JMS, of Babylon 5...

[foxmulder710]

...proposed (am I the only one to remember this?) that Star Trek would do well - and he proposed this around the time that Enterprise was going to be or just had been cancelled - to reboot. He wrote a treatment (I'm sure it's still online somewhere) suggesting that new actors be cast to play the original crew, and that this be done publicly over a long period of time (so as to create/gain more interest, whether by disaffection-laced debates or what not)...but he suggested that it be a series.


My theory is that someone around Paramount found his treatment and decided, "Heck, we can make a film out of this." Anyone think this is plausible?

I think, if nothing else, it should be recognized that JMS thought of this idea - a reboot sort of thing - LONG before Paramount did.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

My theory is that someone around Paramount found his treatment and decided, "Heck, we can make a film out of this." Anyone think this is plausible?

No. Not in the least.

The idea of recasting these characters is one of the most obvious ideas in the world.

I think, if nothing else, it should be recognized that JMS thought of this idea - a reboot sort of thing - LONG before Paramount did.

Everyone in the world thought of this LONG before Paramount asked Abrams and company to do this movie. Ron Moore discussed various aspects of how it might be done in a post-Voyager interview, before he did nuBSG. In "The Making Of Star Trek The Motion Picture" back in 1979 Roddenberry suggested that such a thing would inevitably happen at some point in the future.

Hell, in 2003 and 2004 several posters on this board predicted that a TOS reboot would be next if "Enterprise" was canceled.

jms' treatment had nothing in common with what Abrams is doing - it didn't have a hell of a lot in common with "Star Trek" for that matter.

He gets no credit on this one, sorry.

 

[JoeD80]

The treatment was by jms & Bryce Zabel. Here's a link for that treatment:

http://bztv.typepad.com/newsviews/files/ST2004Reboot.pdf

 

[JoeZhang]

If the proposal I've seen is real, it's just a slash-dash rehash of elements of B5 combined with a limited understanding of the characters. I wasn't impressed at the time and I'm not impressed now.

Also as Starship Polaris says the idea of "back to the start" is at least 25 years old!

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Yep. It's basically B5/Crusade interstellar conspiracy nonsense. "Find out who planted the secret code in human DNA."

One can imagine just how gripping and profound the resolution of that one would have been. "Get the hell out of our galaxy!"

 

[JoeD80]

Yep. It's basically B5/Crusade interstellar conspiracy nonsense. "Find out who planted the secret code in human DNA."

Vulcan, Klingon DNA also. I think there was a similar TNG episode ("The Chase" I think?)

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Yep. It's basically B5/Crusade interstellar conspiracy nonsense. "Find out who planted the secret code in human DNA."

Vulcan, Klingon also

Yeah. Why care?

 

[JoeZhang]

Yep. It's basically B5/Crusade interstellar conspiracy nonsense. "Find out who planted the secret code in human DNA."

One can imagine just how gripping and profound the resolution of that one would have been. "Get the hell out of our galaxy!"

I liked B5 but I think that was the last episode I ever saw on first run - I seem to remember throwing something at the TV and shouting "get the fuck out of here!" I never tuned in again.

 

[JoeD80]

Yeah. Why care?

What an odd question from the person who brought up the story point in the first place.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The idea of recasting these characters is one of the most obvious ideas in the world.

Yup. Right after ENT was cancelled, I remember continually telling people that it would not be "gone for 20 years" or any of the hogwash being tossed around, and that the value of the Star Trek brand was significant enough that it would be back in some form fairly quickly. I guessed it would be five years max before something was announced, and I turned out to be too conservative because it was more like two.

And I was also mentioning Zachary Quinto as a perfect guy to recast for Spock, before the idea of recasting TOS for a movie had even been made public. And I assure everyone, I am not psychic! To me, the value of bringing back some if not all of the TOS characters seemed like an absolute no-brainer.

jms' treatment had nothing in common with what Abrams is doing - it didn't have a hell of a lot in common with "Star Trek" for that matter.

It's much too B5-ish. JMS doesn't "get" Star Trek.

Yep. It's basically B5/Crusade interstellar conspiracy nonsense. "Find out who planted the secret code in human DNA."

Vulcan, Klingon DNA also. I think there was a similar TNG episode ("The Chase" I think?)

A very bad thing to base any story on, since it's wildly unscientific, even by Treknobabble standards. Better to just leave the panspermia nonsense alone.

 

[JoeZhang]

I wonder if B5 will have a big comeback in twenty years?

 

[JoeD80]

I wonder if B5 will have a big comeback in twenty years?

Yes, but Brannon Braga will write the treatment this time, and time travel will be used in every other episode.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I wonder if B5 will have a big comeback in twenty years?

Not unless JMS can do better than that horrible straight-to-DVD nonsense that came out a little while ago...

 

[JoeZhang]

I wonder if B5 will have a big comeback in twenty years?

Not unless JMS can do better than that horrible straight-to-DVD nonsense that came out a little while ago...

God... those were just awful - looked like a straight forward cash grab off hungry fans.

 

[Lindley]

JMS says there will be no more B5 unless a studio is willing to pony up some actual money.

Although it *was* nice to see a bit of B5 with modern FX, if nothing else.

 

[JoeD80]

God... those were just awful -

I thought you never tuned in again?

looked like a straight forward cash grab off hungry fans.

I lost so much money buying all 1 of those DVDs. It was terrible, I tells ya

 

[JoeZhang]

God... those were just awful - looked like a straight forward cash grab off hungry fans.

I thought you never tuned in again?

Re-read what I actually wrote...

 

[Lindley]

The end of the Shadow/Vorlon war was great in concept, and it's clear they're building towards that ending as early as season 2 if you know what to look for. The execution did leave something to be desired, though.

 

[JoeD80]

God... those were just awful - looked like a straight forward cash grab off hungry fans.

I thought you never tuned in again?

Re-read what I actually wrote...

I read it the first time. I stand by what I said. Just 'cause you may have bought the fourth and fifth seasons on DVD and watched them (or netflix'd them or whatever) you still seemed pissed about that episode, which would seem to indicate that you would not be one of the people who watched the Lost Tales DVD. I mean if an episode made me that angry that I'd *throw stuff* at the television, I would not buy new stuff from that show.

 

[JoeZhang]

I thought you never tuned in again?

Re-read what I actually wrote...

I read it the first time. I stand by what I said. Just 'cause you may have bought the fourth and fifth seasons on DVD and watched them (or netflix'd them or whatever) you still seemed pissed about that episode, which would seem to indicate that you would not be one of the people who watched the Lost Tales DVD. I mean if an episode made me that angry that I'd *throw stuff* at the television, I would not buy new stuff from that show.

I throw a soft cushion at the TV, what a crazed nutcase I am. I was never pissed, it was just that episode convinced it wasn't worth the effort making the time to catch the rest on first run. Over the years I've seen most of the rest of the series in repeats and I also saw that other series - that one with Edward Woodward's son acting like he's made of teak.

I've never purchased any B5 material - it's all been shown on free TV at one stage or another. The Lost Tales DVD I saw at a friend's place, I thought it was truly awful and was amazed that anyone could charge for something with such low production values with a straight face.