Is It Time for a Bold New Star Trek Paradigm?

[tharpdevenport]

Then that becomes the great paradox. Being lazy unifies us yet we are too lazy to unify and also too lazy to decode the paradox and probably too lazy to realise a paradox had even occurred in the first place.

Sorry, feeling too lazy to read all of that.

;-)

 

[The Wormhole]

A bold new paradigm didn't work out so well for the Daleks.

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[Nerys Myk]

A bold new paradigm didn't work out so well for the Daleks.

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Security, Command. Medical. Science. Command. Dalek Trek.

 

[The Wormhole]

You have two listed as Command. I'm guessing you meant Engineering instead for one of those Commands?

 

[Nerys Myk]

You have two listed as Command. I'm guessing you meant Engineering instead for one of those Commands?

The yellow one on the right is the second command Dalek. TOS Colors forever!

 

[Annorax849]

This was called Star Trek: Voyager.

There's no difference between the premise of setting a show "in unexplored space," "The Delta Quadrant," or "another galaxy." None.

Depends on what they're doing. They could be Spore Jumping to a totally new area episode-to-episode, meaning there would be no continuing species whatsoever. Or the opposite, just staying in a single (distant) location the whole time, basically becoming a weird mix of DS9 and Voyager.

Also extragalactic races should be more alien given no Progenitors, but that wouldn't really go against your point. Plus they might not even adhere to that.

 

[XCV330]

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these ideas aren't bold enough. we need ideas that are really BOLD

 

[Nerys Myk]

Depends on what they're doing. They could be Spore Jumping to a totally new area episode-to-episode, meaning there would be no continuing species whatsoever. Or the opposite, just staying in a single (distant) location the whole time, basically becoming a weird mix of DS9 and Voyager.

Also extragalactic races should be more alien given no Progenitors, but that wouldn't really go against your point. Plus they might not even adhere to that.

But they would more than likely be telling the same stories. "More alien" is a matter of technology and budget. You can write the most non-human alien ever but it still has to be affordable.

 

[BillJ]

Instead, Roddenberry made the bold choice to push the timeline forward. He chose a bald Captain and to put a Klingon on the bridge. He decided to rethink the tone, and build something that could stand on its own — which is exactly why TNG felt like a gamble.

Well, Roddenberry, Gerrold, Fontana. Gerrold and Fontana (plus one other, IIRC) sued for co-creator credit on TNG and it was settled before going to arbitration. With Roddenberry getting the credit and the others getting cash.

 

[Danja]

"More alien" is a matter of technology and budget. You can write the most non-human alien ever but it still has to be affordable.

Species 8472 blew the CGI budget.

The yellow one on the right is the second command Dalek. TOS Colors forever!

What is the white one?

 

[fireproof78]

What is the white one?

Cadet.

 

[The Wormhole]

What is the white one?

Medical

 

[Danja]

Cadet.

Medical

You two discuss this amongst yourselves!

 

[The Wormhole]

You two discuss this amongst yourselves!

I'm following the pattern Myk established in his post:

Security, Command. Medical. Science. Command. Dalek Trek.

Medical is listed third, the white Dalek is third in that lineup, therefore...

 

[Annorax849]

But they would more than likely be telling the same stories.

Sure, but almost anything (besides maybe a radical genre change) can be broken down and seen as the same type of stories on some level. Probably one of the bigger variables we can consider is serial vs episodic.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'm following the pattern Myk established in his post:

Medical is listed third, the white Dalek is third in that lineup, therefore...

Might have slipped some DISCO in there.

 

[Ovation]

Then that becomes the great paradox. Being lazy unifies us yet we are too lazy to unify and also too lazy to decode the paradox and probably too lazy to realise a paradox had even occurred in the first place.

Illogical. Illogical. Norman, coordinate…

 

[Dar70]

Before I get to my main point, let me start by saying: I’ve been a lifelong Star Trek fan. I’ve enjoyed every era of Trek to varying degrees — including much of the modern content.

But lately, it feels like both the fans and the powers-that-be are stuck in a loop.

