What if ST:TMP II, III..

[Khan 2.0]

If Paramount had just continued with Roddenberry post TMP to produce the second film (with a 'hey its Gene Roddenberrys baby he knows star trek right, TMP made loads of green just let him get on with it but with a way lower budget' attitude). no Bennett/Meyer.

1982 = Star Trek II: The JFK Syndrome (a loose remake of City on The Edge/TIY/Assignment Earth. with JFK instead of Edith/Christopher..similar to the way TMP was a loose remake/took elements of Changeling/Immunity/Doomsday. Directed by Peter Hyams. Starring James Brolin as JFK)
1984 = Star Trek III: Planet of the Titans (a rejigging of the aborted first movie script. Dark scientific Sci Fi space thriller in the vein of Prometheus. First movie to be rated PG13. Directed by Philip Kaufman. Starring Edward James Olmos as the Klingon Cmdr and as Tom Skerritt as Captain Westlake)

Both movies with a similar look to TMP in terms of sets and the PJ style uniforms with abit of variation/added colour (return of the gold/blue/red in some subtle way) due to taking note of the various complaints of TMP (but not as radical a change as TWOK). More action/adventure based than TMP but still retaining that scientific feel of the 70s Sci Fi movies (esp POTT). Jerry Goldsmith returns to score both films.

Then in 1985 Paramount approaches GR with the idea for a new TV series and Roddenberry decides to go with overseeing that over a 4th film (TOS cast getting more expensive, plus the idea of a trilogy being the way to go like SW), and throws himself into TNG for 86/87 (as happened). TNG continues pretty much as it did over 7 years (Berman, Pillar, Moore, Braga etc. GR dies in 91. various TOS cast guest starring - Nimoy appears in a time travel 2 parter featuring the Guardian of Forever for the 25th). then TNG reignites the Trek movie series in 1994 (10 years after the last movie wrapped up 'TMP trilogy') with the much anticipated return of Shatner and the rest of TOS cast in a Yesterdays Enterprise style time travel movie entitled Star Trek Generations (no colon)

 

[HIjol]

I am very happy with the way things played out. I liked the mix of the TV iterations, except for Enterprise, and the movies have been just fine. Not that I think other "trek lines" would have been bad, but I thought it was cool to have an Accomplished Stage Actor, a Hep Second Banana Street-Wise Hawk, a Mrs.Colombo (and an Almost Genevieve Bujold) a Quantum Leaper, and, of course, a Plane-Riding Serling Man ALL ending up as Captains in the Federation.

Plus, we got Logic, Spirit Quests, Russian History Lessons, Reluctant Transportarians, Miracle Workers, Manly Men with or without Beards, HoloDecks, Dabo Girls, Gold-Pressed Latinum, predictions on Good Days to Die, Discommodation, Positronic Primosity, Erogenous Ear Zones, The Mother of All Nurses, AND the Nurse of all Mothers, Naked Weddings, Immaculate Conception, Not-so Immaculate Conceptions, Sentient Oil Slicks, Resurrections of Warriors, Statesmen, ALFs, Star Ships, Vulcans and Humpbacks; LDS, Multiple Pilot Episodes, Tribbles, Patty Duke's Father (!), Rock Stars and an Arab Prince/King playing parts...destruction of whole planets and Federation Equipment, Uncle Martin, and SO much more!

Oh, what are you all sitting there for? Yes, this is a Quiz. You have (at least) 3 Timelines!

 

[BillJ]

Interesting 'what if?' But I think the JFK film would've killed the franchise.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

^I agree. It was a terrible idea and would not have been accepted by fans. What's especially mind-boggling is that Roddenberry kept pitching the idea, even in the midst of the TWOK trilogy. How did he expect Spock to be the second shooter behind the grassy knoll if his body was on Genesis?

I remember reading about all of this in Shatner's book about the films and thinking Roddenberry was an idiot. Thinking about it now, I just want to punch him in the face.

--Sran

 

[BillJ]

^I agree. It was a terrible idea and would not have been accepted by fans. What's especially mind-boggling is that Roddenberry kept pitching the idea, even in the midst of the TWOK trilogy. How did he expect Spock to be the second shooter behind the grassy knoll if his body was on Genesis?

