If you ask most Star Trek fans, they can tell you what got them into the show. Many people who have acted, directed, or written something in the series or movies have great stories and memories about what got them interested in Trek, too. For both sides, there are stories about religiously watching it with parents or grandparents or how it caught their attention because it was the first of its kind, and there was nothing like it.
But there’s another side. There are some of us who didn’t get into Star Trek for one reason or another until later in life. For some of us, there wasn’t enough action when we were younger. We may have been enamored by the pew pews and laser swords of another “Star” franchise and just couldn’t make the jump over. For some, they just didn’t identify with the characters or stories of the original series or TNG.
So, how do we welcome those outside of a fan base into a fan base? I’ll tell you what worked for me and encouraged me to work through the TV series. It’s not the traditional route, but sometimes the non-traditional methods work best, particularly if someone has preconceived notions about an actor or a character, like I did. But that’s a story for another article.
PRODIGY TO THE RESCUE
One of my Trek-leaning friends suggested that I look at a couple of Star Trek animated series, Star Trek Prodigy and then Lower Decks if I liked what I saw on Prodigy. For me, it was a great suggestion. I immediately took a look at the cast and followed their storyline closely. I loved that it was a kids' show, too, but it had adult appeal and told jokes and stories that I could appreciate as an adult male.
But that wasn’t all I appreciated about Prodigy. There were things about the Trekverse that I just didn’t understand. I didn’t understand the Prime Directive or how it was implemented and why. I didn’t understand specific terminology, or why they wouldn’t blow up the bad guys like they did in that other Star Trek show I watched with the pew pews and laser swords. I don’t understand the Federation or why and how it came to be; the meaning behind it all was lost to me.
That’s where Prodigy comes in. In my interview with Aaron J. Waltke, writer and producer of Star Trek Prodigy, he told us this about the reasons for the show and its intentions -
I’d say it worked.
STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS
Following the run of Prodigy, I went onto Star Trek Lower Decks. Although animated, this show has a definite adult leaning that many younger ones may not appreciate or enjoy as much as Prodigy. If I'm being honest, I think that was by design.
Lower Decks was the first time that I saw humor in Trek. It was a revelation. The characters and their interactions allowed me to scratch my sci-fi itch while also allowing me to enjoy a hearty laugh.
Lower Decks present some seriously silly moments and even sillier responses to those moments. There are times when the show is serious, and the characters seem to leap off the animated screen and assume a human persona. It was hugely important to me at that stage of my burgeoning fandom that this show, which I saw as stuffy and uptight from my time watching TOS in my youth, wasn’t taking itself too seriously and was able to make and take a joke about itself. HUGE.
THE SNOWBALL EFFECT
Animated Trek shows piqued my interest in live-action shows when they came out. I was slow to the idea of revisiting TOS, which is another story for another time. But when the trailers and commercials for shows like Strange New Worlds came about, I was far more receptive to them and the idea of sitting down and watching the show. From episode 1 of Strange New Worlds, I was hooked. It was not only the action I was looking for in my sci-fi leaning shows, but it was also the trek that I had learned about through the animated series. It was able to take itself seriously, but also, it was able to allow itself to be humorous.
I understood the terminology used and why the ships in the federation do what they do, and most importantly, the writers of Strange New Worlds did their work to make the characters relatable. They humanized the alien characters and made you appreciate them all. I am still not sure I will ever forgive the death of Hemmer. YOU’RE MY BOY BLUE!
But completing that first season of Strange New Worlds made me reconsider my time with TOS, and I went back and watched as much of it as possible before switching to The Next Generation. To be fair, I struggled with the first season of The Next Generation. It seemed disjointed and kind of all over the place story-wise. But on the other hand, there are only a few shows that don't struggle through their first season on the air. New shows introduce new people, places, and things to an audience. I am glad I stuck with it.
LET'S WRAP THIS UP
So I wrote all of that to tell you this: There is no wrong way to enter a fandom. Whatever gets someone into the fandom and enjoying it alongside you is the right way.
But, if you have family or friends stuck over in the “OTHER” Star universe, perhaps you can suggest my path. Start them with Prodigy and Lower Decks, then move them into live-action shows like Strange New Worlds. Set the groundwork with a show like Prodigy that helps explain the basics of Trek in a very enjoyable and easy-to-learn format, move them into Lower Decks so they can see the fun of Trek and then into Strange New Worlds where they see live-action characters they can identify with and now not feel lost by the themes of the show.
I know that William Shatner and TOS is revered inside of the Trek world, but the same may not be true to other fandoms, and starting them off in TOS may not be the help that someone like myself, a lifelong Star Wars fan needs to begin to appreciate Trek. In fact, TOS may push them away.
But as a fan of Star Wars and now Star Trek, I sign off my podcast and other articles I write for my own website with the following. It seems appropriate here as well.
May the Force be with you as you live long and prosper.
Tim Beisiegel is a long-time fan of almost all things nerdy. He hosts the FSF PopCast and interviews actors, voice actors, writers, directors, and others from the pop culture world. In addition to writing for The FSF PopCast, you can find his written musings on websites like Couch Soup and Star Trek Family.
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