Things you DON'T want to see in a reboot...

[Warped9]

Sci-Fi audiences tend to be youth-oriented. If you look at STAR WARS, for example, those who are EVIL, for the most part, are old and those who should be calling the shots in the universe are in their teens, mostly. Like Padme and Luke Skywalker, verses the Emporer and Darth Vader. The bulk of the U.S. military is around 20. Having a very youthful cast in the next STAR TREK is going to be a crucial ingredient to locking in solid ratings. Old people out there in the audience were young once, too, and they'll relate to that aspect of it. And, naturally, the crew will have parents and elder statesmen and so forth to come on board, occassionally to drive stories and further adventures ...

Nonsense. If the main cast is nothing but twenty-something's then for sure I won't bother watching. I like to see some seasoning in characters rather than a bunch of testosterone and angst driven kids. This would be little different than JJtrek. It also smacks of ageism.

When I was a kid I looked up to Batman and not Robin. I admired 007 who definitely wasn't a kid. And nether were any of the main characters of TOS and TNG. I'd rather see a seasoned Kirk, Spock, McCoy or Picard in action rather than some wet-behind-the-ears kids. They're doing that with JJtrek and it sucks large.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Unless it's an Academy show I don't want to see Star Trek 20-Something.

Look at TNG, two of the most popular characters are Picard and Data, neither of who are in their 20s. We already have one preposterous young Captain, the last thing I want to see is another one.

 

[2takesfrakes]

This would be little different than JJtrek. It also smacks of ageism.

If you look closer, it's easy to see that the two don't coincide. They're not equating. For one, my first, best love ... is STAR TREK: The Next Generation! Whose stars represent a mix of ages, from teen years, right on up through middle-age. And this is my most beloved of STAR TREKs, sir. Indeed, the only one I consider to be "canon." I am only thinking about The Future of the Franchise ...

Secondly, TNG came out during a time when television was still following this tradition where shows had to have broad appeal to bring in the ratings. Cable and Rentals weren't threatening Free T.V.'s status as the main source of entertainment, as much as competing with it. The Technological Game Changer was still being developed, making networks ache and long for those days of yore.

Now, however, there is absolutely no need for programming to be all things to all people, anymore. Targetting an audience and homing in on it, precisely, is The Key to the ratings and profits the Entertainment Industry holds so dear. The bulk of Sci-Fi Television audiences are going to be the young. It's not necessary to cater to other age groups. It's just something extra, if they do so. The ratings that were completely unacceptable a couple decades ago are now striven for with fierce conviction. So, as you can see, my Princely Plan does, indeed, have merit ...

 

[JarodRussell]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAgODVbPq78[/yt]

Oh, Stargate, that's why I love you.

 

[Yanks]

^^

What a great episode.

 

[Warped9]

This would be little different than JJtrek. It also smacks of ageism.

If you look closer, it's easy to see that the two don't coincide. They're not equating. For one, my first, best love ... is STAR TREK: The Next Generation! Whose stars represent a mix of ages, from teen years, right on up through middle-age. And this is my most beloved of STAR TREKs, sir. Indeed, the only one I consider to be "canon." I am only thinking about The Future of the Franchise ...

Secondly, TNG came out during a time when television was still following this tradition where shows had to have broad appeal to bring in the ratings. Cable and Rentals weren't threatening Free T.V.'s status as the main source of entertainment, as much as competing with it. The Technological Game Changer was still being developed, making networks ache and long for those days of yore.

Now, however, there is absolutely no need for programming to be all things to all people, anymore. Targetting an audience and homing in on it, precisely, is The Key to the ratings and profits the Entertainment Industry holds so dear. The bulk of Sci-Fi Television audiences are going to be the young. It's not necessary to cater to other age groups. It's just something extra, if they do so. The ratings that were completely unacceptable a couple decades ago are now striven for with fierce conviction. So, as you can see, my Princely Plan does, indeed, have merit ...

Casting the show with nothing but youth would also defeat the concept that Star Trek was supposed to be adult level. Again you'd be cutting off a vast swath of viewers and saying, "Nothing for you here." I'd certainly get that message not having anyone to identify with.

It would be yet another reason for large numbers of viewers not too watch.

 

[Kemaiku]

If they cast someone like you in a show, I know for fucking certain more than half of us wouldn't be watching it.

JJ can have the franchise another 50 years before I want an aging grandpa screaming at Klingons to get off his lawn for hours on end.

 

[JarodRussell]

If they cast someone like you in a show, I know for fucking certain more than half of us wouldn't be watching it.

It's always getting personal.

 

[Kemaiku]

If they cast someone like you in a show, I know for fucking certain more than half of us wouldn't be watching it.

Stirring the pot, stirring the pot, woo

*pats head* there's a good boy.

 

[T'Girl]

"Nothing for you here."

The same message would be sent by excluding twenty-somethings from the main character group.

Don't get me wrong Warped9, I occasionally enjoy watching repeats of "The Golden Girls."

 

[Vandervecken]

Well look--was the BSG reboot cast with only young people? Only older people? Nope, it had good reasons to cast people separated by as much as 40 years. And look how wildly popular it was (granted, the ending was a brainless train wreck, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the ride up until then). No reason Star Trek can't do the same some day, once it has some talent in charge again.

 

[2takesfrakes]

STAR TREK: The Original Series wasn't really that much of a mix of ages. I mean, take Bones out of the equation and everyone's within a few years of eachother. That they all grew old playing these same roles for a quarter of a century after kind of muddles that a bit, but it's true. STAR TREK's done the "all young" thing, right out of the box ...

 

[JarodRussell]

If by "young" you mean mid-thirties to mid-forties, then yes.

 

[2takesfrakes]

... all similar-aged, I guess, is what I'm trying to say!

 

[BigJake]

JJ can have the franchise another 50 years before I want an aging grandpa screaming at Klingons to get off his lawn for hours on end.

Having a business model that appeals to more than children sounds sensible to me...

 

[Kemaiku]

JJ can have the franchise another 50 years before I want an aging grandpa screaming at Klingons to get off his lawn for hours on end.

Having a business model that appeals to more than children sounds sensible to me...

It appealed to quite a large audience, as the figures and feedback have shown. Which is why I can't quite agree with Derped9's assertion there weren't enough actors of varying degrees to find at least one he associated with.

Just taking potshots again and he damn well knows it.

 

[BigJake]

It appealed to quite a large audience

That really doesn't have much bearing on whether it's a good idea to do a televised reboot as a children or youth--only idea, though. I don't know whether Warped9 is just taking potshots or not, but I can see the reason in what he's saying.

 

[Mudd]

It would be yet another reason for large numbers of viewers not too watch.

Yes, because youthful television casts are demonstrated to alienate the audience.

(Do I need some kind of "sarcasm" signifier there?)

There is not currently heated competition to capture the geriatric TV audience; we don't buy what desirable sponsors are selling.

As to the oldTrek time-line: not a chance in hell it'll be resurrected on-screen. Having discovered that they can operate free of those restraints, neither the studio or any producers are going to be interested in returning to it rather than continuing to spin the continuity off in directions tailored to their own projects.

 

[BigJake]

Easily the most dominant genre television show currently on the air is Game of Thrones, which unless I'm much mistaken features an inter-generational cast, right? I didn't think there was an argument being made for The Golden Girls in space, was there?

 

[T'Girl]

Having a business model that appeals to more than children sounds sensible to me...

When did people in the 18 to 34 demographic become "children?"