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How do you think we will feel if "Discovery" is just a decent show but nothing special?

When I first saw the first 15 episodes of TNG, I was excited for a new "Star Trek" series. But in retrospect, I now realize that, like TOS, at least half the episodes were "below average."

If just 10 episodes of this new series are "good," it will still be 50 percent better than every previous Trek series. (Given the modern practice of writing and filming the entire series before it airs, I think this new show will have a big advantage over the previous 700 Trek episodes, which were produced under the "make-it-up-as-we-go-along" model of episodic TV writing.)
 
I would say exactly half. ;)

I feel the compulsive need to point out that one truly awful episode can lower the average episode score just as much as three relatively bad ones.
So it doesn't need to be exactly half.

You are talking about median, not average.


I think?
 
(Given the modern practice of writing and filming the entire series before it airs, I think this new show will have a big advantage over the previous 700 Trek episodes, which were produced under the "make-it-up-as-we-go-along" model of episodic TV writing.)

I hopefully agree.
 
I think most going in expects or hopes for greatness and some are cynical and expect complete failure but what if it's in the middle of those 2 things? Instead of getting "Battlestar Galatica" or "Firefly" we get "Stargate" or "Legends of Tommorow" which is still better than "Homeboys in Outer Space" or "Galactica 1980." Do you think we are going to be willing to acept average entertainment, especially in this day and age were we are living in the golden age of tv. There seems to be so much good stuff out there that I am having a hard time keeping up with it all. That means for some even "decent" might no longer be enough or does the Trek name give it a pass where we will still find time for it simply because we love the franchise?

Me I know I will watch even if it's horrible. I am that fan when he has a Trek marathon doesn't skip anything. Last night I watched "UNimatrix Zero" on "Voyager" and today I will proably watch "Imaginary Friend" on "TNG" because I not long ago started a marathon of each Trek series at the same time and through sheer luck these two things ended up coming together at the same time. God help me I have even watched the "TNG" ep "Shades of Grey" more times over the years than any human should ever have to.

Jason
Honestly (as a TOS fan who started watching first run with Season 3 at age 6 in 1969) - that's EXACTLY how I felt about ST:TNG. I thought it was decent (well for me it was finally decent starting with Season 3; S1 and S2 had maybe 5 total episodes I really liked in those first two seasons; and the gap/wait caused by thwe WGA strike back then didn't help) - but not (for me) great in the same way the original series was (and still is) to me. I still watched it for the full 7 Season run.
 
My reaction will be the same as when I first saw Voyager: I'll turn it off and not give it a second thought.
 
Baseball is an extinct sport so it's not canon.
Water polo is canon. Use water polo metaphors please. :p
 
Given the modern practice of writing and filming the entire series before it airs, I think this new show will have a big advantage over the previous 700 Trek episodes, which were produced under the "make-it-up-as-we-go-along" model of episodic TV writing
Downside is there can be no viewer feedback (social media, other), which shows sometimes use to fine tune their product, make changes, decide who dies, etc..
 
I just want them to be bold and take a risk. Swing for the fences; you either hit a home run or you strike out.

Don't play it safe and be mediocre.
Completely agree. And, when Fuller was hired as showrunner, that's exactly what I expected. After his unexpected departure however, I'm expecting something less risky and ambitious. Stylish, yes. But after watching the trailer... I have a horrible feeling it's going to be style over substance.

So expectations have definitely been lowered, which isn't a bad thing. The last time I over-hyped myself was Star Trek Into Darkness and I was horribly disappointed. If I like it, I'll faithfully watch it every week. If it doesn't grab me, I'll catch up with it here and there when I feel inclined. There is some truly exceptional television out there at the moment and Discovery will have to compete with them for my limited viewing time. Simple as that.
 
Completely agree. And, when Fuller was hired as showrunner, that's exactly what I expected. After his unexpected departure however, I'm expecting something less risky and ambitious. Stylish, yes. But after watching the trailer... I have a horrible feeling it's going to be style over substance.

So expectations have definitely been lowered, which isn't a bad thing. The last time I over-hyped myself was Star Trek Into Darkness and I was horribly disappointed. If I like it, I'll faithfully watch it every week. If it doesn't grab me, I'll catch up with it here and there when I feel inclined. There is some truly exceptional television out there at the moment and Discovery will have to compete with them for my limited viewing time. Simple as that.
Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.
 
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