Of all the spinoff TV incarnations of Star Trek, Deep Space Nine had the hardest job persuading an audience to watch. By all accounts, Gene Roddenberry had concerns about the idea before his death in 1991. It took two more years to develop, and when it finally aired in 1993 reasons for that concern were evident right away. The show was dark (literally), characters argued a lot, no one went anywhere, and the neighboring natives were hardly ever friendly. Yet for all that the show went against the grain of the Great Bird's original vision of the future, it undeniably caught the mood of the time, incorporating a complex political backdrop that mirrored our own.

Why is this the least popular Star Trek series?!

Ok, first: The 3 star rating is for the first season only. The series as a whole gets 5 stars, and I would give it 10 stars if I could! DS9 is the BEST Star Trek series ever, hands down, but most Star Trek fans would disagree. The #1 complaint about this show is that its dark. Too dark. Well, that's the reason I love it!! Sure, Next Generation is a FANTASTIC show, with a rather bright vision of our future. But DS9 is more REAL, it feels like if the Star Trek universe actually existed, THIS is how things would be. DS9 is dark, is full of political maneuvering, threats, violence, death, war, and inter-character conflict. Hey, sounds exactly like our world today!
I cannot stress enough how fantastic this series would eventually become. Since ratings were terrible in the first few seasons, the producers decided to radically overhaul the show, adding a new villianous enemy, utilizing a seamless continuous storyline, and SERIOUSLY upping the action. DS9 would become the GREATEST sci-fi show ever, eclipsing the original Star Trek and even Next Generation. Of course, as I said, most Star Trek fans would disagree. In fact, the majority have voted DS9 as being the worst Star Trek series. To each his own....
Anyway, the first season wasn't great. Not as bad as Next Generation's first season, which was truly awful, but still not great. The characters were established decently, but the storylines were rather dull, and had very little action. Nothing much seemed to happen. Still, the first season is worth watching as the writing was decent, if uneventful. Watching the characters GROW and mature from the first season to the last is one of the great pleasures of this series, The Next Generation, by comparison, began its run with wild variations in characterization, only settling down after the first season and a half.
DS9 is obviously not for everyone, but if you enjoy dark and suspenseful material (which is what DS9 would eventually become), than this series is DEFINITELY fo you. I suggest viewing at least several seasons before judging this series, as each subsequent season was better than the last. HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED SERIES.

Begin at the Edge of the Final Frontier!

This is the now classical introduction that appeared in the 1990s, changed Star Trek and sci fi on TV forever. I initially ignored the series in 1993, I was busy completing my college capstone classes to watch this epic from the beginning. Sadly this is a major regret, as I am a rabid Trekkie. The show did not make much sense after I did have time to catch a few episodes. The characters were full of conflict, darkness and mostly alien.

I liked The Next Generation enough. I found most of the characters sterile. The plot was good, for the most part. The show went off the air with much fanfare. I was disappointed. The big screen adventures were good. DS9 felt just the opposite. I felt there was no way for a big screen adaption. Indeed, DS9 became a TV production that could not be contained within the big screen format.

The 1990s produced some of the best TV original series of all time-Twin Peakes, Northern Exposure, X-Files just to name a few. DS9 tops the list as far as effort, care to storyline, and budget are concerned. The first season moves rather slowly, with minimal action. The best episode is "Emissary", as it presents the entire plot that is introduced for the series.

The clean lines of the Federation are a little blurred. The scientific premise is challenged by mysticism. Aliens, both amiable and hostile abound! This is the beginning of a great adventure that will live forever in hearts and imaginations of the fans. It whets appetites for more. Bring It On!

A must for any Star Trek fan, now at a reasonable price

An excellent series. The Next Generation is still the best of all the Star Trek series, but DS9 runs a close second.