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Your ideal New Trek Series

^ I see that idea descending into a soap opera, as Uhura nags Spock about their relationship and how he never expresses his feelings, whilst Kirk and Carol go through relationship hiccups every time they encounter a hot chick in soft focus, whilst the rest just sit around and don't do much else.

The idea of revamping/continuing TOS doesn't bother me, but make it an original-Original Series. Focus more on developing the characters than what flashy new special effects can bring.
 
If you say so. It was done successfully with the Star Trek movie reboot. A series may draw a crowd too.
The way you worded it I thought you meant straight-up remakes of TOS episodes with just a few minor tweaks.

Naah. Same universe as the reboot. There would have to be some surprises.

Well I hope the surprises include a metric ton of new and better developed female and/or alien main characters because that's would be the only way to get me to watch.

On that note, if it must be a reboot of TOS, why not bring in Mress (spelling?), the Caitian officer from TAS? Possibly the Andorian they had on there too. Mress would probably be hell for the make up department (if the show is life action) but at least then there'd be two female officer instead of just one.

Edit: Actually this made me think, I might be able to warm up to the idea of a TOS remake series if it was a BSG-style hard reboot (obviously hopefully not as GRIMDARK as nuBSG was, but in the sense of playing fast and lose with the characters and setting, and possibly canibalizing the later Prime Tieline shows for some world building elements)

Here is what I could see:

Show in General: I would prefer shorter seasons, each with an ongoing storyline, perhaps 10-12 one-hour episodes per season. This would allow for tighter storylines/less bottle episodes as well as a higher production value and thus a better looking show. One story ark that I can think of right now would be the Romulan War (it's a reboot, it can now happen in Kirk's time).
Instead of the "Big Three" I'd install an ensemble cast and give every character some prominence in the storyline as well as ongoing struggles and subplots. I'm thinking about 8 main characters as well as a number of supporting players that enter and leave the storyline. Furthermore each character should get a personal arc and development, nobody should leave the Enterprise as the same person that came on board. I do not think every character, not even Kirk and Spock should play a role in each episode, but each character should get the spotlight at some point
The Enterprise would, in my plan actually leave on a 5 year mission without any (planned) returns to Earth or the Federation's Core Systems for that duration, but be at the frontier as well as the Klingon and Romulan Borders.

Characters:

Captain James T. Kirk:
A young Captain (older than nuKirk, but younger than PrimeKirk) who has recently been promoted from first officer. Smart, versatile, but also in the beginning very reckless and gung-ho and still very green with a youthful love for adventure, fast vehicles and a certain wide-eyed, romantic idealism when it comes to space. Doesn't care much for politics or morally grey areas. As the show goes on he'll get himself a few bloody noses with that attitude and will have to learn to act more carefully and face the question whether the ends can justify the means even if this forces him to compromise his principles.
I'd also make him either married to or divorced from Carol Marcus and aware of David's existence (who is a very young child). Either way Carol and David would be back home on Earth and function as recurring characters. One idea I had was an episode centered around Kirk describing a mission he was on to David via subspace messages. Later on they could play a more dramatic role when the Klingons show up, David might still get killed by them.

Com. Spock: Initially I thought about replacing him with Savvik, but Spock is the character I dare touch the least, because he seems to be the most popular among both fans and causal viewers. So he'd stay essentially the same character Kirk's Half-Vulcan First Officer struggling to live up to his father's (and his own) expectation of what makes a "good Vulcan". He'd be played by a younger actor of course and perhpas we could avoid the fugly bowlcut.
What really would get an overhaul however would be Vulcan culture. The Pon-Far sex fever gets thrown out and I'd introduce some diversity into Vulcan culture by including the "Vulcans without Logic" as major players in the Vulcan storyline. Spock's dilemma would be facing up to the truth that what he thinks of as "Vulcan" is a hopelessly idealized version of the actual Vulcan people (kind of like with Worf, only that the show would acknowledge it), being tempted by his human side,the Vulcan's without logic, the Romulans and a Vulcan extremist group and hopefully emerge as a fully realized person who is able to adopt the "best of both worlds"

