TV Movies

[Nerys Myk]

Before 2009 I would have said yes.

[Harvey]

Temis the Vorta wrote:

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BSG began as a back-door pilot miniseries.

Is SyFy even in the business of broadcasting miniseries anymore? They still broadcast uber-cheap made for television movies, but nothing on the scale of Battlestar Galactica, Frank Herbert's Dune, or even The Lost Room.

The only place that still seems to broadcast miniseries these days -- even on cable -- is HBO, and they have the benefit of subscription fees.

[Mage]

Temis the Vorta wrote:

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I don't see why that would be true at all. Star Trek is the known brand name to use as the main draw, and unless the show is animated, they can't make use of the well-known names of Kirk and Spock, so they may as well just invent new characters.

It's possible that characters from the other series could be recast (most of the actors being simply too old by now to build a new series around) but other than the TOS characters and Data, they really aren't iconic in their own right, as a separate thing from the actors who played them. I could see Alan Tudyk as Data. I really can't think of another non-TOS character who could be recast and still be a draw.

Do you think that a lot of people would have gone and see TrekXI in the cinema's if they were completely new characters?
Doubtfull. Same thing goes for TV movie, unless you invest a long series of tv movies where these new characters can be developed more. And, like I said, 6 90 minute movies as a season is not an American way of making tv, it's more a British thing. So, logicaly they would use the standard 40-45 minute format.
And since it's been established already that CBS is currently not interested in doing a Trek series in that format, it's highly unlikely we will see Trek TV movies.

See, for the studios, it's not about pleasing fans. Yes, I know, shocking. It's about money. Probably a lot less shocking. And right now, long running SciFi, set in space like Trek, B5 and SG, are no longer profitable. It's not cool. Vampires and supernatural stuff is. So they make those. If, ten years from now, someone dares to make a show set in space and it works and it makes money, you'll be seeing a new Trek series.
Why? Because they can make dollars. Not to please us, not for fans-sake, but for the money.

[King Daniel]

Known and loved characters make a HUGE difference. If anyone thinks Star Trek: The Beginning, with it's Tiberius Chase, Admiral Gardner, Penelope and Skon during the Romulan Wars would have been anywhere near as successful as Star Trek 2009, starring Kirk and Spock, you're wrong.

[Mage]

KingDaniel wrote:

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Known and loved characters make a HUGE difference. If anyone thinks Star Trek: The Beginning, with it's Tiberius Chase, Admiral Gardner, Penelope and Skon during the Romulan Wars would have been anywhere near as successful as Star Trek 2009, starring Kirk and Spock, you're wrong.

My thoughts exactly!! For a fan, a movie like The Beginning would be fun, but to the casual person, hardly. Trek09 was well recieved, my girlfriend was a lot more open to trying Trek after seeing that one, and is now a big DS9 fan. A movie like The Beginning would not have drawn in viewers that weren't already interested in Trek.

[AviTrek]

Harvey wrote:

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Is SyFy even in the business of broadcasting miniseries anymore? They still broadcast uber-cheap made for television movies, but nothing on the scale of Battlestar Galactica, Frank Herbert's Dune, or even The Lost Room.

The only place that still seems to broadcast miniseries these days -- even on cable -- is HBO, and they have the benefit of subscription fees.

Yes. They just broadcast a 2 night Peter Pan prequel. They've been doing a reimaged classic every other year in December for the past number of years. Tin Man in 2007, Alice in 2009, Neverland in 2011. Whether they would be interested in doing an original story or space opera in general remains to be seen, but those 3 have been some of the highest rated shows on SyFy.

[Temis the Vorta]

Do you think that a lot of people would have gone and see TrekXI in the cinema's if they were completely new characters?

They might have. Star Trek alone is a big brand name. But it would have been more of a risk. Just think about the position JJ Abrams was in - if his movie had been a flop, it could have been a total catastrophe for the franchise, "proof" that nobody wants more Star Trek of any kind.

