We Rank 'Em: Star Trek TV Series

It goes without saying that Star Trek is one of, if not the, most influential franchises of all time. In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the first episode, the team here at Nerds of a Feather put our heads together to determine the all time best Star Trek TV series. Naturally, no one person rated the series the same, so we resorted to our trusted group rating system, where we each rank to our liking and then take the group average.

6. Enterprise

Enterprise is no one's #1

- This is not Star Trek. There is no better world offered here, just a hodgepodge of the worst of the previous Treks: arrogant and paternal white dude captain, thin moralizing of us vs. them total war, confusing time travel bullshit, and a twist ending that...did not work in the slightest. This was the wound that killed Star Trek as I knew it. (Charles)

- Deeply flawed but finally found a soul in the fourth season, just in time to get canceled. I can't recall much of the series, but I'll never forget that it started the fourth season with alien nazis and that's when it started to get really good. It had the absolute worst opening theme. (Brian)

- Overall: 0/10. This is one of the worst shows ever. Bonuses: None. Penalties: ALL THE PENALTIES. IT IS THE PREQUELS OF STAR TREK. (Dean)






5. The Animated Series

TAS is no one's #1

- I know that limited animation (cost- and time-saving shortcuts, familiar from shows like Scooby-Doo: Where Are You?) isn't for everybody. But the original cast in stories that are at least as solid as an average TOS episode makes me tremendously happy. And the flashes back to Spock's youth in the episode "Yesteryear" I think formed the basis for a lot of the flashbacks in the 2009 STAR TREK reboot and at least one lyrical reference in a Weezer song, so consider me a fan. (Vance)

- I wish I had a cartoon like this growing up. It has not aged well at all, but the crew is all there (plus some interesting additions) and the adventures are pulled directly from the Original Series. While it doesn't stand well on its own, it has some big names attached to it and it certainly keeps the spirit of the Original burning bright. (Charles)

4. Voyager

Voyager is Dean's #1

- Overall: 7/10. I love Voyager because it is basically a pure adventure with great characters. Bonus: +1 for Janeway. (Dean)

- In the nature of Star Trek, Voyager embraces diversity in its cast. What stands out most to me are the female characters in more traditional male roles, like Janeway the captain and B'Ellana the chief engineer. I recently re-watched an episode the dealt with pregnancy and childbirth. Relatability is important in genre TV, and Voyager's diverse cast and overall premise - feeling trapped and lost but not giving up hope - is relatable to many. (Tia)

- This show took a complex political situation and then shot it to a remote corner of the galaxy, surrounded by deadly enemies. The hook was brilliant, and yet some of the complexity Trek was known for fell away in favor of looking at what these people would do to survive and to get back home. (Charles)

3. The Original Series

TOS is Vance's, The G's, and English Scribbler's #1

- There is some cognitive dissonance for me here because I don't think TOS is the best Star Trek show, but it is my favorite. I remember seeing WRATH OF KHAN in the theater, and I was only four years old when that came out, so Kirk, Spock, Bones, and the original crew simply are Star Trek to me. The hits on this show are some of my favorite sci-fi stories ever, even though the lows are just terrible. But "City on the Edge of Forever" more than makes up for "Spock's Brain" and "The Way to Eden." (Vance)

- The original boasted a delightful dynamic between Kirk, Spock, and Bones, with some episodes and a vision of the future that were revolutionary at the time. To say that the series has aged well, though...some episodes have, and some have most certainly not. (Charles)

- Watching TOS is like reading classic literature. At times the plot doesn't hold up well but hearing "to boldly go.." is like reading "wherefore with thee came not all hell broke loose." The dramatic acting is my favorite part of the show. It has the passion and feel of an old time movie and surprisingly deep themes and dialogue. And okay, I'll say it: Kirk is dreamy. But those pants. I just can't handle the pants. (Tia)

- It's the groundbreaking start of the franchise. The highs are very high, but the lows are real low. It's not the most even series, but it's still a classic. (Brian)

- Overall: 6/10. Bonuses; +1 maybe hindisght, but for doing what it did for SciFi. Penalties: -1 for only being OK when you really watch it. (Dean)

(It's worth noting that the difference in ranking averages between DS9 and TOS was one tenth of a point.)

