10 Worst Star Trek Moments In 2024

8th September is World Ampersand Day, honouring that curious little character you'll probably find above the 7, if you have a QWERTY keyboard. 8th September also happens to be Star Trek Day, marking the date of the US premiere of The Man Trap in 1966.

Star Trek Day was only given Paramount officialdom in 2020. Since then, it has typically been celebrated with pomp (pandemic permitting), reveals, teasers, tributes, livestreams, and charitable efforts via the #StarTrekUnitedGives campaign. This year, the ampersand was more directly on display. Like an improv. comic seeking a reply, we were left asking, 'Yes, and…?'

Laudable but lacklustre, 2024's "Take the Chair, Make an Impact" was essentially left up to the fans. "What would I do if I were setting the course to the future?" we were asked. Probably plan this day with a little more effort! Star Trek: Prodigy was also largely ignored (again), so the writers had a pizza party instead!

If you were anywhere near Chicago on 8th September, you could actually sit in a captain's chair, which at least looked like the real OG Enterprise thing. Those set-up in Berlin and Vancouver were promoted as being "crafted from sustainable materials". That, however, was a woefully fancy way of saying 'cardboard'!! Don't worry, you could still get a "limited edition enamel pin".

And, if anyone remembers what happened on First Contact Day this year, send your answers on a postcard to that place in Montana!