The Next Generation

jonno8339 · November 14, 2010, 01:00:38 PM

Here is my posting for a 10 year project to get my 3 kids to enjoy Star Trek in all its forms. Any help welcome.....Whats the first Star Trek fiilm/episode we should watch together?

wraith1701 · November 14, 2010, 01:09:54 PM

If your kids are under the age of 10, I say start out with The Original Series. After all, that's where it all begins, and they won't have had a chance to develop a bias against the dated sets and special effects.

After that, I'd go with the TOS Movies, then Next Gen.

Rico · November 14, 2010, 01:21:29 PM

For young kids you might even try starting with the animated series.

M-5 · November 14, 2010, 01:57:24 PM

Definitely start with The Animated Series.

Blackride · November 14, 2010, 02:02:43 PM

If they are younger kids (10 yrs) start with Nemesis or something. The animated series bored me when I was a kid especially when compared to new cartoons.

Bryancd · November 14, 2010, 02:24:40 PM

Yeah, I would start with one of the movies, one with a lot of action to get their interest. Try TMP and see if they can stay awake, make it a game! ;)

M-5 · November 14, 2010, 02:51:34 PM

No kid can stay awake for The Motion Picture.

Bryancd · November 14, 2010, 03:05:35 PM

Quote from: M-5 on November 14, 2010, 02:51:34 PM
No kid can stay awake for The Motion Picture.

Neither can some adults.

X · November 14, 2010, 06:21:44 PM

I'd start with enterprise. It's what hooked my own little girl. It's the only one that has a theme that they can sing along too and remember. It also has better graphics and most kids are pretty jaded with simple effects these days. Well, I won't say most, but every kid that I know has some issues with older effects because of what they are currently exposed too.

Bryancd · November 14, 2010, 07:34:12 PM

Quote from: X on November 14, 2010, 06:21:44 PM
I'd start with enterprise. It's what hooked my own little girl. It's the only one that has a theme that they can sing along too and remember. It also has better graphics and most kids are pretty jaded with simple effects these days. Well, I won't say most, but every kid that I know has some issues with older effects because of what they are currently exposed too.

I agree, which is why despite my love, TOS isn't the way to go, nor is the animated series, that really looks bad in a contemporary setting.

ElfManDan · November 14, 2010, 11:01:22 PM

I'd say TNG, I started watching it when I was about 5 or so and it was my favorite show on TV by age 10. So it worked for me. I got older and watched the other stuff. It wasn't forced upon me by my father, I just watched it with him. I think TNG is his favorite of the series so that's probably why we watched it the most. So from my own experience growing up that would be my suggestion.

Rico · November 15, 2010, 05:55:03 AM

Well, I grew up on TOS reruns - lol! I was maybe about 10 when I started watching. It really all depends on the age of the kids and their maturity level. TNG would be a good place to start as well. My kids grew up on that. I wouldn't really suggest a movie since most of them have some back story stuff they wouldn't know. Also, keep in mind Trek isn't something everyone responds to. My kids never really got that much into it even though it was on a lot of the time. I let them find their own path. Anyway, good luck with it.

billybob476 · November 15, 2010, 06:11:20 AM

I grew up on TNG as well. The good thing about it is that it really does evolve much more then any other Trek series. The first few seasons are much more straightforward with regard to story and characters (for the most part). As the series progresses relationships, sotrylines and the drama overall becomes much more compelling and complex.

Unlike us, I think kids will enjoy the early seasons of TNG, it will allow them to get into it without having to worry too much about trying to figure out what's going on.

X · November 15, 2010, 09:02:06 PM

My people here grew up on TOS reruns when the mastery of computer graphics produced something as quality as Pong. I grew up on TOS and TNG, but when I watched TOS, there was always the disclaimer that we'd give other friends to get them into it. "The effects are kind of hokey, but you gotta stick with it to get to the story."

Having seen recent TNG, It hasn't aged in a way that will appeal to kids. They live in a world where they can play games that have hundreds of time better graphics than TNG. The stories are still good and we have this nostalga that we look through when we see things.

Kids today consume the visual medium like people of my generation looked to books and the occasional movie. TV movies and shows today have better visuals than the most expensive blockbusters of my youth.

I think that the bar has been raised and with the addition of HDTV, the age and flaws of the shows are quite easy to see.

I think it's far better to pull them in with the eye candy of Enterprise and then get them to stick around for the other stuff. Or at least it was the case in my house with my little one. She would come and sit when I had enterprise on, but look at me funny when I watched something earlier until she realized that they were in the same big story.

ElfManDan · November 15, 2010, 11:53:04 PM

Quote from: X on November 15, 2010, 09:02:06 PM
My people here grew up on TOS reruns when the mastery of computer graphics produced something as quality as Pong. I grew up on TOS and TNG, but when I watched TOS, there was always the disclaimer that we'd give other friends to get them into it. "The effects are kind of hokey, but you gotta stick with it to get to the story."

Having seen recent TNG, It hasn't aged in a way that will appeal to kids. They live in a world where they can play games that have hundreds of time better graphics than TNG. The stories are still good and we have this nostalga that we look through when we see things.

Kids today consume the visual medium like people of my generation looked to books and the occasional movie. TV movies and shows today have better visuals than the most expensive blockbusters of my youth.

I think that the bar has been raised and with the addition of HDTV, the age and flaws of the shows are quite easy to see.

I think it's far better to pull them in with the eye candy of Enterprise and then get them to stick around for the other stuff. Or at least it was the case in my house with my little one. She would come and sit when I had enterprise on, but look at me funny when I watched something earlier until she realized that they were in the same big story.

As the youngest person to comment here and the fact is I was 12 when Enterprise came out I kinda disagree X. I did grow up in a TV, video games, and computer generation and I still found TNG to be my favorite show. TOS was a bit dated and I have a friend who was about 8 and thought Enterprise was scary, he actually had nightmares. As I got older I came to like them all, but at that age I loved TNG and all the characters, especially commander Data. I think one thing is I have such good memories with my father. He took me to see all the original trilogy Star Wars films in theaters in the 1997 rerelease and I remember going to see The Voyage Home when I was really little on I think it was a projector screen. Now I'm a bigger Trekkie than he is. I think TNG still is the best for inducing kids to the franchise, worked for me and I'm like said I'm a big Trekkie now.