Re-boot ENTERPRISE?

[Gaith]

Let's see...

- Pre-TOS setting
- An inexperienced captain
- More action, Romulan menace
- More sex
- a Human-Vulcan romance
- An all-around rawer feel
- Time travel invoked to add mystery and narrative flexibility
- Greater mainstream appeal than the for-fans-only DS9 and VOY


... Yeah, I'd say we got our Enterprise reboot with XI.

[antiquityscion]

DarKush wrote:

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I thought ENT should've had a Latino captain as well.

ENT did. Well, Latina, anyway. Her name was CAPT Erika Hernandez, of NX-02 Columbia.

[Skywalker]

Don't be pedantic. You know we meant captain of Enterprise.

[ChristopherPike]

Temis the Vorta wrote:

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Rebooting ENT sounds like an excellent idea. Do the Birth of the Federation idea they should have the first time around. No stupid time war.

I wouldn't bother bringing back any of the characters or other story elements (especially not the asinine depiction of the Vulcans). All you really need is a starship named "Enterprise" and a mission that makes more sense than aimless space tourism. What they were doing certainly doesn't qualify as "exploration." More like pissing off the natives and making enemies for Earth.

These were parts of Enterprise I completely liked actually... once you've taken away the TCW to explain the presence of so many familiar Star Trek trappings this far back. I'd especially include the Vulcans as something the show did right. The point is that we aren't supposed to like them really. Although we sorta kinda do with some of them, like Soval. Plus the way they were portrayed, human bad habits rubbing off on them is certainly the sensible one. And once you've seen a Vulcan have what passes for an emotional outburst... it makes sense when we encounter Romulans who a bit more frenzied and totally unrestrained. V'Las, the Vulcan First Minister, certainly behaved in a way totally unlike thos around him. Very war-like, loosing his cool once too often and sarcastic... and cunning. A Romulan if ever I saw one.

I would still keep past Enterprise characters on semi-regular basis, as recurring characters. Including those previously in the crew. I think the fun to be had, is in a not strictly a full-on reboot like the last film. Shifting the 22nd Century landscape around everybody. Rewriting history and offering those who remember ENT the way it was before, a chance to see where an alternate life took them. There's reason enough for the TCW for have been an influencing factor on so much of the way things turned out.

I'd populate the NX-01 with a different cast, but still try to have Bakula on the show somehow. Probably Billingsley without make-up playing a human Doctor, or a Doctor with experience living on one of the first colonies. Trinneer back as Trip, if that doesn't compromise the concept too much.

How about sending a starship with a competent, savvy captain on a mission explicitly to make allies for Earth, both for defense (Earth lives in a dangerous neighborhood) and for commerce (there was more capitalism in the 23rd than the 24th C, so it stands to reason that capitalism is still pretty strong in the 22nd). That way, there's a strong motive for the mission - with something to lose - even in the absence of the Federation as the organizing principle.

Some inexperience is good. But an intergalactic credits system should be around in the 22nd Century. Or are we to believe Mayweather's relatives on the Horizon work for peanuts?

The one element from ENT that I would also bring over is the Boomers. I like the idea of humans who have left Earth on their own to set up colonies, and who think of themselves as gritty, savvy folks that know a lot more about space than the cowardly little mice who are still clinging to their home planet. The Boomers could have a fascinating culture in contrast to prim Starfleet, and could be both a help and a source of interesting conflict.

Now you see, I'm completely with you there. Boomers among the crew were a great idea. I'd also plum for a second generation colonist from Alpha Centurai B to be an officier too.

[ChristopherPike]

gastrof wrote:

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I just saw this-

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainmen...HwcTVdL95HmNLO

Should we be frightened?

Very.

Funny how that BSG connection is being milked in every article. It's a totally misleading job reference. Those taking that statement at face value with think "guy who worked on nuBSG" won't they?

Admiral_Young wrote:

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I don't think he was essential to the series but at the time Paramount probably saw him as a way to help sell their series to the fans and generate excitement (which it did). Due to his ties with sci-fi through "Quantum Leap". He had to choose between a return to the franchise that made him a star in the first, or to join a monster franchise that would elevate his stardom even further and probably get him even more gigs (which I think it ultimately did). It was just an interesting process at the time.

Scott Bakula is very much part of the thinking around at the time. Something that extended to the title sequence also, when maybe it shouldn't have. CSI, NCIS, 24. A few others I've forgotten off hand. A younger, unknown cast assembled around an older leading man. One who had a huge following 10-15 years before. Mark Harmon is definitely that. Bruce Greenwood is in that mould and if anyone who saw ST09 was like me, they were rooting more for Pike than Kirk.

While it's undeniably true the material often didn't show Bakula at his best (it was getting there by Seasons 3 & 4 BTW), I don't think he gets enough credit for keeping ENT from being completely forgotten. The potential existed then and still does, to draw in a broader audience, because of the guy. You know, if it hadn't been on UPN and differently done. The fire he drew came more from a fanbase struggling to be excited by a 15th consecutive year of brand new Star Trek, and who had already lived through 3 or 4 other Captains they liked.

[antiquityscion]

Skywalker wrote:

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Don't be pedantic. You know we meant captain of Enterprise.

