Star Wars vs. Star Trek

I just had an insight into the difference between Trek and Wars. It's
TV vs. film.

Sure, I'd always noticed the darkness of Star Wars. Star Trek has an
essential optimism, can-do, everyone will get along once we find out
that woman is a salt-sucking alien. Star Wars is about the endless
struggle between good and evil.

Both tell stories, but with very different flavor. Both use
Campbell/Jung archetypes, but in different ways.

This great story tutorial explores how stories always use Campbell archetypes.

And this tutorial explores how film and TV stories are essentially different.


So, Star Wars is movies. Movies can kill characters. Movies can
transform their own universes essentially. Entire planets can be
destroyed. Lives can be changed, people can lose limbs, values,
anything.
Star Trek is TV. The regular cast is on contract. Only the redshirts
can die, so a totemic price can be paid. At the end of 44 minutes,
the struggle of this particular planet will be put to bed, and our
heroes will fly off to the next planet and the next struggle.

Which isn't to say I don't like Star Trek. I actually prefer it. But
it's to note that the difference in tone between the two sagas isn't
inherent in their authors, or characters, or stories. It's
technological. TV has a structure that causes a type of story. And
film has a different structure that causes a different type of story.
TV is soothing, daily, sucking your thumb linus security blanket.
Cinema can be much more. And usually isn't.