Is A New Star Trek TV Series Doomed Even More Because of Star Trek Xl?

[Luther Sloan]

I was thinking about the possibility of a new Star Trek TV series actually happening within the next 5-6 years. The scary thing is that I don't think it will happen. Maybe there is a slim chance it might happen after the 5-6 year period after JJ Abrams releases at least a total of 3 Star Trek films. But the thing is that I don't see it happening anytime soon, though.

Why do I think this? Well, there are two reasons I think we won't see a Star Trek TV series in the next 5-6 years. For one: the CBS network for whatever reason does not currently seem totally optimistic about a new Star Trek TV Series at this time (as far as we know). Plus, it doesn't look good that they canceled Enterprise mid season even though the fans where willing to give them a huge chunk of money. Secondly, I think the very concept of the new Star Trek film would make it difficult for new creators to market a new Star Trek series separately on TV, too. The reason for this is that Star Trek Xl is based in an alternate time line that is supposed to co-exist alongside the Prime Time Line within a Temporal Multi-verse. This put's any new creative team (working on a New TV Series) into a bit of a conundrum. Do they create a 24th Century time line in the Abrams-verse and take a risk on upsetting fans in the fact they might not see the Prime Time Line in any significance anymore? Do they create a 24 Century show in the Prime Time Line and delegitimize the universe that JJ Abram's is trying to still create? Do they create another prequel series (before the change in the time line) and risk being repetitive by doing a third historical Trek series? Do they create a Mirror Universe series and change the optimistic nature of the show? Do they create an unknown new parallel universe and side step the Prime Time Line yet again? Do they create a time travel series and take the risk at confusing the audience with the complexities of time travel?

I mean, personally, the only TV Series concept I can see maybe working is a Future Trek series that would use the Gateway technology integrated into a Starship where it eventually gets lost in traveling to different dimensions (like in Sliders). But even that series could be at risk at confusing the audience if it is not planned properly or executed well. And it would also be a bit too similar to Voyager, in a way, too. Which was the last 24th Century TV show.

Which is why I don't see a new live action Star Trek TV Series happening any time in the next 5-6 years.

Well, enough about what I think, please make your own determination and vote for yourself and tell us what you think on this issue.

Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

~J.

[Agenda]

I hope it is doomed. They should wait until this batch of movies are done with. The reason is that the longer they wait, the more culturally fresh and relevant it will be when it finally does arrive. I say 20 years. Why that long? Well, it's already been 5 years since Enterprise ended. But it feels just like yesterday.

[C.E. Evans]

I'm kinda inclined to think the next Trek series will be an animated one aimed at a younger audience with its own continuity (like the various superhero cartoons usually are). Something like that could be announced at anytime, IMO.

On the live-action front, eh...I think it really can go either way. CBS may have learned from the '90s that there is such a thing as too much Trek. Then again, CBS owns Trek, not Paramount, so they probably could do whatever they want as far as new TV series is concerned.

More than anything, though, I just get the sense that the television environment just isn't ready for another Star Trek series right now--and won't be for awhile. It's not so much because of Star Trek XI, but because Trek really isn't the only game in town on the television front presently. TNG came out when sci-fi had pretty much died on [US] TV and was limited to reruns of shows from ten years ago or more--these days, there are quite a few shows out there that have some kind of sci-fi or supernatural element to them.

It may take sci-fi dying on TV again for live-action Trek to make a comeback there...

[Luther Sloan]

C.E. Evans wrote:

---

It's not so much because of Star Trek XI, but because Trek really isn't the only game in town on the television front presently. TNG came out when sci-fi had pretty much died on [US] TV and was limited to reruns of shows from ten years ago or more--these days, there are quite a few shows out there that have some kind of sci-fi or supernatural element to them.

It may take sci-fi dying on TV again for live-action Trek to make a comeback there...

Evans:

Personally, I don't think so. I don't think science fiction television is doing all that great right, now. Currently there are a few science fiction shows on the air. But nothing that is classified like Star Trek, though.

SGU is more of a boring survival series set in space. In fact, sometimes it seems like it is more of an Earth based drama than it is a ship in space show. However, those episodes that are in space are either horrid and uneventful, though.

V is an earth based show and it sucks big time.

Caprica is another Earth based show and hasn't been a ratings hit.

And everything else on is not Space Science fiction. So they are not even in the same realm as a Star Trek show.

Fringe

Flash Forward

Heroes

Eureka

Warehouse 13

[-Brett-]

After Enterprise, a new Star Trek series was about as doomed as it's possible to get.

So I'm going to say "no". XI may not have helped, but it didn't hurt.

[Luther Sloan]

I think the success of Star Trek Xl has helped to show CBS that there is money to be made with Star Trek. However, they are currently not open to the idea of creating a show at this time and the existence of an alternate universe alongside the prime universe sort of complicates things creatively.

