Roddenberry's Worst Ideas

[ZapBrannigan]

Gene Roddenberry had some great ideas and some not so hot.

I'd say one of his worst ideas was that a beautiful woman in TMP should be bald.

A bad costume idea, and probably Roddenberry's, was the "skant" uniform in early TNG, where a male extra would be seen walking around in a dress. If it was a good concept, the male regulars (audience representatives) would have worn it. The simple fact that that would be unacceptable should have told them something.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

No money.

Mankind having evolved past greed and now working only to better themselves.

No conflict on TNG among the crew because of all this enlightened evolving.

Wesley.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Star Trek

 

[Forbin]

Sometimes I think Trek was his only good idea. Most of his other attempts after that were pretty crappy.

 

[scotpens]

Deanna Troi having three breasts.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

People walking around naked and having a collective consciousness (the "New Humans").

Underground cities.

The first season of TNG except for "Symbiosis" and "Conspiracy".

Everything that teacake mentioned.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Spock killing JFK.

 

[SchwEnt]

Sometimes I think Trek was his only good idea. Most of his other attempts after that were pretty crappy.

And even then, many say ST became good only with the talented contributions of others.

 

[sonak]

his later ideas seemed to be worse-the whole "evolved, enlightened Humanity" thing, plus the wacky idea that Starfleet wasn't military.

 

[yousirname]

No money seems fine to me. My only beef with that whole aspect is actually the failure to explore in any meaningful way the ramifications of a post-scarcity economy. We just get these rather smug hew-mons endlessly gassing on about how enlightened they are. Show, don't tell, I say.

Data shouldn't use contractions (OK I'm not sure that was Roddenberry himself).

'Klingon' is a really silly name.

The Traveler and Wesley's destiny with him.

 

[Relayer1]

Gene Roddenberry had some great ideas and some not so hot.

I'd say one of his worst ideas was that a beautiful woman in TMP should be bald.

I thought that was brilliant. Persis was far more stunning without hair than she was with it. It wouldn't have been so with most women...

 

[The Wormhole]

'Klingon' is a really silly name.

The Traveler and Wesley's destiny with him.

Klingons were developed by Gene L Coon from Roddenberry's request to develop a recurring villain for the Federation.

The Traveler was introduced in an episode written by Diane Duane and Michael Reaves. Roddenberry had no input regarding Wesley's destiny with him, Roddenberry always wanted Wesley to go to the Academy and become a Starfleet officer. In fact, the episode Journey's End was written after Roddenberry died, so how the hell can you blame him for that?

 

[scotpens]

'Klingon' is a really silly name.

Tell that to Lt. Wilbur Clingan of the LAPD. (Assuming the story about the origin of the name "Klingon" is true.)

 

[yousirname]

Klingons were developed by Gene L Coon from Roddenberry's request to develop a recurring villain for the Federation.

Well, I stand corrected.

The Traveler was introduced in an episode written by Diane Duane and Michael Reaves. Roddenberry had no input regarding Wesley's destiny with him, Roddenberry always wanted Wesley to go to the Academy and become a Starfleet officer. In fact, the episode Journey's End was written after Roddenberry died, so how the hell can you blame him for that?

And again. Though I wasn't thinking of Journey's End, since the 'destiny' is hinted at in the Traveler's first appearance.

Tell that to Lt. Wilbur Clingan of the LAPD. (Assuming the story about the origin of the name "Klingon" is true.)

Well, I like my surname, but it would make a silly name for an alien species. I mean it sounds like "Cling on". I guess your mileage may vary.

 

[Metryq]

"Nanny" aliens, such as Gary Seven and Questor of THE QUESTOR TAPES.

If a civilization cannot—and is not allowed to—overcome its own faults, then it is baggage. Or as Spock said in "The Day of the Dove": "Those who hate and fight must stop themselves, Doctor. Otherwise, it is not stopped."

Alternatively, "the only kind of discipline is self-discipline."

 

[The Wormhole]

Well, I like my surname, but it would make a silly name for an alien species. I mean it sounds like "Cling on". I guess your mileage may vary.

In TOS, the name is pronounced "Kling-in" quite a bit. It wasn't until the movies that "Kling-on" became the official pronounciation.

 

[Nerys Myk]

A woman XO and a devilish appearing alien.

 

[Mysterion]

That everyone on the Enterprise in TOS was an officer. Silly. Just damned silly and impractical.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I find many of Roddenberry's post-TOS concepts disagreeable. No money? Humans have evolved beyond greed and even inter-personal conflict?

I'm glad his concept of a "Haven"-like nudist paradise Earth never made it to film. *cue bizarro version of Into Darkness where Harrison plants bombs in the middle of parks and naked people and their pet tigers are detonated*

 

[yousirname]

No money isn't post-TOS, I'm pretty sure.