will star trek ever return to prime universe?

[EmperorTiberius]

They can easily "reset" it by setting it in 25 century. Star Trek is not Batman, there is no reason for resetting at all. The abortion that was the movie would never fly as a TV series because you woulnd't have a dedicated fanbase. It would be another run of the mill nonsense sci fi, there would be nothing special about, no magic.

 

[F. King Daniel]

They can easily "reset" it by setting it in 25 century. Star Trek is not Batman, there is no reason for resetting at all. The abortion that was the movie would never fly as a TV series because you woulnd't have a dedicated fanbase. It would be another run of the mill nonsense sci fi, there would be nothing special about, no magic.

"Nothing special" about bringing back Trek's most famous and beloved characters? I couldn't disagree more.

Characters will always be more important than continuity. That's why all the comic book characters, why all the classics, why Sherlock Holmes etc are reborn time and time again. Because the characters are loved.

Trek has tried and tried, but they never topped Kirk's crew. They are icons. And as we saw with the cancellation of Enterprise and flop of Nemesis, the setting of Trek itself is no longer enough to draw people.

Another generic Trek series further into the future with a crew of nobodies is doomed. A Trek series bringing back the characters everyone loves and updating them, THAT has a chance.

 

[LtChange]

Another generic Trek series further into the future with a crew of nobodies is doomed. A Trek series bringing back the characters everyone loves and updating them, THAT has a chance.

I completly agree with a series about beloved characters. So why not do a post-Romulus explosion series, like a series post 2387, let's say somewhere between 2390-2400, and could show us almost every character from TNG/DS9/VOY, as main or episodic guests. We could have a star ship with a captain and 2-3 main characters selected from the previous series but the premise of the series would be something to be different enough from the previous series. Post Romulus federation could be an interesting settings as we could have settings that could permit almost any direction. Ex. the Federation would have access to Romulan territories, other organizations like the Klingon Empire, the Cardassians, maybe the Dominon even would be interested to take over what left of the Romulan empire, the Federation could become obsessed of controlling the Romulan space because they think that Romulans where ready to make some powerful weapons against them and this is a good chance to prove this (something what happens between USA and the Middle East - mistrust, problems). Star Trek was always a mirror for current situations, and the fall of the Romulan empire could be a great setting for this set up ... I know, I'm just a fan, but this is why I would set up the new series in the prime-verse in the late 2300s or early 2400s, it could have anything that could satisfy a lot of fans: familiar characters, no need to watch continuity and so on ... But I know ... CBS executives are no fans, they only want to see if something is financial possible or not ... And let's face it, CBS audience is not the Star Trek audience.

 

[BillJ]

I completly agree with a series about beloved characters. So why not do a post-Romulus explosion series, like a series post 2387, let's say somewhere between 2390-2400, and could show us almost every character from TNG/DS9/VOY, as main or episodic guests. We could have a star ship with a captain and 2-3 main characters selected from the previous series but the premise of the series would be something to be different enough from the previous series.

It would be doomed to failure from the moment of inception. Outside of Picard, Data and maybe Worf, the modern casts have absolutely no mainstream appeal. Outside a prequel about Picard on the Stargazer (more action oriented format) or a straight reboot of TNG, you're likely to never see the 24th century again on screen.

The type of series you propose above wouldn't interest anyone except the 2% who already read the novels.

 

[tmosler]

I agree with all your replies that it is unlikely we will get another tv show set in the prime universe. I just hope whatever they do if they make another tv show it doesnt turn out like enterprise did. Also I just got done with book one of the destiny series and cant wait to read book 2.

 

[Greg Cox]

The conventional wisdom is about 2%, so, yeah, it would be silly to assume that the TV audiences would be familiar with what happens in the books . . . .

I used to love the Trek books, but haven't read any of the most recent releases (ie pretty much anything after DS9's Mission Gamma).

Wow, only 2%? I wonder why? I love getting the continuing story and reading about my favorite characters. I can't imagine being a fan and NOT wanting to read the new books. But then again, I've always been a reader. I know lots of people don't read just because they don't like to. Weirdos.

Alas, we're talking entirely different orders of magnitude. TV shows are watched by millions; tie-in novels are read by tens of thousands.

The rule of thumb, back when I was editing tie-ins, was that a show with, say four million viewers would sell roughly 40,000 books . . . .

 

[Ian Keldon]

^Why is that? Why doesn't TV fandom translate into following all the add-on products the way it used to?

 

[BillJ]

^Why is that? Why doesn't TV fandom translate into following all the add-on products the way it used to?

