Trek Returning to TV in 2017!

[Warped9]

I'd rather have a full reboot. That way the creators aren't beholden to creative choices made from 5-50 years ago.

At this stage of the game I agree.

 

[Markonian]

Do you think the show can be revolutionary and innovative again, i.e. conceive of new technology that inspires young engineers around the world? Old Trek brought us the mobile phone, iPad and Alcubierre drive, after all.

 

[CoveTom]

Do you think the show can be revolutionary and innovative again, i.e. conceive of new technology that inspires young engineers around the world? Old Trek brought us the mobile phone, iPad and Alcubierre drive, after all.

With all due respect, old Trek did no such thing, and I'm tired of fans trying to pretend that it did.

 

[Markonian]

Do you think the show can be revolutionary and innovative again, i.e. conceive of new technology that inspires young engineers around the world? Old Trek brought us the mobile phone, iPad and Alcubierre drive, after all.

With all due respect, old Trek did no such thing, and I'm tired of fans trying to pretend that it did.

Oh? Remember the PADD, and the contests to develop the medical tricorder and the VISOR. NASA's FTL concepts (see IXS Enterprise).
Hawking appearing in TNG, and Neil deGrasse Tyson referring to Trek in his shows (iirc). Shatner was in a documentary about how Trek transformed the world.

 

[garoo1980]

Do you think the show can be revolutionary and innovative again, i.e. conceive of new technology that inspires young engineers around the world? Old Trek brought us the mobile phone, iPad and Alcubierre drive, after all.

With all due respect, old Trek did no such thing, and I'm tired of fans trying to pretend that it did.

I would say that it did. What makes you think it didn't? The first floppy disk was shown on the old show. The pads on TNG are basically iPads. Don't you think?

 

[TheSeeker]

Yeah, I've seen plenty of documentaries and interviews with engineers and scientists who say they were inspired by Star Trek.

 

[Pondslider]

Do you think the show can be revolutionary and innovative again, i.e. conceive of new technology that inspires young engineers around the world? Old Trek brought us the mobile phone, iPad and Alcubierre drive, after all.

With the increased interest in "realistic" space travel lately with things like Gravity, Interstellar, the Martian it would be interesting to see more of civilizations using things like Dyson spheres and other sort of speculative space megastructures rather than just landing on a new class M planet with people wearing robes and funny ears every episode.

 

[TheSeeker]

I hope we see stuff like space stations built into asteroids.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

It's produced by the guy who wrote produced the 2009 movie and Into Darkness. It's going to totally be related.

Then I'm not watching.

On the Star Trek OS press release it says they are returning to the storytelling of old. Social themes, etc. Well, I can't say how much faith I have in that with a clown like Kurtzman on board. This guy doesn't know Star Trek or understand the fans at all. He only understands a section of them, and the division in fandom caused by the reboot, especially Into Darkness, is a testament to that.

If this goes back to Trek's roots and tells original, intelligent stories in the prime universe then I'm in. If this is JJverse and/or another rehash then they can shove it where the sun doesn't shine as far as I'm concerned.

You do know first and foremost that Star Trek is an action-adventure franchise, right? And that Gene Roddenberry said so back in 1965-1966 in the Writer's Guide and the prospectus, Star Trek Is...

Also, the original continuity is dead, as dead as the pre-New 52 continuity at DC Comics or the pre Marvel Now! continuity at Marvel Comics. Bringing it back won't work anymore, and would turn most viewers off, especially if and since they can buy the previous shows on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Whatever Roddenberry wrote in 1965, Trek achieved its greatest heights winning through clever tricks and negotiation, and through the world building of other cultures, not by just beaming in and shooting things.

If we always did what GR wanted, TNG would have been seven seasons of season 1.

 

[Starscream2112]

Hmmm Kurtzman? Looking at his filmography, he doesn't seem to be associated with anything I've remotely liked. Not looking good. Not looking good at all but never say never I suppose. Hopefully as producer he won't actually be WRITING any of it.

I did like Transformers Prime a lot.

 

[Jedman67]

Ugh...God!

You Trek fans sound like a bunch of old nagging women.

Support the show and quit complaining, because if you don't support it you will be the ones to blame for it being killed.

Agreed. That was what killed the Stargate franchise.

What killed Stargate was lackluster ratings, mediocre episodes and decreased revenues. I managed to scrape through Season 1 of SGU, and I lost interest. The premise seemed interesting but (IMO) the show stumbled through cliches and unrealistic character melodrama. Season 2 may have been better, I can't say.
Atlantis also suffered from lackluster episodes throughout the last two seasons.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

I would say except for Game of Thrones the biggest talked about shows today are Orange is the new Black and House of Cards, both of which are on Netflix. Hulu hasn't had the same success with original content but that's how the world is moving. And CBS is throwing it's entire weight behind All Access. It's a vote of confidence in Star Trek IMHO

Don't forget The Walking Dead. I can't leave my house without hearing talk of The Walking Dead.

Atlantis also suffered from lackluster episodes throughout the last two seasons.

I actually thought the fourth season was probably SGA's finest overall. The fifth was shaky to be sure, but it had several ace outings -- it was about the same quality as the second, IMO. In any case, SGA ratings started to fall off noticeably as soon as SG-1 left the channel, but they'd done a good job of stabilizing to a level that many analysts agreed were likely still modestly profitable when that plug was pulled in favor of SGU.

