LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
edited April 2009
) For sure...cue up the Beach Boys B-)
I can't believe anyone who's seen "The Inner Light" or "All Good Things..." can't give TNG it's due. Sure, there aren't any tribbles around, but...
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
TNG was pretty neat, I anticipated that series greatly when it was first released. I still think it's better then any of the following ST incarnations. Voyager had 9 and the Doc, but then there was Cpt. Janeway, barking orders like Jane Curtin's old SNL conehead character.
I know DS9 is praised highly around these parts but I could never get into it. Everytime I tuned in someone's having Kardassian domestic problems. Though I did like the Ferengi. We used to joke about some of the "human ferengi" around town.
I'll also add my love for the animated episodes. Great stories by the likes of DC Fontana and David Gerrold, original actors in the voice overs, what's not to like here pard?
Wow Alex, it's like you took over my mind and wrote exactly what I was thinking.
I liked parts of TNG. The first couple of seasons are a wash, with the exception of "Conspiracy" (a great little episode that they never followed up on) and the introduction of the Borg at the end of Season 2. Seasons 3-5 were probably the high water mark of TNG for me. By Season 6 they were starting to fall into self indulgence with a little too much singing, political correctness and Rassican flutes for my tastes, but there were still some good episodes to be found. And "All Good Things" is uniformly better than any of the TNG movies (including First Contact).
DS9 left me cold; the shifting alliances, self righteous characters and habitual deconstruction of TOS and TNG events (the mirror universe, Worf's brother, etc.) were a real turn-off to me.
Voyager and Enterprise were both largely forgettable. They both had some decent episodes here and there (mainly the Borg stuff with Voyager and the later Vulcan and Andorian stories with Enterprise). They also had their share of eye candy (I'm talking about 7 of 9 and T'Pol, not the spaceship designs) but on the whole, they just continued the downward trend of quality. Captains Janeway and especially Archer were also two of the most disappointing characters across all the shows.
So yeah, I like TNG as well, though it comes in a distant third behind classic TOS and the animated show, which limited animation notwithstanding, still told some pretty damned intelligent and thoughtful stories.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
LONG LIVE THE ORIGINAL SERIES!!!!!!! ORIGINAL!!!
*runs*
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
It should also be pointed out that TOS has what is undoubtedly the greatest Klingon saying of all time:
"Four thousand throats may be cut in one night by a running man" *
I'd like to see Worf try and top that!)
* Day of the Dove; told to Kang by an unnamed Klingon crewman
Indeed. B-)
That should be a bumper sticker.
Btw, I left teaching my classes to look for the old animated series on dvd at Best Buy. It's not to be found anywhere and I even went to the one in my neighborhood.
Methinks I'll have to try the Amazon approach. I never missed a Saturday morning watching it on NBC and then The Pink Panther afterwards.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
i love TOS, too, but i'm also very excited about this film.
we'll all still be able to see Kirk blast the Gorn with an improvised cannon or watch Spock groove-out with the space hippies! )
we'll also get to see some of our favorite characters in a new epic adventure up on the big screen.
avoiding all the spoilers is getting tough!
just alittle more!!! {[]
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
edited April 2009
Very cool, clum! Thanks for sharing {[]
Good to see Shatner with The New Guy...and very classy of JJ Abrams & Co. to attend his charity event.
Chris Pine appears significantly taller than the Shat-Man in that pic...looks as if the Trek producers have pulled off a 'Reverse Daniel Craig'---a high-risk move with a difficulty factor of 8.5 B-)
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
I decided to pick up Season 1 of Star Trek (TOS) on BluRay and it arrived via Amazon.com today. For once, Paramount got it right and puts just about everything one could ask for into this presentation:
The remastered live action is amazing and many scenes are a revelation. Whether it be the greenish hue of Spock's skin in Where No Man Has Gone Before or the bright colors of the various sets like the greenish and bluish hues in sickbay, the colors leap off the screen.
