News Exclusive: Scott Bakula Eyeing Star Trek Return In President Archer Series Pitch From ‘Enterprise’ Producer

[Tomalak]

One of the things that made The West Wing work was how it resonated with real world politics. In a science fiction setting of the future, the way in which this can happen is fundamentally different.

I get it that TWW+ST is an elevator pitch, but I there has to be more to it on a fundamental level, since the ideas don't naturally fuse. It might still be workable, but it would require top-level writing.

I think it's possible to do a political show within a sci-fi/fantasy setting - some of the best parts of Game of Thrones reflect this, for example.

But yes, you need the writing to be on point. If it's not, you get some of the worst parts of Game of Thrones.

 

[DSS]

I think a 'West Wing' type of Star Trek could work, but I would set it post Picard series. You could have one of the founding members of the federation threatening to pull out of the federation. Let's say andorians just to make it interesting. You could also have something akin to the 'Typhon Pact' where a number of species who are anti-federation have joined together and are making inroads with federation member planets and increasing their influence across the alpha quadrant.

It would in a way mirror what's happening in the world today with American threats to pull out of NATO and the Russian/Chinese/North Korean/India becoming closer.

The federation being more bloated and burecratic over time, as it's membership increases and it's resources stretched even more thinly to cover more space, sees more and more member worlds becoming disgruntled.

Later in the series I would then introduce a spin off series where the exploration takes place in one of the Milky Way dwarf galaxies say the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The federation, in order to keep it's members sated and the stocks of dilthium decreasing, sends an exploratory battalion to the LMC to look for and mine dilthium. The spin off series would take place across a few different ships, but mainly the new mining space station setup in the LMC.

It would ask questions of the 'federation' as it expands into a new galaxy. Is it really a federation or an empire in all but name? The 'Typhon Pact' would also send a battalion of their own to try to also mime for dilthium as well. Trying to undercut and outmanoeuvr the federation with the worlds of the LMC.

Then I'd have the battalion accidently awaken the in stasis Iconians. Who arent pleased when they discover what has happened to their empire of old and how this 'federation' has taken over and must now be stopped....

 

[The Wormhole]

I think a 'West Wing' type of Star Trek could work, but I would set it post Picard series. You could have one of the founding members of the federation threatening to pull out of the federation. Let's say andorians just to make it interesting. You could also have something akin to the 'Typhon Pact' where a number of species who are anti-federation have joined together and are making inroads with federation member planets and increasing their influence across the alpha quadrant.

It would in a way mirror what's happening in the world today with American threats to pull out of NATO and the Russian/Chinese/North Korean/India becoming closer.

The federation being more bloated and burecratic over time, as it's membership increases and it's resources stretched even more thinly to cover more space, sees more and more member worlds becoming disgruntled.

Aside from the NATO thing, all that is what Disco did with the Federation in the aftermath of the Burn.

 

[Misuka]

I hope that happens!

 

[Guy Gardener]

JARESH-INYO: I never sought this job. I was content to simply represent my people on the Federation Council. When they asked me to submit my name for election, I almost said no. Today I wish I had.

I imagine that it's similar to the UN. Councillors vote once, on behalf of their world. So the "election" might have had only had a constituency of 20 worlds or less, so arguably John might as well have run unopposed, unless his majority, in a highly contested election was four planets out of 16, after 9 people had been jockeying for the big seat up front of the council.

 

[FredH]

I think a 'West Wing' type of Star Trek could work, but I would set it post Picard series.

Hell, I’d set it in the 32nd century, post-Discovery, with the barely-reestablished Federation trying to reexpand facing a whole lot of not-entirely-unjustified opposition — plus a widespread false but firm belief that the Federation caused the Burn to take down its opponents (and accidentally took itself down in the process): completely untrue, but it’s spread so widely that world after world just will not hear otherwise, because “Of course you’re going to say that!”

 

[Ovation]

Hell, I’d set it in the 32nd century, post-Discovery, with the barely-reestablished Federation trying to reexpand facing a whole lot of not-entirely-unjustified opposition — plus a widespread false but firm belief that the Federation caused the Burn to take down its opponents (and accidentally took itself down in the process): completely untrue, but it’s spread so widely that world after world just will not hear otherwise, because “Of course you’re going to say that!”

Where’s the escapism in that?

 

[CaptainVarley]

I wish we can move forward and not have to even deal with the risk of Canon or whatever. I'm kind of tired of the prequels and more Kirk. Give us something new.

I mostly agree. I just don't know how much ground you cover just a few years after ENT. For a franchise that talks about needing to attract new fans, a Star Trek political thriller about the start of the Federation just seems like a terrible idea.

What could work from a new ground standpoint and a different Trek genre would be the Star Trek movie idea before Abrams came onboard was taking the Romulans War star and turning that into a TV show. It was supposed to be an Odyssey type story about an Earth captain whose ship is destroyed in Battle with Romulans and he struggles to get back home. The hero of the story could possibly be Kirks grandfather but has a different name in case you don't want to connect those dots. I forget who wrote the script but it was in the 50 years of Trek 2nd book I recently finished. That seems like a story where you can pull in younger fans from a demo standpoint and not piss off Trekkies by trampling on canon because no one has ever detailed the Earth Romulan war yet.