[ChristopherPike]

Gaith wrote:

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Let's see...

- Pre-TOS setting
- An inexperienced captain
- More action, Romulan menace
- More sex
- a Human-Vulcan romance
- An all-around rawer feel
- Time travel invoked to add mystery and narrative flexibility
- Greater mainstream appeal than the for-fans-only DS9 and VOY


... Yeah, I'd say we got our Enterprise reboot with XI.

Aside from the Romulan menace, inter-species romance (which came later, unless a decon rubdown counts) that basically describes "Broken Bow". Which managed to be mainstream enough, appealing to 11 million more viewers than would ordinarily have tuned in for DS9, VOY or indeed ENT on a weekly basis.

And since the new movie continuity only currently stands at 2 hours, there's still time for them screw to up. They're just taking their time, careful to avoid rushing it being a factor again!

A whole series worth of Enterprise had risen and fallen, in the time it's taking them to produce another 2 hours. Or given the ratings, maybe that should be rise, fall, level-off, get cancelled for finding a regular audience and THEN hit rock bottom.

Ultimately its pointless comparing apples with oranges though, isn't it? Star Trek 2009 didn't have to launch straight into a second adventure the following week, and for all that imagination to evaporate into accusations of characters not leaving up to the potential we saw the first time around, or rehashing the same old types of stories, months down the line. They've wisely decided to deliberately play around with that idea in comic-book form, where it can't damage the good-will among those waiting for the sequel.

[Rojixus]

Two words: compilation movies. Or if compilation movies don't agree with you, Enterprise could be rebooted with a series of original movies. Just take out the first two seasons, replace the Xindi with the Romulans, take out all elements of the Temporal Cold War and there you have it: a more compact and dynamic series that will get the respect it deserves.

[Gaith]

ChristopherPike wrote:

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Which managed to be mainstream enough, appealing to 11 million more viewers than would ordinarily have tuned in for DS9, VOY or indeed ENT on a weekly basis.

Aye; a massive publicity push got people to tune in to what was supposed to be a bold new chapter in Trekdom. Doesn't mean that they got it.

ChristopherPike wrote:

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Aside from the Romulan menace, inter-species romance (which came later, unless a decon rubdown counts) that basically describes "Broken Bow".

In terms of aim, agreed. But in terms of results, where "Broken Bow" felt wan, familiar and gutless, XI did manage to feel fresh, hip and exciting.

[Broccoli]

There was a virtual fan-fiction series that "rebooted" ENT a few years back. Star Trek: Foundations. They released 13 episodes before it folded.

While it was okay, and while they did strip ENT of many things that people didn't like about it, the direction of it, to me, seemed on par with ENT's direction in its first year.

[The Badger]

Well, if we're getting into fanfic territory, I'll just plug mine:
http://trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=90084

An attempt to do things differently, with technology that's not as advanced, no aliens as regular crew (though T'Pol is a 'guest star), and no damn time travel.

It does feature an over the top Mary Sue in a latex catsuit. Be warned.

[ChristopherPike]

Cheers for the recommendations. I'll check them out.

[Temis the Vorta]

Admiral_Young wrote:

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The problem with the Temporal Cold War is that it seemed like it was being made up as it went along and that there was no real execution of a plan being done. I always blame this on the fact that Paramount "rushed" out "Enterprise" in the first place because they wanted a series out after "Voyager" so badly.

TV shows are always being made under the gun. A time-travel plotline is a fiendishly hard type to write, unless you inhibit the characters in some way so that you avoid the "why didn't they do X?" objection. With one or both sides of the temporal cold war able to do anything, as far as we know (not that the rules were ever spelled out), then this objection can never be resolved.

Maybe the better approach would be to admit that time travel is probably not the best plotline to attempt under the constraints of TV production and relegate time travel to restore-the-timeline one-offs, where we all understand and accept the rules of the game. Find an easier plotline type for the main story. How about telling us how the Federation was founded?

But like you said, this was UPN's frak-up.

[Temis the Vorta]

Gaith wrote:

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Let's see...

- Pre-TOS setting
- An inexperienced captain
- More action, Romulan menace
- More sex
- a Human-Vulcan romance
- An all-around rawer feel
- Time travel invoked to add mystery and narrative flexibility
- Greater mainstream appeal than the for-fans-only DS9 and VOY


... Yeah, I'd say we got our Enterprise reboot with XI.

Other than the pre-TOS setting, which isn't really vital, that's a good description of the Star Trek series we'd be likely to get in the future. Also, to be more specific:

Time travel invoked to add mystery and narrative flexibility

It's not time travel so much as visiting an alternate reality. And it doesn't add mystery, so much as just open up possibilities without setting off the canonistas.

[ChristopherPike]

Temis the Vorta wrote:

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It's not time travel so much as visiting an alternate reality. And it doesn't add mystery, so much as just open up possibilities without setting off the canonistas.

This may or may not be an indicator. But the involvement of one of the films writers in comic books that reimagine episodes like "Where No Man..." and "Galilieo Seven", that doesn't exactly suggest mystery. Possibilities that play on established events certainly, but hopefully they will each come to a more unpredictable conclusion. Or what's the point?