2. Deep Space Nine

DS9 is Tia's and Charles' #1

- This show, more than any of the others, pushed the boundaries of how Star Trek could be told, spinning vast mythologies and character arcs that paid off in tremendous ways while weaving episodic mysteries and series-spanning storylines. It stripped away the pearly veneer of the Federation and yet still made it something worth fighting for, something worth dying for, in ways that I never felt the earlier shows managed to capture. Still my favorite show of all time. (Charles)

- I love DS9 so much because it feels different than the other Star Trek Series while still feeling like Star Trek. I really like the space station dynamic which gets us off the bridge and into the lives of civilians, but we still get the traditional upper level Star Fleet characters too. Bonuses: +1 for POC captain, +1 for Dax. (Tia)

- It broke the mold by focusing not on a ship, but a space station and the incredibly diverse group inhabiting it. It also escaped the episodic nature of all other series. (Brian)

- Overall: 6/10. Babylon 5 is the best show ever, and I love DS9 because it feels a lot like Babylon 5. That doesn't sound like the praise I quite mean it as, the trade and politics of the show are great. Bonuses: +1 for being brave enough to depart the standard formula. Penalties: -1 for just kind of being there sometimes, -1 for the cast not always being strong. (Dean)

- If I needed to recommend this show to anybody, I would simply have to tell them about the episode "Trials and Tribble-ations," and I think the show's greatness would be self-evident. (Vance)

1. The Next Generation

TNG is Brian's, Shana's, and Jemmy's #1

- Best crew, best stories, best ship. This is my generation's Star Trek for a very good reason. I rewatch it yearly. (Brian)

- Aptly named, this show took much of the promise of the original and offered more characters, more complexity, and a more vibrant and connected universe (and it lasted for more than three seasons). So much was established in this series, and yet it often suffered because of its strictly episodic structure and its unwillingness to question certain key problems with the Federation. (Charles)

- This was the series I grew up with on TV, and I readily admit it's a better show than the original. The crew is fantastic, the inclusion of Worf on the Enterprise speaks to the welcome optimism of the Star Trek universe, and I have never not wanted a holodeck. (Vance)

- Where TNG wins for me is when the cast are experiencing things that are foreign to them but normal to us. Right now I'm thinking of them being trapped in a Casino and them eating scrambled eggs. Other times I find this show kind of boring (gasp, I know) and can't really bond with the characters. Bonuses: +1 for Worf, Penalties: -1 for the ugliest Enterprise interior ever. (Tia)

- Overall: 7/10. Real talk: This is the best crew. Every single character is fantastic- I could go on, but you know it as well as I do. Bonus: +1 for Picard being the best Captain. -1 for every stupid episode where they get stuck in the bloody holodeck in some 20th century setting gaaaaah stop. (Dean)

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Compiled by: Tia  inspiring couch potato and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2014

2015 Holiday Gift Guide: BOOKS

It's that time of year again, where we struggle to buy the perfect gift for that special [fill in the blank] in your life. This year, the Nerds of a Feather, Flock Together crew is teaming up to bring you their favorite book, video game, board game, Star Wars, and toy picks to help make the process easier.

Stop by each day this week to see our suggestions.

Today...BOOKS!

 
Tia

For the Harry Potter fan in your life…

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The Illustrated Edition (Harry Potter, Book 1) by JK Rowling and Jim Kay (illustrator)

This is a must have for any Harry Potter fan. It is a beautifully illustrated edition of the first tale in this beloved series. The book itself is almost coffee-table size, the construction is sturdy and the pages are heavy and glossed. Every page has some sort of illustration, at the least in the form of water marks, and most are lavishly decorated. The plan is to release one illustrated book per year for the next six years, so now is a great time to start a holiday giving tradition. For teasers of the illustrations, click here.

