How often does the Enterprise actually explore strange new worlds?

[Morrus]

It happens from time to time, but more often they’re delivering medical supplies to a colony or escorting ambassadors to a conference or evacuating a planet from an exploding star or negotiating a treaty or doing other missions within Federation space.

I wonder if anybody has ever done a count? How many episodes involve them exploring strange new worlds and seeking our new life and new civilisations? Especially in the TNG era.

 

[Umbran]

Well, how do you want to count the episodes in which their nominal mission is something mundane, but they run into new life and so on?

For example: TNG, Season 6, Episode 9 - "The Quality of Life". The Enterprise is sent to monitor progress on a mining technology called a "particle fountain". They find out some remote tools the research project has been using ("Exocomps") are in fact life forms...

 

[Stalker0]

I would include those. I think the idea is how many episodes focuses on them doing those things, even if that wasn't the original intention of their particular mission.

 

[Davies]

All these episodes of the original series include visits to planets that have not had many or any previous visits, "strange new worlds".

The Cage (planet has been visited by a single previous expedition, which crashed.)
Miri (previously unvisited planet.)
Shore Leave
The Galileo Seven
The Squire of Gothos
Return of the Archons (planet has been visited by a single previous expedition, which crashed.)
A Taste of Armageddon (planet has been contacted but not visited.)
The City on The Edge of Forever
Who Mourns For Adonais?
The Apple
Catspaw
I, Mudd
Metamorphosis
Obsession (episode begins with a planetary survey)
The Gamesters of Triskelion
A Piece of the Action (planet has been visited by a single previous expedition, which crashed.)
Return to Tomorrow
By Any Other Name
The Omega Glory
Bread and Circuses (planet has been visited by a single previous expedition ... of Federation citizens, at least)
Spock's Brain
The Paradise Syndrome
And The Children Shall Lead (planet has been visited by a single previous expedition.)
Spectre of the Gun (planet has been contacted but not visited)
Plato's Stepchildren
Wink of an Eye
The Mark of Gideon (planet has been contacted but not visited)
That Which Survives (planet is artificial, but has not been visited)
The Way to Eden (climaxes in visit to unexplored planet)
The Savage Curtain (episode begins with a planetary survey)

 

[TerraDave]

I was just going to say “the OS”.

But the previous post works.

 

[bloodtide]

TNG did introduce a third type: Mapping. A lot of episodes have the Enterprise mapping space and doing astronomy.

 

[Maxperson]

TNG did introduce a third type: Mapping. A lot of episodes have the Enterprise mapping space and doing astronomy.

The question, though, was "How many episodes involve them exploring strange new worlds and seeking our new life and new civilisations?" Your example is them boldly going where no man has gone before, which is different.

 

[Janx]

The question, though, was "How many episodes involve them exploring strange new worlds and seeking our new life and new civilisations?" Your example is them boldly going where no man has gone before, which is different.

technically, to see strange new worlds, new life and new civilizations, one most likely also went boldy where no one went boldly before. Otherwise, there's a good chance they'd have noticed the strange new world, life, and/or civilization.

 

[fba827]

I could be remembering wrong but I think Q called out Picard on this at some point ( possibly the episode where he got them in contact with borg the first time.. but I’m old and my memory is faulty so can’t be certain when it was)

 

[Joshua Randall]

• Q : The trial never ended, Captain. We never reached a verdict. But now we have. You're guilty.
  Capt. Picard : Guilty of what?
  Q : Of being inferior. Seven years ago, I said we'd be watching you, and we have been - hoping that your ape-like race would demonstrate some growth, give some indication that your minds had room for expansion. But what have we seen instead? You, worrying about Commander Riker's career. Listening to Counselor Troi's pedantic psychobabble. Indulging Data in his witless exploration of humanity.
  Capt. Picard : We've journeyed to countless new worlds. We've contacted new species. We have expanded our understanding of the universe.
  Q : In your own paltry, limited way. You have no idea how far you still have to go. But instead of using the last seven years to change and to grow, you have squandered them.
• 
  
• from All Good Things but relevant I think