Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we love

[Dukhat]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

.

 

[Kemaiku]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

You guys haven't even got a clue as to what you're talking about.

Well then, take your time and do explain it. Thoroughly, use as many big words as you want. We're not going anywhere either.

 

[urbandefault]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

Just to bring this discussion back to Rick Berman - if I may - I've been watching my TNG extras, with interviews he's had in the past and I like the attitude he has about the show. His heart was definitely in the right place - and particularly - his belief that Gene Roddenberry's stamp on the show shouldn't be watered down, as such. That kind of Artist respect is very good to see. Unfortunately, I don't know very much about Rick, perhaps it's time to see his portfolio. Maybe he's done some shows and other things that I'm unaware of and should investigate. In any case, Berman seemed to care deeply about my Most Favoured and Cherished of ALL of the STAR TREKs out there, so far ... and that's saying alot!

According to IMDB, he produced one episode of The Big Blue Marble, was in one episode of Cheers and was a production assistant on Re-Animator (whatever that was).

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0075834/

That's it.

Re-Animator, the horror movie starring Jeff Combs? (Mentally connecting the dots ... )

 

[Nerys Myk]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

Just to bring this discussion back to Rick Berman - if I may - I've been watching my TNG extras, with interviews he's had in the past and I like the attitude he has about the show. His heart was definitely in the right place - and particularly - his belief that Gene Roddenberry's stamp on the show shouldn't be watered down, as such. That kind of Artist respect is very good to see. Unfortunately, I don't know very much about Rick, perhaps it's time to see his portfolio. Maybe he's done some shows and other things that I'm unaware of and should investigate. In any case, Berman seemed to care deeply about my Most Favoured and Cherished of ALL of the STAR TREKs out there, so far ... and that's saying alot!

According to IMDB, he produced one episode of The Big Blue Marble, was in one episode of Cheers and was a production assistant on Re-Animator (whatever that was).

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0075834/

That's it.

Memory Alpha mentions he worked on documentary films in the 70s and visited 90 countries in that capacity.

Re-Animator is a horror film starring Jeffrey Combs. It's a bit of a cult classic.

 

[BillJ]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

That's it.

Memory Alpha mentions he worked on documentary films in the 70s and visited 90 countries in that capacity.

I don't know what he worked on prior to the 1980's, but it is odd that it doesn't actually mention any of the work:

A prolific documentary filmmaker in the 1970s, Berman traveled extensively throughout the world, visiting over ninety countries. As an independent producer in the 1980s, Berman produced several informational series for HBO and PBS, including The Big Blue Marble for which he won an Emmy Award in 1982.

I'll have to do some further research.

EDIT: Wikipedia has a bit more information, but not much:

Starting a career as an independent film producer, director, and writer, he made documentaries and industrial films. Among his clients were the United Nations and the United States Information Agency. By 1977, he had traveled to over 90 countries making films for these organizations.

From 1977 to 1982, he was the senior producer of PBS' The Big Blue Marble, which won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Series. Between 1982 and 1984, he was an independent producer, working on projects that included HBO's What on Earth and PBS' The Primal Mind

 

[Nerys Myk]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

That's it.

Memory Alpha mentions he worked on documentary films in the 70s and visited 90 countries in that capacity.

I don't know what he worked on prior to the 1980's, but it is odd that it doesn't actually mention any of the work:

A prolific documentary filmmaker in the 1970s, Berman traveled extensively throughout the world, visiting over ninety countries. As an independent producer in the 1980s, Berman produced several informational series for HBO and PBS, including The Big Blue Marble for which he won an Emmy Award in 1982.

I'll have to do some further research.

IMDB and MA are contributor based, so I'm not sure how many of them care about documentary film making. I've a feeling Berman was working his way up the food chain in the 70s and may not even have credits on some works.

Wiki says

Among his clients were the United Nations and the United States Information Agency. By 1977, he had traveled to over 90 countries making films for these organizations.[2]

and gives a footnote for the source

Tobenkin, David (1994-05-02). "Rick Berman". Broadcasting & Cable 124 (18): 65.

 

[Forbin]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

It surprises me that he's that well traveled! The writing on TNG and V'ger always gave me the impression that the writers had no life experience beyond college and the local coffee shop.

 

[Cyke101]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

It surprises me that he's that well traveled! The writing on TNG and V'ger always gave me the impression that the writers had no life experience beyond college and the local coffee shop.

