Kurtzman intentionally killed Legacy?

[The Wormhole]

From what I watched of The Orville (I've only seen Season 1), even there they had a hard time keeping it a true sitcom, and it turned into off-brand TNG.

McFarlane never wanted The Orville to be a sitcom. The comedic elements present in the first season were at Fox's request, which their marketing people played up in the trailers to make it look like "Family Guy in space." The second season and especially the third are more in line with how McFarlane intended the show to be.

 

[Danja]

Then there was the whole Seven thing. On the one hand he's still just a jerk. But then I never understood why she's hanging on so tight to the name her kidnappers and abused gave her.

Seven knows that there's no going back to being a human being. She sees Annika Hansen as being dead (she's reminded of the Borg every morning when she looks into her bathroom mirror).

 

[BillJ]

Now they announce that a star trek live action comedy series is in development.

I can guarantee that live-action comedy series is going to be a heck of a lot cheaper to produce than a proposed Legacy series.

With SNW and Starfleet Academy already going, I'm betting anything additional had to have a much lower budget than either.

 

[Danja]

I can guarantee that live-action comedy series is going to be a heck of a lot cheaper to produce than a proposed Legacy series.

With SNW and Starfleet Academy already going, I'm betting anything additional had to have a much lower budget than either.

If they film in Canada, it'll be cheaper than Picard.

 

[BillJ]

If they film in Canada, it'll be cheaper than Picard.

Even if they film in Canada, the Newsome show is still going to be heaps cheaper to make than Legacy.

 

[Danja]

Even if they film in Canada, the Newsome show is still going to be heaps cheaper to make than Legacy.

They can only go so far without compromising the brand (Would you film Star Wars in a broom closet?)

 

[BillJ]

They can only go so far without compromising the brand (Would you film Star Wars in a broom closet?)

None of the decisions that are made are mine. I'm simply a viewer, they make something, either I watch it or I don't.

 

[fireproof78]

What does compromising the brand mean? I hear it a lot, but I see so much variety with Star Trek's platform that I'm not exactly certain how something violates the brand.

 

[BillJ]

What does compromising the brand mean? I hear it a lot, but I see so much variety with Star Trek's platform that I'm not exactly certain how something violates the brand.

I think a lot of folks grew up with it being a bit of a more serious brand. So, to them, a comedy is violating how they see the brand. And, if popular, could turn Trek into more of a joke than it already is in the mainstream.

It isn't my money or property, so they can make whatever they like.

 

[fireproof78]

I think a lot of folks grew up with it being a bit of a more serious brand. So, to them, a comedy is violating how they see the brand. And, if popular, could turn Trek into more of a joke than it already is in the mainstream.

It isn't my money or property, so they can make whatever they like.

I mean...comedy is part of the Star Trek foundational structure.

So...if folks taking it that seriously are probably missing out on a lot of Trek already.

 

[Danja]

What does compromising the brand mean? I hear it a lot, but I see so much variety with Star Trek's platform that I'm not exactly certain how something violates the brand.

Trek is supposed to be a fantasy.

You can only take cost cutting so far before the seams begin showing and it overshadows the story.

 

[BillJ]

I mean...comedy is part of the Star Trek foundational structure.

Having fun with an episode, once-in-a-while, isn't turning it into a comedy though. Lower Decks is a comedy, this new show will be a comedy. They are beginning to see that comedy may be the foundation of future Trek, and aren't thrilled. Finally turned into a complete joke 60 years after the fact so Paramount can turn a quick buck on disposable entertainment.

 

[fireproof78]

Having fun with an episode, once-in-a-while, isn't turning it into a comedy though. Lower Decks is a comedy, this new show will be a comedy. They are beginning to see that comedy may be the foundation of future Trek, and aren't thrilled. Finally turned into a complete joke 60 years after the fact so Paramount can turn a quick buck on disposable entertainment.

I don't see the difference, nor do I see it being turned in to a complete foundation. Hell, Trek has been the butt of so many jokes since at least "Night Court" did their whole riff, so this idea that Trek is a joke has been a horse that left a barn so long ago the horse is dead and fossilized!

 

[Nerys Myk]

Having fun with an episode, once-in-a-while, isn't turning it into a comedy though. Lower Decks is a comedy, this new show will be a comedy. They are beginning to see that comedy may be the foundation of future Trek, and aren't thrilled. Finally turned into a complete joke 60 years after the fact so Paramount can turn a quick buck on disposable entertainment.