Dr. Joanna McCoy: "Bones" gets the Starbuck treatment. The daughter of legendary Starfleet medic Dr. Leonard McCoy who went MIA near the Klingon Border some years prior to the start of the series while on an errand of mercy to the Klingon-occupied world of Bajor.
A something rough-edged and brass young woman who can be rather off-putting upon first meeting, but who, at the same time is also an incredible compassionate person who will never stand by if soebody suffers, even if that means acting against orders.
She initially loathes Spock because a Vulcan ship stood by and watched as the (human) vessel her father was on was attacked and destroyed by the Klingons. Naturally she takes out her grief on Spock, but over time the two turn from enemies to teeth-clenched teamwork to fireforged friends, especially after Spock risks his life to save Joanna during a (failed) mission to find her father. It would be easily to turn this into a romantic relationship,but alo very cliche.

Com. Nyota Uhura: The Enterprises Tactical/Chief Security Officer and Thrid-in-Command. In contrast to Kirk's romantic idealism, Spock's thirst for enlightenment and transcendence and McCoy's compassion this version of Uhura is the pragmatic military type. Her job is to keep the Enterprise in one piece and it's crew alive in order to continue its mission and if she has to get her hands dirty doing so, then she will. A veteran of the Klingon border she has seen and done things that would turn the average's person stomach and frequently dismisses Kirk as "naive" and tries to order him around until he earns her respect. She and McCoy would likely be on each others' throats frequently, while "Scotty"(see below) would be someone she'd regard with a sort of pity.
He ark would obviously learning to come to terms with her actions along the border which would be only revealed to the audience (and the rest of the crew) by and by via dialogue and flashbacks.

Chief Engineer SC004T "Scotty": A cyborg. A victim of one of the Federation's previous skirmishes with either the Romulans or the Klingons. Mortally wounded during the attack on his home colony he agreed to serve as test subject to an experimental surgery that was the only way to save his life: having about 25% of his body replaced by cybernetics. After initial success incompatibility between his body and the implants led to more and more surgeries and more and more of his body being replaced until, from his perspective his old identity got lost in the process. Refusing to go by his old name he has adopted the designation of the research facility he was operated on as his new name.
Here I see a character that bemoans the loss of his human identity, possibly leading to conflicts with Spock who seeks to reject his. Other characters might look upon "Scotty" with either dread or pity, causing him to avoid contact and instead spend most of his time tinkering in Engineering as he shares an almost telepathic rapport with the ship's computer. Him I'd really like to give a romantic relationship, possibly with either McCoy or Illia just to explore how Scotty's psyche. damaged by war and his cybernetics would handle something like that.

Lt. Ilia: The Enterprise's "Telepathic Officer" or "Ship's Telepath". A skilled Deltan telepath who is not initially part of the Enterprise but joins the crew after a "Blance of Terror"-esque episode to combat Romulan cloaking technology with her (projecting and receiving) telepathy. Unlike Troi or Kes her telepathy does NOT get crippled because "mental powers are hard to write" but she is a powerful individual who can sense lifesigns, read people's minds on touch, establish mental links with people and, in emergency situations, stun opponents with a sort of "mental blast"
An open and idealistic young woman who is initally distrusted by a number of people on the Enterprise (telepaths are generally distrusted in this version of the Federation) and even Kirk is initally dismayed with her presence, leading him to disregard or ignore Ilia's advise and contributions until a situation where him disregarding her warnings leads to the Enterprise nearly being destroyed.
Her I would like to pair up with "Scotty" since they both have sort of telepathic powers and both are outcasts.
The Deltan people would also need to be somewhat revoked, the sex-pheromones have to go and a somewhat more alien appearance would be desirable.

