Star Trek: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)
- This article is about Star Trek, the science fiction media franchise. There is a separate article about the Star Trek project of Apple Computer, Inc.
Star Trek is a science fiction television series which first aired in 1966. Created by Gene Roddenberry, it tells the tale of the crew of the starship Enterprise from the United Federation of Planets and their adventures "to boldly go where no man has gone before." It depicts an optimistic future in which humankind has overcome sickness and poverty and warfare; the central characters explore the galaxy while helping to spread peace and understanding.
The original series was cancelled in 1969 due to low ratings, but it became phenomenally popular in syndication. It has spawned five additional TV series and ten motion pictures set within the Star Trek universe. Star Trek is one of the most popular names in twentieth century science fiction entertainment.
The original series (1966-1969)
See:
The Animated Series (1973-1974)
The official name of this animated television series was simply Star Trek, but it is referred to as "the animated series" in order to distinguish it from the original series. While the freedom of animation afforded large alien landscapes, budget constraints were a major concern and animation quality was poor. Generally, the animated series is not considered canonical. (This was due, in part, to the inclusion of aspects of Larry Niven's Known Space universe into several episodes.)
1987-1994)
The television series (ST:TNG or TNG), set nearly a century after the original series, featured a new crew and storyline. Unlike the original series, the crew of the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D met many technologically powerful races. Many episodes also involved temporal loops, character dramas, natural disasters, and other plotlines which didn't involve alien encounters.
The crew of this Enterprise favored peaceful negotiation more than that of the original had. The Prime Directive was involved more frequently and was followed more closely; it states that the Federation must not interfere with the development of cultures that are not capable of interstellar travel. This often created moral conflict within characters, as they were bound to ignore races in need of help.
Another noticeable difference between the original series and TNG was the continuity of general storyline arcs across episodes; events in one episode might influence events in a later episode. One major recurring character, Q, bookended the series, appearing as the first major antagonist of the Enterprise D in "Encounter at Farpoint", and closing the series by forcing the crew into an ultimate test of human resourcefulness in the final episode, "All Good Things...". His Puck-like behavior and calculated mayhem in many episodes made him the most influential antagonist of the crew, as had been planned from the series' beginning.
Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced three new recurring enemy races: the Ferengi, the Borg, and the Cardassians. Rather than the enemies of the original series, the Federation is in alliance with the Klingons, although vast cultural differences remain. A "cold war" with the Romulans continues throughout the series. However, the Borg were the most significant threat. A Borg ship destroyed thirty-nine Starfleet ships at the battle of Wolf 359, a star 7.8 light years from earth. After decimating the Federation fleet, the Borg continued to the solar system, where they were stopped by the actions of the Enterprise crew.
Roddenberry continued to be credited as executive producer of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but his influence lessened as the series progressed. Midway through the series, he passed away in 1991. With the addition of producer Rick Berman, the series began to be more active and came to rely more on action and warfare. This became evident in later episodes of TNG, and was the basis of the ongoing plotlines of the following episodes.
By the time Star Trek: The Next Generation was produced, the term "Trekkies" had come to imply a certain nerdy fanaticism among fans and was considered pejorative by some. In response, some fans of the new series decided to call themselves "Trekkers." The terms have become interchangeable.
1993-1999)
In 1993, Paramount launched (ST:DS9 or DS9), which ran concurrently with The Next Generation for one year and continued after TNG ended. DS9 was a departure from the established Star Trek formula; it was the first series not to feature the Enterprise and its crew. Instead, the series chronicled the events surrounding the space station Deep Space Nine, a former Cardassian mining station under joint Bajoran and Federation control, near a wormhole to another quadrant of the galaxy, the Gamma Quadrant.
Deep Space Nine shed some of the utopian themes that embodied the previous versions of Star Trek, focusing more on war, political compromise, and other modern themes. Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) was forced to work with a fractured Bajoran government and a first officer, Major Kira (Nana Visitor), a former underground resistance leader initially hostile toward Federation administration of the station.
Through the series, loyalties and alliances changed repeatedly, as alliances with the Cardassians were made, broken, and remade, a short conflict with the Klingons flared, and the Federation found itself allied with the Romulans. The Ferengi in Deep Space Nine were no longer an enemy of the Federation, but rather an economic power whose political neutrality was mostly respected.