The sound has been revamped into a Dolby 7.1 presentation. When the Enterprise fires its phasers in Balance of Terror, the subwooffer causes the whole room to reverberate and the torpedoes sound like they're all around you.
The detail is amazing: the textures of the fabrics, the imperfections on the consoles, the pores in the actors' skin all stand out.
Much controversy surrounded the new CGI effects that were added to the show; thanks to BluRay's enhanced storage space, both the original effects and their new CGI counterparts are included with every episode. Switching back and forth is instantaneous and as simple as pressing the ANGLE button on the remote.
Many episodes include a picture in picture commentary with Michael and Denise Okuda and other goodies. And I haven't even looked at the interactive Enterprise tour, Billy Blackburn's home movies from the set, or the other extras.
Of course, the added visual fidelity does also bring out the shows visual shortcomings: makeup effects like Spock's ears are more prominent if you look, you can sometimes make out stains and dangling threads on costumes and the occasional shadow of a camera or microphone rears its head. Those things were all there but the enhanced definition of BluRay makes them more visible if you know where to look.
Still, that's a minor nitpick. Season One sells for $65 on Amazon.com. I've only watched a couple of episodes and already feel I've gotten my money's worth. TOS is great television and the episodes have held up nicely. I'll put Where No Man Has Gone Before and Balance of Terror up with the best episodes of ANY show, not just other Trek incarnations. Can't wait to dig into the rest of the episodes and the current plan is for Seasons 2 and 3 to be released in the fall.
If you're a TOS Trek fan and have a BluRay player, it just doesn't get any better than this.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited April 2009
Sounds great, Tony . Is the episode SHORE LEAVE in that S1 set or is that Season 2?
Man, I have to wait until May 8th for that animated set to come from Amazon.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
As a newcomer sort of to ST, which of the films or episodes should I see to prime for the reboot? I remember the episodes from growing up of course.
Since the film is largely a reboot, you shouldn't really need to be familiar with past Trek to be able to make sense of it. Here's a little quick background info on the movie (very minor spoilers contained therein):
In the late 24th Century Nero, a Romulan miner, blames Spock for the destruction of his home world Romulus. Nero's mining ship (which has some very advanced capabilities) and Spock's one-man spaceship are somehow sent back thru time to the 23rd Century (the era of the original series) where Nero decides to take revenge on Spock by destroying Vulcan and the rest of the planets of the Federation. In trying to do this, Nero inadvertently changes the timeline and the elder Spock, along with the young, green, just out of Starfleet Academy crew of the Enterprise must try to stop him.
The movie takes place in an alternate universe where things don't necessarily play out as they did before (that's not a spoiler, BTW, as the filmmakers have said as much in several interviews) and whole point of this new version is to wipe the slate clean without undoing what's come before and bring people unfamiliar with Trek into the fold so you should be good to go.
Like Alex, Shore Leave is one of my favorite eps from TOS. It just stands the test of time IMO.
Shore Leave is great, but I prefer the more conflict-heavy episodes like Balance of Terror or Errand of Mercy (which I will hopefully watch tonight in glorious HD). Some great lines by the late John Kolicos as Kor in that one, especially when he browbeats the Organians:
I hope you continue to savor the sweetness of your lives. You DISGUST me! All of you!!!)
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Like Alex, Shore Leave is one of my favorite eps from TOS. It just stands the test of time IMO.
Shore Leave is great, but I prefer the more conflict-heavy episodes like Balance of Terror or Errand of Mercy (which I will hopefully watch tonight in glorious HD). Some great lines by the late John Kolicos as Kor in that one, especially when he browbeats the Organians:
I hope you continue to savor the sweetness of your lives. You DISGUST me! All of you!!!)
THE ENEMY WITHIN in S1 is also one of my favorite eps. Every line by bad Kirk in that was a running joke with me and my classmates back in elementary. We always re-enacted this ep during recess at least once a week- that and the one with Landru. ;%
"I said give me the Brandy!" The way Shat-Man delivers that line with lust and hate in his eyes. )
And of course the Emmy worthy lines:
"I want to live.......I WANT TO LIVE!!!!!"
