Enterprise theme song

[MacLeod]

I know a lot of people hate the song, but I like it. And not just the song, but the whole opening montage, which was a break from the tired old image of a stately starship zipping across the galaxy while overwrought orchestral music plays. Oh the majesty! The Enterprise credits did the very important task of using real images to show mankind's progression to the Star Trek era. It bridged the gap between the pre and post-warp drive eras. One thing that the Star Trek franchise never did the greatest job of was showing the connection between our present and the Star Trek future. Many times I have been annoyed at dialogue between characters where they talk about 20th century Earth like it's ancient Mesopotamia or something. It was only 400 years ago, sheesh! I read about the Renaissance, it doesn't feel that alien to me. So the opening credits tackle this and sure the light and breezy Bon Jovi-ish song isn't very Trekky, but it's upbeat and fits the mood of the show.

I think the montage is great. I just hate the song.

I think it would have been great to have a series of quotes about exploration to accompany the changing images. "One small step for man" and the like. Have it lead up to a shot of the Enterprise with Archer saying "Space the final frontier..."

My only real gripe with the opening credits is that it was to American focused.

First Satellite - Russian
First animal in space - Russian
First Man in space - Russian
First Woman in Sapce - Russian
First EVA - Russian

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_space_program#Notable_firsts

 

[marlboro]

First Satellite - Russian
First animal in space - Russian
First Man in space - Russian
First Woman in Sapce - Russian
First EVA - Russian

Is it weird that I "heard" this in Walter Koenig's voice?

Now say "nuclear wessels"!

 

[eyeresist]

Yes, the tone was extremely American, come to think of it. Including the song.

 

[bbjeg]

I personally never really liked the song. Star Trek themes has always been instrumental. Lyrics just made it less.

But a bonus for those who like the song, last weekend my brother and sister-in-law chose the theme for their wedding song.

 

[Orphalesion]

Awww that's nice. It is a rather uplifting number.

 

[IrishNero]

Yes, the tone was extremely American, come to think of it. Including the song.

Yes, this show did seem very American-focused. I don't think that goes along with what Gene Roddenberry wanted.

 

[marlboro]

Roddenberry would roll over in his grave if he found out that the show didn't have a Canadian guy speaking in a phoney Scottish accent who liked to booze it up every chance he got.

The show had an Asian woman, a Brit, a Vulcan, a redneck, a black dude born in outer space, and a (occasionally) mentally challenged man playing the captain. I think that fills in quite a few of the mandatory politically correct casting check boxes that Trek requires.

Frankly, I wish that instead of saying "We need a fill-in-the-blank minority actor for this role ", they said "we need a fill-in-the-blank minority actor who can actually act."


Or just cast whoever you want to cast that you think would work best in the story and forget about making a statement or trying to assuage your white guilt. If you honestly believe that an Inuit Captain Kirk is the way to go, then do it. If you cast a crappy actor in a crappy role just to make a pc statement, well, you aren't doing the show or the actors any favors.

 

[Willow]

Count me as one who enjoyed the theme song. If for no other reason, it as an appropriate song in my own life, trying to raise a special needs (multiple disabilities) son to "reach for the stars."

Now, I've recently started rewaatching TOS, and I find that theme "song" cringeworthy. I never liked it - not even in the 70s, when there was no other Trek to compare to.

I know, it's probably sacrilegious to have that opinion..

 

[Iamnotspock]

and a (occasionally) mentally challenged man playing the captain.

Scott Bakula is occasionally mentally challenged?

Now, I've recently started rewatching TOS, and I find that theme "song" cringeworthy. I never liked it - not even in the 70s, when there was no other Trek to compare to.

I know, it's probably sacrilegious to have that opinion..

Not at all, it's extremely dated.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

You people do not DESERVE star trek!!!!

I suppose you think the Hallelujah chorus was dated too!

 

[tafkats]

Frankly, I wish that instead of saying "We need a fill-in-the-blank minority actor for this role ", they said "we need a fill-in-the-blank minority actor who can actually act."


Or just cast whoever you want to cast that you think would work best in the story and forget about making a statement or trying to assuage your white guilt. If you honestly believe that an Inuit Captain Kirk is the way to go, then do it. If you cast a crappy actor in a crappy role just to make a pc statement, well, you aren't doing the show or the actors any favors.