 

[Danja]

What could work from a new ground standpoint and a different Trek genre would be the Star Trek movie idea before Abrams came onboard was taking the Romulans War star and turning that into a TV show. It was supposed to be an Odyssey type story about an Earth captain whose ship is destroyed in Battle with Romulans and he struggles to get back home.

It sounds like a variation of Voyager (Captain's ship is destroyed and he struggles to go home).

 

[SlayerSantiago]

President Archer... it has a nice ring to it.

 

[tharpdevenport]

AND THEN ONE DAY...

SAM BECKETT LEAPED BACK HOME...



"I was President of the Federation in the future and ran the world!"

"He's crazy, lock him up."

 

[FederationHistorian]

So, trekmovie.com dropped a podcast interview with Mike Sussman today. Skip to 44:10 to hear him discuss the Star Trek: United pitch.

To sum up notes on ideas Sussman has for United:

- Archer would be a family man and have four children (one works in Federation Intelligence, another works in the Diplomat Corps, another is serving in Starfleet)

- It would be action meets politics, diplomacy, discussion

- Federation exists but in a fracturus place, parallel to 1780s America.

- Archer would be a war hero of Xindi conflict and maybe Romulan war; he’s not the president the citizens of the Federation expect; Some may disparagingly call him “Airlock Archer” due to events during the Xindi mission.

- Archer would be more tolerant and understanding compared to ENT S1 Archer

- Presidential craft may be a warp sled, and a predecessor to Vulcan shuttle from TMP

- It would be set on Babel, as setting the show on Earth would clash with ideas related to Starfleet Academy. Babel would be engineered, be part space station, part terraformed. Looking at biospheres and a presidential mansion.

- It would consist of a new cast that would be in their 20s or early 30s, and it would largely be about them.

- It would not be about legacy characters though Sussman does wants to bring some in. The legacy characters need to be integral to the story and not just here for a day’s work. Jeffrey Combs and Todd Stashwick are among the actors being looked at to reprise their characters from ENT.

- In a related note, Hoshi is Sussman’s most underrated/underused character. And the founding of the Federation is what Sussman considers the most unresolved Star Trek storyline.

It's certainly a promising idea, even though the show doesn't exist.

 

[Danja]

I think a 'West Wing' type of Star Trek could work, but I would set it post Picard series. You could have one of the founding members of the federation threatening to pull out of the federation. Let's say andorians just to make it interesting. You could also have something akin to the 'Typhon Pact' where a number of species who are anti-federation have joined together and are making inroads with federation member planets and increasing their influence across the alpha quadrant.

It would in a way mirror what's happening in the world today with American threats to pull out of NATO and the Russian/Chinese/North Korean/India becoming closer.

The federation being more bloated and burecratic over time, as it's membership increases and it's resources stretched even more thinly to cover more space, sees more and more member worlds becoming disgruntled.

Picard touched on it slightly with the Romulan and Dominion skullduggery.

Later in the series I would then introduce a spin off series where the exploration takes place in one of the Milky Way dwarf galaxies say the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The federation, in order to keep it's members sated and the stocks of dilthium decreasing, sends an exploratory battalion to the LMC to look for and mine dilthium. The spin off series would take place across a few different ships, but mainly the new mining space station setup in the LMC.

Star Trek: Nostromo, anyone?

It would ask questions of the 'federation' as it expands into a new galaxy. Is it really a federation or an empire in all but name? The 'Typhon Pact' would also send a battalion of their own to try to also mime for dilthium as well. Trying to undercut and outmanoeuvr the federation with the worlds of the LMC.

No one watches Star Trek to see palace intrigues and behind-the-veil machinations (Bryan Fuller's version of Disco tried it -- and bombed.)

No one tunes into Trek to see a bunch of talking heads.

Game of Thrones succeeded because ITS political intrigues were punctuated with buckets of blood (Blood ... and dragons).

 

[Dukhat]

This is not going to happen.

 

[Visitor1982]

It's more likely than Legacy anyways.

 

[Danja]

It's more likely than Legacy anyways.

They're going to bring back an aging Scott Bakula to helm a talky show?

Fat chance.

Picard is an icon (Ask the average person to name a captain on Star Trek. Odds are, they'll answer either Kirk or Picard). Archer is not.

 

[Paul755]

It's more likely than Legacy anyways.

I don’t think either is likely.

 

[Dukhat]

What would be in Skydance’s best interest?

1. Bringing back an aged character from a failed show that hardly anybody watched?

2. Making a show about nepo babies?

3. Making a show that’s not much different than the show that just got cancelled?

4. Option 4.


Guess which choice I’m going with?

 

[Nerys Myk]

What would be in Skydance’s best interest?

1. Bringing back an aged character from a failed show that hardly anybody watched?

2. Making a show about nepo babies?

3. Making a show that’s not much different than the show that just got cancelled?

4. Option 4.


Guess which choice I’m going with?

Aging Nepo Babies in a show like the one just cancelled?

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Aging Nepo Babies in a show like the one just cancelled?

Ian McKellan as Captain Jean-Luc Riker-Paris-Kirk of the Enterprise-J in an adventure of the week show it is.