When was it announced that DS9 would conclude? Did the cast know they were done before season 7 started?
DS9 Cancellation
- Thread starter Hawkeye_90
- Start date
Pretty sure they knew going in that it was the last season. They specifically planned to wrap up all the arcs (Dominion War, Emissary, Pah-Wraith and the Prophets, etc) at the end.
So they were planning on 7 seasons from the start of the series?
More like they were hoping for seven seasons. If it went like it did with TNG, the cast were contracted for six, then everybody re-negotiated when the six were up. Except Farrell, of course.
Pretty much, I think, although the fly in the ointment was that Paramount only contracted the main cast for 6 seasons.
Damn you for beating me to it, Randy.
I was under the impression contracts are generally for five years. If a show's doing well, they renegotiate for season six, putting up costs. Season seven would be another renegotiation and cast salaries usually ensure it's the last season.
Unless you are huge like Friends or recast like Stargate.
Unless you are huge like Friends or recast like Stargate.
I'm pretty sure TV series contracts are for six years with built in salary increases. Sometimes an actor can sign a shorter contract if they have some kind of leverage or negotiate an "out" in the six year deal.
Not sure if it is true or not, but Patrick Stewart was rumored to have gotten a new contract after season three of TNG. I don't know if the studio renegotiated, Stewart had an "out" or if he only signed on for three years?
The cast of DS9 were contracted for six years.
I heard this too. Didn't it add to the drama of the cliffhanger of Best of Both Worlds as people weren't sure if he'd sign or not? I read about it in the TNG Companion, so no idea if it's reputable.
DS9 ending in 7 seasons was the right move. I wish TNG had done another season or two though. Season 7 might not have been so tired and stale had Moore and Braga not been forced to spend so much time working on All Good Things and Generations. Generations was NOT worth it.
Definitely what I heard too. They didn't write the conclusion to BoBW because they didn't know if Stewart was coming back, so they set it up that, if he didn't, they would have Riker become Captain and maybe that blond woman as the XO.
Of course, that led to the whole 'let's not write the second part' to the season cliffhangers trope that led to some silliness later on.
I think you're remembering two distinct events. From what I recall, Piller gave no thought to the second part of "Best of Both Worlds" because he wasn't sure if he was coming back for season four.
I'd have to look it up, it may be in the TNG Companion.
trevanian
Rear Admiral
I think a lot of folks conflated the two events. People assumed the cliffhanger was because of Stewart contract talks when in fact they all had 6 year deals, and they definitely read that Piller wasn't sure he himself was coming back.
The original DS9 cast all signed six year contracts (6 to 7 year contracts for actors started becoming the norm for studios in the late 1980s, the VOY and ENT casts all had 6 year deals too).
I remember watching DS9 during its original run and there was initially some uncertainty if there would be a 7th season. I remember Ronald D. Moore making comments that the writers had an emergency plan to end ongoing story lines should the show not be renewed for a 7th year. Paramount was slower green lighting a 7th season because by this point in time both DS9 and VOY were slipping in the ratings.
But the show was renewed for a 7th year and all the actors (with the exception of Farrell) signed one year contracts.
I remember watching DS9 during its original run and there was initially some uncertainty if there would be a 7th season. I remember Ronald D. Moore making comments that the writers had an emergency plan to end ongoing story lines should the show not be renewed for a 7th year. Paramount was slower green lighting a 7th season because by this point in time both DS9 and VOY were slipping in the ratings.
But the show was renewed for a 7th year and all the actors (with the exception of Farrell) signed one year contracts.
For what it's worth, my recollection of the time was that there was at least a little flurry of publicity in the newspapers suggesting that Stewart was considering asking to leave the show, and that the cliffhanger provided a dramatically satisfactory way to have him exit in case he did decide.
(Certainly he had a longer contract, but contracts are deals between entities made for their mutual benefit; they can be changed.)
However, this might have just been idle speculation catching its way onto the AP feed, or it might have been publicity planted to make the cliffhanger stay fresh in people's minds over the summer. Or it may have reflected Stewart actually feeling restless and coming to the conclusion that, no, there's still some interesting and worthwhile work to be done in this spaceship gig.
Yes, Piller said that whole business with Riker going "What am I still doing here" was expressing his own internal struggle deciding whether to stay with the show.
By the time BOBW I was shot Stewart had signed his contract.
There may be someone lurking around here who worked with the writers who can tell the story of how and why both Picard and Data were originally going to be captured by the Borg.
I think everyone assumed DS9 would run 7 years just like TNG. But, I seem to remember reading on The Great Link around the middle of Season 6 that there would definitely be one more year to wrap it all up.
Which made us all really confused when the rumors started to circulate that Dax would die at season's end. It all worked out, though.
Which made us all really confused when the rumors started to circulate that Dax would die at season's end. It all worked out, though.
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