How often do you watch Star Trek?

[Warped9]

How often do you watch Star Trek?

When I discovered Star Trek in 1969/70 (it was already in syndication). I quickly became obsessed and couldn’t get enough of it. This went on for years. I watched it on weekends and after school. I collected books and magazines and built models. When I was old enough I went to conventions.

My viewing tapered off a bit in my late teens to early twenties, but I saw every new Trek film on opening weekend. In my mid twenties it became more challenging to watch and prerecorded home video of the episodes were not yet available. In the ‘90s I collected a few episodes on VHS, but it would have been prohibitively expensive to collect the whole series on VHS. In the 2000s we finally got TOS on dvd in series sets. It was still a bit pricey, but more affordable than vhs and we had waited so long for it. Now we could watch the show whenever we wanted, and we could binge watch and do entire series rewatches and reviews.

The dvd sets also allowed us to scrutinize the episodes unlike ever before and discussions regarding so many aspects of TOS were reenergized all over the internet (of course, this is true for all the Trek series as well as other properties, but I’m focusing on TOS).

Candidly, although TOS remains my all-time favourite show, I don’t watch it all the time and thats been true for many years now. Now my viewing is usually done in periodic rewatches/revisits of the entire series. There is just too much else going on in life. I am planning another rewatch/review in the very near future which I hope to share here in this forum.

So how often do you still watch TOS?

 

[Richard S. Ta]

I probably default to TOS more than any other Trek. Like you, DVD sets marked a turning point for me. I think I'd seen bits of TOS in early 90s repeats in the UK, but we weren't lucky as you guys in the US to see it turn over again and again in syndication.

Sadly these days I don't watch it a lot. A few years ago I used to stay up late with my brother and some smokables and at that time we were watching TOS/TAS nightly. Great days. These days I probably watch it 3-4 times a year. Still more than anything from TNG onwards.

I saw TNG/VOY/DS9/ENT in the 00s in their entirety, but aside from the odd episode of TNG I've never revisited them. I'm slowly going through Enterprise in a marathon now and I'm surprised by how little of it I remember. It's like watching a whole new show for the first time.

So to answer the OP, not as much as I'd like. I love TOS and TAS though. They will always be the greatest for me. There's not a single episode I couldn't put on and enjoy.

 

[Push The Button]

I’ll watch one TOS episode a month, very rarely I’ll watch a TNG episode. I don’t bother with the other Berman era shows. I’ll be watching season two of Picard when it comes out, because Patrick Stewart, and keeping my fingers crossed for Strange New Worlds, but I’ve given up on the rest of NuTrek.

 

[Relayer1]

Every time a new episode drops, with the exception of Lower Decks.

I've seen it all, but in the main only once. I buy the DVD's and Blurays to "own" the episodes but rarely ever rewatch anything.

 

[1001001]

Almost never. I can't even remember the last time I watched an episode of TOS. I watched Yesteryear for the first time a couple of weeks ago, though.

I do absolutely love the movies (2-6), and will almost always stop if I run across one. I watched all of Star Trek V a couple of months ago.

With so much modern Trek to choose from, I rarely go back except for TNG or VOY.

 

[Warped9]

…but I’ve given up on the rest of NuTrek.

I focused this discussion on TOS, but I could remark on this.

I’ve seen all of TNG (more than once or twice) and probably at least half of DS9. I’ve seen maybe about a dozen or so episodes of VOY and ENT each respectively. I’ve seen all the films except the last two JJ films. I have seen next to nothing of DIS, PIC or LD and I care nothing to see any of it. I don’t hold much hope for SNW given it’s a spin-off of DIS.

I watch the TOS films once in awhile. Like TOS and the TNG episodes I like I’ll likely do a revisit of the films relatively soon.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I saw all of TOS once when it aired on the BBC in the 90s and I'm finally doing a rewatch now. I haven't been avoiding rewatching it, it's just that I don't generally see the need in watching something twice unless I'm writing about it or I'm watching it with another group of people. Even if it is one of my favourite series.

TNG, Voyager and Enterprise are the same. I watched (a lot of) them when they were on back in the day and I'm watching them again now, alternating between episodes. I finished my first DS9 rewatch a few years back. I saw TAS once, years ago. And I watch the new episodes when they come out.

 

[MacLeod]

These days not that often, but then again I don't watch as much TV as I used to. If I'm channel hopping and one is on I might watch it depending on episode.

