I was really confused reading the OP at first, wondering what the problem was, then I realised it was just my Australia brain.

It’s especially bad with the relatively frequent downtime world has been having

I’m in Aus but I have used a VPN to check out Pluto, I saw that there were a couple of Star Trek channels. Didn’t realise one was TOS, that’s awesome.

My secret hope, unrelated to streaming services, is that people start releasing some sort of analogue tape format like VHS or Betamax, or even one of those, paired with a high quality digital download for movies.

I envision it working similar to the vinyl resurgence. A digital download for modern devices and streaming, paired with a fundamentally different form of media for a different experience.

Of course I know that it won’t happen. I just like analogue tech.

I’m around your age and TOS is my favourite series, although SNW is getting close from what I’ve seen so far. Glad to see people giving it a watch.

Also Kirk>Picard no question.

This is a big issue. I’ve said it before, but so many people think they know what Kirk and TOS are, and are wrong about it. It isn’t pure ham and Kirk sleeping with the galaxy. It’s tense, it’s deep, it’s ahead of its time and ahead of a lot of current shows as well. The chemistry between Kirk, Spock and Bones really shines, and there is a real sense of the unknown. Remember that the reruns of TOS are what drove demand for TNG in the first place.

This isn’t to say that people aren’t allowed to not like TOS, of course some people won’t. I just think people and especially trek fans do themselves a disservice by not giving it a good go.

Standard TOS defence rant over.