http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/11/star-trek-returns-to-a-new-tv-landscape/413680/?utm_source=SFFB
QuoteStar Trek Returns to a New TV Landscape
CBS's announcement that it's working on a new Star Trek TV series, while welcome to many fans, doesn't ultimately feel very surprising. Since the end of Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005, the franchise has rebounded with two blockbuster films directed by J.J. Abrams, but its heart has always been in television. While the idea of another Trek show might have prompted shrugs from network executives 10 years ago, the TV landscape has now shifted so radically that Star Trek is no longer a cult favorite but the kind of big-name franchise that can launch a whole new streaming network. Come January 2017, CBS says, the new show will be the backbone of its subscription-only "All Access" service.
It's the latest example of how everything old can be made new again. Star Trek: Voyager was the launch show for the fledgling UPN in 1995, debuting to a stunning 21.3 million viewers, but though it ran for seven seasons, it never soared to the critical or commercial heights of its forbears. Neither did UPN, which eventually merged with the WB to become the CW in 2006 after 11 years as TV's basement network. But the audience Voyager drew, while small for the mid-'90s, was a committed one, and that matters far more than blockbuster status these days. CBS's All Access, which costs $6 a month, currently gives customers the network's new shows and its vast archive of past episodes (including the voluminous Star Trek archive). But once the new Star Trek launches, this will be the only way to see it.
As a business decision, it makes perfect sense. Last year I argued that a streaming site like Netflix would be the perfect spot for a Star Trek show, since devoted fans are like gold nuggets to subscription-based services. The classic network-programming model is geared toward casual viewers, who flick through channels or see what's on after a show they like. But Star Trek always existed on the fringe of that, clinging to life with a devoted fanbase. Of the many shows produced over the years, only The Next Generation was a real ratings hit; the others stayed alive, against worsening odds, until confronted by financial realities and slipping viewership. But the Trek fanbase has never diminished, and CBS has no doubt decided that enough people will be happy to part with $6 a month in exchange for a new show to make the venture worthwhile.
There are other factors to consider: The old network model is focused on U.S. TV, but Star Trek is popular everywhere, and distributing it through an online network might make it easier to battle online piracy. "Every day, an episode of the Star Trek franchise is seen in almost every country in the world," said Armando Nuñez, the CEO of CBS's Global Distribution Group. "We can't wait to introduce Star Trek's next voyage on television to its vast global fan base."
What will the new show involve? It's hard to say. Though no writer is attached, it'll be produced by Alex Kurtzman, who wrote and produced the two most recent Trek movies. Kurtzman has worked on shows like Alias and helped develop Fringe and Sleepy Hollow, but he has since graduated to producer/mogul status and will likely have little creative influence on the show. The Star Trek universe is fractured enough that a show could go in any creative direction: The J.J. Abrams films positioned the original 1960s series in a new timeline, allowing contemporary actors to play Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the rest. A new show could exist in that same altered timeline, with the same throwback style. Or, it could pick up in the truly far-flung future, beyond the timelines of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager, tapping into their complex, developed universe of exploration, diplomacy, and war on a galactic scale.
More than that, the show will be able to take advantage of technology that makes it easier and easier to depict space travel on an epic scale without a huge budget. (It'll have CGI, as opposed to the recycled sets the old shows used.) The show will also be free of the creative team that shepherded the last four Trek series into existence: Rick Berman, who helped develop The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager, became somewhat of a hated figure among Trekkers by the time he crafted his final effort, the prequel series Enterprise. There will be plenty of fan suspicion around Kurtzman's involvement, too—the rebooted film series is regarded by some as too bombastic for a classically cerebral franchise—but whichever writer he brings on board should have room to find his or her own take on the show.
That's the most exciting prospect—even with the subscription fee, and Internet-only television replacing cable packages, this new Star Trek might be in the most creatively advantageous position of its 50-year history. There'll be no week-to-week ratings to worry about, no network interference (if CBS really is serious about making this a flagship show), and no concern about appealing to any viewership beyond the devoted base. That can lead to self-indulgence, but it's the kind of creative freedom that has sparked a TV renaissance in the years Star Trek has been off the air. It's about time Trek got a piece of it.
Enough with the reboots already!
Reboot or not, its a good thing!
This could be good.
