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Andrew Robinson played the role of Garak inStar Trek: Deep Space Nine. The show was noted for being the first one in the franchise to star a Black man as the protagonist of the series. It was also the first in the franchise to not feature space exploration on the Enterprise but was set on a space station.
While the series has its own cult following like the original series, it never went as big asStar Trek: The Next Generation. The Patrick Stewart-starrer became a global phenomenon and took the franchise to a whole new level. Robinson mentioned that the show suffered one novel thing they did which was too new for TV at the time.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Andrew Robinson theorized why the series was not as big asTNG
Starring as Captain Picard for seven seasons tookSir Patrick Stewartfrom obscurity to global stardom. The actor played the role of the efficient yet vulnerable captain inStar Trek: The Next Generation. The show itself ran for longer than its predecessor, which only developed a cult following and became popular after the release ofStar Wars.
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WhileStewart enjoyed great stardomand became a permanent fixture in pop culture, the other spinoff shows of the franchise have not reached the same amount of popularity. Shows likeVoyagerandEnterprisehad lesser amounts of success whileDeep Space Nine, despite a cult following did not reach the heights ofTNG.
The Avery Brooks starrer did many things that were revolutionary for its time. It featured a Black protagonist and did not have space exploration as its setting. Andrew Robinson, who played Garak in the show, had a different theory as to whyStar Trek: Deep Space Ninewas not as popular. He said toTrek Today,
It’s not the most popular because it’s the most morally ambiguous. Whenever you have characters who are gray rather than black and white … Although they are more interesting, they are more difficult for people to get a handle on. I loved DS9 because they were gray because the characters were not easily definable, but that’s not for everybody.
While times have changed now and more morally ambiguous characters (like Walter White and Tony Soprano) have become more popular, back in the early ‘90s, TV was still a family medium.
Despite its reduced popularityStar Trek: Deep Space Nineis still considered a better series
Gene Roddenberry’sStar Trekfranchise has always pushed the boundaries in not just the sci-fi realm but also on American TV. The original series featured what is regarded as the first interracial kiss on screen andStar Trek: Deep Space Ninefeatured the franchise’s first African-American protagonist in Avery Brooks’ Captain Sisko.
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Deep Space Ninebegan airing even whenStar Trek: The Next Generationwas still running and while the new spinoff had to debut under the mammoth’s shadow, it developed its own audience. For starters, it moved away from the franchise’s exploratory storyline and decided to set it on a space station.
Throughout the series,Deep Space Nineexplored many complex themes like its predecessors but was also more morally ambiguous. Captain Sisko was not as benevolent as the other captains and even harbored agrudge against Patrick Stewart’sCaptain Picard. He was a more tragic character too, with the pilot showcasing the terrible events that fell on him.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nineis available to stream on Paramount+.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
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Sir Patrick StewartStar Trek: The Next Generation
