Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done differently?
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Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
I had to quote you, Sleighrider, because all of those ideas are brilliant and some of them are similar to my own way of thinking... others are much more clever than my ideas.
We should talk.
Warning: long read ahead. This sort of got away from me.I bolded the beginning of each section to make things a bit easier to read.
Okay, that turned out to be a lot longer than I'd originally planned.
- Earth wouldn't be so helpless. The hero ship being Earth's newest and most advanced ship is fine. There would be human colonies in Alpha Centauri, Vega, and Sirius, and these four systems would have a "Home Fleet," a non-exploratory fleet used primarily for defense and policing.
- The hero ship would not be called Enterprise. My personal choice is Endeavour, a classic ship name that hasn't really been used in Trek. Plus there's an historical quote by James Cook that would be perfect for its dedication plaque: "Ambition leads me not only farther than any other man has been before me, but as far as I think it possible for man to go."
- Give the Endeavour a real mission from the start. I had no problem with them having to return Klaang, so that could remain the basis for the pilot. But the trip to Qo'noS would take much longer. After that, the Endeavour would venture out to A) seek out new worlds for Earth's booming population to colonize, B) secure diplomatic ties with other spacefaring races aside from the Vulcans, such as the Andorians and Tellarites, and C) watch out for any potential threats to Earth's safety.
- No Temporal Cold War, and no Suliban. The Orion Syndicate would be the early villains.
- The Romulans would be influencing events from the very beginning. Their attempts to weaken the Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites, so that they would have an easier time of conquering them, would be gradually revealed over the course of the first few seasons, leading up to the Romulan War in the later seasons.
- The pulse cannons and non-photonic torpedoes we saw in the pilot and early episodes would remain the Endeavour's primary weapons throughout the majority of the series. Eventually they'd receive some upgrades during the war, mainly thanks to the Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites sharing some of their weapons technology. There would be no phase pistols, either. The EM-33 would be Starfleet's standard sidearm, and it wouldn't have a stun setting.
- There would be talk of scientists developing transporters, but they wouldn't be ready for use by anyone for some time. That means no transporters on the Endeavour.
- Archer would still be played by Bakula. However, he wouldn't come across as an inconsistent, irritable jerk with zero charisma. This is supposed to be James T. Kirk's childhood hero, for God's sake. My Archer would earn that honor.
- Trip would be slightly older (but not outside of Trinneer's age range) to make his close friendship with the decade-plus older Archer a bit more believable. He would also be Archer's first officer.
- T'Pol would remain as science officer, but would be outside of the Starfleet chain of command. Her presence was specifically requested by Starfleet, but only because there isn't a single human being alive as qualified as her. Unbeknownst to her, she has a Romulan father (one of those unused ideas that I really liked), and has always had problems suppressing her emotions. Eventually her relationship with Trip, and the fondness she develops for her fellow crewmates, would lead to her resigning from the Vulcan High Command and join Starfleet.
- Travis would be older, and more jaded and cynical. Gone would be the wide-eyed "wow, neato!" naivete. Born and raised on an interstellar cargo ship, constantly in fear of pirate attacks, he knows how the universe operates. He's been with Starfleet for the better part of a decade, but is only a Lieutenant JG because of his attitude and a desire to remain a simple helmsman. His hands-on knowledge of the space lanes and various species out there would be one of Archer's most useful tools.
- Major Malcolm Reed of the United Earth Marine Corps (no more MACOs) would be the weapons/security officer, commander of the Marine detachment assigned to the Endeavour (as both the security team and as extra muscle in case the ship gets into any trouble), and Archer's third-in-command. He would also still be a member of the proto-Section 31 (yeah, yeah, hindsight's 20/20--it was a good idea). He grew up in a rich and aristocratic English family and can trace his lineage all the way back to the Crusades. Bored with his life in England, he joins the Marines in search of excitement and is recruited into the Section at some point in his career. The Section already knows of the Romulans, and Reed's primary mission is to gather intel on them at every opportunity. He covertly sends back sensitive information, and even sabotages events on occasion if he finds them potentially harmful to Earth's security. Eventually Reed's growing respect for Archer, his friendship with Trip, and his budding relationship with Hoshi Sato (I know, I'm terrible) would lead to his leaving the Section (well, his trying to do so, anyway).