Lt.-Com M'Ress: Replaces PrimeUhura as the Enterprises Ops/Com Officer. A young member of the feline Caitian species. Obviously the Purring speech has to go, though she might provide a periphery demographic for the show, drawn from certain internet circles.
An extremely intelligent, if somewhat odd young woman who, because of her slightly cat-like character can appear flighty or even "ditzy" to people who don't know her. In truth she has a keen sense for reading people and how to play them to the advantage of herself and her allies. Also a skilled fighter who uses her claws in a fluid, quick martial arts style.
She'd be in many ways the "heart" of the crew, the one who is everybody's friend (the first to accept Ilia into their fold) the one who can even cause Scotty and Uhura to smile. She would have to come to terms with the fact that war means people she cares about will get hurt.

Ensign Xuluzon: Replaces both Chekov and Zulu as the Enterprise's Helmsman/Navigator. A member of an Alien species based on this guy from TMP:

Rhaandarite_ensign_TMP.jpg

Because I think that's a cool design. His species has only recently joined the Federation and he is the first of his people to enter Starfleet. Young, naive and slightly bewildered in his new surroundings, a "country boy" and the youngest of five children. Initially inexperienced and even fearful whenever it comes to battle situations Zuluxon's arc would see him grow into his own and become a reliable officer. Initially infatuated with Spock he later enters a relationship with Christian Chapel.

Some Recurring Characters:

Dr. Elsiabeth Marcus:
Kirk's (ex-)wife, divorced/seperated from him because of his participation in the Enterprise's mission and the dangers this entails. She would serve as a POV character for how things are going on Earth.

David Kirk: Kirk's young (5-8) year old son, lives with his mother.

Saavik: Spock's estranged younger sister who ran off to join the "Vulcans without Logic"

Valeris: A Romulan guerrilla warrior fighting to bring down the Star Empire.

Christian Chapel: A medic/nurse serving under Dr.McCoy, Xuluzon's love interest.

Mudd Haron: A shady, rogue-trader character. One of the few Bajorans who are not interned on their homeworld by the Klingons, enters the plot claiming to have information on the whereabouts of McCoy's father.

Antagonists:

Romulans: The original antagonists of the series as the Federation enters a war with them in Season 1 after an unprovoked attack from one of their warships. In addition to being able to cloak their ships they also have personal cloaking devices able to render them invisible in battle.

Klingons: Keep the appearance from "Into Darkness" since it was delightfully alien but culturally resemble more a mixture of the "Undiscovered Country" Klingons and the Cardassians. The planet Bajor, occupied by them serves as a galactic trouble spot and sets the scene for a later story arc.

Misc Changes:

Ship Interior: Obviously that has to be updated, the Abrams films already look better, perhaps a little less bright, though?

Uniforms: Please just put them in something that doesn't make me wait for Doroty the Dinosaur to show up and lead them into a dance number about dental hygiene. And here the films did not help, the mini skirts/dresses have to go, the bright primaries have to go, the sweatshirts have to go. Make them look like uniforms.
 
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You have put a ton of thought into this, Orphalesion. Like I said, it would be the same universe as the rebooted movies, so giving Bones the "Starbuck" treatment would not be consistent. There is obviously nothing wrong with introducing more female lead characters, but why would it have to be at the expense of things already established?
 
The way you worded it I thought you meant straight-up remakes of TOS episodes with just a few minor tweaks.

Naah. Same universe as the reboot. There would have to be some surprises.

Well I hope the surprises include a metric ton of new and better developed female and/or alien main characters because that's would be the only way to get me to watch.

On that note, if it must be a reboot of TOS, why not bring in Mress (spelling?), the Caitian officer from TAS? Possibly the Andorian they had on there too. Mress would probably be hell for the make up department (if the show is life action) but at least then there'd be two female officer instead of just one.