Not holding my breath. This guy made the reboots. It would be a big about face for him to come back in and do something I'll want to watch, much less pay another streaming subscription for.
I don't understand the hate over the reboot movies.
My main concern is how I will be able to watch this new series if it is only going to be streamed on the CBS service.
I don't like much of what Kurtzman has done, ever, except Fringe for a while. But I will give this a go when it comes out, obviously.
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 02, 2015, 02:21:33 PM
I don't understand the hate over the reboot movies.
My main concern is how I will be able to watch this new series if it is only going to be streamed on the CBS service.
If CBS are not idiot. They didn't sell any rights away and you can just subscribe to their service.
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 02, 2015, 02:21:33 PM
My main concern is how I will be able to watch this new series if it is only going to be streamed on the CBS service.
They'll sell rights to tv stations outside the US. Likely, Space! will get it, maybe a few days after the original has aired.
It would be great if they brought back the original concept - a ship wandering around looking into stuff, using a lot of different writers, not caring overly about 'canon' - but I doubt it can be done.
Quote from: viper37 on November 02, 2015, 02:27:15 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 02, 2015, 02:21:33 PM
My main concern is how I will be able to watch this new series if it is only going to be streamed on the CBS service.
They'll sell rights to tv stations outside the US. Likely, Space! will get it, maybe a few days after the original has aired.
Doubt it. They'll see it to another streaming service (like Shomi or Crave TV), or launch their own streaming service in Canada.
You know, Star Trek is probably the only tv show that I would specifically sign up to a new service to get...
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 02:54:49 PM
It would be great if they brought back the original concept - a ship wandering around looking into stuff, using a lot of different writers, not caring overly about 'canon' - but I doubt it can be done.
Nobody does shows like that anymore though.
Purely episodic shows were perfect for the broadcast tv era - where if you happened to miss a show, it didn't matter because there was no carry-over from episode to episode. But in the streaming era, where you can watch the show when and how you want, it makes more sense to give it an overarching plot and theme that develops from episode to episode.
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 02:54:49 PM
It would be great if they brought back the original concept - a ship wandering around looking into stuff, using a lot of different writers, not caring overly about 'canon' - but I doubt it can be done.
They could do it by either going with a reboot.
Or by placing it a few centuries further into the future where they can reference the old shows and movies (and have cameos in the form of holograms or whatever) but aren't tied down by it.
Quote from: Barrister on November 02, 2015, 02:57:18 PM
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 02:54:49 PM
It would be great if they brought back the original concept - a ship wandering around looking into stuff, using a lot of different writers, not caring overly about 'canon' - but I doubt it can be done.
Nobody does shows like that anymore though.
Purely episodic shows were perfect for the broadcast tv era - where if you happened to miss a show, it didn't matter because there was no carry-over from episode to episode. But in the streaming era, where you can watch the show when and how you want, it makes more sense to give it an overarching plot and theme that develops from episode to episode.
Episodic shows do have a place, though. I love being able to just drop into an episode of procedural X or sitcom Y without having to invest so much time into it.
Quote from: Barrister on November 02, 2015, 02:57:18 PM
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 02:54:49 PM
It would be great if they brought back the original concept - a ship wandering around looking into stuff, using a lot of different writers, not caring overly about 'canon' - but I doubt it can be done.
Nobody does shows like that anymore though.
Purely episodic shows were perfect for the broadcast tv era - where if you happened to miss a show, it didn't matter because there was no carry-over from episode to episode. But in the streaming era, where you can watch the show when and how you want, it makes more sense to give it an overarching plot and theme that develops from episode to episode.
They can do both. E.g. Dr who
Quote from: Barrister on November 02, 2015, 02:57:18 PM
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 02:54:49 PM
It would be great if they brought back the original concept - a ship wandering around looking into stuff, using a lot of different writers, not caring overly about 'canon' - but I doubt it can be done.
Nobody does shows like that anymore though.
Purely episodic shows were perfect for the broadcast tv era - where if you happened to miss a show, it didn't matter because there was no carry-over from episode to episode. But in the streaming era, where you can watch the show when and how you want, it makes more sense to give it an overarching plot and theme that develops from episode to episode.
