I grew up as a kid, watching and loving Next Generation. I actually remember watching the pilot episode, even though I was only 7. It's funny how people can have such widely divergent opinions on things here, where some hate all the TNG characters, while I love just about all of them. . .Beverly aside
Data and Picard are two of my all time favorite TV show characters. And Q, the Borg, and the introduction to new or "modern" takes on all those other great alien races--the Cardassians, the Romulans, the Ferengi, etc.
Nostalgia does definitely play a role, but at the same time, many of those episodes are really smart and clever seeing it with the eyes of an adult. Some not so much of course, but even Ted Williams missed more than he hit. Once every year or two I'll get an itching to watch episodes of TNG, and I'll watch an episode or two a night for a few weeks before moving on to something else.
I also love DS9. I didn't care for it in middle/high school when it first came out, but I watched it through for the first time about 5 years back, and was really blown away by the character development, the level of sophistication in the exploration of religious, political, and military issues. Some of it heavy handed, but really well done by and large. Gul Dukat was the character I most loved to hate in all of Star Trek.
I tried to do Voyager a few times, and could never get very far with it. Just didn't connect with me. Lots of lazy writing and unlikable characters IMO.
I like the original series quite a bit, but never saw it all the way through. I need to do that.
On balance, I'm more an old school Star Trek than Star Wars guy, though.
Star Trek First Contact is what really made me a Trek fan back in 96
I'd have to watch the Red Letter Media review to see why it's actually crap, I can't remember the reasons.
I also loved it in the theaters, and still do enjoy it quite a bit. I love RLM, but this is one example where I feel they are so focused on nitpicking that they miss the forest for the trees. It's a fun movie, with some bad-ass moments.
First Contact is garbage.
I saw First Contact way before really knowing anything about the TNG characters. Always liked that movie. I remember Picard being Johnny Action and like that Cochrane was only making the warp drive for hookers and blow.
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For me it's no question that TNG is one of the best series of any kind of show bar none. The writing, acting, everything was top notch. Their movies sadly were mediocre at best but the show was incredible.
Well. . .Nimoy was good, anyway
And Clint Howard.
