As a self-proclaimed "nerd" I realize there is one thing missing from my blog - my personal views and opinions on classic Science-Fiction. In this first installment in a series of posts I'll talk about Star Trek... the original Star Trek from the 1960s.
I'll start off by saying I LOVE Star Trek! Star Trek is easily my favorite Sci-Fi program, beating out other heavy-weights such as Star Wars and Stargate. As a kid I loved the space scenes, the futuristic nature of the show, the special effects, etc. But as I've grown up with Star Trek, I've come to realize what makes Star Trek truly great isn't this "technical" aspect of the show but it's the character development and Gene Roddenberry's depiction of the future. I guess you could call Gene the ultimate optimist. His view of humanity's future was extremely positive. In Star Trek he depicts a future with very little crime, disease, or pollution - one in which all mankind has learned to get along with everyone else, and in which the "goal" that drives people forward isn't the acquisition of wealth, power, or money but the driving force is betterment of mankind as a whole and increased knowledge and understanding. That in and of itself is very radical thinking. It creates this positive world in which you, the viewer, find yourself wanting to be a part of. To see a future where you don't have to worry about food, money, or illness and can instead focus on learning and helping others is very captivating. That's kind of the background of Star Trek in general. But let's talk specifically about the Star Trek from the 1960s.
Even though I LOVE Star Trek, I just cannot watch the original Star Trek. The problem has always been the low production value, I have a hard time getting past things like blocks of foam painted to look like rocks. Having been born in the mid 70s, I grew up in a world post Star Wars. This set a new standard for special effects in Sci-Fi. So when I try and watch the original Star Trek, I have a hard time. As such I've only seen a few episodes end to end. And yes, it's hard to judge an entire show based upon one or two episodes. I really should go back and sit down and watch the episodes.
Even though I haven't seen much of the original Star Trek, I have seen enough to know what I like and don't like. Starting at the top, I never cared for Kirk. He's portrayed as a "ladies man" which to me isn't what Sci-Fi is about. I don't watch Sci-Fi to watch someone "hit" on every sexy alien they find. Spock on the other hand, I always liked his cold hard logical aspect. Beyond the big two - I liked Scotty the engineer, although I felt his accent was a bit thick. Many of the other characters had less of an impression on me. I liked that Gene included different nationalities, races, and sexes in his future. Although the true impact of this is probably lost on me having grown up after the race and general equality movements of the 60s and 70s.
As for the technology of the show - some of the futuristic ideas have already become reality. If you compare the Star Trek communicator to a modern cell phone (in size, design, and function) you'll find they are nearly identical. We obviously don't have large star ships and faster than light space travel, but I would argue modern super computers probably exceed what is depicted in the show.
I guess to sum up, although the original Star Trek series isn't for me, it did lay the necessary groundwork for the future Star Trek series.
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