Enterprise


  • Franchise: Star Trek
  • Directed By: Gene Roddenberry, Rick Berman, Brannon Braga
  • Original Release Date: September 26, 2001
  • Total Episodes: 98
Jonathan Archer

Scott Bakula

more
Trip Tucker

Connor Trinneer

more
T’Pol

Jolene Blalock

more
Malcolm Reed

Dominic Keating

more
Hoshi Sato

Linda Park

more
Travis Mayweather

Anthony Montgomery

more
Phlox

John Billingsly

more

Star Trek: Enterprise is the sixth television series in the Star Trek Universe. It represented a number of changes from what was seen previously and ended up being the last Star Trek series fans would see for quite a long time. The series did not run concurrently with any of the prior series, like Star Trek: The Next Generation did with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and how Deep Space Nine did with Star Trek: Voyager.

Star Trek: Enterprise ran for four seasons. During the first two seasons, the series was simply known as Enterprise and the entire four-season run was broadcast on the United Paramount Network (UPN), a television network that eventually was replaced by The CW.

As a way to attempt to attract a bigger and wider audience, UPN asked for changes to the series, one of the first being a rename of the series to Star Trek: Enterprise.

Star Trek: Enterprise Changed Pacing After Two Seasons

As mentioned, with Star Trek: Enterprise came change. The first two seasons’ episodes harkened back to Star Trek: The Original Series; the episodes were standalone instead of serialized. But after waning numbers through the first two seasons, this was changed in season three to go from standalone episodes to single serialized storylines that would take the entire season.

As with both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, Rick Berman was the driving force in the creation of Star Trek: Enterprise. This time, he had creative help from Brannon Braga. Braga’s history with the Star Trek Universe goes way back to his days as an intern on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Another big change for the series came with the Star Trek: Enterprise theme music. Instead of using the familiar Star Trek theme or something similar, Enterprise instead used “Faith of the Heart,” a pop-influenced song performed by English tenor, Russell Watson. Perhaps fans weren’t ready for change.

With the first two seasons focused on standalone episodes, the following final two seasons shifted gears and felt it was time to focus on single storylines.

In season 3, Berman, Braga, and crew introduced a new alien species, the Xindi, who immediately became the focus for the Star Trek: Enterprise crew: the Xindi were threatening to destroy Earth.

But by the time this change was made, Star Trek: Enterprise had pretty much lost its fan base.

Scott Bakula Led The Cast

Star Trek: Enterprise, when conceived, was set up to be a prequel of sorts to the original Star Trek series. This one followed the crew of the very first starship, Enterprise. The crew was the very first to use a warp-five-capable ship and they were also Starfleet’s first crew to be deep space explorers.

The cast was led by Scott Bakula, who played Captain Jonathan Archer. Archer, who held no love loss with Vulcans, was a main cog in the Starfleet wheel as his father, Henry, designed the Warp 5 engine. At the time, Bakula was the only big name on the cast.

Joining Bakula was Jolene Blalock as science officer, and Vulcan, T’Pol. Also on board the Enterprise were Connor Trinneer as Chief Engineer Trip Tucker, Dominic Keating as Tactical Officer Malcolm Reed, Linda Park as Communications Officer Hoshi Sato, Anthony Montgomery as Helmsman Travis Mayweather, and finally John Billingsley as Ship’s Physician Phlox.

Star Trek: Enterprise Had Broadcast Issues

Unfortunately, the legacy surrounding Star Trek: Enterprise is that it is considered to be one of the lesser entries in the Star Trek Universe. There were a number of reasons for it, one described by Trinneer. “The problem was that for the nights that we were on, usually your Major League Baseball team was also on UPN locally. So, we would get preempted by whatever local sports were happening. There were also entire regions – it didn’t even play in St. Louis, Scott [Bakula’s] hometown. So, you had these pockets of where it wasn’t even on.”

Chances are, though, is that the series just didn’t find its audience. Star Trek burnout, perhaps? Since 1988 and until the end of Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005, there had been a Star Trek series gracing the television airwaves, not to mention the numerous features films.

