Amazed Enterprise lasted for 4 years.
Nemesis faild because it was bad and Star Trek itself was just getting old. A simple matter of what happens when a corporation controls a franchise. They beat it into the ground untill nothing of value is left.
Screw that, give it to Ron Moore and let him reboot it.
Give it to someone talented like Whedon or JMS, focus on an aspect of the universe thus far ignored (Starfleet Marines, Starfleet legal system), be sure to include an ongoing storyline.
Key aspect, IMO: Set it at least two centuries after TNG.
I’d like to see an all alien crew with a token human or two.
B5 was stellar for the most part, but JMS is not infallible, particularly when working with others’ properties.
His Spider-Man storylines have been abysmal.
Agreed on JMS’ hit-or-miss qualities, but I imagine he’s got some pretty good Star Trek ideas percolating in there. At least worth a shot, IMO.
Give it to Nicolas Meyer.
We just need another Star Trek franchise which includes some bizarrely primitive “life force” telling us how arrogant and destructive humans are. Thanks for the morality play!
I am on a mailing list that collects JMS’s public comments from various newsgroups and such. He, in fact, did prepare a prelimiary treatment or whatever you call it for a new ST project on his own time but there was no interest from Paramount. Unfortunately, no, I do not save the messages from the list in question.
As a Star Trek concept Andromeda is still the best idea I’ve ever heard. The Federation is destroyed and only a starship captain from the past, who still believes in its, ideals can save it.
Not a great movie idea though.
William Shatner??
I find it interesting people analizing what killed star trek and yet completely missed it. It wasn’t because it was minned too much (it was but thats never stoped hollywood), it wasn’t because of the horrible scripts (while not great Enterprise was leagues better than Voyager), it wasn’t because of ratings (Enterprise was UPNs highest rated show), and t wasn’t because of money (It was very profitable even for UPN and for Paramount when you thrown in international syndication rights.) There was nothing that fans point to that killed star trek that had anything to do with it.
What happen is Paramount got new mangament. Brad Grey, the new head of Paramount came in and cleaned house. Just about everyone in management was replaced and any film not in front of the cameras was canned. He also said that he hates star trek and stopped all present and future star trek productions. He wants to reinvent Paramont and this new Paramont will not include Star Trek.
Now, will there be more star trek? I’m sure there will be. It just may requre management change. I personally rather see a new TOS movie with the parts recast.
As for JMS, I didn’t like his Babylon 5 that much (season 3 and 4 were good though) but I’ve really liked his Spiderman. His current arc has Spidey as an Advenger and let me tell you, its the best the Advengers have been written in a looooong time.
The whole Spidey as an Avenger thing is Brian Michael Bendis’s baby much moreso than JMS.
I think you’re missing the point Rob. They aren’t talking about why Star Trek isn’t being made anymore. They are talking about why it shouldn’t be made anymore. In other words, this topic is speculating on what would make the series better so that fans would return to it. The comments about corporations and such are meant to suggest that the people in charge don’t get what ST is about, NOT to suggest that they shouldnl’t have killed the programs/movies.
[quote=“Kevin_Grey”]
The whole Spidey as an Avenger thing is Brian Michael Bendis’s baby much moreso than JMS.[/quote]
Yes but JMS is actually doing a decent job writing it. I’m a Bendis fanboy back from Powers #1, I get everything he writes and so far I’ve HATED his writing on Avengers.
Ah, got it. Wasn’t sure what you meant. I’m not too wild on New Avengers. I find equal parts to enjoy and dislike about it.
The only JMS comic I’ve read is ‘Supreme Power’ and I might drop it once it leaves the MAX line.
Excuse me? What do you mean “leave the max line”? They aren’t Puling an Alias/Pulse are they???
You didn’t know? That’s exactly what they are doing. The regular Supreme Power MAX series ends at 18. Then there are two MAX minis- Hyperion and Nighthawk. After that, Supreme Power is being relaunched with a new #1 under the Marvel Knights banner.
Newsarama JMS interview.
JMS and Queseda are both upfront that it’s strictly motivated by sales. I’m not sure it will work as well as they hope though. Supreme Power already sells approx 60k an issue which is very strong. I don’t see the MK version selling substantially more than that.
It didn’t really work out for Alias/The Pulse either. Alias was selling in upper 20k range when it left and The Pulse only pulls in low to mid 30k.
Thanks Kevin. I guess it will be ok.
Anyways, back to trek.
I didn’t think it should go away or get cancelled. I just think it needed new blood. Maybe not a BSG makeover (which I haven’t really cared for.)
I used to watch The Next Generation religiously when i was younger. After Bradburry died the series slowly declined. I watched a couple years of Deep Space Nine, maybe about one years worth of Voyager, and the franchise was dead to me. I’m not a Trekhead by any means though.
I think the producers never understood the deeper ideas behind TNG that made it a show that Stephan Hawking would appear in cameo roles on, and why without those deeper plots the series sucks. And imo all sci-fi combines social criticism of contemporary events with some imaginary future progresses and delimmas.
If the original Star Trek was set in the Cold War and Kirk the prototypical red blooded American hero outfoxing conniving aliens, settling petty disputes, brashly plowing ahead when all looks lost, ect… , The Next Generation was our collective sigh of relief at the end of the Cold War - the Triumph of Reason and Humanity over militarism and sectarianism. The Klingons (Russians) had joined the joined the good guys peacefully and the Federation became this champion of technology, sociopolitical progress, equality and universal rights; all great aspirations in the real world. Most of the episodes dealt with aliens on a cultural level, and how we can overcome those cultural obstacles, and not really about beating them over the head; which is why Patrick Stewart was such a perfect actor for this role as philosopher-captain. Hell, remember that every ship now had an “empath” officer that diligently looked after the mental health of the crew, adopting this from the RL contemporary explosion of psychology throughout society.
But this brave new world, if The Next Generation were being made today, would cause the chatterbox conservative commentators to shudder and spit in anger, because this future world was a commie socialist one. We had overcome our ‘crass’ desires for wealth and humans of the future spent their lives developing themselves intellectually and culturally in a very platonic existence and not competing with one another for power. It was like living a life in the Federation was playing Golf; the only one you were playing against, and the only one who could hold you back, was yourself.
But are these ideals that still resonate today?
If i were to make a Star Trek movie it would have to be called The Fall of the Federation and it would be about how many humans began to reject these futuristic ideals and set about remaking society along lines of wealth and power and accomplishment; reflecting the seeming end to these ideals in the Real World for the forseeable future. I’d have Stewart, retired from Starfleet and now an archeologist, pressed into action against these dissident elements; and when they suddenly take control, become the intellectual head of the opposition. He’d never even sit in a spaceship the whole movie. After further adventures he’d be exectued King Charles style after giving some moving soliliquy. Also have fun scenes like the Vulcans bowing out of the Federation stoicly with some parting shots like “reason has left this government and we cannot abide unreason”. The movie ends with the dissolution of the Federation. Would be fun.