I'm probably making a mistake by asking this question to a bunch of Millennials and Zoomers that compose the majority of this forum. But to hell with it:
What was the appeal of Star Trek in the first place? Back before "The Next Generation", when there was only The Original Series for decades on end? Kids need to know that there was a HUGE GAP between the Original Series (which ended in 1969) and the start of the Next Generation (1987). In between that gap, some TV station would ALWAYS be playing all three seasons in an eternal rerun. Not to mention the unending Star Trek conventions in that time.
What the hell sustained the fandom for nearly two decades before they got a continuation of their beloved franchise? The more I interacted with fans ("nerd culture" was a thing even back then), the more I got the impression that they were all mainly composed of fedora-tipping atheists who figured that since they (thought) they were well north of 100 IQ, they had to be a fan of Star Trek because they thought it was the intellectual patrician's choice of sci-fi.
There was nothing else like it and it was believe it or not the best representation of hopeful kewl outer space travel.
Kayden Lewis
Also the characters are warm, make sense, and solve intriguing riddles. OP, you're best leaving now and watching nothing but capeshit with a McIV in your arm.
Matthew Turner
>What was the appeal of Star Trek in the first place? Cool sci-fi stories with comfy feel to it. Simple as.
Charles Clark
>Cool sci-fi stories with comfy feel to it. Yellow blinking lights with dudes talking with deep voices IS soothing.
Matthew Sanders
Fuck you, get over yourself, you’re not the one special mature person on this board.
Ryder Perez
Real reason, which autistic Trekkies will hate. It was a space western. What TV network wanted, not Roddenberry. Why Motion Picture bombed. Nobody wanted to see Roddenberry’s boring liberal utopia. So Wrath of Khan went back to space western much to Roddenberry’s displeasure
Juan Miller
you answered your own question btw TAS and the movies is what held them over also Gene literally toured the country talking at colleges the whole time, that's why they became so rabid he was friends with L. Ron Hubbard and knew that if he wanted to he could turn Trek into the same thing instead we got TNG
Henry Ross
>It was a space western. True, but it had lots of sciency stuff as well as fantasy.
Alexander Miller
Rodenberry's pitch was literally "Wagon Train to the stars" (Wagon Train was a western show in the 50's) and hired a bunch of western actors like Defforest Kelly and Nimoy. It wasn't some secret, it was intentional.
Jeremiah Rodriguez
It was only one decade. The movies started coming out in 79.
Oliver Morales
Oh I know. But network wanted human conflict, swashbuckling adventures. Stuff Roddenberry was against because he felt humans should be above that shit in the future. Why Motion Picture and even early season Next Generation were boring until he died
Hunter Peterson
>What the hell sustained the fandom for nearly two decades The movies?
Chase Miller
>early season Next Generation were boring until he died I've been watching Next Gen every day for months and I've turned off just a couple episode that were boring, but I do know that Gene directed and produced exciting ones too, although I am not an expert like I am with old Star Wars before it got assassinated, raped, burned, and nuked.
Matthew Diaz
It was ridiculously high quality scifi that took itself fairly seriously for the time. Actual literary scifi writers doing episodes and in full colour. Compare it to any of its contemporaries and theres no need to ask. There was shows like it (spaceship adventures) even before but none so good. Also whats easily forgotten in the 21st. Books. Books and more books.
Thomas Morgan
We could also count the animated series that ran for a year. So really, its only about 5 years.
Juan Wright
it's also often overlooked by modern fans that most 60's shows had their own autistic fandoms The Addams Family, The Munsters, Bewitched, hell we could just as easily be talking about Lost in Space right now. Why Star Trek became the biggest mostly had to do with the fact that it was the one that was big enough to get a con going, and it was kind of on form there.
Dominic Torres
Optimistic vision of the future combined with wacky adventures.
Helps that the actors from the show were really involved with the fans. Their careers were practically made on Star Trek and not much else, and they seemed to be big fans of it.
Caleb Wright
God bless Deforest Kelley, I miss his striking blue eyes so fucking much bros.
