Im not that old now (20) but I still remember watching TNG with my sister when we were just toddlers. My father had recorded dozens of episodes on VHS during the original run right after he married our mom. We would watch the tapes all the time, the episode I most vividly remember is the one with the war games aboard the U.S.S. Hathaway.
When I got older we watched Voyager reruns every week on the sci-fi channel and I eventually binged on Voyager, DS9 and Enterprise. Still haven't see much TOS or TNG but I love all the movies (JJ Abrams as well).
Went through Babylon 5, Stargate and most of Battlestar Galactica which I all loved but Trek still tops the rest even if Stargate tails it closely.
As a lil girl, I watched reruns of TOS with my Dad in the 80's and got to see TNG and all the rest first airing. I also went to the SkyDome to see "All Good Things..." on the big screens when TNG ended. Voyager was a disappointment, though. The only redeeming quality to it was Robert Picardo.
The Gamesters of Triskelion I do not understand why the creators of the Star Trek show are so obsessed with melee combat ( TOS are ridiculous bad, but some another like Picard with Nausicaans, Archer & Shran are bad too)
The issue with Star Trek 2009's intro of the Enterprise was that it was given the feeling of youthful excitement. The feeling of meeting the most beautiful girl you've ever seen and you know you're going to marry her if you get the chance. The TMP version was a majestic introduction, in part because going back to the relationship metaphor it was Kirk running into his one true love again, and falling for her once more.
Well... if you consider the context, it was the first time Kirk saw the Enterprise in all her glory. Last time he saw her, she was under construction at Riverside.
So the relationship metaphor was appropriate. Who's to say that Prime Kirk didn't have the same look on his face before he took command of the Enterprise?
Of course you're right. Love at first sight. Though he treated her like a femme fatale. He knew it wasn't meant to be, but he could never leave her.
I was born not too long before TNG started airing, so I literally grew up watching that. I was too young to really have any vivid memories of it, but I do remember the Borg Cube and end scene of Best of Both Worlds from when it originally aired. I had a Data and Borg action figure--maybe Geordi, too? I never got into DS9 as a kid, Voyager was really my first series--I started from the first episode and was finally old enough to really comprehend the stories. Even though I consider it the weakest now, I still have a soft spot for that series.
TOS was an acquired taste. When I first tried watching. I was a dumb kid and couldn't get past the dated effects to really appreciate it. The first episode I really remember getting into was Metamorphosis. I saw Balance of Terror at some godawful hour of the night when I was really sick one time and loved it--I'm not sure exactly when my infatuation with the Romulans started, but this episode showed me that they were an interesting species from the very start. The Romulan Commander's speech ("In a different reality, I could have called you a friend") has always stuck with me. But I didn't really get into TOS until they started airing the remastered episodes on TV--not that the better effects had anything to do with it, I was just in my late teens/early 20s, more willing to look past superficial things, and I often watched them with my dad--it was something to bond over
Well Balance of Terror was just a magnificent hour of honor and tension, it's not a surprise .
My first memory of Star Trek TOS was coming home from Trick-or-Treating one night and seeing it on the TV. How my love for it evolved is deep into my past, but I did have the privilege of knowing Jimmy Doohan (Scotty) and learned first-hand what an incredible guy he was. From fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force to Hollywood and voice acting later, there was a guy who knew how to stay young.
Got a bit of a tingle at the 'show-me-nothing' teaser for the new CBS Star Trek series coming out next year. Between all the different series, the viewing of them all so many times, then this addictive game Star Trek Online, Star Trek is a pretty big piece in my life.
Keep it coming.
The year: 1969
My age: 6 years old.
The channel: 4 (KNBC in L.A. - still showing Season 3 first run)
The Star Trek (original series) Episode: "Elaan of Troyius"
The result: Star Trek fan ever since (and huge science fiction fan in general).
I still remember my Father's reaction when he saw Spock die on our old TV that got half a dozen channels. He was a very quiet man and I'd never in a million years think he would like anything Science Fiction.
He asked me, "Spock died?" and I had to explain to him about Nimoy's passion to distance himself from the character that defined him. Then I told him he comes back in the next movie after Nimoy discovered the error of his ways.
My Father actually sat there and watched the next movie that was thankfully running right after TWOK, the longest I'd ever seen him watch TV.
Glad he didn't live to see Harrison Ford's similar bullsh1t.
Now that you mention it. For his generation, a major character dying like that must've been completely out of left field.
"Rise like Lions after slumber, In unvanquishable number, Shake your chains to earth like dew, Which in sleep had fallen on you-Ye are many they are few"
My first steps were actually through Toys some 22 Years ago...
