There are a couple of ideas floating around out there for how some people would do ENT differently, and it is something I have thought about as well so I’m throwing my idea out there as well. The Era: The series begins in 2161, a mere twelve months after the end of the Romulan Wars. A lot has happened since the Battle of Cheron which ended the war; the Romulans have withdrawn from the territory the seized, the Neutral Zone has been established, relations between the species who allied against the Empire have grown and evolved to become the United Federation of Planets. As the dust settles and rebuilding work begins, the quadrant is looking very different to how it was before the war, however, though the Federation was formed to foster peace, old rivalries between its members will take time quench. The Recent Past: When the Romulan Star Empire began its expansion, it was unconcerned with the claims other species held on the territories they moved into. As such, every species affected began counter-attacks. At the forefront was Earth, which soon brought together several other species to form a cohesive armada against the Romulans. It wasn’t easy and took four years, but once unified they proved to be an equal match to the Empire—far more than if they had remained separate. When the war ended in 2160, it was the humans who were the driving force behind further solidifying the alliances. The founding members of the United Federation of Planets were: the Andorian Sovereignty, the Centaurian Congress, the Earth Republic, the Rigellian Interplanetary Alliance, the Tellarite Confederacy, and the Vulcan Union. Not every species that fought in the war helped to found the Federation, some opted to remain independent but remain on good terms with the newly formed organisation. The Ship: The U.S.S. Daedalus (similar in look to Sisko’s deck model though modernised in appearance) is the first ship of her class, developed to fight a war but adapted to explore the unknown. Intended to be a beacon of hope and a symbol for what the new Federation stands for, it is the first ships to comprise of officers and specialists from many planets, following the same rules and working together for a single purpose. She has a crew of 230, a maximum speed of warp fact six, and armed with phase cannons and spatial torpedoes, she is one of the most advanced ships build, using designs and technologies from each UFP member world. The Crew: The 231 crew onboard is evenly split between five of the six species that formed the Federation (the exception being Vulcan, which opted out though did appoint a single representative). The crew is made up of the best and brightest each member has to offer, each with their particular specialties, skills and experience to call upon. The Main Characters: The man commanding the Daedalus is Captain Jonathan Archer is a human male in his mid-40s. Born in New Zealand, he gained his captaincy just before the war and made a name for himself due to his daring tactics and bravery. He is still troubled by what he saw in the war and hopes that this new mission will allow him to put his past behind him. Archer’s XO is Sub-Commander T’Pol, a Vulcan woman who appears to be in her early-30s. Assigned by the Vulcan government as their representative on the mission, it was at their insistence she be second-in-command, due to the collective knowledge and experience Vulcan possesses. She faces some resentment for being shoe-horned in, but faces it with dispassionate logic. Chief Engineer Commander Charles Tucker III, better known simply as Trip, is a human man in his mid-30s, and a friend of Captain Archer’s. He is a man who is passionate about his work but little else, following the death of his younger sister (and last living relative) in the Battle of Sol. He harbours a great deal of grief, anger and bitterness about the war. Lt. Commander Thylek th’Shran is an Andorian thaan in his mid-30s, who serves as the ship’s Navigator and Tactical Officer. He is quietly spoken and observant, as well as cunning and precise. He dislikes sloppy work, which is his general opinion of Tellarites. Not a staunch supporter of the Federation, he is however a dedicated soldier and followed his new orders without question. The ship’s physician/surgeon is Lt. Commander Phlox, a Rigellian (not sure which species yet though) male, middle aged. An expert in xeno-medicine, he has spent his career studying and caring for alien life. He keeps a menagerie of animals (or critters as he calls them) in the medlab, all of which he uses in the treatment of various illnesses as well as his research. A doctor first, he will always look after life above all else. Security Chief Lieutenant Malcolm Reed is an Englishman in his late-20s. Highly decorated for his actions in the war, he spent months on the frontlines, took part in numerous high-profile missions, and key battles throughout conflict. He has been left hardened by what he saw and doesn’t let others in, due to all the friends and teammates he lost. Lieutenant Noro jav Hagaar is a Tellarite female in her late-20s, assigned to head up the science department. Opinionated and argumentative, she will make herself be heard and stand by her beliefs. Very intelligent she can often come across as arrogant and condescending, especially when she addresses Andorians. She and Shran butt heads frequently. Lieutenant JG Raen Avahn is the Daedalus’ helmsman, of Centaurian origin, he is in his mid-20s. An adventurer with the heart of a poet, he went out