Edit: Actually this made me think, I might be able to warm up to the idea of a TOS remake series if it was a BSG-style hard reboot (obviously hopefully not as GRIMDARK as nuBSG was, but in the sense of playing fast and lose with the characters and setting, and possibly canibalizing the later Prime Tieline shows for some world building elements)

Here is what I could see:

Interesting ideas. Did you ever see Jeremy Grunloh's Star Trek? The scripts are no longer online but it was so good. Irt was reimagined as an 'occupational drama'; Sulu was an older gay man with a daughter; Nogura was a woman and Kirk's mentor and there were flashbacks telling what happened to Captain Pike:

https://moeskido.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/its-only-trivia-if-youre-not-a-fan/

And just for laughs here is my vision taking elements from all 48 years of the franchise:

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=253360
 
Com. Nyota Uhura ... this version of Uhura is the pragmatic military type ...
First can we make "Nyota" something that only existed in the alt. universe?

I like the idea of someone in the main group being more military and providing a view point for that vantage point, counter balancing the philosophies of other officers. And not have that person be the tac/security officer.

Lt.-Com M'Ress: Replaces PrimeUhura as the Enterprises Ops/Com Officer. A young member of the feline Caitian species.
A big part of being able to have M'ress would be the makeup department. If she can't be shown in close up while speaking, she can't be a principal character. That said, having a hero character who isn't a "primate" would be a plus.

Obviously the Purring speech has to go ...
Having her possess a accent of some sort would be good, it would set her apart.

:)
 
Okay, you ladies are really taking off with the TOS suggestion. If it really needs to change so much how about a TOS time frame series based entirely on the Star Trek mirror universe instead?
 
You have put a ton of thought into this, Orphalesion. Like I said, it would be the same universe as the rebooted movies, so giving Bones the "Starbuck" treatment would not be consistent. There is obviously nothing wrong with introducing more female lead characters, but why would it have to be at the expense of things already established?

Nah, that's just some ideas I came up with while doing laundry, it's completely unpolished and rambling in places.

As for "inconsistent" the setting in the movie continuity would be your idea, this is mine. Two different ideas. The movie continuity is your ideal Trek show and the "hard" reboot is my ideal TOS-inspired show.

I agree with you that I'm usually not a big fan of changing the sex or ethnicity of an already established character for a reboot. However a show can only have so many major characters and if we don't want a repetition of the sausage fest that was the TOS cast someone has to be "Starbucked" :lol:

Interesting ideas. Did you ever see Jeremy Grunloh's Star Trek? The scripts are no longer online but it was so good. Irt was reimagined as an 'occupational drama'; Sulu was an older gay man with a daughter; Nogura was a woman and Kirk's mentor and there were flashbacks telling what happened to Captain Pike:

https://moeskido.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/its-only-trivia-if-youre-not-a-fan/

And just for laughs here is my vision taking elements from all 48 years of the franchise:

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=253360

Man that sounds interesting, too bad it's not online anymore :-(

And I like your treatment, sorta a "Star Trek: All Stars"

First can we make "Nyota" something that only existed in the alt. universe?

I like the idea of someone in the main group being more military and providing a view point for that vantage point, counter balancing the philosophies of other officers. And not have that person be the tac/security officer.
Sure I always preferred "Upenda" anyway, though if you mean that we should just give her a name that doesn't telegraph her ethnicity from a mile away we could also give her a more traditional "western" name (as most Africans I have met have anyway) How about "Nichelle?"
The thing with "cultural" names thought up by white hollywood types is that they can end up weird. One of the reasons I ditched Sulu in my treatment is that "Sulu" is NOT a Japanese surname and that's just embarrassing imho.

Thanks that you like her, I wanted Uhura to be proactive and powerful, unlike her "interstellar telephone operator" self from the 60s.

A big part of being able to have M'ress would be the makeup department. If she can't be shown in close up while speaking, she can't be a principal character. That said, having a hero character who isn't a "primate" would be a plus.
Yes that would be the biggest problem for a life action version of her, as well as possible comparisons to old Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals. Of course there's nothing against changing the look of the Caitians to be more manageable on a TV budget or making her an entire different species altogether.

