Tom Salinsky’s highly enjoyable book, Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series, which incorporates The Original Series [TOS], The Animated Series [TAS] and The Next Generation [TNG] is an accurate run-through and review (plus I’d say tribute) of every single episode from the 1960s right through to TNG, and it’s funny, absorbing, perceptive and a fine reminder of the wealth of work that Star Trek has produced through the decades.

I first discovered the Enterprise with Star Trek: The Next Generation, around Season 3, and the goodness that followed it – quite lucky really, given the space and time between the Original Series, the films and so forth. It’d be easy for some to forget that in that era, watching the Original Series wasn’t a case of just picking up your laptop and finding the nearest streaming service because (for me) watching any form of Star Trek in the UK was down to whether one of the four channels (yes, four) was showing it, and I didn’t have Sky TV.

While I don’t recall heading out and picking it up on VHS, yes physical videos, of TOS, that’s the likes of experiencing William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and the crew, those episodes would have been discovered in half-beamed re-runs shown at haphazard times. I know in North America they have a thing called ‘syndication’ where networks would broadcast classic shows on repeat, but all we had was ‘Oh, what’s on tonight?’ as the go-to.

So, it was down to BBC Two who had the magnificent of Star Trek: TNG, and I learned the world in that manner, via Patrick Stewart and that legendary team, and that journey certainly didn’t happen until the mid-seasons, when the UK started showing it more regularly – from my own personal memories. But we digress…

In Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series, from Tom Salinsky, he introduces and takes us through not only every episode but does it with a crazy plan. He’d worked out that if started watching the first episode of the first season at the beginning of 2022, then he could watch one a day and get through everything by a certain time. I think these first three season works out to about a year, which is a hell of a commitment. While he has continued to the end of Enterprise, this particular book is your ‘Part One’ and it’s very impressive.

As well as offering us his own history with Star Trek, which isn’t too dissimilar with younger life obligations and UK access to the show, it’s clear his love is a little deeper, sharing his admiration for the books of James Blish, and therefore knowing certain stories probably in a slightly different way to how it was finally filmed, which as any novel reader knows can happen. He also kicks off proceedings with questions and answers over how much of it came be from Gene Roddenberry, from his WW2 flying experience, to his fights with American networks who didn’t want a diverse cast – when Gene certainly did. From then, it’s also little snippets about the genesis of every series, including how Paramount got TNG on TV when no network would take the risk (which was a clever plan), plus a general overall history of Star Trek, without ever getting too overly technical.

Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series offers its readers a generously unique overview of the series, as it unfolds over the years, and it’s also an remarkable reminder that certain events probably didn’t happen at the time you think they did, or as quickly – let alone that original Pilot ‘The Cage’ with quite the different setup to what came later, even if it remains an intriguing watch to see how the world developed. Also, my knowledge of the animated series is limited, so it was good to reflect on what those episodes – and that style – could offer the world of Star Trek, beyond limited sound stages and budgets, even if Shatner wasn’t as enamoured.

Whether you’re a Trekkie or Trekker, and we really don’t need to delve into those specifics at this moment in time, Salinsky’s book also offers his own, personal opinion about each episode and is very open about this being both a literal reminder of who wrote the episode, who directed and who’s in it, plus his own views on what was broadcast. While it doesn’t get down into the deeper detail of every single aspect, I genuinely think it’s a hugely comprehensive collection of mini-reviews that breaks down both the content of what occurs, whether it an effective story, plus performance analysis, and even when the TOS gave itself away to the era, with dated references or mis-use of culture – again, something very specific to the time, which is an important context.

And I appreciated the reminder of when Star Trek got it wrong, whether it be misogyny or that dubious representation of different cultures, it’s important to discuss and while – yes – it might be ‘of an era’, it doesn’t disguise that it existed within that world – and thankfully once we hit TNG Season 3 -6, which given some of the quality (or lack of) writing and characters in the earlier worlds, you can see the essence of the ensemble team begin to really shine and come through, and I think these are the moments (in the Michael Piller and Rick Berman era especially) we all remember – when the narrative became about the people we were watching, rather than a generic wrap-around story to fit the situation. Small screen drama has come a long way, in a brief time as well, so it’s important to remember and witness that progression – and Tom’s book certainly reminds us of this.

From physical fights to philosophical debates, Star Trek changed because it had to evolve, but over time it levelled out between reflective and resonate, fun and frantic shifts in style of expectancy, plus clones, alien-body takeovers, mysterious pathogens, Wesley, shadowy new characters amongst the regulars, the old red shirts happenings, the Borg, Q, allegories for society (ever present in Sci-fi), Whoopi Goldberg, David Warner, all those other great one-episode actor appearances, the hope of our heroes wanting to do better – and be better – as the human race, and that even though The Original Series was so vital in the first place, and we all know iconic in its own right, it was The Next Generation which drove (flew?) Star Trek onwards and into the mindsets of so many who know it today.

For me, the Next Gen fuelled the fantasy and fan-world of Star Trek we see today, it enabled the films and consequentially the J.J. Abrams era in all its glory (mostly), not forgetting Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, Discovery, Short Treks, Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds, of course. Granted, there’s over twelve TV series in total with everything, and something like 900 episodes, and to be honest, I haven’t got the right amount of spare time to delve into The Original Series, The Animated Series and The Next Generation liked I’d really want to and that’s when Tom’s book steps into play.

Including the huge ensembles seems like a necessary, well, necessary and while I can’t name everyone, here’s a central role-call to celebrate: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Jeffrey Hunter, Majel Barrett, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Patrick Stewart, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Colm Meaney, Whoopi Goldberg, Michelle Forbes, and John de Lancie.

What Tom Salinsky’s book, and episodic recap, did was remind me of the sheer wealth of work and talent that’s graced Star Trek for nearly six decades of existence. While Tom points out, as I’ve mentioned before, this is very much his own views, and while you might disagree on some episodes, this remains a smart, balanced, and astute book that’s equally a guide and a compliment to the world of Trek and everything that’s connected. Fans of all ilk should appreciate the commitment of time to create this collection, and he’s not finished yet!

It’s exceptional work, and to top it off, Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series adds an appendix with episodes by rating and an index of all the different mentions of everything, giving you an extra guide depending on your level of Star Trek – and thus covering every angle I can think of. The only (not real) downside is the reminder of how many episodes I need to revisit, and so to conclude in the realms of diplomacy, which is what Jean-Luc would surely want, that’s a positive thing to look ahead to.

As a bonus section, just for Critical Popcorn, I must direct you to Salinsky’s own article on his process – right up to where he is now – as he’s written a unique feature, thanks Tom – have a read here!

Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series is released by White Owl on 30 March

Pre-order here: amazon.co.uk/Star-Trek-TV-Series