Let me explain with a thought experiment: imagine Star Trek: The Original Series never aired in the 1960s, but instead debuted in the 2000s. Imagine Gene Roddenberry was alive today and launched a modern version of Trek. We all fall in love with the characters, and it becomes a major franchise. As this new era comes to an end, fans and studios are buzzing online about how to continue it. Some suggest a Sulu spinoff. Others want series centered around supporting characters from the Enterprise crew.

What would likely follow? Probably shows like Strange New Worlds or Picard — series built directly on existing characters and settings.

And yet, when Roddenberry launched The Next Generation, he didn’t take the easy, commercially safe route. Nobody was asking for a new crew 100 years in the future — but that’s what we got. It wasn’t a financial decision, it was a creative one. A bold one. Instead of clinging to familiar characters, Roddenberry pushed Trek forward. Sure, Dr. McCoy made a cameo in the pilot, but TNG was essentially a clean slate — and it worked.

What followed was a rich era of storytelling: DS9, Voyager, Enterprise — mostly rooted in that new foundation.

Since then, we’ve circled back with prequels (Enterprise, Discovery, SNW) and legacy continuations (Picard). And while we’ve seen creative variations like Lower Decks and Prodigy, they’re still anchored in familiar time periods and established canon.

I get it. Fans want more of what they love — more Picard, more Spock, more 24th-century lore. That’s natural. But if the internet existed in 1986, I bet most fans would’ve preferred more Kirk and Spock back then too.

So here’s the question:
How does Star Trek reinvent itself without losing its identity?

You can tweak the format. Change the tone. Add animated comedy. But what Star Trek really needs, in my opinion, is a true paradigm shift — like TNG was to TOS. But perhaps an even bigger one. A new age or mode of discovery.

Here’s my idea:
All 11 Trek series and 13 movies (so far) have mostly taken place within the Milky Way galaxy. So, what if the next evolution of Star Trek is set in another galaxy?

Imagine a Star fleet crew exploring an entirely new region of space — a setting not dominated by humanoid species. Still grounded in Trek values. Still with some human characters to keep it relatable. But narratively unshackled from Klingons, Romulans, and even the Federation as we know it.

Would it be popular? I don’t know.
Would it feel like Trek? I believe it could — if it holds true to the spirit of exploration, ethics, and discovery.

For the record, I love a lot of modern Trek. Big fan of Picard Season 3 and Strange New Worlds. I still enjoy the TNG era deeply, and of course, TOS will always be special.

Would I love to see more from those eras? Absolutely.

But looking at the big picture, maybe it’s time for Trek to step beyond the familiar. I’m not talking about genre-bending or changing its core identity — I’m talking about injecting it with fresh energy the way TNG once did but still Star Trek at its heart. As much as Lower Decks and Discovery was different, its still tied to the established eras within Trek. Yes Discovery went to the 32nd century, and maybe that's where it should of started , Maybe a more universally praised/executed version of that series set in the future from day 1 would of worked.

What do you think? Is it time for a bold new direction ? Or should we just be happy with more variations within tge existing eras?

I'm tired of the prequel stuff. Disco started as a prequel and ended up I guess as a sequel but not really a sequel. Anyhow I would not mind a continuation in the time period right after Picard and have a whole new crew. A Seven of Nine show would have been nice but that opportunity looks dead now. SFA is sent in the 32nd century which I don't find nearly as interesting since the tech is more advance now and the ships do not look Interesting at all.

Anyhow I would like to see a totally new crew and maybe set it directly after Picard or a few decades later. And as someone mentioned a totally different galaxy or even dimension. But I'm not sure todays writers are up for the task ..

 

[DaveyNY]

They've done TNG to death.

I'd rather They use the Post-NX Era with the founding of the Federation brought about by the Romulan War or Post TMP.

While I liked watching the far future Discovery stuff, I think it's just too far ahead for folks to really connect to.

 

[fireproof78]

Anyhow I would like to see a totally new crew and maybe set it directly after Picard or a few decades later. And as someone mentioned a totally different galaxy or even dimension. But I'm not sure todays writers are up for the task ..

Not with references. It's why the 25th century gives me so much pause.