third season, I've considered Deep Space Nine to be the best Star Trek series to date. While there certainly are still those who don't care for it, I've been glad to see the overall appreciation for it grow substantially throughout the years.
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Re: Happy 20th birthday, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
My favorite Trek series.
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Re: Happy 20th birthday, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
I don't know if it's my favorite Trek but "The Visitor" is perhaps my favorite Trek episode of all time. I cried like a little bitch.
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Re: Happy 20th birthday, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
I'm still ambivalent towards the show after all these years. It's an incredibly well put together show from a writing, directing, production and (for the most part) acting standpoint. It was the last Trek show that *truly* strived and succeeded in putting out consistent, quality work.
However, it was the show that says we said, "we can be Trek, without actually Trekking". It seemed like 90% of the stories didn't seem to involve any space exploration at all--it was terrorism, religious/political intrigue, dumb Ferengi "comedies"; soap opera, and intergalactic war. It featured Starfleet officers who constantly got browbeaten by varying individuals and groups about how truly rotten Starfleet was--and Sisko, Bashir, O'Brien just took it. And while TOS and TNG had some sort of vision (whether realistic or not), DS9 was there to poke holes in it. There was little vision there and little optimism.
If TNG was Modern Trek, then DS9 was Postmodern Trek. It deconstructed just about aspect of the Trek mythos in practically every episode with varying results (like "Trials and Tribble-ations" or "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges").
And I'll tell you, when TNG ended and Voyager came on to the scene, HOLY SHIT, was the contrast between Deep Space Nine and Voyager apparent. This one station would run the new episodes of the respective shows back to back. "Tonight: on DS9, we'll have a mature, adult story of betrayal and loyalty; and on Voyager, Tom Paris and Captain Janeway become lizards!"
However, it was the show that says we said, "we can be Trek, without actually Trekking". It seemed like 90% of the stories didn't seem to involve any space exploration at all--it was terrorism, religious/political intrigue, dumb Ferengi "comedies"; soap opera, and intergalactic war. It featured Starfleet officers who constantly got browbeaten by varying individuals and groups about how truly rotten Starfleet was--and Sisko, Bashir, O'Brien just took it. And while TOS and TNG had some sort of vision (whether realistic or not), DS9 was there to poke holes in it. There was little vision there and little optimism.
If TNG was Modern Trek, then DS9 was Postmodern Trek. It deconstructed just about aspect of the Trek mythos in practically every episode with varying results (like "Trials and Tribble-ations" or "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges").
And I'll tell you, when TNG ended and Voyager came on to the scene, HOLY SHIT, was the contrast between Deep Space Nine and Voyager apparent. This one station would run the new episodes of the respective shows back to back. "Tonight: on DS9, we'll have a mature, adult story of betrayal and loyalty; and on Voyager, Tom Paris and Captain Janeway become lizards!"
Last edited by PatD; 01-04-13 at 03:33 PM.
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Re: Happy 20th birthday, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
It's funny because it's true. Voyager was such a chore from seasons 4 onward. Yuck.
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Re: Happy 20th birthday, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Of the 4 post TOS series, DS9 is my favorite. It started slow plot-wise, but had interesting enough characters to make it a good show. From Season 3 on when the plots really picked up and the characters kept getting better, it is an impossible to beat ST show.
What makes it so good do me is the depth and bredth of characters on the show, from Sisko to Morn.
I recall when Ronald Moore used to do the AOL chats, luckily Memory Alpha has copies of them (though I think they are incomplete), they are worth reading along with the show.
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Memo...onald_D._Moore
I liked TNG quite a bit, VOY had some good eps and 7 was hot, but overall a poor show, Enterprise was okay
What makes it so good do me is the depth and bredth of characters on the show, from Sisko to Morn.
I recall when Ronald Moore used to do the AOL chats, luckily Memory Alpha has copies of them (though I think they are incomplete), they are worth reading along with the show.
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Memo...onald_D._Moore
I liked TNG quite a bit, VOY had some good eps and 7 was hot, but overall a poor show, Enterprise was okay