Spoilers Star Trek: Prodigy General Discussion Thread

[eschaton]

I do kind of hope that this show has some slightly elevated comedy over what's come before - not over-the-top stuff that LDS is famous for, but also not titanium-rod-up-the-tight-ass stodgy dourness of Berman-era Trek, either. And I know it's geared predominantly towards kids but, for the Love of All That Does Not Suck, let's please try to keep the idiotic slapstick comedy to the barest minimum.

After re-reading what I just wrote, I suspect this will be a tall order for what's involved.

I don't find Berman Trek lacks humor at all. DS9 had a large number of comedic episodes (In the Cards, Our Man Bashir, Trials and Tribble-ations, The Magnificent Ferengi, etc). TNG and VOY had the occasional funny episode as well, though there were more misses than hits, IMHO. Really Enterprise was the only Berman Trek series which had essentially nothing which was funny.

 

[Christopher]

I do kind of hope that this show has some slightly elevated comedy over what's come before - not over-the-top stuff that LDS is famous for, but also not titanium-rod-up-the-tight-ass stodgy dourness of Berman-era Trek, either. And I know it's geared predominantly towards kids but, for the Love of All That Does Not Suck, let's please try to keep the idiotic slapstick comedy to the barest minimum.

Given the creators involved, I expect a similar level of humor to Netflix's Tales from Arcadia series (Trollhunters etc.), i.e. a lot of character and situational humor against a backdrop of grand adventure and life-or-death stakes.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I don't find Berman Trek lacks humor at all. DS9 had a large number of comedic episodes (In the Cards, Our Man Bashir, Trials and Tribble-ations, The Magnificent Ferengi, etc). TNG and VOY had the occasional funny episode as well, though there were more misses than hits, IMHO. Really Enterprise was the only Berman Trek series which had essentially nothing which was funny.

Berman trek had levity which isn't necessarily the same thing as comedy.

 

[137th Gebirg]

I don't find Berman Trek lacks humor at all. DS9 had a large number of comedic episodes (In the Cards, Our Man Bashir, Trials and Tribble-ations, The Magnificent Ferengi, etc). TNG and VOY had the occasional funny episode as well, though there were more misses than hits, IMHO. Really Enterprise was the only Berman Trek series which had essentially nothing which was funny.

I should probably clarify. DS9 was Berman-era, yes, but it was Ira Behr who gave DS9 a quality (both light and dark) which Berman & Braga rarely dared to approach in TNG, VOY & ENT. I don't think the B's had nearly as much of a hand in that show, other than a general oversight on certain things (like not allowing DS9 to use the E-E in Dominion War actions, etc.)

I guess what I'm trying to say is, maybe a happy medium between what came before in the 90's/00's and LDS.

 

[Christopher]

...which Berman & Braga rarely dared to approach in TNG, VOY & ENT. I don't think the B's had nearly as much of a hand in that show, other than a general oversight on certain things (like not allowing DS9 to use the E-E in Dominion War actions, etc.)

There was no "Berman & Braga" on TNG, or for the majority of VGR's run. Braga was the lowest-ranked member of the TNG writing staff in its final couple of seasons; by season 7 he'd only made it to co-producer, the lowest producer rank. On TNG and the early seasons of VGR, Braga was subordinate to showrunner Jeri Taylor, who answered to Michael Piller, who answered to Rick Berman. It wasn't until season 5 of VGR, after Piller and Taylor left, that Braga became the showrunner, but he was still working under Berman. The only time there was really such an entity as "Berman & Braga," a full partnership, was on Enterprise. Braga did usually write with a partner, but it was Ron Moore on TNG and usually Joe Menosky on VGR. Berman didn't begin writing scripts regularly until ENT.

And Braga had exactly zero input into Deep Space Nine. The only time Braga ever wrote for a DS9 character was when Dr. Bashir guest-starred in TNG: "Birthright: Part I."

 

[Jinn]

There was no "Berman & Braga" on TNG, or for the majority of VGR's run. Braga was the lowest-ranked member of the TNG writing staff in its final couple of seasons; by season 7 he'd only made it to co-producer, the lowest producer rank.

Sooooo what you're saying is that Braga is the Ensign Kim of TNG staff?

 

[Christopher]

Sooooo what you're saying is that Braga is the Ensign Kim of TNG staff?

No, because he did get promoted. There are several levels below co-producer (intern, staff writer, story editor, executive story editor).

 

[Jinn]

No, because he did get promoted. There are several levels below co-producer (intern, staff writer, story editor, executive story editor).

Eh, Kim got promoted in the non-canon novels. Close enough for me.

 

[The Wormhole]

I should probably clarify. DS9 was Berman-era, yes, but it was Ira Behr who gave DS9 a quality (both light and dark) which Berman & Braga rarely dared to approach in TNG, VOY & ENT. I don't think the B's had nearly as much of a hand in that show, other than a general oversight on certain things (like not allowing DS9 to use the E-E in Dominion War actions, etc.)

