The series is produced by Paramount Pictures for its new US TV network, UPN. The series was conceived to fill the void after the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1994. Voyager premiered on UPN on 16 January 1995, and has occupied the Monday 8pm slot on that network, consistently being the highest placed show of the network. The show comes 5th in its timeslot, but has put a considerable dent in network offerings, including a fatal wounding of ABC's The Marshal which used to attract the key male 18-49 demographic at this time. The show rates around 80th in the Nielsen ratings in the US. [TNG and DS9 were syndicated, meaning their ratings were not measured against network shows, and so are not comparable]. From September 1996, the show moved to the 9pm Wednesday slot on UPN. This resulted in continued declining ratings; however it held its own on a night when many other networks, notably NBC and CBS, have had amazing difficulties in retaining an audience (eg EZ Streets, Feds, Orleans, Prince Street, Coach, Wings).
Basic Premise
Voyager follows the journeys of the USS Voyager, NCC-74656, which is hurtled 70,000 light years from Federation space while battling the rebel Maquis forces, who oppose Federation peace with the Cardassians. The Voyager and its crew are thus on an ever-lasting quest to find a quicker way home than the 70 years travel time offered by their warp drive. Along the way, they find strange new alien races, make new friends, and antagonise new enemies.