A Millennial’s Appreciation of Star Trek

 

William Shatner turned 90 two days ago, which seems unbelievable if you see him. One of the side effects of money and good genes I guess.

What I assume is the case with most people in my generation, I grew up a Star Wars fan. Star Trek was old and for the nerds, Star Wars was newer and cool. I had never watched an episode of Star Trek except for some fuzzy memories of my mom watching Next Generation reruns when I was probably my daughter’s age.

We live in the country with poor internet availability and because we’re a young family with a stay-at-home mom, spending money on lackluster internet doesn’t make a lot of sense. So we make do with an old-fashioned antenna on top of the roof, taking whatever is floating out in the ether. Within the last couple of years, there has been an explosion of “free channels” that play various genres, reruns, and B-movies. Growing up we had about five “free” channels, I think we’re well over 20 now. One of these channels is H&I (Heroes and Icons) which plays Star Trek each night, including the original series from 7-8.

Being culturally curious and wanting to watch the things “everybody else has,” I started forcing myself to watch the original Star Trek anytime I’m in the house at 7. At first, my interest was half-hearted. It was slow, I didn’t know all the characters, and of course the effects are 1960s cheesy.

After a couple of episodes, however, I started to love it. The stories, the messages, the overall liberal (in the classic sense) nature of it (not to mention the women!) are great. Handicap for the cheesiness and I completely understand why Star Trek is as revered as it is. Even better is that though the kids groan when I turn the channel to Star Trek, they become enthralled in it too. Now I just have to convince my wife. So far I’ve been unsuccessful in getting her to enjoy the Twilight Zone.

She is coming around to Seinfeld. Maybe there’s hope for Captain Kirk.

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  1. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Skyler (View Comment):

    The original was the only good Star Trek. Picard was a sissy in Star Trek Bloated. Janeway tried to murder her own crew in almost every episode to teach the bad guys a lesson in Star Trek Lost in Space. And Star Trek Soap Opera on the space station, was just dumb. Star Trek Enterprise had a lot of potential, but stupid writers. None were completely terrible, but only the original was brilliant.

    I can only assume that you didn’t see enough of DS9, or were somehow unable to appreciate its greatness.

    “In The Pale Moonlight” is sufficient justification for the entire series.

    There are good episodes in all the shows and watched them all, and still do, with a perverse love-hate reaction.  DS9 has too many negatives:  Jewish caracature of Quark, Bashir is someone I just want to punch, the pathetic story of the shape shifter, the nauseating marriage of Chief O’Brien, the mysticism of the Bajorans, etc., etc.  Nah, overall it’s terrble, but better than Voyager and their lunatic captain.  

    • #31
  2. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Paul Schinder (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Skyler (View Comment):

    The original was the only good Star Trek. Picard was a sissy in Star Trek Bloated. Janeway tried to murder her own crew in almost every episode to teach the bad guys a lesson in Star Trek Lost in Space. And Star Trek Soap Opera on the space station, was just dumb. Star Trek Enterprise had a lot of potential, but stupid writers. None were completely terrible, but only the original was brilliant.

    I can only assume that you didn’t see enough of DS9, or were somehow unable to appreciate its greatness.

    “In The Pale Moonlight” is sufficient justification for the entire series.

    As far as I’m concerned, DS9 is the best Star Trek series to date, followed by TOS. Enterprise was OK. I couldn’t bring myself to watch TNG after season 3, and didn’t watch V’ger (saw the first episode, that was enough). Discovery is interesting (well, the “spore drive” is stupid; suddenly Star Fleet forgets about it in all of the chronologically following series?). Picard was OK. Haven’t seen Lower Decks yet (don’t subscribe to what’s now Paramount+, so I get the series on DVD). I’m looking forward to the new Pike series.

    The “spore drive” was stupid way before Starfleet supposedly forgot about it in the future.

    • #32
  3. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Paul Schinder (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Skyler (View Comment):

    The original was the only good Star Trek. Picard was a sissy in Star Trek Bloated. Janeway tried to murder her own crew in almost every episode to teach the bad guys a lesson in Star Trek Lost in Space. And Star Trek Soap Opera on the space station, was just dumb. Star Trek Enterprise had a lot of potential, but stupid writers. None were completely terrible, but only the original was brilliant.

    I can only assume that you didn’t see enough of DS9, or were somehow unable to appreciate its greatness.

    “In The Pale Moonlight” is sufficient justification for the entire series.

