When I first discovered Star Trek, the year was 1989. The Original Series was in syndication, and Star Trek: The Next Generation was only in its second season. If I wanted to watch either show on demand, I had to either record shows on our VCR or go to Kmart and buy my favorite episodes on VHS (one episode per cassette, and if memory serves, they were around $15 apiece) and if a Next Gen episode ended on a season cliffhanger, I had to wait the entire summer to find out what happened! “Time’s Arrow” was particularly anxiety-inducing, especially for Data fans like me.
These days, if fans of the franchise want to watch a favorite episode or binge a beloved series, they’re no further away than the click of a Roku or Fire TV Stick remote. The entire franchise, from The Original Series to current ones like Strange New Worlds, is available on demand at any time, and the technology has changed how we watch and interact with our favorite Star Trek content in several ways.
1. Personalized viewing recommendations
Quite a few Star Trek TV series came out during the 90s and early 2000s, including Voyager, Deep Space Nine, and Enterprise. Since streaming services didn’t truly find their footing until around 2015, viewers of one series might have missed others unless they happened to catch commercials, because in the days before the internet, fan spaces were limited to meetups and conventions.
Today, streaming services offer personalized recommendations and open doors to other series fans might have missed. For example, I didn’t know a thing about Enterprise (despite being a Scott Bakula fan) because in 2001, I was busy having and raising two kids and it simply wasn’t on my radar. Thanks to personalized recommendations, I got to discover and enjoy the series years later.
2. Streaming encourages the growth of fandom spaces
As far back as the 1960s, television gave rise to “water cooler shows,” series that were so popular that people gathered around a company’s coffee machine or water cooler to discuss whatever shows were making headlines at the time. Shows like Seinfeld and Friends got talked 1 constantly, especially if a major event aired, like Ross’ marriage to Emily (I think the entire country collectively gasped at “I take thee Rachel.”)
Since streaming became popular and Star Trek fans can watch episodes together online, fandom spaces are becoming more commonplace, and there are thousands of websites, communities, and message boards where they can meet people from all over the world who appreciate the franchise as much as they do. This creates safe spaces for fans who don’t feel comfortable going to large meetups yet enjoy talking to other like-minded people.
3. Fans can binge watch
Binge-watching Star Trek is such a guilty pleasure, especially when you have the time to curl up in a blanket with your favorite snack and the remote.
With so many series to choose from, you can binge some episodes from one and then switch seamlessly to another. Before streaming became popular, you could only binge if you had the VHS tapes or episodes recorded from television (with the commercials edited out, of course!)
Streaming services have their pros and cons, but they have certainly changed the way fans watch Star Trek series.