Perhaps not, but that's what gave ToS its edge - the fact that nearly anything could happen, leading to a flood of ideas (good and bad) that the current TV series', movies, etc. have been cannibalizing ever since. Star Trek had no real 'plot' with a beginning, middle and end, so attempting to graft on onto it (season by season) risks making it resemble a soap opera more than a tightly scripted science fiction miniseries - an "As the World Turns" ... in space! :D
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 04:01:17 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 02, 2015, 02:57:18 PM
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 02:54:49 PM
It would be great if they brought back the original concept - a ship wandering around looking into stuff, using a lot of different writers, not caring overly about 'canon' - but I doubt it can be done.
Nobody does shows like that anymore though.
Purely episodic shows were perfect for the broadcast tv era - where if you happened to miss a show, it didn't matter because there was no carry-over from episode to episode. But in the streaming era, where you can watch the show when and how you want, it makes more sense to give it an overarching plot and theme that develops from episode to episode.
Perhaps not, but that's what gave ToS its edge - the fact that nearly anything could happen, leading to a flood of ideas (good and bad) that the current TV series', movies, etc. have been cannibalizing ever since. Star Trek had no real 'plot' with a beginning, middle and end, so attempting to graft on onto it (season by season) risks making it resemble a soap opera more than a tightly scripted science fiction miniseries - an "As the World Turns" ... in space! :D
You sound like a man who has never watched DS9 - Trek's one attempt at building an overarching plot - which many feel was the best Trek show ever.
Incidentally, I wonder if perhaps this show will not be related to the reboot movies. Curiously, the movies rights are the property of Paramount Pictures, while the TV rights are the property of CBS. But then again Kurtzman is apparently involved in both, so who knows.
Quote from: Barrister on November 02, 2015, 04:07:26 PM
Incidentally, I wonder if perhaps this show will not be related to the reboot movies. Curiously, the movies rights are the property of Paramount Pictures, while the TV rights are the property of CBS. But then again Kurtzman is apparently involved in both, so who knows.
CBS and Paramount are part of the same media conglomerate.
I don't think that matters for the content anyway. He could still do a dumb reboot show under the ST property.
Quote from: celedhring on November 02, 2015, 04:16:55 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 02, 2015, 04:07:26 PM
Incidentally, I wonder if perhaps this show will not be related to the reboot movies. Curiously, the movies rights are the property of Paramount Pictures, while the TV rights are the property of CBS. But then again Kurtzman is apparently involved in both, so who knows.
CBS and Paramount are part of the same media conglomerate.
Nope. They split in 2005. CBS is part of CBS Corporation, while Paramount is a part of Viacom.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs-viacom-formally-split/
Whats amusing (and yet sad) is that the primary reason I know this is because of how it affects Star Trek. :nerd:
Doesn't Redstone still own a majority stake in both?
No Rick Berman, eh? I'm definitely interested :)
Quote from: Caliga on November 02, 2015, 04:30:27 PM
No Rick Berman, eh? I'm definitely interested :)
At least Berman has proven he can make both good and bad Star Trek. Mostly the good stuff is when he's less involved, but hey. Kurtzman has never made any Star Trek. Only reboots.
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 04:01:17 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 02, 2015, 02:57:18 PM
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 02:54:49 PM
It would be great if they brought back the original concept - a ship wandering around looking into stuff, using a lot of different writers, not caring overly about 'canon' - but I doubt it can be done.
Nobody does shows like that anymore though.
Purely episodic shows were perfect for the broadcast tv era - where if you happened to miss a show, it didn't matter because there was no carry-over from episode to episode. But in the streaming era, where you can watch the show when and how you want, it makes more sense to give it an overarching plot and theme that develops from episode to episode.
Perhaps not, but that's what gave ToS its edge - the fact that nearly anything could happen, leading to a flood of ideas (good and bad) that the current TV series', movies, etc. have been cannibalizing ever since. Star Trek had no real 'plot' with a beginning, middle and end, so attempting to graft on onto it (season by season) risks making it resemble a soap opera more than a tightly scripted science fiction miniseries - an "As the World Turns" ... in space! :D
Babylon 5.
ST: Deep Space Nine.
Firefly.
Killjoys.
Fringe.
Lost.
All successful sci-fi shows with an arc. The first 4 ones being exclusively in space, while the lasts are other type of sci-fi, but that worked pretty well too. There are more, of course.