    As far as I’m concerned, DS9 is the best Star Trek series to date, followed by TOS. Enterprise was OK. I couldn’t bring myself to watch TNG after season 3, and didn’t watch V’ger (saw the first episode, that was enough). Discovery is interesting (well, the “spore drive” is stupid; suddenly Star Fleet forgets about it in all of the chronologically following series?). Picard was OK. Haven’t seen Lower Decks yet (don’t subscribe to what’s now Paramount+, so I get the series on DVD). I’m looking forward to the new Pike series.

    The “spore drive” was stupid way before Starfleet supposedly forgot about it in the future.

    OMG yes.  Completely unwatchable.  And that series conforms to the rule that the good guys all have to be homosexuals.

    • #33
  4. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Skyler (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):

    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr.: But at its best it was amazingly smart television, especially when you compare it to what passed for science fiction on TV at the time (like Lost In Space).

    And, of course, it must be pointed that CBS passed on Star Trek primarily because they already had their own “space show” in development and that was Lost in Space and it had approximately the same life-span as ST:TOS. They one thing it had going for it was a superior composer. While some might be hard pressed to name anything else Alexander Courage wrote other than the theme to Trek, that John Williams guy became pretty well known in his own right.

    Courage and Williams actually worked together. Courage did the score for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, which included 3 original compositions by Williams and themes from the original movie, and Courage would do orchestrations for the Boston Pops when Williams helmed that legendary orchestra.

    Courage is also known as the guy Gene Roddenberry screwed over. Roddenberry wrote a set of cheesy lyrics to the theme for Star Trek merely to claim half of the royalties whenever the theme was played.

    Roddenberry’s other good series was “The Lieutenant.” Very under-rated and hard to find. It has the same examination of issues. The main character is essentially Captain Kirk when he was a lieutenant, except in the USMC in contemporary peacetime. The idea to change 2ndLt William Tiberius Rice, USMC, (USNA class of 61) into Capt James Tiberius Kirk of Starfleet was brilliant. It allowed him to get out of current controversy and examine issues without that baggage.

    If you can find it, watch the entire season. Many of the actors are the same; Nichole Nichols, Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, Gary Lockwood (who played 2ndLt Rice) and many other minor characters.

    I only know about it because they used to show it on AFRTS when I was a kid in the 1970’s. It took me years to find it on DVD. You can get partial episodes on YouTube.

    It’s an interesting thing about Roddenberry that his shows didn’t seem to succeed until they were in space.  From “The Lieutenant” to “Star Trek” is just the first example.  Then he did a pilot called “Genesis II” about a scientist named Dylan Hunt who was “frozen” in an experiment in suspended animation and came back 200-something years later to a Post-World-War-II Earth.  (And with the Sub-Shuttle basically filling in for the Transporter…)  A second pilot starred John Saxon as Hunt.  A third sorta-pilot made bypassing Roddenberry but still with Saxon, also didn’t catch.  Then he turned it into another space show with Kevin Sorbo as Captain Dylan Hunt of the starship Andromeda Ascendant, and it ran for 5 seasons.

    (DO NOT see the Genesis II movie on youtube, it’s a hacked-up edited VHS mess.)

    • #34
  5. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Misthiocracy got drunk and (View Comment):

    Bishop Wash (View Comment):

    Preston Storm: William Shatner turned 90 two days ago which seems unbelievable if you see him.

    I’m sure Shatner knows who he’s taking a picture with, but his expression does say, “who are these people”.

     

     

    It’s be even funnier if he had a photo taken with Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill.

    I’m stunned no enterprising photog has managed to get such a shot, and that their respective agents hadn’t cooked up such a meeting. Certainly Shatner, in his several interview shows, would have been open to such.

    • #35
  6. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):
    I’m stunned no enterprising photog has managed to get such a shot, and that their respective agents hadn’t cooked up such a meeting. Certainly Shatner, in his several interview shows, would have been open to such.

    Have you ever seen his speech at the George Lucas tribute?

    • #36
  7. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    • #37
  8. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    EJHill (View Comment):

    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr.: But at its best it was amazingly smart television, especially when you compare it to what passed for science fiction on TV at the time (like Lost In Space).

    And, of course, it must be pointed that CBS passed on Star Trek primarily because they already had their own “space show” in development and that was Lost in Space and it had approximately the same life-span as ST:TOS.

    You can almost see why they passed. The pilot was much more serious than the series, and seemed like it would be hard sci-fi with a near-contemporary setting. Dr. Smith was utterly villainous, and far from the campy character mincing around and saying “oh the pain, the pain.”

    They one thing it had going for it was a superior composer. While some might be hard pressed to name anything else Alexander Courage wrote other than the theme to Trek, that John Williams guy became pretty well known in his own right.

