This week’s Major Spoilers Poll of the Week (WeekWeekWeekWeek) got me to thinking about Star Trek, specifically the old debate about whether Kirk’s ‘Cowboy Diplomacy’ is superior to Picard’s more discourse-based method of operations. Twenty-five years removed from Next Generation, the Picard character actually has a lot in common with Kirk, and even deals with his baldness in a more mature manner, but the age-old nerd question of Kirk Vs. Picard still has the same answer for me. (No, I’m not telling.) But, each Captain has his own thing going on, his own awesome ship and skilled crew, and each is a product of their time, which leads to today’s query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) likes “Where No One Has Gone Before”, but still misses “Where No Man”, asking: Star Trek The Original Series or Star Trek: The Next Generation?
12 Comments
Original is still the best
As much as I love an original, I find the production value of TNG of such higher quality that it really wins out on almost every level: Acting, effects, plots… you name it. Granted, it does not entirely hold up today, but it is such an improvement over the original that it is my clear favorite.
TOS had better individual episodes, but TNG had a better overall series.
Having watched all of both series, and DS9 and Voyager, I have to go with TNG. I related to the characters more, I enjoy Patrick Stewart a great deal more as an actor and captain, and prefer the overall character development.
TNG easy. TOS is fun in a bubblegum pop sort of way, but not as an entire body of work.
I can’t choose one over the other. A few years back I made a list of pros and cons to both series, and they both stack up equally in completely different ways for me.
But if I absolutely have to choose one, then I’ll pick TOS for the sole reason of the Mirror Universe. TNG had alternate universe episodes (which were some of my favorites, like “Parallels” and “Yesterday’s Enterprise”), but they didn’t revisit the Mirror Universe in the series until DS9.
DS9, FTW.
-Dan’L
As someone born in 1990 I have to say that the overall look of TNG always made it impossible for me to get into the series. It looks impossibly dated, plastic and awkward.. the colours, the design, the materials.. Yet somehow TOS just looks delightfully retro, charming and cool. I just love watching TOS. I feel much the same way with The Avengers (UK) and other 60s shows (The Twilight Zone anyone?). But I could never get into any of the “newer” Star Trek shows because of the cheapness of their look.
I grew up watching TOS and as a young adult TNG. So I’m going with both!
TNG for me. The original was great, but TNG moved it on to another level. Now whether you prefer the other level over the original one is a question of personal opinion. I do. Although, Data was perhaps a weaker version of Spock. Bring Spock into the TNG era and I’ll be a very happy tribble, :-)
I guess it is all am matter of perspective. Growing up in the 60s and 70s, The 1940s and earlier has a retro feel to me.
That said, there will aways be something cool about using a lever to send the ship into warp. Pushing a touch screen does not cut it.
Of the two series, I enjoy TNG better, mainly because Shatner’s acting sets my teeth on edge.
I originally thought that this is a highly situational question and can’t possibly be answered with such generality. However, as I see it, It will always boil down to the needs of the many. Even if at first glance you might think the needs of the few out weigh the needs of the many, you will probably see that if you follow the justification it will lead to the needs of the many. I could give a few examples, but I don’t want to be long-winded.