The episode "Rules of Acquisition" introduced the Dominion, a ruthless empire in the Gamma Quadrant headed by a group of power-seeking shapeshifters, the Founders. The Dominion eventually went to war with the Federation, the Klingons, and later the Romulans, after allying themselves with the Cardassians. This story arc was explored during most of the final two seasons of the show. Another example of DS9's darker, more controversial plot material is Section 31, a secret police division in Starfleet Intelligence. This undemocratic shadow organization justifies its unlawful, ethically questionable tactics by claiming that it is essential to the continued existence of the Federation. Section 31 is prominent in several episodes of the Dominion War plot arc.
Deep Space Nine is often called the Rodney Dangerfield of the Star Trek Series (meaning, it "don't get no respect"). Some Trek fans abandoned the show early on dissatisfied that the show was a major departure from anything previously attempted on Star Trek. A large majority of those fans who did follow the show throughout its seven seasons run, however, have expressed their feeling that Deep Space Nine was probably the most solidly written of the Star Trek series produced to date. There is an opinion, as well, that Deep Space Nine touched upon more modern day social issues like war, terrorism, religion, and homosexuality then any of the other series. Some critics have claimed that Deep Space Nine may become the "cult within the cult."
1995-2001)
first aired in 1995 after the conclusion of The Next Generation. It was set on the USS Voyager in the same time period as Deep Space Nine. In the pilot episode, Voyager is sent on a mission to locate a ship piloted by a cell of the Maquis, an anti-Cardassian terrorist organization. Tom Paris (a former Maquis) helps to find the ship. During a chase through the dangerous Badlands, the ships are transported to the other side of the galaxy by an ancient alien device. The two crews are forced to integrate to confront new challenges after the Maquis ship is destroyed by Kazon raiders. Tom Paris is given a commission of Lieutenant, and Chakotay becomes the XO (Executive Officer).
Although the conflict between the freedom-loving Maquis and the establishment Federation crew was explored in the first two seasons, the series concentrated on the exploration of the Delta quadrant during the Voyagers long trek home. On the way, the crew must contend with organ-snatching Vidiians, the determined Borg, and the extradimensional Species 8472.
Although Voyager's ratings started solid, the ratings fell dramatically as the show progressed. Many fans claim that Voyager was the weakest of the Trek series, focusing too much on the formula of The Next Generation, instead of trying to find its own footing.
However, one thing that Voyager possessed in higher quantity than any of its sibling series was humor. Robert Picardo has been widely appreciated as the sarcastic Emergency Medical Hologram, a role he duplicated in as well as . Voyager is likely also the only of the series where you may hear an irritated half-Klingon (Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres) crack to a de-assimilated Borg (Seven-Of-Nine): "The Borg wouldn't know fun if they assimilated an amusement park."
2001-present)
The newest series, entitled , began in 2001. Enterprise was set ten years before the founding of the Federation, and was the first series to lack "Star Trek" in the title. It also contained more action, more focus on the danger of space exploration with inferior technology, and a "Temporal Cold War" plot arc which appears to depart from the traditional Star Trek timeline. In the third season the show was renamed Star Trek: Enterprise (sometimes seen abbreviated as ST:ENT), and the focus of the season was the search for, confrontation with, and resolution with a new group of alien races known as the Xindi.
A number of fans have voiced strong negative opinions about this series, believing the series eschews continuity with the rest of the franchise and central philosophical, intellectual, and universal themes in favor of action and appeals to popular culture. Yet the series has a very vocal fan following who counteract these criticisms point-for-point, and a fan-driven effort to save the series was credited with contributing to the show being renewed for a fourth season. Disturbingly, a fan effort to not cancel not only this series but Star Trek in general also exists. Enterprise has the lowest ratings of any Star Trek series, continuing a decline since The Next Generation went off the air in 1994, and made worse by the overall low ratings of the UPN network, chronic preemptions by UPN affiliates during the show's third season, and the decision by UPN to air reruns of the show on weekends, which reportedly attracted more viewers than the the Wednesday night timeslot but was not counted in the ratings. Enterprise's fourth season (2004-2005) has seen it move to the Friday "death slot," an eerie reminder to long-term fans of the original series' fate.
Society and Star Trek
Roddenberry was an ardent proponent of egalitarian politics, and frequently used the shows to showcase his vision of a future society based on those principles. A prominent female crew member, Nyota Uhura, was played by Nichelle Nichols, one of the first African-American women to hold a major acting role on American television. Only two decades after the second World War, Star Trek featured an officer of Asian ancestry, Hikaru Sulu (George Takei). In the second season, a Russian character, Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) was added.