 

[Ssosmcin]

A lot. Far too often, honestly. I will stop watching an episode of something else because an episode of the original series, which I've seen dozens of times (at least) is more interesting to me. It's comfortable and reliable and always a good time.

I watched it every day in syndication, recorded it in the 80's, bought all of the VHS tapes, Laserdiscs, DVDs and Blu Rays. I'll pick up new releases for the packaging, I will watch any release of the series no matter how low the resolution because I want to get a different feeling from it (nostalgia will drag me to the VHS tapes, for example). I watch the DVDs more than the Blu Rays because I prefer that mastering and if I'm going to listen to an altered sound mix, it's the most pleasant.

I never, ever, get tired of it. Ever. It's been a steady part of my life for at least 50 years. I love all of the TOS films (well 4 is boring but I still don't hate it) and will go back to the first three and 5 a lot.

I really don't know why I love it so damned much, but there ya go.

As for the other shows, Enterprise remains my favorite of the Berman era. I've lost interest in Discovery, didn't like Picard and other than SNW, don't expect to watch any new Trek. It's not aimed at me, honestly, so I'd rather go back and hang out with old friends, tell the same stories and laugh at the same old jokes.

 

[Jedi Marso]

Last I watched was S1 of Picard. Didn't bother with Discovery after the first two seasons, am looking forward to giving SNW a try.

TOS is and will always be my favorite, but I've seen every ep a million times and it's been a few years since I settled in and watched one. As I get older I'm increasingly finding the TOS era movies unwatchable, probably because I've seen them all too many times as well.

 

[Neopeius]

So how often do you still watch TOS?

Every week when it airs, except when it's a rerun or isn't on for some reason.

 

[Noname Given]

I watch an episode of TOS nearly every day. I have the DVDs and Blu-rays, but I also watch it on H & I nearly every evening after work and when they air it on Sunday. It has to be one of the TOS episodes I really don't care for (mostly from season 3), for me to decide to skip it.

That channel airs all the Berman era series. But the only other two series i'll catch are either DS9 or ENT if it's an episode I like.

 

[StarCruiser]

Okay - lately, not as much of any of it. Mainly because of .. timing (after all, comedy is all abouttiming...I mean timing).

When I get home - it's already 6PM - if TOS is on, it'll be on at 7PM and I usually work out a bit after getting home. Now, I've seen every episode of TOS multiple times (not as many of the crap episodes but, lot's o' the good to great ones). I've also seen every episode of TNG and DS9. Not quite all of VOY (since some really stunk) and probably most of ENT. I rarely rewatch anything beyond TOS/TNG/DS9.

Movies? All classic cast films (ST:V being probably my least favorite) and maybe Generations and First Contact.

 

[NCC-73515]

I started rewatching all episodes at the 50th and then watched every new episode as soon as it came out.

 

[Falconer]

We have the TOS Blu-ray set and watch it a lot. Last week we watched three episodes; this week probably zero. We probably average 1/week.

All TOS is great, but we rewatch the ones with Yeoman Rand the most. Not specifically for her, though she’s great; just all around the Rand Era is the sweetest of sweet spots.

We don’t really watch much other Trek material outside of TOS proper, with a few exceptions. We love Forbidden Planet and enjoy it several times a year. We also like “The Slaver Weapon” and The Voyage Home, and watch them probably about as much as any given non-Rand TOS episode.

 

[Commishsleer]

How often do you watch Star Trek?

When I discovered Star Trek in 1969/70 (it was already in syndication). I quickly became obsessed and couldn’t get enough of it. This went on for years. I watched it on weekends and after school. I collected books and magazines and built models. When I was old enough I went to conventions.

My viewing tapered off a bit in my late teens to early twenties, but I saw every new Trek film on opening weekend. In my mid twenties it became more challenging to watch and prerecorded home video of the episodes were not yet available. In the ‘90s I collected a few episodes on VHS, but it would have been prohibitively expensive to collect the whole series on VHS. In the 2000s we finally got TOS on dvd in series sets. It was still a bit pricey, but more affordable than vhs and we had waited so long for it. Now we could watch the show whenever we wanted, and we could binge watch and do entire series rewatches and reviews.

The dvd sets also allowed us to scrutinize the episodes unlike ever before and discussions regarding so many aspects of TOS were reenergized all over the internet (of course, this is true for all the Trek series as well as other properties, but I’m focusing on TOS).