I had a bunch of those flimsy little Micromachines Ships without knowing what they were, they just looked cool and I had to have them, yeah I was one of those kids
A little bit later I saw 'The Undiscovered Country' on one of those old "Star Trek Days" on Kabel 1 (a german TV Channel) and recognised the Ship (Funny enough I didn't have the Enterprise at that time but the Excelsior) and I was intrigued, of course, still a kid, I had no Idea and it took some more time until I discovered Deep Space Nine and later Voyager were running at the time and that's when it really took off
So many nice Star Trek memories and so little of it in Star trek Online.
My first Memory?
Spock exploring a huge space amobea...
I think it must have been in the year 1979, i think.
But i got really hooked when i saw an ad about a new StarTrek series and a promo shot of the Enterprise -D in a magazine. (yeah kids, there was a time without internet...)
Of course i knew lots of other Sci fi stuff (Alien, Star Wars and many, many others) but i was so fascinated by the design and how idealistic and mature its tone was (especially compared to SW) i'm still fascinated by it. I watched the TOS movies and was similar impressed. But at that age i preferred TNG because of it's more advanced technical gadgets and ships (year, i was pretty superficial then, lol).
Of course, later the magic was gone and it became a bit shallow, especially with DS9 and Voy. (I somehow think Trek has lost its innocence with DS9, but that's another topic). With those shows Trek became a bit too generic in certain aspects and lost much of its uniqueness for me.
Today i prefer to watch TOS, TOS movies and TNG (NOT the movies ).
"...'With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured...the first thought forbidden...the first freedom denied--chains us all irrevocably.' ... The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. I fear that today--"
- (TNG) Picard, quoting Judge Aaron Satie
Watching best of both worlds as my first trek episode as a kid in 1991.
Since introduced my bro to trek with this episode
"The meaning of victory is not to merely defeat your enemy but to destroy him, to completely eradicate him from living memory, to leave no remnant of his endeavours, to crush utterly his achievement and remove from all record his every trace of existence. From that defeat no enemy can ever recover. That is the meaning of victory."
-Lord Commander Solar Macharius
They should get another actor to re-do the Guardian of Forever though, so painfully cheesy
Wasn't the original painfully cheesy too?
For me it was finding a viewmaster reel of the first episode of TAS. Unfortunately it was only part 1 of 2 or 3 and it wasn't until decades alter that I found out how the episode ended.
The thing I remember is Wolf in the Fold, it gave me nightmares. It was a scary episode that haunted me again when I watched that episode later again.
I remember being in bed, It was my bedtime, My parents must've been watching that episode, cause I remember hearing that that menacing, maniacal voice saying "You are all going to die !" It gave me the Heebie-jeebies somethin awful ! Imagine me, just a tot, still awake, all alone in my dark room hearing that ! It was awesome !
Trek has been with me for as long as I can remember. There wasn't really a single point at which I was introduced to it. Reruns came on while I was stuck with public access TV. My mother is an avid Voyager fan and we watched it as it was coming out - she even did little pixel art and web page layouts back in the day that were Trek themed. One of my earliest exposures to TOS was actually a reference in the old show Muppet Babies, in which Miss Piggy was a Klingon, Kermit was Kirk, and Gonzo was Spock (sadly I can't find it on Youtube, else I'd share). They actually used TOS footage, too. My parents tried to buy old TNG action figures and put them away so they could resell them some years down the line, but when a small child finds toys, we're hard pressed not to open them. My parents relented, and I had the sweetest Data, Troi, and even a K'Ehleyr figure!
The funny thing is, I remember when Enterprise came out, back before they put Star Trek in the title, and I looked at it and thought "how did such a blatant Star Trek ripoff make it to TV". I was surprised to find out later it actually was Star Trek.
Ah.. Channel 43 in Cleveland around 1978. I was six years old. TOS was in syndication and was hooked every Saturday at 6pm. I would sit in front of the old floor model Zenith with my Kirk, Spock, and McCoy Mego figures and nothing else existed for that whole hour. Wow.
Star Trek, TOS, was shown on Channel 50 from Detroit (got to see a lot of reruns of shows on that independent station) back in the '70s and '80s when I was a kid. My parents were married the same year as the second pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before", and they watched TOS during the original airing. So my family grew up on the reruns.
I never got to see The Motion Picture in the theatres/drive-ins, but I finally got to see it on TV (including the Wall of Memories scene that supposedly only had been shown in the TV version, which usually was shorter than the original theatrical release).
But I did get to see the later movies on the silver screen.
When The Next Generation was announced, to be on Fox TV (Fox bought out Channel 50), I dreaded it. They had the failed remake of The Munsters, so I was worried that TNG was going to be just as bad. Thank goodness that it was better than expected and did get better with time.
Truth be told, they teased viewers too much with the possibility of Captain Pickard being lost, and Riker taking his place. Mind you, I didn't like the Captain until the Risa vacation episode. That's when I felt he really was worthy of the role.
