Deep space nine series#

Voyager had served as the launching pad for UPN, and would exist as the young network’s flagship. The Next Generation had revived the franchise and proved an innovator in terms of television syndication.

Deep space nine series#

In its final five years, this cast was one of three Star Trek ensembles working at the same time, as The Next Generation transitioned to film.Īs a result, Deep Space Nine never quite garnered the attention of the other Star Trek series while it was on the air. The Next Generation ran for five and a half seasons before Deep Space Nine started, while Voyager ran two years by itself after Deep Space Nine ended. In fact, Deep Space Nine remains the only Star Trek series to completely overlap with other Star Trek television series, give or take a few months between the end of The Next Generation and the start of Voyager. The Next Generation teased serialisation with plots involving the Klingon and Romulan Empires, but Deep Space Nine embraced it wholeheartedly.ĭeep Space Nine was consciously experimental, perhaps reflecting its position as a “secondary” Star Trek series. Deep Space Nine built an ensemble out of alien characters like Dukat, Martok, Damar, Rom, Zek, Winn, Bareil, Garak, Shakaar and many more. The Next Generation teased the idea of recurring alien guest stars like High Chancellor Gowron, Captain Kurn, Commander Tomalak, Commander Sela. In many ways, Deep Space Nine is a more faithful extension of The Next Generation than Voyager, in that is boldly pushing forward.ĭeep Space Nine built off the successful narrative experiments conducted by The Next Generation, using them as a springboard for newer and bolder storytelling. Indeed, while Star Trek: Voyager ran for seven years running off the same narrative template established by The Next Generation, it was Deep Space Nine that extrapolated from The Next Generation. Nothing that Deep Space Nine accomplished would have been possible without the framework and support provided by The Next Generation. In discussing Deep Space Nine, it is important to acknowledge the influence and success of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In both a literal and metaphorical sense. Given this, it’s not surprising that Mike McMahan and the writing team were careful when it came to making Kira and Quark still sound like themselves.Star Trek: Deep Space Nine marks the edge of the frontier. Star Trek: Lower Decks may have annoyed fans in the past due to some controversial and obscene scenes, but many fans will defend the care he takes to ensure his enjoyment matches the parameters of the franchise canon. They immediately feel like the very first few things they’re saying aren’t at odds with… almost a decade of making the shows that they were on.” It has to really clearly fit into the stakes of the episode, and then you have to give them, like, in as few lines as possible, almost this pedigree of the character. “For any Legacy character, it’s what can we write that the actor is going to get into the booth that they can perform it in a way that truly feels like they’re playing the same character they did decades ago but in a way that also fits into the show. (Fans may remember how Jonathan Frakes played Riker in the second season.) Mike McMahan broke down the process not only to help the old actors of the franchise find the comedic side of their characters, but also to ensure that the dialogue remained true to the roles of the actors: “Listen Up, Don’t Trust Anything” isn’t the first time Star Trek: Lower Decks has invited a franchise actor to reprise his role, albeit in a more bombastic and comedic manner.