Nope.
Old Star Trek fans: don't you sometimes get happy just because there are new series?
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The underlying problem is that all current Trek (and this goes back into the 1990's) is a parody of Star Trek even more so than Galaxy Quest was....
TOS took it fairly seriously - most of the time - and when they didn't you usually knew why. There was inconsistent quality, and internal contradiction but, in the end it was generally meant for adult viewers, not kids.
TAS kind of watered the formula down for a younger audience and it kinda/sorta worked. Some of the stories could have been expanded into a full one-hour episode. Most couldn't...
90's Trek lost me with Voyager's "Warp Particles" B.S....
In general, yes.
But I do think there's a risk of diluting your brand and making it feel less special.
I've heard the argument that Star Trek has to "evolve" beyond its basic space-opera dynamics to get new, younger viewers. And that means trying different things with the Trek elements. However, at a certain point, I think they should just worry about making the best version of Star Trek they can with the classic elements, instead of spitting out every variation they can think of.
McDonalds makes Big Macs and fries. Coca-Cola's main drink is Coca-Cola Classic. People go to Kentucky Fried Chicken for chicken. Every time any of those brands have tried to expand beyond their wheelhouses, they lost a fortune and learned to stay in their lane. People don't go to McDonald's for pizza ("McPizza"), or want a Coke that tastes more like Pepsi (e.g., "New Coke").
If you're known for hamburgers, just make the best Big Mac and Quarter Pounder you possibly can first. If you're Star Trek, just make the best version of Star Trek as your flagship before worrying about whether the IP will support a sitcom.
But I do think there's a risk of diluting your brand and making it feel less special.
I've heard the argument that Star Trek has to "evolve" beyond its basic space-opera dynamics to get new, younger viewers. And that means trying different things with the Trek elements. However, at a certain point, I think they should just worry about making the best version of Star Trek they can with the classic elements, instead of spitting out every variation they can think of.
McDonalds makes Big Macs and fries. Coca-Cola's main drink is Coca-Cola Classic. People go to Kentucky Fried Chicken for chicken. Every time any of those brands have tried to expand beyond their wheelhouses, they lost a fortune and learned to stay in their lane. People don't go to McDonald's for pizza ("McPizza"), or want a Coke that tastes more like Pepsi (e.g., "New Coke").
If you're known for hamburgers, just make the best Big Mac and Quarter Pounder you possibly can first. If you're Star Trek, just make the best version of Star Trek as your flagship before worrying about whether the IP will support a sitcom.
Lifetime fan, and Star Trek hype for me peaked at 2013 with Into Darkness. Then Beyond was just another Star Trek movie. There have been many bright spots, but nothing was MUST SEE until Prodigy.
The landscape of media is so different now to when we were young. It's content spam, sometimes good and sometimes soulless content to fulfil a contractual obligation. There's infinite everything - and it means nothing is as special when it was the only game in town. When the concept was new, when there weren't 3 other spin offs concurrently running from the same franchise. When there was barely any other sci-fi on TV.
Nowadays I think being a nerd is like picking a Hogwarts House or whatever. Are you gonna grow up obsessed with Trek, Wars, Marvel, DC, WWE or whatever? You can enjoy them all but there must be one Chosen One. I dunno I never watched Harry Potter.
The landscape of media is so different now to when we were young. It's content spam, sometimes good and sometimes soulless content to fulfil a contractual obligation. There's infinite everything - and it means nothing is as special when it was the only game in town. When the concept was new, when there weren't 3 other spin offs concurrently running from the same franchise. When there was barely any other sci-fi on TV.
Nowadays I think being a nerd is like picking a Hogwarts House or whatever. Are you gonna grow up obsessed with Trek, Wars, Marvel, DC, WWE or whatever? You can enjoy them all but there must be one Chosen One. I dunno I never watched Harry Potter.
Strange New Worlds obviously has a lot of fans here, but it's depressing to think of it being a roadblock in the way of us getting a Trek space adventure series that takes itself more seriously.
And yet, there are still some McDonalds locations which carry the McPizza with a petition to bring it back company wide.
The Big Mac itself isn't even one of the original McDonalds products. It came as a result of trying to expand the brand. So according to you, expanding the brand is evil, even though the product you associate as one particular chain's definitive product only came about because they attempted to expand the brand?
These things are always built on the back of a pendulum.
You can see it through franchises like Bond or Doctor Who with both have a tendency to swing silly, silly... too silly... before swinging back hard. And so it goes. Back and forth.
No. I fell in love with Trek many years ago. The current iterations of Trek resemble less and less of what I liked about it originally - with the occasional exceptions. I have no vested interest in it continuing if I no longer enjoy it (generally).
In any event, there are fewer days ahead for Trek than behind. It's popularity and cultural impact have been on the decline for some time. It's nothing to get up in arms about; how many other beloved IPs / franchises can claim the multi-decade legacy of Trek, along with the double-digit count of both television and film installments? Well over 700+ hours of content.
(That's 700+ additional hours than Firefly ever got).