I don’t think comedy is the foundation of future Trek. That’s just the usual OTT hyperbolic reaction that we Trek fans are famous for.

I think Kurtzman was impressed by what Newsome brought to SFA table and asked her to pitch. Probably a better pitch than well someone else.

 

[Danja]

I don't see the difference, nor do I see it being turned in to a complete foundation. Hell, Trek has been the but of so many jokes since at least "Night Court" did their whole riff, so this idea that Trek is a joke has been a horse that left a barn so long ago the horse is dead and fossilized!

John Larroquette (Dan Fielding) was in The Search for Spock (he played Maltz).

Brent Spiner and Nana Visitor have both appeared on Night Court.

 

[Nerys Myk]

This is from SNLs first season in the mid seventies. Not all that long after TOS’ cancellation.

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[Agony_Boothb]

Kurtzman's previous statements were like he couldn't greenlight any new shows and getting Legacy into production was beyond his control.

Now they announce that a star trek live action comedy series is in development.

Its sounding more and more like Kurtzman felt threatened that Terry Matalas upstaged him and made sure Legacy didn't happen.

I just don't see how to move forward with him as the steward of the franchise knowing he may have stalled the project with the most fan enthusiasm.

It really stuns me how ignorant some segments of the fanbase can be about how the production of television show works.

Alex Kurtzman as head of the Star Trek Franchise, would have had final say on all elements of production, from ship designs to budget. The notion that Matalas somehow rebelled and did things behind Kurtzman's back and 'upstaged' is complete nonsense.

Legacy isn't a thing a variety of reasons. We've already got a show with a ship named Enterprise going to planets of the week, so a legacy series just doesn't really add anything to the franchise at this point in time. Plus actors like Ed Speelers are busy people, he's filming 2 series and 2 movies this year alone. Also Terry Matalas would have been approached to work for Marvel and was probably negotiating his deal with them during the production of season 2 and 3 of Picard, so that job was already lined up for him.

I think we will see a series set in the 25th century at some point, but it probably won't be Legacy.

 

[The Librarian]

If Matalas wanted Legacy to be a thing, he shouldn't have renamed the Titan "Enterprise". It was a stupid thing in-universe and it created issues production wise by potentially having two shows with that ship name, not to mention removing flexibility about casting or creating new characters. It even seems to have been a fairly last-minute decision to use that name.

Frankly, I don't trust Matalas to handle new characters well, or older characters that aren't his favorites. He blew up not one but two Enterprises just so he could put Seven on the Enterprise-G. He killed off Ro, who at least got an episode of closure, and brought Shelby back for a cameo and then killed her too. He put all but one of the original Picard characters on a boat, and in Elnor's case he then blew up the boat. The last half of season three doesn't hold up because no one can explain why they don't react to Jack's Borg problem by going "well it's a good thing we know a friendly Borg queen" instead of telling him they totally aren't going to do a Vulcan brain wash.

 

[Danja]

If Matalas wanted Legacy to be a thing, he shouldn't have renamed the Titan "Enterprise". It was a stupid thing in-universe and it created issues production wise by potentially having two shows with that ship name, not to mention removing flexibility about casting or creating new characters.

I doubt Matalas anticipated the fans wanting a spinoff (he said that he never intended for "The Last Generation" to be the setup for a spinoff). The fans smacked him in the face with it.

Frankly, I don't trust Matalas to handle new characters well, or older characters that aren't his favorites. He blew up not one but two Enterprises just so he could put Seven on the Enterprise-G. He killed off Ro, who at least got an episode of closure, and brought Shelby back for a cameo and then killed her too. He put all but one of the original Picard characters on a boat, and in Elnor's case he then blew up the boat.

I'm all for him writing and producing. We need someone else to be the showrunner, though (preferably someone who isn't as enamored with Berman-era Trek as Matalas).

The last half of season three doesn't hold up because no one can explain why they don't react to Jack's Borg problem by going "well it's a good thing we know a friendly Borg queen" instead of telling him they totally aren't going to do a Vulcan brain wash.

Actually, they know TWO friendly Borg Queens (Jurati and Seven).

 

[fireproof78]

The last half of season three doesn't hold up because no one can explain why they don't react to Jack's Borg problem by going "well it's a good thing we know a friendly Borg queen" instead of telling him they totally aren't going to do a Vulcan brain wash.

The payoff was not worth it, especially the way it was set up as across the season.