Friday Night Fights: Star Trek (1966) vs. Next Generation

If you’re a Star Trek fan then you’ve had a debate or two in your life and none more famous than the Original (1966) vs. The Next Generation.

We’ve all been there. It’s nearing midnight on a Friday night, you and your friends are talking Trek, as one does, and the question gets asked.

"Original or Next Generation?"

Sure, after the question is asked all the friends need a week or two to recuperate and calm down but it’s always fun. When done respectfully. Picking a show, a Captain, an episode or really whatever is not just about picking which you think is best but which you identify with more. What entity really revs you up, or inspires your passion. It’s more than picking a side. It’s almost like picking a part of your soul. In theory.

So which is it?

The original series has charm and is the baseline for which all science fiction parody is based on. Watching Warner Bros. cartoons in the ’90s was almost as good as watching a William Shatner project because of how repeated and overused his iconic Trek cadence was mimicked. The show wasn’t strong in regards to special effects or even practical effects. It was very DIY in its makeup and despite shows like Star Trek: Discovery lapping it thirty times over in presentation, the charm is undeniable. Plus those dang Gorn suits are great.

The Next Generation though upped the game. It took a show known mostly for its hammy acting and (in retrospect) less-the-stellar costuming and turned the series on its head. It went from being tongue-in-cheek to a series about exploration, diplomacy, war, and misery. It combined modern storytelling techniques with science fiction rhetoric and made it the benchmark for all science fiction to be measured against for the next thirty-odd years.

Both shows are great. Both shows are necessary. Both shows are landmarks in the world of science fiction, television and cinema as a whole.

But which one are you picking?

(Voting closes Friday, Feb. 14, 2020)