32 Years Ago, Star Trek’s 91% RT Masterpiece Reinvented the Entire Franchise

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Star Trek has a rich history, but many newer fans haven’t discovered one of its best shows: Deep Space Nine. It first aired around January 3, 1993, and ran for seven seasons – a total of 176 episodes – until 1999.

Even after more than thirty years, Deep Space Nine remains a highly praised series within the Star Trek universe, boasting a 91% approval rating from critics and an 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, its biggest impact wasn’t just the positive reviews—the show boldly challenged and redefined many of the established conventions of Star Trek, and to great effect.

Deep Space Nine Achieved So many Milestone Firsts For Star Trek

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was a departure from previous Star Trek shows. Instead of being set on a Federation starship, it took place on a space station, which allowed for new kinds of stories by bringing together different species and groups. This setting also let the show explore themes of race, culture, and politics in a more direct way than earlier installments of Star Trek.

Deep Space Nine was the first Star Trek series to air at the same time as another, namely Star Trek: The Next Generation. The two shows shared characters and storylines, with Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) appearing in the Deep Space Nine pilot and later episodes. Additionally, two key characters from The Next Generation—Chief Miles O’Brien and Lieutenant Worf—became regular cast members on Deep Space Nine. Before shared universes became common in franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Trek pioneered this approach, delighting its fans. By the time The Next Generation ended in 1994, Deep Space Nine was successful and well-loved enough to seamlessly continue the story as the flagship Star Trek series.

Let me tell you, when Avery Brooks stepped into the role of Captain Benjamin Sisko, commander of Deep Space Nine, it was a real moment for Star Trek – he was the first Black captain to lead a series. Beyond just being a visual shift, Brooks absolutely owned the part. He brought a weight and intensity to Sisko that few Star Trek captains have ever displayed. The show really pushed him, challenging what it meant to be a Starfleet officer, and you see that brilliantly in episodes like “In the Pale Moonlight” – many fans, myself included, consider it one of the very best Star Trek has ever produced, and Brooks’ performance is a huge reason why.

DS9 Started A Whole New (Risky) Era of Star Trek

A major turning point for Star Trek, Deep Space Nine was the first series in the franchise not created by Gene Roddenberry. Instead, Rick Berman and Michael Piller took on the role of creators, with Piller leading the show for the first three seasons and Ira Steven Behr taking over for the final four. Initially, many fans questioned whether the show would maintain the spirit and quality of The Original Series and The Next Generation. However, Deep Space Nine quickly proved its worth and alleviated those concerns. The show’s success was such that Paramount entrusted the creators—along with Star Trek: The Next Generation alum Jeri Ryan—with developing the next installment, Star Trek: Voyager.

Storylines like “The Dominion War” showed how creatively ambitious DS9 was, confidently tackling major themes within the Star Trek universe in a sophisticated way. The show also excelled at standalone episodes, all while featuring one of the best, and often overlooked, ensemble casts in Star Trek history.

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2026-01-06 02:10