The reason Trek has been so successful is that they maintained Continuity. Whatever happened, in a particular episode or movie, was still true in the next installment.
The example most folks remember is "ST II: The Wrath of Khan", being a sequel to the episode "Space Seed". The was another example, that I recall, in the very last episode of the Original Star Trek series, "Turnabout Intruder", where Kirk's "consciousness", in the body of Dr. Janice Lester, relates to Spock events that happened to them previously -- (Kirk, Spock, & McCoy held captive in the Vian's laboratory ("The Empath")); (Kirk trapped on the Defiant in the area of space claimed by the Tholians ("The Tholian Web")). The were other episodes which recounted different events and experiences in the principal characters' past. These references to the past allowed the show's producers to fashion a sort of history for their characters, in the 3 short years that ST appeared on network TV. The subsequent movies and various series BUILT on that history, and began to fill it in, somewhat.
There are a number of posts that we've read that mistakenly consider ST:TNG, ST: DS9, ST:Voyager, to be re-makes. They're not. They are set in different time periods than the original series and were not meant to over-write what happened on ST:TOS. They are side stories but, also Continue the ST STORY.
The primary reason that ST became the successful franchise. that it is today, is that the show's producers "stuck to the script". They maintained Continuity. THIS could yet happen with regards to Battlestar Galactica.
We need to keep the faith alive and we need to convince Larson and DeSanto, if they will join forces, that BSG IS A VIABLE CONCEPT!! It can be done, it just needs some TLC!!
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