The Greatest Generation (podcast)

Last updated
The Greatest Generation
The Greatest Generation.png
Presentation
Hosted byAdam Pranica
Benjamin Ahr Harrison
Genre Comedy
UpdatesWeekly (Mondays)
Length50-75 min.
Production
Opening theme The Picard Song by Darkmateria (episodes 1–178)
DS9 Intro Theme by Adam Ragusea/Darkmateria (179–351)
The Janeway Song (DO IT) by Adam Ragusea (352–present)
Ending themeThe Picard Song by Darkmateria
No. of episodes523 (as of May 20, 2024)
Publication
Original releaseJanuary 25, 2016
Related
Website http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/greatest-generation

The Greatest Generation is a weekly comedy Star Trek podcast hosted by Adam Pranica and Benjamin Harrison and distributed online by Maximum Fun. The show's tagline is "A Star Trek podcast by two guys who are a little bit embarrassed to have a Star Trek Podcast." The show started on January 25, 2016, and after 30 episodes joined the Maximum Fun network on May 9, 2016. [1] The show, as of August 2018, is the highest-rated Star Trek podcast on iTunes. [2]

Contents

History and format

From January 2016 to September 2017 the podcast was posted twice-weekly (on Mondays and Wednesdays), with each show reviewing an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (where the podcast gets its name). After completing its run of The Next Generation, the show switched to once a week (Mondays) and moved on to review episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in October 2017, Star Trek: Voyager in February 2021, and Star Trek: Enterprise in May 2024.

The podcast has a number of running gags, such as referring to the listeners as "viewers" and Pranica and Harrison parodying This Old House or impersonating the character of Kevin Uxbridge (played by John Anderson) from The Next Generation episode "The Survivors".

Maron open and review

Every show starts with a Maron Open (named after comedian Marc Maron's podcast, WTF with Marc Maron ). There are a few standard opening segments including opening trading cards, reading fan mail, or "Bible Study" (where they open up the show bible and compare the plan for the show to its eventual execution). The opening for episode 152 (which was published on July 10, 2017 and reviewed "Descent, part II") featured Pranica and Harrison interviewing LeVar Burton, who portrayed Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in The Next Generation. [3]

Following the Maron Open, Pranica and Harrison give a walk-through of the selected Star Trek episode scene by scene, followed by a review. Pranica and Harrison, both of whom have professional video production experience, [4] [5] use their knowledge of cinematography to provide commentary on the show, offering insight into some of the aspects of Star Trek while also pointing out some of the areas where it could be better. Using their experience, they critique the show's sets, special effects, acting, hairstyles, writing, and directing.

Drunk Shimoda

After the review of the episode, Pranica and Harrison designate their "Drunk Shimoda" for that episode, which is the character or actor (or in some cases TV crew member) having the most fun or just being the silliest in the episode. The term "Drunk Shimoda" is a reference to the second episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "The Naked Now," in which assistant chief engineer Jim Shimoda is inebriated by a virus and removes all of the isolinear chips from the engine control station.

Episode vetoes

At the end of each episode, Harrison reads the preview for the next episode they are to review from Amazon and Netflix. During their reviews of The Next Generation, Pranica and Harrison each had the chance to veto one episode per season of The Next Generation, meaning they would skip that episode and review the one after instead. However, the vetoes could be nullified if the other host chose to use their veto to counter the decision, which is what happened every time the vetoes were used.

In Season 1 Pranica vetoed "Haven" because it featured Lwaxana Troi, but this was nullified by Harrison. In Season 2 Harrison attempted to veto the episode “Up the Long Ladder,” but Pranica nullified as he felt they should watch a low quality episode. In Season 3 Harrison described "The Ensigns of Command" as one of his favorite episodes, leading Pranica to veto it and forcing Harrison to counter-veto. In Season 4 Harrison vetoed “Remember Me", describing it as "a turkey", but Pranica nullified. In Season 5 Harrison attempted to veto “New Ground", incorrectly thinking it featured Lwaxana Troi, but Pranica nullified as he felt Harrison was "vetoing blind". In Season 6 Pranica vetoed "Rascals" (in which four adult characters are turned into 12-year-old children) stating he was "anti-kids", Harrison countered because he liked the episode and thought it needed a second chance. In Season 7 Pranica attempted to veto "Dark Page", again because it featured Lwaxana Troi, but Harrison countered it because he did not have detailed intelligence about the episode. [6]

Board game

As Pranica and Harrison's knowledge of Deep Space Nine was not as strong as it was for The Next Generation, instead of vetoes, for the last fifteen episodes of the first season of Deep Space Nine, Harrison rolled a virtual die. If they rolled a 1 (out of a potential 1 thru 15), they would have to be drunk for that episode, something they achieved twice.