My introduction to Star Trek was the original airing of "The Corbomite Maneuver". I was 4 1/2 years old. I vividly remember the scary Balok puppet face, and then the reveal (spoiler) that Balok was a harmless alien, played by a kid a little older than me. My dad loved the series from the beginning, so I got to watch a good chunk of Season 1 in the initial run, although the later change to a 10 p.m. time slot was past my bedtime. (The first television I was allowed to stay up without time restriction to see was the Apollo 11 moon shot coverage. Mom and dad said, "As long as you're watching that, you can stay up as late as you want". They knew how historic that was.)
"Balance of Terror" was (and is) my all-time favorite episode of Star Trek (or actually, of any TV show). THAT'S how you write (and act) an adversary! Mark Lenard's performance was sheer brilliance, and I think of him as the original Romulan Commander, even more than as Sarek. He is why I prefer playing Romulans in STO than playing Starfleet or KDF officers. The heck with TNG's Romulans, THESE guys are the real McCoy (no pun intended). (BTW, while I'd love to see a T6 Connie in the new Season, I'd like a T6 T'Liss even more. Hint, hint.)
Anyway, thanks to the Devs for sharing their stories - I really enjoyed them, and hope you enjoyed mine.
I'm about the same age as Geko, from the sound of it - was born (just) after TOS' original run, but saw the reruns and TAS as a kid in the 70s, all the movies first-run in theaters, and TNG as I was starting college. (And yes, I remember the TOS "Fotonovels" - my hometown library had several. Google for that spelling if you want to see what they looked like.)
I will admit that TMP's introduction of the "new" Enterprise is quite drawn out, especially compared to the equivalent scene in JJTrek (five minutes versus, what, twenty seconds?). But I'm hopelessly biased and/or in love with the design of the refit Connie, and have been since first sight. So for me as well as Jim Kirk, that's five glorious minutes of "look at this beautiful lady, damnit, just look at her." (Jerry Goldsmith's fantastic score certainly helps, and I'm glad they brought back the main theme for TNG - appropriate, since the original idea for a second series ("Phase II") got turned into TMP after the success of a certain other movie...)
Also, I was the nerdy eldest sibling in my family.
Was a weekend afternoon, done my homework
I think it was aired on BBC,
the man with shinny head said "something something potato..."
had to turn on the subtitle and looked what the hell was a "torpedo".
and why on earth the captain every time says engage
couldnt find any suitable translation in my old dictionary.
but Trek got me read some shakespear or at least tried
took me some time, since general chang was quoting here and there
Certain stuffs just lost in translation
But most likely wouldnt become a fan if it werent for my crappy english
other BBC stuffs were just way too fast and complicated for me to extrapolate the narrative based on a couple words
except for Benny Hills and Mr Beans
I'm about the same age as Geko, from the sound of it - was born (just) after TOS' original run, but saw the reruns and TAS as a kid in the 70s, all the movies first-run in theaters, and TNG as I was starting college. (And yes, I remember the TOS "Fotonovels" - my hometown library had several. Google for that spelling if you want to see what they looked like.)
I remember having two of those Trek Photo-novels in my hands way back when (1978-ish) in a local bookstore, trying to decide which one to buy with my limited funds at the time.
I ended up getting neither, because one isle over, I found the blueprints for the TOS Enterprise in a clearance bin for like $6 bucks.
(which I still have)
I was a very happy camper that day!
STO Member since February 2009. I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born! Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
As a lil girl, I watched reruns of TOS with my Dad in the 80's and got to see TNG and all the rest first airing. I also went to the SkyDome to see "All Good Things..." on the big screens when TNG ended. Voyager was a disappointment, though. The only redeeming quality to it was Robert Picardo.
Yeah, it was funny that the only remotely likeable person was actually the hologram, while everyone else was either boring, unlikeable or flat out crazy.
As i see from many postings and recall from my own memory, Best of both worlds was a milestone for many ppl. In retrospect i wonder how TNG or Star Trek in general would have been developed if Picard could not been saved and Riker or someone else became the new captain of the -D.
"...'With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured...the first thought forbidden...the first freedom denied--chains us all irrevocably.' ... The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. I fear that today--"
- (TNG) Picard, quoting Judge Aaron Satie
My first steps were actually through Toys some 22 Years ago...
I had a bunch of those flimsy little Micromachines Ships without knowing what they were, they just looked cool and I had to have them, yeah I was one of those kids
A little bit later I saw 'The Undiscovered Country' on one of those old "Star Trek Days" on Kabel 1 (a german TV Channel) and recognised the Ship (Funny enough I didn't have the Enterprise at that time but the Excelsior) and I was intrigued, of course, still a kid, I had no Idea and it took some more time until I discovered Deep Space Nine and later Voyager were running at the time and that's when it really took off
It always amazes me how deep our German fan family is.