I guess what I'm trying to say is, maybe a happy medium between what came before in the 90's/00's and LDS.

Studio Suits apparently were responsible for comedy being restrained on Voyager. I remember reading an interview with Robert Duncan McNeil where he said he and a few other (he didn't identify which) actors on Voyager were chatting with some of the writers (again, not identified) and made the comment the show could have more comedy in it, since many of the actors on the show were very funny people. The next day a Suit came to set and assembled the cast together and lectured them all about Star Trek is meant to be a dignified and prestigious "that attracts high caliber actors like Patrick Stewart" and they "can't afford to be associated with comedy."

 

[137th Gebirg]

Yeah I remember hearing something about that. “Dignified”. As in jokes about Klingon zits, firm boobs and floatation devices. Top-shelf stuff indeed!

Pompous assholes.

 

[eschaton]

I should probably clarify. DS9 was Berman-era, yes, but it was Ira Behr who gave DS9 a quality (both light and dark) which Berman & Braga rarely dared to approach in TNG, VOY & ENT. I don't think the B's had nearly as much of a hand in that show, other than a general oversight on certain things (like not allowing DS9 to use the E-E in Dominion War actions, etc.)

I credit Behr with the levity of DS9, but the darkness didn't really come from him. Remember Michael Piller was showrunner for the first two seasons. DS9 during that period was actually much more uniformly dark and didn't really attempt any of the comedic romps it later became famous for. Even the early "Ferengi episodes" and the first MU episode played it comparably straight.

 

[NCC-73515]

Wait... Babel, Move Along Home, and If Wishes Were Horses were not failed comedy shows? XD

 

[fireproof78]

he next day a Suit came to set and assembled the cast together and lectured them all about Star Trek is meant to be a dignified and prestigious "that attracts high caliber actors like Patrick Stewart" and they "can't afford to be associated with comedy."

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Honestly, it amazes the pomposity of how people view Star Trek.

 

[dupersuper]

That's fascinating. DS9 would have at least looked entirely different. Cheaper makeup. Green station instead of brown. Horrible shoulder pads.

"But the question still remains: why would the Romulans want to have Garak killed?"
"I don't know. Considering those uniforms of theirs, you'd think they'd appreciate a decent tailor."

Eh, Kim got promoted in the non-canon novels. Close enough for me.

He's a captain in Star Trek Online.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Well, one of them anyway.

 

[Deks]

He's a captain in Star Trek Online.

Kim was seen as captain of the USS Rhode Island in the alternate timeline (26 years in the future) from which Admiral Janeway came back... and we don't know how long it took for him to become captain in that original timeline (but it probably wasn't long given the extenuating circumstances the crew was in, and I suspect Janeway promoted him at SOME point during those initial 16 years going back, and Starfleet could have field promoted him in the interim).
Kim was pretty certain that he'd have been a Lt or Lt/cmmd by the early 7th season of Voyager... and if by that analogy it takes another 5 to 7 years to be promoted to Commander and similar or less to Captain.

You're looking at about 14-15 years to get from Ensign to Captain.
Ensign and Lt. might be 'longest points to pass'. If you reach Commander, you can probably make Captain much faster though if Riker was any indication.

Altered timeline: Voyager comes back earlier than expected, Kim is likely instantly promoted to Lt or Lt/cmmdr, and might make Captain a lot faster than his counterpart (more options for promotions and he was seemingly dead-set on becoming a Captain eventually).

Riker was offered a captains chair on multiple occasions by the time season 3 of TNG ended... but we don't know how long he was a commander by that point (its stated by non-canonical sources he was freshly promoted to Commander just before being transferred to the Enterprise-D, so if he was offered a captain's chair so quickly due to his exceptional abilities as a scientist... that would mean he was a commander for about a year, possibly slightly more before being offered a promotion).

 

[Bornin1980something]

Given the creators involved, I expect a similar level of humor to Netflix's Tales from Arcadia series (Trollhunters etc.), i.e. a lot of character and situational humor against a backdrop of grand adventure and life-or-death stakes.

Like The Orville?

 

[Christopher]

Like The Orville?

Never seen it, but we're talking about a kids' show here, so I doubt it would bear any resemblance to Seth MacFarlane's style of humor.

 

[Oddish]

Eh, Kim got promoted in the non-canon novels. Close enough for me.

It doesn't absolve the writers of their limited intelligence and/or their lack if respect for their audience.

As in jokes about Klingon zits, firm boobs and floatation devices.

There's plenty of comedy strewn throughout Trek. Some if it was even deliberate.

He's a captain in Star Trek Online.

Harry gets promoted (or close to it) in five deleted or non-canonical timelines, all of them when he was no longer (or never was) under Janeway's command. Maybe the fan theories are right and she really did have it in for him.

 

[137th Gebirg]

There's plenty of comedy strewn throughout Trek. Some if it was even deliberate.

But rarely as ridiculously infantile as that. If that's you're thing, then go you.