Considering how many white actors they had who couldn't act, I think it's highly unlikely that any problems with casting Mayweather had anything to do with somebody saying "it's more important that he be black than a good actor." It's much more likely that they just weren't that good at casting, period.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I dunno, didn't seem bad at acting to me? I think the writers just couldn't do ensemble pieces. DS9 primarily, and VOY to a lesser extent managed it.

 

[marlboro]

Frankly, I wish that instead of saying "We need a fill-in-the-blank minority actor for this role ", they said "we need a fill-in-the-blank minority actor who can actually act."


Or just cast whoever you want to cast that you think would work best in the story and forget about making a statement or trying to assuage your white guilt. If you honestly believe that an Inuit Captain Kirk is the way to go, then do it. If you cast a crappy actor in a crappy role just to make a pc statement, well, you aren't doing the show or the actors any favors.

Considering how many white actors they had who couldn't act, I think it's highly unlikely that any problems with casting Mayweather had anything to do with somebody saying "it's more important that he be black than a good actor." It's much more likely that they just weren't that good at casting, period.

Yeah, Trek has a long history of questionable casting choices.

"Hey, we need somebody to play a space hippie troubadour wearing a miniskirt."

"Oh, I know who'd be perfect for the role."

 

[Nerys Myk]

Frankly, I wish that instead of saying "We need a fill-in-the-blank minority actor for this role ", they said "we need a fill-in-the-blank minority actor who can actually act."


Or just cast whoever you want to cast that you think would work best in the story and forget about making a statement or trying to assuage your white guilt. If you honestly believe that an Inuit Captain Kirk is the way to go, then do it. If you cast a crappy actor in a crappy role just to make a pc statement, well, you aren't doing the show or the actors any favors.

Considering how many white actors they had who couldn't act, I think it's highly unlikely that any problems with casting Mayweather had anything to do with somebody saying "it's more important that he be black than a good actor." It's much more likely that they just weren't that good at casting, period.

Yeah, Trek has a long history of questionable casting choices.

"Hey, we need somebody to play a space hippie troubadour wearing a miniskirt."

"Oh, I know who'd be perfect for the role."

To be fair Naiper hadn't played that guy yet. His role in Star Trek is among his earliest credits

 

[Willow]

You people do not DESERVE star trek!!!!

I suppose you think the Hallelujah chorus was dated too!

The Hallelujah chorus doesn't bother me, generally. But it also has a lot to do with how it is sung. I've heard awesome renditions of "The Star Spangled Banner" , and other renditions that just made me want to bash my head in.

I've been bouncing around on my rewatch of TOS and I realized that they switched up the theme song somewhere between the first and second season. They ended up with something that sounds like a woman screeching in my ear. So for me it's probably just the "pitch", and I am personally just susceptible to that.

I always liked the theme from TNG the best.

Maybe I DONT deserve Star Trek!

 

[marlboro]

A casting director looking at Charles Napier and saying "we've found our space hippie" is like a casting director picking Edgar Winter to play the lead in a Muhammad Ali biopic. It's inexcusable.

 

[Nerys Myk]

A casting director looking at Charles Napier and saying "we've found our space hippie" is like a casting director picking Edgar Winter to play the lead in a Muhammad Ali biopic. It's inexcusable.

Knew a few hippies who look liked Napier, myself. What about him in 1968 would say "Not a hippy"? You're letting his post Trek career color your view.

 

[marlboro]

“Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.”

I'm sure there are plenty of people who looked like Charles Napier that were hippies. But, imo, a casting director shouldn't say "Well, it's possible that a person who looks and sounds like this could exist." There job is to cast actors who fit roles.

I think that if I had never met Charles Napier before, and I had a chance to see him and hear him, I'm pretty sure that "hippie" wouldn't be the first thing that would spring to mind. And in episodic televsion where you have a guest star pop in for 50 minutes only to never be heard of again, you only have that first impression. You can't spend multiple episodes fleshing out the character, letting the audience get to know him. So you say "Does this guy look the part? Does this guy sound right for the part?" and you roll with it.

He went on to have a 40 year career playing rednecks and hardass tough guys, with nary a space hippie role again.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Shoulda gone with this
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_pXaZCUws[/yt]

 

[marlboro]

That's awesome.