Chaos on the Bridge - Shatner's HBO doc about TNG
- Thread starter ALF
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Distribution rights, is a complicated matter as some people want to make sure they get their share of the spoils.
IrishNero
Commodore
Seems to be the norm for Star Trek in General. Two steps forward, one back. The Harry Potter series was created by one person whereas Star Trek has been a universe created by one and kept alive many talented and not-so talented writers, directors, producers (and lawyers, marketing executives, unions, etc., etc...) It seems the only thing that has kept it from going off the rails at times is the fans.
TNG was a holeshot. It really had little to do with the original series in terms of, well, almost anything. I'm glad they took a chance as it actually led to a lot of great programming over the nearly the next two decades. I'm just wondering when (or if) they'll make another leap like that.
IrishNero
Commodore
I agree. I actually didn't even want to watch NuBSG for the first couple of years because it completely wiped out what I loved about the original series and I went on strike. It was a shame too because it (NuBSG) WAS a great series in it's own right. It didn't need to reimagine Boomer and give Starbuck a sex change operation.
I would honestly prefer that they develop a different storyline with new characters rather than come up with a new Picard. Absolutely no one on the face of this Earth should be saying "Engage" or "Make it so" or incessantly pulling down on their jacket the way Patrick Stewart did, or leading with their head when they walk the way Frakes did as Riker.
Create new Trek and leave Picard and crew alone. It's a big universe.
^I for one like to keep an open mind about those things.
Chaos on the Bridge is now available for purchase and rental through Vimeo on Demand
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/chaosonthebridge
The price seems to be fluctuating a bit. It was originally listed at $3.99/$9.99 and has gone up to $7.99/$12.99
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/chaosonthebridge
The price seems to be fluctuating a bit. It was originally listed at $3.99/$9.99 and has gone up to $7.99/$12.99
It's only available on Vimeo in the US, so it's not on HBO GO.
Saw it last night. Here's my quick impression of it:
I was impressed with how little Shatner inserted himself into the narrative. He mainly let the people who were there do all the talking, except in a few instances when he asked follow-up questions or was asked a direct question, like when Ira Behr asked Shatner how he felt about TNG being announced.
However, this could’ve been another 30 to 45 minutes longer. The documentary seemed to skirt around a lot of issues and didn’t go as in-depth as it could’ve, especially when it came to the departures of McFadden, Crosby and Muldaur.
I also felt that some tougher questions could’ve been asked of Berman and Hurley.
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Rented it on Vimeo last night. Overall I enjoyed it. Mostly it was stuff I already knew, although there were a few interesting stories in there that I hadn't heard before. You'll get a more out of it if you're familiar with all the people involved and what their various agendas are.
Basically Shatner lets everyone tell their stories, and it's up to the audience to decide how much of what everyone has said is true. If you're a longtime Trekker who already knows most of this stuff, there's not a lot there for you, except to resist punching your television screen whenever Richard Arnold is talking.
Basically Shatner lets everyone tell their stories, and it's up to the audience to decide how much of what everyone has said is true. If you're a longtime Trekker who already knows most of this stuff, there's not a lot there for you, except to resist punching your television screen whenever Richard Arnold is talking.
I liked that Shatner let everyone tell their stories and left it pretty much to the audience to suss out the truth.
Ugh, Richard Arnold. Although, he's not the only one I wanted to punch. Maurice Hurley has always ignited a strong distaste in me.
This sucker is on Netflix. It was a suggested view, I had no idea it even existed.
I loved it. Wish it was 3 times as long. Would have loved to have heard more stories from ALL of the participants.
Given my interest in Trek and behind-the-scenes of film/tv production, I found it endlessly fascinating. The subjects were extremely candid and forthcoming.
Shatner did a truly fine job here. No trace of the infamous Shatner ego at all, he stayed out of the way and allowed his subjects to tell their stories.
Great animation interstitials kept things lively and visually interesting.
To answer a few questions from earlier in the thread, Diana Muldar appears briefly. There ARE clips from the show (though not too many and only very infrequently do they show clips that relate to what's being discussed. (there are and plenty of stills, too).
Anyway, highly recommended!!!
I loved it. Wish it was 3 times as long. Would have loved to have heard more stories from ALL of the participants.
Given my interest in Trek and behind-the-scenes of film/tv production, I found it endlessly fascinating. The subjects were extremely candid and forthcoming.
Shatner did a truly fine job here. No trace of the infamous Shatner ego at all, he stayed out of the way and allowed his subjects to tell their stories.
Great animation interstitials kept things lively and visually interesting.
To answer a few questions from earlier in the thread, Diana Muldar appears briefly. There ARE clips from the show (though not too many and only very infrequently do they show clips that relate to what's being discussed. (there are and plenty of stills, too).
Anyway, highly recommended!!!
Yes, this is a terrific watch. Shatner did a great job and largely stays out of it. He's engaged with the subject matter and ends on a very complimentary note about TNG, so he's obviously gotten over whatever frustration he had regarding it. There's no condescension about it here. I'd love to know how much of the show he's now seen.
Richard Arnold is credited as a consultant though, so who knows if that's affected the perspective of the final product. I don't know the intricacies of Arnold's bad behavior in the past and maybe he's done penance for it since, so perhaps he's not the less reliable source he once would have been.
Shatner also makes a point of saying how much he admires Hurley, which is ominous for impartiality, but he includes plenty of unfavorable anecdotes about him too. The McFadden departure isn't really explicated enough, however. It's danced around, perhaps unavoidably, and the absurdity of the TOS crew being driven away isn't touched on enough. Justman is hardly mentioned. But overall, it doesn't push one perspective over others. He just presents us with the eponymous chaos.
Agreed, I could have watched two hours of this. An extended cut for home video would be terrific, or just additional footage as extras. It's a great complement to the Blu-ray docs. It's funny to think that a third-party documentary about TNG's early years probably wouldn't get funded in 2015 without Shatner's clout. He ended up really doing a solid for fans of the Star Trek he wasn't in.
Richard Arnold is credited as a consultant though, so who knows if that's affected the perspective of the final product. I don't know the intricacies of Arnold's bad behavior in the past and maybe he's done penance for it since, so perhaps he's not the less reliable source he once would have been.
Shatner also makes a point of saying how much he admires Hurley, which is ominous for impartiality, but he includes plenty of unfavorable anecdotes about him too. The McFadden departure isn't really explicated enough, however. It's danced around, perhaps unavoidably, and the absurdity of the TOS crew being driven away isn't touched on enough. Justman is hardly mentioned. But overall, it doesn't push one perspective over others. He just presents us with the eponymous chaos.
Agreed, I could have watched two hours of this. An extended cut for home video would be terrific, or just additional footage as extras. It's a great complement to the Blu-ray docs. It's funny to think that a third-party documentary about TNG's early years probably wouldn't get funded in 2015 without Shatner's clout. He ended up really doing a solid for fans of the Star Trek he wasn't in.
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