Nearly everyone here who has rewatched TNG found the first few seasons sucked. Why? Because they mimick what the old ST was about, a spaceship wandering almost aimelessly (from our perspective) with seperate stories each week, with barely no continuity until the very last seasons.
Voyager had pretty good episodes, but overall there was a real lack of continuity, and it failed, trying to combine DS9 storytelling with TOS episodic nature.
Quote from: celedhring on November 02, 2015, 04:25:55 PM
Doesn't Redstone still own a majority stake in both?
I googled. According to VF yes, but he's seriously out of it these days.
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/05/sumner-redstone-health-fortune
Quote from: Barrister on November 02, 2015, 04:07:26 PM
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 04:01:17 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 02, 2015, 02:57:18 PM
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 02:54:49 PM
It would be great if they brought back the original concept - a ship wandering around looking into stuff, using a lot of different writers, not caring overly about 'canon' - but I doubt it can be done.
Nobody does shows like that anymore though.
Purely episodic shows were perfect for the broadcast tv era - where if you happened to miss a show, it didn't matter because there was no carry-over from episode to episode. But in the streaming era, where you can watch the show when and how you want, it makes more sense to give it an overarching plot and theme that develops from episode to episode.
Perhaps not, but that's what gave ToS its edge - the fact that nearly anything could happen, leading to a flood of ideas (good and bad) that the current TV series', movies, etc. have been cannibalizing ever since. Star Trek had no real 'plot' with a beginning, middle and end, so attempting to graft on onto it (season by season) risks making it resemble a soap opera more than a tightly scripted science fiction miniseries - an "As the World Turns" ... in space! :D
You sound like a man who has never watched DS9 - Trek's one attempt at building an overarching plot - which many feel was the best Trek show ever.
Critics liked DS9, but it was in no way as memorable and ground-breaking as the original series, and it was never as popular - and for good reason: it was more boring.
Critics love "morally ambiguous" characters, they tend to forgive, more than audiences do, the fact that shows have to have some sort of interesting stuff going on for an audience to
care about the "morally ambiguous" characters.
People remember (for good or bad) what happened in ToS shows, because the plots were often interesting (or amusingly bad ;) ). Few remember the contents of any particular DS9 show.
From the wiki article:
Quote
Andrew J. Robinson commented on DS9 not being as popular as its predecessors: "It's not the most popular because it's the most morally ambiguous... Whenever you have characters who are gray rather than black and white... Although they are more interesting, they are more difficult for people to get a handle on. I loved DS9 because they were gray, because the characters were not easily definable, but that's not for everybody".[13]
Author Terry J. Erdmann commented: "DS9 was never as popular as its two predecessors, although it arguably was a more critically acclaimed series".[14]
I don't know. Janeway was the most "morally ambiguous" character to ever appear in a starfleet uniform.
Quote from: viper37 on November 02, 2015, 04:42:43 PM
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 04:01:17 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 02, 2015, 02:57:18 PM
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 02:54:49 PM
It would be great if they brought back the original concept - a ship wandering around looking into stuff, using a lot of different writers, not caring overly about 'canon' - but I doubt it can be done.
Nobody does shows like that anymore though.
Purely episodic shows were perfect for the broadcast tv era - where if you happened to miss a show, it didn't matter because there was no carry-over from episode to episode. But in the streaming era, where you can watch the show when and how you want, it makes more sense to give it an overarching plot and theme that develops from episode to episode.
Perhaps not, but that's what gave ToS its edge - the fact that nearly anything could happen, leading to a flood of ideas (good and bad) that the current TV series', movies, etc. have been cannibalizing ever since. Star Trek had no real 'plot' with a beginning, middle and end, so attempting to graft on onto it (season by season) risks making it resemble a soap opera more than a tightly scripted science fiction miniseries - an "As the World Turns" ... in space! :D
Babylon 5.
ST: Deep Space Nine.
Firefly.
Killjoys.
Fringe.
Lost.
All successful sci-fi shows with an arc. The first 4 ones being exclusively in space, while the lasts are other type of sci-fi, but that worked pretty well too. There are more, of course.
