Yes, and "Phase II" was developed in the knowledge that -- unless its ratings were huge -- Shatner was only prepared to stay for half the season. He only signed for 13 episodes, which is why Will Decker was designed to be Kirk's protege. Shatner desperately wanted a movie career and the time, and hopefully a non-Trek one.
Dd they ever credit the unnecessary space waver when Enterprise cleared the dock?
Is there any truth to the a story I've heard over the years that if Phase II/Paramount Network had failed after the first 13 episodes/season, that those Phase II episodes would have been folded in to the TOS syndication package to make 100 episodes.
No.
The opening weekend audience I was with laughed delightedly when he appeared. It was a nice human moment amidst too much starship porn.
Glad you liked it. I enjoy pretending that was my personal cameo, even if the dude was somewhat taller at the time.
If there must be starship porn, drink it with several swigs of Goldsmith.
I understand, and it is a fair point. In the case of TMP, it is the only film for which we have a novelization by Roddenberry, so it has far greater weight to me, and the novel feels less ancillary and more essential because that film was so barren, so dry, so lacking in the hearts of the characters that their motivations and feelings are either obscure or nonexistent; like another member noted, they just react to everything that occurs rather than “seek out [this] new life form” and prevent its destruction of Earth. And deleted scenes re-inserted via director’s cut in a film originally subjected to criminally negligent editing may restore the creators’ intent. There were excessive external pressures on the form and content of that movie — it was amazing they finished it at all.
But I take your point. I see TOS in more than one medium, I guess, and over the years the lines can get blurred.
Most of TMP puts that theory in serious question. Bear in mind it was Mr. Pointy, as almost always, who did what no one else would or could. We might as well have Spock on the ship minus everybody else.
Unfortunately, Decker is the only three-dimensional character in sight. He's even the one who saves the day. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy max out as two-dimensional characters. Everybody else is one or zero-dimensional.
The problem is with the script, in structuring the plot so that there're too few character interactions, crucially none besides those that directly relate to coping with the emergency. Even Spock's change of course in purging his emotions is directly tied to the arrival of V'ger.
One of the ways that TWOK improved over TMP was that the interplay between characters was not driven by the emergency involving Khan.
The problem is with the script, in structuring the plot so that there're too few character interactions, crucially none besides those that directly relate to coping with the emergency. Even Spock's change of course in purging his emotions is directly tied to the arrival of V'ger.
One of the ways that TWOK improved over TMP was that the interplay between characters was not driven by the emergency involving Khan.
I think you're confusing this with TNG. From what I've read, in order to entice stations to buy their programming package, if it failed, they would've included the TNG episodes with the current TOS syndication package.
I look at Shatner's filmography in the 70s and, well, I'd like a million dollars but that's not realistic. I'm not sure Shatner's desire for a movie career at that point was realistic, either.
I doubt Phase II would have advanced far enough for thoughts along those lines at the point when it transitioned over to a film, but if it had I imagine that Paramount would have appended the 13 episodes to the syndication package in the event of the series being short-lived. Phase II wouldn't be viable in syndication on its own, and Paramount could probably charge more for a 92 episode package instead of the existing 79 episode package. What I wonder is if they might have tried to get Phase II up to a full 22 episodes, to hit the magic 100 episode package, maybe knowing they were in the red on those episodes but recognizing they would recoup the loss in the syndication fees.
I agree they might have had that thinking if Phase II had made it far enough along. I just remember seeing the rumors during the runup to its premiere that they enticed stations to jump on by promising the episodes would be added to the TOS package if the show failed.
Of course, TNG was renewed for a second season in November of '87, so that need would never materialize.
Unfortunately, yes. Kirk feels far more antagonistic than helpful, and Decker leads the charge in growth. We see the characters all plot driven which makes Kirk feel even more superfluous.
I get it. To many, Captain Kirk is Star Trek. But this film doesn't show that
The film shows that Kirk is an unhappy human with his current situation.
He's the instigator for solving the problem.
Which is not what people think of with Kirk.
That is on them, not the character. Even when I was eight, I was able to understand that people grow and change.
Perhaps but that doesn't change the fact that Kirk is not Kirk in this film.
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