Trek has been with me for as long as I can remember. There wasn't really a single point at which I was introduced to it. Reruns came on while I was stuck with public access TV. My mother is an avid Voyager fan and we watched it as it was coming out - she even did little pixel art and web page layouts back in the day that were Trek themed. One of my earliest exposures to TOS was actually a reference in the old show Muppet Babies, in which Miss Piggy was a Klingon, Kermit was Kirk, and Gonzo was Spock (sadly I can't find it on Youtube, else I'd share). They actually used TOS footage, too. My parents tried to buy old TNG action figures and put them away so they could resell them some years down the line, but when a small child finds toys, we're hard pressed not to open them. My parents relented, and I had the sweetest Data, Troi, and even a K'Ehleyr figure!
The funny thing is, I remember when Enterprise came out, back before they put Star Trek in the title, and I looked at it and thought "how did such a blatant Star Trek ripoff make it to TV". I was surprised to find out later it actually was Star Trek.
AAAAAAAHHHHHHH AAAAAAAHHHH AAHH-AAAAAAHH
(MUPPET BABIES THEY MAKE OUR DREAMS COME TRUUUUE)
(BOW BOW WOP) (BOW BOW WOP) (BOW BOW WOP) (WOP DE SHOOBIE WOP)
I remember having two of those Trek Photo-novels in my hands way back when (1978-ish) in a local bookstore, trying to decide which one to buy with my limited funds at the time.
I ended up getting neither, because one isle over, I found the blueprints for the TOS Enterprise in a clearance bin for like $6 bucks.
(which I still have)
I was a very happy camper that day!
To quote a very old man...you chose...wisely.
"Rise like Lions after slumber, In unvanquishable number, Shake your chains to earth like dew, Which in sleep had fallen on you-Ye are many they are few"
I'll be honest, at 38 years old with a shoddy memory and the sheer ubiquity of Star Trek in my life, I can't remember a time when I wasn't a fan, maybe when I was very small. I'll just say that I was a big fan of Star Trek before there was a TNG and I do remember being hyped out of my skull for TNG in '87.
The year: 1969
My age: 6 years old.
The channel: 4 (KNBC in L.A. - still showing Season 3 first run)
The Star Trek (original series) Episode: "Elaan of Troyius"
The result: Star Trek fan ever since (and huge science fiction fan in general).
Did that also cause a crush on France Nguyen too?
No. That said, my Mother told me I was running around using plastic dinner placemats as body armor.
Formerly known as Armsman from June 2008 to June 20, 2012 PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
Hmm, if what Trendy wrote in Memories: Content Team) was true, then where have you gone astray? Why does STO resembles so little the genuine Star Trek and its experience?
And I'll tell you: not a shooting action game (teen money spenders - oriented), but an adventure, a moral choice, exploration, dangers of the unknown. Fewer weapon slots, more mysteries to be solved.
I wasn't a Star Trek fan until late 2013/beginning of 2014.
In fact, when my best friend asked me to try STO, I was squirming. Partially because of ignorance; I thought Star Trek was all about Captain Kirk & his misadventures of seducing every female alien life-form. I wasn't a fan, not at all. Little did I know there was more to the Star Trek. But, as a sci-fi lover & enthusiastic gamer, practically raised on both, I decided to give the game a try, around August-September 2013.
To put it in perspective - When I began playing STO, I didn't get a lot of the references to the Star Trek episodes in the story-missions at all, because I haven't watched Star Trek before. It felt odd and it soon enough began grinding my gears. You can't just enjoy something fully, unless some level of understanding and knowledge is achieved. That set me on the way of becoming a Star Trek fan & later on, avid roleplayer in the same universe; the more I watched. I started out with The Next Generation; falling in love with episodes like 'I, Borg' & the classics of 'Q, who' and many others.
Time passing, I continued on onto Deep Space 9, initially being put off by the fact it wasn't on a starship. Getting over it quickly, I got to appreciate the show for this fact later on, as well as showing another light on the universe of Star Trek. It in fact became my second-most favorite series, because it had this unique flavor to it.
Last, but for me, definitelly not least, was run through Voyager; this quickly becoming my #1. For many reasons, aside of them expanding the known lore, and it not being about another Enterprise. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the Enterprise at all, it's just.. it was nice to see another ship and crew, y'know? And many characters in that particular show won me over. Sure, it had plenty of flaws, but honestly.. which show doesn't have them? That'd be a long-winded discussion. Heh.
As a funny side-note, when I got my LTS on STO after like a month of playing (yep, enjoyed playing alongside my best friend a lot...), I originally made a Liberated Borg character because 'it looked cool' & in my watch of Star Trek episodes, I wasn't that far into it to know about the Borg, back then.