Now, that's not to say that a new show is impossible to create.
It is just currently a lot more difficult with a series of alternate time line films existing out there.

[6079SmithW]

I think Trek is going to enter a "movies only" phase for the foreseeable future. The actors all signed off for at least three movies and these movies will be spaced 2-3 years apart probably. If Abrams' Trek makes it to three movies there might be a fourth. I doubt there will be more than four NuTrek movies.

So, after Abrams' Trek has run its course we will either get: A) another movie reboot, maybe even a reboot of the Abrams' Trek B) reboot of DS9, TNG, VOY, or ENT C) Abrams Trek as TV show D) Completely new and original Trek idea for a TV show

I'm betting its going to be either be B or C, strongly leaning towards B.

[Harvey]

Hard to say. I'll have to see how Star Wars manages the transition from feature film franchise to live action television first. In the forseeable future (that is to say, the next two feature films) the franchise will be in theatres only. That's almost certain.

Star Trek has raised expectations of its production values many times over with the latest film. Will it be able to go back to lower-budgeted television? Will Paramount or CBS let it? Who can say?

[C.E. Evans]

Luther Sloan wrote:

---

Evans:

Personally, I don't think so. I don't think science fiction television is doing all that great right, now. Currently there are a few science fiction shows on the air. But nothing that is classified like Star Trek, though.

SGU is more of a boring survival series set in space. In fact, sometimes it seems like it is more of an Earth based drama than it is a ship in space show. However, those episodes that are in space are either horrid and uneventful, though.

V is an earth based show and it sucks big time.

Caprica is another Earth based show and hasn't been a ratings hit.

And everything else on is not Space Science fiction. So they are not even in the same realm as a Star Trek show.

Fringe

Flash Forward

Heroes

Eureka

Warehouse 13

My point is that people are still getting their "otherworldly" fix from these shows. It really doesn't matter if it's a Space Science fiction show in that regard because there are people who don't care what the setting is. Heck, you even have audiences who are turned off to anything set in space and prefer their sci-fi more Earth-based and present day.

[Luther Sloan]

I think Star Trek Xl and Star Wars prove that it is not true. People will watch it if they know it exists and if it has a broad enough appeal.

Sure, there are people who don't like space science fiction. But if that was true of the majority then no one would have seen Star Trek Xl and Star Wars.

I mean, just look at Avatar. Granted it was more a planet based film that took place on an alien world; but it still was a far beyond the stars adventure that made an insane amount of money at the box office for quite a long time.

[vedek loki]

I'm thinking the Clone Wars route would be Trek's best bet right now. Do a half-hour CGI series on CN or SyFy, except make it about an offbeat aspect of Trek with a tongue-in-cheek POV, like a Ferengi scavenging freighter or a shipyard that employs all those Mark I EMHs, where good old heroic Starfleet is a peripheral character, and seen from an outsider's perspective. It's the kind of thing that would be "for the kids (wink wink)" like Clone Wars purports to be, but the audience would end up being wider.

But the days of traditional, 7-season ship-based Trek shows are gone for at least the short-term future.

[Captain Rob]

Since Paramount and CBS are the same company; they could make a new series and put it on any network not just CBS. There are plenty of available timeslots out there; both broadcast and cable. CBS broadcast seems currently happy limiting itself to reality shows, procedurals or half-hour comedies. I believe with the consensus that they will do more movies first before doing another tv show. I could see another show in 8 to 10 years from now utilizing the prime universe after Romulus exploded with a Star Trek XI look and feel. Possibly a jump to the beginning of the 25th century. By that time the state of the art (and cost) of SFX would have caught up with todays' movies.

CSI's gotta die off sometime.

[T'Boggan]

If changing the past at one point creates a new and parallel reality ( Multiversial theory) The new movie happens in a different time line. The original time line still exists running parallel in the Movie timelines future. Nothing stopping the main 'canon' universe continuing. Trans dimentional exchanges happened in TOS. There could be a cultural exchange between the X1's crew and Mainstream Enterprise's crew...boldly pissing off the Temporal Police force for real LOL!

[Captain Rob]

Where's my timeship. I want the past 25 years back. Do you realize that we're almost at Marty McFly's future? Where's the hoverboards and hovercars? And the nuclear LaMachine?

[C.E. Evans]

Luther Sloan wrote:

---

I think Star Trek Xl and Star Wars prove that it is not true.

Those are rare, once every few years movies, not weekly TV shows.

People will watch it if they know it exists and if it has a broad enough appeal.

The thing is, such shows don't have a broad enough appeal, which is why they're basically limited to smaller cable outlets or syndication, because they'd fail on the major broadcast networks.