I suppose they could always do a series based at Star Fleet Academy....

My main concern about an academy series is that a series needs drama and tension and danger, and the thing about a school, is there isnt any, or at least not much, its a safe artificial environment where people train before they are exposed to the real thing!

I can imagine ways to make a miniseries out of it, maybe a number of them, but 7 years worth of adventures?

Star Fleet in general then?

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by Wobag
My main concern about an academy series is that a series needs drama and tension and danger, and the thing about a school, is there isnt any, or at least not much, its a safe artificial environment where people train before they are exposed to the real thing!

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Oh, so you're calling X-Men boring? That's set at a school - I wish our teachers were like that...

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by Alan
(quotes)Oh, so you're calling X-Men boring? That's set at a school - I wish our teachers were like that...

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Set at a school where the students all have extraordinary genetic mutations giving them a variety of super-powers and where they are being trained to become super-heroes in their own right. Not quite the same thing

If i was going to try and regenerate the Trek franchise, i'd leave it a couple of years, at which time i would spend a decent budget on a high profile academy mini-series. I'd then spin that either into a film, hoping to tempt Jonathan Frakes to return as Riker, captaining a ship which would be crewed by some of the Academy characters from the mini-series.

The Next Next Generation if you will.

Alternatively, it could be spun into a series, but if that was going to be the case i think it would need to be left longer, TV has had a bit of a Trek overload.

I also think the Trek-verse needs a big shift. Something cataclysmic needs to happen to shift the dynamic. I like the idea of the Federation getting obliterated and operating anew in a post-war era. The Federation/Starfleet could be under the hands of aggresive leaders who want to militarise the institutions so as to prevent the defeat happening again.

The crew could then be a mix between people who favour the aggressive stance and the original, utopian Federation ideals and a bunch of people sitting on the fence, instantly creating alliances, divisions and tension between the characters.

Firstly, I've no problem with Paramount cancelling Enterprise. It was a frequently dire show that shamelessly leeched off the Star Trek brand. Any other series, and it wouldn't have lasted one season. When there's so many high quality shows getting ruthlessly canned, the way Berman and Bragga ran things was taking the piss. By the time Enterprise got its act together with season four, it was too late.

It points to a wider problem with the Star Trek franchise: it's become lazy and complacent. Voyager was just as poor as Enterprise. The producers were relying on the guaranteed fanbase of die-hard fanatics, hence no incentive for good writing. Star Trek's Powers That Be are a shambling old guard that's burned out after decades on the franchise, set in their ways and afraid to rock the boat. It's embarassing to watch. Now Enterprise is toast, time for Paramount to clear the lot of 'em out, let things rest for at least five years, and hope absence does let the heart grow fonder.

Alternatively, and here's the option I like, put Star Trek to rest for good. Any new series has to struggle under the weight of a creaking mythology while hamstrung by a continuity monster. What's left to be said and done? Gene Roddenbery's naively optimistic ideal of massive benevolent government as the answer to man's problems is hopelessly dated. The best Star Trek spin off, Deep Space Nine, was most notable by how un-Trek it was. If the underlying ideal's gone, Star Trek is just bumpy foreheads and warp factor five. No point in prolonging an empty shell.

Battlestar Galactica is the new Star Trek

Seriously though, I'd have set the next one in a Klingon/Federation war, and made it grittier and flashier and darker... See above

Well I for one have loved all the ST spin off's and am currently sitting through ST the original series on DVD and loving it

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by Byron
Firstly, I've no problem with Paramount cancelling Enterprise. It was a frequently dire show that shamelessly leeched off the Star Trek brand. Any other series, and it wouldn't have lasted one season. When there's so many high quality shows getting ruthlessly canned, the way Berman and Bragga ran things was taking the piss. By the time Enterprise got its act together with season four, it was too late.

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Astute summary.

As a prequel-type show, though, they have an obligation to do one thing, and that's tell the story of the Federation's birth (and give us Romulans, as much fun as the Andorians have been... or have we had Romulans?). If filming has been suspended as abruptly as the report in The Independent implied, we may not get that, and the ending will be as rushed as Angel's was (hmm, do I see a connection?).

The impending (hate to say 'final', if that's what it is) season actually looks quite good, but that's trailers for you, perhaps...


(Edited by The_Host 02/03/2005 06:16)

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by byron
Voyager was just as poor as Enterprise

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i quite liked voyager. i thought it brought something new to the screen, as they had no backup and had to amend some of the rules. they also had the opportunity to meet new species. thats just me though.

Nice idea, crap implementation. They didn't have the Federation, but it felt like they did. The ship was still sparkly clean by the end of the seven year run, and the stock collection of cliched races they met felt far from original. Some atrocious characters as well. Hysterical captain, wooden first officer, a laugh free reject from Sesemie Street (just why did Neelix come to command meetings anyway, did they need someone to whip up an emergency resotto). Some good charaters as well -- Tuvok, Seven of Nine, despite that horrible jumpsuit designed to tittilate the Comic Book Guy, and of course the Doctor -- but they weren't enough to save it.

And they screwed up the Borg, the gits!

Venting, venting ...

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by Byron
(just why did Neelix come to command meetings anyway, did they need someone to whip up an emergency resotto)

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Never underestimate the power of risotto!!!

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by Byron
Nice idea, crap implementation. They didn't have the Federation, but it felt like they did. The ship was still sparkly clean by the end of the seven year run, and the stock collection of cliched races they met felt far from original. Some atrocious characters as well. Hysterical captain, wooden first officer, a laugh free reject from Sesemie Street (just why did Neelix come to command meetings anyway, did they need someone to whip up an emergency resotto). Some good charaters as well -- Tuvok, Seven of Nine, despite that horrible jumpsuit designed to tittilate the Comic Book Guy, and of course the Doctor -- but they weren't enough to save it.

And they screwed up the Borg, the gits!

Venting, venting ...

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Still - as a casual Star Trek watcher I can't help but find your summary slightly depressing. Yes, Voyager was somewhat weak, yes Enterprise (not seen much of it) weaker still.. but somehow as far as escapism goes it still pressed some buttons for me - like Simpsons eps - you might have seen them over and over but I never mind settling down to a TNG, Voyager or Enterprise for a bit of light fluff. DS9 I couldn't get into because it seemed to require commitment and an understanding of the nuances and politics from previous eps. I'm sure thats better for the real ST fans, but not my cup of tea.

Janeway - kind of liked the mad badger really..
SevenOf9 - well she'd only have been in pr0n if it hadn't been ST

Anyway, the Doctor was easily the best character in Voyager, he rocked! Seriously cool guy.

And of course in Enterprise Hoshi....drooooool.

Anyway, I don't take it all that seriously, I just thought it was fun to watch and will miss it.

You're right in saying Deep Space Nine wasn't for casual viewers. It catered for a different market. You have to invest more, but get more out of it for your trouble. Now I wouldn't expect every Trek show to follow their example, like you say sometimes you're in the mood for pure escapism. Nothing wrong with a solid action-adventure series, why I'll happily defend, say, Stargate SG-1 because it delivers all it promises to. Voyager just recycled the same old formula every week, and the leads irritated the bejesus out of me. I demand standards from my fluff!