Having her possess a accent of some sort would be good, it would set her apart.
Nothing against an accent however "purring" when used by humanoid women is often perceived as sexualized and that's what I want to avoid, especially with a character who's a young feline woman. A different sort of accent, sure, but then they might run into similar problems as they had with Troi's accent once they show more Caitians.

Okay, you ladies are really taking off with the TOS suggestion. If it really needs to change so much how about a TOS time frame series based entirely on the Star Trek mirror universe instead?

But I'm not a lady....only my avatar is ;)
Hmmm....a Mirror Universe Series....I don't know if that would work out, the MU is usually played for laughs because it is so ridiculously over the top and mustache-twirling evil. It's fun to visit once in a while, but a whole series about it... However I'd be on board with an arc that leaves some Characters stranded there for a couple of episodes.
 
Nah, that's just some ideas I came up with while doing laundry, it's completely unpolished and rambling in places.

As for "inconsistent" the setting in the movie continuity would be your idea, this is mine. Two different ideas. The movie continuity is your ideal Trek show and the "hard" reboot is my ideal TOS-inspired show.

I agree with you that I'm usually not a big fan of changing the sex or ethnicity of an already established character for a reboot. However a show can only have so many major characters and if we don't want a repetition of the sausage fest that was the TOS cast someone has to be "Starbucked" :lol:

That "sausagefest" was a forumula that worked though. We tried it your way with Voyager, and that didn't work out so well. I think the key is having quality actors play interesting characters (regardless of things like gender). Forcing it for the sake of forcing it might just disappoint some people.
 
That "sausagefest" was a forumula that worked though. We tried it your way with Voyager, and that didn't work out so well. I think the key is having quality actors play interesting characters (regardless of things like gender). Forcing it for the sake of forcing it might just disappoint some people.


It worked because that's how the world was during the 60s; dominated by men. Especially since Star Trek does have military theme, a (traditionally) male area.

The problem with Voyager (I assume you refer to Janeway) was that they made the mistake of conceiving Janeway as a "female role model"(tm) first and as a person second. Stuff like that never makes for a good character.
In my treatment Joanna McCoy is still a person first, with a defined character and definitely not idealized, her being female is a part of her, like her hair colour, not her one defining characteristic.
Compare Starbuck and Boomer in nuBSG with Janeway, Starbuck and Boomer are characters first and female second. Now I find Starbuck a thoroughly revolting character, but I must admit that she is a more three-dimensional character than Janeway and the change of the characters sex does not come of as forced.

There are many reasons why people might want to include more female characters into a male cast or more male characters into a female cast.
In the case of TOS one reason would be that you can tell a wider variety of stories with a more mixed cast, or to give Uhura some female companionship, she was fairly isolated in the mostly male cast the few female characters in any Trek show were often friends by default I never got the friendships between Troi/Beverly and Kira/Dax they did not see like people who would be close in my eyes.
Among the characters I have written up I could see a realistic friendship between Ilia and M'Ress.
Another reason is that a mixed cast is visually more interesting. And you can appeal to a wider audience.
 
I favour a new character line-up in a new Trek TV show, if only because it would be an opportunity to make Trek less "white". Especially if the show has a large main cast, like TNG or DS9, there's no excuse not to have a good variety of human types (i.e. a black guy made up as a Klingon doesn't count). I can't help feeling the heavy whiteness of the show has turned off a lot of non-white viewers...
 
An expansion on my NuTNG idea that CorporalCaptain nicknamed "Deep Space Voyager the Next Generation" A multi POV and wide ranging epic in the mold of Game of Thrones.

The Setting: The Bajoran Sector (and beyond). Situated at the edge of "Known Space", the sector has been in turmoil for decades due an on going insurrection centered on Bajor, Once under the control of the Cardassian Union the Bajorans have finally thrown off the yoke of Cardassian rule.