- Phlox would not be a Denobulan, but a human by the name of Philip Knox (ain't I clever?
). An older, spirited man, he's a former enlistee who served as a corpsman in the UEMC before leaving to go to medical school. After spending some time in the Interspecies Medical Exchange, Knox has learned quite a lot about both human and alien physiology, and is excited to meet new lifeforms and expand his medical knowledge.
- Hoshi Sato would be descended from an Augment (an idea that, I think, JiNX also mentioned at some point). Her intelligence and physicality are above human norms--she's not superhuman, thanks to 150 years of her Augment DNA being mixed with regular DNA, but she's not quite normal, either. She particularly excels in linguistics, and mastered every major human language before graduating high school. She can pick up the sounds and structure of a language far more quickly than most people, which makes her the perfect communications officer. A byproduct of her Augment heritage was a somewhat aggressive streak during her youth--this got her into trouble during her early days in Starfleet, after she broke her CO's arm, and since then she's done her best to suppress such behavior, hiding it under a nervous, quiet facade. Still, this repressed aggression draws her naturally to the Marines, particularly Reed, with whom she eventually starts a relationship.
And it was more about the characters than the plot, but I've always had a characters-first mentality.
I had to quote you, Sleighrider, because all of those ideas are brilliant and some of them are similar to my own way of thinking... others are much more clever than my ideas.
We should talk.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
Mine would be Challenger
I don't know about the Orions, but no TCW and no Suliban sounds great
I agree. ENT should have been about that practically from the start, no Suliban & TCW nonsense.
Sounds great, especially the 'T'pol being half Rommie' part. I would have loved to see that in season 5, such character growth potential. I hope that it somehow gets included into the upcoming "Romulan War" novel (though I'm not sure that Michael Martin would be allowed to do that).
I love the sound of that!
Wouldn't that make her too much like Bashir?
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
No temporal cold war nonsense. Totally un-necessary to the series. The underlying arc (if you absolutely needed one) should have been the growing Romulan threat leading to the Romulan War/Founding of the Federation.
More visual cues in the set designs and so forth to tie the series in more with TOS.
No temporal cold war nonsense. Totally un-necessary to the series. The underlying arc (if you absolutely needed one) should have been the growing Romulan threat leading to the Romulan War/Founding of the Federation.
More visual cues in the set designs and so forth to tie the series in more with TOS.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
I kinda like the idea of the original premise, before the suits added their input.
And if Archer were written more consistently, and the distracting and unproductive love-hate polarization by viewers regarding the character were avoided, that would be good.
I kinda like the idea of the original premise, before the suits added their input.
And if Archer were written more consistently, and the distracting and unproductive love-hate polarization by viewers regarding the character were avoided, that would be good.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
Part of the deal that came with being an Augment was a heightened sense of aggression and a major superiority complex, both of which Julian mostly lacked (he was kind of full of himself, but not nearly to the extent of Khan and friends). This would be a major part of Hoshi's past, and the primary reason why she starts out as such a quiet and nervous character. She's afraid of losing control again and lashing out at someone she cares about.
That could actually make for a good connection between Hoshi and T'Pol. Both of them have issues with controlling their strong emotional reactions, and might be able to help one another deal with that.
Certainly! PM me any time.I had to quote you, Sleighrider, because all of those ideas are brilliant and some of them are similar to my own way of thinking... others are much more clever than my ideas.
We should talk.
Challenger was my number two choice.Mine would be Challenger
If I'm remembering right, T'Pol being half-Romulan was something Michael Sussman talked about regarding potential Season Five ideas after ENT's cancellation. I liked it so much that I decided to use it for my own alternat ENT character ideas.
I remember reading about how Reed actually almost was Major Malcolm Reed of the UEMC, but they changed him to a Starfleet Lieutenant instead. It was another unused idea that I thought would have worked out really well.
