Do you think Star Trek needed a reboot?

[Nero's Shadow]

It's a a yes with me I've always loved Star Trek films and series and a reboot was eyebrow raiser with me and I was really happy when the reboot was TOS big fan that series, fair enough I grew up with TNG but I'm so glad we've got not one but soon to be two new Star Trek films. !!!

 

[lurok]

Again, I'd say Jean-Luc Picard is absolutely one of the most famous characters in TV history. Everybody my age, or of any age, will know who he is.

Shame none of them went to see Nemesis...

I honestly wasn't aware of Nemesis until it came out on DVD; that's how poor the marketing was. Shame the film itself DID suck and guaranteed zero word of mouth.

I don't like TNG and even I knew about it. Poor marketing? Shome mishtake shurely?

 

[Nagisa Furukawa]

Well, at least we can agree that Genesis are the best band of all-time. I'm listening to Nursery Cryme right now.

Gabriel in Old Man Mask screaming "NOW!" in strobing light = music history.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Again, I'd say Jean-Luc Picard is absolutely one of the most famous characters in TV history. Everybody my age, or of any age, will know who he is.

Shame none of them went to see Nemesis...

I honestly wasn't aware of Nemesis until it came out on DVD; that's how poor the marketing was. Shame the film itself DID suck and guaranteed zero word of mouth.

Nemesis had a $33million adverising budget, the highest of any Trek movie (at the time) since The Motion Picture.
http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2002/STRKX.php
I remember lots of TV commericals (with the cool swooshing Romulan symbol) and a few behind-the-scenes specials focusing on the buggy chase.

 

[Dale Sams]

Well, at least we can agree that Genesis are the best band of all-time. I'm listening to Nursery Cryme right now.

Don't want to go too far OT, but I feel horribly sad for Phil Collins these days. Deaf in one ear, can't drum, just wanted to sit back and drum for a full "Lamb Lies Down reunion" but Peter said 'No. Best to move forward'*....thrice divorced and seems aware that huge portions of the world see him as some kind of joke.

*Then Peter turns around and does that "Scratch my back" project.

 

[M'Sharak]

It's not a British or age thing. Rest assured.

Then why are people in this thread acting like TNG is some show that 5 people even remember?

But who's acting like that? No one - you made it up.

TNG to me is obviously the more popular show with the younger generation the movie is aimed at

The operative words here are the two which I've placed in bold. The other words are subsidiary to them and may mean little or nothing to anyone who is not you.

(NONE of my friends have ever seen an episode of TOS!).

Okay. And?

It can't even be argued that TOS is liked more by the public.

What was being argued was that more people were likely to know who Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock were, regardless of whether they'd ever actually watched that or any Star Trek series. Moving the goalposts is just moving the goalposts and scores no point.

William Shatner is a total joke in popular culture...

That's sure telling 'em.

... whereas Patrick Stewart is one of the most respected actors in the world.

No - he's not, really. He's not bad, by any means, but there are actors whose standing in the profession is far greater than Stewart's; his "most respected" status is limited more to genre fans - for TNG primarily, but also those who liked the X-Men movies, Excalibur, the 1984 Dune, Lifeforce, etc.

People will still be fondly recalling Stewart as Picard when Chris Pine's frat boy antics are long forgotten.

You probably would have done better to stop digging before taking this sort of silly prefab slap, but eh - good thing no one's required to take any of it very seriously.

 

[Dale Sams]

Fwiw, I enjoy reading the 'young British' perspective on how the series, characters and actors are perceived. Not sure if everyone knows this also, but BBC plays the crap out of TNG. I'm also curious if Jim and his friends see the old Prisoner series as incoherent camp.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

Which of the two series did Galaxy Quest chose as the model for their homage?

 

[Greg Cox]

Which of the two series did Galaxy Quest chose as the model for their homage?

Mostly TOS, but there was a little bit of TNG in that there was a Wesley Crusher-type "boy genius" character. Although I suppose that could have been at least partly a homage to Will Robinson!

 

[DalekJim]

... whereas Patrick Stewart is one of the most respected actors in the world.

No - he's not, really. He's not bad, by any means, but there are actors whose standing in the profession is far greater than Stewart's; his "most respected" status is limited more to genre fans

What????

He's a hugely acclaimed Shakespearean actor. He's not a mere geek icon, he commands respect from critics worldwide. He was in I, Claudius for crying out loud.

I'm also curious if Jim and his friends see the old Prisoner series as incoherent camp.

