Why? Why do we need this? Some might ask why I read this book and that question I can answer. Aside from being a Star Trek junkie, willing to read anything with the words "Star Trek" on it, I was a little envious of someone getting to watch Star Trek for the first time, and I thought it might be fun to get those reactions.
Author Tom Salinsky sets us up with the fact that he's a huge Dr. Who fan but, for various reasons (including the fact that British television didn't always show Star Trek or didn't show all of Star Trek through the years) hadn't watched Star Trek and decided to venture forth on the Trek journey and document it along the way.

Great idea, but here's the thing ... if you're new to something, an admit it right out, it's okay to not like it or even pan it, but you really can't be acting like you're one of the 'in' crowd and commenting and making jokes the way long-time fans have. Reading Reddit pages or the Memory Alpha wiki pages doesn't grant immediate long-term-fans status and treating some of the worst and some of the best episodes as your long-time friends doesn't suddenly make you an authority worthy of writing about a series you supposedly are only just watching.

More than once I wondered what a Dr. Who fan like Salinsky might think if I admitted I'd never watched Dr. Who and decided to write a book about my experiences as I watched each episode and, after checking in on the discussion boards, made jokes and comments the way those who've watched the episodes over and over might. (I've never watched Dr. Who other than about three episodes back in the 80's and I'm only assuming there are discussion boards dedicated to it.)

Aside from my distaste for a non-fan to act like a deep fan for the purposes of a book, my other 'problem' is that this offers nothing new. 'This' episode is good. 'This' episode is bad. Yeah, yeah, some of this is pretty commonly held thought, and some is clearly personal choice. (I happen to enjoy some of the lighter or funnier episodes as a good mix-up with the heavier, darker episodes (Really? You don't like Harry Mudd?) but it's okay if you don't.)

And when we look at it as though this were a first viewing, why is it, then, that Salinsky will make comments like "unlike in the Mirror Universe stories..." when he's talking about a first season TOS episode and there haven't been any Mirror Universe stories yet? Or make a comment such as (in reference to the original series episode, "The Galileo Seven"): "A recent episode of Discovery stranded Tilly on a dangerous planet, struggling to keep alive a team of trainees who didn't trust her leadership style. It worked just as well there as it did fifty-five years ago." Isn't that comment better saved for reflection on the first watching of Discovery in volume two (or three)?

Salinsky makes it very clear that he doesn't like the lighter or humorous episodes. really? You don't like Harry Mudd? You don't like tribbles? Who doesn't like tribbles?! But to each his own. I assume that means I won't find many lighter episodes when I finally sit down to watch Doctor Who.

But it's comments like "It's the return of Mark Lenard - and he's Spock's daddy! Not only that, he's brought Spock's mummy" and "This time, McCoy has wiped out a whole planet with a dangerous vaccine. It's a little known fact that this episode was the early work of Joe Rogan" and "Party pooper Picard" that cheapen this reflection. Perhaps if Tom Salinsky were a celebrity, this would be amusing. I know, it's a bit of a double standard, but let's face it, if Ryan Reynolds were saying these things, we'd be amused. But ... we'd also believe Ryan Reynolds was a 'true fan' and had earned his right to poke fun.

And, sorry, but it's offensive on multiple levels to refer to actor Lycia Naff as "Ensign Hot Chocolate from Q Who...."

And if you need to be reminded that Salinsky is NOT a true fan, he does that plenty:

Why are these episode titles so vague and so hard to remember? I never have any trouble recalling which Doctor Who story is which (you’re a real Doctor Who fan if it’s never even occurred to you that people might mix up 1969’s ‘The Seeds of Death’ and 1976’s ‘The Seeds of Doom’) but without looking, I couldn’t tell you which one was Wolf in the Fold, which one was Return to Tomorrow and which one was Errand of Mercy if my very life depended on it.
But still he tries to also pass himself off as a true Star Trek fan when he writes "Fans have debated for ages..." How would he know? Once again, accessing the Memory Alpha wiki does not make one a 'true fan.'

But Salinsky has pinpointed the problem ... he's a 'real' Doctor Who fan and NOT a real Star Trek fan. That's cool. The world can have both. But, it brings me back to my opening question ... Why? Why do we need this book? The answer is, we don't. And I'm most certainly not interested in reading the next volume.

Looking for a good book? In Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series by Tom Salinsky, the author capitalizes on Star Trek fans' interest in reading about their beloved series with his supposed first reactions to watching the series for the first time. It offers nothing new to fans or to the franchise but it may put a little money in his pocket.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This episode guidebook is a fresh, insightful take on the world of Star Trek, offering thoughtful commentary and plenty of fun facts without taking itself too seriously. It’s perfect for longtime fans or newcomers looking to explore the series in a light-hearted, engaging way. Whether you’re revisiting iconic moments or discovering them for the first time, this guide makes the journey through the Star Trek universe an enjoyable and accessible adventure.

