Bringing back Star Trek twenty years after the original series began was a surprising success for creator Gene Roddenberry. But it was Deep Space Nine, the third Star Trek show, that truly established it as a lasting franchise. DS9 didn’t just prove The Next Generation wasn’t a one-time hit; it demonstrated that Star Trek could thrive even outside the familiar setting of the starship Enterprise.
As a critic, I’ve always been fascinated by the behind-the-scenes stories of how shows get made, and the origins of Star Trek: Voyager are particularly interesting. Back in 1991, the new head of Paramount, Brandon Tartikoff, approached Rick Berman – a key figure in Star Trek: The Next Generation – with a pretty unusual idea: a sci-fi take on the classic western, The Rifleman. While the show kept that father-son dynamic, everything else was completely fresh. According to Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman’s book, The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, a space station setting was the only viable option for a new Star Trek series besides a starship or planet. What’s really striking, though, is that this pattern of initial criticism and slow appreciation had already started with Star Trek itself. Every new installment seems to face years of negativity before finding its audience.
How Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Expanded the Franchise for the Future
Rod Roddenberry, the current producer of Star Trek and son of Gene Roddenberry, explained in his book that Deep Space Nine didn’t fully capture the optimistic vision his father had for the future. He felt the show portrayed a humanity that was, for better or worse, very similar to how we are today. Deep Space Nine marked a turning point for Star Trek, allowing it to evolve beyond the boundaries originally set by Gene Roddenberry.
The initial reaction to Star Trek: Discovery‘s first season was quite divisive among fans. Many felt it was overly grim and that the characters didn’t align with the optimistic vision of Starfleet originally created by Gene Roddenberry. Regardless of whether those criticisms were fair, the show eventually led its characters to a hopeful place that Roddenberry likely would have appreciated.
Unfortunately, Avery Brooks, as Captain Benjamin Sisko – the first Black captain of a Star Trek series – also faced racist criticism. (He was initially a Commander before taking command of the USS Defiant.) What truly set Deep Space Nine apart from The Next Generation was its willingness to break from established conventions.
He imagined that in the 24th century, Starfleet officers would work together without minor disagreements. However, because the people on Deep Space 9 – like the Bajorans and other aliens – weren’t actually Starfleet personnel, the show could delve into the emotional struggles and conflicts that The Next Generation mostly avoided (until Star Trek: Picard revisited those themes).
However, the differences went deeper than just the harsh way some characters spoke to each other. Later seasons of Deep Space Nine broke new ground for Star Trek by showing Starfleet at war and telling a story that unfolded over time. In The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, Piller explained that TNG was
Some Star Trek series presented heroes who were clearly good, battling obviously evil villains. However, Deep Space Nine explored more complex and morally gray conflicts. Gene Roddenberry, a World War II veteran, initially didn’t want Star Trek to depict such struggles. But Deep Space Nine demonstrates that war didn’t change Star Trek’s core values; it simply presented the horrors of war through Roddenberry’s optimistic vision.
Deep Space Nine Also Proved That Star Trek Continued to Endure Past Cancellation
During the war between Starfleet and the Dominion, Starfleet forces used biological weapons with the intent of wiping out entire populations.
The original idea for Star Trek was often described as “Wagon Train to the stars,” but Deep Space Nine actually captured the feel of classic American Westerns better than any other series. Director Winrich Kolbe felt it was closer to Gunsmoke than The Rifleman. The space station served as a central hub – “the town that everybody comes to” – which allowed the show to focus more on its characters than previous Star Trek installments.
Like many Star Trek series before it, the ratings weren’t quite hitting Paramount’s goals. To try and boost viewership, they added Michael Dorn as a regular cast member, reprising his role as Worf. According to Ronald D. Moore, who became showrunner, Worf was the most likely The Next Generation character to successfully transition to the new show, as explained in the Season 4 bonus features.
By highlighting Klingon stories and culture, Worf demonstrated that Deep Space Nine was a vital part of the Star Trek universe. These stories maintained a gritty, dramatic feel while still seamlessly fitting into the larger, decades-long history of the franchise.
Similar to The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager – which both premiered during the fourth season of DS9 – the show lasted seven seasons in total. However, the atmosphere on the Deep Space Nine set was quite different from that of The Next Generation. While the cast of The Next Generation were close friends and enjoyed having fun between scenes, Deep Space Nine had a more distinct feel.
Sources close to Altman and Gross revealed there was tension on set. Mel Brooks was a very intense and focused actor, and some of the cast, including one who wished to remain unnamed, said they had disagreements with him. However, everyone ultimately remained professional and worked through it.
Deep Space Nine’s Success Came In Spite of How the Studio Treated the Show
Brooks had a different experience than other stars of the show, largely due to racial bias. He shared a story in The Fifty-Year Mission about being pulled over by security while leaving Paramount Studios late one night. After a long day, they searched his Volkswagen Rabbit, prompting him to sarcastically ask, “What’s in there, the Defiant?”
Besides facing criticism from dedicated Star Trek fans, Siddig also received pressure from Paramount. He recounts how Rick Berman intervened to save his job after the first season. Berman also clarified that the controversial firing during Deep Space Nine‘s final season was ordered by the studio, even though Siddig had previously blamed Berman himself.
Berman was described as having strong misogynistic tendencies, and Terry Farrell experienced difficult negotiations with him when she requested to appear in only half of a season. Ultimately, her character was killed off the show. However, Jadzia was a unique character in the era of Star Trek that followed the original series, as she was able to represent LGBT+ themes and storylines.
As a Trill, a species that forms a close bond with a long-living host, Jadzia Dax was originally a man. This led to a groundbreaking moment in Star Trek – the first on-screen kiss between two men. While she later married Worf, fans had to wait until the characters Adira and Gray Tal to see another Trill relationship explored in the 1990s.
Despite its rocky start, Deep Space Nine is really where Star Trek transformed into a long-lasting franchise. Before that, it was just a classic TV show that surprisingly managed a successful revival and a follow-up series. Even though the studio executives weren’t enthusiastic about Deep Space Nine, they wisely allowed it to run for all seven seasons, understanding that canceling it prematurely could damage the Star Trek brand.
Over time, and especially with the rise of streaming, viewers started to appreciate just how unique the show was. Those involved, like the actors and producers, playfully referred to it as the lesser-known successor to the original Star Trek series.
《Deep Space Nine》showed us that the Star Trek universe wasn’t just about traveling the galaxy with perfect heroes. It broadened viewers’ understanding of complex stories, both through its unique space station setting and by tackling serious issues like politics, war, and religion.
Often, the elements of a Star Trek series that initially divide fans – like with Discovery and Starfleet Academy – are ultimately what make it a lasting favorite. This show was key to turning Star Trek into a full-fledged franchise by proving that a Star Trek story could take many different forms. The idea of “infinite diversity in infinite combinations” wasn’t just about the characters, but about the shows themselves – each one could be unique.
You can now buy all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine on DVD and Blu-ray, or watch it digitally. It’s also streaming on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
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2026-04-26 23:44