Eh...sort of. Julian is the product of illegal genetic enhancement to correct his natural physical and mental handicaps, but he has no real connection to the Augments or the Eugenics Wars. Hoshi would actually be descended from one of those superhuman warlords who held the world in terror, which would have a big effect on her psyche (once she learned about it, of course).
Part of the deal that came with being an Augment was a heightened sense of aggression and a major superiority complex, both of which Julian mostly lacked (he was kind of full of himself, but not nearly to the extent of Khan and friends). This would be a major part of Hoshi's past, and the primary reason why she starts out as such a quiet and nervous character. She's afraid of losing control again and lashing out at someone she cares about.
That could actually make for a good connection between Hoshi and T'Pol. Both of them have issues with controlling their strong emotional reactions, and might be able to help one another deal with that.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
As I wrote in an earlier post about early American Naval Captain Stephen Decatur, I would have made Enterprise reflect early American naval history. If you ever get a chance, pick up "Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the United States Navy" by Ian Toll.
Look that early history, I would have had Earth and Starfleet amidst a world of trouble as a new space faring people. There would have been depredations against Earth shipping, small attacks and outrages by larger powers, piracy from a space version of the Barbary Pirates (Orions anyone?) and maybe even an attempt by Earth to enact a "regime change" the same way the United States tried to do in Tripoli in 1805. This may have lead to the proto-creation of the Prime Directive in some form.
Like that period, Starfleet would have begun to earn maritime respect from the larger powers as it slowly proved it's vitality and abilities in the face of it's larger neighbors. Ultimately, this would have lead to the Earth-Romulan War.
I would have kept T'Pol and the Vulcan relationship (of course) but I would have added much more political intrigue, derring-do, made the early version of Starfleet more earth dependent for supplies as was noted above.
Just my suggestion. I think that history offers up a lot of interesting models for this time period as I view Enterprise's era as having the same optimism and bravado that the early United States tried to present following the Revolution.
As I wrote in an earlier post about early American Naval Captain Stephen Decatur, I would have made Enterprise reflect early American naval history. If you ever get a chance, pick up "Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the United States Navy" by Ian Toll.
Look that early history, I would have had Earth and Starfleet amidst a world of trouble as a new space faring people. There would have been depredations against Earth shipping, small attacks and outrages by larger powers, piracy from a space version of the Barbary Pirates (Orions anyone?) and maybe even an attempt by Earth to enact a "regime change" the same way the United States tried to do in Tripoli in 1805. This may have lead to the proto-creation of the Prime Directive in some form.
Like that period, Starfleet would have begun to earn maritime respect from the larger powers as it slowly proved it's vitality and abilities in the face of it's larger neighbors. Ultimately, this would have lead to the Earth-Romulan War.
I would have kept T'Pol and the Vulcan relationship (of course) but I would have added much more political intrigue, derring-do, made the early version of Starfleet more earth dependent for supplies as was noted above.
Just my suggestion. I think that history offers up a lot of interesting models for this time period as I view Enterprise's era as having the same optimism and bravado that the early United States tried to present following the Revolution.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
). Seeing them become each others confidantes would have been extremely interesting.
The Hoshi/T'pol friendship was something I always wanted to see developed in the show - the two of them, being the only women in the regular cast, had great potential for a compelling relationship, especially after "Broken Bow" ("ponfo mirran!"
). Seeing them become each others confidantes would have been extremely interesting.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
As soon the production ran into trouble with UPN and it's CBS overlords, I'd have been on the phone arranging a deal directly with Paramount - to co-produce Enterprise with an interested party in Canada. Taking the show down the Stargate or nu BSG route, obviously with lower production costs. At least my dream line-up of Season Five stories would've got made...
As soon the production ran into trouble with UPN and it's CBS overlords, I'd have been on the phone arranging a deal directly with Paramount - to co-produce Enterprise with an interested party in Canada. Taking the show down the Stargate or nu BSG route, obviously with lower production costs. At least my dream line-up of Season Five stories would've got made...
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
I'd have dumped the canon stuff much faster, hired a writer under the age of thirty with a successful track record in television outside of "Star Trek" to run the show and told him/her that the bloody Franchise needed to take itself less seriously.