From the second season onward, Pranica and Harrison created a Snakes and Ladders style board game called "Game of Buttholes: The Will Of the Prophets" during reviews of Deep Space Nine and "Game of Buttholes: The Will Of the Caretaker" during reviews of Voyager. [7] At the end of each episode the virtual die is rolled and Pranica and Harrison advance as many spaces on the board, resulting in either a blank tile (meaning a normal next episode) or an action tile containing a theme for the next episode. There are 100 tiles out of which 76 are blank, 18 are action tiles and 6 are Bajoran Wormholes (meaning they would move to a lower part of the board, the equivalent of snakes in Snakes and Ladders).

The action tile themes are:

The game was updated when the show moved to Voyager with "Bangers" and "The Traveller" replacing Bajoran Wormholes. "Looking At Each Other During" and "Fuck It, We'll Do It Live" tiles were removed and replaced by:

In August 2022, during Voyager's fourth season, the game was updated to add two new tiles:

Greatest Trek

Greatest Trek
Presentation
Hosted byAdam Pranica
Benjamin Ahr Harrison
Genre Comedy
UpdatesWeekly (Tuesdays)
Length50-75 min.
Production
ProductionRob Schulte (episodes 1–126)
Wynde Priddy (127–present)
Theme music composed by Adam Ragusea
Opening themeThe Greatest Discovery Theme(episodes 1–185)
The Greatest Trek(186–present)
Ending themeThe Greatest Discovery Theme(episodes 1–185)
The Greatest Trek(186–present)
No. of episodes250 (as of December 15, 2023)
Publication
Original releaseSeptember 22, 2017
Related
Website https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/greatest-trek/

In 2017 Pranica and Harrison started a new podcast, The Greatest Discovery, following the launch of Star Trek: Discovery . It was billed as "the unofficial, irreverent and filthy aftershow Discovery didn't know it needed." [8]

The podcast, which is released the Friday after a new episode of Star Trek is aired, reviews each episode in the same format as The Greatest Generation. When there are no new episodes, the podcast is released monthly with Pranica and Harrison discussing Star Trek related news, interviewing guests and reviewing other Star Trek related media, such as comics and specific episodes of The Original Series. Guests featured on The Greatest Discovery include Anson Mount, J. K. Woodward and Chris Black.

Following the launch of Short Treks and the announcement of Star Trek: Picard , Pranica and Harrison announced that The Greatest Discovery would be used to review all upcoming Star Trek television properties, including Short Treks, Picard, Lower Decks , Strange New Worlds , in addition to Discovery. In August 2022, coinciding with the launch of Lower Decks season 3, the podcast was renamed Greatest Trek.

Reception

On February 14, 2016 Ars Technica published a review of the podcast titled "If you grew up watching ST:TNG, then you'll love this new podcast." [9] On July 29, 2016, Slate 's Sarah Archer offered a review of the podcast noting that the "show has lost a few listeners thanks to their willingness to bust the show's chops, other listeners (like me) delight in their clear affection for it and their admiration for its progressive ideals." [10] Archer also stated the podcast was "more Mystery Science Theater 3000 than Comic-Con." [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i> American science fiction television series

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. It originally aired from September 28, 1987, to May 23, 1994, in syndication, spanning 178 episodes over seven seasons. The third series in the Star Trek franchise, it was inspired by Star Trek: The Original Series. Set in the latter third of the 24th century, when Earth is part of the United Federation of Planets, it follows the adventures of a Starfleet starship, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), in its exploration of the Alpha quadrant and Beta quadrant in the Milky Way galaxy.

Star Trek: Voyager is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller and Jeri Taylor. It aired from January 16, 1995, to May 23, 2001, on UPN, with 172 episodes over seven seasons. The fifth series in the Star Trek franchise, it served as the fourth after Star Trek: The Original Series. Set in the 24th century, when Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, it follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager as it attempts to return home to the Alpha Quadrant after being stranded in the Delta Quadrant on the far side of the galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reginald Barclay</span> Recurring Star Trek character

Reginald Endicott Barclay III is a fictional engineer from the Star Trek media franchise. On television and in film, he has been portrayed by Dwight Schultz since the character's introduction in the Star Trek: The Next Generation third season episode "Hollow Pursuits." Schultz played the character for five episodes and one feature film of The Next Generation, as well as six episodes of the series Star Trek: Voyager. Barclay also appears in non-canon Star Trek novels and video games.

