What if Gene Roddenberry lived to a ripe old age?

[Prax]

Gene Roddenberry was born on 19 August, 1921, and passed away on 24 October, 1991 at the age of 70. Star Trek: The Next Generation had just aired the 5th episode of the 5th season.

If Gene had been in better health, and had continued on, and maybe still be alive today, how might Trek have been effected? Would it have been effected at all?
Please share your thoughts...

 

[Paradise City]

Generations and DS9 would have been different beasts. Kirk's fate would've been something else. There probably would still be a Voyager of some sorts -- it's kinda an intuitive next progression for the franchise. Maybe Enterprise would've been a Starfleet Academy thing. That's my general feeling of it.

 

[Tenacity]

The imperfect Starfleet and Federation of DS9 might have been missing, but on the other hand a mentally alert Roddenberry could have seen the need for change away from TNG's silly evolved Humanity to a universe that more accurately reflect the varying grotesqueries of Human nature.

 

[The Wormhole]

Roddenberry would have eventually have stepped away content to collect a paycheck from Star Trek. Provided he was still making money off of it, we'd probably hear very little from him outside from promotional pep-talks.

 

[Vger23]

Roddenberry would have eventually have stepped away content to collect a paycheck from Star Trek. Provided he was still making money off of it, we'd probably hear very little from him outside from promotional pep-talks.

I agree fully. Roddenberry barely wanted back in for TNG...and I think the desire to be tied to the franchise for his whole life was really not that strong. I don't think much would have changed to be honest. He either would have stepped away or he would have eventually been forced out (like he was with the films after TMP).

 

[ALF]

Not sure if I want to even think about that. Prax, have you seen the Shatner HBO doc Chaos on the Bridge? It revealed that Gene's failing health and leaving TNG at the end of season 2 was the impetus for the changeover from the mixed bag TOS clone that it was to a hugely successful show telling character based stories with depth and crafted with excellence from behind and in front of the camera. Chaos on the Bridge argues that this was all possible because Gene checked out when he did.

Had he remained alive, I can only speculate that TNG would have never found its stride, DS9 would have never have happened the way it did (we would have had 7 straight years of boring Bajoran stories with no war) and it's doubtful Voyager or Enterprise would have ever existed.

The Great Bird Of The Galaxy checked out at exactly the right time - in order for his creation to thrive and survive.

 

[Jayson1]

I agree with what Frakes sort of said in the Chaos doc. TNG would have still been somewhat successful but it wouldn't be nearly as good and it would go down as history basically as that "other trek show." we would have had none of the spinoffs or TNG movies. Granted by this time I do think someone else would have eventually come along and try and do another trek show. Hard to predict if it would have been success.

ason

 

[BillJ]

Generations and DS9 would have been different beasts. Kirk's fate would've been something else. There probably would still be a Voyager of some sorts -- it's kinda an intuitive next progression for the franchise. Maybe Enterprise would've been a Starfleet Academy thing. That's my general feeling of it.

A different Roddenberry may not have had the same mental difficulties as the one that created TNG. TNG may have ended up as an entirely different beast.

 

[Armus]

Not sure if I want to even think about that. Prax, have you seen the Shatner HBO doc Chaos on the Bridge? It revealed that Gene's failing health and leaving TNG at the end of season 2 was the impetus for the changeover from the mixed bag TOS clone that it was to a hugely successful show telling character based stories with depth and crafted with excellence from behind and in front of the camera. Chaos on the Bridge argues that this was all possible because Gene checked out when he did.

Had he remained alive, I can only speculate that TNG would have never found its stride, DS9 would have never have happened the way it did (we would have had 7 straight years of boring Bajoran stories with no war) and it's doubtful Voyager or Enterprise would have ever existed.

The Great Bird Of The Galaxy checked out at exactly the right time - in order for his creation to thrive and survive.

From what I have heard, Gene still had a creative influence on TNG during season 3; he didn't just vanish out of sight after "Shades Of Grey"; it was his idea that Q should lose his powers in "Deja Q" for real instead of as a ruse to fool the crew. He killed a few stories and guided the parameters of the show. I think Gene's influence was a mixed bag. His influence was a good thing when he maintained that Star Trek should be true to its roots yet still grow and be different, as TNG was from the outset. I agree that he maybe he took his hope in the evolution of humanity too far...