He was under a huge amount of pressure to just succeed. He crafted a movie that was both respectful of existing canon and geared to make maximum box office among the majority of the audience who think "canon" has something to do with the Catholic Church.

[24thcenstfan]

Most definitely. Live action and animated TV movies.

[antiquityscion]

I would watch any post-Nemesis Trek miniseries, if it happened, but I don't think it ever will.

But here are the "dream" scenarios where I would most like to see a Trek Miniseries:

1. Post Enterprise series based, during the Earth- Romulan War, featuring hte crew of the NX-01. I think this would be something that would give that crew the proper send off they deserved, and would make up for These are the Voyages.

2. USS Stargazer series, based around young Captain Picard assuming command

3. Post Nemesis series, based on the Prime universe, after the destruction of Romulus, with a mixed cast including some TNG\DS9\VOY cast members

[CaptainMatt]

I would not mind seeing TV based movies set around the post-Nemesis timeline featuring variety of characters from that period, but believe that ship has sailed and we are now, for better or worse, stuck in the new timeline established with the 2009 feature film.

[Patrick O'Brien]

I would love to see CBS do a trek mini series. I think the the Battlestar Galactica mini series proves it can be done. Besides Trek has a larger audience.

[Temis the Vorta]

What SyFy is willing to air is not at all the same as what CBS is willing to air.

Figuring out what channels want and don't want is pretty easy. Look at what else they show. They aren't in the business of deviating too far from their own norms, and channels are not interchangeable the way they were when there were only three of them.

[AviTrek]

Patrick O'Brien wrote:

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I would love to see CBS do a trek mini series. I think the the Battlestar Galactica mini series proves it can be done. Besides Trek has a larger audience.

BSG proved how to make a TV pilot and air it as a test for the series. The BSG mini would never have been made on its own.

[LtChange]

antiquityscion wrote:

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I would watch any post-Nemesis Trek miniseries, if it happened, but I don't think it ever will.

But here are the "dream" scenarios where I would most like to see a Trek Miniseries:

1. Post Enterprise series based, during the Earth- Romulan War, featuring hte crew of the NX-01. I think this would be something that would give that crew the proper send off they deserved, and would make up for These are the Voyages.

2. USS Stargazer series, based around young Captain Picard assuming command

3. Post Nemesis series, based on the Prime universe, after the destruction of Romulus, with a mixed cast including some TNG\DS9\VOY cast members

I couldn't agree more ... Especially scenario no 3 would be nice from my point of view, I would love to see and adventure starting at post-Romulus Ds9, and mixing the crew together, like seeing that Sisko is back, and maybe the whole story would be in the USS Titan. And as for scenario 1 or 3: the sets were only taken down, not destroyed if I can remember correctly ... And I really think that a mixed crew adventure would work better than an unknown crew, and as much as I would love a Stargazer movie, fact is that returning mayb 6-7 characters from the TNG/DS9/VOY crew wouldn't be as costly as some might think, just think about the fact that some of them don't have any real jobs at all right now, but for a Star Trek fan seeing Harry Kim as Second in Command aboard the Defiant or Titan would be a pretty huge deal. But all remains a fan boy dream as CBS isn't showing moods to bring back Trek where it belongs: to the small screen.

[King Daniel]

antiquityscion wrote:

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I would watch any post-Nemesis Trek miniseries, if it happened, but I don't think it ever will.

But here are the "dream" scenarios where I would most like to see a Trek Miniseries:

1. Post Enterprise series based, during the Earth- Romulan War, featuring hte crew of the NX-01. I think this would be something that would give that crew the proper send off they deserved, and would make up for These are the Voyages.

2. USS Stargazer series, based around young Captain Picard assuming command

3. Post Nemesis series, based on the Prime universe, after the destruction of Romulus, with a mixed cast including some TNG\DS9\VOY cast members

FWIW, all of this has happened in the novels, although they haven't quite gotten to the destruction of Romulus, yet.