Nearly everyone here who has rewatched TNG found the first few seasons sucked. Why? Because they mimick what the old ST was about, a spaceship wandering almost aimelessly (from our perspective) with seperate stories each week, with barely no continuity until the very last seasons.
Voyager had pretty good episodes, but overall there was a real lack of continuity, and it failed, trying to combine DS9 storytelling with TOS episodic nature.
I didn't say you
can't have a successful science fiction show with an "arc". :lol: I said that it would be nice to have an episodic version of
Star Trek that worked.
Though I'll be damned if I include
Lost in the legion of great science fiction shows with an "arc" - when the writers so obviously painted themselves in a corner.
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 04:51:50 PM
Critics liked DS9, but it was in no way as memorable and ground-breaking as the original series, and it was never as popular - and for good reason: it was more boring.
Critics love "morally ambiguous" characters, they tend to forgive, more than audiences do, the fact that shows have to have some sort of interesting stuff going on for an audience to care about the "morally ambiguous" characters.
People remember (for good or bad) what happened in ToS shows, because the plots were often interesting (or amusingly bad ;) ). Few remember the contents of any particular DS9 show.
I have to disagree that DS9 was "boring" - it had some fantastic eposides. But that's a matter of taste.
It's also a matter of the intervening 20 years or so. No one had ever heard of streaming video on demand. It's that technology which has changed how we watch television, and consequently how they make television shows. They don't want a show that you can walk away from - they want it so that they hook you into binge-watching.
If it were my decision, I'd put the new show in the hands of Ira Behr.
On reflection, I'm fairly certain that I recall more DS9 episodes than original series Star Trek episodes. :hmm:
And on the subject I can only immediately bring three STTNG episodes to mind - the first episode, the last, and the one where Ro and Geordi were moved out of phase and spent a lot of the episode running through walls. Given there's seven seasons of it, and I watched it all, that's rather a poor return.
I'm with BB on this one - DS9 was the best Star Trek series.
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on November 02, 2015, 04:53:19 PM
I don't know. Janeway was the most "morally ambiguous" character to ever appear in a starfleet uniform.
That's cause they kept mixing up the scripts with the show being filmed in the studio next door,
Psycho Boss.
Quote from: Barrister on November 02, 2015, 02:57:18 PM
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 02:54:49 PM
It would be great if they brought back the original concept - a ship wandering around looking into stuff, using a lot of different writers, not caring overly about 'canon' - but I doubt it can be done.
Nobody does shows like that anymore though.
Purely episodic shows were perfect for the broadcast tv era - where if you happened to miss a show, it didn't matter because there was no carry-over from episode to episode. But in the streaming era, where you can watch the show when and how you want, it makes more sense to give it an overarching plot and theme that develops from episode to episode.
They can still do that though. A combination of both. "let's explore other planets" stuff, with an overarching story line. Kind of X-Files ish in that you had stand alones with the myth arc. TNG did this to a lesser effect with their borg story line and the Q story lines
Quote from: Agelastus on November 02, 2015, 05:08:33 PM
On reflection, I'm fairly certain that I recall more DS9 episodes than original series Star Trek episodes. :hmm:
And on the subject I can only immediately bring three STTNG episodes to mind - the first episode, the last, and the one where Ro and Geordi were moved out of phase and spent a lot of the episode running through walls. Given there's seven seasons of it, and I watched it all, that's rather a poor return.
I'm with BB on this one - DS9 was the best Star Trek series.
You don't remember the first encounter with the Borg? I remember that far better than any other episode.
TOS started out great, but devolved over the second season and became crap by the third. I think that they had the advantage of being the first SF TV show, and so could take advantage of a lot of pent-up creativity among the SF writers of the day, but that wore off, and soon much lessor writers were doing the episodes.
I think you need a stable of writers, with the occasional outside non-arc script. I don't think you can sustain quality writing using just outsiders.
Quote from: Malthus on November 02, 2015, 04:51:50 PM
People remember (for good or bad) what happened in ToS shows, because the plots were often interesting (or amusingly bad ;) ). Few remember the contents of any particular DS9 show.
I remember most episodes...
One other factor: it was a series about a war. From the 1st season on, they were preparing you for a conflict with the Dominion. Lots of people don't like the idea of wars in sci-fi.
And the most memorable TNG episode for me was the one where the find the sole survivor of a devastated planet, who turns out to be much more than he appears. It was a brilliant morality play.
