Is Star Trek a ‘Kids Show’?

It's not intended to be, no… but it's a show that kids can enjoy.

Before I expand on my answer, I want to critique the term "kids show." Many shows that fall into that descriptive bucket are quite entertaining and can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages, not just "kids." One classic example, and one recent example. Jonny Quest was an adventure cartoon that never talked down to the audience. On many episodes you had to pay attention to follow the plot, and some of the violence was quite "adult". A modern example: Doctor Who was for years considered a "kids show" by the BBC… But if you actually WATCHED the show during this time you would have found some great stories being told, with some amazing and fanciful premises.

Even if you accurately applied the label "kids show" (as most of us think of it) to a show, you sometimes enjoyed moments that were not necessarily targeted at kids (I think of the old WGN Bozo Show, or Soupy Sales' many programs). So, with that being said, back to your question.

Star Trek, in all its incarnations, is a SF adventure show that also tries to have philosophical subtexts and "ideas" the viewer can "get" while watching. You can watch the show just for the stories and the adventure, and many episodes are quite approachable for children (I think of The Devil in the Dark or The Doomsday Machine on the original series, and Best of Both Worlds on the Next Generation as good examples of such episodes). But if you peel the surface back, you get some great stuff just below the surface… But you don't need to do so to enjoy Star Trek.

I was just at the official Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, and I saw a lot of young people and kids there. I also saw lots of fans who, when asked, said they started watching Trek when they were kids, eight or ten years old… And only later did they grow to appreciate the subtle qualities that made Star Trek such a unique (set of) show(s). Many want new Star Trek on TV, not just because they love the universe that the show created, but so that a new generation could discover the show… And that the legacy can continue.

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