About twenty years ago

[CaptainMatt]

A more perfect way to wrap the Movies Saga had they decided to do that than STIII perhaps.

 

[sonak]

if you say so

I guess you had to be there. No one had made any plans for the franchise after ST III, except for ILM taking their chance to build an easier to move, mount, shoot, store and repair hero filming model (ie. Excelsior).

Harve Bennett knew they could have gone anywhere with the post-ST III story, and were considering lots of options. Keeping Kirk a renegade, or as captain of a freighter, was one choice. DC Comics went a slightly different way, putting Kirk and his crew onto the Excelsior, but even that storyline had them as renegades at the end (to restore a status quo that matched the end of ST III again), with Styles pulling strings to get his vessel back. The loss of David in ST III stymied old plans to have Saavik and David lead a series of telemovies.

Some of the speculations (eg. a freighter; Excelsior) are seemingly addressed in that scene approaching Enterprise-A at the end of ST IV:

McCoy: The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe. We'll get a freighter.
Sulu: With all respect, Doctor, I'm counting on Excelsior.
Scott: Excelsior? Why in God's name would you want that bucket of bolts?
Kirk: A ship is a ship.
Scott: Whatever you say, sir. Thy will be done.
[The new USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A emerges.]
Kirk: My friends... we've come home.

I think we're talking past each other here. I'm sure there were a lot of options explored for following up the series after ST III. What I find hard to believe is that they would have chosen to END the series with the way TSFS actually ends.

 

[CaptainMatt]

No, my friends, the Movie Saga had better dropping off points with TVH and TUC.

 

[Therin of Andor]

What I find hard to believe is that they would have chosen to END the series with the way TSFS actually ends.

If Nimoy had refused to be interested, it would have ended there. But his career as a director had taken off and Paramount were keen to have him do a second ST for them.

The was no "choosing" really. Paramount say more cash to be made and Nimoy liked what they were offering.

 

[Anji]

About twenty years ago the crew of the enterprise went their final mission ending an long journey and also leading the passing the torch.
Hard the believe how much time has passed.

I can soooo identify with that. I can't remember all the episode titles anymore or for that matter I can't quote many of my favorite lines from the scripts.

Unfortunately, my life got in the way of my enjoying Star Trek.

But hey, don't feel down. We've got the films. Remember back in the 70's when we thought they would never be made and we'd have to be watching TOS re-runs on TV for the rest of our lives?

If I was you, I'd sit down and write myself some good fan fiction on the characters of the TOS. It'll make you feel much better.

 

[CaptainMatt]

Sadly, not everyone is cut out to writing decent fan fiction. I am more of a poet than a fiction writer anyway, si I can understand those who find it hard to do.

 

[RandyS]

Unfortunately, my life got in the way of my enjoying Star Trek.

Yeah, me too.

Don't you hate when that happens??

 

[CaptainMatt]

It may have been twenty years since the OS crew signed off their big-screen adventures, but there have been several "final" missions and reunions in the form of novels. So the adventure never truly ends as long as someone can write a good yarn surrounding Kirk and company btween STVI and GEN.