Could a new Trek show done in the 90's TNG/DS9 style work today?

[The Rock]

And by that I mean the way Berman & Braga produced Trek during TNG's run, and also the way Ira Steven Behr & Ronald D. Moore produced DS9 (I chose only those two shows because this was the heyday of the Trek resurgence in the 90's which started to decline when VOY started). In other words, that 90's television style that we saw in a lot of shows during that time period you don't see these days in Trek or any other show for that matter.

If I were to describe it I guess it would be a Trek show that doesn't feel like a we're watching a movie each week (if that makes any sense). For the record, I enjoy NuTrek and I understand that that style of flash is the norm for TV these days so I'm fine with it.

But would you like to see a return of that 90's style of Trek? And would it even work these days?

 

[Tuskin38]

So, Lower Decks?

If I were to describe it I guess it would be a Trek show that doesn't feel like a we're watching a movie each week

That's what Strange New Worlds is supposedly doing.

 

[Noname Given]

For Better or Worse that's essentially what Seth MacFarlane's The Orville effectively is (not to mention it has many TNG production alumni on staff.) So I guess your take on the level of success/failure that show has had would be similar to any actual Star Trek show done in the 90s Rick Berman Style.

 

[fireproof78]

But would you like to see a return of that 90's style of Trek?

No.

 

[Kor]

I think the general idea of more talky / less humongous and frenetic space action could work if executed properly. But it wouldn't look or feel like 90s Trek. There have been enough sci-fi feature films that take such an approach, even in recent years. So a TV show using that approach might feel something like that.

Kor

 

[BillJ]

But would you like to see a return of that 90's style of Trek?

Like anything else, it would depend on the project and if the characters are well cast and entertaining.

 

[The Rock]

For Better or Worse that's essentially what Seth MacFarlane's The Orville effectively is (not to mention it has many TNG production alumni on staff.) So I guess your take on the level of success/failure that show has had would be similar to any actual Star Trek show done in the 90s Rick Berman Style.

I should check that show out then! For some odd reason I haven't gotten around to watching it yet.

 

[Orphalesion]

What about Lower Decks? I mean it's more comedic than the 90s shows, but it's pretty similar to them otherwise.

 

[jackoverfull]

Definitely what the Orville is doing (and, with some caveats, Lower Decks), so a sound yes. And it seems they want to go that way with SNW (but we shall see).

 

[fireproof78]

What about Lower Decks? I mean it's more comedic than the 90s shows, but it's pretty similar to them otherwise.

I would say there is more conflict.

 

[Orphalesion]

I would say there is more conflict.

I mean, in my opinion that's an improvement.

 

[The Rock]

So, Lower Decks?

I like Lower Decks but it's more Family Guy than Star Trek to me. I don't really take it that seriously.

 

[Steve Roby]

If anything, The Orville is proof you can't do that kind of show again. There are people on this board who will argue vociferously that it's not a parody, but, well, it is. It's warmed over TNG nostalgia with a lot of crass jokes aimed at 13-year-old boys. Maybe the jokes are there to support a parody defence if Paramount/CBS sue them for ripping Star Trek off so blatantly. But maybe they're there because we have several hundred episodes of Berman Trek already and that was the Orville's way to try to make their retread feel a bit fresh. McFarlane wants to play The Orville more seriously sometimes, but he's shot himself in the foot by making several of the core characters, including the captain (his own role), walking jokes with no depth. They can try a scene like "There are four lights!" but no one is going to buy it from this guy. You'd expect him to say something like, "sure, there are five lights, those four there and the one up your ass." I mean, this is a show that did an episode about how funny it is that an alien is raping all the Orville's cast.

The closest thing I've seen in recent years to '90s TV was when my wife watched NCIS a few years back, but even that started doing bigger productions and more complicated ongoing storylines. TV changes. Watch the original Outer Limits and imagine someone running an hour-long anthology series with really slow-paced SF stories now. It wouldn't happen. Some of the episodes are classics, but they just don't make them like that any more.

 

[gweeps]

But would you like to see a return of that 90's style of Trek? And would it even work these days?

I'd like to see longer seasons. Would probably be too costly though it might help with character continuity that seems to be rendered in too much exposition these days. Hope SWN finds a happy medium between old and new Star Trek.

 

[Lynx]

Yes it could and that's exactly what I want to see.

I would love to see a Trek show set in the 24th century with the same style as TNG and DS9 without the doom-and-gloom scenarios of the later series and movies.

Time to bring back the real Star Trek!

 

[Steve Roby]

"Time to bring back the real Star Trek!" That's what some diehard TOS fans were saying when TNG and DS9 were on the air. But the '80s and '90s weren't the 1960s, and the pacing, dialogue, acting, writing, directing, etc, in TV shows had changed over the decades, so nobody listened to those people.

 

[fireproof78]

Real Star Trek is such a nonsensical statement.

 

[jackoverfull]

I'd like to see longer seasons.

me too. Longer and less serialised.

As in: serialise the characters stuff but do it within the context of self-contained episodes, avoiding the overprotracted long storylines that inevitably end up not making sense.

 

[Bornin1980something]

Isn't 9-1-1 on Fox pretty retro?

 

[Noname Given]

"Time to bring back the real Star Trek!" That's what some diehard TOS fans were saying when TNG and DS9 were on the air. But the '80s and '90s weren't the 1960s, and the pacing, dialogue, acting, writing, directing, etc, in TV shows had changed over the decades, so nobody listened to those people.

The other funny thing is when there was a stretch of Bad episodes; fans started suggesting shorter more focused seasons spending a little more money, development and production time per episode to get better quality...

So yeah they can't win. They do shorter more focused stories that leave out side stories on ancillary Bridge characters, and suddenly fans want longer Seasons again.