In answer to a question over on the "Kitumba" thread.... Well, our Mudd story is sort of back-burnered. We've had a Mudd story in the works for years now. Mr. J.G. Hertzler was slated to direct the episode and play Harry Mudd. To make a long story short, J.G.'s schedule changed and it became difficult for him to do the episode--so we've had to decide whether the story was important enough to move to the top of the pile without him, or if we should just wait until his schedule changes. In the meantime, Mr. James Cawley thought that Mr. Eric Stillwell might make a good Mudd. James also thought that Mr. Russell Bennett Jr. might be a good Mudd. But things changed a while back when CBS asked us at Phase II to not produce an original Mr. Norman Spinrad script from TOS that had been "discovered." Our new understanding is that any property (i.e. story or script) that had been paid for fair and square by CBS--even back when Star Trek was owned by Desilu, Paramount, Viacom, etc.) is something that they own the rights to outright and we can't produce. It turns out our Mudd story was a script by Mr. Howard Weinstein based on his three-part story he did for DC comics back in the 90s. Since it was an officially licensed Star Trek product, that story is CBS's story, too. So if we want to do a Mudd story, we'll have to come up with something new. Now that Mr. David Gerrold is our Showrunner, he is developing an agenda and slate of the stories he's interested in producing. It may or may not involve a Mudd story.
Oh, I would pay good money to have a peek at that script. A previously unknown Star Trek script from the scribe of "The Doomsday Machine"? WANT.
Well, it wasn't unknown; it was just sort of misplaced. More info at this old five-page thread: http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=163009
Know that Harry Mudd is a beloved guest character. Know that folks get a thrill when he returns to trouble our intrepid crew. But I'd rather see PHASE: II chart newer territory and stranger new worlds than rely on what's come before, especially now with David Gerrold as show runner.
Yes--with the understanding that large swaths of our fan base want the exact opposite of what you would like to see--just as you suggest. So we have multiple constituents to keep happy and our script selections are a bit of a balancing act. Thanks for the input!
Do you really think fans won't watch episodes which don't trot out items/actors from the past? And, assuming some of them didn't, what does audience size matter to a non-commercial effort? Just curious.
If it's well-made with a modicum of talent and affection for the series, I'll watch these folks reading a cargo manifest.
Not that it matters at this point, but the original "delay" was that J.G. tore his rotator cuff and could not perform. The schedule problems came after he healed....