Star Trek and Me

After countless consecutive years, Star Trek is finally off our screens. Well I say "our", but since I cheated I'm ahead of the UK telly schedule by a couple of weeks and so I'm probably alone in this. But hey.

I've seen every episode of the newer stuff (TNG, DS9, Voyager and Enterprise), and doing a quick bit of maths makes that 700 or so episodes in total. I first started watching when I was an early teenager, so it's pretty safe to say it's been with me for a long time. It's safe to say that it's some of the best television I've seen.

I can't deny that it has also had a bit of an effect on my life; it was 'cos of ST that I was (and still am, I guess) into the sciences - if there is any geek in me, blame Starfleet. ST has also been responsible for demonstrating to it's fans some of the more important political, social and cultural issues and lessons of life; they were just wrapped in a wonderful fantastic universe.

The people in power have always provided ST in some form or another since TNG begun in '87 and it's said that at any moment in time someone is broadcasting ST somewhere in the world (although that was probably more true back in the 90s). I think this is the first time the beginning of TNG that there has been no ST in the UK and it's ironic (but probably understandable) that Enterprise got cancelled during its best season.

I guess a few may wonder how I can write all this about what is after all just a telly show. But it must be said that ST is a part of the stuff that makes up who I am*, and to deny it would be to deny me. So nyah.

Goodbye for now, Star Trek.

* Other things include Dawson's Creek and to a lesser extent, Buffy. Sad, I know.