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Series VI - ideal showrunner?
- Thread starter dulcimer47
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Abrams, because he successfully gets shows on TV. Doesn't sound like he actually manages them later as a showrunner, but he can hire someone for that.
Mainly, let's get CBS to agree to have the show made, and sold to a channel where it makes sense (TNT maybe?) That's a high hurdle because they mostly make shows for their own outlets. We need a heavy hitter to overcome that obstacle.
Mainly, let's get CBS to agree to have the show made, and sold to a channel where it makes sense (TNT maybe?) That's a high hurdle because they mostly make shows for their own outlets. We need a heavy hitter to overcome that obstacle.
I voted for Abrams, but my actual preference would be Orci.
I've voted for Moore, although, like Dennis, I'd like Orci to have a shot at the job.
Behr's already had a chance to be a showrunner on the franchise. I liked his contribution a lot, but at this point I'd rather hear from someone new.
Singer has never served as a showrunner, and it would be highly unlikely that he would assume the job, even if he was able to executive produce a new Trek series.
I'm unsure if Abrams has served as a showrunner in the past (did he operate in that capacity on Alias or Felicity?), but he doesn't have the time to do so now.
So, Behr and Moore are the only real choices, and Behr's already had the job, so Moore wins by default.
Behr's already had a chance to be a showrunner on the franchise. I liked his contribution a lot, but at this point I'd rather hear from someone new.
Singer has never served as a showrunner, and it would be highly unlikely that he would assume the job, even if he was able to executive produce a new Trek series.
I'm unsure if Abrams has served as a showrunner in the past (did he operate in that capacity on Alias or Felicity?), but he doesn't have the time to do so now.
So, Behr and Moore are the only real choices, and Behr's already had the job, so Moore wins by default.
I probably should have included more choices.
Maybe we should get together a more comprehensive list and make a new poll?
Personally, with the personal and professional history, from TNG to DS9 to Voyager to BSG, I'd like to see Ron Moore have a chance at his own Star Trek, unfiltered by B&B.
Maybe we should get together a more comprehensive list and make a new poll?
Personally, with the personal and professional history, from TNG to DS9 to Voyager to BSG, I'd like to see Ron Moore have a chance at his own Star Trek, unfiltered by B&B.
Sure, if you want.
I've gotten skeptical about Moore. His Star Trek might not be focused in that laser-beam way that shows need to be nowadays, to lock in the audience's wandering attention. Abrams knows what kind of shows survive and prosper. I'd rather have a savvy businessperson in charge who can then hire the right sort of creative people to execute a viable vision.
Not very idealistic of me, but I'm not underestimating the difficulty of getting Star Trek to survive in a hostile TV environment where space opera as a genre is effectively dead. No one should assume there's some big audience for Star Trek just waiting for it to reappear. To a large extent, that audience must be rebuilt, the way Abrams rebuilt the movie audience. In neither case can anyone afford to rely just on die-hard fans.
I've gotten skeptical about Moore. His Star Trek might not be focused in that laser-beam way that shows need to be nowadays, to lock in the audience's wandering attention. Abrams knows what kind of shows survive and prosper. I'd rather have a savvy businessperson in charge who can then hire the right sort of creative people to execute a viable vision.
Not very idealistic of me, but I'm not underestimating the difficulty of getting Star Trek to survive in a hostile TV environment where space opera as a genre is effectively dead. No one should assume there's some big audience for Star Trek just waiting for it to reappear. To a large extent, that audience must be rebuilt, the way Abrams rebuilt the movie audience. In neither case can anyone afford to rely just on die-hard fans.
J.J. Abrams. For reasons already stated in the thread.
Ron Moore would be my second choice on two conditions: 1) He doesn't forget where Star Trek ends and BSG begins; 2) He doesn't retread his work from TNG, DS9, and BSG. But I don't know. Lately he hasn't been able to get anything off the ground.
Ron Moore would be my second choice on two conditions: 1) He doesn't forget where Star Trek ends and BSG begins; 2) He doesn't retread his work from TNG, DS9, and BSG. But I don't know. Lately he hasn't been able to get anything off the ground.
None of the above. They all have their heads up their own asses.
And Singer and Abrams tend to only produce/direct the pilot and then leave the show runner thing to other people anyway.
And Singer and Abrams tend to only produce/direct the pilot and then leave the show runner thing to other people anyway.
A few others that haven't been discussed...
Nicholas Meyer
Manny Coto
J. Michael Straczynski
Joss Whedon
Nicholas Meyer
Manny Coto
J. Michael Straczynski
Joss Whedon
Nicholas Meyer has only written for episodic television once -- a 1985 episode of Faerie Tale Theatre which he also directed. He's an unlikely candidate.
Joss Whedon looks to be developing a feature film directing career. He may not go back to television anytime soon.
After reading JMS' pitch for a Trek-reboot, he can stay as far away from the franchise as possible.
Joss Whedon looks to be developing a feature film directing career. He may not go back to television anytime soon.
After reading JMS' pitch for a Trek-reboot, he can stay as far away from the franchise as possible.
Nicholas Meyer - He's too old now. Even if he weren't, I think he'd be more at home running a 19th Century period piece.
Manny Coto - He'd be good to have.
J. Michael Straczynski - Babylon 5 wasn't my thing -- and what if the series doesn't run five years? Which brings me too...
