Spoilers Star Trek: Picard General Discussion Thread

[Uhura's Song]

They’ll run as long as it makes fiscal sense to do so. The moment the shows salaries are too high or the licensing fee becomes too exorbitant, they’ll end the shows. It doesn’t matter about the leads or the perceived internet popularity if a show goes 1, 4, 7, 10 or 25 seasons. It’s up to the bottom dollar.

Well, the leads matter, too. If SMG or Mount are out, the show is over, regardless of the profitability or popularity. Picard is the most streamed of any NuTrek, and it is over after 3 because that is all Stewart would do.

As you say, the reverse is also true. If the show is losing a ton of money and/or is not successful, the plug is gonna get pulled regardless of how the lead feels.

 

[DaveyNY]

It seems to me that CBS/Paramount must be getting more than enough streaming views of the new Trek shows to compensate for their expenditures.

Otherwise we wouldn't be getting our sixth year of continuous TV productions.
(with at least two more years in the planning)

 

[RuleofAcuisition17]

It seems to me that CBS/Paramount must be getting more than enough streaming views of the new Trek shows to compensate for their expenditures.

Otherwise we wouldn't be getting our sixth year of continuous TV productions.
(with at least two more years in the planning)

They also have the "other options" which a number of platforms and studios are doing by still producing the show, but getting someone else to pay for it. Usually because their metrics are different on a break-even etc.

Picard and Lower Decks are both on Amazon Prime outside of the USA, for example, which would go a long way to offsetting the $80 million+ cost of Picard per season. (Also means we get it later, as they will put it in many different languages etc) Likely after all episodes have aired on Paramount+ which they did with the last two seasons of Lower Decks. They have the watch patterns on the show, and I know at least 3 people personally who watched the show this way. A few weeks delay is absolutely nothing to amazon's bottom line if enough people binge watch it after the fact.

 

[DaveyNY]

They also have the "other options" which a number of platforms and studios are doing by still producing the show, but getting someone else to pay for it. Usually because their metrics are different on a break-even etc.

Picard and Lower Decks are both on Amazon Prime outside of the USA, for example, which would go a long way to offsetting the $80 million+ cost of Picard per season. (Also means we get it later, as they will put it in many different languages etc) Likely after all episodes have aired on Paramount+ which they did with the last two seasons of Lower Decks. They have the watch patterns on the show, and I know at least 3 people personally who watched the show this way. A few weeks delay is absolutely nothing to amazon's bottom line if enough people binge watch it after the fact.

You do realize that Studios have been "syndicating" their shows since the '70's to earn more profit, right?
What CBS/Paramount is doing now with NU-Star Trek really is no different than from the day They started renting out TOS episodes in a similar manner five decades ago.

 

[The Wormhole]

Picard and Lower Decks are both on Amazon Prime outside of the USA,

Point of order, they're on Amazon Prime in Europe, but not in all countries outside the US. In Canada for example, both shows, along with Disco, SNW, Prodigy and even the Short Treks are on CTV Sci-Channel and the streaming service Crave.

Also means we get it later, as they will put it in many different languages etc) Likely after all episodes have aired on Paramount+ which they did with the last two seasons of Lower Decks.

I thought the first season of Lower Decks was the only one they did that with, and that was because of things like the pandemic delaying the dotting of Is and the crossing of Ts and other legalities? I'm pretty sure the second season of Lower Decks and the two seasons of Picard were all released Prime the same day (or at least same week) they were in the US.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

PIC Season 3 coming very soon and I am getting quite excited by now. By the trailers it looks like it's become the show I wanted it to be two seasons ago!

 

[RuleofAcuisition17]

Point of order, they're on Amazon Prime in Europe, but not in all countries outside the US. In Canada for example, both shows, along with Disco, SNW, Prodigy and even the Short Treks are on CTV Sci-Channel and the streaming service Crave.

Sustained.

I thought the first season of Lower Decks was the only one they did that with, and that was because of things like the pandemic delaying the dotting of Is and the crossing of Ts and other legalities? I'm pretty sure the second season of Lower Decks and the two seasons of Picard were all released Prime the same day (or at least same week) they were in the US.

