In Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series lifelong science fiction fan, podcaster and author Tom Salinsky chronicles his two-year mission to watch everything from the start of The Original Series to the end of Enterprise. This book is the first part of that odyssey and includes reviews of every episode of The Original Series, The Animated Series and The Next Generation alongside contributions from notable fans, authors, actors and broadcasters.

In this special feature from Tom for Critical Popcorn, he breaks down the months in his process of watching Star Trek in the form of a miniature diary, and we can promise you that it’s been worth all his time – Read Dan’s review here!

Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series will be released on 30 March – You can pre-order a copy here: amazon.co.uk/Star-Trek-TV-Series

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November 2021

I’ve always been a big fan of science fiction, but Star Trek slipped through the cracks slightly. I saw the movies. I watched most of The Next Generation, but I got lost during Deep Space Nine and I’d barely seen any of the original series. Maybe now was the time to redress the balance. A little bit of spreadsheeting later showed me that if I watched one episode a day, starting with the first transmitted episode on New Years Day 2022, then I would finish watching the last episode of Enterprise on Christmas Day 2023, almost two years later.

I explained the plan to my wife Deborah. “Do I have to watch them too?” she asked. “No,” I replied. “Fine,” she said. “You can if you want…” I suggested. She rolled her eyes. “Beam me up, Scotty.” “Do you know, Kirk never actually said that? It’s one of those pithy renditions of famous lines which aren’t in the source text, like ‘Play it again, Sam’ or ‘Elementary, my dear Watson.’” “I think you’ve confused me with someone who cares,” she said…

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January 2022

These early episodes of the original series are really good. Shockingly good. I make another attempt to secure a viewing companion, but I receive more scorn and ridicule from Deborah. “You’re on something like your fifth re-watch of Friends,” I point out. “Yes, but I’m just watching random episodes to help me get to sleep. I’m not checking each one off on a spreadsheet and giving each one a star rating.” “Right. So, what’s the point?”

February 2022

My friend Steve and his girlfriend are over for supper and I’m telling them about my project. I suggest they join me for tonight’s episode and before they can object, the lights are dimmed and the TV is on. I’m in luck. It’s a good one, The Immunity Syndrome with the Enterprise swallowed by a giant amoeba. At the end, they look at me. “How many more of these are you going to watch?” “About 700.” “Best of luck”.

March 2022

I’m on the animated series, and on a flight to Dublin. My seat mate looks at my iPad and clearly wants to know why I, a sane-seeming man of advanced years, am not only watching a children’s cartoon but making notes about it. I explain the project. “That was a classic,” I protest, referring to the story I just watched. “It was written by Larry Niven and it explores themes of mutually assured destruction and artificial intelligence.” My seat mate nods and goes back to reading Wolf Hall.

April 2022

I have the first four movies to watch back-to-back and I’ve timed it so I can watch them over a weekend. Then, suddenly, we’re invited for Sunday lunch and I have to watch all four on a single day to avoid falling behind. It all becomes a bit disorienting. I may have made a terrible mistake.

May 2022

I’m on to The Next Generation but compared to the 70-something episodes of The Original Series there are so many of these, and the early ones are rough. I fall behind and have to binge at weekends to keep up. But suddenly, news comes that this project is going to be a book. I knuckle down and get back on track.

September 2022

I’m flying now. The show has got really good, I’m having fun. Even Deborah seems to be tolerating the project (news of the book has really helped). Deep Space Nine turns up and at first, I’m annoyed at having to take time out from the crew I love to watch these interlopers, but in its last season, Next Generation runs out of ideas, and the new show starts to do some incredible things. We’re hitting warp speed.

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January 2023

New year, new show. Voyager is rough going at first but I know the drill by now.

September 2023

Voyager finishes and I only have Enterprise to go. I’m going to do it. Volume I of the book is with the publishers. It’s real. It’s happened.

December 2023

We’re spending Christmas with friends, so I watch the last four episodes of Enterprise in one day, and finish early. It’s weirdly anticlimactic. What will I do with my time now?

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January 2024

To dinner and the theatre with Deborah and friends. My mate Jason hands me a late Christmas present. “I really admire you for sticking with that crazy plan,” he says, “And now you’ve got a book out of it too. Amazing.” I open the gift. It’s a child’s toy version of the communicator from the original series. “I love it,” I say.

I open it and it makes the noises, but I can’t figure out how to turn it off. Everyone in the restaurant is staring. “Beam me up Scotty,” says Jason. “Do you know, Kirk never actually said that,” says Deborah.

Victory is mine.

Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series will be released on 30 March – Pre-order a copy: amazon.co.uk/Star-Trek-TV-Series

And read our full review here!