Contest: VOTE Changing the make-up of the original 7 cast in a reboot/re-imagination of TOS?

[dswynne1]

This is my first poll, so please, be gentle.

With the changing demographics of the television audience, and with CBS/Paramount's need to stay "current", how would the general STAR TREK audience feel if the original series [TOS] was rebooted/re-imagined to be more reflective of today's audience? Could we have an African-American version of James Kirk? Could Spock's mother have been Asian instead? How about a Welsh engineer instead of a Scottish one? How about a female Sulu, or a male Uhura? Or, how about an entirely different crew make-up being the pioneers of the historic five-year mission, instead of the characters we know and love (i.e. an Andorian "first officer" instead of a Vulcan one)? Or is the original seven set in stone for some people?

Anyway, I would really like to read your comments on this. Thanks in advance. Peace.

 

[CoveTom]

I have no problem with a new cast being of any demographics what-so-ever. But I don't see the point in going back and changing what already exists. Captain Kirk was a white male. Now today, we may want more representation of women and minorities in our casts and that's fine. But why do it by changing who Captain Kirk is? Why not create brand new characters? Are we that bereft of creative ideas that we have to keep going back and "re-imagining" what was instead of coming up with something new? Imagine if that was the approach when DS9 began...

 

[Infern0]

Why?

The only reason they would do that would be to try and make some kind of "statement" and we already know those just don't go down well.

Just make new characters, I don't want to see a white male uhura anymore than I want to see an Asian female kirk.

TV shows need to concentrate on making a good show before worrying about diverse representation because as the likes of Ghostbusters have proved if what you put out is a terrible movie/ show then nobody is going to listen to your "message" anyway.

DS9 presented the KIND of message many seem to want to promote these days and it did it by being an amazing show with a diverse cast that didn't ram its messages down your throat but instead gave you something to think about.

 

[Infern0]

Also and no offence but we have JUST had a movie series reboot, and Discovery is featuring the Enterprise, Pike, Spock, Sarek, Mudd, we all know Kirk is coming.

Once discovery finishes its run they need to give TOS a break for a good long while. Or its going to get to "The Joker" levels of oversaturation

 

[Commishsleer]

I have no problem with a new cast being of any demographics what-so-ever. But I don't see the point in going back and changing what already exists. Captain Kirk was a white male. Now today, we may want more representation of women and minorities in our casts and that's fine. But why do it by changing who Captain Kirk is? Why not create brand new characters? Are we that bereft of creative ideas that we have to keep going back and "re-imagining" what was instead of coming up with something new? Imagine if that was the approach when DS9 began...

While I think a modern TOS should be more representative a major part in the success of TOS was the casting of its 3 male leads. I'd say 3 male white leads but Spock's supposed to be an alien.

I personally would be happy with Kirk, Spock and McCoy as males even though TOS did need more female input. However they did have 3 female characters. They just needed to use them better.
Have Uhura take the con, kick ass, save the day much more than she did in TOS. She obviously could do it by looking at TAS.
Chapel could have become a much more important than someone just crushing on Spock. Have her save the day or take over medical when McCoy was captured. She was a biologist - have her make some discoveries.
Rand could have done so much. Apparently she was supposed to develop a friendship with Spock. The actress had the potential to be a fierce character.

One thing is that any crewwoman or female officer must never ever tell Kirk she is frightened or hug him because she is so afraid. Never ever. Never, No. No. Not Ever. I cannot emphasise this enough. No

If they want to keep the top 4 officers as male they need to step up on other female characters and not have them infatuated or talking about men all the time. I don't mind Spock picking up Uhura when she falls on deck but Uhura should never say I'm frightened.

OK and we need to see female captains/Admirals in Starfleet.

I think TOS was OK on ethnic minorities. Maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps the greatest scientist of all time shown on TOS (aside from Spock) was Richard Daystrom and he was not white

 

[F. King Daniel]

I'm all for genderswapping and racelifting. If you're going to remake something, what's the point unless you're going to make some changes? Otherwise it's just a retread.

Plus, we have already had one reboot of Trek with only very conservative changes (character ages altered, alien makeup changed, Kirk and Spock backstory alterations, gay Sulu) so surely the next version should push further.

 

[XCV330]

Why not just make a new thing and stop trying to shoehorn a different time into what you wish it were? Whatever wrongs were done in the past won't be fixed by an enlightened casting director now.

 

[Infern0]

I'm all for genderswapping and racelifting. If you're going to remake something, what's the point unless you're going to make some changes? Otherwise it's just a retread.

Plus, we have already had one reboot of Trek with only very conservative changes (character ages altered, alien makeup changed, Kirk and Spock backstory alterations, gay Sulu) so surely the next version should push further.

Why though?

It had

2 white american males
1 Vulcan male (played by a gay actor)
1 Black american female
1 Russian male
1 gay Asian male
1 Scottish male

That's pretty diverse?

Who are we going to change?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I think making Spock female is the most interesting choice to explore in re-imagination. There isn't anything about the original Spock that depends upon his being male that couldn't be easily adapted to start with. What makes it interesting is where it could go from there. We might have an interesting three-dimensional female character in Trek besides Kira, for example.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Why though?

