The death of Nichelle Nichols, who played the iconic Nyota Uhura in the original Star Trek series, comes at a time when the Star Trek franchise is looking backwards to prequel to the series Nichols starred in. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the 11th Star Trek series and was launched in 2022 as part of Alex Kurtzman’s expanded Star Trek Universe. A spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery, it follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise as they explore new worlds throughout the galaxy during the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.
Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, and Rebecca Romijn respectively star as Pike, Spock, and Number One, all characters from The Original Series. I especially like Celia Rose Gooding as a young cadet Nyota Uhura. This 10 episode series captures much of the Sense of Wonder of the original Star Trek series. Yes, some of the episodes are better than others. But, all in all, I enjoyed this series and can’t wait for Season Two. Are you a Star Trek fan? GRADE: B+
Not really. Watched the original series when it first aired and have seen most of the movies but none of the follow up series.
Steve, when you compare the “Special Effects” from the original STAR TREK to the CGI effects in the follow up series like STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, the difference is enormous!
Love TNG but have seen none of the others. I don’t have Paramount +. Or at least I don’t think I do.
Patti, STAR TREK: DISCOVERY started on Paramount+ and then migrated to CBS for awhile. That might happen to STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, too.
Just the original, none of the cash cow stuff. I have Paramount + through some sort of celestial error. They have a decent selection of movies and the series EVIL, one of the best series around in the first two seasons, but the 3rd season, at least so far, is really awful. They also have THE GOOD FIGHT, which I’ve heard great things about and may get to eventually.
Michael, if you give STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS a try, you might just get hooked!
No Paramount + and no real interest in another prequel. Yes, I like some of the series, especially The Next Generation, but others were more meh.
Jeff, many of my friends like the STAR TREK series more than the STAR WARS series. I enjoy them both since they both possess that Sense of Wonder that turns me back into a kid again!
I don’t love ST (particularly not the J. J. Abrams films and most of the odd-numbered ones and a few others with the original cast members), but did always have a fondness for the tv series when I chose to check them out…but they all tend to be wildly uneven or worse.
As denoted at Patti’s blog:
STAR TREK FRANCHISE TV SERIES (1966-2021)
Star Trek (1966–1969)
Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1975)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)
Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)
Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)
Star Trek: Discovery (2017– )
Star Trek: Short Treks (2018–2020)
Star Trek: Picard (2020–present)
Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020–present)
Star Trek: Prodigy (2021–present)
and authorized fannish productions such as Star Trek: New Voyages (2004-2016)
While the SW series has never done much for me, with STRIKES BACK and the ghost of Leigh Brackett’s treatment making it a smidge less irritating, so I’ve not seen much of the tv sequels, much as I’ve barely seen the recent ST sequel series.
Todd, I’m a sucker for STAR TREK and STAR WARS series. I keep the bar low so I’m rarely disappointed in them…much.
Count me as a veteran “Star Trek” fan. I’ve seen all of the series and all of the films. I’ve attended one “Star Trek” convention (way back in the 1990s) and am planning to attend the next one, in Seattle in 2023. I agree with you that the new “Strange New Worlds” is a winner, and I’m very much looking forward to its next set of installments.
Cheers,
Jeff
Jeff, I had my doubts about STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS but after a few episodes, I became enthusiastic about the approach the series was taking. Like you, I can’t wait to see what STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS shows us next season!
I was a huge fan of the original series during its first few years of syndication when I was in junior high. I never cared much for the movies but I liked “Next Generation” from the third season on and loved “Deep Space Nine” which will probably remain the best written/produced Trek we’ll ever get. I kind of burned out on Trek early on with “Voyager” and can’t even watch the original series any more. If I crave sixties escapist television I honestly think that the first few seasons of either “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” and “The Wild, Wild West” or “The Outer Limits” and “Thriller” are far more clever and better executed.
The two Abrams movies I saw were just lousy and I think his partner, Kurtzman, is an awful choice to oversee the TV franchise. I found what little “Discovery” I caught an unwatchable mess and the little “Picard” I saw was an embarrassing train wreck. I’ve seen a little of “Strange New Worlds” and I can see the spark and enthusiasm in the show that people are raving about but the writing is all over the place and some of the big plotting decisions are real head scratchers. I do think most of the cast is refreshingly good.
I’d probably watch the entire season if it was available free but I won’t sign up for any streamer at any price. I imagine this will eventually hit OTA after it has run its course and if I catch up with it in a decade that’s fine with me. It is actually nice to hear that you and a lot of other people are really enjoying it.
Byron, the scripts for STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS are all over the place. Some are very good, others are mediocre, and still others are lame. But, all in all, I enjoyed the energy and cast of STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Here’s hoping the next season is even better!
I’ve never been a big fan of Star Trek (in Germany Raumschiff Enterprise), generally I don’t like SF on tv …
The only movie I really enjoyed because of it humour was The Voyage Home – it looked like a self parody sometimes.
Wolf, both STAR WARS and STAR TREK, with their loyal supporters, will be around for a long time.
It is unwatchable for me because I’m an adult, not a very young child. Trek is always at its worst when it tries to be a kids’ show. Unfortunately, infantile design is all that’s here. The last good Trek was Voyager and that one had incredibly poor moments — like the bridge crew’s conspiracy to murder Tuvix. There hasn’t been nearly enough intelligence in this franchise for a long time. Most of the complaint reviews focus on gender politics. Setting that particular issue aside entirely — the show is very dull, very stiff, and thoroughly without disbelief suspension. It is dumbed down. Critic Vincent Horiuchi said of the first Abrams film: Set Phasers to Dumb for New Trek. This series is no more watchable than that film. F.
Justin, a lot of people feel the way that you do about STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Others, like me, just revert to that 12-year-old kid who loved the original STAR TREK.