Once upon a time, Paramount Pictures and the producers of the famed Star Trek series decided to launch a new series based on Gene Roddenberry’s original dream. This new series would be like nothing seen before on Trek. It would feature a new ship named Enterprise and a new crew to man her. The studio and all involved in working on her were excited about this. However, there were some who were not so excited.There were a lot of fans of Star Trek who were unhappy with the new series that was proposed. One of the things they attacked was the proposed ship. They hated the design. They said the new design did not conform at all to precendent. They claimed the engines were too funky, the design too uninspired, the overall shape of the ship too ugly. And that was just one objection that these disgruntled fans had to the new series.
“This show will be an abomination!” cried one angry fan. “How can they do this to us? For all these years we have loved and supported Star Trek! Now, we are being asked to forget everything we’ve ever known and loved about Star Trek! This new series will not be true to Gene Roddenberry’s original series. It will be forgotten because the new series will not adhere to any established facts of the earlier shows and movies. This, my friends, will be the death of Star Trek.”
There were angry letters sent to Paramount Pictures demanded that they halt their work and conform to what they saw as “correct” for Star Trek. There were petitions distributed and signed and sent to Paramount in order to stop them from proceeding with the execution of Star Trek. However, the petitions and letters and protests were for the large part ignored. Paramount pushed forward with its plans and soon the new series was set to debut.
Many fans were still angry and bitter. It’ll be an abomination. I will cry for the death of Star Trek. No good will come of this. Many of the disgruntled fans decided to boycott the show. They will simply pretend that the new series will never have taken place. They will not watch the show; they not even acknowledge its presence.
Soon, the time for the new series was at hand. Many fans eagerly awaited the premiere. Others simply sat at home and watched whatever was airing on network television elsewhere. But the fans that supported the new series were in for a treat. In Fall 1987, Star Trek: The Next Generation hit the airwaves. This series would go on to be arguably the most successful Star Trek series ever produced.
Star Trek: The Next Generation was not the end of Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry’s original dream did not die. For from it, five more movies and three more series were produced along with countless books, magazines, etc. Star Trek: The Next Generation was true to The Original Series. It brought in fresh fans to the Star Trek phenomenon. It was a success.
This story was told to me by my mother who lived participated in this. She was one of the angry and disgruntled fans who in 1987 was preaching that The Next Generation would be the death of Star Trek. She was proven wrong, and still enjoys watching the reruns of The Next Generation as well as those of Deep Space 9 and Voyager. I told her about the debates going on here about the new series. She said it sounded eerily familiar to what she saw fifteen years earlier. I just thought I’d share it with all of you.
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