Dominic Barnes
>the animated series That was way better than anyone could have foreseen. Why was it cancelled after just two seasons? And I just learned that all the characters were voiced by the original actors, amazing. That'd never come together today.
Lucas Thomas
Kids need to know that there was a HUGE GAP between the Original Series (which ended in 1969) and the start of the Next Generation (1987). In between that gap, some TV station would ALWAYS be playing all three seasons in an eternal rerun. Not to mention the unending Star Trek conventions in that time.
>What the hell sustained the fandom for nearly two decades before they got a continuation of their beloved franchise?
I know right its almost like there was a bunch of new Star Trek stuff every few years or so in the 18 year gap between TOS and TNG.
Star Trek The Original Series - 1966-1969 Star Trek The Animated Series - 1973-1974 Star Trek The Motion Picture - 1979 Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan - 1982 Star Trek III The Search for Spock - 1984 Star Trek IV The Voyage Home - 1986
Brandon Nelson
>good dialogue >kino episodes >great optimism for our own future I could go on, but those are the top 3 in my book
Mason Butler
Star Trek is faggot shit you’re all bitches.
Jordan Hill
I also liked TOS animated series, I'm glad theres the few of us that do appreciate it.
Asher Thompson
Get a load of this grup.
Oliver Carter
I disagree but I'll respect your opinion no matter how wrong it is.
Jaxon Baker
Gene didn't like it and apparently Filmation didn't like making it either Add to that Paramount not wanting to pay for it and the lackluster ratings
Dominic Sanchez
I don't think there are many Star Trek fans who'd dislike it. At worst they just don't care that much. Still better than TOS S3 though.
Joseph Jones
Hi retard. There was 1. Books 2. An animated show from 73 to 74 3. Conventions 4. Movies from 79 to 91
Henry Roberts
I love original Star Trek, and I think you're a faggot.
Ryder Lopez
>At worst they just don't care that much. It's that everyone forgets that it existed, is all, user. I loved watching it on Nickelodeon in the 80's because it was so relaxing and so much like the live action show.
Wyatt Gutierrez
It's no coincidence that the star trek general is the worst thread on Any Forums at all times.
Luke Powell
Because there was no real sci-fi genre in tv/movies until Star Trek.
Xavier Gonzalez
>everyone You mean normies?
Charles Reed
Wrong, the worst threads are the Sopranos generals and the wire generals are stupid too.
Julian Davis
the only real way to talk about it is to make a regular Star Trek thread and pray they don't see it before we can get some good discussion in
Gavin Wood
Last nigh was pretty good, we talked about the movies and TNG a lot with some DS9 discussion memes.
Asher Bell
Even hardcore Trekkies forget, yes, I've witnessed it more than once. I always forget because regarding ST, I am a normie and do not know most of the inner workings and stories of the goings on behind the scenes. Case in point, I don't remember ever seeing a ST general using a picture from the animated series, or it's been so rare that I've haven't caught it.
Camden Richardson
The old animated series isn't generally considered canon, unless it is. Any Forums's trek posters also skew heavily toward the mid 90's stuff and little else.
Cooper Sanders
Only the hardcore trekkies of /trek/ watch TAS. /trek/ itself is mostly TNG babbies with a side of DS9.
I was more of a Star Wars fan. I said was because Disney just completely ass raped it. I liked TOS but not because what Trekkie’s like. I just liked Captain Kirk beating assholes up and fucking green bitches and Mr Spock being a total badass. I should have liked the Abram movies but the Khan one was awful
John Miller
>I just liked Captain Kirk beating assholes up and fucking green bitches and Mr Spock being a total badass. That's most TOS fans. TNGoons are the ones who think Star Trek is super high brow (it isn't).
Noah Davis
Ok, I love TOS, TAS, TNG and their respective feature films and that's it. HATE Deep Space Nigger and Vaginager. Never bothered checking the rest.
Carter Ward
star trek IV was "lets just go back in time, spock can figure it out"