"Enterprise" or "Star Trek: Enterprise"?

[t_smitts]

Having recently rewatched a number of episodes, I can barely remember a time before the third season, when show was simply called "Enterprise".

I've heard that adding the "Star Trek" was a marketing thing to increase awareness or something like that. I'm kind of dubious about how many people would actually start watching because you stuck "Star Trek" on it. I certainly don't think any significant number of people were going "wait a minute, that's a Star Trek series?"

Given the choice, I wouldn't preferred it stay just "Enterprise". Not because I don't consider it Star Trek (I do), but leaving that off was a nice way to distinguish it from the preceding series, rather than just being another series with the franchise name followed by a subtitle (like, say, that other franchise series that Scott Bakula is currently on).

What do you think?

 

[Lance]

I've heard that adding the ''Star Trek'' was a marketing thing to increase awareness or something like that. I'm kind of dubious about how many people would actually start watching because you stuck ''Star Trek'' on it. I certainly don't think any significant number of people were going ''wait a minute, that's a Star Trek series?''

I seem to recall that the original idea for not including ''Star Trek'' in the title was that it was supposed to be from a time 'before' the Federation came into existence, so that's why it was originally supposed to just be ''Enterprise''. They added it in the third season because ratings were in free-fall and they were willing to try that as a way of getting the numbers back up, but I agree that substantively it makes very little difference.

The original idea was to think like ''Smallville''. That was a Superman series without Superman in it, or even without the name Superman in the title, and ''Enterprise'' was intended to imply that this was a Star Trek from before Star Trek.

 

[Greg Cox]

Coming soon:

Batman: Gotham

 

[Christopher]

^Or Green Arrow: Arrow?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm glad they changed it. IMHO, all Trek series should have "Star Trek" in the name. It's a really minor thing, of course, but it just sounds kinda weird without it.

And it has precedent: the one time Law & Order tried a spinoff that didn't have the words "Law & Order" in the title, you know what they got? A steaming pile of Conviction.

 

[Greg Cox]

^Or Green Arrow: Arrow?

Even better!

 

[Melakon]

Beverly Hillbillies reboot--
Clampett: Bugtussle.

 

[Christopher]

A prequel about Jaime Sommers before her skydiving accident: The Woman.

A prequel about the first generation of Sweathogs: Welcome, Kotter.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Star Trek: Star Trek.

 

[Greg Cox]

More prequels:

Brady and Sons

Mindy!

McCloud, Texas Ranger

Xena: Destroyer of Nations

Argo City

And the ultimate Syfy Channel prequel:

St. Louis

 

[t_smitts]

I'm glad they changed it. IMHO, all Trek series should have "Star Trek" in the name. It's a really minor thing, of course, but it just sounds kinda weird without it.

And it has precedent: the one time Law & Order tried a spinoff that didn't have the words "Law & Order" in the title, you know what they got? A steaming pile of Conviction.

I remember that show. It took place in the L&O universe but it wasn't really structured the way the others are. The focus was on the lawyers, rather than cases.

In any event, having "Law & Order" in the title didn't help "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" or "Law & Order: Los Angeles" get a second season.

(P.S. Did I post this in "General Discussion" by mistake or did someone move it?)

 

[Christopher]

More prequels:

Dr. Kimble and Wife

The Credible Dr. Banner

Michael Long, LAPD

The Greatest American Schoolteacher

 

[Melakon]

Did I post this in "General Discussion" by mistake

Apparently.

Star Trek: Roddenberry

 

[Nerys Myk]

McCloud, Texas Ranger

McCloud was from New Mexico.

 

[Melakon]

My Two Sons
Seven is Enough
Gilligan's Apartment
Hogan's Hero
Logan's Walk

 

[Nerys Myk]

Living On Earth

Land of the Average

Voyage to the Middle of the Sea

 

[JWPlatt]

Having recently rewatched a number of episodes, I can barely remember a time before the third season, when show was simply called "Enterprise".

...

What do you think?

Trying to be "different" in the same universe, same continuity, as if it stands alone, as if there is no dependence on or acknowledgement of what came before just sounds pretentious. It obviously had strong links to the future history of Star Trek. Someone was a bit snobby and it somehow got past Marketing; a rare feat.

 

[Melakon]

I think there were some magazine articles at the time that someone, either on the production team or at UPN, who thought the words "Star Trek" would automatically keep away viewers who weren't already fans of the franchise. Perhaps they thought they could sucker people in, especially when the original idea was to set the entire first season on Earth. If I'd been one of those viewers though, it might have been one of those "Geez, not Star Trek again!" moments and might have turned me off the franchise permanently. Trying to trick an audience into watching your show seems suicidal.

 

[Ethros]

The original idea was to think like ''Smallville''. That was a Superman series without Superman in it, or even without the name Superman in the title, and ''Enterprise'' was intended to imply that this was a Star Trek from before Star Trek.

I remember when Smallville started airing on Channel 4 in the UK, they called it "Smallville: Superman the Early Years"

Basically saying, "our viewers are idiots."

 

[Michael]

Personally, I always thought just Enterprise was a better, bolder title for the series. Typographically, the word has a nice aesthetic to it, whereas the combination Star Trek: Enterprise looks too cluttered to my eye. Calling it just Enterprise somehow gave a unique character to the show. As Star Trek: Enterprise it's merely one part of a bigger whole.