A younger captain wouldn't have hurt either, though Bakula did a good job.
I'd have dumped the canon stuff much faster, hired a writer under the age of thirty with a successful track record in television outside of "Star Trek" to run the show and told him/her that the bloody Franchise needed to take itself less seriously.
A younger captain wouldn't have hurt either, though Bakula did a good job.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
First of all, a big hello to all. This is my first post, please be gentle!
There's a number of things I'd have done differently. I must admit that a lot of this comes with the benefit of hindsight though!
The ship, and indeed the whole level of technology, were far too high in Enterprise. Much has been made of the 'Akiraprise', so I'd have gone for the design seen on the rec room walls in TMP. Inside would be more like a modern submarine than the typical Starfleet ship. Weapons should be BSG level, rail guns and missiles. No shields, or even polarized hull plating. The ship is armoured, but this can take damage and would need repair.
The Enterprise is one of Earth's first deep space ships. It was built as a collaboration between the UESPA and Earth Military. It was an uneasy alliance, one of necessity rather than choice. The project was simply too big for either organisation to handle alone. Furthermore, the crew is a mix of both organisations, plus a few civilian specialists, and they don't necessarily get on too well.
The regular cast should be quite large, with some characters not appearing in some episodes. Thus stories can be told about the bridge crew, lower ranks, or a specialist landing party. To ensure the audience does not become complacent, having a large cast means characters can be killed off. Indeed, to heighten the idea that the ship is an untested design, one regular character should die quite early in the series in an accident. An inquest into his death could form part of a later episode, as well as moving away from the expendable redshirt concept.
Another way to surprise the audience, no one who dies ever comes back!
No transporters, not even as concept. Shuttle craft all the way.
No aliens in the crew. This is Earth's first deep space flight, with an all human crew. In later seasons, perhaps, non humans may join, but probably more as civilian advisers, outside the chain of command.
No reset button. If the ship takes damage, it should show it's scars proudly, at least until repairs are done. Which brings me to...
Regular trips home. As there is no subspace radio at this time they have to return to let the authorities know what they have found out there.
A stronger story arc. None of this Temporal Cold War nonsense. How about Earth colonies facing hit and run attacks from an unknown race for no apparent reason? Tracking down the enemy and determining their motives should fill out at least one season.
Anyway, if you will excuse me, I must see if I can find an avatar. Preferably with a sombrero.
First of all, a big hello to all. This is my first post, please be gentle!
There's a number of things I'd have done differently. I must admit that a lot of this comes with the benefit of hindsight though!
The ship, and indeed the whole level of technology, were far too high in Enterprise. Much has been made of the 'Akiraprise', so I'd have gone for the design seen on the rec room walls in TMP. Inside would be more like a modern submarine than the typical Starfleet ship. Weapons should be BSG level, rail guns and missiles. No shields, or even polarized hull plating. The ship is armoured, but this can take damage and would need repair.
The Enterprise is one of Earth's first deep space ships. It was built as a collaboration between the UESPA and Earth Military. It was an uneasy alliance, one of necessity rather than choice. The project was simply too big for either organisation to handle alone. Furthermore, the crew is a mix of both organisations, plus a few civilian specialists, and they don't necessarily get on too well.
The regular cast should be quite large, with some characters not appearing in some episodes. Thus stories can be told about the bridge crew, lower ranks, or a specialist landing party. To ensure the audience does not become complacent, having a large cast means characters can be killed off. Indeed, to heighten the idea that the ship is an untested design, one regular character should die quite early in the series in an accident. An inquest into his death could form part of a later episode, as well as moving away from the expendable redshirt concept.
Another way to surprise the audience, no one who dies ever comes back!
No transporters, not even as concept. Shuttle craft all the way.
No aliens in the crew. This is Earth's first deep space flight, with an all human crew. In later seasons, perhaps, non humans may join, but probably more as civilian advisers, outside the chain of command.
No reset button. If the ship takes damage, it should show it's scars proudly, at least until repairs are done. Which brings me to...
