nuConstellation series?

[Temis the Vorta]

If I was head of programming at a basic or premium cable network, I would seriously roll the dice with a space opera series. But Star Trek wouldn't be my first choice (even if I were at Showtime), because I think there's an unserved hunger out there for something more bloody and kick-ass.

I'd be more likely to license something from military sci fi, such as Honor Harrington or hey why not Starship Troopers? I'd also look seriously at licensing a video game, whatever the one is that has the most renown, but do a much classier job than SyFy did with Red Dead Redemption.

Too bad SyFy won't take a chance with Blood & Chrome but I think they botched the casting by trying to appeal to the CW crowd instead of going straight after the male market that has fled TV in favor of video games. I'd set my sights on trying to win that audience back.

 

[T'Girl]

Each series since TNG has had fewer and fewer viewers.

To be fair, as the industry has changed, a "successful" show requires fewer viewers. A new show would do just fine with four or five million viewers. With the right budget of course.

 

[xortex]

I don't think people care nor are buying anything about space anymore on tv. Another approach or high concept that people care about is necessary. They don't care nor believe in or like aliens anymore than they do Santa Clause. Now witchcraft and sorcery and magic and fantasy, yes, because that is personal and character and Earth centric and doesn't have to be sustained so much to be related to as it is prevelant in our time, etc. so a new angle should be developed like how an alien intelligance sees us and not how we see them or it as that is naive and silly to assume even to a six year old, but like I say prosthetics are ridiculous and unneccesary in today's times to explain the supernatural, which is what aliens are or certainly might be.

 

[MNM]

^ I'm just being realistic.

Nah, you are being unrealistic. there will be Trek on TV again. Now that said, I think you are right in that it wont be until Abrams Trek is done, though I dont think he'll do another after this one so that isnt a big hurdle.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

A new show would do just fine with four or five million viewers. With the right budget of course.

On cable or the CW, not on one of the broadcast nets.

Falling Skies got 6-7M viewers on TNT. Why should a Star Trek series set its sights on any less?

But the budget is the sticky point. Could Star Trek be done on the same budget as Falling Skies? Maybe. Instead of skitter-type aliens, that money goes to the planets and the starships. Would audiences sit still for funny-forehead humanoid aliens? Would moving the action from Earth to outer space be inherently off-putting?

I don't think people care nor are buying anything about space anymore on tv.

Falling Skies was the biggest scripted hit of the summer season. 6-7M on cable is a great number. People still like aliens, apparently. But do they like their aliens to look really alien? Do they insist that the action be Earth-based and relatable?

Now witchcraft and sorcery and magic and fantasy, yes, because that is personal and character and Earth centric

Supernatural/fairy tale stuff is popular on TV because it skews female, and most TV viewers are female. TV has disproportionately lost male viewers to video games and the internet. Fewer males may mean they're more worth chasing (a successful Star Trek series would be prized by advertisers if it could attract a young male demographic) or it may mean, why bother, let's remake Beauty and the Beast because we know that will appeal to the demographic that still bothers to watch TV at all.

If I were doing a Star Trek series, I'd try to get it on FX even though it would be produced by CBS and FX is part of a different company. I'd set my sights on attracting a young male demo and justify the budget with the premium that advertisers will pay for airtime. I'd make sure the lead character is some big, buff, Captain Robau type (why not just hire Faran Tahir and have him play a Robau-like character, or even Robau from the Prime Universe, where he didn't die?) I'd amp the action, the military aspect and the space-cops-patrolling-the-frontiers-of-the-Federation aspect.

I'd look at FX's other hit series - Sons of Anarchy and Justified - for inspiration into character types. I could see a Gemma or a Boyd Crowder on the spaceship (pre-TOS, it was a wilder time) or as a recurring antagonist. Aren't the Romulans and the Klingons just metaphors for the biker gangs and psycho hillbillies that FX already makes money from?

 

[Admiral_Young]

I can honestly see a new Star Trek series being syndicated again. Next Generation was at it's peak when it was a syndicated series. Same with DS9. It maybe the way to go again although I doubt CBS would seriously consider that route if.

Honor Harrington would be a terrific suggestion for a series. Most fans have wanted to see a movie with Angelina Jolie in the lead role but that ship seems to have past with little or no interest. It is been a book franchise just ripe for adapting though.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The syndication business is dead on TV now. I don't really know all the backstory why that is. But TV studios will make shows that they sell to other channels, which is why CBS might make a series for FX to air.