Quote from: Agelastus on November 02, 2015, 05:08:33 PM
On reflection, I'm fairly certain that I recall more DS9 episodes than original series Star Trek episodes. :hmm:
And on the subject I can only immediately bring three STTNG episodes to mind - the first episode, the last, and the one where Ro and Geordi were moved out of phase and spent a lot of the episode running through walls. Given there's seven seasons of it, and I watched it all, that's rather a poor return.
I'm with BB on this one - DS9 was the best Star Trek series.
Theoretically, I can see how DS9 was better than Voyager. Better than TNG? No fucking way.
Miles ahead TNG, but that's irrelevant. There would be no DS9 without TNG. There's no way Star Trek could have skipped directly to a DS9 show coming from TOS.
Quote from: celedhring on November 02, 2015, 03:00:45 PM
Episodic shows do have a place, though. I love being able to just drop into an episode of procedural X or sitcom Y without having to invest so much time into it.
Sitcoms, sure. They don't need an arc, in fact hardly any have them (only Soap and Arrested Development spring to mind. And Silicon Valley if it counts.)
Procedurals are kinda boring because they just don't get enough time to develop something unique.
They could just start doing a rebooted TNG using the new films as a baseline, and have some BSG elements. Give Picard some hair this time, keep the beard off Riker, give Deanna even bigger tits, and make Worf a woman.
Worf is a man! :ultra:
You're trying as hard as you can to get lynched by a furious trekker's mob or what? :P
Quote from: viper37 on November 02, 2015, 09:48:52 PM
Worf is a man! :ultra:
You're trying as hard as you can to get lynched by a furious trekker's mob or what? :P
I sense hostility.
It's obvious what they should do - just pull a "next" next generation. Advance the timeline 20 years (so there is some room for cameos). Update the look of ships, uniforms, and what not. They're piloting the Enterprise-H or whatever. Set up an over-arcing plotline for the next five years and have at it.
TNG was the better sci-fi show (esp. seasons 3-5), while DS9 was the better drama.
Enterprise attempted to do story arcs (Temporal Cold War, the Xindi), but ended up largely 'meh'. It didn't help that Archer was written even more inconsistently (and borderline insane in the first seasons - watch "Night in Sickbay" or SF Debris' review) than even Janeway.
Voyager had potential - stranded in hostile space, with a crew made up of rivaling factions, trying to get home while struggling to stick to the Federation's principles. Unfortunately, many times it didn't deliver on the promise. Episodes like "Year of Hell" or "Equinox" gave a glimpse of what could have been. It's weakness was also that there was rarely a feeling of doom or actual danger for the crew. Overall, Galactica would deliver on the basic premise (a dramatic trek through space while trying to stay alive).
Quote from: Tonitrus on November 02, 2015, 09:41:05 PM
give Deanna even bigger tits
I like the cut of your jib.
Also, the Klingon chick in Voyager was hot.
Quote from: Josephus on November 02, 2015, 09:59:43 PM
Quote from: viper37 on November 02, 2015, 09:48:52 PM
Worf is a man! :ultra:
You're trying as hard as you can to get lynched by a furious trekker's mob or what? :P
I sense hostility.
The force is strong with this one.
Ooops, wrong thread.
Quote from: Barrister on November 02, 2015, 10:50:10 PM
It's obvious what they should do - just pull a "next" next generation. Advance the timeline 20 years (so there is some room for cameos). Update the look of ships, uniforms, and what not. They're piloting the Enterprise-H or whatever. Set up an over-arcing plotline for the next five years and have at it.
Agreed. That would be great.
Quote from: Josephus on November 02, 2015, 09:59:43 PM
Quote from: viper37 on November 02, 2015, 09:48:52 PM
Worf is a man! :ultra:
You're trying as hard as you can to get lynched by a furious trekker's mob or what? :P
I sense hostility.
I wasn't serious, I noted the sarcasm. Neil is still enraged at BSG's treatments of Starbuck, that's why he can't stand us anymore.
But small titties and big butts are all the rage now, doubtful we'de see Caliga approved actresses for lead in a ST series :(
Quote from: viper37 on November 03, 2015, 05:03:55 PM
Quote from: Josephus on November 02, 2015, 09:59:43 PM
Quote from: viper37 on November 02, 2015, 09:48:52 PM
Worf is a man! :ultra:
You're trying as hard as you can to get lynched by a furious trekker's mob or what? :P
I sense hostility.
