New Star Trek Series: What would you use?

[JTShanks]

As for specific things I'd add. Well for starters.

More humanized species': One of the things that Trek I always believed needed improvement on is the fact that all the species were defined by their cultural background. If I were to make more humanized aliens in Trek, they'd definitely stand out from their culture and actually feel like they are a part of the crew; rather than just being there.

More human personal problems: A very character driven show similar to TNG. There'd be episodes based around the characters and their problems. Yes, there'll be big problems too, but not as much.

More modern filmmaking techniques: Modern Camera work, modern designs, an overall more modern trek.

 

[Vektor]

Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing a new series set in the Trek universe but not necessarily focused on a Starfleet crew. Years ago I was noodling around with a fan fiction concept about a kind of merchant marine vessel that did everything from passenger runs and courier services to convoy escort duty and private exploration contracts. I had planned to set it during the TOS era but probably not strictly within the canon Prime Universe. My setting would have been generally consistent with TOS in terms of major historical details, the geopolitical state of the galaxy at the time, the limitations of Trek-specific technology and so forth, but I would have updated most of the details to reflect modern sensibilities, aesthetics, and projections of what the mid-23rd century might actually be like. Very similar, in fact, to the approach taken by nuTrek (minus the timeline changes), but not necessarily set within that universe either.

Format-wise, I see a new Trek series following the Game of Thrones model, either on cable or as a Netflix production or something along those lines. Probably very serialized, at least within a single season, and limited to about 10 episodes per season with a healthy per-episode budget. Very character-driven with a large and diverse ensemble cast rather than another “big three” model and a roster of bridge officer positions to fill. Probably none of those characters would be guaranteed long or prosperous lives, either. That kind of real jeopardy to even the main characters would do a lot to inject a massive amount of energy into the Trek format all by itself.

Basically, I want to break the mold of television Trek that, frankly, became old and stale at least as far back as Voyager. Taking Starfleet out of the equation while keeping the ship-based format strikes me as a fairly bold way to do that while still being able to tell similar kinds of stories.

 

[IrishNero]

That's an interesting idea. I like the different aspect of being a Star Trek series, but not being just another federation Starship crew running from planet to planet. That's what I liked about DS9. - Star Trek, but not.

 

[Orphalesion]

I do want a Star Trek series that does new stuff, but I certainly don't want it to be totally unrecognizable from the rest of the franchise.

Who said anything about making it unrecognizable? To me a show in the Star Trek universe should still utilize space in some capacity (be that with a space ship or station or something else) as well as familiar concepts and races such as Starfleet, Andorians, the Federation etc.

What I meant is that there should not be a character that can be summed up as a new version of Worf/Kirk/Picard/Seven of Nine/the EMH/Troi/Kira/Scotty/T'Pol etc. or character interaction that is just there to recall "Spock vs. McCoy" or any some such.

That was part of why Star Trek went belly up in the early 2000s. By the time of Voyager and Enterprise they just retreated old character archetypes and storylines. B'Elanna was essentially a Worf expy (to the point that leftover Worf scripts from DS9 were used on her) T'Pol/Archer/Trip was meant to echo Spock/Kirk/McCoy.
Something like that should not happen in a new show, IMHO.

Basically if they want to have a Vulcan in their new show, then they better make him/her something else than the Science Officer struggling to understand humanity.
And if they want a Klingon then they better make him/her focused on something besides than a struggle with their heritage.
It's been done to death.

 

[T'Girl]

This is tricky to balance. I'd like to see the Federation be less tolerant of certain things, e.g. the virtual enslavement of Ferenghi women, Klingons engaging in honour duels at every opportunity.

Well being outside the Federation, the internal status of a species society would be none of the Federation's business.

We need to see more of this kind of thing among Federation Members and the different species inside Starfleet. The new series should be composed of characters from across the spectrum of cultural viewpoints, religious practices (including atheists), financial systems, so on.

TBH I was never very comfortable with the Bajorans' place in the Trek universe, as they seemed to me to be a justification for religious fundamentalism.

Just the thing that I liked best about the Bajorians (and Vulcans and Klingons), an on-going affirmation that religions are live and well in the future with multiple species.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

^I agree. I also liked the fact that the Bajorans were a heterogeneous society with differing religious viewpoints and political ideologies. One of the things that's always bothered me about the way Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians are depicted is that virtually every member of their societies follows the same code of ethics as does every other member of said society.

--Sran

 

[Starborn Dragon]

I would focus it on time travel and the first season would be based on the antagonist's attempts to undo the Klingon War.

Yes, I know the objections, but I love time travel stories.

 

[eyeresist]

That was part of why Star Trek went belly up in the early 2000s. By the time of Voyager and Enterprise they just retreated old character archetypes and storylines. B'Elanna was essentially a Worf expy (to the point that leftover Worf scripts from DS9 were used on her)

The problem was the quality of the scripts, not the nature of the characters.

It's been done to death.

Not for the next generation of viewers it hasn't.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

^Agreed. I never had a problem with Kate Mulgrew's portrayal of Janeway, but I had a huge problem with how inconsistently the character was written. None of her actions made sense because she did something different every week--largely because Voyager never had a regular group of writers from which it could draw stories, as was the case on DS9.

