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

[JRoss]

In general, that's not how TV works these days. Audiences are much more fractured because there are many more shows to watch. The standards for what's considered a successful show now in terms of sheer number of viewers is much, much lower than a few decades ago.

This is doubly true for streaming media. I mean, Netflix only has about 57 million subscribers domestically - significantly less than the 126 million U.S. households. And Netflix is the biggest player - Amazon is much smaller, and CBS All Access smaller still. Also note that Netflix/Amazon are shifting their content streams to sci-fi and fantasy. nearly 30% of upcoming Netflix shows are speculative fiction. Geeks will pay premium prices for geek content. The normies are willing to take what they can get on broadcast for free.

Finally, CBS All Access in particular has little to offer at the moment in terms of exclusive content at the moment other than Discovery. There certainly was absolutely nothing else I cared about. The decision to double down produce the Picard show (along with the other Treks still in conceptual phases) shows that CBS wants to have enough exclusive Trek content to ensure fans don't drop when the content is over for the year. Hence I would expect DIS as well will be more about catering to "the fans" than chasing down a mainstream demographic who won't fork out for the show anyway.

This.

 

[Rahul]

No.

The Clark Kent effect is really a thing.

I'm not talking about actors wearing casual in their spare time. Most people probably wouldn't even recognize Leonardo DiCaprio if he stood next to them in a subway.

I'm talking about Captain Picard. Patrick Stewart, wearing a Starfleet uniform. The guy from the facepalm-meme.
That's as universal an image in our pop-culture as Kirk fighting Spock to that music (da-da-daa-daa-daa-da-daa-dada-da), Walter White saying "I am the danger" or that Netflix kids on their damn 80s bikes. People are familiar with it. Even those that never watched it.

 

[jaime]

And Patrick Stewart hasn't been relevant since 1994 when TNG went off the air. And no, I'm not being mean/felicitous here. hen tried to parley his fame into being a bigger feature film star (The films he headlined didn't do big box office) And hell, his last series he headlined "Blunt Talk" was cancelled after the second season (due to ratings) - so yes, sorry, outside of Star Trek and maybe hardcore X-Men fans (although nobody liked X3 - and X-Men: Days of Future past was practically a cameo role for both Stewart and Ian McKellen ).

the fact is - Worldwide Michelle Yoeh is a bigger and more recognized name than Patrick Stewart (and ST: D is worldwide via Netflix, and I'm sure this Picard series will be the same.)

I am as much a fan of Michelle as the next guy, but I am afraid you are mistaken. Sir Patrick Stewart is very well known, and his general gadding about still makes the news here. He works more in the U.S, but he’s still very well known. Basically ‘famous in home country and to fans of their main genre’ could apply to either of them. And both also foi d fame in the US. (Yeoh with Hero, Stewart with TNG) Though both did their legwork. They are pretty comparable. And to finish with another caveat, I am not a pat stew fan.

 

[CorporalClegg]

This.

Nope.

The entire cast - Yeoh specifically - is evidence enough CBS's intent was to extend feelers beyond the confines of straight white men living in Canada, US, and Western Europe.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Nope.

The entire cast - Yeoh specifically - is evidence enough CBS's intent was to extend feelers beyond the confines of straight white men living in Canada, US, and Western Europe.

This.

 

[Discofan]

Nope.

The entire cast - Yeoh specifically - is evidence enough CBS's intent was to extend feelers beyond the confines of straight white men living in Canada, US, and Western Europe.

Doesn't that apply to TOS' initial bridge crew as well? Even more in fact as the problem was much worse back then...

 

[Nerys Myk]

Doesn't that apply to TOS' initial bridge crew as well? Even more in fact as the problem was much worse back then...

In the Sixties, advertisers were looking for new markets which is why they request POC in the casts of many shows, including Star Trek.

 

[Discofan]

In the Sixties, advertisers were looking for new markets which is why they request POC in the casts of many shows, including Star Trek.

Sorry, POC?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Sorry, POC?

People/Person of Color.

 

[Discofan]

People/Person of Color.

Isn't that what they always do, look for new markets that is? Some are just more savvy about it than others.

 

[Mudd]

Whatever the initial intent may have been, it's inescapably obvious now that CBS intends to settle for spoon-feeding a dependable small audience of dedicated trekkies. This show is going nowhere innovative or interesting. There are some clever things being done in skiffy TV now - even some smart things. Trek, however, is safely bringing up the rear.

 

[fireproof78]

Trek has been safely bringing up the year since TNG.

 

[Lord Garth]

This show is going nowhere innovative or interesting.

Translation: "This show is going nowhere that I like." You had your way for 15 years. That's long enough.

There are some clever things being done in skiffy TV now - even some smart things. Trek, however, is safely bringing up the rear.

Sticks and stones.

that CBS intends to settle for spoon-feeding a dependable small audience of dedicated trekkies.

#Nope

If I stop liking what they put out, I'll just stop watching again. Not like I haven't done it before.

 

[jaime]

This.

Well, this is one of the times I giggle at how insular and strange the world has become. (I don’t disagree with either of you incidentally) Because in this neck of the woods, once upon a time, most of the straight white men I knew, if not quite all, knew precisely who Michelle Yeoh/Khan was. I’d go as far as to say not only us pale ones either. After Hero, I suspect nearly everyone I socialised with knew who she was in fact. But then, I don’t remember a time any of us were so insular as to confuse a television set with a mirror, and wonder why the people on it didn’t look exactly like us.
The 21st century has clearly been very regressive.

 

[eschaton]

Trek has been safely bringing up the year since TNG.

DS9 was ahead of its time for TV sci-fi. experimenting with serialized arcs at a time that few other shows were doing so. But otherwise I generally agree.

 

[eschaton]

Well, this is one of the times I giggle at how insular and strange the world has become. (I don’t disagree with either of you incidentally) Because in this neck of the woods, once upon a time, most of the straight white men I knew, if not quite all, knew precisely who Michelle Yeoh/Khan was. I’d go as far as to say not only us pale ones either. After Hero, I suspect nearly everyone I socialised with knew who she was in fact. But then, I don’t remember a time any of us were so insular as to confuse a television set with a mirror, and wonder why the people on it didn’t look exactly like us.
The 21st century has clearly been very regressive.

I don't think I've ever seen Michelle Yeoh in anything other than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon up until Discovery.

 

[Mr Awe]

it's inescapably obvious now that CBS intends to settle for spoon-feeding a dependable small audience of dedicated trekkies. This show is going nowhere innovative or interesting. There are some clever things being done in skiffy TV now - even some smart things. Trek, however, is safely bringing up the rear.

That's rich coming from someone who loves The Orville. That's a show that is mired in nostalgia. I like it too. But it's not going anywhere new. Just covering old ground.

 

[Tuskin38]

Whatever the initial intent may have been, it's inescapably obvious now that CBS intends to settle for spoon-feeding a dependable small audience of dedicated trekkies. This show is going nowhere innovative or interesting. There are some clever things being done in skiffy TV now - even some smart things. Trek, however, is safely bringing up the rear.

Nope.

 

[jaime]

I don't think I've ever seen Michelle Yeoh in anything other than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon up until Discovery.

I bought Police Story 3 supercop as soon as it came out on VHS when I was a teen, and of corse there was James Bond. She’s in all sorts of stuff, and apparently is a Londoner these days. Go Michelle.

 

[jaime]

I don't think I've ever seen Michelle Yeoh in anything other than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon up until Discovery.

Also yes...I meant crouching tiger lol. I dunno why my brain threw in hero.