Enterprise was a prequel series set over a hundred years before the USS Enterprise-1701 under the command of Captain James Kirk went on it's five year mission. While also being set 96 years before said ship was launched under the command of Captain Robert April.
It was also set ten years before the founding of the United Federation of Planets.

So let's see: It is the year 2151 and after almost a century of being held back by their allies the Vulcans, humanity is ready to take it's first steps into a larger galactic community at last with the invention of the Henry Archer Warp 5 Engine, which has been installed into the first Warp 5 ship, Enterprise NX-01.
Of course the Vulcan High Command doesn't feel that humanity is ready for such a step, but it doesn't stop Captain Archer, the son of Henry Archer, from taking a Klingon home to his people after the Klingon crash lands in a place called Broken Bow in Idiho.

And it goes from there, Enterprise is the only Starfleet ship capable of Warp 5 in that era and the only Starfleet ship that's exploring the final frontier. And they end up getting into more problems than they expected.

Enterprise only lasted for four seasons sadly, due to falling ratings and complaints from die hard fans who felt Enterprise had ruined the Star Trek time line, even though they didn't stop to think that it's a prequel series and we honestly didn't know what had happened in the years before the Federation was founded other than the briefly mentioned Earth-Romulan war and the founding of the Federation, mentioned in previous series.

So how could it ruin the time line when so little about those years was ever shown and mentioned? I love Enterprise, it could have been handled better, aye, but it was very good.
What you get in this box set is every episode plus extras like deleted scenes, outtakes, behind the scenes and so on. It's a shame that Enterprise was cut short two episodes away from reaching it's 100th episode, that would have at least been a good way to finish. Though a full seven seasons and a couple of movies wouldn't have gone amiss.

Is this worth buying? Yes and no, yes if you loved Enterprise and love Star Trek and also understand that it's a prequel series, set BEFORE the Federation was founded and long before the events of Original Series, Next Gen, DS9 and Voyager happened.
No if you hate Star Trek, if you refuse to understand that it's a prequel series and refuse to open your mind to other aspects of Star Trek.

The discs come in the excellent slim line packaging that saves a lot of space and honestly looks good when displayed.
A worthwhile purchase for a series that didn't receive the love it deserved and which should have been handled better. Who needs reality tv when you can lose yourself in a hopeful future? Warning: Enterprise requires an open mind and understanding that Star Trek is more than just space battles, technology and starships.

We need more Enterprise! And a little model of the main ship from each series wouldn't go amiss with the box sets.
Enjoy.

Although the majority of Star Trek fans were disappointed with this show.
I think the production values were of a higher value than both Voyager and Deep Space Nine.
The cast had a better chemistry than Voyager, which lets face it dragged on far too long.
I do agree though with a previous reviewer about the continuity which had for example Klingons with ridges on their foreheads . In the original show the first Klingon as played by John colicos had smooth features. (forget the explanation of the retro virus this didn't pan out )
The ship was too advanced . They obviously had to do this to make a decent exciting show . But the story ark was poorly conceived with reference to the captain Kirk show. I will explain.

When the Next Generation was originally conceived by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga they took incredibly liberties with the Trek world changing it almost completely from the original series concepts. So when Voyager and DS9 were made they simply carried on with this world. The problem with Enterprise is that it is a prequel to the original series but still with Berman and Braga's idea's. But the show still tried to maintain continuity with the original series which lets face it, because they are completely different, is impossible.
The seeds of Enterprises's failure were sown as early as TNG show. So the poor writers had an almost impossible task to make it seem retro, and still have an exciting show (Which of course they failed to do ).
Another major difference with the original show is that Voyager and DS9 are both turgid long running soap opera's. Instead of character based exciting action adventure stories.
At least Enterprise is not a soap in the same kind of way, which although it is not perfect makes it a better all round effort than previous offerings.

This is probably the cheapest place to buy the complete box set and when it arrives you will be impressed with the packaging. But once you have unwrapped about 10 layers of cardboard, plastic and clingfilm you eventaually get to the DVD's themselves. Pop them in and watch.

Initially it's hard enough to get past the awful theme music "I got faith...to believe..." (oh please!) which sound like Curt Stigers in a cowboy hat singing a cheesy lament on some wild west porch someplace, but make it past that and you are into the Star Trek canon proper.

Enterprise is series set pre-starfleet diplomacy. A butch male captain bursts his way through meetings and conversation in an irritating manner and considering this is out 'hero' it is hard to regard the casting and character as ideal. No doubt he will soon make a series of sound judgments and perform outstanding feats of bravery and leadership as the series progresses - but from what I have seen so far in Series One - both he and his crew are very annoying indeed. The panic, freak out, are frail and niave. there is also some weird sexual photography in a shower between the vulcan girl amnd a crew member - but it is unresolved and just stoopid to include.

It seems every species in the galaxy have encountered each other already, and when we humans venture out beyond our solar system we are very much the noobies in space - but of course in true Star trek and USA fasion - we know best. Another arrogance that continues to annoy is that there is the PC spread of human races and colours throughout the crew and the obligatory Englishman talking like errrrrmmmm NO ENGLISHMAN ever speaks.

