Some of today’s most popularsci-fishows weren’t fully appreciated when they first aired, but have since become very important to the genre, and that’s certainly the case for one project in particular. Although the saga in question isn’t one of thecanceled sci-fi shows that were surprisingly pulled from production, that doesn’t mean it received the praise it should have received.
All seven seasons ofStar Trek: Voyageraired between 1995 and 2001. As the fourth live-action show in the franchise, it played a major role in fleshing out theStar Trektimeline. When held up against some of its contemporaries,Voyager’s initial performance and reception pale by comparison, buttime has been incredibly kind to Captain Kathryn Janeway(Kate Mulgrew) and her crew.
Star Trek: Voyager Fell Short Of The Acclaim Received By Its Predecessors
Captain Janeway & Company Weren’t Welcomed Into The Star Trek Fold Quite So Warmly
BeforeStar Trek: Voyager, the legendary sci-fi franchise had already produced a string of hit shows. Starting withThe Original Seriesin 1966, the saga moved on toThe Animated Series,The Next Generation, andDeep Space Nine. There was even some crossover with the latter, as both shows shared the airwaves for several years.
UntilVoyager,everyStar Trekshowhad been a hit and progressed with storylines that both critics and fans found inventive and rewarding. Sadly, theStar Trek: Voyagercastweren’t accepted quite so readily into the hearts of 1990s Trekkies. While the show had a devoted following, it fell somewhere near cult status compared to broader hits likeTNG.
3
1966-1969
80%
2
1973-1974
94%
7
1987-1994
92%
1993-1999
91%
1995-2001
76%
Even today,Star Trek: Voyagerhas aRotten Tomatoesrating of just 76%. While this isn’t a terrible score, it’s the lowest of all theStar Trekshows released to that point.Voyagerdid have episodes, and even entire seasons, that were acknowledged as being brilliant, but this level of quality was deemed consistent.
Why Star Trek: Voyager Should Have Been A Bigger Hit Upon Release
Voyager Discovered More Of The Star Trek Universe Than Any Of Its Predecessors
While it hadStar Trek’s signature aesthetic,Voyagerwasn’t that much like its predecessors. The previous shows had been fleshing out the world set in motion by Gene Roddenberry for decades by the timeVoyager’s pilot aired in 1995, and the show’s Alpha Quadrant in particular was a well-mapped portion of the sci-fi saga’s sprawling universe.
The writers were essentially starting from scratch as Janeway and her crew fought to uphold Starfleet principles during their lengthy trip home, surrounded by threats on all sides.
Then,Star Trek: Voyagercame along and left pretty much all of that worldbuilding behind as the show’s titular vessel was pulled against its will into an uncharted area of space - the Delta Quadrant. The writers were essentially starting from scratch asJaneway and her crew fought to uphold Starfleet principles during their lengthy trip home, surrounded by threats on all sides.
AlthoughVoyagerdid occasionally find opportunities to revisit pre-establishedStar Trekcharactersand storylines, such moments often required some very creative writing. While I liked those episodes, most of my favoriteVoyagerstories stemmed from the ship coming across brand-new threats and challenges.
Star Trek: Voyagerwas still bound to the same rules as its predecessors, but most of those laws were rooted in a setting so far from Janeway and her crew that the show bordered on being a fresh property that could do many things shows likeThe Next GenerationandDeep Space Ninecould not.
This creative freedom often led to criticism rather than plaudits. While this is a shame, it’s also kind of understandable. TheStar Trekfranchise had become its own beast by 1995 and softly promised certain things from each of its projects. In many ways,Voyagersubverted those expectations, which ruffled the feathers of many Trekkies.
Voyager Is The Most Heavily Referenced Classic Star Trek Show In The Franchise’s Modern Age
Janeway’s Crew Are Still Getting Love 24 Years After The Voyager Finale
Time has been very kind toStar Trek: Voyager. While there hasn’t been a new episode of the show in almost a quarter of a century, the renaissance enjoyed by the franchise to which it belongs has givenVoyagernew life. Ever sinceStar Trek: Discoverydebuted in 2017, the iconic saga has been able to fold in countless elements from across the in-universe timeline.
Voyagerisn’t the onlyStar Trekshow to be referenced since the TV franchise’s 2017 revival, but it has received far more attention than its contemporaries. The love for the show that was perhaps restrained in the 1990s has grown since to make it far more than just a cult classic.
Star Trek: Prodigyis essentially an animated legacy sequel toVoyager, recalling Mulgrew and other former stars to the cast to voice their original characters in the animated project.Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine’s presence among theStar Trek: Picardcastis also a massive nod to the show in which she originally appeared, despitePicardtechnically being aTNGfollow-up.
VariousVoyagercharacters, like Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) and Harry Kim (Garrett Wang), also appeared inStar Trek: Lower Decksbefore the animated comedy ended in 2024.
VariousVoyagercharacters, like Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) and Harry Kim (Garrett Wang), also appeared inStar Trek: Lower Decksbefore the animated comedy ended in 2024. While the future ofProdigylooks unclear at the moment, Robert Picardo’s Doctor will be back regardlesswhenStar Trek: Starfleet Academydebutsin early 2026. So, the franchise still isn’t done withStar Trek: Voyager.