I always had a thing for cybernetics & cyborgs, for as long as remember, so... I had to make one. Little did I know I'd later on get really in love with the theme of Liberated Borg, sticking to it for over two years and going; being influenced mainly by the story of Hugh. (so not 7 of 9, no, I wasn't even up to the point when they introduced her, and I was still watching TNG at time my character was born. )
I digress - But, TL;DR is, that STO actually got me to watch the Star Trek and the show, its' message and magic is what keeps living its' own life nowadays and my fondness of them grows, and hoping to nourish that little newly discovered passion of mine even further.
After all - Star Trek is so diverse that almost anyone is able to find their own little flavor, if they try and want to.
[10:20] Your Lunge deals 4798 (2580) Physical Damage(Critical) to Tosk of Borg.
Star Trek Online Volunteer Community Moderator "bIghojchugh DaneH, Dumev pagh. bIghojqangbe'chugh, DuQaHlaH pagh." "Learn lots. Don't judge. Laugh for no reason. Be nice. Seek happiness."~Day[9] "Your fun isn't wrong."~LaughingTrendy
Thanks all, really enjoyed the spirit of this thread.
I first watched the syndicated TOS on CBC Saturday mornings. It might have been "Wolf in the Fold" or, "What Are Little Girls Made Of". I can't recall but I've watched the every series, played games electronic to tabletop and always loved the franchise.
Star Wars has the better toys when I was a kid but when I outgrew them they got left behind. Star Trek didn't because I felt that it grew up with me.
I wasn't a Star Trek fan until late 2013/beginning of 2014.
In fact, when my best friend asked me to try STO, I was squirming. Partially because of ignorance; I thought Star Trek was all about Captain Kirk & his misadventures of seducing every female alien life-form. I wasn't a fan, not at all. Little did I know there was more to the Star Trek. But, as a sci-fi lover & enthusiastic gamer, practically raised on both, I decided to give the game a try, around August-September 2013.
To put it in perspective - When I began playing STO, I didn't get a lot of the references to the Star Trek episodes in the story-missions at all, because I haven't watched Star Trek before. It felt odd and it soon enough began grinding my gears. You can't just enjoy something fully, unless some level of understanding and knowledge is achieved. That set me on the way of becoming a Star Trek fan & later on, avid roleplayer in the same universe; the more I watched. I started out with The Next Generation; falling in love with episodes like 'I, Borg' & the classics of 'Q, who' and many others.
Time passing, I continued on onto Deep Space 9, initially being put off by the fact it wasn't on a starship. Getting over it quickly, I got to appreciate the show for this fact later on, as well as showing another light on the universe of Star Trek. It in fact became my second-most favorite series, because it had this unique flavor to it.
Last, but for me, definitelly not least, was run through Voyager; this quickly becoming my #1. For many reasons, aside of them expanding the known lore, and it not being about another Enterprise. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the Enterprise at all, it's just.. it was nice to see another ship and crew, y'know? And many characters in that particular show won me over. Sure, it had plenty of flaws, but honestly.. which show doesn't have them? That'd be a long-winded discussion. Heh.
As a funny side-note, when I got my LTS on STO after like a month of playing (yep, enjoyed playing alongside my best friend a lot...), I originally made a Liberated Borg character because 'it looked cool' & in my watch of Star Trek episodes, I wasn't that far into it to know about the Borg, back then.
I always had a thing for cybernetics & cyborgs, for as long as remember, so... I had to make one. Little did I know I'd later on get really in love with the theme of Liberated Borg, sticking to it for over two years and going; being influenced mainly by the story of Hugh. (so not 7 of 9, no, I wasn't even up to the point when they introduced her, and I was still watching TNG at time my character was born. )
I digress - But, TL;DR is, that STO actually got me to watch the Star Trek and the show, its' message and magic is what keeps living its' own life nowadays and my fondness of them grows, and hoping to nourish that little newly discovered passion of mine even further.
After all - Star Trek is so diverse that almost anyone is able to find their own little flavor, if they try and want to.
Huh. I never would've thought that about you. As much as I've read your stuff you always felt like a lifelong fan to me.
The year: 1969
My age: 6 years old.
The channel: 4 (KNBC in L.A. - still showing Season 3 first run)
The Star Trek (original series) Episode: "Elaan of Troyius"
The result: Star Trek fan ever since (and huge science fiction fan in general).
Did that also cause a crush on France Nguyen too?
No. That said, my Mother told me I was running around using plastic dinner placemats as body armor.
I remember I got a really nice TNG combadge pin. Gold plated and everything. I wore it to school. Was teased rather brutally. Loss of brightness for my Star Trek fandom. 0%.