If this is out of stock on Amazon, you can pick up the US Edition from independent sellers via Abe Books, or buy the UK Edition from Bloomsburry directly

brian

For the hard sci-fi fan…

Echopraxia by Peter Watts

The sequel to Blindsight [which can be read for free in a number of formats here] was easily my favorite book this year, and a novel any hard sci-fi fan should not miss. It has zombies, post-humans, enhanced humans, one “baseline” human, and a vampire in search of angels, or aliens, or both. And when you finish Echopraxia, you can follow it up with any of its many references, because Watts did his research. It’s a novel that will hold you in its grips long after you’ve finished, as long as you can hold on for the ride. It is a little dense on scientific terminology, but absolutely worth it even if you don’t understand every single word.

Vance

For the comics and/or retro fan in your life…

Fantagraphics EC Comics Library

Here at Nerds of a Feather, we like books and support the rights of authors who push boundaries and challenge convention. There was a time in the recent past when we would've been very much outside the mainstream by expressing a sentiment like that — a time which happened to coincide with an explosion of creativity in many of the genres we like. For those of you who haven't spent a lot of time exploring the history of comics, the story of EC Comics is an exciting, complicated, and ultimately troubling one. EC published horror, sci-fi, and crime comics in the 1950s, including titles like the still-familiar Tales from the Crypt. Bill Gaines, EC's publisher, testified in front of Congress, trying to push back against the process that resulted in the decades-long censorship of comics under the Comics Code Authority.

And thanks to the good people at Fantagraphics, we can still see what all the fuss was about. The Fantagraphics EC Comics Library is an ongoing series of curated volumes of EC's titles, collected around themes or artists. These books are fantastic. I have two volumes, and recommend them highly to any fan of vintage genre material. They're available in hardcover volumes and digitally through Comixology. In particular, I can recommend Judgment Day and Other Stories. The title story is an anti-segregation fable set in outer space with robots. Can you imagine the set of balls it took to publish an anti-segregation story over three years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus?

Joe

For the lover of fine Collected Editions in your life….

Folio Society Edition, by Frank Herbert and Sam Weber (Illustrator)

The Folio Society’s illustrated collector’s edition of Dune is an essential volume for either the serious Dune fan or for anyone who appreciates books as art themselves. The Folio Society published this edition of Dune to celebrate the novel’s 50th Anniversary and it features 11 gorgeous full color illustrations from Sam Weber as well a number of black and white pieces throughout the book. This edition is a touch on the spendy side, but it is a truly fine piece that belongs in any collection. You can view some of Illustrations and purchase the book here.

Charles

For the diehard Bubbline shipper in your life…

BOOM! Studios Adventure Time Graphic Collections

Oh my glob I am a shameless Adventure Time fan, and I absolutely love the work that BOOM! Studios is doing with the property in graphic form. There is an enormous amount of collections out at the moment (including the main series and the Mathematical Editions of everything). The original graphic novels are amazing and the miniseries are a delight. Need something to hold you over waiting for a new episode (or, if you’re like me and have no television, for a new DVD to be released already)? Well look no further!

Want more Fionna and Cake? There’s a miniseries for that. Want BMO and Jake solving mysteries? Yeah there’s that, too. Peppermint Butler and Cinnamon Bun solving mysteries instead? If that’s what you’re into. But wait, is there something to satisfy the deep need in my soul to see more of Princess Bubblegum and Marceline totally being into each other? YES THERE IS SO MUCH OF THAT!!!! Princesses uniting! Family drama in the Nightosphere! Seriously, for people obsessed with the show there is a treasure trove of material to consume. By some great talent and that captures the feel of the show. So yes, if you want to know what to get me this year, it is Adventure Time. All the lumping Adventure Time!

English Scribbler

For the detective/ mystery / Anglophilic / Sherlock fan in your life

Bryant & May - London's Glory by Christopher Fowler

Fowler’s detective duo have been the stars, or guest stars, of many of his numerous novels and while he also rights some riveting thrillers without them (reviewed previously on this site) his heart must lie here, for here comes another title. This time refreshingly it's a short story collection, with Bryant and May on the trail of some of new cases, some mentioned in previous novels. All are under their remit as the Peculiar Crimes Unit, so all is not as it seems with any case. There is a festive tint to some of the stories and all give a fun if fictitious yet enjoyably-clichéd portrait of London to wallow in whilst sat in front of a fire on a cold holiday evening, off your tits on red wine, chocolate and Baileys. At least, that's my plan…