 

[Prax]

So, after taking a glance at WP, it sounds like he died while the season 5 episode "Hero Worship" was in production.

It also appears that during season 4, story treatments(or whatever they're called for television) still needed to be submitted to Gene for approval, but in the case of "Family," a story which Gene thought was too soapy, Berman could "overrule" him.

He was also present at the celebration of TNG's 100th episode, the season 4 finale "Redemption."
He was an EP during season 5, and continued to be credited as such after his death, for the remainder of the season.

I'm just wondering if he was in better health, and been more proactive, would anything else have changed. I'm really impressed at how Paramount TV, Gene and Rick, etc, went about launching TNG in direct syndication so that the major networks couldn't interfere creatively. And how they got local networks to pick up TNG.

 

[Cheapjack1]

So, after taking a glance at WP, it sounds like he died while the season 5 episode "Hero Worship" was in production.

It also appears that during season 4, story treatments(or whatever they're called for television) still needed to be submitted to Gene for approval, but in the case of "Family," a story which Gene thought was too soapy, Berman could "overrule" him.

He was also present at the celebration of TNG's 100th episode, the season 4 finale "Redemption."
He was an EP during season 5, and continued to be credited as such after his death, for the remainder of the season.

I'm just wondering if he was in better health, and been more proactive, would anything else have changed. I'm really impressed at how Paramount TV, Gene and Rick, etc, went about launching TNG in direct syndication so that the major networks couldn't interfere creatively. And how they got local networks to pick up TNG.

Be careful what you wish, for, you may get it, as Uhura said.

 

[suarezguy]

He would have been OK with a space station show, but probably satisfied to be just a consultant than actively involved, but I think he would have urged that the show be more negative to Bajoran religion and urge that the species move away from it. If a Ferengi was still a character Roddenberry would urge that he be even more bumbling comic relief (and he would probably also become more Federation-like in attitudes over time).
He would have hated the idea of the Maquis, that Federation colonists would become terrorists, and urge that conflicts instead just come from aliens.

 

[Prax]

Be careful what you wish, for, you may get it, as Uhura said.

Oh I'm not wishing for this. That would be a contamination of the timeline!

 

[The Wormhole]

but I think he would have urged that the show be more negative to Bajoran religion and urge that the species move away from it.

Actually, considering the series established right from the start the Prophets were just alien life forms that the Bajorans thought were gods he'd probably be okay with them being just they way they were.

 

[Prax]

Would the Prophets end up really being a computer that Sisko would have to destroy so he could then liberate the "Bajora" from a backward life of religious devotion??

....j/k

 

[Tenacity]

The Bajor culture had been civilized for tens of thousands of years, their religion had hardly made them backwards.

 

[Ronald Held]

If he had lived would there be a DS9. ff the TNG ratings were only fair due to it bring an imperfect TOS clone? If that were a DS9 No way would it have that level of personal conflict. Maybe no VOY, ENT, or TNG movies?

 

[Prax]

The Bajor culture had been civilized for tens of thousands of years, their religion had hardly made them backwards.

I was making fun of Kirk, who often destroys a cultures gods(which often end up being a computer) and Picard, who equates Religion with "backwardness" and "Primitive superstition." These are common Roddenberry tropes from TOS and TNG, and I was making a "DS9 by Gene Roddenberry" joke.

Hence the "...jk"

 

[Tenacity]

I was making fun of Kirk

Ahh, I see, yes most amusing.

If that were a DS9 No way would it have that level of personal conflict. Maybe no VOY, ENT, or TNG movies?

But part of the OP was that Roddenberry was in good health, something that towards the end of his life he wasn't.

If Roddenberry were mentally sharp in his later years, might he have seen the wisdom of changing his previous established philosophy, and "re-imaging" the show to account for evolving cultural norms and audience expectations?

 

[Push The Button]

Maybe he would have remembered what he did with the 33" Enterprise model.