2017, A Trek For The Fans?

[Bry_Sinclair]

I know CBS is looking at Trek after the boost NuTrek has given it and seeing it as a means of making a little money, making people pay directly for the new show, which is something I understand and accept from their perspective.

My question is this: Should they make Trek 17 a series for the fans, one that will bolster those of us who know and love the franchise, or will they see it as a way of trying to hook newbies into the universe?

It's safe to say that everyone knows that few (if any) other franchises have fans as dedicated as Star Trek, and that there will be millions of us--from the hardcore to the more casual viewer--so they all ready have a pretty much guaranteed viewership. Would they therefore see the new series as being something made for us? The last time they tried to hook new viewers with a TV show didn't really work.

Surely if they focuses on making it a good, solid show, then word of it would spread and might see non-Trekkies tuning in to see what all the fuss is about (after all I don't see many non-fans willing to pay for something they have no strong feelings for one way or the other, unless it's filled with big name actors to hook others in with).

Granted you will never please every fan, but at least if they started out saying, "This will be a show for the fans", they you already have a large following who will give them the benefit of the doubt and tune in to see what they're putting forward.

Or is that too much to hope for?

 

[sojourner]

The fans will watch regardless - hence, FANS.

CBS will try to bring in as large an audience as they can.

 

[Samuel T. Cogley]

Granted you will never please every fan, but at least if they started out saying, "This will be a show for the fans", they you already have a large following who will give them the benefit of the doubt and tune in to see what they're putting forward.

If CBS said this, then the fans would rip CBS apart like Walkers on [Spoiler Alert] during episode 6x3 of The Walking Dead.

Figuratively, of course, because this would all happen on the internet and have no effect on CBS.

 

[Mudd]

No.

They should make the best show they can for the widest audience they can. Be ambitious.

 

[JoeZhang]

Should they make Trek 17 a series for the fans

As I mentioned on another thread - the writing room should have a giant sign that says "f**k the fans" in it.

 

[BillJ]

No.

They should make the best show they can for the widest audience they can. Be ambitious.

This.

As I mentioned on another thread - the writing room should have a giant sign that says "f**k the fans" in it.

It should be right next to the "fuck canon" sign.

 

[bbailey861]

Give me good stories (a mixture of smart shows and shoot 'em ups will be great), some great characters that we can care about, keep it identifiably Star Trek, and I will be more than happy. It needs to reach all age groups and bring in both the fans and the newbies.

 

[Takeru]

As I mentioned on another thread - the writing room should have a giant sign that says "f**k the fans" in it.

Agreed! Doing things "for the fans" is the worst.
A series pandering to fans would just scare away everyone else and the fans would probably still hate it because everyone has a different opinion of what Star Trek should be.

 

[-Brett-]

Granted you will never please every fan, but at least if they started out saying, "This will be a show for the fans", they you already have a large following who will give them the benefit of the doubt and tune in to see what they're putting forward.

If anything they should say the opposite. Star Trek fans and everything to do with them are inherently repulsive to normal people. For good reason, to be honest. Any hint that CBS is catering to them will turn off casual viewers.

Fans are more of a liability than an asset at this point.

 

[Terok Nor]

The fans will watch regardless - hence, FANS.

CBS will try to bring in as large an audience as they can.

I'm not sure that's true. I hated Enterprise and stopped watching it. I'm no sheep.

If CBS wants to bring in as large an audience as it can then it shouldn't alienate new or old viewers. I'm sure there's a way to please both.

 

[Paradise City]

There's no danger that networks will pander to fans. There is a real danger, given that one of the JJ mafia is in charge, that the plots will be incoherent and that it will appeal to the lowest common denominator. This guy - can never remember his name - is responsible for mostly bad TV and mediocre movies and this TV show will be just more of the same.

 

[Trekkin]

How can something be incoherent to smart fans, yet understood by 'the lowest common denominator'?

 

[Paradise City]

How can something be incoherent to smart fans, yet understood by 'the lowest common denominator'?

Lowest common denominator types aren't interest in plots just action and fluff and that's their fix.

 

[Trekkin]

Uh huh. Sure. I guess that's why Star Trek IV and (*sigh*} The Motion Picture weren't blockbusters. The 'lowest common denominator' just never was that interested in 'meaningful' Trek.

It also didn't answer the question. Why can the supposed unwashed masses follow the writers plot and understand what's going on, whilst you can't?

Oh, and to answer the OP - on a purely selfish level, I'd rather they didn't make the series mostly for fans. I've seen too many enjoyable shows go to shit because the writers were too busy trying to provide what they think fans want, as opposed to what a good show needs to keep running. *cough* American Horror Story *cough*.

 

[Jedman67]

As I mentioned on another thread - the writing room should have a giant sign that says "f**k the fans" in it.

It should be right next to the "fuck canon" sign.

that can be a bit uncomfortable.

 

[Shawnster]

The last time I recall a network doing something for Trek fans we got the death of Tripp Tucker and the end of Star Trek on network television.

 

[Paradise City]

It also didn't answer the question. Why can the supposed unwashed masses follow the writers plot and understand what's going on, whilst you can't?

I did answer the question. You just misread my response.

To repeat; the lowest common denom doesn't need to understand what's going on. All they need is action sequences and that's their fix.

 

[The Wormhole]

As I posted in another thread, this series more than any series since TNG is going to need to appeal to non-fans in a serious way.

 

[Jedman67]

It also didn't answer the question. Why can the supposed unwashed masses follow the writers plot and understand what's going on, whilst you can't?

I did answer the question. You just misread my response.

To repeat; the lowest common denom doesn't need to understand what's going on. All they need is action sequences and that's their fix.

Many repeat viewers want something with a little depth, something to superficially engage and keep them coming back for more. And there are many who will find that endless talking scenes just don't interest them enough.

 

[1001001]

How can they make something "for the fans" when we can't agree amongst ourselves what's good and what's not??





They should just make the best product they can, and we can hope for the best.