"Rise like Lions after slumber, In unvanquishable number, Shake your chains to earth like dew, Which in sleep had fallen on you-Ye are many they are few"
I vaguely remember watching TOS during it's original run in the '60s as a young kid. I also remember watching Lost In Space around the same time, but even then I thought Star Trek was the better show. When it came to syndication in the '70s, it was on M-F when I came home from school then repeated at 6pm on Saturdays right after Outer Limits and Twilight Zone so I was glued to the tube whenever it was on. Even though I've never thought of TMP as being a great movie, I'll never forget the flyover "intro" to the Enterprise. I remember feeling as much as I figured Kirk was as Scotty flew him out to her (there may have even been a tear--LOL). I still think TWOK is my favorite of the TOS films partly because of Ricardo Montalban's performance and because it felt the most "Star Trek" like (if that makes sense) of the films to me. In all honesty, one of my least favorite of the TOS films is TVH (next to TFF) because I felt it turned Star Trek into something of a bad joke.
The first ST convention I went to was with my father where I got the chance to meet George Takei, who I think is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Since then, I've met everyone from the original cast except for Walter Koenig, but I think the biggest honor to me was meeting Majel Barret Roddenberry. It may seem odd, but I had a real sense that I was meeting royalty partly because of who she was but also the persona she gave off. I also had the pleasure of living in the same area as James Doohan during his later years, so I would run into him quite often at the supermarket or wherever. My most distinct memory of first meeting him, though, was at a convention he held in town where the proceeds went to the local Childrens Hospital, if I remember right. I was in line where some convention items were being sold and started -- um -- "chatting up" this really cute lady behind the counter. As this was happening, James Doohan approached her, and she gave him a big hug saying, "Hi, Uncle." Needless to say, I felt a tad bit awkward at that point, but she introduced me to her uncle, and the feeling passed fairly quickly.
If I ran home from elementary school fast enough, I could catch the end of The Banana Splits and get right into Star Blazers. Saturday was the great Land of the Lost, but Star Trek? I HATED IT! My older brother loved the show, but I could not stand it. That was late 70's and in the early 80s, I went to my brothers apartment. He never kept his VHS tapes in order, they never had the correct title on them and he would scotch tape the recording tab so he could record Star Trek whenever he needed to.
I made lunch and looked for a VHS tape to watch. I don't remember the title, but I put it in and pressed play. Star Trek... really? I ejected the tape and went looking for another tape to play. I found one and popped it in. Again Star Trek. Well, it was look for another tape or let my food get cold, so I let the tape play. I think it was The Return of The Archons. The episode finished and I though, "You know that wasn't half bad..." so I let the next episode play and that was it. I was hooked! Even now in my mid 40s I still can't get enough Star Trek. From the original series to JJ Abrams. Yeah there are lots of things I would have liked to have seen, things I would have liked to have been different, some I wouldn't change at all and I have seen the actors come and gone.
Star Trek will live for many many years, from one medium to another, from one actor to another, and from one person to another. The adventure is really the never ending story.
Comments
When I got older we watched Voyager reruns every week on the sci-fi channel and I eventually binged on Voyager, DS9 and Enterprise. Still haven't see much TOS or TNG but I love all the movies (JJ Abrams as well).
Went through Babylon 5, Stargate and most of Battlestar Galactica which I all loved but Trek still tops the rest even if Stargate tails it closely.
Yeah I'm really happy for you,and I'mma let you finish, but Archer still had the greatest melee kill of all time when he took out Dolim.
TACO!!! Always great to see you boss.
I thought sharing stories would be the natural thing.
Of course you're right. Love at first sight. Though he treated her like a femme fatale. He knew it wasn't meant to be, but he could never leave her.
Well Balance of Terror was just a magnificent hour of honor and tension, it's not a surprise
Hi five for your luck at knowing James Doohan.
"I will not lower the screens."
Did that also cause a crush on France Nguyen too?
Now that you mention it. For his generation, a major character dying like that must've been completely out of left field.
I had a bunch of those flimsy little Micromachines Ships without knowing what they were, they just looked cool and I had to have them, yeah I was one of those kids
A little bit later I saw 'The Undiscovered Country' on one of those old "Star Trek Days" on Kabel 1 (a german TV Channel) and recognised the Ship (Funny enough I didn't have the Enterprise at that time but the Excelsior) and I was intrigued, of course, still a kid, I had no Idea and it took some more time until I discovered Deep Space Nine and later Voyager were running at the time and that's when it really took off
My first Memory?
Spock exploring a huge space amobea...
I think it must have been in the year 1979, i think.
But i got really hooked when i saw an ad about a new StarTrek series and a promo shot of the Enterprise -D in a magazine. (yeah kids, there was a time without internet...)
Of course i knew lots of other Sci fi stuff (Alien, Star Wars and many, many others) but i was so fascinated by the design and how idealistic and mature its tone was (especially compared to SW) i'm still fascinated by it. I watched the TOS movies and was similar impressed. But at that age i preferred TNG because of it's more advanced technical gadgets and ships (year, i was pretty superficial then, lol).
Of course, later the magic was gone and it became a bit shallow, especially with DS9 and Voy. (I somehow think Trek has lost its innocence with DS9, but that's another topic). With those shows Trek became a bit too generic in certain aspects and lost much of its uniqueness for me.
