Competition: write an episode of Star Trek Continues

[Maurice]

But that's dealing with a name professional who was selling something related to their IP via a commercial website. That's bound to set the alarm bells flashing in their legal departments.

Anyway, as I said, I don't think we're disagreeing in principle, maybe just on some particulars.

My company (a fairly large one) is pretty tolerant of knockoffs of our key IPs until those start making money or they get in the way of our products being seen or otherwise infringe on our trademarks. Heck, I just had to have our legal department get 39 infringing products smacked off a particular marketplace because they were making one of our official products more difficult to find, even if they weren't making money for the people behind them. That's how the entertainment business works.

 

[PattyW]

But that's dealing with a name professional who was selling something related to their IP via a commercial website. That's bound to set the alarm bells flashing in their legal departments.

Anyway, as I said, I don't think we're disagreeing in principle, maybe just on some particulars.

No, what you are referring to was a legal issue that there was a gag order on. Neither CBS, Spinrad nor I (the P2 rep involved in this issue) could discuss the "selling" issue (which was being done through 3 venues) with anyone. The press was all on the very negative "CBS is being a pill and won't let a fanfilm film this script, even though they've let the very same production do the exact same thing wth three other scripts."

I don't think we are disagreeing at all. I think I am just being nit-picky and pointing out that CBS really couldn't care about negative publicity. The only publicity they have personally told me that they care about is when ANY publicity (positive or negative) takes the attention off CBS and JJ Trek. (Such as "William Shatner to guest star in a fanfilm!")

So, feel free to ignore my nit-picky seguay....

 

[Danger Ace]

... He said typically the only reason most companies don't crack down on these things more often is because they fear bad publicity more than such an infringement.

Reminds me of Paramount's attempt to go after fan sites around the time they first launched startrek.com. Talk about generating negative buzz and fermenting backlash.

 

[Danger Ace]

I think Roddenberry was pretty smart, but yeah, Serling certainly had more raw talent as a writer.

Raw? Mr. Serling's talent was pretty refined by years of experience. It was said at the time however you never just threw out ideas around him for if he saw promise in them he would develope them himself. Jack Webb was also rumored to be the same way.

In terms of Serling's feelings towards TOS, I recall an issue of Starlog quoting him as being disappointed when he had learned of NBC cancelling the series.

With respect to him feeling TOS could have been more, well, I agree with those here in that many felt that way. Where Serling is a bit different though is that he knew first-hand what kind of forces are at play in getting a show back then to air. He was no stranger to networks fights over bold or brash content.

Ellison may have shared Serling's opinion, but was Harlan ever an executive-producer actually charged with over-seeing drawing board-to-air production? Or was he a bomb thrower from the sidelines? My understanding is that he was a hit&run, work-for-hire writer of teleplays. Am I wrong?

 

[Mysterion]

In a perfect world, Rod Serling would have written an episode of TOS.

 

[xortex]

He would have treated it and the awesome expanse of the universe with more repect. It would have been more Forbidden Planet like. Many TZ episodes could have made good Trek scripts and vice versa considering the same guys were all involved, but Serling wrote an astounding 80 percent of the scripts for the eintire five year run of the series and to my count GR was resonsible for writing about 14 episodes himself and shared credit on about at least three others with the sci-fi giants of the time and like he said rewrote practically everything first and even second season. He said he almost killed himself fighting the inner and outer battles that raged due mainly to the egos of others, rather tyhan his IMO. It was his show, he had every right to get things right according to him as time has beared out. Thank God.

 

[USS Intrepid]

I think Roddenberry was pretty smart, but yeah, Serling certainly had more raw talent as a writer.

Raw? Mr. Serling's talent was pretty refined by years of experience. It was said at the time however you never just threw out ideas around him for if he saw promise in them he would develope them himself. Jack Webb was also rumored to be the same way.

I think you may be reading more into the term raw than I intended there. I wasn't implying Serling's talents were unrefined, I was simply saying he had more core talent as a writer. On the other hand, I think both men were canny producers who knew how to play the game.

 

[xortex]

Like comparing Mozart to Beethoven.