 

[xortex]

There's got to be a reason why there's a Starship out so far wnmhgb. In tos it was a rescue mission that became much more. There should also be a reason why the ship can't come back or doesn't want or shouldn't and needs to stay out there. The let's see what's out there premise should be secondary to we have to stay out there for some reason and either can't return yet or shouldn't for some purpose.
As for the bumpy heads - no more prosthetic appliances ever. That'll cut the budget. Heck in the days of radio they created even believable aliens on the radio. This is where things work in reverse ironically and economically, and I think where the CGI can come in handy creating aliens instead of dinosaurs or at least hinting at them or depicting them surrealy which for some reason people find easier to accept and swallow than actors in get ups even.

 

[Captaindemotion]

[/QUOTE=T'Girl;5230455]

A new show would do just fine with four or five million viewers. With the right budget of course.

On cable or the CW, not on one of the broadcast nets.

Can I just point out, that quote wasn't from me. I'm the one pouring cold water on the idea of a new Trek series.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

There's got to be a reason why there's a Starship out so far wnmhgb. In tos it was a rescue mission that became much more. There should also be a reason why the ship can't come back or doesn't want or shouldn't and needs to stay out there.

There's a built-in reason: the Federation sends starships to patrol the Federation border region on five-year missions.

 

[xortex]

Not specific enough. Too ambigeuos and vague a concept. I could just picture a sixteen year old girl going, 'Why? Who cares what's out there.'

 

[Relayer1]

But the budget is the sticky point. Could Star Trek be done on the same budget as Falling Skies? Maybe. Instead of skitter-type aliens, that money goes to the planets and the starships. Would audiences sit still for funny-forehead humanoid aliens? Would moving the action from Earth to outer space be inherently off-putting?

I don't know about anyone else out there, but I am sick to death of Earth based sci-fi shows. They are cheap, first and foremost. Even when they have a decent budget most of them are tired and uninspiring...

 

[xortex]

You know I wouldn't mind an Earth based story if there was something going on out there as well concerning a Starship or what have you of course and an alien something or other. That would be cool. I don't think Braga's show or the other one had that per se or am I wrong. I don't remember since I didn't see them. I can't even remember their names. I guess that's how good they were to me. What was his show called?

 

[Hartzilla2007]

There's got to be a reason why there's a Starship out so far wnmhgb. In tos it was a rescue mission that became much more. There should also be a reason why the ship can't come back or doesn't want or shouldn't and needs to stay out there.

There's a built-in reason: the Federation sends starships to patrol the Federation border region on five-year missions.

Plus gaining new colonies to get their hands on various resources such as minerals for construction, dilithium to power ships, and ect. As well as finding potential allies and identifying potential threats and trying to deal with them out there instead of in the federation's territory and all the extra scientific knowledge which might make a nice bonus on top of that.

Plus if the federation is riddiculously large aggressive empires might not like the idea of having to take and hold such a large amount of space with their current military size and would be more likely to try diplomacy.

Plus Starfleet might do it just to keep from getting bored.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Not specific enough. Too ambigeuos and vague a concept. I could just picture a sixteen year old girl going, 'Why? Who cares what's out there.'

16 year old girls are not the target market.

 

[xortex]

I'm talking about what works for the audience not the Federation.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Now you've lost me. Oh well!

 

[xortex]

What is the target audience? 16 yr old boys, right, who are told by 16 yr old girls, 'Who cares what's out there. What about me, me, meow. Let me out!'

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The Federation's target market is promising new planets, that have juicy resources, are strategically placed, or both. Get em before the Klingons do!

However, I'm reliably informed that none of these planets are Neilsens families. The universe is funny like that.

 

[xortex]

Recalibrating for dumb demographic, the Neilson's don't typically sound like the type of family with a place for a basterdized son except maybe in the basement. Little suzie Nielson is gonna feel uncomfortable with him (the power hungry monster) living there. See honey, there are no power hungy monsters under your bed. We have to pay to go see them in the movies with other civilized people. Offended by a gnat yet swallow a camel. Because that's the way we like it. So there. Ha. Turns and suzie rasberries you leaving and you can't help thinking how divine justice (just us) really is. Conversely the guy with two wives is very jealous of the guy with five, so..