Today i prefer to watch TOS, TOS movies and TNG (NOT the movies ).
In the before time. In the long, long ago.
Since introduced my bro to trek with this episode
-Lord Commander Solar Macharius
For me it was finding a viewmaster reel of the first episode of TAS. Unfortunately it was only part 1 of 2 or 3 and it wasn't until decades alter that I found out how the episode ended.
My character Tsin'xing
I remember being in bed, It was my bedtime, My parents must've been watching that episode, cause I remember hearing that that menacing, maniacal voice saying "You are all going to die !" It gave me the Heebie-jeebies somethin awful ! Imagine me, just a tot, still awake, all alone in my dark room hearing that ! It was awesome !
That is such a great episode !
The funny thing is, I remember when Enterprise came out, back before they put Star Trek in the title, and I looked at it and thought "how did such a blatant Star Trek ripoff make it to TV". I was surprised to find out later it actually was Star Trek.
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original join date 2010
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I never got to see The Motion Picture in the theatres/drive-ins, but I finally got to see it on TV (including the Wall of Memories scene that supposedly only had been shown in the TV version, which usually was shorter than the original theatrical release).
But I did get to see the later movies on the silver screen.
When The Next Generation was announced, to be on Fox TV (Fox bought out Channel 50), I dreaded it. They had the failed remake of The Munsters, so I was worried that TNG was going to be just as bad. Thank goodness that it was better than expected and did get better with time.
Truth be told, they teased viewers too much with the possibility of Captain Pickard being lost, and Riker taking his place. Mind you, I didn't like the Captain until the Risa vacation episode. That's when I felt he really was worthy of the role.
"Balance of Terror" was (and is) my all-time favorite episode of Star Trek (or actually, of any TV show). THAT'S how you write (and act) an adversary! Mark Lenard's performance was sheer brilliance, and I think of him as the original Romulan Commander, even more than as Sarek. He is why I prefer playing Romulans in STO than playing Starfleet or KDF officers. The heck with TNG's Romulans, THESE guys are the real McCoy (no pun intended). (BTW, while I'd love to see a T6 Connie in the new Season, I'd like a T6 T'Liss even more. Hint, hint.)
Anyway, thanks to the Devs for sharing their stories - I really enjoyed them, and hope you enjoyed mine.
I will admit that TMP's introduction of the "new" Enterprise is quite drawn out, especially compared to the equivalent scene in JJTrek (five minutes versus, what, twenty seconds?). But I'm hopelessly biased and/or in love with the design of the refit Connie, and have been since first sight. So for me as well as Jim Kirk, that's five glorious minutes of "look at this beautiful lady, damnit, just look at her." (Jerry Goldsmith's fantastic score certainly helps, and I'm glad they brought back the main theme for TNG - appropriate, since the original idea for a second series ("Phase II") got turned into TMP after the success of a certain other movie...)
Also, I was the nerdy eldest sibling in my family.
I think it was aired on BBC,
the man with shinny head said "something something potato..."
had to turn on the subtitle and looked what the hell was a "torpedo".
and why on earth the captain every time says engage
couldnt find any suitable translation in my old dictionary.
but Trek got me read some shakespear or at least tried
took me some time, since general chang was quoting here and there
Certain stuffs just lost in translation
But most likely wouldnt become a fan if it werent for my crappy english
other BBC stuffs were just way too fast and complicated for me to extrapolate the narrative based on a couple words
except for Benny Hills and Mr Beans
My character Tsin'xing
I ended up getting neither, because one isle over, I found the blueprints for the TOS Enterprise in a clearance bin for like $6 bucks.
(which I still have)
I was a very happy camper that day!
I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born!
Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
As i see from many postings and recall from my own memory, Best of both worlds was a milestone for many ppl. In retrospect i wonder how TNG or Star Trek in general would have been developed if Picard could not been saved and Riker or someone else became the new captain of the -D.
It always amazes me how deep our German fan family is.
AAAAAAAHHHHHHH AAAAAAAHHHH AAHH-AAAAAAHH
(MUPPET BABIES THEY MAKE OUR DREAMS COME TRUUUUE)
(BOW BOW WOP) (BOW BOW WOP) (BOW BOW WOP) (WOP DE SHOOBIE WOP)
To quote a very old man...you chose...wisely.
Yeah dave we get a nice read about a dev
then get a doomsayer response from someone
and if anyone was shocked that happened well then
welcome to the STO forum lol
No. That said, my Mother told me I was running around using plastic dinner placemats as body armor.
PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
And I'll tell you: not a shooting action game (teen money spenders - oriented), but an adventure, a moral choice, exploration, dangers of the unknown. Fewer weapon slots, more mysteries to be solved.
