It’s been a quarter century since Benjamin Sisko arrived at one of the Federation’s most remote outposts—Deep Space 9—and began a journey of self discovery that would turn the Star Trek model on its head. Overshadowed by The Next Generation and then Voyager, Deep Space Nine quietly flew under the radar and developed into a series that would later emerge as what many consider the franchise’s crown jewel. It’s a show that fans are rediscovering—and some are discovering for the first time—in this age of streaming and binge-watching. And it has stood the test of time in a remarkable way.

In this episode of The Ready Room, C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek look back at 25 years of Deep Space Nine, discussing its development, premiere, the roles of Rick Berman and Michael Piller, why the love fans have for the show continues to grow, and much more.

In our news segment, we consider the camaraderie of past Star Trek casts in light of Jonathan Frakes’s comments about the crew of Discovery, check out the 4-disc La-La Land Records Deep Space Nine Volume 2 Limited Edition music collection, and remember Jon Paul Steuer, the actor who played young Alexander on The Next Generation. Plus, Larry has a special announcement about activity detected in Trekland.

Chapters

Intro (00:00:00)

Remembering Jon Paul Steuer (00:04:16)

How Close Were the Casts of Each Series? (00:10:02)

La-La Land Records DS9 Volume 2 (00:18:53)

The Trek Files (00:26:38)

Feature: DS9 at 25 (00:41:06)

Developing Deep Space Nine (00:46:19)

Setting Up the Story (01:06:51)

The Roles of Rick Berman and Michael Piller (01:21:59)

TOS Nodes (01:30:35)

Surprising Ira (01:33:01)

Standing the Test of Time (01:35:47)

Final Thoughts (01:53:06)

Closing (01:48:32)