into space for the thrill of it and wants to see all he can and test his limits whilst he’s there. Deeply inquisitive about other species, he did everything he could to get onboard. Communications Officer Ensign Hoshi Sato is a human woman in her early-20s, and is as green as they come. A prodigy, she showed an uncanny ability with languages from a young age, which saw her getting into some of the best schools. Very much an academic, she has no first-hand experience of life in space, but her skills are in demand so she will learn on the job. Yeoman Travis Mayweather is a human non-com in his mid-20s. As Captain Archer’s valet/aide he is never far from the CO’s side, from where he is learning a lot. A boomer, he has been in space his whole life and used to a very practical way of doing things, he is always willing to help out wherever needed. He has a knack for putting people at ease and boosting morale. The Plot Elements: There will be no temporal cold war (in fact no time travel of any kind—except there will be flashback episodes that look at what the main characters were up to during the war). The Romulan Wars will be a topic that will be looked back on, the trauma from it still affecting many as they try to move past it—as bad as it was however, it is credited with bringing the UFP together. The Romulans themselves remain a mystery, with no one knowing what they look like and with the Neutral Zone both sides are content to leave the other alone. There will be some focus on the aftermath of the war, the damage it caused and the work that needs doing to put everything right once again. Onboard, there will be conflicts and fallouts—only natural given the circumstances—which won’t always be resolved quickly. It will take time and a lot of hard work for the Federation we all know to be formed, and this crew will have the toughest time of it. No Klingons, Borg or Ferengi. Familiar species such as the Deltans, Efrosians, Tiburonian and others will make appearances, each with their own stories to tell. The Suliban will be lurking around, as will the likes of the Orions and Tholians. The focus won’t be on the baddies out there but more in interpersonal relations and character backstory, of course action will play its part.
So Travis sort of gets bumped from chauffeur to butler? And takes Porthos on walks? Otherwise, I'd just remove the Suliban myself since I didn't like the makeup.
There is no Porthos. Archer has Travis to take for walkies now I thought the shift might suit him better and actually give him something more to do, rather than just be the token black guy. He would be an advisor to Archer, providing his in-depth knowledge of space and aliens he encountered on his parents freighter, whilst also able to gage the mood of the crew and keep Archer in the loop about matters he would normally never hear about. He would also be an officer-in-training, someone Archer could take under his wing and help guide.
And with this being a story rather than episode, there's no need to always have him on the bridge only so that he gets screen time. It's like how the Voyager EMH got more to do after the mobile emitter because more doors were opened.
Most of what you suggest here I like, especially no time travel, Archer and Trip's bios, the make up of crew, the time setting. I'd dump the Suliban. I don't like the thing with Travis, however. From the way you describe the character below, it sounds like you are suggesting the same actors for these roles. I don't like the idea of Travis being Archer's personal servant or house-boy or whatever you want to call it. Sounds like you want to extend what you refer to as "tokenism", into out and out stereotype, which is a lot worse, IMO.
I wouldn't have the same actors for several of the roles (Bakula and Blalock would definately be replaced). As for the character of Travis I did consider cutting him entirely, in favour of more alien diversity (which I personally find more interesting). In reality though he could resume his role at the Helm, with the increased rank and made more of an experienced character who has seen more than any of the other humans in the cast. As Yeoman though he would be on away missions with Archer, acting more as bodyguard than secretary, as well as being a certified pilot and general jack-of-all-trades, someone who could be counted on in a crisis, who Archer could also confide in when he needed to. I do see what you mean about stereotypying though, but with a good actor and proper writing to boot then he'd actually come alive as a person rather than just a position. In ENT I never really saw the point in the character as he never really did much. He could've been replaced by an extra and it wouldn't have had any impact on most of the episodes. I would hope to make him a little more involved in what was going on.
Well, Travis did have more space travel experience than all the humans on the ship. It just was never properly explored. Your suggestions for the character appear to me to be more of the same, with a caveat; now a large part of Mayweather's existence is devoted to "support" of Archer. I think you're suggesting he become one of those "confidants" that blacks and other minorities get thrown into when writers feel they are unable to find anything more involving for a black character or black actor. Besides, Archer has Trip as his confidant and later, T'Pol. Make Travis a fully fleshed out character with more than one dimension. That was the problem with Mayweather during the show's run.