In fact, when my best friend asked me to try STO, I was squirming. Partially because of ignorance; I thought Star Trek was all about Captain Kirk & his misadventures of seducing every female alien life-form. I wasn't a fan, not at all. Little did I know there was more to the Star Trek. But, as a sci-fi lover & enthusiastic gamer, practically raised on both, I decided to give the game a try, around August-September 2013.
To put it in perspective - When I began playing STO, I didn't get a lot of the references to the Star Trek episodes in the story-missions at all, because I haven't watched Star Trek before. It felt odd and it soon enough began grinding my gears. You can't just enjoy something fully, unless some level of understanding and knowledge is achieved. That set me on the way of becoming a Star Trek fan & later on, avid roleplayer in the same universe; the more I watched. I started out with The Next Generation; falling in love with episodes like 'I, Borg' & the classics of 'Q, who' and many others.
Time passing, I continued on onto Deep Space 9, initially being put off by the fact it wasn't on a starship. Getting over it quickly, I got to appreciate the show for this fact later on, as well as showing another light on the universe of Star Trek. It in fact became my second-most favorite series, because it had this unique flavor to it.
Last, but for me, definitelly not least, was run through Voyager; this quickly becoming my #1. For many reasons, aside of them expanding the known lore, and it not being about another Enterprise. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the Enterprise at all, it's just.. it was nice to see another ship and crew, y'know? And many characters in that particular show won me over. Sure, it had plenty of flaws, but honestly.. which show doesn't have them? That'd be a long-winded discussion. Heh.
As a funny side-note, when I got my LTS on STO after like a month of playing (yep, enjoyed playing alongside my best friend a lot...), I originally made a Liberated Borg character because 'it looked cool' & in my watch of Star Trek episodes, I wasn't that far into it to know about the Borg, back then.
I always had a thing for cybernetics & cyborgs, for as long as remember, so... I had to make one. Little did I know I'd later on get really in love with the theme of Liberated Borg, sticking to it for over two years and going; being influenced mainly by the story of Hugh. (so not 7 of 9, no, I wasn't even up to the point when they introduced her, and I was still watching TNG at time my character was born.
I digress - But, TL;DR is, that STO actually got me to watch the Star Trek and the show, its' message and magic is what keeps living its' own life nowadays and my fondness of them grows, and hoping to nourish that little newly discovered passion of mine even further.
After all - Star Trek is so diverse that almost anyone is able to find their own little flavor, if they try and want to.
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"bIghojchugh DaneH, Dumev pagh. bIghojqangbe'chugh, DuQaHlaH pagh."
"Learn lots. Don't judge. Laugh for no reason. Be nice. Seek happiness." ~Day[9]
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I first watched the syndicated TOS on CBC Saturday mornings. It might have been "Wolf in the Fold" or, "What Are Little Girls Made Of". I can't recall but I've watched the every series, played games electronic to tabletop and always loved the franchise.
Star Wars has the better toys when I was a kid but when I outgrew them they got left behind. Star Trek didn't because I felt that it grew up with me.
Huh. I never would've thought that about you. As much as I've read your stuff you always felt like a lifelong fan to me.
I remember I got a really nice TNG combadge pin. Gold plated and everything. I wore it to school. Was teased rather brutally. Loss of brightness for my Star Trek fandom. 0%.
The first ST convention I went to was with my father where I got the chance to meet George Takei, who I think is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Since then, I've met everyone from the original cast except for Walter Koenig, but I think the biggest honor to me was meeting Majel Barret Roddenberry. It may seem odd, but I had a real sense that I was meeting royalty partly because of who she was but also the persona she gave off. I also had the pleasure of living in the same area as James Doohan during his later years, so I would run into him quite often at the supermarket or wherever. My most distinct memory of first meeting him, though, was at a convention he held in town where the proceeds went to the local Childrens Hospital, if I remember right. I was in line where some convention items were being sold and started -- um -- "chatting up" this really cute lady behind the counter. As this was happening, James Doohan approached her, and she gave him a big hug saying, "Hi, Uncle." Needless to say, I felt a tad bit awkward at that point, but she introduced me to her uncle, and the feeling passed fairly quickly.
All in all, some good memories.
I made lunch and looked for a VHS tape to watch. I don't remember the title, but I put it in and pressed play. Star Trek... really? I ejected the tape and went looking for another tape to play. I found one and popped it in. Again Star Trek. Well, it was look for another tape or let my food get cold, so I let the tape play. I think it was The Return of The Archons. The episode finished and I though, "You know that wasn't half bad..." so I let the next episode play and that was it. I was hooked! Even now in my mid 40s I still can't get enough Star Trek. From the original series to JJ Abrams. Yeah there are lots of things I would have liked to have seen, things I would have liked to have been different, some I wouldn't change at all and I have seen the actors come and gone.
Star Trek will live for many many years, from one medium to another, from one actor to another, and from one person to another. The adventure is really the never ending story.
Thank you Gene for your wonderful vision.