Author: Carlos de Yarza, Marketing and Communications Department, St Thomas University

Abstract: »Jason Mittell’s television genre theories afford the opportunity to reexamine existing media texts, and dissect their cultural significance within any given period of airtime. The multiple Star Trek science fiction television series provide fertile ground for such examination, and yield numerous examples that directly support Mittell’s genre theory. The span of the Star Trek series (from the late 1960s to current day) reflects and comments upon social issues present during their corresponding airdates and offer renewed insights into the pressing societal problems of their day. From race relations, to feminist agendas, to post-Cold War terrorism and isolationism, the themes embedded in the future Star Trek foresaw are very much their audiences’ present. Through the lens of Mittell’s genre theory, Star Trek becomes a lustrous mirror, gifting television historians hours upon hours of science fiction television with a decided tilt toward social commentary.« (Source: Journal of Mulitdisciplinary Research)

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