Joss Whedon - A Joss Whedon Star Trek would be interesting, I just hope it wouldn't be on FOX again or it would end up just like Firefly and Dollhouse.
Manny Coto - He'd be good to have.
J. Michael Straczynski - Babylon 5 wasn't my thing -- and what if the series doesn't run five years? Which brings me too...
Joss Whedon - A Joss Whedon Star Trek would be interesting, I just hope it wouldn't be on FOX again or it would end up just like Firefly and Dollhouse.
Really? I think JMS's pitch for a new Star Trek series was fantastic. I wish they'd gone with that.
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Jetfire
Guest
Miles Millar & Alfred Gough! 
I voted JJ Abrams.
I voted JJ Abrams.
Left over ideas from Babylon 5 would've still made for a damned good show. Seriously, we're talking elements from the older shows which were never expanded upon, and JMS was simply proposing to expand on them, like what the origins of the Doomsday Device were, and what the deal was with the aliens who seeded the galaxy with life. For a great example of this, read the novel Vendetta by Peter David. He put forward the idea that the Doomsday Device was constructed by an ancient race who'd been at war with the Borg, and that the one we saw in TOS was just a prototype of a much larger and more powerful version. It would be fantastic if Star Trek had a showrunner who had a plan for how all these ancient races fit in with each other... instead of creating them for one episode and almost completely forgetting about them after that. With JMS, we could count on finding out more about the Doomsday Device, who built it, and why. We'd find out more about the Iconians, the Preservers, and more.
And more than that, JMS is a fantastic writer. Star Trek would be lucky to have someone as talented as him running things. Especially since he's also able, due to his foresight and having scripts prepared ahead of time, to bring episodes under budget, which is a concern for anyone wanting to do a Star Trek tv show nowadays. And unlike the showrunners for Lost, he doesn't introduce mysteries just to see what sticks without any idea what to do with them. He actually has things thought out and provides satisfying payoffs as it goes, instead of ending a show with next to no answers, only to then make up the excuse that the show was always about the characters and their journeys, and not the mystery.
Seriously, we're talking elements from the older shows which were never expanded upon, and JMS was simply proposing to expand on them, like what the origins of the Doomsday Device were, and what the deal was with the aliens who seeded the galaxy with life. For a great example of this, read the novel Vendetta by Peter David. He put forward the idea that the Doomsday Device was constructed by an ancient race who'd been at war with the Borg, and that the one we saw in TOS was just a prototype of a much larger and more powerful version. It would be fantastic if Star Trek had a showrunner who had a plan for how all these ancient races fit in with each other... instead of creating them for one episode and almost completely forgetting about them after that. With JMS, we could count on finding out more about the Doomsday Device, who built it, and why. We'd find out more about the Iconians, the Preservers, and more.And more than that, JMS is a fantastic writer. Star Trek would be lucky to have someone as talented as him running things. Especially since he's also able, due to his foresight and having scripts prepared ahead of time, to bring episodes under budget, which is a concern for anyone wanting to do a Star Trek tv show nowadays. And unlike the showrunners for Lost, he doesn't introduce mysteries just to see what sticks without any idea what to do with them. He actually has things thought out and provides satisfying payoffs as it goes, instead of ending a show with next to no answers, only to then make up the excuse that the show was always about the characters and their journeys, and not the mystery.
It sounded like it could be a good B5 series, but was too metaphysically-oriented for Star Trek. Not sure if that's the right term. What I mean is, it's too B5 for Star Trek.
My hunch is that someone we've never heard of, who has industry but not necessarily sci fi experience, could be a perfectly good showrunner. Doing Star Trek right isn't rocket science, no pun intended.
They need to go back to the roots - Starfleet crew going boldly, doing the space cop/space soldier/space diplomat thing as a regular job, interspersed with the giant space amoeba/nutty virus of the week and personal episodes focused on one character or other, to mix it up. The same mix of episodes that TOS had, but with a stronger serialized element to satisfy expectations of the modern cable audience.
I don't see why you need some amazing creative genius to pull that off. In fact, avoid the amazing creative geniuses. Don't bring in some guy like JMS who is more interested in doing his own thing and slapping Star Trek on it meaninglessly just as a way to get it greenlit.
Those could be okay topics for a couple different episodes (even though the wacky science of the panspermia aliens makes me roll my eyes), but fanficcy backstories are not what's going to get Star Trek on the air and keep it there.
Ah, but Lost was a ratings hit and Lost alumni are getting shows made currently (Once Upon a Time for instance - also a hit.) Whereas JMS has no clout left in that regards to the extent he ever did. I'm sure on this basis, CBS would regard a Lost alumni as far more credible than some guy with some show from 20 years ago that wasn't even a hit then.
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Abrams has the clout to get it done. Though I have hope for the Singer/Fuller project. So I voted Singer
Ian Keldon
Fleet Captain
Mark me down for another vote for Manny Coto. Enterprise was turning the corner under his watch and becoming a great show.
There are a few others that come to mind:
Bryan Fuller
Russel T. Davies
Brad Wright (With or without Robert Cooper)
Brannon Braga... err maybe not LOL
René Echevarria
Tim Kring
Of course, I'm partial to Manny cuz i know him but still a think a pair of show runners (like Moore and Coto or Fuller and Singer) maybe a good idea also. In this industry it will take someone with a good relationship with CBS to get another Star trek series going.
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