I wasn't serious, I noted the sarcasm. Neil is still enraged at BSG's treatments of Starbuck, that's why he can't stand us anymore.
But small titties and big butts are all the rage now, doubtful we'de see Caliga approved actresses for lead in a ST series :(
I don't think so - well proportioned actresses wearing form-fitting uniforms is one of the staples of the franchise.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trapshooters.com%2Fattachments%2Fstar-trek-grace-lee-whitney-janice-rand-1966-jpg.302533%2F&hash=6922ce23f76e69a55bb13927ef757dc17eff984c)
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Quote from: viper37 on November 02, 2015, 04:42:43 PM
Nearly everyone here who has rewatched TNG found the first few seasons sucked. Why? Because they mimick what the old ST was about, a spaceship wandering almost aimelessly (from our perspective) with seperate stories each week, with barely no continuity until the very last seasons.
That's not why early TNG sucked. Two words: Wesley Crusher.
:lol:
Quote from: Barrister on November 03, 2015, 05:33:01 PM
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I'd never noticed the fake clitoris on these uniforms before.
Quote from: dps on November 03, 2015, 09:45:46 PM
That's not why early TNG sucked. Two words: Wesley Crusher.
Well, that and because Roddenberry was still involved.
And Picard wore a skirt
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on November 03, 2015, 10:57:23 PM
Quote from: dps on November 03, 2015, 09:45:46 PM
That's not why early TNG sucked. Two words: Wesley Crusher.
Well, that and because Roddenberry was still involved.
True. Although even Wesley was mostly Roddenberry's fault.
The problem with form-fitting uniforms is that they only work on young, pretty females. A uniform, by defintion, applies to everybody. It is a nightmare for the real, general population to wear them.
Quote from: Monoriu on November 04, 2015, 04:18:55 AM
The problem with form-fitting uniforms is that they only work on young, pretty females.
and that is problem because... ?
QuoteA uniform, by defintion, applies to everybody. It is a nightmare for the real, general population to wear them.
Actors&actresses are not the real, general population.
Quote from: Monoriu on November 04, 2015, 04:18:55 AM
The problem with form-fitting uniforms is that they only work on young, pretty females. A uniform, by defintion, applies to everybody. It is a nightmare for the real, general population to wear them.
In the future everybody will have a great body.
Quote from: Valmy on November 04, 2015, 09:14:45 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on November 04, 2015, 04:18:55 AM
The problem with form-fitting uniforms is that they only work on young, pretty females. A uniform, by defintion, applies to everybody. It is a nightmare for the real, general population to wear them.
In the future everybody will have a great body.
Except for Lena Dunham, who will continue to be a Hutt.
Quote from: Ed Anger on November 04, 2015, 10:11:11 AM
Quote from: Valmy on November 04, 2015, 09:14:45 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on November 04, 2015, 04:18:55 AM
The problem with form-fitting uniforms is that they only work on young, pretty females. A uniform, by defintion, applies to everybody. It is a nightmare for the real, general population to wear them.
In the future everybody will have a great body.
Except for Lena Dunham, who will continue to be a Hutt.
I think we can safely exclude Dunhams from the future.
What could they possibly show us that we haven't seen already? Show me the underbelly of the Federation - those who live outside of the ivory tower that is Starfleet and perhaps I'll work up some enthusiasm. <_<
G.
I'd rather have them go another century into the future and start ripping off the Culture novels.
Quote from: Grallon on November 05, 2015, 11:58:48 AM
What could they possibly show us that we haven't seen already? Show me the underbelly of the Federation - those who live outside of the ivory tower that is Starfleet and perhaps I'll work up some enthusiasm. <_<
G.
You know there's some room for a show like that. Focus on a character like Harry Mudd, or Quark, as they attempt to scheme and steal across the galaxy.
But not for this new show coming out in 2017. That, the first Trek show in 12 years, is going to be all about Star Fleet. Because that is what every Trek show ever has been about. If and when that is a success, then maybe you look at expanding the franchise.
Has it really been 12 years.