    Johnny Williams, as he was known in the early years. Was he the only composer to do two themes for the same show? They’re both fantastic. The first is theremin-flavored, and the second one more kick-arse.

    Courage and Williams actually worked together. Courage did the score for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, which included 3 original compositions by Williams and themes from the original movie, and Courage would do orchestrations for the Boston Pops when Williams helmed that legendary orchestra.

    Courage did a handful of cues for Lost in Space, too.

    Courage is also known as the guy Gene Roddenberry screwed over. Roddenberry wrote a set of cheesy lyrics to the theme for Star Trek merely to claim half of the royalties whenever the theme was played.

    Johnny Carson did the same thing, didn’t he? Not an uncommon move. There are lyrics to the Hawaii 5-0 theme, too. 

    • #38
  9. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Of course he would sing! He has an awesome recording catalog.

    There must be a photograph from this event with the ST SW participants together.

    • #39
  10. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Skyler (View Comment):

    The original was the only good Star Trek. Picard was a sissy in Star Trek Bloated. Janeway tried to murder her own crew in almost every episode to teach the bad guys a lesson in Star Trek Lost in Space. And Star Trek Soap Opera on the space station, was just dumb. Star Trek Enterprise had a lot of potential, but stupid writers. None were completely terrible, but only the original was brilliant.

    I can only assume that you didn’t see enough of DS9, or were somehow unable to appreciate its greatness.

    “In The Pale Moonlight” is sufficient justification for the entire series.

    Yes, and the “Trials And Tribble-ations” episode skillfully cuts DS9 characters and storyline into the original Star Trek footage from “The Trouble with Tribbles.”

    • #40
  11. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Skyler (View Comment):

    The original was the only good Star Trek. Picard was a sissy in Star Trek Bloated. Janeway tried to murder her own crew in almost every episode to teach the bad guys a lesson in Star Trek Lost in Space. And Star Trek Soap Opera on the space station, was just dumb. Star Trek Enterprise had a lot of potential, but stupid writers. None were completely terrible, but only the original was brilliant.

    I can only assume that you didn’t see enough of DS9, or were somehow unable to appreciate its greatness.

    “In The Pale Moonlight” is sufficient justification for the entire series.

    Yes, and the “Trials And Tribble-ations” episode skillfully cuts DS9 characters and storyline into the original Star Trek footage from “The Trouble with Tribbles.”

    That only shows how powerful the original series was and emphasizes that the other series are dependent on its legacy.  :)

    • #41
  12. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Skyler (View Comment):

    The original was the only good Star Trek. Picard was a sissy in Star Trek Bloated. Janeway tried to murder her own crew in almost every episode to teach the bad guys a lesson in Star Trek Lost in Space. And Star Trek Soap Opera on the space station, was just dumb. Star Trek Enterprise had a lot of potential, but stupid writers. None were completely terrible, but only the original was brilliant.

    I can only assume that you didn’t see enough of DS9, or were somehow unable to appreciate its greatness.

    “In The Pale Moonlight” is sufficient justification for the entire series.

    Yes, and the “Trials And Tribble-ations” episode skillfully cuts DS9 characters and storyline into the original Star Trek footage from “The Trouble with Tribbles.”

    I always thought it would have been fun to see Charlie Brill’s reaction when he got the phone call to play Arne Darvin AGAIN.

    • #42
  13. Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr. Coolidge
    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr.
    @BartholomewXerxesOgilvieJr

    kedavis (View Comment):

    I always thought it would have been fun to see Charlie Brill’s reaction when he got the phone call to play Arne Darvin AGAIN.

    A wonderful behind-the-scenes anecdote (quoted from Memory Alpha):

    When the writers sat down to decide which episode to use, there was little question that “The Trouble with Tribbles” was not only arguably the most famous TOS episode but also an excellent choice in that it was relatively lighthearted compared to other well-known episodes such as “The City on the Edge of Forever”. In what Ira Steven Behr later described as the most incredible coincidence he has ever experienced, Behr and the other producers were at the Mulberry Street pizza parlor in Beverly Hills, discussing the possibility of bringing original TOS actors back for this episode, Behr mentioned Charlie Brill (Arne Darvin), who he then spotted at the counter alongside his wife. Although Behr was hesitant to discuss the matter directly with Brill (due to the complications that normally entail Hollywood negotiations), Brill was greatly honored to be given a chance to make history twice and felt that Gene Roddenberry would be proud. Behr later joked, in a DVD audio commentary for this episode, that the remarkable turn of events proved God was a DS9 fan, while Brill stated that he was happy he hadn’t gone out for Chinese food instead.