Regular trips home. As there is no subspace radio at this time they have to return to let the authorities know what they have found out there.
A stronger story arc. None of this Temporal Cold War nonsense. How about Earth colonies facing hit and run attacks from an unknown race for no apparent reason? Tracking down the enemy and determining their motives should fill out at least one season.
Anyway, if you will excuse me, I must see if I can find an avatar. Preferably with a sombrero.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
I would have:
- Stuck to the actual premise of having the show be about the forming of the Federation.
- Cast Jeffrey Combs as the star of the show and have it feature his Andorian crew. Not Archer, not Hoshi, not humans.
- Cast decent actors in all the non-Combs roles.
- Not rehash ideas invented by other Trek shows.
- Not violate canon.
- Not have the Enterprise look or be more technically advanced than the TOS Enterprise.
- Not ruin well-loved Trek races by turning their members into drug addicts, harlots etc.
- Never allowed Berman or Braga to go near it.
- Hired as many of the DS9 showrunners as possible to make the show.
- Not have that awful Patch Adams theme song.
I would have:
- Stuck to the actual premise of having the show be about the forming of the Federation.
- Cast Jeffrey Combs as the star of the show and have it feature his Andorian crew. Not Archer, not Hoshi, not humans.
- Cast decent actors in all the non-Combs roles.
- Not rehash ideas invented by other Trek shows.
- Not violate canon.
- Not have the Enterprise look or be more technically advanced than the TOS Enterprise.
- Not ruin well-loved Trek races by turning their members into drug addicts, harlots etc.
- Never allowed Berman or Braga to go near it.
- Hired as many of the DS9 showrunners as possible to make the show.
- Not have that awful Patch Adams theme song.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
Thats a complaint I hear a lot but never understand. Before I explain, I want to point out I'm not just referring to this or singling that out - ut all the complaints I've heard going back way before I signe dup here.
If I were running the show and I was presented with all the designs I've seen of the TOS elements in an Akiraprise model, or very low tech stuff, major throwbacks to the 60's design I'd have sacked the art department.
It would look like an absolute joke to create a model or sets like that in a modern show, it would look cheap and pathetic. It's the same with making a new Enterprise for the movie - an audience isn't going to tune in for an out dated style and it would be career suicide to pander to the few that would demand them to.
With the design they used I think they did a really good job of making everything look cramped and more grounded in the idea of a future not too far off our own. Granted, a few things were off - but the look of everything was perfect.
One line in DS9 explained off the look of the 60's style perfectly when Dax in Trials and Tribleations said she loved the style of the time - that one word, while it may seem a stretch, can easily reason why the 23rd century looked dreadful compared to even 21st century technology.
Thats a complaint I hear a lot but never understand. Before I explain, I want to point out I'm not just referring to this or singling that out - ut all the complaints I've heard going back way before I signe dup here.
If I were running the show and I was presented with all the designs I've seen of the TOS elements in an Akiraprise model, or very low tech stuff, major throwbacks to the 60's design I'd have sacked the art department.
It would look like an absolute joke to create a model or sets like that in a modern show, it would look cheap and pathetic. It's the same with making a new Enterprise for the movie - an audience isn't going to tune in for an out dated style and it would be career suicide to pander to the few that would demand them to.
With the design they used I think they did a really good job of making everything look cramped and more grounded in the idea of a future not too far off our own. Granted, a few things were off - but the look of everything was perfect.
One line in DS9 explained off the look of the 60's style perfectly when Dax in Trials and Tribleations said she loved the style of the time - that one word, while it may seem a stretch, can easily reason why the 23rd century looked dreadful compared to even 21st century technology.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
A number of things. I wouldn't have cast Scott Bakula as Archer. I think he was just all wrong for the role. Tim Daly would've worked better for me!
The main problem with the show was the character of Archer. First off, as an homage to William Shatner, I would've made him Canadian, or of Canadian descent if I made my second change. Second, he would've been the Boomer character instead of Mayweather. Third, I would've made him even more reckless than Captain Kirk, to establish that his wild ways lead to the creation of the Prime Directive. Fourth, I'd have ditched that whole, "I'm mad at the Vulcans 'cause they wouldn't let my daddy play with his warp drive!" I always hated that.
