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Aaron Sorkin won't write a making-of-TOS script.........
- Thread starter Rowdy Roddy McDowall
- Start date
It's a very good question. My gut reaction is that he has the talent, and there's a lot of real drama to the story, so I think it could be done. My biggest concern, similar to my concerns about the Roddenberry biopic, is that there's also a lot of fake drama surrounding the story, with a lot of it manufactured by Roddenberry. If he (or anyone else) took the tack of "the network executives were too stupid to understand my brilliance" it wouldn't succeed for me, at least.
If Sorkin or anyone did a film on the Making of TOS, I hope they recruit @Maurice and @Harvey as fact consultants. Hell, Maurice and I could write the screenplay.
But unfortunately such a production would be riddled with myths and inaccuracies like every actual documentary on TOS (see The Center Seat).
But unfortunately such a production would be riddled with myths and inaccuracies like every actual documentary on TOS (see The Center Seat).
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No.
Until a studio consults real Desilu/TOS historians (IOW, not the pornographer posing as a TOS expert) who will stick to the facts, instead of long and oft-repeated myths that just about everyone is sick of hearing (e.g., all of the "Great Bird" stuff, anything from Takei or the other bitter day players, using the syndication/convention years popularity to play revisionist history by bolstering the value of certain actors during TOS production years, more revisionist history trying to suggest Roddenberry's post-1960s views were a part of TOS, etc.), Sorkin--or anyone else would never do justice to the history of TOS.
It would end up just as inaccurate as Dragon: the Bruce Lee Story, Return to the Batcave, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood or Surviving Gilligan's Island. Packaged "history" of TOS has dealt more than enough blows to the true story.
"Star Trek was almost canceled in the first season! Only Ellison's efforts saved it."
I second the motion.
This. I don't need bad information regurgitated for the 50th time where TOS is concerned.
Back in 2014 I took a shot at writing a TOS scene in the style of Aaron Sorkin. Here is is for your amusement:
STAR TREK by Aaron Sorkin
INT. ENTERPRISE
CHEKOV and SULU are walking thru the hall on their way to the bridge.
SULU and CHEKOV step into the turbolift.
The turbolift doors close in front of them.
STAR TREK by Aaron Sorkin
INT. ENTERPRISE
CHEKOV and SULU are walking thru the hall on their way to the bridge.
CHEKOV: …The Neutral Zone?
SULU: That’s right.
CHEKOV: We’re going to the Neutral Zone?
SULU: Yes.
CHEKOV: Refresh my memory. What exactly is the Neutral Zone?
SULU: It is a zone that is neutral.
SULU: That’s right.
CHEKOV: We’re going to the Neutral Zone?
SULU: Yes.
CHEKOV: Refresh my memory. What exactly is the Neutral Zone?
SULU: It is a zone that is neutral.
CHEKOV: Thanks, that clears that right up. And why, exactly, are we going to the Neutral Zone?
SULU: We are going to the Neutral Zone to meet with the Romulans.
CHEKOV: Not the Klingons?
SULU: The Romulans.
CHEKOV: Why not the Klingons?
SULU: Because we’re meeting with the Romulans.
SULU: We are going to the Neutral Zone to meet with the Romulans.
CHEKOV: Not the Klingons?
SULU: The Romulans.
CHEKOV: Why not the Klingons?
SULU: Because we’re meeting with the Romulans.
CHEKOV: You’re just a fount of information today, aren’t you?
SULU: Staying so well-informed is how I became the man I am today.
CHEKOV: Helmsman on a starship.
SULU: That’s right.
SULU: Staying so well-informed is how I became the man I am today.
CHEKOV: Helmsman on a starship.
SULU: That’s right.
CHEKOV: Fourth in command.
SULU: Three heartbeats away.
CHEKOV: In the inner circle.
SULU: Privy to many, many secrets that my lowly subordinates in the lesser ranks are not.
SULU: Three heartbeats away.
CHEKOV: In the inner circle.
SULU: Privy to many, many secrets that my lowly subordinates in the lesser ranks are not.
SULU and CHEKOV step into the turbolift.
CHEKOV: And what exactly is our secret mission involving the Romulans in the Neutral Zone that mere ensigns like myself are not privy to?
SULU: No idea.
SULU: No idea.
The turbolift doors close in front of them.
I have always seen Sulu and Chekov as the Josh and Donna of the show.
I was picturing them as Casey and Dan from Sports Night, but I don't hate your idea.
Well, I subjected myself to a viewing of Being The Ricardos on Amazon Prime today, and man, it was a slog. Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem were both severely miscast, and the script was Sorkin at his pontificating worst. (JK Simmons was great as always, but that was about the only positive thing I have to say about it.)
I hope Sorkin never decides to give the making of TOS a similar treatment.
I hope Sorkin never decides to give the making of TOS a similar treatment.
I doubt a Sorkin script could survive the casting couch, or the white washing of the casting couch.
I wish Sorkin had done more with the conceit of the movie taking place during a single week from table read to filming night. But he seemed somewhat disinterested in the mechanics of the actual production of I Love Lucy (and also too easily bought into some of the mythology, like Desi inventing the 3 camera system).
The movie opted for so many flashbacks that I wonder why he didn't just tell a story that took place over more time rather than try to compress three key events into several days (Lucy's red scare, Lucy's pregnancy, and Desi's infidelity scandal) that in reality took place over the course of years.
Honestly, a movie that focused on Lucy and Desi's initial courtship would probably have been more entertaining.
The movie opted for so many flashbacks that I wonder why he didn't just tell a story that took place over more time rather than try to compress three key events into several days (Lucy's red scare, Lucy's pregnancy, and Desi's infidelity scandal) that in reality took place over the course of years.
Honestly, a movie that focused on Lucy and Desi's initial courtship would probably have been more entertaining.
Interesting that Sorkin wasn’t interested in the BTS production mechanics since a lot of his earlier work was all about that stuff — Sports Night, West Wing, etc.
Not for nothing but there was a thread a while back, something like suggest ten shows for streaming, and one I wondered wanted to suggest would be a semi-biographical show called "Wagon Train to the Stars" and be something like a Trek version of Doctor Who's "An Adventure in Space and Time". After reading both versions of The Fifty Year Mission I think it would wild to have something like two seasons, one where you do TOS and the other the films and TNG.
You just made me pull a muscle laughing. I almost choked!
Thanks very much. I'm having a rough day today, and reading this brightened it a little.
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