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The 40th Anniversary of Star Trek
Digitus1337 writes to mention the 40th Anniversary of the original Star Trek series. StarTrek.com's article has a look back at that first episode, and tries to explore the whys behind the popularity that followed it. From the article: "On the evening of the 8th of September, following Daniel Boone, this new NBC show premiered with an episode called 'The Man Trap.' The angle of the story was different, to say the least: It was a love story with a sci-fi twist, borne of a relationship from the doctor's past, featuring a monster that, in the end, just wanted to live. It was moving, tragic and anything but cheesy. The viewers -- at least the ones who were paying attention -- were hooked." Update: 09/09 16:16 GMT by Z : Just to be sure you're aware of it, Slashdot's own CleverNickName is celebrating the 40th anniversary by reviewing episodes of ST:TNG on TVSquad. He begins with "The Naked Now". You know, "You are fully functional, aren't you?"
...and it has prospered. Who could ask for more (besides the fans...)?
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The best captain was Picard. Then Janeway, Kirk, Archer and Sisco. In that order.
One interesting way to put Star Trek back into the culture of its time is to watch the movie, "Forbidden Planet" and then Watch the first two, filmed, episodes of Star Trek: "The Cage" ie the original pilot, and , "Where No Man has Gone Before."
For a similar effect try "2001 a Space Odyssey" and "Space 1999" or "Star Wars" and "Battlestar Galactica".
I was thinking about this the other day when I opened my Razr to make a call. And it suddenly occured to me how much my phone reminded me of the old ST communicators especially when I flip it open to make a call. Too bad I don't have the sound effect to go along.
Now if I could only figure out a way to turn my PDA into a fully functional phaser...
What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
Hilarious?
Perhaps if you enjoy 2 hours of homosexual jokes from C-list comedians.
At what the heck was Farrah Fawcett doing there? I checked IMDB. She had never worked with Shatner before.
I think a lot of the reaction clips (the laughs from the audience and the roasters/roastee) were cut in from other times in the show, because so much of it was so unfunny. They certainly seemed uneven to me.
Shatner should have taken Nimoy's advice -- Don't do it.
Hopelessly pedantic since 1963.
I always hated Star Trek. It creates such an unbelievable vision of the future. Everything is so pristine, but you never the the laborers or even robots to keep it that way. Even the actors (in the Next Generation and later) were stiff and spoke perfect emotionless english. Just a bunch of cold automatons moving through pristine sci-fi sets.
Contrast that with the original Star Wars trilogy. Everything is dirty, weathered and worn. The banter added to the credibility of the characters. Humans aren't living in some utopian vision with just the occassional evil alien to battle. I had the Star Wars RPG as a kid and their description of the Star Wars feel nailed it. Lucas' characters felt like they actually lived in their world. They weren't impressed with their own technology. I remember after the first shot of the Millenium Falcon (which is amazing to the movie viewer), Luke calls it a piece of junk. It's a small remark, but it tells you a hell of a lot about the setting the writer is trying to present.
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
So let me get this straight - you're claiming that Avery Brooks talks like a high school dropout? Dropout from which high school, Phillips? All I can think of is the scene from Hollywood Shuffle when an actor shouts out "I can do it in iambic pentameter!!!"
Hispanic isn't a race (despite the little checkboxes on various government forms). Ricky and Lucy were both Caucasoid. Hispanic is a cultural term, Hispanic people can range from blonds to blacks.
That episode may or may not have been (US) TV's first interracial kiss, but you'll have to find a better counter-example than "I Love Lucy".
-- Alastair
Women emphasizing their intellect? I was probably watching other shows...
... of ... nine ... if _that_ outfit was emphasizing her intellect, _I_, for one, wasn't paying attention correctly.
2. Tasha Yar (doin' it with Data!!!) and Deanna Troi (Riker and Worf)...
3. Jadzia Dax (doin' it with Worf!!!)
4. Seven
5. Hoshi Sato (doin' it in Risa, and with the mirror Capn'), T'Pol (doin' it with Trip -- and in occasion, imaginarily or alternative-realityly, with Reed, with the Capn' and with the Doc!!!), and _Three_ Green Babes. Don't forget Erika Hernandez (doin' it with Archer!)
It's better to be the foot on the boot than the face on the pavement. ~~ tkx Kadin2048
1. Original Series: brash captain, hot-looking women, dangerous adventures in a ship designed for living but not for tourism
If by "brash," you mean "talentless ego-maniac," then yes. Also, I dispute your claim of the women being "hot-looking".
2. The Next Generation: refined captain who talks like an English professor, women who emphasize their intellect, adventures in a ship designed like a luxury hotel
Spot on.
3. Deep Space Nine: captain who talks like a high-school dropout, women who emphasize their intellect, adventures in a space hotel
Wait, what? "Captain who talks like a high-school dropout"? Sisko speaks perfectly well. He was typically a little more jovial than the other captains, but I don't see anything wrong with that. I think you accidentally let some of your racism show through.
4. Voyager: captain who emphasizes her intellect, women who emphasize their intellect, dangerous adventures in a ship designed like a luxury hotel
Just what is it you have against shows that portray females as intelligent people? The whole "women-as-set-pieces" concept should have died along with the original series, what a shame it lives on in the form of you.
5. Enterprise: captain played by an actor who cannot act, women who emphasize their intellect, dangerous adventures in a ship run by characters played by actors and actresses who cannot act
I can handle inexperienced actors, the real travesty here was the writers. "Oooh, I know, let's create a new Star Trek to predate the others, but instead of writing new material, let's just rehash all of the characters, places, and technology from the other series' whilst excusing the overall sheer implausibility of it with a bit of hand-waving!"