“8 shows now on the air or in the works”

[fireproof78]

As with many things, I suspect the truth lies somewhere in-betweeen. Personally, I tuned out in the second season of Enterprise, because it just didn't hold my interest. I came back years later and watched the rest. Looking back it cannot be overstated just how much of a reanimation Star Trek (2009) has been for the franchise.

Indeed. And I don't recall complaining so much as it was just disinterest. Like, my friends and I would discuss DS9 or VOY from time to time but there wasn't the push like my friends had with TNG or even the TNG films. It just wasn't enjoyable any more.

ST 09 changed that for me, but a lot of people I know didn't bother.

 

[RAMA]

Oversaturation. Good to know they learned nothing from the 90’s.

The exact opposite actually, they learned everything. They have lots of new, award-winning talent with different styles working on each series, each series has a different filming style and tone, and Short Treks is even experimental, like a book anthology of good short stories.

Berman, recycle all the same writers, creators and maintain the look of the 80s with static shots, super-bright TV lighting and keep everything at a low hum till there is a point of diminishing returns.

That's definitely not happening here, as the Trek shows are going from strength to strength, critically acclaimed and with a worldwide, instantaneous reach that the earlier era could only dream of.

Also, keep in mind peak TV: there is a lot of room for streaming material on-demand rather than the old cable days of being force fed whatever they wanted to give you. In the TNG world, they had maybe 150 shows on the air, today there are almost 500. People are still finding and talking about season 1 Discovery today (which is why its still in the top 20 popularity ratings).

RAMA

 

[RAMA]

It's Starfleet Academy, a spin-off set in the 33rd century when they are rebuilding the Federation.

Yup, you got it. They announced the producers of this show and it's still in the works. I'm pretty sure COVID kept it from being announced this year so far.

 

[eschaton]

Berman, recycle all the same writers, creators and maintain the look of the 80s with static shots, super-bright TV lighting and keep everything at a low hum till there is a point of diminishing returns.

Rick Berman has a lot of flaws, but I think some of the worst stuff about VOY and ENT came more from the studio than him. Remember both he and Braga wanted the entire first season of Enterprise to take place on Earth while the ship was being constructed, but the studio vetoed it. He blocked even worse shit too, like having a "boy band" play live in the mess hall each week.

 

[RAMA]

I can't tell you how often I'm told: "Well I like the new Trek movies" if the topic of Trek comes up. Kelvin movies made Trek interesting again, there just wasn't enough of it. It also inspired me collecting Trek again around 2012-13, after I had sold about 80% of my collection.

RAMA

Indeed. And I don't recall complaining so much as it was just disinterest. Like, my friends and I would discuss DS9 or VOY from time to time but there wasn't the push like my friends had with TNG or even the TNG films. It just wasn't enjoyable any more.

ST 09 changed that for me, but a lot of people I know didn't bother.

 

[RAMA]

I've actually defended Berman in his early days, He was able to steer the show in the right direction early on and is still responsible for the best of Trek as well as the worst from the period. It's just that the formula wore thin. It was easier to be comfortable with what they had and to replicate earlier success rather than try anything new...to the point that I used say it was time to hire a whole new team for Enterprise and the 4th TNG movie, circa 2000-02 which of course they did not do.

RAMA

Rick Berman has a lot of flaws, but I think some of the worst stuff about VOY and ENT came more from the studio than him. Remember both he and Braga wanted the entire first season of Enterprise to take place on Earth while the ship was being constructed, but the studio vetoed it. He blocked even worse shit too, like having a "boy band" play live in the mess hall each week.

 

[Xhiandra]

Oversaturation. Good to know they learned nothing from the 90’s.

Agreed. 2 is enough: Picard + Strange New Worlds, they can scrap the rest.

 

[brandnewfan]

Oversaturation. Good to know they learned nothing from the 90’s.

I don't think this is quite the same thing.

In the 90s, there was no special streaming service with which these shows aired. They had to compete with other shows in the same time slots. Now, all of these shows can be seen at the leisure of the viewer. People pay for this specific service, and I'd wager most of the CBS AA subscribers are paying for Trek content. There is no time slot competition. Ratings and viewership can be calculated much differently now than they were in the 90s.

 

[fireproof78]

And they can scale back if needed.

 

[Quinton]

Agreed. 2 is enough: Picard + Strange New Worlds, they can scrap the rest.

I'd be real pleased-like if you'd allow us Discovery fans the boon of its continuation.

 

[fireproof78]

How about we just see how it goes since are getting far more flavors of Trek than ever before. Where's the harm in that?

 

[Tenacity]

like having a "boy band" play live in the mess hall each week.

Instead we got movies with the beastie boys music.

 

[brandnewfan]

How about we just see how it goes since are getting far more flavors of Trek than ever before. Where's the harm in that?

No matter how good things are, people will always complain.

And some will gripe all the way until we’re not getting any Trek anymore and those same people will look back on it this timeframe missing it.

 

[fireproof78]

I wonder if having no Trek is better...

 

[BillJ]

How about we just see how it goes since are getting far more flavors of Trek than ever before. Where's the harm in that?

You can overdo it. Like Kirk said, too much of anything isn’t necessarily a good thing.

I’m someone who’d rather be left wanting more than having so much that I get bored and walk away.

 

[fireproof78]

You can overdo it. Like Kirk said, too much of anything isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Certainly you can but I have yet to see evidence that it will occur. How the market will bear out is more of interest for me.

ETA: Here's my perspective, limited though it might be one. One, what is the greatest possible harm that will happen if they oversaturate the market? CBS stops making Trek. Now, at the risk of sounding extremely conceited that is a non-issue for me. There is already more Trek content out there than I can reasonably consume in any given amount of time. So, if that's the worst then I think that's OK.

But, more likely than not is the fact that CBS can easily (and clearly has) rearranged shooting schedules, production schedules and output based upon market demand. CBS has a vested interest in continuing content of some kind so, to my mind, they are more likely to slow down output then cancel all together.

 

[Xhiandra]

8 is too much. It's modern hollywooding. "Vampire/zombie movies for a decade!" "Now it's all superheroes for a decade!" (as much as I enjoyed "Joker", it's quite ridiculous that even a character study movie has to be tangentially related to superheroes)
"Remember that trilogy of movies that then got another trilogy? Now we're making a new trilogy and spinoffs!"
If Hollywood was to make 12 Angry Men today, it'd be "12 Angry Avengers", one of them would be Harry Potter and another one would be called "Skywalker". And there'd be explosions while they deliberate.

Good or bad, I personally don't want to see 18672782 iterations of the same franchise, rather have more different franchises or standalone movies/series.
Especially if it's to take a SF franchise with a habit of exploring ethical issues and turn into mindless action (Abrams movies & DSC) or teenage humour (Lower Decks).

I'd be real pleased-like if you'd allow us Discovery fans the boon of its continuation.

And i'd be content if you allow us non-Discovery fans the boon of dissent.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I wonder if having no Trek is better...

Well if those seeing a Trek overload and crash in the next couple of years (including myself) are right, those wanting no new Trek at all just have a wait and their time will come!

 

[Jinn]

If I had to keep two Trek shows from the current ones I'd probably go with Discovery and Lower Decks. Picard is definitely out, and Strange New Worlds might have a chance against Lower Decks.

 

[ThreeEdgedSword]

I'm quite happy that I have the choice to love PIC, be mildly interested in some of the others, and maybe watch all of them (except for the kids show) to tide me over until PIC is on again... Looks like their strategy works well with me!