The UK Trailer just says "coming soon" so I am not sure what is going on. Amazon metrics probably scraped social media and found people hoisting the jolly roger, or complaining about it on places like here being out of sync with the American Audiences previously. I know the Trekculture videos were usually going out before it hit the UK Market.

 

[Mirror Tuvix]

FYI folks, these are going fast, glad I ordered mine already

 

[fireproof78]

Gene's Vision confirmed.

Make sure you pin your IDIC medal on there you got from Lincoln Enterprises.

 

[Mirror Tuvix]

Not sure what you're on about. Terry Trek gear is not sold by Terry.

 

[Campe]

Ya know, I’m not expecting it to be, but there’s always the possibility Picard season 3 might just not be very good. Don’t know if I personally would want to spend money on a hat touting victory until I actually saw a completed episode or two myself.

But to each his own.

 

[fireproof78]

Not sure what you're on about. Terry Trek gear is not sold by Terry.

I do not care who sells it. I was amused, greatly, to the point of a sensible chuckle, at similarities of motivation in hocking wares from Gene's day until now. I see no reason to buy a hat to support something I haven't seen yet. Like buying my Eagles Super Bowl champions hat today.

Strikes me as eminently nonsensical.

 

[gvn2fly]

Who is selling / profiting off that Terry merch?

 

[James Cole]

Who is selling / profiting off that Terry merch?

The Popcast YouTube channel

 

[RuleofAcuisition17]

Yeah, I'm going to wait before popping the champagne corks and buying the merch. Right now it's starting to feel very "CONSUME MEDIA, THEN GET EXCITED TO CONSUME NEW MEDIA!"

Matalas has to prove himself before we crown him the next coming of Ira.

 

[Mirror Tuvix]

 

[FederationHistorian]

there’s always the possibility Picard season 3 might just not be very good

It makes sense to be cautious going into S3, though I also understand where the excitement is coming from.

I’ve been listening to RMB. And from what I’ve gathered, he didn’t like PIC S1. He didn’t like SNW S1. He didn’t like ST’09. Whereas I liked all of them. From my perspective, RMB isn’t the best person to promote that PIC S3 is good, since I’ve just not been as grumpy as he has been with Trek from 2009 onwards. Its already been taking some getting used to with this season being billed as building to The Next Next Generation, even though there was already a Next Next Generation already there from S1 & S2.

Currently, there is a sense of déjà vu with PIC S2, where the first three episodes were positively reviewed by critics before the season turned out the way it did. So with S3, based upon the reception from critics, I feel that at least the first six episodes will be good and that it will at least be better than S2, though that’s not a high bar to clear. It does not mean that it will be a perfect season. That has yet to be determined.

But despite being cautious, I’m still going to watch.

Don’t know if I personally would want to spend money on a hat touting victory until I actually saw a completed episode or two myself.

That does not seem smart. But maybe some fans are really that excited.

 

[fireproof78]

Yeah, I'm going to wait before popping the champagne corks and buying the merch. Right now it's starting to feel very "CONSUME MEDIA, THEN GET EXCITED TO CONSUME NEW MEDIA!"

Matalas has to prove himself before we crown him the next coming of Ira.

He could deliver a good product and I'd still not crown him.

 

[RuleofAcuisition17]

He could deliver a good product and I'd still not crown him.

The "crowning" was dripped with sacasm.

 

[gvn2fly]

Does anyone remember how many episodes were screened by reviewers for season 2? Was it just the first 2? The first 2-3 episodes were fine, but they just spent too much time in the past for me, spend too much time teasing what happened in Picard's past, and the whole arc of Q's plan didn't work for me. Again, they also were still planning the end of the season when they started filming. I also feel like they introduced some eye rolling silly elements (IMO) like Guinan saying she can control her aging, screaming to summon a Q, going inside Picard's mind (prior Trek shows have done it too - I didn't like it then either), the Kore plot, having Wil's Ready Room character appearing in the finale out of nowhere.

From what I've gathered with season 3, the story is one that Terry Matalas has had in mind for a while, so it may not have the issues the other seasons did with things dragging and the ending not feeling thought out. It also involves starfleet personnel and ships so that alone will make it "feel" more like Star Trek to reviewers than the previous seasons did. And by introducing a next generation, they probably mean a next generation starfleet crew, unlike the previous two seasons - although I do remember some posts from fans commenting that they'd like to see a captain rios show.