I would imagine home video plays a big part in it. At one time, the only way to revisit favorite series was through novels and comics.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Also I just got done with book one of the destiny series and cant wait to read book 2.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Another generic Trek series further into the future with a crew of nobodies is doomed.

In a real sense, that's how Trek began--with a crew of nobodies. The key with any television series, regardless if it's Trek or not, is creating characters that click with an audience enough that they want to watch them again and again to see what they do or what happens to them next.

 

[Greg Cox]

^Why is that? Why doesn't TV fandom translate into following all the add-on products the way it used to?

I'm not sure that was ever the case. I don't recall Spock Must Die hitting the New York Times bestseller list back in the sixties. Ditto all the old Get Smart and Dark Shadows novels I read as a kid . . . .

You're always just talking a small percentage of the viewing audience.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Whoever CBS decides on to develop a new Trek series may have no interest whatsoever in keeping either the prime-verse or the Abramsverse, and if they can convince CBS it's the way to go, they'll sign off on it happily enough, IMO.

As a practical matter, the most likely showrunner for a new series is someone like Bob Orci who has a proven ability to milk more money out of the old cash cow that CBS probably thought had dried up before Abrams & co proved otherwise. And it would be downright weird for Orci to decide to ignore continuity he helped create.

 

[BillJ]

Whoever CBS decides on to develop a new Trek series may have no interest whatsoever in keeping either the prime-verse or the Abramsverse, and if they can convince CBS it's the way to go, they'll sign off on it happily enough, IMO.

As a practical matter, the most likely showrunner for a new series is someone like Bob Orci who has a proven ability to milk more money out of the old cash cow that CBS probably thought had dried up before Abrams & co proved otherwise. And it would be downright weird for Orci to decide to ignore continuity he helped create.

But aren't Orci and Kurtzman attached to Fox for the next three years via a development deal they signed?

 

[Greg Cox]

The thing is: "Set firmly in the original continuity!" really isn't a selling point to anybody except to nostalgic fans of a certain age. It's not going to attract new viewers . . . and might even scare them away!

"Geez, do I have to have watched all those old shows just to understand this one?"

 

[Temis the Vorta]

But aren't Orci and Kurtzman attached to Fox for the next three years via a development deal they signed?

Is that an exclusive deal? Orci & Kurtzman were shopping their Sleepy Hollow pilot around to the networks last summer, so I didn't think they were limited like that. And of course they do Hawaii 5-0 for CBS.

I found this story but it was from two years ago. Orci's interview about talking to CBS about Star Trek is from just this past summer.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Whoever CBS decides on to develop a new Trek series may have no interest whatsoever in keeping either the prime-verse or the Abramsverse, and if they can convince CBS it's the way to go, they'll sign off on it happily enough, IMO.

As a practical matter, the most likely showrunner for a new series is someone like Bob Orci who has a proven ability to milk more money out of the old cash cow that CBS probably thought had dried up before Abrams & co proved otherwise. And it would be downright weird for Orci to decide to ignore continuity he helped create.

It depends on when the show comes about. If it's sometime fairly soon--say, about within the next two to five years--the odds are very good it'll be something developed by Orci & Kurtzman (they wouldn't be showrunners, but rather executive producers--those guys have too many projects going on at any given time to be tied down exclusively to just one for any real length of time).

But the longer it takes (due to either CBS dragging their feet, not liking Orci's pitch, or not coming to terms with him, etc.,) the more likely CBS might look at somebody else.

 

[Greg Cox]

I love getting the continuing story and reading about my favorite characters. I can't imagine being a fan and NOT wanting to read the new books. But then again, I've always been a reader. I know lots of people don't read just because they don't like to. Weirdos.

I forgot to say before: God bless you!

(And I did I mention that I have new TOS novel coming out in March?)

 

[R. Star]

^Why is that? Why doesn't TV fandom translate into following all the add-on products the way it used to?

I'd say it's just more that most people simply aren't going to buy a novel and take a few hours to sit down and read it in this day of 200+ cable channel packages and DVRs they basically can watch whatever their niche interest is whenever they want without actually having to put any effort into it.

 

[Dream]

TNG has it best. At the time it aired, it was the only Trek sequel in town so it was extremely easy to get into.

 

[Greg Cox]

TNG has it best. At the time it aired, it was the only Trek sequel in town so it was extremely easy to get into.

Hard to believe that was twenty-five years ago!

I remember watching the first ep while cat-sitting for a friend in Greenwich Village . . . .