The Vulcan first officer Mr. Spock was at first rejected by network officials who feared that his vaguely satanic appearance might prove too disquieting. However, Spock went on to become one of the most popular characters on the show, arguably due to his role as the peaceful, logical, calm foil to Dr. McCoy's impassioned, old-fashioned, fiery personality.
Modern viewers might find the old series' portrayals of minorities and women backward, but the program was progressive and daring for its time. One of Star Trek's claims to fame is that it featured the first televised kiss between a white character and a black character in the United States. In an episode that used mind control as a ruse to break this taboo, Captain Kirk and Uhura were forced to share the first interracial kiss on American television (episode 67, "Plato's Stepchildren"). However, while they were shown embracing, they did not actually kiss - Kirk's head turns to block the view of the kiss at the last moment. Scenes clearly showing the kiss were filmed, but it was considered too risque to show it.
added much more information on the Star Trek universe. The Federation has an economy of abundance without money, enabled by advanced replicator technology. Labor, purchase, and sale are not necessary, as there is no scarcity to limit the satisfaction of one's material needs and wants. However, certain resources are still limited, such as those necessary to power warp and replicator technology, and interplanetary commerce is not uncommon. Greed and jealousy are thus greatly reduced. Characters often explain that the purpose of the people of the Federation is personal and universal beneficence.
Many of the alien species encountered in the series are strikingly similar to humans, both in physical form and in relationships. Mixed race offspring are also possible. In the TNG episode "The Chase", it is explained that many primordial worlds of the galaxy were "seeded" by an ancient race of spacefarers, so that their dying race would live on in various forms around the galaxy.
An uncertain future for the franchise
Next Generation stars Marina Sirtis, Patrick Stewart, and Jonathan Frakes have suggested that no more TNG films will be produced; Brent Spiner and Leonard Nimoy are also no longer interested in reprising their respective characters. (However, Spiner will be portraying Arik Soong, an ancestor of his Data character's creator, in Enterprise's fourth season.) The low ratings of Enterprise, as well as the poor showing of the 2002 film , have brought the future of the franchise into question. Some fans suggest that Paramount should retire the franchise temporarily or permanently.
Many Trek fans want the replacement of the heads of the franchise, Rick Berman and Brannon Braga; Majel Roddenberry, the widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, is occasionally proposed as a replacement. There is also a sizable movement to bring back Captain Kirk, as played by William Shatner, suggesting that the character be given a more dignified end than that in .
Despite its poor ratings, Star Trek: Enterprise has been renewed for a fourth season. Like its predecessors Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager, Enterprise has taken the first seasons to find a consistent footing, and has changed significantly from its original premise. Although there are doubts that it will be able to run the traditional seven seasons on UPN, the series may continue to be produced in first-run syndication if it is cancelled.
Rick Berman revealed in 2004 that preliminary work had begun on an eleventh Star Trek feature film. It is rumored that this film will be a prequel involving Spock, Captain Kirk, and Dr. McCoy played by new actors, perhaps entitled Starfleet Academy or Starfleet Command. However, rumors of such a prequel have circulated several times during the 1990s without result. In the past, there has been considerable demand among the fanbase for a film based on Deep Space Nine, but interest in the series has waned since it ended. Little interest has been shown in producing a film based upon Voyager. There have also been reports that the eleventh film might take place between the events of Enterprise and that of the original series, perhaps during the Romulan War.
In 1998, the Viacom entered an agreement with Activision to produce Star Trek video games. Many games were released under this agreement, but in 2003, Activision filed a lawsuit against Viacom stating that they weren't holding up to their end of the bargain. In 1998 there were two Star Trek Series running concurrently. This continued during the entire run of Deep Space 9. There was always another movie on the horizon, Activision claimed that the Star Trek franchise was not as valuable as it once was. Activision cancelled the contract and sought after compensation for losses.
Other series
- (planned but never aired)
Fan Series
Created and funded by a volunteer troupe of fans, "Star Trek: New Voyages" picks up where the original series left off, with fan actors in the original series roles. Their work is available online to download, they have one episode available, and a second in production, due August 2004. Incorporated as a non-profit organization, the producers invite donations to the Space Shuttle Children's Trust Fund, set up to benefit children of the astronauts who died in the space shuttle Columbia.
One notable fan series is "Starship Exeter", an online series produced by fans Jimm and Josh Johnson focusing on the adventures of the starship Exeter (NCC-1706) in the TOS era.
