Star Trek: Ranking The Series Intros Worst To Best

And first of all is of course The Original Series. When a intro becomes part of pop culture DNA, it’s inarguable.

“Space, the final frontier…”

“To boldly go where no man has gone before…”

Any passerby on the street would recognize either quote. The opening monologue has passed into history and taken on a life of its own. It also remains an efficient way to greet new viewers, as it lays out the premise in a scant 37 words.

The is dated, but that adds to its charm. It sounds like a bygone time when horizons were unlimited and Roddenberry’s utopia in the stars wasn’t so laughable. The music is inspiring, it’s friendly, and it’s simply catchy.

The intro’s concept was repurposed for The Next Generation, with another monologue, another Enterprise, and another starry black background, but it comes up short. What’s the difference, then? The long view of history.

The Original Series was, well, the original. In the last fifty-plus years, it has passed beyond the realm of Trekkies and become greater than the sum of its parts.

When it comes to the promise and payoff of entertainment to come, this intro delivers both simultaneously.