Candidly, although TOS remains my all-time favourite show, I don’t watch it all the time and thats been true for many years now. Now my viewing is usually done in periodic rewatches/revisits of the entire series. There is just too much else going on in life. I am planning another rewatch/review in the very near future which I hope to share here in this forum.

So how often do you still watch TOS?

You are me except I've only been to two conventions (one in Australia and one in the US) but every time Shatner comes to Australia I go to see him..
I watched reruns in 70s and got hooked, waited patiently for books, magazines, articles, watched it on TV when it was on and got all the poor quality VHS and a couple of the expensive 2-episode DVDs when it wasnt on TV in Australia. When TOS came out on the clam shell DVD I watched the whole lot in one week. I realised after watching it multiple times after that I started learning the episodes off by heart and it was spoiling my enjoyment as I knew everything that was going to happen.
In Australia they show TOS on normal TV during the school holidays so every 10 weeks or so 10 episodes (or 20) if they decide double episodes. I suppose I know the episodes so well I'm not really watching them properly. I'm looking for flaws, admiring Shatner's command presence, trying to work out if the episodes make sense, bask in the episode's glory.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Oh I started knowing it all by heart before we reached the 80's. I audio taped most of the episodes and listened to them constantly. I only learned new things wen I finally saw them uncut. WPIX sliced the series to ribbons.

 

[Ovation]

A few times a year (just too busy to revisit something I’ve seen at least 15-20 times, depending on the episode, with so much new stuff—in general—not just new Trek, to see). But I always enjoy it when I do rewatch.

 

[ChallengerHK]

About once a week, with a caveat. My wife and I are turning our two year old grandson on to TOS. He loves it. Were it not for him, I'd probably be an once every two weeks or so.

I think the only Trek I've bothered to seek out aside from TOS is DS9.

 

[Qonundrum]

I'll binge favorite episodes from time to time, then move to another show (like Doctor Who, Batman 66, Blake's 7, Chef!, Waiting for God, or some other show...)

I grew up watching TOS. TNG was hit or miss but I've ended up rewatching it more than any of the others at this point. Seasons 2-4 are more often magnificent than not, but I've rewatched season 1 more than the best of 5-7... except for 3 episodes from that first year. (note that I am a die-hard fan of DS9 and consider it the best of the lot, but I still end up rewatching TNG the most of all Trek series. If nothing else, the theory that "the first one you see is the only one you identify and/or prioritize with" isn't perfect. Same goes for Doctor Who, the first one I saw isn't my favorite and isn't the era I rewatch the most either way, either...)

VHS was neat for the artwork, like what vinyl was for music, but a real irritant to have to rewind and VHS degrades during each playback and has lesser visual quality too...

Had a couple laserdiscs, but 16" coasters were an idea ahead of their time and developed bit rot far sooner than they should have. (In general; DVDs outlived laserdisc in build quality by quite a margin, though I'd reckon the glue keeping the two data layers intact will lose its efficacy after 50 years or so - give or take and assuming proper storage (heat, light, humidity, etc) and so on...)

Blu-Rays are dipped in a protective chemical that resists scratches and despite their higher density will probably outlive DVDs.

4K is too new to tell, though a different compression algorithm is used along with a slightly narrower light bean to cram just enough more space onto a disc to be usable. Manufacturing is known to be a pain as there have been a lot of recalls due to skipping or freezing discs that cannot be read (it's give-or-take just as bad as stuttering/freezing during streaming and with streaming your favorite show may not be there by the beginning of the next month if licensing contracts end, but I digress...) For home use, as much as I adore 4K with HDR and UHD and EIEIO-ETC, subjectively if not objectively, 1080P truly seems to be the sweet spot. Commercial use is where 4K and higher will truly shine. So, yeah, while I was curious back in the day why they scanned at 2K resolution, adding in new CGI rendering and a slew of other factors, the CBS team did it perfectly (and then some) for seasons 1, 3, and 5-7.

If any other Trek series gets remastered from the original film sources (especially before they degrade or succumb to the vinegar effect) I'll be buying on day one at MSRP. Just like for TNG.

That said, I have and do stream. There's a convenience factor I like... the technologies needed for it have come a long way... it's not quite on par with bitrate to surpass the blu-ray sets just yet, but it's close...