I actually liked the Temporal Cold War, and I would've woven more of it into the fabric of the whole series. Future Guy would've been a descendant of a far future adversary of the Federation, and I would've kept that a secret. Future Guy is attempting to change history because in the distant future, the Federation ultimately defeats the group he's a part of. I like the aura of mystery around the Future Guy and would never have revealed who he was. Oh, duh, they did that!
No catsuit for T'Pol! Silly.
T'Pol and Trip would've gotten together and stayed that way. 'Nuff said!
Red Ranger
A number of things. I wouldn't have cast Scott Bakula as Archer. I think he was just all wrong for the role. Tim Daly would've worked better for me!
The main problem with the show was the character of Archer. First off, as an homage to William Shatner, I would've made him Canadian, or of Canadian descent if I made my second change. Second, he would've been the Boomer character instead of Mayweather. Third, I would've made him even more reckless than Captain Kirk, to establish that his wild ways lead to the creation of the Prime Directive. Fourth, I'd have ditched that whole, "I'm mad at the Vulcans 'cause they wouldn't let my daddy play with his warp drive!" I always hated that.
I actually liked the Temporal Cold War, and I would've woven more of it into the fabric of the whole series. Future Guy would've been a descendant of a far future adversary of the Federation, and I would've kept that a secret. Future Guy is attempting to change history because in the distant future, the Federation ultimately defeats the group he's a part of. I like the aura of mystery around the Future Guy and would never have revealed who he was. Oh, duh, they did that!
No catsuit for T'Pol! Silly.
T'Pol and Trip would've gotten together and stayed that way. 'Nuff said!
Red Ranger
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
I think the key here is to make it a successor to modern designs rather than a predecessor to TOS-era designs.
IMO, the warp nacelles should have been the only obviously Star Trek thing about the ship.
I think the key here is to make it a successor to modern designs rather than a predecessor to TOS-era designs.
IMO, the warp nacelles should have been the only obviously Star Trek thing about the ship.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
First off, I like Challenger, the UESS Challenger is a great name. Second, T'Pol's father actually Romulan is BRILLIANT!
Here's my idea that I posted on another thread:
I thought the series should've been set approximately 20 to 50 years after Cochrane's flight and the technology more "realistic" like bulky particle beam rifles, laser cannons, nuclear missles- and no transporters. The main plotline should've been United Earth encountering more hostile aliens like the Orions and realizing the civilian controlled United Earth Space Probe Agency is not up to the task- so the government forces a merger between UESPA and the Earth Defense Forces or whatever the military is called and formed a new entity called STARFLEET. The series should've been more like the novel "Star Trek Year One," with tension between the scientific and military wings of Starfleet; in fact it would've made more sense to name the series STARFLEET instead of "Enterprise." I also would've altered the characters a bit. First, I agree no Denobulan superdoctor- John Billingsley as regular human physician Dr. Joe Phlox or whatever. Captain Archer would actually be an astrophysicist and Phd. Lt. Commander Malcolm Reed would be the arrogant British chief engineer warp specialist and Lt. Hoshi Sato, an assistant professor of Alien Linguistics given a commission- they would be the scientist/exploration wing. Military wing would be Lt. Colonel Charles "Trip" Tucker of Starfleet Marine Corp is head of security and Lt. Junior Grade Travis Mayweather is a pilot/helmsman from the recently absorbed Earth Defense Force Navy. Commander T'Pol of Vulcan is the exchange liason officer from the Vulcan High Command- she is given Starfleet rank and is Executive Officer of Enterprise which irritates Lt. Colonel Tucker. The Enterprise itself is larger with 200 crewmembers due to the merger -the UESPA slightly outnumbering the Military- the UESPA resent the military since they actually built the ship for exploration and now its modified for military missions as well. The Military side have little respect for UESPA and call them "Naive Dreamers." UESPA naturally look to Archer and the Military look to Colonel Tucker; Archer hates Tucker's aggressive attitude and xenophobia while Tucker can't stand Archer's "peacenik" outlook on space.
