Discovery Showrunners fired; Kurtzman takes over

[wayoung]

.I do find it a bit funny that in Hollywood thetrack to be a showrunner seems to always start with being a successful writer. I mean, if you're a good writer I can see leading the writer's room eventually, but there are so many other parts of successful shows, such as direction, budgeting, visual design, etc. Why would anyone presume a great writer would have the skills to produce?

I remember a few years back a Canadian writer/EP was talking about the differences prpducipp a show in Canada vs the US and the biggest one in the organizational structure was that Canadian TV doesn't have showrunners - they have Head Writers, who are the ones in charge of story, and another EP who is in charge of finances for exactly that reason - being good at writing doesn't mean being good at budgeting, and vice versa. I may be wrong but I think in a lot of English TV it's the same.

 

[ITDUDE]

The second season's overall arc was likely already planned out before they started scripting it.

If there's a change in showrunner for the third season, I think the change most likely to occur would be what that season would focus on as a storyline not the overall make-up of the crew. Save for replacing whoever's killed off.

That’s cute that you think there will be a third season

 

[SJA]

Hmmm! Not surprised there has been a culling after the mess that was the final arc to end the season - which really soured my interest in the show tbh...Surprised it's for the reasons stated..TV eh? Mad! One thing that did bug me about all Beg/Herberts and Sullivan too when they appeared on AfterTrek was the overwhelming sense of just how wonderful they seemed to think they all were - their insincerity - and how 'groundbreaking' their writing was...That might be just tv peoples ego's tbf! Still...Nothing like a bit of Trek behind the scenes chaos is there?

 

[Tuskin38]

That’s cute that you think there will be a third season

It’s cute that you’re thinking that before S2 even airs

 

[eschaton]

I remember a few years back a Canadian writer/EP was talking about the differences prpducipp a show in Canada vs the US and the biggest one in the organizational structure was that Canadian TV doesn't have showrunners - they have Head Writers, who are the ones in charge of story, and another EP who is in charge of finances for exactly that reason - being good at writing doesn't mean being good at budgeting, and vice versa. I may be wrong but I think in a lot of English TV it's the same.

Showrunning isn't even just being the head writer and budgeting. Off the top of my head, the other important roles are:

Staffing: Showrunners have final authority (unless the network interferes) in hiring and firing of all actors and crew members.
Coordination: Someone needs to make sure that what the script explains is actually reflected on the screen by the work of the practical and VFX teams, audio, etc. IMHO Discovery did a lousy job here several times.

 

[valkyrie013]

Well, my 2 cents started in the first episode, during the initial credits when the theme is 1 minute long, and 45 seconds of it is listing executive producers.. As the saying goes, to many chiefs in the kitchen.
Being a writing room, I would expect "some" language, and abit of yelling to occur, but in anything, there are limits that shouldn't be crossed. Excessive bullying, getting yelled down and belittled, and especially being told not to go to HR. So I for 1 am glad that they have been let go. I hope this leads to better idea sharing because they won't get yelled down.

Now, I have enjoyed the show alot, but also yelled way to many times at the TV ( Klingons ships design, I'm looking at you). I've almost always called it "Battlestar Discovery" when I tell my friends I'm watching it. And as a person who has watched Star Trek at 5 years old, I can't let little kids watch this, this is 12 and over.. and I have fond memeorys of TNG of me at 8 years old. So, hope this shift tones down the language, sex and violence, Star Trek doesn't need that to make a good show. So, I'll 2nd the calls for Manny Coto (I done a quick check, doesn't seem to be busy atm.) and I have high hopes that all the behind the scenes FUBAR will get sorted out and the series can find its legs and give us great TV

EDIT:
Read on another site, found this hillarious, and honestly might work. "Take 10 random Star Trek Forum members, and make them executive producers, you would get a better Trek.. "

 

[Lord Garth]

That’s cute that you think there will be a third season

Yup. And I can't wait to see what everyone here thinks of it.

 

[Jeyl]

Have you people noticed how some are taking Star Trek world kinda too seriously?

Why thank you.

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

Harberts and Berg throwing tantrums and attempting to rule the writing room with an iron fist are classic behaviours of people in over their heads. I hope every door hit them in the arse on the way out.

That said, I hope this change is more meaningful than merely rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship.

 

[wayoung]

Showrunning isn't even just being the head writer and budgeting. Off the top of my head, the other important roles are:

Staffing: Showrunners have final authority (unless the network interferes) in hiring and firing of all actors and crew members.
Coordination: Someone needs to make sure that what the script explains is actually reflected on the screen by the work of the practical and VFX teams, audio, etc. IMHO Discovery did a lousy job here several times.