"Cost of Living" is the 120th episode of the American science fiction television show Star Trek: The Next Generation. The 20th episode of the fifth season. It was broadcast in syndication on April 20, 1992. The episode won two Emmy awards.

"Caretaker" is the series premiere of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. It was first broadcast as a double-length episode on January 16, 1995, as the first telecast of the fledgling UPN network. It was later split into two parts for syndication, but released in its original one-episode format on DVD and streaming services. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet and Maquis crew of the starship USS Voyager after they are stranded in the Delta Quadrant far from the rest of the Federation.

"The Naked Now" is the third episode of the first season of the American science-fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, originally aired on October 5, 1987, in broadcast syndication in the United States. Directed by Paul Lynch, the episode was written by D. C. Fontana, under the pseudonym of "J. Michael Bingham", based on an unfinished teleplay by Gene Roddenberry. It is a sequel to the original series Star Trek episode "The Naked Time" (1966), and that episode's writer John D. F. Black also received a writing credit on this episode for his role in devising the plot's origins.

"Haven" is the eleventh episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, originally aired on November 30, 1987, in broadcast syndication in the United States. Directed by Richard Compton, the story was originally created by Lan O'Kun, and developed into the final script by Tracy Tormé.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Maron</span> American comedian, podcaster, writer, and actor

Marc David Maron is an American stand-up comedian, podcaster, writer, actor, and musician.

"Manhunt" is the nineteenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 45th episode overall, originally broadcast on June 19, 1989.

"Half a Life" is the 22nd episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 96th episode overall. It was originally released on May 6, 1991, in broadcast syndication. The episode was the first of the series written by Peter Allan Fields, who later joined the writing staff. Director Les Landau said that "Half a Life" was a morality play about "how society deals with the elderly".

"Dark Page" is the 159th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the seventh episode of the seventh season. It features a guest appearance by a young Kirsten Dunst as a young alien. It was also Lwaxana Troi's last appearance in an episode of Star Trek: Next Generation.

"Ménage à Troi" is the 24th episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the 72nd episode of the series overall.

"Projections" is the 19th episode of the American science fiction television program Star Trek: Voyager. Originally slated for the first season, the episode originally aired on UPN on September 11, 1995, and tells the story of Voyager's holographic doctor having an identity crisis on the holodeck regarding whether he or the world around him is the illusion.

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Several characters within the Star Trek franchise, primary and secondary, often made crossover appearances between one series and another. This included appearances of established characters on premiere episodes of new series, a few long-term transfers from one series to another, and even crossovers between Trek films and television. A few crossover appearances, such as that of Spock on The Next Generation and the time-travel of the crew of Deep Space Nine to the era of The Original Series were especially lauded by both fans and critics.

<i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i> season 3 1989–90 season of American television series

The third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation commenced airing in broadcast syndication in the United States on September 25, 1989 and concluded on June 18, 1990 after airing 26 episodes. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship Enterprise-D. This season featured the return of Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher after she was replaced by Diana Muldaur for the second season. The season also saw the debut of several actors who would reappear in the same roles and others throughout the franchise, such as Dwight Schultz as Lt. Reginald Barclay, and Tony Todd as Kurn.

References

  1. "Ep 30: Dick Valet (S2E5) | Maximum Fun". www.maximumfun.org. 8 May 2016.
  2. "The Greatest Generation". iTunes Store. Apple. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  3. Harrison, Benjamin Ahr (14 July 2017). "LeVar Burton on The Greatest Generation". Benjamin Ahr Harrison. Medium. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  4. "Bad Character". www.badcharacter.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  5. "Dorsia Films". www.dorsiafilms.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  6. "Every Veto on The Greatest Generation". YouTube. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  7. "The Greatest Generation". gagh.biz. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  8. "The Greatest Discovery | Maximum Fun". www.maximumfun.org. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  9. Farivar, Cyrus (14 February 2016). "If you grew up watching ST:TNG, then you'll love this new podcast". arsTechnica. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  10. 1 2 Archer, Sarah (29 July 2016). "This Hilarious Star Trek Podcast Perfectly Captures the Spirit of The Next Generation". Slate. Retrieved 29 November 2017.