Nah, I'm a huge obsessive of old British sci-fi like Doctor Who, Blake's 7 etc.

 

[SeerSGB]

Which Enterprise is in the National Air and Space Museum? Which crew inspired a generation of astronauts and scientists? Now tell me again how Jean-Luc Picard and Riker are bigger than Kirk and Spock

 

[DalekJim]

Picard is bigger than Kirk with the younger generation. The generation that the Abrams film is clearly aimed at.

 

[SeerSGB]

Picard is bigger than Kirk with the younger generation. The generation that the Abrams film is clearly aimed at.

Dude I grew up with TNG, I love TNG, but even before I got internet when I thought Trek, my first thought was "Kirk and Spock". Frankly, it's not aged well in my opinion. I rewatch TOS--preremastered editions--far more often than I do TNG.

 

[BillJ]

It's not a British or age thing. Rest assured.

Then why are people in this thread acting like TNG is some show that 5 people even remember?

TNG to me is obviously the more popular show with the younger generation the movie is aimed at (NONE of my friends have ever seen an episode of TOS!). It can't even be argued that TOS is more liked by the public. William Shatner is a total joke in popular culture whereas Patrick Stewart is one of the most respected actors in the world.

People will still be fondly recalling Stewart as Picard when Chris Pine's frat boy antics are long forgotten.

It simply might be more popular in Britain because the series lead is a British actor who ended up being knighted...

No one here has acted like TNG was watched by five people, it was an unqualified hit from the first episode here in the States. But strip syndication hasn't been kind to it or the other Modern Trek series with only TNG getting any regular airplay and that is only on BBC America.

As far as how popular it is in Europe, I'm not sure it matters as two-thirds of the gross of the movies is generated in the States. Whether TOS or TNG, the majority of the money these movies make is here and here TOS is a pop-culture icon.

 

[DalekJim]

TNG S1 is obviously shit but S3-S5 perfects the formula started by TOS as far as I'm concerned. Then DS9 took things even further and became the best Trek.

We've been taking steps back ever since until now we're stuck with Earth Trek II: Wrath of Cumberbatch. It might be a fun, frothy, forgettable movie but we really should be getting better Trek than this.

No one here has acted like TNG was watched by five people, it was an unqualified hit from the first episode here in the States.

No, but they have eaten up JJ Abrams' bullshit about Star Trek only connecting with audiences when it had Kirk and Spock in it. A poster even went on to call the 25 seasons of modern Trek an unsuccessful disaster.

If a new crew could take off and be a phenomenon in their own right then it could happen again. There are a whole generation of Trek fans who don't give a fuck about Kirk and Spock, yet could give you all the specs of the Enterprise-D.

If I were in charge I'd have had a new crew and new ship. Having an interesting story is way more important than cosy nostalgia for misty-eyed 40+ year olds.

 

[nightwind1]

TNG was a huge phenomenon. Somebody had to think so if it got 4 Hollywood movies based on it.

As opposed to TOS, which got 9 movies and 5 television series based on it.

 

[BillJ]

Well, I've never been cool and I think Star Trek should be more than a nostalgia piece for a 60s action show.

I'm serious in the question I'm asking: why? Why does it need to be more than that? Why does it need to be anything more than a fun romp?

 

[DalekJim]

I'm serious in the question I'm asking: why? Why does it need to be more than that? Why does it need to be anything more than a fun romp?

Well, I prefer Star Trek when it makes me think. Just my own personal taste. I know there are fans that prefer it when it is frothy action-adventure but I'm not one of them. Any show could do that kind of stuff.

TNG was a huge phenomenon. Somebody had to think so if it got 4 Hollywood movies based on it.

As opposed to TOS, which got 9 movies and 5 television series based on it.

Wrong. The 4 TNG movies, DS9, VOY and ENT are all due to the success of TNG. DS9 is obviously a TNG spin-off.

 

[BillJ]

If I were in charge I'd have had a new crew and new ship. Having an interesting story is way more important than cosy nostalgia for misty-eyed 40+ year olds.

I went and saw the film twice opening weekend, there were more people there that were my daughters age (including my daughter) than people my age.

 

[BillJ]

Well, I prefer Star Trek when it makes me think. Just my own personal taste. I know there are fans that prefer it when it is frothy action-adventure but I'm not one of them. Any show could do that kind of stuff.

Why must it be one or the other? I believe it was that type of thinking that sunk Modern Trek to begin with. It quit being fun.