The pause and facial expression is key in delivering this effectively.
Shatner really reached down for that one. ) ) )
Also notice the director always played up the lighting on evil Kirk's close-ups. God, this series is epic win. B-)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Like Alex, Shore Leave is one of my favorite eps from TOS. It just stands the test of time IMO.
Shore Leave is great, but I prefer the more conflict-heavy episodes like Balance of Terror or Errand of Mercy (which I will hopefully watch tonight in glorious HD). Some great lines by the late John Kolicos as Kor in that one, especially when he browbeats the Organians:
I hope you continue to savor the sweetness of your lives. You DISGUST me! All of you!!!)
There are few things in this world greater then John Colicos as Commander Kor in Errand of Mercy. (he also gave me a few nightmares in Battle Star Galactica)
For example, "Good honest hatred. Very refeshing.") It doesn't get any better then that!
My favorites from the first season are many. There's only one episode in the entire run I don't care for. (The Alternative Factor) But ever since my young days, "Miri" and "The Return of the Archons" were heay contenders.
I always liked Alternative Factor; in fact, just about all the episodes I don't really care for are from the third season: Plato's Stepchildren, And The Children Shall Lead, Turnabout Intruder, and a few more. Quite honestly, the real reason I'll be getting Season 3 is because it will have the complete, full color, remastered and restored version of the original pilot, The Cage. That, along with a few other good episodes, will probably make it worth the purchase.
What amazed me in watching those shows last night is how much William Shatner changed over the years. With Leonard Nimoy, you can more easily associate the character from the show with the one in the movies and the person of today. I'll always be a fan of the Shatman, but he has changed so much. Even in the latter films, physically he's almost a completely different person and even his acting styles and mannerisms are very far removed from those old shows. Whereas I can still see some of the old Spock in today's Leonard Nimoy, I really don't see anything of Kirk in Shatner anymore. Maybe its for the best that he isn't in this new movie as I have my doubts he would have been able to channel anything of the Kirk I grew up with.
Thanks to the fact that Netflix offers the first season of TOS for instant viewing, I've been introducing the wife to the joys of William Shatner. My wife has sort of 'backed in' to Star Trek and is unconsciously becoming a fan. She watched the movies with me, but they meant nothing to her really. And she got caught up in Enterprise as I was watching it for my own personal interest - she particularly liked T'Pol.
I've secretly been leading her down the 'trek' path and watched the animated series with her (she likes cartoons) and since the episodes are only 20 minutes, she never got distracted.
Additionally, she's a Mission: Impossible fan and when the series made the switch from Martin Landeau's character to Leonard Nimoy, she commented that she really liked Nimoy as an actor. Now that she knows Nimoy is in TOS, I pretty much got her hooked. (I think she has a thing for Vulcans).
I recently purchased the first season of TNG and she seems to be enjoying that as well...I'm a lucky man!
Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,707MI6 Agent
I always liked Alternative Factor; in fact, just about all the episodes I don't really care for are from the third season: Plato's Stepchildren, And The Children Shall Lead, Turnabout Intruder, and a few more. Quite honestly, the real reason I'll be getting Season 3 is because it will have the complete, full color, remastered and restored version of the original pilot, The Cage. That, along with a few other good episodes, will probably make it worth the purchase.
What amazed me in watching those shows last night is how much William Shatner changed over the years. With Leonard Nimoy, you can more easily associate the character from the show with the one in the movies and the person of today. I'll always be a fan of the Shatman, but he has changed so much. Even in the latter films, physically he's almost a completely different person and even his acting styles and mannerisms are very far removed from those old shows. Whereas I can still see some of the old Spock in today's Leonard Nimoy, I really don't see anything of Kirk in Shatner anymore. Maybe its for the best that he isn't in this new movie as I have my doubts he would have been able to channel anything of the Kirk I grew up with.
