Which seems more like a western in space, Star Wars or DS9?

[space_invader64]

And why?  I've heard great arguements on both sides.

[Bryancd]

Themeaticaly, Star Wars. From a staging point of view, DS9.

[Rico]

Never really thought of either as a western in space.  But maybe Star Wars a little.

[Bryancd]

Both Lucas and Roddenbery acknowledged a western influence. Rod even referred to Star Trek as "Wagon Train" in space in his pitch to the networks. Rico, turn in your geek card, please...:)

[moyer777]

Let's see...



You be the judge.

[markinro]

Why the black hats ?  They're the good guys...

Definitely Star Wars.

[Rico]

Both Lucas and Roddenbery acknowledged a western influence. Rod even referred to Star Trek as "Wagon Train" in space in his pitch to the networks. Rico, turn in your geek card, please...:)

I am well aware of those comments, etc.  The "Wagon train to the stars" quote for Trek I've known since I started watching it.  Keep in mind Gene also said the show and characters were greatly influenced by the Hornblower sea captain series as well.  But I stand by what I said.  I'm a pretty big fan of Westerns and I just see them as quite a bit different than most Trek.

[MrOsterman]

I'm going with Rico on this one.  I mean how often in a western do you hear someone say "well now, we can get 'em if we just rig up this locomative to that turbine and see if we can get it kicking out enough speed to really... "

Yeah.. er.. no.

I also think Gene was saying whatever it took to get the show on the air.

Between the two I'd say that Starwars is less tied to "sci fi" then any Star Trek series.  You could retell the entire Star Wars series by easily replacing blasters with swords, X wings with horses/ knights and the death star with some massive siege tower/ trebuchet.  DS9 on the other hand all but requires the Sci Fi tech for many of the storylines.

Yeah.. Starwars could be a western much more easily.

Mr. O

[Duffster]

In my opinion it would be Star Wars. DS9 was kind of rowdy, but I never thought they quite lived up to the promise that it was going to be a darker, seedier ST series. In Star Wars I got the feeling there were quite a few "frontier" type environments, which gave me more of a wild west type feeling.

Duffster

[Geekyfanboy]

I'm with Rico and Mr. O... I wouldn't consider either one a western in space... if you want to talk about a western in space.. let's talk Firefly.

[space_invader64]

My drama teacher always refered to star wars as a drama in space.  The Star Wars Legesy that was on the history channel  featured tom brokaw saying the same thing.

On the ds9 dvds, they claimed that ds9 was a western town on space.  There was a mayor, a sheriff, a crooked bartender, a doctor, est.

[moyer777]

Why the black hats ?  They're the good guys...

Definitely Star Wars.

heehehe.

I should have given them white hats!

[Jen]

I'm a big western fan. I read a lot of Zane Gray and Louis L'Amour novels growing up and my Dad was always watching John Wayne movies. I can quote most of them.

The comparison between Star Wars and westerns is easy. DS9 may be a little tougher, but I can see how it can be compared. Its not the stories or the jargon that makes DS9 comparable,  its the atmosphere, the setting and the relationships between the characters. Also, rather than compare Westerns as a whole, I would pare it down to a few Western TV shows, but first lets get Star Wars out of the way...

Han Solo and Chewie were the quintessential cowboy/sidekick duo. The Millennium Falcon was their trusty stead. The Cantina was every saloon ever filmed. Luke...Farm Boy....white hat...Vader bad guy...black hat. OK, now that that's settled. On to Deep Space Nine and why its like a western. I had to do a little research but here they are...

Actually, I think DS9 could be described as a combo of two Western TV shows, Gunsmoke and Bonanza.  Gunsmoke took place in Dodge City Kansas in the 1890's and was America's longest running television Western (1955-75). It was basically an exploration of life in Dodge City as well as an examination of the people of the community who lived in a hostile place and time. Like DS9, Gunsmoke's Dodge City stood as an outpost of civilization. It was a small town, with a group of professionals, a school and a church, surrounded by the dangers of the frontier.  Like DS9 (and the Federation), its values of peace, harmony, and justice were always under threat from untamed forces. The setting of Dodge City, became an exploration of ideas regarding culture and society. Issues faced by the characters and community in Gunsmoke, ranged from questions of legitimate violence to the treatment of minority groups, from the meaning of family to the power of religious commitment...sound familiar? Sounds like DS9 to me.

Bonanza stared Lorne Greene and Michael Landon and took place on a ranch in Nevada called "The Ponderosa" during the mid 1800's. The ranch was referred to as the "fifth character" by the producers. I think the space station, Deep Space Nine, could be called a character as well. The Cartwrights were not a traditional nuclear family. The patriarch, Ben, was a widower, with three sons.

Ben Cartwright, reminds me of Captain Ben Sisko. Like Sisko, Ben Cartwright often reinforced the family's values with quiet lectures and comforting words...he kicked butt only when absolutely necessary.  Like Gunsmoke, Bonanza tackled topical issues (i.e.: racial discrimination, voting, religion).

These genres are more alike than they may seem on the surface. Just look a little deeper at the concepts being offered through the story lines and compare the relationships between the characters and settings they exist in. You'll see the similarities can be found in abundance.  ;)

[Ktrek]

Great post Jen! I also thought immediately of Gunsmoke but I had not really considered the comparison to Bonanza but you make some valid points. Thanks!

Kevin

[Geekyfanboy]

You can always count on Jen for a great post!!