At least in volume of material released, the 1990s was Star Trek's prime decade, but today the franchise is at a crossroads.
When the decade began, The Next Generation dominated science fiction television. The series not only passed the original Star Trek 's run of 78 episodes in the fall of 1990, but cliffhanger third-season finale "The Best of Both Worlds" received national attention earlier that year.
Beyond TNG, the entire run of Deep Space Nine and most of
There's also the question of where a new series would air.
Paramount's owner, Viacom, announced a merger with CBS in 1999, and the combined television giants may not want to keep two broadcast networks even if regulatory authorities allow them to keep both UPN and CBS.
UPN may not exist in a few years -- or CBS may be airing the new Trek series alongside 60 Minutes.
As for Star Trek, the franchise could reinvent itself over the next decade, or it could lie dormant, depending on how well a steady diet of reruns sells action figures and memorabilia. With the broadcast landscape rapidly shifting, it's unclear where Starfleet's future lies.
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