"Star Trek: Renaissance" is a collaboratively written fan fiction project depicting events in the Alpha Quadrant after the Dominion War with an original ship and crew. The series is a mixture of political intrigue, exploration and character driven drama with a definite story arc running in the background. This new Star Trek series is written with the same industry standards as a real TV drama, but from the fans, to the fans, by the fans. Like its canon cousins, the series is written in standard script format and divided into seasons, each lasting for 26 episodes.
Other significant storylines
Although books, comic books, video games, etc. based on Star Trek are generally considered 'non-canon', or, not really a part of the storyline, there are several storylines which deserve mentioning.
- Star Trek: New Frontier
A novel series by Peter David focusing on the crew of the starship Excalibur. Some of the cast were guest stars from episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, while others were from previous Star Trek titles by the same author, and still others were created originally for the series. The series takes place in Sector 221-G, where the Excalibur is dispatched to help with the chaos created by the crumbling Thallonian Empire.
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, 'eighth season'
A series of novels, set after the end of the TV show, DS9. New characters have been added to compensate for the loss of those who left at the end of the show. The series begins with two novels called 'Avatar', books 1 and 2.
- Star Trek: Early Voyages
Comic book series by Marvel Comics focusing on the adventures of the Enterprise with the crew seen in the original pilot of Star Trek. Several new crew members are added, and the series lasts for 18 issues with the last issue ending in a cliffhanger.
- Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Comic book series by Marvel Comics focusing on Starfleet Academy cadets involved in galactic politics.
Topics, lists and figures
Television series
- (original live-action series, 1966-1969)
- (animated series, 1972-1973)
- (planned but never aired)
- (1987-1994)
- (1993-1999)
- (1995-2001)
- (2001-present)
- Episode listings:
Motion pictures
- Movies based on:
- Movies based on:
Novels
There is a healthy fan fiction environment around the series, and many writers (including William Shatner) find no difficulty bringing Star Trek-based books to market. None of these novels are considered "canon", except for Mosaic and Pathways by Star Trek: Voyager co-producer Jeri Taylor, which feature background information on the main characters of the show. [1]
See also the List of Star Trek novels.
Comics
Games
- Board and card games:
- Role-playing games:
- Star Trek The Role Playing Game, 1982, FASA
- Prime Directive, 1993, Task Force Games
- Star Trek The Next Generation Roleplaying Game, 1998, Last Unicorn Games
- Star Trek Deep Space Nine Roleplaying Game, 1999, Last Unicorn Games
- Star Trek Roleplaying Game, 1999, Last Unicorn Games
- GURPS Prime Directive, 2002, Amarillo Design Bureau
Based on Prime Directive, but with the GURPS ruleset. - Star Trek Roleplaying Game, 2002, Decipher Games
- Arcade games:
- (1982, SEGA)
- Computer and home video games:
- (SEGA) (home computer/console conversion of arcade game)
- Star Trek 25th Anniversary (Interplay)
- (Spectrum Holobyte)
- Starfleet Academy (Interplay)
- Klingon Academy
- Starfleet Command
- Star Fleet Command: Empires At War
- Star Fleet Command: Orion Pirates
- Starfleet Command III
- (Activision)
- (Activision)
- Star Trek: Elite Force II
- EGA Trek
- Pinball machines:
- Star Trek (Bally, 1978)
- Star Trek (Data East, 1991)
- (Williams (Midway Games), 1993)
Theme park
Reference works
- Digital:
- Print:
Political units
- Klingon Empire
- Dominion
- Maquis
- Romulan Empire
- Starfleet
- United Federation of Planets (AKA "The Federation")
Races
Places
- Andor
- Betazed
- Bajor
- Cardassia Prime
- Chin'toka
- Class M planet
- Neutral Zone
- Qo'noS
- Risa
- Romulus and Remus
- Talos IV
- Vulcan
Characters
Characters of each series may be found in their respective articles. See List of Star Trek characters for a complete listing of characters.
Jargon
Star Trek in pop culture
Due to its popularity, some of the concepts and the language of Star Trek have found their way into the culture of the population at large and can be considered to be pop culture. Phrases such as "Beam me up, Scotty!" and "Resistance is futile" are widely recognized and understood, as is warp drive and transporters. Star Trek has been referenced, parodied and spoofed in a wide range of television series and movies, and in other contexts as well. See References to Star Trek for a listing of such references.
In 1977, due to lobbying from fans of the series, NASA named its prototype space shuttle Enterprise.
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