I do think the fans had a hand in that franchise's downfall; I was never the angriest of SGA enthusiasts (by any stretch) but I did resent the fact that the show ended on a pseudo-finale and the "planned" telemovie continuation never came to fruition. I watched as much of SGU as I could stomach, but the relationship melodrama angles were so incredibly poorly-written. I really do not blame the viewership for abandoning that series in droves.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Ugh...God!

You Trek fans sound like a bunch of old nagging women.

Support the show and quit complaining, because if you don't support it you will be the ones to blame for it being killed.

Agreed. That was what killed the Stargate franchise.

Declining quality killed the Stargate franchise.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

The tone in this thread has been hopeful but skeptical, mostly not just complaining. It's so obnoxious when people try to negate all skepticism with this idea that if we don't automatically praise all things labeled Trek we're murdering it.

We should be giving CBS the message that if they produce high quality writing we will love the series but if they half ass it and just shove out disposable crap we won't. If CBS has the attitude 'We will watch anything just because it has the Trek brand', that is what will murder Trek.

 

[Jedman67]

Atlantis also suffered from lackluster episodes throughout the last two seasons.

I actually thought the fourth season was probably SGA's finest overall. The fifth was shaky to be sure, but it had several ace outings -- it was about the same quality as the second, IMO. In any case, SGA ratings started to fall off noticeably as soon as SG-1 left the channel, but they'd done a good job of stabilizing to a level that many analysts agreed were likely still modestly profitable when that plug was pulled in favor of SGU.

I do think the fans had a hand in that franchise's downfall; I was never the angriest of SGA enthusiasts (by any stretch) but I did resent the fact that the show ended on a pseudo-finale and the "planned" telemovie continuation never came to fruition. I watched as much of SGU as I could stomach, but the relationship melodrama angles were so incredibly poorly-written. I really do not blame the viewership for abandoning that series in droves.

I've been rewatching SG-1's later seasons and random rewatches of SGA. The S4 finale was superb - definitely a 4.25/5. Great acting, although the plot was a little weak. Mid-season, "Midway" rates a 3.5 for me, since watching R&T kicking ass and taking names is always enjoyable; but the plot was somewhat forced. Just for example. SG1 wasmore consistent, and relied on far less technobabble than Atlantis.

 

[INACTIVEUSS Einstein]

Declining quality killed the Stargate franchise.

Although I was surprised how good the last two seasons of SG-1 were - what a comeback.

 

[Markonian]

If CBS has the attitude 'We will watch anything just because it has the Trek brand', that is what will murder Trek.

You mean, they it works with Marvel movies?

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Just for example. SG1 wasmore consistent, and relied on far less technobabble than Atlantis.

I agree, SG-1 used technobabble (a la Carter) but it was almost always very grounded and there were ample amusing O'Neill facial reactions to make it tolerable to folks who can't help rolling their eyes at such moments. In SGA, there's such a rhythm of McKay (and sometimes Zelenka) spouting pseudo-science for fifty-plus seconds at a time whilst everyone else just stares off helplessly and awaits their pressing of buttons. Atlantis takes after Trek, I'm afraid.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Declining quality killed the Stargate franchise.

Although I was surprised how good the last two seasons of SG-1 were - what a comeback.

Although I was surprised how good the last two seasons of SG-1 were - what a comeback.

Many will disagree with you -- loudly! -- and proclaim the Ori seasons total filth, but I think 9/10/Ark of Truth are pretty fantastic overall. Then again, my favorite seasons are 7-10, so I've always been a black sheep in that fandom anyway.

 

[Nerys Myk]

What we know...



Who: Bob Kurtzman, Co-Producer of ST09, STID

What: New Trek series not involving the reboot cast. Since the guy who help create the nuNiverse (see what I did there?) also created this, expect this to take place in the rebooted reality that hates "real" Trekkies.

Where: Pilot episode on CBS television network (USA) with subsequent episodes airing on their proprietary streaming service "CBS All Access". Show will be licensed out to international networks to air as they wish.

When: Debuting January 2017. Don't yet know if subsequent episodes will "dump" (like House of Cards on Netflix, or be released on a traditional weekly schedule. Also don't yet know if subsequent episodes will eventually air on traditional television after the initial release.

How: Magic beans.


As for CBS not believing in the show enough to air on their televison network, they're probably right. CBS has high standards for ratings and their current lineup is providing it.

Those shows also aren't terribly expensive, compared to the expensive of producing a weekly sci-fi show. Their costliest shows are probably NCIS and Big Bang Theory and they've earned it being #1 in their demos for the better part of a decade or more.

"Having a brand new, untested show cost as much as those? Nope. But we'll throw it on this streaming thing, treat it as its flagship and go from there."

The bar for success is much lower on something so new. We're much more likely to see multiple season on All Access. If it was on CBS it would have one chance - and probably not make it - then get cancelled and replaced with NCIS Minot.

Nice post. When was the last time a sci fi show was aired on network tv? Everyone's acting like it's so unusual, but I think it's a rare thing. Fringe? Person of Interest if you count that. Star Trek hasn't aired on a big network since the 60s.

I would say except for Game of Thrones the biggest talked about shows today are Orange is the new Black and House of Cards, both of which are on Netflix. Hulu hasn't had the same success with original content but that's how the world is moving. And CBS is throwing it's entire weight behind All Access. It's a vote of confidence in Star Trek IMHO

Yesterday on CBS at 8:00pm. Supergirl.