
Name a Star Trek show a "worst" anything and you're bound to get some feedback.
Topless Robot names the 9 worst sci-fi spinoffs of all-time, and number one on their list? Enterprise, the Scott Bakula Star Trek series that aired for four seasons. Is that accurate, considering other shows on the list include Baywatch Nights, V, and Ewoks?















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
8-06-2009 @ 6:23PM
TotallyNormal said...
It's only accurate in that the expectations were so hi, and the finished product just wasn't very good. Is it the worst ever? I think that's unfair.
Reply
8-06-2009 @ 6:24PM
TotallyNormal said...
Bad spelling. "high"
8-06-2009 @ 6:28PM
Edward said...
That is just being unfair. You know what is ironic? People are still talking about classic Star Trek, while JJ Abrams movie has already been forgotten.
Reply
8-06-2009 @ 9:47PM
Goats said...
That's not ironic.
8-06-2009 @ 10:00PM
Edward said...
Everyone had raving reviews of Abrams' Star Trek, yet those same people (and everyone else) has nothing to discuss about it now. People are still talking/debating about classic Star Trek, even if it is the one that many dislike. A lot of things stand out from classic Star Trek, but nothing leads to discussion in Abrams' Star Trek (yet, everyone loved the latter).
8-06-2009 @ 6:56PM
lkm said...
Actually, "Enterprise" was the best series ever that was connected to "Star Trek."
That's because it lacked the things that made other "Trek" so lame - simplistic good-guys and bad-guys; sexism and zenophobia (it was always the white-guy humans who were the heroes - even when someone else was in charge). Plus, it had a better cast of actors, especially in Connor Trinneer.
But since it was a "Star Trek" production - and didn't follow the "Trek" rules - the Trekkies hated it. And the non-Trekkies never even tried it out because it was, well, "Star Trek" (I almost missed it for that reason).
SciFi (sorry, "SyFy") airs reruns; give them a try. Don't rate it as "Star Trek." Rate it as scifi.
Reply
8-06-2009 @ 7:02PM
Tim Dorr said...
I agree. The biggest thing they did was add the concept of a season arc to the story. That was completely against the normally compartmentalized stories normal Trek shows used, but I really liked it. I'm a big fan of serialized shows like Lost or Dexter for the same reason. I like my story in little bits!
8-06-2009 @ 7:23PM
0megapart!cle said...
You really don't know what you are talking about. Maybe the original series, the beginning of TNG, and much of Voyager had more simplistic storylines, but the rest of TNG and DS9 were filled with complex villains and heroes. (Gul Dukat being a primary example, along with Q and Quark)
As far as Season Arcs, DS9 was filled with them (sometimes stretching over multiple seasons).
Enterprise was just a horribly acted, horribly written show especially during the first season. All trek shows have struggled with getting their bearings in the first season, but Enterprise was the worst, and it came right after the terrible crap that was voyager in the last season or so. Enterprise had to absolutely hit the ball out of the park if the trek franchise was to be saved, and it so completely failed that in every way. Even if it got better in the last season, (which I highly doubt) it was too little, far too late.
8-06-2009 @ 10:29PM
bc said...
It was certainly not the worst sci-fi spinoff, but it was the worst Trek series, if for no other reason, for the horrible, horrible theme "song." After a series of marvelous, classic instrumental themes (yes, Courage's theme for TOS had words, but they had the good sense not to use them in the final product), I thought my eardrums would bleed when I first heard that piece of crap. Thereafter, the "mute" button went immediately into action when the credits began.
8-06-2009 @ 11:10PM
pumpkinhead said...
It's already been said, but I have to echo it. If there was a series that corrected the things that had been wrong with Star Trek to that time, it was Deep Space 9. Best Star Trek series to date.
Also agree that Enterprise was just okay, but not terrible, but it was the high expectations that any Star Trek series would face that sank it. I hasten to add, however, that I think Enterprise was the one Star Trek series that failed to give us a crew of memorably written and acted characters.
8-07-2009 @ 12:35PM
Travis Bell said...
I really liked Enterprise, like, a lot. It was always bugged me that so many people seemed to think it is the worst. They came after a different generation with it, freshened up certain elements and I personally feel as thought they did a great job.
Voyager had its moments and I liked Janeway a lot but it got a bit repetitive at times. DS9 was great, no two-ways about it and while TNG gets the credit (generally speaking) for being everyones favorite, the giant flying office building set to barter peace with the galaxy got a little tiresome.
I dunno, maybe Enterprise was just a victim of a Star Trek franchise that people were simply getting tired of. How many years had that shit been on the air for? Too long, that's how long.
8-09-2009 @ 12:59PM
De said...
Enterprise was the best ST spin off. Best writing and acting with few mediocre or bad episodes, and the only non-preachy doctor (he was hilarious). Voyager was the worst of the ST spinoffs. The worst in sci fi history was the Battlestar after they got to earth (70s).
8-06-2009 @ 7:06PM
Brian said...
Given that both Voyager and Deep Space Nine were both substantially worse than Enterprise . . .
Reply
8-06-2009 @ 7:28PM
0megapart!cle said...
You are so completely wrong in every way. DS9 was just a fantastic show in most ways that stretched the Trek franchise in areas in way that TNG barely touched. Voyager was a very uneven show that was pretty horrible at the end, but it undoubtedly had the best first season of any trek show, and was pretty decent in the middle as well. Enterprise was far worse than both.
8-06-2009 @ 7:06PM
Usama said...
This may be the only Star Trek series I haven't seen in full (as in all the episodes) at least once but this is definitely not the worst scifi series ever. In fact at times I enjoyed this show. It did not follow the usual Trek formula but I was glad someone was willing to take the risk. It did of course rely on sex to boost ratings but I can forgive them for that because I really enjoyed the last season. Whatever, we Trekkies can be whiny idiots sometimes.
Reply
8-06-2009 @ 7:11PM
Usama said...
Actually, the Xindi storyline ended kind of flat, and I hated the series finale, so although I still don't think it's one of the worst spinoffs ever, I think it's half the writers fault and half UPN or whatever network had it for trying too hard to connect to the old star trek fans when they had a good thing going when they would try to establish their own identity.
8-06-2009 @ 7:07PM
Matt said...
People who say Enterprise was the worst spin-off obviously didn't watch the series. By the third and fourth season Enterprise was great, better than a few TNG seasons and way better than Voyageur.
Reply
8-06-2009 @ 7:32PM
0megapart!cle said...
Even if it improved in the last seasons, it was too little, far too late. And TNG was far better in every way except perhaps the worst first season episodes.
8-07-2009 @ 9:03AM
R-Bro said...
I watched the series (gagging all the way), and I hereby state that it was the worst spin-off. Prequels suck, period, and this one wasn't helped by some truly dreadful writing and acting.
The Original Series was the best, followed closely by Voyager.
DS9 had one terrific season (five, I think it was) and a lot of mediocre ones.
TNG was really awful a lot of the time. A couple dozen standout eps, but that's it.
8-06-2009 @ 8:34PM
Darren said...
What was wrong with Voyager - I thought it was a great show with a fantastic plot. I liked Enterprise as well, but I have to admit I did stop watching it after the 2nd season
Reply