Little misquote on my behalf. By least favorite of the "entire run", I meant least favorite first season. (solitary episode, not bad at all)
Most of ones I don't care for are from the NBC revenge on Gene Roddenberry's campaign - change of schedule - budget slashing third season. X-(
(though the second season does have that doozy of an attempt at a spinoff with Teri Garr, a black cat, and plenty of NASA stock footage, which always puts me to sleep)
And the Children Shall Lead sucks big time. The guy was a lawyer, not an actor.
Can't believe you didn't care for Plato's Stepchildren though. Where else can you see Spock do a Mexican hat dance and sing "Take care young ladies and value your wine."? (used to do a metal cover of that!)
Jolene Blalock was cute but the writers really did her character no favors on that show, quickly turning her into a sex kitten prancing around in skimpy outfits, sweating it up in the decontamination chanber and exploring "human mating habits" with good ole boy Trip.
They similarly kept trying to find ways to get Jeri Ryan's 7 of 9 out of her catsuit on Voyager, once even having a holographic version of her pose nude (with all the naughty bits strategically hidden of course) while the Doctor did a painting of her.
It was all fluffy and very easy on the eyes but really poor storytelling most of the time and its no wonder those shows are off the air and largely forgotten already.
* In case you're not aware, Vulcans mate only once every seven years in the ritual known as Ponn Farr.
I've just seen the new movie and it's great, a nice reboot for a much loved series.{[]
I've always watched star trek in its many forms and after many disapointments like Indy four my hopes were not high, But it's a hoot, well worth watching.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Comments
I can't believe anyone who's seen "The Inner Light" or "All Good Things..." can't give TNG it's due. Sure, there aren't any tribbles around, but...
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
I know DS9 is praised highly around these parts but I could never get into it. Everytime I tuned in someone's having Kardassian domestic problems. Though I did like the Ferengi. We used to joke about some of the "human ferengi" around town.
I'll also add my love for the animated episodes. Great stories by the likes of DC Fontana and David Gerrold, original actors in the voice overs, what's not to like here pard?
I liked parts of TNG. The first couple of seasons are a wash, with the exception of "Conspiracy" (a great little episode that they never followed up on) and the introduction of the Borg at the end of Season 2. Seasons 3-5 were probably the high water mark of TNG for me. By Season 6 they were starting to fall into self indulgence with a little too much singing, political correctness and Rassican flutes for my tastes, but there were still some good episodes to be found. And "All Good Things" is uniformly better than any of the TNG movies (including First Contact).
DS9 left me cold; the shifting alliances, self righteous characters and habitual deconstruction of TOS and TNG events (the mirror universe, Worf's brother, etc.) were a real turn-off to me.
Voyager and Enterprise were both largely forgettable. They both had some decent episodes here and there (mainly the Borg stuff with Voyager and the later Vulcan and Andorian stories with Enterprise). They also had their share of eye candy (I'm talking about 7 of 9 and T'Pol, not the spaceship designs) but on the whole, they just continued the downward trend of quality. Captains Janeway and especially Archer were also two of the most disappointing characters across all the shows.
So yeah, I like TNG as well, though it comes in a distant third behind classic TOS and the animated show, which limited animation notwithstanding, still told some pretty damned intelligent and thoughtful stories.
*runs*
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
It should also be pointed out that TOS has what is undoubtedly the greatest Klingon saying of all time:
"Four thousand throats may be cut in one night by a running man" *
I'd like to see Worf try and top that!
* Day of the Dove; told to Kang by an unnamed Klingon crewman
Indeed. B-)
That should be a bumper sticker.
Btw, I left teaching my classes to look for the old animated series on dvd at Best Buy. It's not to be found anywhere and I even went to the one in my neighborhood.
Methinks I'll have to try the Amazon approach. I never missed a Saturday morning watching it on NBC and then The Pink Panther afterwards.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Star Trek Animated DVD at Amazon.com
It lists for $18.99 and says it should arrive 6 to 9 days after ordering.
