What about a Starfleet Academy animated series?

[ColeMercury]

Something I've been thinking of recently. Up to now I've been opposed to making a Starfleet Academy series — I've thought that the idea just doesn't have enough potential to fill a full season of hour-long episodes every year. The biggest problem is that main characters are safe on Earth, not out visiting an exciting new location every week like in TOS/TNG/VOY/ENT, and they're not out in a tough and volatile area of deep space like in DS9. Of course it's possible to make a good show out of it, but it'd be very easy to end up making the Star Trek equivalent of One Tree Hill or something.

However, if we use a format of a half-hour animated series — sort of like Star Wars: Rebels or The Clone Wars — I think a Starfleet Academy series could actually work really well. For one thing, the change in format would mean expectations would be different, so it'd be easier to make something with a different tone to a regular Star Trek show. For another thing, the show's target audience would skew younger, so the main characters (ages 18-22 or so) would actually be a bit older than the average viewer, which I think would change for the better the way the show frames them (looking up rather than looking down). And the half-hour format means that they'd be able to make the exciting moments and the parts set in outer space really count.

There's a few options for what time period the series could be set in. If they want to do the synergy thing, they could set it either at the same time as DIS or some time after the Kelvin-timeline movies (maybe with Saavik?) Personally, though, I kind of like the idea of picking up about 10-15 years after ENT and having an ensemble cast of main characters that includes one or two humans, a Vulcan, an Andorian and a Tellarite.

 

[Commander Richard]

There are a lot of one-hour dramas about young people so doing the same with an academy series shouldn't be a problem. Throw in some travel to the stars, maybe a big threat that calls the cadets into action and make it a planned four-season show and you're set.

 

[Sgt_G]

It all sounds well and fine, but seriously, how often do you hear of West Point cadets / Annapolis midshipmen being called into action????

 

[cultcross]

^ this. In a dystopian Starship Troopers style franchise, possibly. In Star Trek, it just wouldn't make sense. They didn't deploy cadets to fight the Dominion, and that's the closest we've seen them come to total defeat. The training-cruise-goes-wrong works for one story a la Wrath of Khan, but it doesn't create a series. And even if you could think of a way to get the cadets out there, what would be the point? Why not just do a series about not-cadets if you're going to have them in space anyway?
A series at the academy might work, but it would need to have something going on at the academy, BtVS or Class style. And a very good reason why the cadets don't just call the authorities to deal with the problem.

 

[fireproof78]

TWOK wasn't the only instance. In the Dominion War, "Red Squad" was called up to support the Admiral's coup in "Homefront" and were also assigned to the USS Valiant, and ended up behind enemy lines.

So, cadets get used, but it usually doesn't end up well any way.

 

[Nyotarules]

Might turn into a Beverly Hills 90210 show lol

 

[Sgt_G]

So, cadets get used, but it usually doesn't end up well any way.

Perhaps because they haven't finished their training, let alone garnered any experience.

 

[Commander Richard]

Sorry for any miscommunication. I wasn't suggesting that an entire series be about cadets being called into action, I was just throwning plot ideas out there and this particular one has been done before. My point was that there's a lot they can mine, especially since it's the fictitious world of Trek. The show doen't need to be cut down to 30 minutes due to a lack of content. It probably would however have to be cut off at four seasons unless you want to have a revolving cast or have four years stretched out beyond four seasons. Four seasons is good though. A number of good cable shows have gotten that kind of run.

 

[Tenacity]

make it a planned four-season show

Or bite the bullet and rotate the characters. End of every season the seniors graduate and the beginning of the next a quarter of the cast are freshmen.

how often do you hear of West Point cadets / Annapolis midshipmen being called into action????

In the age of sail naval cadets started at Annapolis, then were sent to sea for years and then finished their studies back at Annapolis.

Why not just do a series about not-cadets if you're going to have them in space anyway?

Because it's been done, and this would be different.

The show could focus on a group of midshipmen stationed to a ship, with the senior officers in background supporting roles.

Not every modern show focuses on the "bosses."

Might turn into a Beverly Hills 90210 show

A very popular show that ran for ten seasons, the first spin off ran for seven seasons.

 

[Nyotarules]

Perhaps because they haven't finished their training, let alone garnered any experience.

Unless they are named James T Kirk, Nyota Uhura, Pavel Chekov or Hikaru Sulu....etc
Perhaps no other experienced Starfleet officers existed to man the ship after graduation or starships are so easy to manage that a newly graduated cadet can do it.

 

[fireproof78]

Perhaps because they haven't finished their training, let alone garnered any experience.

Always can focus on the 'prentice cruise for them.

 

[Nyotarules]

Always can focus on the 'prentice cruise for them.

With Captain Arnold Trump! lol

 

[TommyR01D]

I think it would be very hard to make it a recognisable Star Trek series while maintaining any plausibility.

 

[Nyotarules]

I think it would be very hard to make it a recognisable Star Trek series while maintaining any plausibility.

People could not imagine a Star Trek series on a space station.

 

[TommyR01D]

People could not imagine a Star Trek series on a space station.

At least Deep Space Nine still had starships, space battles and the like. In an academy series it would be rather difficult to show these sorts of things (or major scientific discoveries, or intergalactic politics) because your main cast would be people who were too junior to get involved and spent most of their time on Earth.

I suppose you could have training missions (as referenced already) or alien attacks on the academy itself, but you wouldn't get many stories before it started to look ridiculously contrived.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

At least Deep Space Nine still had starships, space battles and the like. In an academy series it would be rather difficult to show these sorts of things (or major scientific discoveries, or intergalactic politics) because your main cast would be people who were too junior to get involved and spent most of their time on Earth.

I suppose you could have training missions (as referenced already) or alien attacks on the academy itself, but you wouldn't get many stories before it started to look ridiculously contrived.

I don't know, I reckon you could get at least a mini-series out of this:

http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Starfleet_Academy_(novel)

Maybe more if you explored the "training sessions" themselves.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[fireproof78]

At least Deep Space Nine still had starships, space battles and the like. In an academy series it would be rather difficult to show these sorts of things (or major scientific discoveries, or intergalactic politics) because your main cast would be people who were too junior to get involved and spent most of their time on Earth.

I suppose you could have training missions (as referenced already) or alien attacks on the academy itself, but you wouldn't get many stories before it started to look ridiculously contrived.

Because cadets have to stay on Earth?

 

[Sgt_G]

No, of course not. But the idea of a ship manned entirely by Academy midshipmen is just silly. It'd be like taking a bunch of kids from Annapolis and Orlando (boot-camp) and having them sail the USS Zumwalt all by themselves.

I would buy a small training ship that goes out and back in a week or ten days, with a crew of say 40-60 cadets and cadre of 15-20 training officers / senior enlisted. The command staff could be mid-level officers who are back at Academy taking advanced classes which will qualify them to captain a ship of their own someday (after assignments as second- and first-officer). They are shadowed by training officers who will take over should the need arise, as unlikely as that would be giving how planned out these mission should be.

 

[feek61]

Sounds like a silly kids show to me . . . unless it's realistic and about the cadets going to class and learning about space travel, warp drive and alien cultures; then is just sounds boring.

 

[Sgt_G]

Disney makes a killing off shows about high school kids. And so what if the target audience is kids, for it just indoctrinates the next generation of Trekkies.