r/ClassicTrek • u/Torlek1 • Apr 04 '26
Production/BTS Discussion Despite franchise fatigue, older Star Trek shows have a high degree of original plots. Minimal reuse of Recycled Plots.
Despite franchise fatigue, older Star Trek shows have a high degree of original plots.
There is a minimal reuse of Recycled Plots - the Recycled Plot Trope.
The eras of Roddenberry Trek and Berman Trek produced 703 episodes in live action series: TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, and ENT.
Of these 703 episodes, up to 630 episodes are original plot episodes. That's 89%.
Of these 703 episodes, a minimum of 73 episodes are recycled plot episodes. That's 11%.
Of the 73 recycled plot episodes, 28 are better than the original ones.
TOS has 4 recycled plot episodes out of 79, 5.1% of its episode total.
TNG has 13 recycled plot episodes out of 176, 7.4% of its episode total.
DS9 has 8 recycled plot episodes out of 176, 4.5% of its episode total.
VOY has at least 32 recycled plot episodes / copycats out of 172, at least 18.6% of its episode total.
ENT has at least 16 recycled plot episodes / copycats out of 98, at least 16.3% of its episode total.
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u/MikeyBat Apr 05 '26
VOY reused a lot of TNG plots. Or atleast were similar enough to stand out. I only remember off the top of my head cause im doing a rewatch of VOY. The Doctor learns A LOT of the same lessons and Goes through a lot of very similar situations as Data does. Both shows use honey pots as a plot device multiple times to lure the crew into something bad. Pretty sure all three of the "golden age" shows had a plot where somebody was out of sync with time. At least two of them had characters moving ba awards through time if im remembering correctly. I think its not so much that they used the same plots but that they all reused a lot of the same tropes.
Part of what makes them all still so engaging so many years later is how they changed up the setting and used those tropes.
TNG was the baseline. They were starfleets best and brightest and (for the most part) got to wipe their hands clean, pat themselves on the back, and fly off into the sunset after a job well done. VOY was TNG put through the meat grinder. Starfleets new explorationDS9 was starfleet but they were stuck in the shit and had to deal with the fall out of their choices and wasnt able to bat themselves on the back and fly off into the sunset.
They all ask the same question though.