Why were salt-cellars unchanged in the 23rd century? Was Gene Roddenberry really not allowed to show a woman's belly button? How many characters get killed during the run of The Animated Series? Who actually wrote the script for Wrath of Khan? How did Paramount get Next Generation on the air when no network would touch it? And what is the on-screen life span for the poor doomed red-shirts? How well do you know Star Trek...?

Lifelong science fiction fan, podcaster and author Tom Salinsky realised that he didn't know Star Trek as well as he'd like. So, he embarked on a two-year mission to watch everything from the start of The Original Series to the end of Enterprise. And he decided he would do this at the rate of one episode per day. He soon realised that if he started on New Year’s Day 2022, he would be watching the final episode of Enterprise on Christmas Day 2023. That’s 723 episodes. And to record his herculean efforts, he wrote a short review for each and every episode.

This book is the first part of that odyssey, covering the 79 television episodes which started it all, the Animated Series which briefly brought it back in the 1970s, the first six original movies and the full run of The Next Generation. The book also includes contributions from notable fans, authors, actors and broadcasters, giving their takes on favourite episodes.

There's lots of fascinating behind-the- scenes information in Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series. Can you guess when the first mention of the Federation was made? Or at which point Kirk's time was established as being the 23rd century? Had money always been abandoned in the future, or was this a later concept? And some elements appear rather earlier than you might think - do you know which episode is the first to feature a Holodeck? (hint, it was 1974, but it wasn’t from the main series - it first appeared in 'The Practical Joker' which is the third episode of the second season of the animated version of the show) This book makes great reading for die-hard fans and casual Star Trek viewers alike.

Iit still amazes me in this day and age that books like this still exist. It's much easier to search the internet for things like this and it escapes me why on earth guide books are still being published.

Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series is much more than a dry, dull guide book. Salinsky's synopsis for each episode are personal and not everyone will agree with his point of view... and I loved the book all the more for this. Finally, a "guide book" where the authors point of view comes through loud and clear.

It's bursting with behind the scenes trivia, as well as pointing out things we might otherwise have overlooked onscreen. This is a serious labour of love and the author's love of the subject matter comes across.

If you're a serious Trek fan, or even a casual one, this book offers much to enjoy. It might even spur you on to rewatch the episodes as you read to see if you can find any additional fun background catches.

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Nick Smithson