For sure, I guess a better way to put it is head writer = person in charge of creative, other EP = in charge of business

 

[KennyB]

Moore is a one-trick pony. And everyone's seen behind the curtain.

No thanks.

LMAO.....now I can not take anything you say seriously.

 

[Garth Rockett]

I remember a few years back a Canadian writer/EP was talking about the differences prpducipp a show in Canada vs the US and the biggest one in the organizational structure was that Canadian TV doesn't have showrunners - they have Head Writers, who are the ones in charge of story, and another EP who is in charge of finances for exactly that reason - being good at writing doesn't mean being good at budgeting, and vice versa. I may be wrong but I think in a lot of English TV it's the same.

Star Trek worked that way in the Berman era. Berman was the one handling the budgets, hiring the directors, overseeing the post-production, etc. with the other EP (Piller, Taylor, Behr, Braga, Biller, Coto) overseeing the writer's room. Berman did get more involved in the writing on Enterprise when he and Braga started working as writing partners, but as far as I know even then Berman wasn't actually part of the writer's room.

 

[Ometiklan]

Hmmm! Not surprised there has been a culling after the mess that was the final arc to end the season - which really soured my interest in the show tbh...

If the end of the first season had anything to do with this change, wouldn't it have happened between seasons and not after5 episodes of season 2 had already been produced?

 

[eschaton]

Star Trek worked that way in the Berman era. Berman was the one handling the budgets, hiring the directors, overseeing the post-production, etc. with the other EP (Piller, Taylor, Behr, Braga, Biller, Coto) overseeing the writer's room. Berman did get more involved in the writing on Enterprise when he and Braga started working as writing partners, but as far as I know even then Berman wasn't actually part of the writer's room.

Honestly it makes sense. Given how TV production works, there have to be times where the writer's room is meeting and important things are happening like filming, production work, etc. It makes no sense to have the same person responsible for both sides - not unless you can completely nail down your scripts before the first bit of footage is shot.

It also makes me wonder if Kurtzman is actually going to be the real showrunner, or continue to basically be the "Berman" of the show, and hand off leading the writer's room to someone on staff already (even if he otherwise handles creative control).

 

[OCD Geek]

Kurtzman co-created Fringe and that show was great for it's whole run. I'll give him a chance before attacking him for "ruining Star Trek" and other stupid fan shit like that.

True, but Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman were the showrunners. Kurtzman and Orci had little-to-nothing to do with it after the pilot. Similar to how Joss Whedon developed Agents of SHIELD, but then left it in the capable hands of Maurissa Tancharoen & Jed Whedon and Jeffrey Bell with no further involvement on his part.

In terms of Akiva Goldsman, though, his best work by far was on Fringe. The guy wrote or co-wrote a ton of classic episodes. He seems to work best when he's a member of a writing staff rather than a writer/director or showrunner.

 

[Syd Shanshala]

That’s cute that you think there will be a third season

Oh now it’s hip to say there won’t be a third season? *rolls eyes to back of head* I remember when everyone said the show wouldn’t get season 2. HERE WE ARE

 

[Kor]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/l...covery-showrunners-alex-kurtzman-take-1120416

"Insiders also stress that Berg and Harberts became increasingly abusive to the Discovery writing staff, with the latter said to have leaned across the writers' room table while shouting an expletive at a member of the show's staff. Multiple writers are said to have been uncomfortable working on the series and had threatened to file a complaint with human resources or quit the series altogether before informing Kurtzman of the issues surrounding Berg and Harberts. After hearing rumors of HR complaints, Harberts is said to have threatened the staff to keep concerns with the production an internal matter."

How charming!

I've had the misfortune of working for bosses like that. Unfortunately, they were the owners of their companies, so there weren't any higher-ups who could give them the boot.

Kor

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

Hmmm! Not surprised there has been a culling after the mess that was the final arc to end the season...

It was not so much an arc as it was...

 

[Arpy]

My mind turns to the multiverse....how will the show be different from what it would have been next season; what would Fuller's DSC been like...?

I've tried to stay away from spoilers and production news since just before the show began, but I find myself now wistful for the bits I'd read about and didn't come to pass.

 

[Ro_Laren]

I wonder how different Season 2 will be. Jayne Brook (a.k.a. Admiral Cornwell) has said in interviews that Aaron and Gretchen personally invited her to play Cornwell on Discovery. I hope that Admiral Cornwell still appears on the show in the future!