The final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise aired on May 13, 2005. Honestly, it needed a good long break. There were a couple of intriguing moments but for the most part, I found the series close to unwatchable. It was hokey, not well thought out and used gimmick after gimmick that if true, would have altered the other series completely. The reboots from J.J. Abrams returned a focus to the franchise and now the news has been released that after almost 12 years, a new Trek series will debut for CBS in January of 2017. But is this good news? I think that this is amazing news!

When I first saw the iconic Star Trek in the early 1980’s in the form of syndicated re-runs, I was immediately hooked on the story of a take charge Captain, a stoic and highly logical science officer and a cranky Chief Medical Officer with a heart of gold. Kirk (William Shatner) always got the girl, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) usually saved the day, “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and someone in a red shirt was sure to die, except of course for Scottie (James Doohan), the miracle working Chief Engineer. But the real historic aspect of the show was that in the midst of the Civil Rights movement, the Cold War and only 20 years removed from World War II, Star Trek displayed dynamic characters like Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), a strong woman of color who was a master of linguistics, stayed calm in all sorts of pressurized situations but still had the charm and appeal to own every scene she was in (not to mention her place in television history when her and Shatner shared the first interracial kiss in US broadcast history). Chekov (Walter Koenig) was a young, naïve Russian navigator at a time when the country lived in fear of communists And Sulu (George Takei) was an expert pilot, loyal officer and a hell of a swordsman. The initial voyages only lasted for 3 seasons on NBC, but creator Gene Roddenberry had already amassed such a cult following that Trek grew through novels, cartoons, artwork and conventions. In the 70’s, motion pictures would follow, some successful, some not.

In 1987, Roddenberry got the green light to produce a sequel television series that would be shown only on syndicated channels, Star Trek: The Next Generation. The series would highlight the continued exploration of the galaxy by a new Enterprise and a new crew, set 100 years after the original series. As a 12 year old boy, I was immediately hooked on the new series, with the more stoic, business-like Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) leading his crew on the same mission of exploration. He is the polar opposite of Kirk, a mature, level headed leader who earns the respect of his crew right from the first episode as Picard expertly sidesteps the all powerful Q (John de Lancie) who would be a pesky thorn in the Enterprise’s side throughout the series. Q is also the one who exposed the crew to my personal favorite bad guys in the Star Trek canon, the Borg, a race of cyborgs whose only goal is to assimilate all species in their paths. Once its run of 7 seasons concluded in 1994, TNG also spawned a number of commercially successful motion pictures and spin off television series that grew Star Trek into a sci-fi empire. And like any empire, it eventually becomes too big for it’s own good.

While Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager had dynamic characters and some thrilling story-lines, the cracks in the armor were becoming more visible, culminating in the aforementioned Star Trek: Enterprise. Even I, the biggest Trek geek around, recognized the need to put this franchise to rest. But as the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. While the rebooted motion pictures have been an exhilarating re-imagining of the original characters, the time has come for a return to network television. I personally would be interested in the adventures of a crew set in the same timeline as the original series with the possibility of cameos from the motion picture actors.

The long standing themes of Star Trek have been an essential part of the American landscape for almost 50 years. The show was always ahead of it’s time, tackling taboo subjects like civil and women’s rights, homosexuality, abortion and a plethora of timely topics. It is what made the franchise great, until of course Star Trek: Enterprise made it irrelevant.

This brings us to the heart of the matter. If the new 2017 series can recapture the heart and soul of Trek, it can be a monumental achievement to keep Gene Roddenberry’s vision alive after 5 decades. However, with the announcement that after the pilot episode, the show will be exclusively aired on CBS’s paid streaming service, could also be disastrous. CBS is asking a lot for longtime and hardcore fans to pay a monthly fee, especially if there are no other CBS programs that they watch.  Either way, I am hoping to see a return to Trek’s roots. A television program that tackles the tough social and political topics of our modern world set against the backdrop of the exploration of space. Nothing has ever thrilled me more than the motto:

 

Space: The final Frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. It’s continuing mission: To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before.