Also, I would've kept the original name Jackson Archer- just sounds cooler- and he would've been divorced with children; never liked the bachelor, childless starship captain cliche' AND would've made Archer less of a "Daddy's Boy." Archer communicating with his children would've been a nice touch.
First off, I like Challenger, the UESS Challenger is a great name. Second, T'Pol's father actually Romulan is BRILLIANT!
Here's my idea that I posted on another thread:
I thought the series should've been set approximately 20 to 50 years after Cochrane's flight and the technology more "realistic" like bulky particle beam rifles, laser cannons, nuclear missles- and no transporters. The main plotline should've been United Earth encountering more hostile aliens like the Orions and realizing the civilian controlled United Earth Space Probe Agency is not up to the task- so the government forces a merger between UESPA and the Earth Defense Forces or whatever the military is called and formed a new entity called STARFLEET. The series should've been more like the novel "Star Trek Year One," with tension between the scientific and military wings of Starfleet; in fact it would've made more sense to name the series STARFLEET instead of "Enterprise." I also would've altered the characters a bit. First, I agree no Denobulan superdoctor- John Billingsley as regular human physician Dr. Joe Phlox or whatever. Captain Archer would actually be an astrophysicist and Phd. Lt. Commander Malcolm Reed would be the arrogant British chief engineer warp specialist and Lt. Hoshi Sato, an assistant professor of Alien Linguistics given a commission- they would be the scientist/exploration wing. Military wing would be Lt. Colonel Charles "Trip" Tucker of Starfleet Marine Corp is head of security and Lt. Junior Grade Travis Mayweather is a pilot/helmsman from the recently absorbed Earth Defense Force Navy. Commander T'Pol of Vulcan is the exchange liason officer from the Vulcan High Command- she is given Starfleet rank and is Executive Officer of Enterprise which irritates Lt. Colonel Tucker. The Enterprise itself is larger with 200 crewmembers due to the merger -the UESPA slightly outnumbering the Military- the UESPA resent the military since they actually built the ship for exploration and now its modified for military missions as well. The Military side have little respect for UESPA and call them "Naive Dreamers." UESPA naturally look to Archer and the Military look to Colonel Tucker; Archer hates Tucker's aggressive attitude and xenophobia while Tucker can't stand Archer's "peacenik" outlook on space.
Also, I would've kept the original name Jackson Archer- just sounds cooler- and he would've been divorced with children; never liked the bachelor, childless starship captain cliche' AND would've made Archer less of a "Daddy's Boy." Archer communicating with his children would've been a nice touch.
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Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
I remember a discussion somewhere around here about the Conestoga being a more suitable NX-01 than what we got, and I can't help but agree. Maybe not the Conestoga exactly, but something akin to it. It looks a lot more like a descendant of the Phoenix than Enterprise did.
Agreed. I think we should have gotten something more akin to Cochrane's Phoenix, and given the saucer design to either the Andorians or the Tellarites (mainly just so that not every facet of Starfleet ship design would come from Earth).
I remember a discussion somewhere around here about the Conestoga being a more suitable NX-01 than what we got, and I can't help but agree. Maybe not the Conestoga exactly, but something akin to it. It looks a lot more like a descendant of the Phoenix than Enterprise did.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
I'd say give the Tellarites a saucer. Gives them something more to offer than their charming demeanors.
The 'Discovery Class' in Star Trek: Legacy is basically an 'Enterprise'-era Conestoga.
Someone's video review of it here.
Note the drop bay. I would have been inclined to remove the blue glow at the front of the cylindrical hull, although housing elements of what becomes the main sensor there surrounding the nosecone, with the actual deflector in the nose cone (in some type of enclosure?) is intriguing. I think small rocket nozzles in place of the impulse engines, like on the original Conestoga, would have also been preferable. I might also have wanted more of a conning tower structure where the bridge is, half as tall or less as the one of the Botany Bay. You could also easily mount landing pads on the bottom corners.
But overall the styling ain't bad.
I'd say give the Tellarites a saucer. Gives them something more to offer than their charming demeanors.
