Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has caused quite a bit of controversy since its premiere, which includes segments of the sci-fi fandom complaining about the franchise's first gay Klingon and first female Jem'Hadar. However, Star Trek icon Jonathan Frakes pointed out that when it comes to new series, complaints from so-called fans are nothing new, and he cited Jean-Luc Picard, Worf, and Geordi La Forge as examples in a new interview.
When the topic of many Trek shows not being appreciated in their time came up, Frakes said while speaking with ScreenRant: "I know. I remember when we first came on the air, nobody wanted to see a bald English captain with a French name and a Klingon on the bridge and a blind black guy flying the ship. There was no appetite for it. They wanted Bones, and Spock, and Kirk."
As someone who was around when Star Trek: The Next Generation premired, I can confirm Frakes' statement, especially because Next Gen didn't really find its voice until around season 3.
When Gene Roddenberry presented "The Cage" to NBC in 1965, the network rejected the pilot for being "too cerebral" and because Mr. Spock appeared "satanic." After a retooling, The Original Series premiered in September of 1966. The series had its fans but only lasted three seasons. Other installments, such as Deep Space Nine and Enterprise, also had their detractors during their original run, with the Enterprise bashing being particularly intense!
Ultimately, Star Trek is about hope and a future that looks different from the world each audience lived in. Imagine what some adults thought about "that weird space show with that pointy-eared alien" when their kids first fell in love with The Original Series.
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