Change is the everyday part of life that affects us. It's also the part of life that we wish we could stop. Change comes to all of us and for all of us, no matter what we may want. It affects our relationships, or professional ones and even those we hardly know. So it's not surprising that change affects the things we love.
Including, but not limited to, Star Trek. The franchise has grown and changed a lot since 1966 and as we evolve into and away from certain aspects of everyday life, the franchise adjusts and changes along with it. We no longer have to hunt regional news to find what channel and time Star Trek is on, because it's no longer on television.
We don't have the same staunch limitations that we used to have 30 years ago, for better or worse. As things develop and change around us, beloved remnants of the past are being left exactly where we found them. In the past. These are just three examples of Star Trek staples that have ended recently.
Star Trek Explorer
The catalyst for the article, the iconic Star Trek Explorer magazine is closing its doors after 30 years of publications. Launched at the height of the Star Trek craze of the '80s and '90s, the magazine followed the launch of the film Star Trek Generations, the continuation of the show universe with Deep Space Nine and later Voyager and Enterprise, as well as video games, toys, interviews and more. After 30 years of entertaining us, the magazine is forced to close its doors for good.
Star Trek's Playmates line of action figures
Any fan who's in their 40s or younger will be able to tell you about the joy that these iconic toys brought us. They branched across shows and films, briniging together different eras of Sar Trek fans for a number of years. After a long time off between lines, the partnership came back only a couple of years ago with the promise of new toys for fans both old and new. Yet, young fans looking to play out their favorite scenes and collectors looking to expand their collections were left disappointed when the line was canceled once again. This time, potentially, for good.
The cast of the Next Generation
Thankfully, the entire cast of The Next Generation is still with us, but following the close of Star Trek: Picard, it's highly unlikely that we ever see the entire cast together again in a new show or film. Easily the icons of the current franchise, these men and women entertained us across the years. Yet, after the up-and-down reception of Picard and the uncertainty of the Star Trek film and streaming divisions at Paramount as new ownership takes charge, we're not sure there's going to be another opportunity for all of them to reunite one more time.