TOS- Overrated?

[sonak]

TOS is a good show but it is also overrated unless you judge it conditional on its circumstances like tiny budget and so on, then it is of course fantastic.

If a contemporary Trek show focused mainly on three characters and produced as many mediocre and bad episodes as TOS it would be teared to shreds by Trek fandom.
Not to mention the ridiculous continuity obsession of many people who at the same time have the uncanny ability to deny that TOS (rightly so) made stuff up as it went along.

I would argue that if you're looking at TOS seasons 1-2, the ratio of good to mediocre or bad is actually very high, probably higher than any other Trek series' seasons 1-2. There's a drop-off in season 3 of course, but the overall ratio for the show is very good.

YMMV of course.

 

[horatio83]

I cannot come up with more than 10 or 15 good episodes. The rest is half mediocre, half bad. Strangely enough I am one of those weirdos who doesn't understand why the last season is supposed to be so bad. Sure, it is worse than the former seasons but take Savage Curtain, Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, Spectre of the Gun or Tholian Web, there are ample of good episodes in it.

 

[Harvey]

that's not what I meant. TNG actually wasn't very serialized, other than Worf and the Klingon arc. I was thinking of episodes like "in theory" and "lessons," filler episodes with very little sci-fi and lots of soap opera stuff. Neither of them were referenced again or seemed to have any long-term impact on Data or Picard. TOS did not have episodes like those

Well, Star Trek did have romances that appeared in an episode never to be mentioned again; pretty much every episode with a romance was like that (except, of course, Chapel's crush on Mr. Spock). But it never did an episode like "Lessons" or "In Theory" that was entirely devoted to a romance-of-the-week (especially one aboard ship).

 

[sonak]

that's not what I meant. TNG actually wasn't very serialized, other than Worf and the Klingon arc. I was thinking of episodes like "in theory" and "lessons," filler episodes with very little sci-fi and lots of soap opera stuff. Neither of them were referenced again or seemed to have any long-term impact on Data or Picard. TOS did not have episodes like those

Well, Star Trek did have romances that appeared in an episode never to be mentioned again; pretty much every episode with a romance was like that (except, of course, Chapel's crush on Mr. Spock). But it never did an episode like "Lessons" or "In Theory" that was entirely devoted to a romance-of-the-week (especially one aboard ship).

yes, the second part is what I was referring to. TOS had romance, but it wasn't the plot of the week.

 

[horatio83]

Amok Time is all about romance/sex/marriage. Thankfully it lacks the soapish quality that permeated Trek since the later seasons of TNG. ENT was the only series that moved slowly away from the 'soap consensus', e.g. Trip and T'Pol's relationship is not very soapy.

 

[sonak]

Amok Time is all about romance/sex/marriage. Thankfully it lacks the soapish quality that permeated Trek since the later seasons of TNG. ENT was the only series that moved slowly away from the 'soap consensus', e.g. Trip and T'Pol's relationship is not very soapy.

Amok Time is all about Spock's health crisis and Vulcan culture. It's not really about romance or marriage to me.

 

[horatio83]

Ignore the Vulcan part and the story boils down to testosterone overload: "if I cannot screw her I'll kill him".
This is a bit tongue-in-cheek, "Amok Time" is of course one of TOS' finest, but there is also a bit of truth in it. Sex and violence sells, be it Shakespeare, Trek or Hollywood.

 

[BrownShatner]

that's not what I meant. TNG actually wasn't very serialized, other than Worf and the Klingon arc. I was thinking of episodes like "in theory" and "lessons," filler episodes with very little sci-fi and lots of soap opera stuff. Neither of them were referenced again or seemed to have any long-term impact on Data or Picard. TOS did not have episodes like those

Your point is actually better applied to DS9, which was VERY serialized, and had major character shifts through the series.

Exactly what I'm getting at. There were many Berman shows which were weak standalone dramas, and only worked in the context of long-term character development.

The big difference: TOS was developed a prime time audience only, and weekly ratings mattered. They needed big drama, big music, and big acting to catch the channel surfers. On the other hand, Berman knew TNG+ was nearly cancellation-proof, and that every episode would be rerun numerous times. So, it wouldn't hurt have some filler for the viewers invested in the series.

However, this didn't exactly make Berman Trek "Must See TV". I think once after the viewers were conditioned to fluff episodes, they stopped tuning in each week. Or any week.

 

[AxelFoley]

Overrated? Pfffff.

I'd say that outside of the US it is extremely underrated.

 

[Capt_Pickirk]

Overrated? Ugh, I really hate people throwing around that term recently. It's damn annoying.

 

[CaptainMatt]

It is a matter of opinion and personal taste as to whether TOS-or, indeed, any series or film-is overated or not. I say nay, sir. Nay! It stands the test of time and works just fine alongside alll those more modern programs.