Whatever the cause of the final nail in Enterprise’s coffin, it was one that would last. In fact, it would be for another 13 years before Trekkies would get to see another Star Trek series on television. Those 13 years represent the second longest “pause” between Star Trek series, right behind the 14 years between Star Trek: The Animated Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Latest Star Trek: Enterprise Stories





star trek wrath of khan

Acclaimed Star Trek Director Is Blunt About His Own Obituary

There are few people as important to the Star Trek franchise as Nicholas Meyer, who directed both The Wrath of …

1 month ago

Star Trek Takes Emmy Nominations For Multiple Shows Including Canceled Series

Every year, TV shows are nominated and win awards via the Emmys made up of 24,000 Television Academy members. To …

3 months ago

Everything Star Trek Has Ever Done Ranked, Including Discovery

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is the best thing Star Trek has ever done and a recent Star Trek series ranks as the worst. In the middle you’ll find things like Star Trek cruises, which even at their worst still serve margaritas.

4 months ago

Can You Register Star Trek’s Enterprise D As A Support Animal?

In the most recent Best of the Worst episode from RedLetterMedia, it was clear that the movie they had watched …

9 months ago

Original Enterprise Model From Star Trek Being Recovered By Rod Roddenberry

Star Trek fans rejoice! More news is coming to us at warp speed surrounding the Star Trek model of the …

11 months ago

star trek netflix captains

Star Trek Proves All Enterprise Captains Break The Same Rule

The latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds reveals that Admiral Robert April – who was Captain of the Enterprise before James Kirk or even Christopher Pike – violated the Prime Directive on multiple occasions.

1 year ago

star trek enterprise

Star Trek Now Lets You Tour Every Enterprise Bridge, See It Here

The Roddenberry Archive now features virtual tours of Starfleet vessel bridges.

1 year ago

Star Trek: Picard Just Introduced The Enterprise G, Watch Her Fly

My friends, we’ve come home.

1 year ago

sexiest Star Trek Starship

See The Enterprise D Flying Over Times Square To Promote Star Trek: Picard

The Enterprise-D appeared above New York as part of promotion for Star Trek: Picard.

1 year ago

Star Trek: Picard Just Acknowledged What Star Trek Fans Have Known For Years, Starships Need Carpet

Captain Picard is on our side in the debate over what’s most important in a starship.

1 year ago

star trek

Star Trek’s Enterprise Has A New Captain, Here Are The Most Likely Candidates

With the Enterprise-F on its way to Star Trek: Picard, we make our guesses on who might be sitting in the Captain’s chair.

2 years ago

star trek

Star Trek’s New Enterprise-F Is Already Being Retired

According to a Star Trek Logs post, the Enterprise-F will be decommissioned after a flight on Frontier Day in 2401.

2 years ago

enterprise-e

The Worst Star Trek Series Wanted To Save The Show With Musical Numbers

A network executive from UPN suggested that Star Trek: Enterprise should have weekly performances from young and hip bands.

2 years ago

Star Trek: Picard Showrunner Says Season 3 Can’t Happen Without Enterprise

Star Trek Picard’s showrunner says the new Enterprise-F is important to the upcoming season, but it won’t be the focus.

2 years ago

enterprise-e

Star Trek Showrunner Explains What Happened To The Enterprise-E

Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas hints the Enterprise-E, last seen in 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis, was decommissioned.

2 years ago

First Star Trek series in order

Why Star Trek: Enterprise Failed And How It Nearly Worked

Enterprise’s producers never had any faith in Star Trek fans and so it wasn’t long before Star Trek fans lost faith in them.

uss enterprise

New USS Enterprise Model Is A Must-Have For Any Star Trek Fan

The USS Enterprise can soon be yours, as long as you want it to be premium diecast metal and 1/350 scale. Still pretty awesome, though.

2 years ago

Enterprise
scott bakula captain archer star trek

Scott Bakula Reveals Where His Star Trek Series Went Wrong

He opens up about how it lost steam.

3 years ago

star trek enterprise

First Look At Star Trek: Strange New World’s Version Of The Enterprise

Get your first glimpse of the new Enterprise!

3 years ago

Enterprise

A Life-Size Hologram Of Star Trek’s Enterprise Is In The Works

A new archival project will soon be creating a life-size Enterprise hologram for Star Trek fans.

3 years ago

Star Trek: Enterprise’s First Season Was Originally Supposed To Be On Earth

To boldly go…nowhere, for a while.

11 years ago

Could Netflix Have Resurrected Enterprise? Possibly. Should It Have? No

The last place Star Trek needs to go is backwards.

12 years ago