Basically its is all a bit technology weak and people story heavy (think Home & Away in a spaceship) But is biggest failing is none of the characters are very likeable. Especially the captain and the doctor. But give it a go if anything to see how they un-evolve to the simplicity of Kirks 60's time...if they ever do or will. Oh and have a vomit bag ready for everytime the theme tune plays.

Please, please forgive the opening gag...

Regardless, you should trust what I've got to say, as the subject of this review is worthy of your attention. If you're reading this, chances are you're considering purchasing the STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE - THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, right? Let me help you in your decision: you really, really should buy it! For not only is this damn brilliant television, it's also the best and most underrated incarnation of STAR TREK and the box set is glorious.

The packaging is the epitome of quality. The silver cube will dominate your collection, and inside are all four seasons of STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE in seperate individual plastic cases. Each season comes with an episode guide and historical background booklet, a disc of special features including documentaries, behind-the-scenes secrets, interviews, outtakes (which are hillarious, and there are lots of them) and timelines of STAR TREK history. All 98 episodes are presented in full widescreen and come four to a disc, starting with the amazing feature-length "Broken Bow" and concluding with the emotional "These Are The Voyages..." It's worth it for Season Three alone: a season-long story arc with some of the best cliffhangers in television history.

STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE itself deals with a pre-Kirk, pre-Federation galaxy, circa 2151. Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) leads his fresh, inexperienced crew out into the stars aboard Earth's first Warp Five starship, the Enterprise NX-01 on a mission of peaceful exploration. It isn't long, however, before they are targetted by the sinister Suliban, the warrior Klingons and the misguided Xindi... all the while being told they're not ready for space travel by angry, short-tempered Vulcans.

It's absolutely addictive, well-written, gorgeous-looking, brilliantly-performed high quality television. Thinking of clicking "Add to Basket", are you? Well, since I started on a cheap gag, I'll end on one, too: beam up STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE - THE COMPLETE COLLECTION today!

Okay, I'll show myself out...

Let me say something now after all my years of being a Trek fan and watching and speaking to other Trek fans, the more hardcore of Trek fans will not under any circumstance ever admit that Star Trek is very much Sci-Fi lite. Even the more mature storylines prevelant in the earlier episodes of DS9 were very simple TV, as compared to the much edgier and much more mature Sci-Fi shows such as Babylon 5 and X-Files.
For its part, Enterprise continues this trend, and this is why the more hardcore of Trek fans will not enjoy this.

As it stands, just as TV, Enterprise is very entertaining, it has made me laugh more than any other Trek show before. The cast fall into their roles very quickly and you can feel the chemistry between them, especially with Scott Bakula (who was something of a captain behind the scenes as well, in terms of popularity, and leading by example). The directing, the layout amd the pace of each episode is very typically Star Trek, so much so that you'd know you were watching Star Trek even if you never knew anything about 'Enterprise'.

In opposition to many other Trek Fans, I was quite in favour of the writing. It has its problems, which I will come to, but first I will speak of the good things.
On the good side, the writing is fluid, each episode fits nicely together and is a joy to watch. The interaction between the characters is always particularly interesting as this is some time before the other Star Trek's, the relationships between the species are new to the chronology, so there is a new direction to take these relationships. The humans are not as stiff backed as they are in the established Starfleet that we recognize from the previous Trek's. Captain Archer is a much more aggressive captain, he has less directive's to follow, so it is his conscience that frives him, which is often overruled by his emotions and his fear when dealing with new species. The other humans are quite similar, they tend toward following how they feel and what we see are true characters rather than 'professionals' such as Picard's enterprise crew.
It is also interesting to see how more familiar species interact with these gung-ho, naiive humans. T'pol is one of the most interesting characters as her time with the humans in this show is a constant test for her Vulcan ideology. She finds it difficult to understand and cope with the raw emotions that her human colleagues live by, it often poses tests of mental strength for her. It is also good to see that sometimes her logic does not always work out for her and she learns to appreciate, if not embrace emotion under controlled conditions. For my part I prefer this to the more typical Vulcan such as Spock or Tuvok, as I find the whole idea of 'no emotions' far too unrealistic. In reality, it is impossibvle for emotions to not play a part in life in some form or fashion. Following T'pol in this series is to watch an awakening of this realisation, it gives the Vulcan's a much needed edge to the very 2 dimensional character.

However a lot of this is why hardcore Trek fans dislike this show. Throughout its series' Star Trek has maintained certain character traits through it's species, Enterprise comes away from this and it can be somewhat of a shock to the system.

The biggest issues though are with the timeline, the chronology of the Star Trek universe. A lot of the history which has been seen and written before has been ignored in the making of this show. Klingons for example have ridges on their heads even though in Kirk's time they did not, and this discrepency is referred to in an episode of DS9.

There are many other discrepancies, but ultimately they are reasons only hardcore trek fans will dislike the show as for them they are major discrepancies whic takes it out of the Star Trek chronology.
For the casual viewer, and fans who just enjoy the entertainment this show provides this is still a high quality show which was cancelled before its time was up.

It is the discrepencies that cause me to mark this down to a 4 from the 5 it otherwise deserves.