With that said, a return to the prime timeline would mean a variation of TOS, and it would have to create its own identity to succeed. In essence, to be in the prime timeline, a show would have to both adhere AND differentiate itself from the source material, which is no easy thing to pull off. The thing to remember about the spinoffs is that they weren't just continuations, but they also had to be like and not-like TOS/TNG.
I've come around to the idea that TNG was more revolutionary than it's given credit for. They were able to set up a world in which to set stories based on some rules, which were basically "things are different, but the same."
So, I don't think it would be that hard to come up with the structure of a new Trek show set in the Prime universe: set it 100 or 200 years down the line, come up with some new technologies, and make the status of all or most of the alien races from previous Trek different. Romulans are a non-factor, Klingons have joined the Federation, Cardassians too, after the Federation helped rebuild Cardassia Prime after the Dominion War, etc. Then have the series' ship be exploring a new area of space, be it the Delta Quadrant (still a lot to explore there) or a different galaxy.
I also don't think such a series should be serialized, but instead it should be more of an anthology/short story series, albeit one with long term character growth and a progression of events, a la Mad Man. Episodes could pick up a week, a month, two months after the last one, allowing for stand-alone adventures while at the same time allowing for a progression in interpersonal relationships and any long-term plots.
Keep it simple, keep it basic.
Sure, but I suppose (now that I think back at it) my overall point would be, "If you want the Prime universe back and it does come back, don't expect it to be quite like what you remember it."
You're right, it worked for TNG, but TNG had to get over a couple seasons of invoking TOS (writer's strike and viewer expectation) to find its own legs and succeed on their own terms.
Totally agree. I think when people think "new Prime universe TV show" they think "new show that's just like '90s Trek" and there's no way that would happen.