--Sran

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

A Trek series released now wouldn't be able to get away with being episodic. Viewers have come to expect growth and development of characters over long-running story archs.

I know I'd be hugely disappointed if the next series did a VOY and hit the reset button at the end of every episode.

 

[T'Girl]

^Agreed. I never had a problem with Kate Mulgrew's portrayal of Janeway, but I had a huge problem with how inconsistently the character was written.

This is what lead myself (and others) to conclude that Janeway was experiencing physiological problems, steming in part from her decision to destroy the caretaker array which "trapped" her ship and crew in the delta quad. Also the isolation of command. The character of Janeway began to experience schizophrenia.

A Trek series released now wouldn't be able to get away with being episodic.

I believe you could combine episodic with arcs and character development. On any given week there would a one time story, either as the A story or the background story, while still having a on-going exploration of the primary and secondary characters. And there could be running arcs concerning a slow developing story over the course of multiple episodes/seasons, a romance or a rivalry, or something political in the Federation.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

^Right. Arcs and one-shot stories don't have to be mutually exclusive. An idea can be introduced and revisited but doesn't necessarily have to be used continuously in order to stick. During TNG's run, the rivalry between the Klingons and the Romulans was featured several times over a span of four seasons, and key players in that rivalry such as the Duras sisters popped up on both TNG and DS9 (and again in Generations).

--Sran

 

[Starborn Dragon]

Another option I'd like to see is to have a series that is based upon a ship doing a survey of the explosion of the Novus star.

That expkosion did a lot of damage to the galaxy, wiping out many civilizations.

It would be nice to see the series explore the aftermath and the rebuilding.

 

[Orphalesion]

Another option I'd like to see is to have a series that is based upon a ship doing a survey of the explosion of the Novus star.

That expkosion did a lot of damage to the galaxy, wiping out many civilizations.

It would be nice to see the series explore the aftermath and the rebuilding.

Not so much many civilizations as the Romulan Empire. I don't like ST online much (don"t like MMOs) but I enjoyed what they did to the Romulans after Hobus, turning them into this fragmented group of space gypsies. That was cool.

 

[T'Girl]

Not so much many civilizations as the Romulan Empire

A series that had the break up of the Romulan Empire into dozens or hundreds of civilizations, empires, republics, kingdoms, independants would be something to see. It would be an oppertunty for Starfleet to enter the area, and they wouldn't be exploring some far distant area, but an fresh area immediately ajacent to the Federation's "core."

Romulans after Hobus.

Part of me would love a series set just prior to the 24th century piece of ST Eleven. When we get to the nova of "Hobus" and the destruction of Romulas ... nothing, it doesn't happen because the whole thing was in a alternate universe to start with.

Just to watch certain fan's heads explode.

 

[RandyS]

Part of me would love a series set just prior to the 24th century piece of ST Eleven. When we get to the nova of "Hobus" and the destruction of Romulas ... nothing, it doesn't happen because the whole thing was in a alternate universe to start with.

Just to watch certain fan's heads explode.

I'd like to see that too, simply because I have always believed that JJ's movies were always in an alternate universe.

 

[Orphalesion]

^ I agree with that it's the only explanation for a lot of things. Two things I can think of right away are the difference in technology with the Abramsverse far ahead of the Prime Timeline and, I am not an expert on the matter, but didn't the reboot contradict the age differences between the different members of the TOS crew? Wasn't, for instance, Chekov way younger than the others in TOS? Like to the point that he would have been a child during ST09 and ID?
It's an elseworld story on a massive scale.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Part of me would love a series set just prior to the 24th century piece of ST Eleven. When we get to the nova of "Hobus" and the destruction of Romulas ... nothing, it doesn't happen because the whole thing was in a alternate universe to start with.

Just to watch certain fan's heads explode.

I'd like to see that too, simply because I have always believed that JJ's movies were always in an alternate universe.

Everything about them is alternate, as such has no impact on Prime Trek, so it can be easily ignored

 

[RandyS]

^ I agree with that it's the only explanation for a lot of things. Two things I can think of right away are the difference in technology with the Abramsverse far ahead of the Prime Timeline and, I am not an expert on the matter, but didn't the reboot contradict the age differences between the different members of the TOS crew? Wasn't, for instance, Chekov way younger than the others in TOS? Like to the point that he would have been a child during ST09 and ID?
It's an elseworld story on a massive scale.

If I'm remembering right, Chekov (Koenig) was 22 in 2267, and Chekov (Yechin) was 17 in 2258, so yeah, his age was changed. There was no explanation for this change except for the obvious "It's an alternate timeline". It is, admittedly, a minor detail anyay.

 

[mos6507]

One of the things that's always bothered me about the way Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians are depicted is that virtually every member of their societies follows the same code of ethics as does every other member of said society.

This reflects its Gulliver's Travel heritage in which these societies are meant to be treated as symbols to hold up against our society. You know, Nazi planet. Native American planet. Vietnam War analogy planet. Half/black half/white planet. Overpopulated planet. Works better in one-off "planet of the week" races rather than recurring races.