  • Deep Space Nine- Formerly an orbital Cardassian ore processing station, the Bajoran Provisional Government has turned it over to Starfleet to serve as the base of operations for the defense and exploration of the Bajor Sector and beyond. In addition to Starfleet and the Bajoran Militia, there is a large civilian population on the station that includes Bajorans, Starfleet dependents and other foreign nationals.
    • Commodore Benjamin Sisko- Starfleet Commander for the Bajoran Sector. Sisko is veteran of the Cardassian Wars. His wife, Jennifer and son, Jake live with him on DS9, but he has misgivings about them being so close to the Cardassian border.
    • Lt. Commander Tuvok- Starfleet Intelligence. Tuvok oversees various on ongoing SI operations in the sector. Some of which might be above Sisko's "pay grade".
    • Commander Katherine Pulaski- Chief Medical Officer. A veteran officer with strong opinions, she's often a thorn in the side of Sisko and his unofficial conscience. She's also fond of needling Tuvok and has a low opinion of "spies".
    • Lt. .Commander Data- Chief Operations Officer. An android. Data is in charge of keeping the station running. Given its blend of Federation. Cardassian and Bajoran technology it a task that keeps Data busy around the clock. Not needing sleep he is well suited for the task. As an android wishing to become more "human" Tuvok finds him fascinating.
    • Colonel Kira Nerys- Bajoran Liaison Officer. Kira was a member of the Bajoran Resistance during the Cardassian Occupation. She is still wanted in the Cardassian Union for terrorism. She coordinates activities that involve Starfleet and the Bajoran Militia.
    • Constable Odo- Chief of Law Enforcement for the station. A shapeshifter of unknown origin, Odo was raised on the station by Bajorans. He is strongly attached to the station and sees it as his only home. While nominally in charge of civilian law enforcement, Sisko likes to use Odo for Starfleet related operations as well.
    • Quark- A Ferengi merchant who runs a casino on DS9's promenade. He is also heavily involved in various criminal activities in the sector. As such, he and Odo have an adversarial relationship.
    • Garek- A Cardassian tailor who runs a shop on the promenade. He is the only Cardassian still on the station. He reasons for staying are currently a mystery. Though Tuvok certainly has a few ideas.
    • Dukat - A Gul in the Cardassian military. Dukat is the former Prefect of Bajor and presided over the transition from the Cardassian Union to the Bajoran Provisional Government. Currently he is the military commander for the Cardassian territory adjacent to the Bajor Sector. He would very much like to be Prefect of Bajor again.

    The USS Enterprise- A Galaxy class vessel, the Enterprise is the newest and most advanced ship in Starfleet. It's primary mission is establishing diplomatic relations with the new worlds beyond Bajor. It's staff includes a large diplomatic team.
    • Captain Jean-Luc Picard- The ship's Commanding Officer. Picard is a man weary of war. The prospect of commanding a mission of exploration and diplomacy has kept him Starfleet. He sees a new war on the horizon and is making every effort to change course.
    • Lt. Commander Chakotay- The ship's Executive Officer. Chakotay's homeworld was on the frontlines of the Cardassian Wars and now lies in Cardassian territory. He's not happy being a ship who's main objective is to "make nice" with the Cardassians.
    • Ambassador Deanna Troi- The sector's Chief Diplomatic Officer, she divides her time between DS9 and the Enterprise. As a civilian, she's not always greeted with open arms by Starfleet. Her goals are often at odds with Commodore Sisko's, the sector's military commander. Picard is more open minded and she prefers the Enterprise to DS9
    • Lt. B'Elanna Torres- The ship's Chief Engineering Officer. She served with Chakotay in the Cardassian Wars and shares his views on making peace with them.
    • Lt. Commander Beverly Crusher - The ship's Chief Medical Officer. The widow of Jack Crusher, Picard's former XO and closest friend. Her son is in Starfleet and she worries about his future.
    • Ensign Ro Laren- The ship's Flight Control Officer. Born in a Bajoran refugee camp she's never been to Bajor before this assignment. She's at odds with native born Bajorans, who see the refugees as cowards who fled rather than fight.