I remember reading about all of this in Shatner's book about the films and thinking Roddenberry was an idiot. Thinking about it now, I just want to punch him in the face.

I personally don't think it was a terrible idea, I just think it wouldn't have clicked with general audiences. It would be any interesting project for the novels or comics to do.

 

[Harvey]

Has Roddenberry's JFK assassination pitch ever leaked to the public? Or have descriptions only come second hand?

 

[Melakon]

a Plane-Riding Hitchcock Man

Who was in a Hitchcock film?

 

[BillJ]

Has Roddenberry's JFK assassination pitch ever leaked to the public? Or have descriptions only come second hand?

As far as I know, it has always just been second hand information.

 

[Galileo7]

I am both a fan of Wise/Roddenberry's TMP and the Bennett/Meyer films that followed. Albeit, I often wonder what those films would have looked like if Roddenberry's TMP been used as the template instead.

 

[Maurice]

As I recall from some interview, Roddenberry said his Star Trek II movie script was going to deal with Klingons in a less black and white manner. I don't know that it was the JFK thing.

Paramount was never going to let him be the Producer producer again, tho, because TMP was a mess from the producing side. It's why Doug Trumbull's website features a faux title card reading ACTUALLY PRODUCED BY JEFFREY KATZENBERG.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The JFK thing was okay when Red Dwarf did it. Not so with Trek.

 

[Nightowl1701]

I have to think Gene was just trolling Paramount with that threatened JFK story, because if it was for real we would have heard something about Gene trying to adapt it into a second-season TNG two-parter (in time for the 25th anniversary of the assassination).

 

[BillJ]

I have to think Gene was just trolling Paramount with that threatened JFK story, because if it was for real we would have heard something about Gene trying to adapt it into a second-season TNG two-parter (in time for the 25th anniversary of the assassination).

Maybe not? Roddenberry in '87 or '88 probably had different storytelling priorities than in 1980. We know he was supposedly trying to steer clear of TOS as much as possible, a big time travel tale would be reverse of that course.

 

[Nightowl1701]

I have to think Gene was just trolling Paramount with that threatened JFK story, because if it was for real we would have heard something about Gene trying to adapt it into a second-season TNG two-parter (in time for the 25th anniversary of the assassination).

Maybe not? Roddenberry in '87 or '88 probably had different storytelling priorities than in 1980. We know he was supposedly trying to steer clear of TOS as much as possible, a big time travel tale would be reverse of that course.

Except Gene was pushing that JFK story for ST II, III and IV. Probably would have pushed it for V if he hadn't felt so betrayed at Shatner apparently trying to do The God Thing himself. This is not a man who gave up on his story ideas. If it meant that much to him, he would have found a way to get it out there - unless Paramount execs/lawyers told him to his face "Drop it."

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

^In fact, I believe Nick Meyer actually told Roddenberry that he would finally be getting his time-travel movie when TVH went into production--just to keep him from sending memos to every Paramount executive bashing Meyer/Bennett/Shatner/Nimoy, which had become his modus operandi during his final years when he wasn't working on TNG.

--Sran

 

[HIjol]

a Plane-Riding Hitchcock Man

Who was in a Hitchcock film?

Thank you so much for the Edit, Melakon!
...it should have read, "...a Plane-Riding Serling Man"

That's what I get when I mix watching "North by Northwest" and trying to Post on BBS!

And, also, thank you for reading it!

 

[Ithekro]

I seem to recall some sort of drawing were just about everyone lining the streets for JFK in Dallas was some sort of time traveler. With Starfleet officers chasing down Romulans while a Vulcan keeps an eye on the Klingon. They likely didn't notice the Timelord or five wondering around.

 

[Maurice]

A lot of these stories about what Roddenberry did post TMP sound like a game of telephone. What are the sources for these assertions?

 

[HIjol]

Ma Bell?

(so so very sorry, but I HAD to, the voices MADE me!)

I have nothing but the Highest respect for you, Maurice!

 

[Nerys Myk]

A lot of these stories about what Roddenberry did post TMP sound like a game of telephone. What are the sources for these assertions?

I heard it from my Uncle's barber's daughter's plumber who did some work at Roddenberry's house in the early 80s.