The 'Discovery Class' in Star Trek: Legacy is basically an 'Enterprise'-era Conestoga.
Someone's video review of it here.
Note the drop bay. I would have been inclined to remove the blue glow at the front of the cylindrical hull, although housing elements of what becomes the main sensor there surrounding the nosecone, with the actual deflector in the nose cone (in some type of enclosure?) is intriguing. I think small rocket nozzles in place of the impulse engines, like on the original Conestoga, would have also been preferable. I might also have wanted more of a conning tower structure where the bridge is, half as tall or less as the one of the Botany Bay. You could also easily mount landing pads on the bottom corners.
But overall the styling ain't bad.
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
* Changed the theme song
* No dog in space
* No romance, unless it lends itself interestingly to the story line and the chemistry between actors and characters works
* Temporal Cold War only if it included (in the episodes) Romulans that lead to the war; I would've enjoyed that. Probably best to ditch the Suliban in favor of another species that was connected to TOS like the little people in Journey to Babel
* Given Phlox more to do, he was an interesting character
* Made T'Pol more Spock-like throughout and used less for T&A
* Continued to make Trip interesting by giving him the comedy relief
* More scenes with Trip and Reed together rather than them separate
* Hired a continuity editor who was a type A TOS fan to ensure canon
* Showed a flash back of just how mean the Vulcans were to Henry Archer to garner more sympathy for Capt. Archer
* Made Soval a secret Romulan; he could've switched sides later in the series
* Made the Romulans look like the Vulcans to add to the mystery and intrigue
* Hired great writers and asked the ones that couldn't pull their weight to leave, including using DC Fontana I think for a consultant
* Rewatch TOS
* Made Trip from Texas since it sounds like he was from there anyway (and not Florida)
* Had one episode with a member of another Star Trek cast (TOS, TNG, etc.) for fans
* Used the boards to collect good criticism about the shows, but keep to a vision like JMS with B5
* Make the scripts smart and sexy, rather than just sexy
* Used Vulcan more (like the Forge) -- it's a cool planet and one that deserves some exploration
* Given Shran more to do
You've changed your tune!
* Changed the theme song
* No dog in space
* No romance, unless it lends itself interestingly to the story line and the chemistry between actors and characters works
* Temporal Cold War only if it included (in the episodes) Romulans that lead to the war; I would've enjoyed that. Probably best to ditch the Suliban in favor of another species that was connected to TOS like the little people in Journey to Babel
* Given Phlox more to do, he was an interesting character
* Made T'Pol more Spock-like throughout and used less for T&A
* Continued to make Trip interesting by giving him the comedy relief
* More scenes with Trip and Reed together rather than them separate
* Hired a continuity editor who was a type A TOS fan to ensure canon
* Showed a flash back of just how mean the Vulcans were to Henry Archer to garner more sympathy for Capt. Archer
* Made Soval a secret Romulan; he could've switched sides later in the series
* Made the Romulans look like the Vulcans to add to the mystery and intrigue
* Hired great writers and asked the ones that couldn't pull their weight to leave, including using DC Fontana I think for a consultant
* Rewatch TOS
* Made Trip from Texas since it sounds like he was from there anyway (and not Florida)
* Had one episode with a member of another Star Trek cast (TOS, TNG, etc.) for fans
* Used the boards to collect good criticism about the shows, but keep to a vision like JMS with B5
* Make the scripts smart and sexy, rather than just sexy
* Used Vulcan more (like the Forge) -- it's a cool planet and one that deserves some exploration
* Given Shran more to do
You've changed your tune!
Re: If you were the creator of ENT, what would you have done different
This is a brilliant idea. She's around, she's still writing, and she's probably (gasp) a better authority on what 'Star Trek' is than anyone else, living or dead, including Gene Roddenberry. She'd have been a perfect creative consultant. Why did no one think of this?
This is a brilliant idea. She's around, she's still writing, and she's probably (gasp) a better authority on what 'Star Trek' is than anyone else, living or dead, including Gene Roddenberry. She'd have been a perfect creative consultant. Why did no one think of this?
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