    The USS Defiant- A Defiant class light cruiser. Its primary mission is defense of the station and the Bajor system. It serves as the flagship for the commander of DS9.The Defiant is a warship, part of the legacy of the Cardassian Wars. It's crew is small and most are experienced combat officers.
    • Commander William T. Riker- The Defiant's Commanding Officer. Riker comes across as a genial sort, quick with a joke and a twinkle in his eye. He's also known to have an eye for the ladies. In a combat situation he's all business, though. A clever commander with a trick or two up his sleeve.
    • Lt. Commander Elizabeth Shelby- The ship's Executive Officer. She's all business, all the time and isn't afraid to speak her mind if she thinks Riker ( or anyone else) is wrong. She has high standards and if she had her way the crew would be drilling around the clock.
    • Lt. Worf- The ship's tactical officer. On a ship the size of the Defiant, tactical includes flight control. He respects Riker and admires Shelby.
    • EMH-. Experimental Medical Hologram. A new technology currently being tested on the Defiant. It's inventor, Dr. Louis Zimmerman is on board overseeing the test. (or is he)
    • Lt. Ezri Tigan- Medical Officer. Tigan is Combat Field Medic and provides backup for the EMH. An unjoined Trill, who's not on the candidate list, she lives life to the fullest.
    • Lt. Geordi La Forge- The ship's Chief Engineering Officer. Blinded in the Cardassian Wars,LaForge can interface with the ship's systems through his VISOR, the device that enables him to see. As such he feels and senses what the ship does. At times this seems to cut him off from his crewmates and he wonders if he is losing his humanity.
    • Ensign Harry Kim- Operations Officer. A rookie right out of the academy he's in awe of these "heroes".

    The USS Voyager- An Intrepid class scout ship. It primary mission is science and exploration. Most of its crew are in the Science division and the rest is comprised of young officers, some just out of the Academy. Because of this, the ship has been nicknamed "The School Bus". Voyager spends most of its time away from the Bajor Sector in explored territory.
    • Commander Kathryn Janeway- The ship's Commanding Officer. Formerly in the Science Division, this is Janeway's first command. For her the thrill of the "hunt" is what drives her. She needs to know what's behind the next nebula and beyond the farthest star.
    • Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax- The ship's Executive Officer and Chief Science Officer. A joined Trill, Dax can call upon decades of experience from her previous hosts. Which is at odds with her youthful appearance. A close friend of Sisko in her previous host, he still calls her "The Old Man". A name that followed her to Voyager.
    • Chief Petty Officer Miles O'Brien- The ship's Chief Engineer. The real old man aboard the ship, he has a decade on most of the crew. A veteran of the Cardassian Wars, He's one of Janeway's trusted advisors and a father figure to the younger crewmen. (Just don't tell him that). His wife, Keiko, lives on DS9.
    • Lt. Julian Bashir- The ship's Chief Medical Officer. Young, inexperienced and on his first deep space mission, Bashir is out of his element and tries to cover it up with bravdo. O'Brien has taken him under his wing.
    • Ensign Wesley Crusher- Operations Officer. A gifted young man, Crusher competed Starfleet Academy in record time. He's the youngest member of the crew and very aware of this As such he over eager to prove himself. His mother is the CMO on the Enterprise,
    • Lt. Tasha Yar- The Ship's Chief Security Officer. Growing up as an orphan on failed colony where every day was a fight for survival, Yar feels out of place on a ship full of scientists and overachievers.
    • Lt. Tom Paris- Flight Control Officer. Paris is onboard the Voyager as a favor to Admiral Owen Paris, Janeway's former CO. Paris has been a disciplinary problem (and embarrassment to his father) in the past. Voyager is his "last chance".
 
