The documentary series chronicling rare and fascinating details of Star Trek takes a look at Voyager.

Launching a new, fourth television network, United Paramount Network in 1995, Voyager was a high profile production that brought Star Trek its first female captain lead, as well as a number of problems that’s covered in detail by cast and creatives.

The first constraint came courtesy of the show’s MO – being set in the Delta Quadrant meant that many of the familiar alien races couldn’t be used. Add to that a female lead who just wasn’t doing the trick and an overly-complicated pilot, and the problems were just starting. We get first-hand stories from series cast Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, Tim Russ and Roxann Dawson, as well as co-creators Rick Berman and Jeri Taylor and showrunner Brannon Braga. The reasons why Jennifer Lien had to leave are handled sensitively, and there’s also a refreshing honesty around why Seven of Nine was introduced and the friction this created within the existing cast (particularly when Jeri Ryan and Braga became an item).

Verdict: Another honest and balanced look back at a Star Trek series that celebrates its successes while not dodging the real issues it faced. 8/10

Nick Joy