One of the greatest serials of all time!! There have been five star trek serials now: Star Trek, Star Trek the next generation, Star Trek deep space 9, Star Trek voyager and Enterprise.
Star Trek was 10/10, simply because it was so novel and the character interactions were so well done. Kirk made a great captain, Spock was a unique person but also a unique first officer, McCoy provided many laughs and was always questioning Kirk and especially Spock's decisions. The music was also varied and good.
Star Trek the next generation was a little different from star trek. It didn't seem to be as catching because it seemed subdued. Much of this probably has to do with Captain Picard. Picard takes some getting used to. He seems stoic and unemotional outwardly. However, the more one watches him the more he realises that Picard's style is simply different from Kirk's or most captains. Riker is an excellent first officer, with Kirk's tactical skills. Worf is a great security man and one of the best characters ever on any star trek series is Data. Data is played by an excellent actor and his growth on the series is something the viewer will appreciate. LaForge, Crusher and Troi are excellent side characters. Star Trek the next generation was a 9/10.
Star Trek deep space 9 took a year or two to get going. By the 3rd season, it was good. The 4th, 5th and 6th seasons were great. The last two years, however, were not so good. The show became obsessed with one enemy, the Dominion. This could have been a good thing but turned bland because the settings were always the same and no new characters were introduced. The idea simply got worn out and wasn't executed too well to begin with. Star Trek deep space 9 had memorable characters, though not in the league of the previous two series. Captain Sisko became too military-like and robotic in the last two years. Kira was too much of a feminist to begin with, while Dr.Bashir, Chief O'Brian, Garak, Dukat, Odo and Quark were excellent characters. Star Trek deep space 9 was the third best serial in the series. 8/10.
Star Trek voyager wasn't watched much by me. Star Trek started going downhill at this point. Janeway was a pretty good captain but the plots were starting to become darker and character interactions were becoming superficial. Love triangles and inane comedy was beginning to be introduced. Seven Of Nine was nothing special as an actor or character yet the plots seemed to revolve around her. The writers started losing the essence of Star Trek with this show. 5/10.
Enterprise is the newest Star Trek serial. It ran from 2001 to 2005. I don't know what the writers and producers and directors were thinking when they made this show. Or rather, I do know what they were thinking. And they weren't normal thoughts. Firstly, they tried to get away from being associated with Star Trek by taking out the words Star Trek from the show's title. They then brought in Scott Bakula to play the part of the captain and a woman for the second officer position whose only appeal is supposed to be for her looks. The plots may be alright but 90% of the show is spent on crew relationships and saying hackneyed, dull comical lines. The reason behind all this is to appeal to the younger generation of viewers, those who are 14 to 23 years old. These viewers grew up in the age where television has gone dramatically downhill due to feminism and bad scripts. Explosions on the screen is the way a show's greatness is judged these days. Or if there are character interactions present, it will be in the form of American Idol or other 'reality' based contests. Without the element of diverse natures, mystery and the uncertainty of how a character will respond, the fun in watching television loses its appeal. Enterprise is 2/10.
Star Trek the next generation was one of the greatest serials made for television. Gene Rodenberry's input on that show was one reason it did so well. I don't think he would approve of where the Star Trek legacy has gone now.