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

[JirinPanthosa]

Honestly, I can't imagine that any Trekkie would sign up to watch just one of the new Trek shows without bothering to check out the others. I mean, if you're already paying for the service . . ..

"Would you like some more STAR TREK?"
"Nah, I'm good."

The Trekkies already are watching Discovery. But the casual Trek fans with fond memories of TNG will be drawn in by Picard, and then when they're already paying for it, exactly, why not check out Discovery?

 

[Mudd]

Say what you will about DSC, shorter seasons was the right move. In Old Trek, even the best seasons had some episodes we could've done without.

Whereas, by focusing more time and attention on each episode, STD has produced a season in which most episodes could have been done without.

 

[Graham]

The only disappointment I have is that it's harder for a show to reach 100 episodes.*

I suppose with seasons becoming shorter overall the 100 episode goal will shift too.

I'd like to hear that Discovery (or any future series) will be on broadcast television some day, far in the future, on something like HiTV or BBC America.

I can't wish you luck on that, but I suppose that will happen, eventually. Might be a long wait, though.

 

[Graham]

The Trekkies already are watching Discovery.

Some are. Many aren't.

But the casual Trek fans with fond memories of TNG will be drawn in by Picard, and then when they're already paying for it, exactly, why not check out Discovery?

I'd think everyone who felt at all inclined would already have checked Discovery out and decided whether it was for them or not.

 

[TrickyDickie]

As long as the seasons are not as short as 'Sherlock' it's all good....

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Some are. Many aren't.

The ones who aren't watched the first couple episodes, didn't like it, and stopped. (But most of the ones who didn't like it kept watching anyway so they could be informedly outraged.)

There's lots of people who haven't really checked out Discovery. TNG had millions and millions of weekly viewers and most of them didn't follow Star Trek news all this time. Or heard about it, but Star Trek just isn't on their minds anymore. If they get drawn in by Patrick Stewart, not all of them but a lot of them will certainly give Disco a chance.

 

[Graham]

The ones who aren't watched the first couple episodes, didn't like it, and stopped.

Some did, some didn't. It's kind of silly to assume a group of people numbering in the hundreds of thousands to millions all fell into one or two modes of behaviour.

(But most of the ones who didn't like it kept watching anyway so they could be informedly outraged.)

I suppose you could put me in that category. I watched the first two, hated them, watched the next four, hated them, and stopped. After about months of people telling me it got a lot better in the Mirror Universe, and consideration of whether I had any kind of duty to watch so I could write the show up for my website, I watched the rest. And hated them even more.

I wonder if this is a new strategy, basically trying to trick people into watching shows by constantly telling them it got way better after they stopped?

Anyway, no season two for me. And no Picard show, if it's in the Discovery-verse. Fool me once, as Scotty would say.

 

[Refuge]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I just rewatched TNG and I loved how many episodes they were. This modern trend of 10-15 episodes bugs the hell out of me. As a Brit I long lamented how few episodes we got in a season compared to American shows, so seeing US shows headed along the same path? It makes me sad.

If something is good I love watching it and binge watching it. I just don't think Discovery fits either bill. It's lesser in episodes and yet if you compare it with say "The Fall" which I only mention because I've recently finished watching it, the depth of story between the two is noticeable.

 

[Mudd]

I watched half of them.

 

[Graham]

If something is good I love watching it and binge watching it. I just don't think Discovery fits either bill.

Me neither.

 

[CorporalClegg]

TNG is a good example. Take all the episodes - we'll call it 180 for easy math. Of those, maybe five are truly outstanding [A/A+]. Another 15 are really good [B+/A-] and another 20 better than average[B/B-]. That leaves the remaining 75% at mediocre at best. Though I don't think TNG had any turds besides Shades of Gray, but clip shows never count. (But then I've never seen Sub Rosa.)

But things don't get any better for the rest of the franchise. Certainly, anything through Amok Time can best be described as "Pretty good at worst and some of the best television ever made at best." But it takes a pretty hard veer off the road shortly thereafter. Most of season 2 is just okay with a few goodies mixed in, but I generally find all of season three [save for two or three episodes] to be pretty much unwatchable. So while it hit more homers than TNG, it's batting average wasn't much better.

But the other three series don't have much to offer at the plate. While I do like watching the occasional episode from time to time. I can't really think of anything that I consider particularly well-made television. The best thing any of the three having going for them is the characters, most of whom probably don't hold-up without Star Trek beer goggles.

Really, as far as I'm concerned, Disco is already way ahead of the curve.

 

[fireproof78]

Really, as far as I'm concerned, Disco is already way ahead of the curve.

Same here. TNG didn't hold my interest from episode to episode and really wasn't something I felt I had to watch.

 

[Graham]

TNG is a good example. Take all the episodes - we'll call it 180 for easy math. Of those, maybe five are truly outstanding [A/A+]. Another 15 are really good [B+/A-] and another 20 better than average[B/B-]. That leaves the remaining 75% at mediocre at best. Though I don't think TNG had any turds besides Shades of Gray, but clip shows never count. (But then I've never seen Sub Rosa.)

Really, as far as I'm concerned, Disco is already way ahead of the curve.

If I understand you, you are assuming that people make fewer episodes by just leaving out the bad ones and only making the good ones. Reality doesn't actually work that way. You could make one episode a year - and still have it come out sucking.

In fact one could argue that many Hollywood movies prove this point, and they are often one-off events that studios get to put a hell of a lot of time and money into - and they often wind up sucking anyway.

I can't really comment on the success rate of STD as such, because I think every single episode sucked balls. But even amongst fans of the show I've heard many express the idea that the season was considerably padded out and could easily have left out several bad episodes.

 

[Lord Garth]

Whereas, by focusing more time and attention on each episode, STD has produced a season in which most episodes could have been done without.

Here's to an even worse Season 2!

 

[Mirror Tuvix]

Groppler Zorn, that is what I am getting very a lot concerned with about.

SONG FOR BURNHAM

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[fireproof78]

Here's to an even worse Season 2!

Here-here

 

[Mirror Tuvix]

OMG where did you get that pic of Michael as a shining saint?! Getting srsly verklepmt.

 

[fireproof78]

OMG where did you get that pic of Michael as a shining saint?! Getting srsly verklepmt.

 

[Mirror Tuvix]

 

[TrickyDickie]

I like Discovery reasonably well, but in fairness to those who don't it's really like one long episode.

If there was such an overriding concern at the beginning, as to whether the show was going to be cancelled after only one season or less, wouldn't the thing to do have been to do the first season as stand-alone episodes with a lot of good variety, to demonstrate its range and depth, and then do a season-long story after it got picked up?

I have my doubts that there were a lot of good stories in the pool to pick from at the beginning. I think there was a lot of indecision, lack of agreement, wringing of the hands, etc.

In some ways, it's reminiscent of what happened with TMP.

And if they were harkening back to the old-old days of the weekly serials in the theaters, they could have done quite a lot better, in my opinion.