It struck me as awfully weird that everyone in TNG seemed to be an LAS major with an engineering background in their Academy days. And I say that as an LAS major myself. Sure, the humanities are required for the soul of a well-rounded society, but from the dialogue it sometimes seemed that that was the crew's primary education, sometimes moreso than the sciences or their field specialties.

As much as I like the idea of everyone in the future being cultured, it's curious that humans rarely celebrated their own modern or pop culture. They'd always talk about things that were centuries-old by that point. Of course, the writers could do that so that they don't date the material, but I'm watching a show about the future, and am thus curious about life in that future.

 

[Forbin]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

LAS? Latin American Studies?

 

[Ethros]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

Haven't read through every single post in this thread, but just wanna say I got a few of the TNG & ENT Blu-rays last week, and been watching the documentaries on them.
From the candid interviews I have to say I have so much more respect for Rick Berman & Brannon Braga than previous.

I didn't hate them or anything before, or solely pinpoint them for the odd things I didn't like about 90s/00s Star Trek, but it was kinda easy to lump the blame on them- I remember how this board used to be at the time with the whole "B&B" thing.

 

[dub]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

By many accounts, Rick Berman was a very hands-on producer, personally overseeing every hour of Star Trek with his name on it, and being involved in or supervising every part of the process from the top to the bottom. If nothing else, we've got to admire his work ethic.

It also means that if one hands him credit for everything that is right with Star Trek, that they also need to hand him blame for everything that went wrong.

Aside from the OP, I have never heard anyone hand Rick Berman credit for "everything that is right with Star Trek," again aside from the OP who seems to be backing off from that statement at this point. Other than that one instance, never ever in history from his first day in the chair to present day have I seen that specific sentiment expressed. And that's not hyperbole!

Now blaming him for everything that went wrong? Oh yes. I have definitely seen that opinion expressed plenty of times over the years.

 

[Yanks]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

The question is did he stay too long? Should he have moved on and let new blood in to re-inviograte the franchise?

I think the question is did Braga stay too long?

 

[Cyke101]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

LAS? Latin American Studies?

Sorry, Liberal Arts. But hey, Picard did ask Wesley if he was keeping up with his Latin at the Academy in The Game

 

[The Wormhole]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

I remember how this board used to be at the time with the whole "B&B" thing.

Unfortunately, the whole "B&B" thing really got out of hand, as it created the impression that Braga was Berman's partner in running the Trek franchise when in fact Berman pretty much did that solo, Braga's authority was only over Voyager in its fifth and sixth seasons and Enterprise. Yet there are people who blame Braga for interfering with DS9, despite the fact he was never involved with that show at all. Or they blame Braga for the failures of Insurrection and Nemesis, which he again had no involvement with. Or they talked about him in relation to Berman's pitched eleventh movie Star Trek: The Beginning, which again Braga would have had no part in.

 

[Roald]

Re: Isn't it time we realize Rick Berman was the genius of the ST we l

By many accounts, Rick Berman was a very hands-on producer, personally overseeing every hour of Star Trek with his name on it, and being involved in or supervising every part of the process from the top to the bottom. If nothing else, we've got to admire his work ethic.

It also means that if one hands him credit for everything that is right with Star Trek, that they also need to hand him blame for everything that went wrong.

Aside from the OP, I have never heard anyone hand Rick Berman credit for "everything that is right with Star Trek," again aside from the OP who seems to be backing off from that statement at this point. Other than that one instance, never ever in history from his first day in the chair to present day have I seen that specific sentiment expressed. And that's not hyperbole!

Now blaming him for everything that went wrong? Oh yes. I have definitely seen that opinion expressed plenty of times over the years.

Huh? I'm not backing off at all. Part of the original post was meant hyperbolically, part of it was meant as a counterpoint to all the 'B&B' hatred... But the sentiment was real...

And just because no one has expressed it before, doesn't mean it's a lost case... For centuries, people claimed women had better not learn to read 'cause it would damage their health, until ONE woman stepped up and tried to make a difference... Just because general opinion dictates one thing, doesn't mean it's the undeniable truth... And yes, we've been dictating 'Berman destroyed Trek' for too long... And I wanted to envoke a different perspective... Berman created a palette that we've come to love, but 'we' just weren't a large enough audience...