In spite of the challenges a new Star Trek show presented, Voyager set a new standard for pilots. At the time, this was the best of the latter-Trek pilots and the producers seemed to meet the creative challenges of a new show head on. Of course, having already done Star Trek: The Next Generation — set aboard a starship that seeks out new life and new civilizations — and the arc-heavy, station-based Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Voyager had a lot to live up to.

The question was, therefore, How do we make this show different? What about a starship doing the exploring thing, but this time they also have to find their way back to civilization, or at least the Alpha Quadrant, as we know it. The other aspect, just to add some more conflict into the mix, was to combine a renegade Maquis crew with a well-drilled Starfleet crew. Rounding out the cast you had a couple of alien crew members, Neelix and Kes, and a holographic doctor called, oddly enough, "The Doctor." But the most shocking thing, and a first for Star Trek, was when the producers threw in the F-word (that would be "Female," as in Captain Kathryn Janeway) choosing, therefore, to go in the proverbial "different direction." Janeway worked wonders and the result was an entertaining weekly adventure set in the far reaches of the Delta Quadrant. While not always full of the sparks that it could have had, the show was well written with an excellent ensemble cast that fit nicely into the ever-expanding Star Trek world. Since it is unlikely we will ever get to the Delta Quadrant in this lifetime, we can thank Voyager for taking us there every week, providing snapshots of worlds so far away!

As for the DVDs — well, Season One had some fine episodes. "Eye of the Needle" is simply Star Trek at its best, providing early hope for this fledgling crew. But the broadcast year was a bit abridged by premiering the show in January, as opposed to the customary Sept./Oct. start dates. The entire season, therefore, fits snugly onto four discs, with a fifth containing the ever popular bonus features. (Remember, these are why we love DVDs!) Perhaps one of the most interesting "what if" scenarios you will ever see is the footage of acclaimed actress Geneviève Bujold as Captain Janeway. The original casting choice as captain, Bujold simply hasn't the energy or the verbal dexterity that Kate Mulgrew brought to the role. We can thank our stars Mulgrew was still available to take the part when it came free.

Disclosure: Marc Wade, noted STARTREK.COM producer, is featured on one of the bonus features on this DVD set. Titled "Launching Voyager on the Web," Marc gives you a nice run-through of how this new show aired just as new aspects of Internet technology were taking hold. It's great to see actors Robert Picardo and Mulgrew provide on-screen roles for this Web-based project, which in turn was the forerunner to STARTREK.COM itself. Just thought we'd be upfront about this. We're not bragging here. Not at all.

[Tim]