Because Trek spawned an unusually high number of spin-offs has created the expectation - and oft-times entitlement - that the trend must continue. Personally, I think it's impossible to avoid the diminishing returns that come with pulping and sifting an IP beyond its expiration date. The bulk of the fandom ages out and it doesn't necessarily resonate with newer generations as it once did.
If and when Trek ends, it's not a failure, FFS. It's just had its time. What has been will always be there for the future to discover, if they're interested.
In any event, there are fewer days ahead for Trek than behind. It's popularity and cultural impact have been on the decline for some time. It's nothing to get up in arms about; how many other beloved IPs / franchises can claim the multi-decade legacy of Trek, along with the double-digit count of both television and film installments? Well over 700+ hours of content.
(That's 700+ additional hours than Firefly ever got).
Because Trek spawned an unusually high number of spin-offs has created the expectation - and oft-times entitlement - that the trend must continue. Personally, I think it's impossible to avoid the diminishing returns that come with pulping and sifting an IP beyond its expiration date. The bulk of the fandom ages out and it doesn't necessarily resonate with newer generations as it once did.
If and when Trek ends, it's not a failure, FFS. It's just had its time. What has been will always be there for the future to discover, if they're interested.
Answer yes, I'm happy when new Trek content comes along, even if I don't enjoy it, there is someone who will.
There’s “within reason”, a Big Mac is still a hamburger at its core. Deep Space Nine, was still a quasi-philosophical sci-fi action adventure. A comedy set on a pleasure planet is pretty far outside of Trek’s wheelhouse. Much like McPizza was pretty far outside McDonald’s wheelhouse.
Answer no.
Everything I don't personally enjoy must be wiped off the face of the Earth.
Immediately.
I've been a fan for at least 36 of my 40 years on this Earth. Does that qualify me as an old fan?
The answer is yes. I'm always happy when a new show is announced because it means the franchise lives on. Whether I'll actually love the show is a secondary thought. I accept that not every Trek will be my favourite, but I'll likely find at least something to like about it.
The answer is yes. I'm always happy when a new show is announced because it means the franchise lives on. Whether I'll actually love the show is a secondary thought. I accept that not every Trek will be my favourite, but I'll likely find at least something to like about it.
also this.
I've had eleven or twelve new series announced in my lifetime (I'm 52), not counting any of the three film series. Seven of which have happened in the last eight years. It is hard to get excited about it now, we've moved into major oversaturation territory, from my perspective.
Of course, everyone's mileage will vary.
Of course, everyone's mileage will vary.
I remember when the '09 film came out I wasn't all that impressed by it (though I was happy that it even got made), and I adopted the viewpoint of, 'Love it or hate it, at least people are talking about Star Trek again.'). And I ended up enjoying ID and BEY more than the first film.
I've enjoyed several of the newer series, including DISCO, SNW (what I've seen of it), LDS, PRO. Picard was a disappointing exception for me...I enjoyed parts of S1, thought S2 really fumbled the ball, and S3 was such a blatant nostalgiafest that IMO it covered a truly weak story and a disappointing, for me, change of premise.
None of them have ultimately captured my heart as DS9 did. But that's okay, because Star Trek isn't just about what I like. IDIC and all. If other people are enjoying it, then good for them, and good for the shows that they enjoyed.
If TPTB stop making content that I personally enjoy, that will be a shame for me, and I'm sure I'll gripe about it, but I'll try to keep the perspective that it's something, at least, that the franchise continues. But it's happily hard for me to imagine that the franchise will produce nothing of interest to me. I thought PRO wouldn't be my bag, but I ended up enjoying it despite a few things I had issue with. PIC for me is the big disappointment, and I have to admit I might have been happier if it hadn't been made. But it also was far from the only game in town.
So yeah, I get happy when there's new series, because it means the franchise is enduring for new people if not for me, and it's a new opportunity to, if not fall in love, at least make a new friend.
I've enjoyed several of the newer series, including DISCO, SNW (what I've seen of it), LDS, PRO. Picard was a disappointing exception for me...I enjoyed parts of S1, thought S2 really fumbled the ball, and S3 was such a blatant nostalgiafest that IMO it covered a truly weak story and a disappointing, for me, change of premise.
None of them have ultimately captured my heart as DS9 did. But that's okay, because Star Trek isn't just about what I like. IDIC and all. If other people are enjoying it, then good for them, and good for the shows that they enjoyed.
If TPTB stop making content that I personally enjoy, that will be a shame for me, and I'm sure I'll gripe about it, but I'll try to keep the perspective that it's something, at least, that the franchise continues. But it's happily hard for me to imagine that the franchise will produce nothing of interest to me. I thought PRO wouldn't be my bag, but I ended up enjoying it despite a few things I had issue with. PIC for me is the big disappointment, and I have to admit I might have been happier if it hadn't been made. But it also was far from the only game in town.
So yeah, I get happy when there's new series, because it means the franchise is enduring for new people if not for me, and it's a new opportunity to, if not fall in love, at least make a new friend.
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