I tend to think that Trek just kind of peaked with mainstream audiences with TNG and the subsequent shows either got lost in the shuffle (DS9), or just didn't excite anyone outside of Trekkies (VOY and ENT). TNG kind of came along at the right time when there weren't very many sci-fi/fantasy shows on the air and left just before there was too much competition. By the time ENT came along, Trek was fairly old hat and somewhat played out, with the only remotely buzzworthy thing being Jeri Ryan in a skintight catsuit and padded bra back when VOY was on.
I do think Star Trek XI benefited from being the only new Trek production in four years and being able to resonate with more than just hardcore Trekkies with its familiar characters and a renewed sense of energy and fun (heck, it even brought back miniskirts and bug-eyed monsters). Trek is once more an event that comes along every few years rather than something you can see every week.
I think any new Trek that comes after the Abramsverse has to be as different from the TNG era in style and tone as it was to the TOS era (regardless of its in-universe setting or premise). I also think it has to have characters that people other than Trekkies can relate & root for and stories that periodically stand out and are memorable. I think the worst thing that Trek can do is to become any darker and grittier than DS9 was, but at the same time, it can still be edgy and take some risks with its content and characters to reflect the current times we live in. At the very least, it needs to remove the idea of having a static cast of characters and an unchanging status quo--many of the best dramas have characters that come and go (including the lead character), which often provides a periodic shakeup and sometimes a change in creative direction that keeps things lively.
I do think Star Trek XI benefited from being the only new Trek production in four years and being able to resonate with more than just hardcore Trekkies with its familiar characters and a renewed sense of energy and fun (heck, it even brought back miniskirts and bug-eyed monsters). Trek is once more an event that comes along every few years rather than something you can see every week.
I think any new Trek that comes after the Abramsverse has to be as different from the TNG era in style and tone as it was to the TOS era (regardless of its in-universe setting or premise). I also think it has to have characters that people other than Trekkies can relate & root for and stories that periodically stand out and are memorable. I think the worst thing that Trek can do is to become any darker and grittier than DS9 was, but at the same time, it can still be edgy and take some risks with its content and characters to reflect the current times we live in. At the very least, it needs to remove the idea of having a static cast of characters and an unchanging status quo--many of the best dramas have characters that come and go (including the lead character), which often provides a periodic shakeup and sometimes a change in creative direction that keeps things lively.