It will have been in 2017. Enterprise was put out of its misery 10 years ago.
Quote from: dps on November 03, 2015, 09:45:46 PM
Quote from: viper37 on November 02, 2015, 04:42:43 PM
Nearly everyone here who has rewatched TNG found the first few seasons sucked. Why? Because they mimick what the old ST was about, a spaceship wandering almost aimelessly (from our perspective) with seperate stories each week, with barely no continuity until the very last seasons.
That's not why early TNG sucked. Two words: Wesley Crusher.
First two seasons of TNG sucked because they didn't have collars on their uniforms.
Quote from: Grallon on November 05, 2015, 11:58:48 AM
What could they possibly show us that we haven't seen already? Show me the underbelly of the Federation - those who live outside of the ivory tower that is Starfleet and perhaps I'll work up some enthusiasm. <_<
G.
I always wanted to see that, but making an entire show for 5-7 years based on that premise alone would not be that good.
DS9 began to show us how it was like living outside the Federation, and what was the difference between Earth and Bajor, but a lot of people disliked it.
I just wish it was a theme expanded in a new series. Not a whole series based on that.
Or they could the story of the last human starship, pursued by relentless ennemies as they struggle to find their ancestral home... oh wait, I think I remember something like that ;)
Are they going to Gor?
Quote from: The Brain on November 05, 2015, 01:29:55 PM
Are they going to Gor?
Wesley goes to Gor. Flies giant hawks. Builds macguffin devices. Accidentally becomes a powerful overlord with thousands of devoted slaves.
CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT!
[Looks for an old thread to bump... this looks like a good one.]
CBS announces a new Star Trek series. But this is goig to be an animated comedy and is developed by a writer for Ricky and Morty.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/10/new-animated-star-trek-will-bring-starfleets-least-vital-ships-to-cbs-streaming/
Quote from: Caliga on November 05, 2015, 04:00:26 PM
CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT! CABOT!
:lol: MST3K flashbacks.
Kinda surprised we seemed to have missed this one...
https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/star-trek-patrick-stewart-picard-cbs-all-access-1202895410/
https://trekmovie.com/2018/09/10/year-for-setting-of-star-trek-picard-show-established-storyline-teased-by-ep/
We talked a little about it on the TV thread I think.
Pensioner Picard doesn't really sound too cool. Then again, Michael Chabon as a writer for the show immediately perked my interest.
Quote from: celedhring on October 25, 2018, 02:49:11 PM
We talked a little about it on the TV thread I think.
Pensioner Picard doesn't really sound too cool. Then again, Michael Chabon as a writer for the show immediately perked my interest.
I'm not particularly aware of his work, though I did enjoy Yiddish Policemen's Union back when that book came out.
Quote from: celedhring on October 25, 2018, 02:49:11 PM
We talked a little about it on the TV thread I think.
Yep...a peek at the archives show that garbon tipped it off. :sleep:
Quote from: Barrister on October 25, 2018, 02:55:40 PM
Quote from: celedhring on October 25, 2018, 02:49:11 PM
We talked a little about it on the TV thread I think.
Pensioner Picard doesn't really sound too cool. Then again, Michael Chabon as a writer for the show immediately perked my interest.
I'm not particularly aware of his work, though I did enjoy Yiddish Policemen's Union back when that book came out.
Hasn't done much film/tv work, but he worked on Spiderman 2 which is in my top 3 superhero movies.
Plus The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is a magnificent book.
Quote from: Tonitrus on October 25, 2018, 03:00:30 PM
Quote from: celedhring on October 25, 2018, 02:49:11 PM
We talked a little about it on the TV thread I think.
Yep...a peek at the archives show that garbon tipped it off. :sleep:
:showoff:
But you've been out wandering the moors as of late, so no doubt distracted. :D
There are short Treks, 15 minutes mini shows available now. Saw the first one. Nice little episode centered on Tilly.
But... as far as character development goes, it feels empty. I don't feel like Tilly is any different than she was before, I don't feel that it explains any kind of change she may have had during the run of the series either.
I'll still watch the next one in november though. :)
Webisodes are like so. They never feel they can do anything as they have to consider the fans who don't watch.
Dr who is about the only show I can think of that did something big with one. But even that wasn't strictly necessary, could have been explained off screen too.