“Jean-Luc Picard is back”: will new Picard show eclipse Discovery?

[Jadeb]

Shatner is still pretty spry. They need to get him back and fix Kirk's death before it's too late.

 

[eschaton]

Shatner is still pretty spry. They need to get him back and fix Kirk's death before it's too late.

Yeah, Shatner is in a weird place in terms of aging. He certainly didn't transition well into being middle aged with all the weight he put on (which admittedly started on TOS) but since the 1990s he's continually looked about 20 years younger than he actually is.

 

[Reece L101]

I mean Shatner is way too old to appear in Star Trek Discovery because he is 87 years old.
Was there rumours that he might appear on Discovery?

 

[fireproof78]

And CBS has never revealed any figure but the total subscriptions, is that not so? So we have no idea whatsoever how many people actually watch this show.

Why would they?

 

[eschaton]

I mean Shatner is way too old to appear in Star Trek Discovery because he is 87 years old.
Was there rumours that he might appear on Discovery?

IIRC he floated the idea of playing his own grandfather when it was pointed out he was already too old to play his own father.

 

[2takesfrakes]

Yeah, Shatner is in a weird place in terms of aging. He certainly didn't transition well into being middle aged with all the weight he put on (which admittedly started on TOS) but since the 1990s he's continually looked about 20 years younger than he actually is.

The Shat's plumpness stretches out his wrinkles.

 

[eschaton]

The Shat's plumpness stretches out his wrinkles.

It's actually been proven scientifically that people who have chubbier faces seem to age more slowly, but Shatner's a very extreme example of this.

Though it's funny, because although I guess one could say he "looks good for his age" he certainly doesn't look good.

 

[2takesfrakes]

The French call old age "The Revenge of the Uglies."

 

[Tuskin38]

But isn't that the number of total subscriptions, not the number of subscribers?

If 90% of the people who subscribed did so on the "free month" deal and then cancelled their subscription after watching one or two episodes, they would be counted in that 5 million figure - but the true number of ongoing subscribers would be half a million, right?

And CBS has never revealed any figure but the total subscriptions, is that not so? So we have no idea whatsoever how many people actually watch this show.

Enough are watching/have watched that they consider the show a success.

The Blu-Ray for Season One is also currently on the top selling Blu-ray list on Amazon.

 

[Jadeb]

How could Trek not be a success for them? They’ve got jack crap else. No wonder they want Star Trek all year long.

 

[Reece L101]

Jonathan Frakes has directed one episode of Discovery so far and I wonder how many more he will direct.

 

[fireproof78]

How could Trek not be a success for them? They’ve got jack crap else. No wonder they want Star Trek all year long.

Star Trek is a success and they have shows that other, non Trek fans, might be interested in. The two are not mutually exclusive.

 

[2takesfrakes]

Jonathan Frakes has directed one episode of Discovery so far and I wonder how many more he will direct.

Keep him overemployed, I say!

 

[Reece L101]

Keep him overemployed, I say!

Agreed!

 

[Tuskin38]

Jonathan Frakes has directed one episode of Discovery so far and I wonder how many more he will direct.

He's already directed 2 more for Season 2. Episodes 2 and 10.

 

[Mudd]

Shatner is still pretty spry. They need to get him back and fix Kirk's death before it's too late.

He's dead and done.

 

[Reece L101]

View attachment 5663

He's dead and done.

He is not dead yet.

 

[Nyotarules]

His wife is only 39, so he has personal reasons to stay in good shape as well.

The worst thing I have read about him is arthritis in his hands, for which he uses medical marijuana.

I bet he thanks the medical gods for Viagra lol

 

[Graham]

Couldn't you say the same thing about Patrick Stewart? He's 78.

I could and did on another forum. Although in fairness he seems tremendously fit for his age.

But honestly I suspect they will do an "Angela Lansbury" on him. When she got too old they re-jiggered the show so that she could act mostly as a narrator. It cut her workload down to a fraction.

So I suspect Sir Stewart will be taking something of a back seat. I can't remember if I posted it here, but I suggested maybe it will be the Starfleet Academy show they always seem so keen on. He'll the the Academy boss and will do a briefing scene at the start and then a debrief at the end, but most of the show itself will be the young cadets doing the task of the week. Short workday and big paycheque for Sir Stewart.

You'd think they could market the daylights out of "William Shatner's return to the iconic role he made famous ... only on CBS All Access."

Sure. But would he want to do it?

 

[Graham]

Enough are watching/have watched that they consider the show a success.

This is an unproven assertion.

Why would they?

Why would they what? Reveal how many people watch the show?

Depends. If the number were a high one, I'd think they would want to brag about it for the good publicity it would score them. It's pretty typical for a company to want to brag about success.

If the number were a low one, I'd think they would want to keep it to themselves. Again this is pretty typical behaviour.