How Did You Come To Star Trek?

[Poodyglitz]

I was just sitting here thinking about how I got so interested in Star Trek and was wondering how others were turned on to it.

As a kid in the 60's, Star Trek was a show that worked on so many different levels:

• It was an action/adventure
• It was a morality play
• It was TV science fiction as good as written sci-fi
• The characters took stock of one another and themselves
• The characters developed and grew
• It was a literate show (it actually helped to expand my vocabulary)
• It sought to explore and critique contemporary (60's) culture
• Various races were featured in non-stereotypical roles
• The show gave me heroes
• Like "Batman", it featured lots of new gadgets and vehicles (boys liked that stuff)
• The women were hot, their outfits even hotter (boys liked that stuff too)
• I'd never seen lighting like that
• The industrial design and art direction was like nothing I'd ever seen before
• Music played a prominent role in helping to tell the story or set a mood

Star Trek was able to do what other shows wouldn't or couldn't do. It certainly was more sophisticated than most of the shows of the day. The only other decent science fiction was "The Twilight Zone" and "The Prisoner". I enjoyed the Irwin Allen stuff, but it just didn't satisfy the way "Star Trek" did. It really fired my imagination and caused me to think further, strive higher. Also, growing up in a very unstable home, it gave me hope and helped me to dream for a better day.

When it went from showing once a week in prime time to every day in syndication, I really got to know the characters. The other elements of the show got me addicted. Sometimes I'd be enthralled in it, other times I'd make fun of it. There was always something to latch on to.

How about you? What about "Star Trek" pulled you in?

[JoSpiv]

What a nice idea for a topic.  :)

I started with TNG, probably in the 2nd or 3rd season.

i think orginally, my dad brought me to it.  He was a fan, and honestly, it's the only thing we connected with.   

But as I started watching, I think I loved the science aspect of it.  i've always been really interested in space travel, and astronomy.  The action was cool, and the humor was classic.  But as I got older, and saw the movies, and some TOS episodes I loved the humanist attitude of the show.  I've never been very religous, and I liked that in the future no one was pushing religion on others, it wasn't even discussed.  I liked that they were both showing humanity's faults, and greatness at the same time. 

Still to this day I watch Enterprise episodes on Sci-Fi with my dad when we both can, and we're going to go see Star Trek XI together just like we did with Star Trek VI, VII, VIII, IX and X.

Great show.

[Duffster]

Well, unfortunately I was not allowed to stay up late enough to watch many of the TOS shows when they were originally aired. We only had one tv back then and occasionally I could convince my dad to let me stay up and watch one. I really got hooked when they started playing in syndication, and then couldn't get enough of them.

I was a big reader and about this time I started collecting the James Blish adaptions of the shows.  They were just titled Star Trek 1, 2 and so forth. In the back of the books was an order for to get Bantams catalog sent to you. Living in the country, this was great for me. I couldn't wait for them to come out with another catalog so I could scrape the money together to buy the next Trek book.

You know one thing the kills me. I still have most of those books, and when I look in the middle of them, there is an order form to get one of the animation stills from the animated series. I kick myself every time I see that, since I didn't order one of them!!!

Anyway been a huge fan ever since. I remember spending the night outside of the theater to make sure I saw the first showing of ST:The Motion Picture.

Ahh memories.

Duffster

[Poodyglitz]

I've never been very religous, and I liked that in the future no one was pushing religion on others, it wasn't even discussed.  I liked that they were both showing humanity's faults, and greatness at the same time.

Actually, the impressive thing about TOS is that while Roddenberry was a confirmed humanist, he allowed references to faith. In one episode, a Bible verse is quoted just before the two men die. Then of course, there's the classic ending to "Bread And Circuses" when Uhura clarifies, "It doesn't mean the sun in the sky, but the Son of God".

[Geekyfanboy]

I can say that I was introduced to Star Trek as a kid, while watching repeats of TOS on late night TV. I didn't see many episodes but it peaked my interest. I then saw a double feature of Tron and ST TMP at a drive in and loved Tron but fell asleep while watching ST TMP. It wouldn't be until Star Trek 4 that I got interested in Trek again. I don't recall if I saw it in the theater or on video but I can remember seeing Star Trek 6 in the theater and loving it. During this time I started seeing commercial for Star Trek The Next Generation. I started watching the series about four episodes in to the first season. All it took was one episode and I was totally and completely hooked. Of course I caught the first four that I missed on repeat but that is what really started my love for Trek and it hasn't stopped since.

[Rico]

Most of my TREK start and background and reasons for enjoying the show so much I have discussed on various podcasts.  Suffice it to say I started on syndicated TOS reruns and watched all through Enterprise.  It's probably a combination of the characters, stories and hope for the future that makes up what I enjoy most about Star Trek.