    • #43
  14. Steve C. Member
    Steve C.
    @user_531302

    kedavis (View Comment):
    Another worthy series that returns from time to time is the original Kolchak, on Me TV.  Fortunately it’s not edited as heavily as Star Trek.

    I was a Kolchak fan during the original run. Saw a few episodes many years later, does not hold up well at all. 

    • #44
  15. Steve C. Member
    Steve C.
    @user_531302

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Except they kept running into these things that were going sublight speed, which meant they had DECADES or CENTURIES before they could be a credible threat, and so there was PLENTY of time to go get the cavalry.

    With some notable exceptions, of course.

    But there was no suggestion that The Doomsday Machine, for example, had ever traveled at or was capable of traveling at faster-than-light speed. So they had to make Commodore Decker basically insane, Because Plot, Because Drama, etc.

    Because we have to resolve this in 44 minutes.

    and…

    It’s not surprising  a commander suffers traumatic stress because he accidentally killed his entire crew. 

    • #45
  16. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    Steve C. (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Except they kept running into these things that were going sublight speed, which meant they had DECADES or CENTURIES before they could be a credible threat, and so there was PLENTY of time to go get the cavalry.

    With some notable exceptions, of course.

    But there was no suggestion that The Doomsday Machine, for example, had ever traveled at or was capable of traveling at faster-than-light speed. So they had to make Commodore Decker basically insane, Because Plot, Because Drama, etc.

    Because we have to resolve this in 44 minutes.

    and…

    It’s not surprising a commander suffers traumatic stress because he accidentally killed his entire crew.

    And not all episodes are equal. 

    • #46
  17. Steve C. Member
    Steve C.
    @user_531302

    Skyler (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):

    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr.: But at its best it was amazingly smart television, especially when you compare it to what passed for science fiction on TV at the time (like Lost In Space).

    And, of course, it must be pointed that CBS passed on Star Trek primarily because they already had their own “space show” in development and that was Lost in Space and it had approximately the same life-span as ST:TOS. They one thing it had going for it was a superior composer. While some might be hard pressed to name anything else Alexander Courage wrote other than the theme to Trek, that John Williams guy became pretty well known in his own right.

    Courage and Williams actually worked together. Courage did the score for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, which included 3 original compositions by Williams and themes from the original movie, and Courage would do orchestrations for the Boston Pops when Williams helmed that legendary orchestra.

    Courage is also known as the guy Gene Roddenberry screwed over. Roddenberry wrote a set of cheesy lyrics to the theme for Star Trek merely to claim half of the royalties whenever the theme was played.

    Roddenberry’s other good series was “The Lieutenant.” Very under-rated and hard to find. It has the same examination of issues. The main character is essentially Captain Kirk when he was a lieutenant, except in the USMC in contemporary peacetime. The idea to change 2ndLt William Tiberius Rice, USMC, (USNA class of 61) into Capt James Tiberius Kirk of Starfleet was brilliant. It allowed him to get out of current controversy and examine issues without that baggage.

    If you can find it, watch the entire season. Many of the actors are the same; Nichole Nichols, Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, Gary Lockwood (who played 2ndLt Rice) and many other minor characters.

    I only know about it because they used to show it on AFRTS when I was a kid in the 1970’s. It took me years to find it on DVD. You can get partial episodes on YouTube.

    The Lieutenant was my favorite show. My dad, CPL USMC 1950-54, tolerated my enthusiasm. 

    • #47
  18. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Steve C. (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    Another worthy series that returns from time to time is the original Kolchak, on Me TV. Fortunately it’s not edited as heavily as Star Trek.

    I was a Kolchak fan during the original run. Saw a few episodes many years later, does not hold up well at all.

    As with many other things including Star Trek, it helps to re-watch using your original heart.  :-)

    • #48
  19. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Steve C. (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Except they kept running into these things that were going sublight speed, which meant they had DECADES or CENTURIES before they could be a credible threat, and so there was PLENTY of time to go get the cavalry.

    With some notable exceptions, of course.

    But there was no suggestion that The Doomsday Machine, for example, had ever traveled at or was capable of traveling at faster-than-light speed. So they had to make Commodore Decker basically insane, Because Plot, Because Drama, etc.

    Because we have to resolve this in 44 minutes.

    Back then, they had 50-51 minutes.

    and…

    It’s not surprising a commander suffers traumatic stress because he accidentally killed his entire crew.

    It was a rookie mistake to beam down his crew to a planet when they were trying to fight a machine that was destroying planets when they arrived.  Frankly, a mistake I don’t think a Commodore especially would have made.  The “excuse” was likely the cost-saving of not having a bunch of extras for the other ship’s crew.

    • #49
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