A new golden era of fandom?
- Thread starter Warped9
- Start date
I've noticed that a few other current shows have forums that are very active. A single topic can blow up to 10 pages in less than a minute.
Since fans can watch the episodes as they're airing and then post to forums, it makes it that much fun to discuss/debate argue etc.
Trek and its forums doesn't have that advantage as much because of it relying on past shows and episodes. I don't count the last two current movies because I don't think it's quite enough to keep a forum active.
I wonder if airing even the reruns on TV regularly would boost forum posting even more because of the extra exposure.More people would be watching the same episode at the same time like the current shows.
The problem is, I can't find any Trek show on TV/Cable anywhere. I know we can stream it, Hulu it, Netflix etc, (there's nothing like watching what you want when you want it)
But there's also nothing like watching a show late at night, in the afternoon, --whenever--and having to sit through the commercials
and wait until show resumes.
Captive audience--you have to watch it and pay attention.
Since fans can watch the episodes as they're airing and then post to forums, it makes it that much fun to discuss/debate argue etc.
Trek and its forums doesn't have that advantage as much because of it relying on past shows and episodes. I don't count the last two current movies because I don't think it's quite enough to keep a forum active.
I wonder if airing even the reruns on TV regularly would boost forum posting even more because of the extra exposure.More people would be watching the same episode at the same time like the current shows.
The problem is, I can't find any Trek show on TV/Cable anywhere. I know we can stream it, Hulu it, Netflix etc, (there's nothing like watching what you want when you want it)
But there's also nothing like watching a show late at night, in the afternoon, --whenever--and having to sit through the commercials
and wait until show resumes. Captive audience--you have to watch it and pay attention.
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Nope. I get all the standard channels that you'd think would show them, like Syfy, etc, but even the local stations in my package doesn't show them.
It's like 75% all reality shows now
It's like 75% all reality shows now
Now is a wonderful time to be a fan, thanks to the internet and endless Trek goodness to be found - in the form of behind-the-scenes info on the series' and movies, as well as endless fan sites, fan fiction and fan art. Fan films are a part of that, but IMO they're nowhere near as good as the real thing and far from "fully realized"
So what? This is a serious question. The novels have their own continuity and storylines which have been going on longer than any of the series' have.
In '09 I was sat in the cinema, for the 3rd or 4th time and, being an early showing on a Saturday, this was the first one I'd seen with a lot of younger children present, a group of about 20 odd, approximately 8-10 sat just in front. I listened as their bemused chaperones, obviously non-Trek fans or at least not deeply immersed in the subject, struggled to answer the kids questions. They weren't being overly loud and I volunteered some answers. This continued on the way out of the cinema.
The following day, I went to see the film again. I was very surprised to see a lot of the same kids back, though with different chaperones this time. Their enthusiasm was super, one had used his birthday money to buy season 1 of TOS, another had 'liberated' some Voyager DVD's from an older brother and one even mentioned getting books from the library. This time they sat through the whole film in silence, apart from a giggle here and an occasional whoop, when the credits hit they asked more questions and I answered them, as best I could.
Last year, on one of my visits to see In To Darkness, I was approached by a half a dozen teens, 6 of the group from 4 years earlier who, somehow, had recognised me. Their love for Trek still intact, different reasons for each and they all said they watched it with others, with parents or grandparents, siblings or each other, a community of their own. They brought me a coffee, thanked me and my grumpy old heart was warmed, for me, you see, even though Trek was introduced to me by my grandpa, it was escapism for me, a way to get away from my life, at the time. That these kids had created their own collective, as my nan would say, it warmed me cockles.
The following day, I went to see the film again. I was very surprised to see a lot of the same kids back, though with different chaperones this time. Their enthusiasm was super, one had used his birthday money to buy season 1 of TOS, another had 'liberated' some Voyager DVD's from an older brother and one even mentioned getting books from the library. This time they sat through the whole film in silence, apart from a giggle here and an occasional whoop, when the credits hit they asked more questions and I answered them, as best I could.
Last year, on one of my visits to see In To Darkness, I was approached by a half a dozen teens, 6 of the group from 4 years earlier who, somehow, had recognised me. Their love for Trek still intact, different reasons for each and they all said they watched it with others, with parents or grandparents, siblings or each other, a community of their own. They brought me a coffee, thanked me and my grumpy old heart was warmed, for me, you see, even though Trek was introduced to me by my grandpa, it was escapism for me, a way to get away from my life, at the time. That these kids had created their own collective, as my nan would say, it warmed me cockles.
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I am under 35 (31 and a half) and I legitimately love TOS. I think you're right , though. TOS fans are ageing.
I enjoy the whole franchise, though. I think the Abrams movies didn't really bring in many entirely new fans. Most, as you say, were probably existing Trekkies, or lapsed Trekkies who were brought back to the fold.
Nope. I get all the standard channels that you'd think would show them, like Syfy, etc, but even the local stations in my package doesn't show them.
It's like 75% all reality shows now
I would hate to see no scripted dramas on television. I know, in my area, they are on local television--both TOS and TNG--although only once-a-week. I know BBC America runs them constantly. I have a bunch of them on DVR (25 episodes and counting...I delete the ones I don't like). I know Syfy shows occasional marathons and they show the movies. I know Cinemax has been showing Star Trek: Insurrection and EPIX has started a movie marthon this week.
This technology, it is much easier to follow a show. Star Trek Facebook page tells me when a marathon is starting and what channel. I can search on my cable box for which episodes I want to DVR (sometimes 3 weeks in advance). When I was but a mere lad, we had to buy the TV guide to see which episodes were going to be on, and they changed it constantly. Plus, we can network on this site.
But the novel continuity has veered drastically away from anything that was on the air or in the movies.
And the crews have been broken up and redistribute to other ships and the there are new ships and many brand new characters that no one (other than current novel readers) have ever heard of.
Sure they're great if you want to read a series of novels about the Borg butchering people in the Federation by the multiple billions, or read of little mousy Ezra undergoing a complete personality change and being given out of nowhere the fastest ship in the fleet.
But if you're a fan of the show that was on TV and want to read about those crews, you're simply out of luck.
Nope. I get all the standard channels that you'd think would show them, like Syfy, etc, but even the local stations in my package doesn't show them.
It's like 75% all reality shows now
I would hate to see no scripted dramas on television. I know, in my area, they are on local television--both TOS and TNG--although only once-a-week. I know BBC America runs them constantly. I have a bunch of them on DVR (25 episodes and counting...I delete the ones I don't like). I know Syfy shows occasional marathons and they show the movies. I know Cinemax has been showing Star Trek: Insurrection and EPIX has started a movie marthon this week.
This technology, it is much easier to follow a show. Star Trek Facebook page tells me when a marathon is starting and what channel. I can search on my cable box for which episodes I want to DVR (sometimes 3 weeks in advance). When I was but a mere lad, we had to buy the TV guide to see which episodes were going to be on, and they changed it constantly. Plus, we can network on this site.
Reality shows and non scripted dramas are all over cable now.
The irony is that they've become so popular that they're becoming scripted (fake) just so they churn them out in every variety.
Trek hasn't really been on in years now-- TOS, DS9, TNG Voy nowhere.
A few years back, on and off, Syfy might show Enterprise for a bit.
Spike used to show Voyager a few years ago, but stopped.
I've streamed and watched recorded shows, but I just noticed that when you watch a show on live TV the effect seems to be different-- you have to pay attention.
Spartacus, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, even Pro Wrestling, have had or have huge forum participation because the fans can watch it as it unfolds then post.