Thank you, Tony. I'm ordering a copy now. {[]
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
No need no run from anyone my friend. I'll tip a few flasks of Saurian Brandy to that statement.
*Commander Kor : Errand Of Mercy
from trekmovie.com: http://trekmovie.com/2009/04/25/jj-abrams-cast-attend-shatner-charity-event-w-first-meeting-of-the-kirks-bill-chris/
i love TOS, too, but i'm also very excited about this film.
we'll all still be able to see Kirk blast the Gorn with an improvised cannon or watch Spock groove-out with the space hippies!
we'll also get to see some of our favorite characters in a new epic adventure up on the big screen.
avoiding all the spoilers is getting tough!
just alittle more!!! {[]
Good to see Shatner with The New Guy...and very classy of JJ Abrams & Co. to attend his charity event.
Chris Pine appears significantly taller than the Shat-Man in that pic...looks as if the Trek producers have pulled off a 'Reverse Daniel Craig'---a high-risk move with a difficulty factor of 8.5 B-)
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
The remastered live action is amazing and many scenes are a revelation. Whether it be the greenish hue of Spock's skin in Where No Man Has Gone Before or the bright colors of the various sets like the greenish and bluish hues in sickbay, the colors leap off the screen.
The sound has been revamped into a Dolby 7.1 presentation. When the Enterprise fires its phasers in Balance of Terror, the subwooffer causes the whole room to reverberate and the torpedoes sound like they're all around you.
The detail is amazing: the textures of the fabrics, the imperfections on the consoles, the pores in the actors' skin all stand out.
Much controversy surrounded the new CGI effects that were added to the show; thanks to BluRay's enhanced storage space, both the original effects and their new CGI counterparts are included with every episode. Switching back and forth is instantaneous and as simple as pressing the ANGLE button on the remote.
Many episodes include a picture in picture commentary with Michael and Denise Okuda and other goodies. And I haven't even looked at the interactive Enterprise tour, Billy Blackburn's home movies from the set, or the other extras.
Of course, the added visual fidelity does also bring out the shows visual shortcomings: makeup effects like Spock's ears are more prominent if you look, you can sometimes make out stains and dangling threads on costumes and the occasional shadow of a camera or microphone rears its head. Those things were all there but the enhanced definition of BluRay makes them more visible if you know where to look.
Still, that's a minor nitpick. Season One sells for $65 on Amazon.com. I've only watched a couple of episodes and already feel I've gotten my money's worth. TOS is great television and the episodes have held up nicely. I'll put Where No Man Has Gone Before and Balance of Terror up with the best episodes of ANY show, not just other Trek incarnations. Can't wait to dig into the rest of the episodes and the current plan is for Seasons 2 and 3 to be released in the fall.
If you're a TOS Trek fan and have a BluRay player, it just doesn't get any better than this.
Man, I have to wait until May 8th for that animated set to come from Amazon.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Yup, Shore Leave is on the Season 1 DVDs and BluRays. BTW, what is this fascination of yours with Finnegan?
I think it'll be worth the wait.
May 8th...hmmm...the same date the new movie officially premieres...interesting coincidence or an alignment of cosmic significance? :v
Roger Moore 1927-2017
He's awesome. He's like Kirk's Joker and Abrams might've missed the boat by not putting him in the movie if only for the academy scenes. B-)
Like Alex, Shore Leave is one of my favorite eps from TOS. It just stands the test of time IMO.
"Jimmy-Boy!!!!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLo1Xb8Ckqk&feature=PlayList&p=A37D1CAD9BEB4929&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Since the film is largely a reboot, you shouldn't really need to be familiar with past Trek to be able to make sense of it. Here's a little quick background info on the movie (very minor spoilers contained therein):
The movie takes place in an alternate universe where things don't necessarily play out as they did before (that's not a spoiler, BTW, as the filmmakers have said as much in several interviews) and whole point of this new version is to wipe the slate clean without undoing what's come before and bring people unfamiliar with Trek into the fold so you should be good to go.