It had

2 white american males
1 Vulcan male (played by a gay actor)
1 Black american female
1 Russian male
1 gay Asian male
1 Scottish male

That's pretty diverse?

Who are we going to change?

More than one woman might be nice.

I think making Spock female is the most interesting choice to explore in re-imagination. There isn't anything about the original Spock that depends upon his being male that couldn't be easily adapted to start with. What makes it interesting is where it could go from there. We might have an interesting three-dimensional female character in Trek besides Kira, for example.

T'pol was essentially intended as a genderswapped Spock.

 

[Infern0]

I think making Spock female is the most interesting choice to explore in re-imagination. There isn't anything about the original Spock that depends upon his being male that couldn't be easily adapted to start with. What makes it interesting is where it could go from there. We might have an interesting three-dimensional female character in Trek besides Kira, for example.

Michael Burnham

 

[Infern0]

More than one woman might be nice.

T'pol was essentially intended as a genderswapped Spock.

Going back and genderswapping iconic characters is a bad idea.

I honestly, HONESTLY don't think many if any women will feel anything one way or the other about getting a female "Jane T Kirk" instead itd simply be an excuse for the studio to generate publicity.

Original Trek was made in an Era where things were different, like many properties.

I don't belive in trying to go back and "right those wrongs"

In saying this as a female myself, I think it's better to go forward and create new characters.

Put it this way would you rather they had remade TOS and made kirk black? Or had Benjamin Sisko?

For me it's a million times Sisko!

Sadly I don't think Janeway was the best representative for a female captain but still id rather they try with another new character than make a female kirk.

We don't need to change the characters guys love, just give us girls some really awesome new characters.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Michael Burnham

She's not yet three-dimensional.

 

[gamer1]

That would just piss off people, and at this day and age, Star Trek does not want to alienate fans.

 

[Delta Vega]

Ive always advocated recasting Star Trek for a modern audience, taking the timeline from where they left off.
New faces all round, yes, new stories etc
But gender swapping for example, is just plain daft.

 

[Jayson1]

I have no moral problems with it but I am beginning to wonder about this issue in terms of creative success. This would basically be the third version of the "TOS" crew. At what point does this stuff begin just look like a copy of a copy. No matter how good you make something it will almost never match the thing that made it famous and Iconic. Look at what we have seen so far.
I loved the Abrams Movies but despite that I know they are still inferior to "TOS." I know Pine will never match Shatner and the person who replaces him will never match Shatner either most likely even if it is someone from a different race or gender. Sometimes things just need to go away and make way for new stuff and while Trek can have lots of life in it, I think the "TOS" part of Trek is basically dead and will be after Tarantino basically does a "Logan" and sort of retires the last good use of "TOS" maybe forever.

I do understand part of the logic behind gender and race switching and that is you want to expand your audience and bring a new take on something but the flaw is the thing they are replacing is usually happening in a dying or dormant franchise which means you already having people check out on these properties so what might come off as something progressive can also look like a last ditch effort to make people care about something they have stopped caring about but then Hollywood is so afraid to try and create new stuff they keep trying to milk those things more and more even when their is no milk left.

Especially since some of these things were never built to have a long shelf life. "Terminator" is trying to do this but it doesn't change the fact is you only have so much story involving killer robots and it's popularity is basically built around 3 actors and their characters in Arnold.Sarah Connor and Robert Patrick. take those three out of the picture and nobody cares.


Jason

 

[The Old Mixer]

At what point does this stuff begin just look like a copy of a copy.

Voyager.

I do understand part of the logic behind gender and race switching and that is you want to expand your audience and bring a new take on something but the flaw is the thing they are replacing is usually happening in a dying or dormant franchise which means you already having people check out on these properties so what might come off as something progressive can also look like a last ditch effort to make people care about something they have stopped caring about but then Hollywood is so afraid to try and create new stuff they keep trying to milk those things more and more even when their is no milk left.

Holy Run-On!

 

[fireproof78]

Voyager.

Holy Run-On!

Because my computer is a pain: https://9uogs1033zi2b47wk4ck73yp-wp...loads/2018/02/quotes-on-sentence-length-4.jpg

 

[F. King Daniel]

I have no moral problems with it but I am beginning to wonder about this issue in terms of creative success. This would basically be the third version of the "TOS" crew.

Discovery is introducing a version of TOS' most iconic character of all Spock next season (and already have Sarek and Amanda, and are adding Pike too), and if the show continues likely they will bring in more and more. Tarantino's Trek, if it happens, will likely have a new Kirk since Paramount refused to pay Chris Pine their agreed-upon amount for Star Trek 4.

So by post-Tarantino TOS Trek, we could be on Spock 5.

 

[Tenacity]

Chapel could have become a much more important than someone just crushing on Spock.

The scene where she presents the security guard with the tape that has "eat" on it is one of my favorites.

I think making Spock female is the most interesting choice to explore in re-imagination.

Amok Time would have been wonderful. Where Vulcan females fight for their mates, and a male Stonn selects a male Kirk as his champion.

Star Trek does not want to alienate fans.

When the fans pointed out actual problems with Discovery, CBS accused the fans of being anti-diverse, racist, misogynist and homophobic.

Not alienating fans doesn't seem to be one of Star Trek's goals.