[moyer777]

I have always enjoyed the aspect of space travel.  I think it is so cool, and I love gadgets, so when I saw Star Trek as a kid, I was hooked right away.  Over the years there was the cartoon, and I enjoyed that, and then when I got married a few years later TNG came out.  I LOVED IT!  It was so cool.  My wife and I have followed it ever since.  We had a DS9 permeire party at our 900 square foot first home, we cried when TNG was over and were moved when Tuvok danced for Neelix.  :)

Now here is the funny thing, I loved it for the stories and the science fiction element in it, the gadgets and special effects.  The only part I didn't or don't like about Star Trek is the humanism factor.  It's not in all of it.   I overlook it though, it doesn't ruin it for me at all.  Everybody has a right to their opinion.  I have the ability to shut off the TV if I want to.  :) 

For the most part, Trek doesn't usually conflict with my faith.  Of course I'm not making a religion out of it either!  Trek is just plain old wholesome science fiction that rocks.  Great and hopeful entertainment!

[Poodyglitz]

Now here is the funny thing, I loved it for the stories and the science fiction element in it, the gadgets and special effects.  The only part I didn't or don't like about Star Trek is the humanism factor.  It's not in all of it.   I overlook it though, it doesn't ruin it for me at all.  Everybody has a right to their opinion.  I have the ability to shut off the TV if I want to.  :) 

For the most part, Trek doesn't usually conflict with my faith.  Of course I'm not making a religion out of it either!  Trek is just plain old wholesome science fiction that rocks.  Great and hopeful entertainment!

Yeah, I have to turn on my "faith filter" sometimes, or just not watch the episode. However, my favorite episodes tend to be ones that don't get too humanistic. I do like that "Star Trek" questions religion at large (it's healthy to think things through, to think around an issue). To me, religion and faith are not one and the same. I just don't like when the writers try to imply that God might merely be a brilliant scientist. There's a great TNG episode -- "Who Watches The Watchers?" where Picard works hard to convince Liko that he's not someone to worship. That he's just a man. Actually, the new "Battlestar Galactica" raises my "faith hackles" these days. I think that's part of why I initially didn't watch it until the second season. I endeavor to focus on the drama more than the issues.

The main thing about Star Trek is that it generally causes one to think. It engenders discussion about issues. Alas, this is the only place where I can have  discussions about things "Trek".

[Movie Sean]

My dad liked Star Trek.  Not a ton, as much as me, but that's how I found out about.

I still remember watching The Best of Both Worlds with him, the first time I really watched star trek.  So freakin' cool.

[Poodyglitz]

My dad liked Star Trek.  Not a ton, as much as me, but that's how I found out about.

I still remember watching The Best of Both Worlds with him, the first time I really watched star trek.  So freakin' cool.

What a great episode to start out with. I'm sure it had you on the edge of your seat! That two-parter is what got me interested in TNG. I had seen the broadcast premiere, "Encounter At Farpoint" and couldn't deal. I'm so glad that series had an opportunity to develop past the first season.

[Kirk-Fu]

I used to watch Star Trek in the 70s, on sunday mornings at around 11am EST. It was my last chance to watch something other than a western. After ST went off my dad watched westerns all day, which I didnt like then but love now.

I always enjoyed the hour long dramas as a kid, especially stuff like Columbo, Cannon, etc. I liked story, and Star Trek gave me story and cool sci-fi goodies. I was originally brought into sci-fi by Planet Of The Apes and the old Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon serials. Star Trek was just 'all that and more'.

[AtlantisAngel]

I think my dad got me into it. I remember not being able to sleep when I think I was four and my dad was watching a Q orientated episode so I stayed up and watched it. From then on, I stayed up till 7.30pm every Tuesday night watching TNG till I was nearly six then they showed TOS Saturday afternoon. Now I'm 22 and addicted to watching it on Virgin 1 and I have all the films on DVD!

[ori-STUDFARM]

I loved it as a kid when BBC2 showed TOS in the evenings (tuesday I think) but totally missed the whole TNG movement. I was aware of it, but never saw it. I was in my mid teens and things were "dodgy" at home to say the least. I didn't get on at all with my step father and tended to stay out of the house as much as possible. I've enjoyed it when I have caught it, but it wasn't until Voyager that I started to get heavily into a full season...

...even then, I wouldn't say I was a massive fan. If I missed episodes, it didn't concern me. Then I discovered podcasts and the "geek" in me was released!!

[Bryancd]

Watched TOS in it's early syndication with my Dad in the mid 70's. Stayed loyal to Trek even though STAR WARS was my passion for many years following 1977. I was a Trek Convention goer in the early '80's as well. TNG came out when I was a freshman in college and I never really got into it and also never watched DS9 or Voyager when they first aired. It wasn't until 2001 that I brought or rented all the series on DVD and watched them in order for months on end. It was great. I always went to see the films when they were released.

[alanp]

My earliest memory of trek was when I was about 9 or 10 and my cousins came to visit my grandparents house and we stayed up and watched Tapestry and Q-pid.  (Must have been Q night.)

I thought it was cool.  Had great characters and stories.  Then I got hooked and had to stay up every Saturday and Sunday night to see it. Sunday wasn't so late because it was after the news but on Saturday I would have to sit up until after Saturday Night Live went off the air so I'd be up until the early morning.

After that I watched the movies and TOS, got hooked on DS9.  I didn't like Voyager at first but after the stories got good we lost our UPN station for a whole season and had to get caught up the next summer when another station played UPN.