Despite loving both science fiction and TV, I have never really got far with Star Trek, arguably the quintessential marriage of the two. I’ve seen and enjoyed the odd episode, and even flirted with the first season of The Next Generation, yet nothing has really stuck. In August, knowing that the 60th anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series was approaching in September, I decided to give it a proper go.
But which, if any, show would pull me into this vast sci-fi universe? And what would I learn about the heart of Star Trek? I set out to watch at least three episodes from as many Star Trek shows as possible, then continue with whichever piqued my interest the most.
Due to time limitations, I would stick to TV, Star Trek‘s first and truest home. I would steer clear of The Animated Series (1973-74) and Picard (2020-23) – continuations of The Original Series and The Next Generation, respectively – until I knew I enjoyed their predecessors. And I omitted the much-loved animated comedy Lower Decks (2020-24), only because its charms rely on an investment in the franchise I didn’t yet have.
Why Elon Musk has misunderstood the point of Star Trek My rapid-fire approach came with a risk: how could I be sure I had picked episodes representative of the tone and quality of a given series? I decided to consult a wise council – a Federation, if you will – of New Scientist superfans: physics reporter Karmela Padavic-Callaghan, senior editor Jacob Aron and technology reporter Matthew Sparkes. I came to think of them as my Kirk, Spock and Bones (I’ll let you decide who is whom), each offering a distinctive perspective on the franchise.
Instantly, my advisers began to clash. Jacob suggested I begin with the second season of The Next Generation and specifically “The Measure of a Man”. Sacrilege.” Having fatally undermined the collegial relationship between Jacob and Matt, I decided it was only right to begin with the original (1966-69).
Like most people, I knew a fair bit about it: the phasers, the red shirts, the boldly going. I was keen to get to grips with its near-future setting, in which members of the space force Starfleet aboard the starship Enterprise set out on a five-year mission of discovery. Karmela lovingly called it “campy and low budget”, and I enjoyed watching pop-culture stalwarts like “Amok Time”, the famed episode in which Spock goes into heat.
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