I favour a new character line-up in a new Trek TV show, if only because it would be an opportunity to make Trek less "white". Especially if the show has a large main cast, like TNG or DS9, there's no excuse not to have a good variety of human types (i.e. a black guy made up as a Klingon doesn't count). I can't help feeling the heavy whiteness of the show has turned off a lot of non-white viewers...

That is racist. lol
 
Yay, a speculation thread!


As for the basic setting, it might be a bit cliche, but I'd actually like a series set a century after TNG/DS9/VOY in a universe where a terrible, long winded war has devastated the Alpha and Beta quadrants, sort of almost a Post-Apocalyptic setting.

The other theme I'd like to see would introduce a sort of spirituality and transcendence into Trek (which it is sorely lacking imho)
With technology slowly failing people could turn to superstition and religion again, at the same time there should be hints at genuine higher states of being.
Of course a transhumanist element would also be interesting to see.
One post-apocalypse idea is survivors building new cultures/societies. Perhaps in a devastated/barely-hanging-on Federation, strictures would be loosened regarding Transhumanism. Imagine refugees trying to build new cultures around forbidden technology.
 
How about a series based upon cadets at the Star Fleet Academy? They could do distance learning classes across subspace frequencies and with play beer pong with Andorean Ale!

Seriously, though I loved the 90s Treks, any Trek Series today should infuse more human complexities and arc'd storylines (across no more than 3 episodes) that get away from the whole 'Alien of the Week' mentality. The problem with any new series is that you run into timeline issues involving previous ST series. That's why it's often attractive to go either forward (beyond TNG) or backwards (Prior to Enterprise). -As if there is no way that more than one good starship could possibly exist in a galaxy at the same time. The problem with going any further back is that you are approaching our current timeline, and many of the technologies shouldn't exist at that time. My thought is that writers just enjoy the freedom to explore stories without being inhibited or pestered by Star Trek canon zealots. Remember how they cried foul when 'Enterprise' used a transporter when it should not have been invented? Or when they met a race that shouldn't have been met for another 80 years? Moving into the future frees them to write without worrying about offending someone. Another exploration idea would be to explore other galaxies far away from our own.

BTW: I hope no one is offended by the 'canon zealots' comment. Those who know all of that stuff are often the most loyal fans, and should always be factored in when creating a new series. After all, I was completely annoyed when the new BSG came out with a sex-changed Starbuck.
 
the heavy whiteness of the show
That is racist. lol

"Dear Paramount,

I'm glad you brought back Kirk, Spock and McCoy,
however, they say that Star Trek is too white.

I think it's time to remix the ethnicities a bit, Star Trek will still be Star Trek. I advise you to adopt my following proposal:

Captain Kirk will be played by Zoe Saldana (Kirk's behaviour stays unchanged)
Spock will be played by Idris Elba
Dr. McCoy will be played by John Cho

supporting cast will be
Zachary Quinto playing the villain (he's a great villain in American Horror Story)
Karl Urban playing the admiral (with a significant role)
Chris Pine playing security chief with a (ripped) red shirt
Mr. Uhura will be played by Peter Dinklage

make it so!"
 
The problem with any new series is that you run into timeline issues involving previous ST series. That's why it's often attractive to go either forward (beyond TNG) or backwards (Prior to Enterprise). -As if there is no way that more than one good starship could possibly exist in a galaxy at the same time. The problem with going any further back is that you are approaching our current timeline, and many of the technologies shouldn't exist at that time. My thought is that writers just enjoy the freedom to explore stories without being inhibited or pestered by Star Trek canon zealots. Remember how they cried foul when 'Enterprise' used a transporter when it should not have been invented? Or when they met a race that shouldn't have been met for another 80 years? Moving into the future frees them to write without worrying about offending someone. Another exploration idea would be to explore other galaxies far away from our own.

I agree with your analysis of writer's motivations. I would suggest that instead of trying to avoid the issues they could actually try and put some effort into their work.
 
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