Shore Leave is great, but I prefer the more conflict-heavy episodes like Balance of Terror or Errand of Mercy (which I will hopefully watch tonight in glorious HD). Some great lines by the late John Kolicos as Kor in that one, especially when he browbeats the Organians:
I hope you continue to savor the sweetness of your lives. You DISGUST me! All of you!!!
THE ENEMY WITHIN in S1 is also one of my favorite eps. Every line by bad Kirk in that was a running joke with me and my classmates back in elementary. We always re-enacted this ep during recess at least once a week- that and the one with Landru. ;%
"I said give me the Brandy!" The way Shat-Man delivers that line with lust and hate in his eyes.
And of course the Emmy worthy lines:
"I want to live.......I WANT TO LIVE!!!!!"
The pause and facial expression is key in delivering this effectively.
Shatner really reached down for that one.
Also notice the director always played up the lighting on evil Kirk's close-ups. God, this series is epic win. B-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
For example, "Good honest hatred. Very refeshing."
My favorites from the first season are many. There's only one episode in the entire run I don't care for. (The Alternative Factor) But ever since my young days, "Miri" and "The Return of the Archons" were heay contenders.
What amazed me in watching those shows last night is how much William Shatner changed over the years. With Leonard Nimoy, you can more easily associate the character from the show with the one in the movies and the person of today. I'll always be a fan of the Shatman, but he has changed so much. Even in the latter films, physically he's almost a completely different person and even his acting styles and mannerisms are very far removed from those old shows. Whereas I can still see some of the old Spock in today's Leonard Nimoy, I really don't see anything of Kirk in Shatner anymore. Maybe its for the best that he isn't in this new movie as I have my doubts he would have been able to channel anything of the Kirk I grew up with.
I've secretly been leading her down the 'trek' path and watched the animated series with her (she likes cartoons) and since the episodes are only 20 minutes, she never got distracted.
Additionally, she's a Mission: Impossible fan and when the series made the switch from Martin Landeau's character to Leonard Nimoy, she commented that she really liked Nimoy as an actor. Now that she knows Nimoy is in TOS, I pretty much got her hooked. (I think she has a thing for Vulcans).
I recently purchased the first season of TNG and she seems to be enjoying that as well...I'm a lucky man!
Who didn't like T'Pol?
If I were a vulcan I'd........:v
Most of ones I don't care for are from the NBC revenge on Gene Roddenberry's campaign - change of schedule - budget slashing third season. X-(
(though the second season does have that doozy of an attempt at a spinoff with Teri Garr, a black cat, and plenty of NASA stock footage, which always puts me to sleep)
And the Children Shall Lead sucks big time. The guy was a lawyer, not an actor.
Can't believe you didn't care for Plato's Stepchildren though. Where else can you see Spock do a Mexican hat dance and sing "Take care young ladies and value your wine."? (used to do a metal cover of that!)
Gotta go now, Val hungers.
...only have sex once every seven years.*
Jolene Blalock was cute but the writers really did her character no favors on that show, quickly turning her into a sex kitten prancing around in skimpy outfits, sweating it up in the decontamination chanber and exploring "human mating habits" with good ole boy Trip.
They similarly kept trying to find ways to get Jeri Ryan's 7 of 9 out of her catsuit on Voyager, once even having a holographic version of her pose nude (with all the naughty bits strategically hidden of course) while the Doctor did a painting of her.
It was all fluffy and very easy on the eyes but really poor storytelling most of the time and its no wonder those shows are off the air and largely forgotten already.
* In case you're not aware, Vulcans mate only once every seven years in the ritual known as Ponn Farr.
http://www.cbs.com/classics/star_trek/video/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHLOVNIoJzE
This cracks me up everytime
I've always watched star trek in its many forms and after many disapointments like Indy four my hopes were not high, But it's a hoot, well worth watching.