Star Trek at 60: A Newcomer's Verdict — SkimNews
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- New Scientist journalist marked Star Trek's 60th anniversary by sampling episodes across the franchise, consulting superfans Karmela Padavic-Callaghan, Jacob Aron and Matthew Sparkes for episode recommendations across as many series as possible.
- Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-69) was described as 'campy and low budget' by Padavic-Callaghan, yet praised for its colourful visual style and surprising substance — including 'The Ultimate Computer', which Sparkes flagged as 'a nice comparison with current events' on AI risks.
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was called 'the true answer for the best Star Trek series' by Aron but also 'the least Star Trek', set on a space station rather than a starship and featuring the Bajorans' liberation from the fascist Cardassians.
- Star Trek: Voyager featured Captain Kathryn Janeway — a Katharine Hepburn-lookalike whom the author called their favourite Starfleet captain — though the author struggled to connect with the rest of the crew outside the 'Scorpion' two-parter.
- Star Trek: Enterprise was dismissed by Aron as 'the forgotten child' and became the first series the author didn't enjoy, though watching it helped them develop opinions about what Star Trek ought to be.
- Star Trek: Discovery became one of the author's favourites despite skepticism, with first officer Michael Burnham compared to Kirk and the show's heightened tone described as a 'welcome return to classic Trek'.
- Starfleet Academy (2026) aired earlier in the year and was 'unceremoniously cancelled soon after', yet the author found it 'far better than its reputation suggested', with guest stars Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti.
- The author's experiment concluded with plans to continue watching The Next Generation and Discovery, framing Star Trek's enduring appeal as its flexibility across tones, tastes and tribulations.
Why it matters: The piece reframes Star Trek's 60th anniversary around a newcomer's perspective rather than a retrospective, surfacing the recent cancellation of Starfleet Academy (2026) as a fresh loss for the franchise and offering an entry-point ranking that may guide lapsed viewers back in.
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