4 stars = Great! Might re-read

This is so fun! I enjoyed the writer's voice in this and the set up of the episode reviews. I'd love to read through this while doing my own watch of the episodes. Great for the Trek fan in your life.

Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series is a fun book with brief commentaries on episodes from the original series, the cartoon and Star Trek: The Next Generation. I will say that I wish the plots of all the episodes were explained a bit more. I have seen all of Star Trek: TNG so those commentaries were easier to follow than the others. Overall I wish there was a bit more substance to this book.

Star Trek has been a part of my adult life. I came upon it in reruns not long after its initial run, I was never a fully fledged Trekkie but I have enjoyed the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Forty two years ago it was my intense pleasure to interview all the leads during a press junket for Wrath Of Khan. I even had William Shatner leap into my lap- on camera! I have some lovely memories of both the original series and the subsequent movies and other series. So when I saw this book come up for review, I was happy to download it and give it a read.

Because there is so much material to cover, none of the sections can be particularly long but it does an admirable pop-culture review of the various episodes and the films. It is written by a true fan, albeit a very young one who first came to Trek through tie in books and then watched everything in order to write the book. Often I agree with what he says. Even the episodes that he, rightly so, calls out for blatant sexism and less blatant racism (after all, the show did break some boundaries in that area), I still recall with fondness. It was of it’s time and it was ahead of it’s time. When it was good it was very, very good. When it was less than good it was never horrible. And it was entertaining.

I am not sure how well it will have aged if I was to sit down and watch the original series again. I suspect my favourite episodes would hold up admirably. I do know the movies, especially 2, my memorable Khan, and 4. Some of the things the author did not love about them were the things I loved best but then that is probably more caused by a difference in age than anything. But what does come through is a passion and admiration for Star Trek. Something to which, I suspect, all Trekkies, even minor ones, will agree. Four purrs and two paws up.

A must for any Star Trek fan episode guide for ST original series thought to The Next Generation. Lots of information from behind the camera. Loves it. Thanks to Pen & Sword and Netgalley for a review copy.

I've been a fan of Star Trek for a while and always enjoy reading books about this series. It does a great job in what I was hoping for and thought Tom Salinsky wrote this perfectly. It was a strong feel that I was looking for and glad I read this.

I have always enjoyed Star Trek, the Original Series. All of the series that came after that, I felt were never as good at telling a story. I was looking forward to this book, but quickly became disinterested in it as it just didn't seem to tell you anything you didn't know. The short telling of the episodes were just blurbs, sometimes not really giving the point of the story. Star Trek was so much more than this. I really didn't understand what this book was trying to do. I thank NetGalley and Pen & Sword for the advance read.

Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series: The Original Series, The Animated Series and The Next Generation by Tom Salinsky

This was an interesting book. I hadn’t seen the Animated Series, but had seen Star Trek in reruns. I remember being appalled at the idea of a remake but The Next Generation became my favorite series and I still watch it regularly. This book had tidbits of behind-the-scenes info that I enjoyed reading about. I didn’t always agree with the ratings the author provided, but even he admitted that if he watched again he might rate it differently based on his mood or other circumstances. The real interesting part was to read his take on the episodes. I enjoyed this book and recommend it.

Thank you to the author, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I did not enjoy the book. I managed to make it just over a third of the way through before stopping. A few of the episode descriptions were good; but most were bland. There was a little humour and the star ratings were not that off from how I perceived the episode. But I found that the humour wore thin very quickly. I felt that sarcasm was used much too often and overall there was too much time spent on minutiae. The writing did not motivate me to continue reading. Perhaps bigger fans of the franchise will enjoy the book more than I did. Thank you to Netgalley and White Owl for the advance reader copy.

Due to be released in just a few days on the 29th, this is a fantastic stroll through TOS, TAS, and TNG with well written and enjoyable looks at each episode. It's a great trip down memory lane with insightful comments that cut deep into what makes Trek work or in some cases, what doesn't work for Trek. While I wouldn't recommend this to someone that's never seen the three shows before, it's still a good collection for anyone that's seen most of them and wants to see how well their opinions hold up to scrutiny.

A note to the publisher, the Kindle import had some significant but explainable errors with sidebar interviews that would appear in the middle of episode reviews, usually right in the middle of a sentence. I'm not entirely sure if this is a NetGalley issue or a publisher issue, but it's one that I would be happy to work with you to resolve.

Tom Salinsky revisits every episode of four different versions of the legendary sci-fi series here, summarising each in an entertaining and witty way. Sometimes, other people interject with their comments too.
First up, is The Original Series. You know? The Sixties one with Kirk and Spock in? Some real classics, but also much which is less than stellar.
The Animated Series: Seventies cartoon version of the above.
The first films featuring the ageing original crew from the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties. Odd ones bad, even ones good!
The Next Generation series from the Eighties and Nineties featuring Picard and Data etc Probably the best of the start, once it eventually got going. Recommended for anyone into this stuff.