Captain X
Rear Admiral
Star Trek
Maybe it makes me something of a hypocrite, but with all this hype going on because of JJ Abrams take on Star Trek, and my general dislike of said take, I've been thinking myself of how I'd update Star Trek for modern audiences, and the conclusion I've come to is that it would be more of a retelling than a reboot.
Premise
I guess I could say that it's more or less the same as the original – somewhat optimistic, while not overly so. Rather than confine myself to the three years the show actually lasted, I'd take on a seven season format, and I'd probably mix stand-alone episodes and multi-episode story arcs the same way I have been in Foundations. That might upset some people, but then so would a reboot by itself. In a way, this is more of a retelling, than a reboot, but I suppose that is in the eye of the beholder.
The show would start out with Pike in command, and more or less the crew seen in the first pilot episode. It'd stay that way for the first season and a half or so, following the adventures of that crew, and keeping in mind that the show isn't necessarily going to follow the one season = one year format. Over this time, there would be crew losses and other change-overs. Spock will join the crew from another ship as a lieutenant in the science department. Obviously another officer will be the science officer. "Number One" will be killed or transferred, as will the original science officer. Eventually, Pike will be injured, giving him the melted face and landing him in the iron-lung hover chair. I'm thinking he'll be more Steven Hawking than "blink once for yes, twice for no".
At this point, Kirk will be assigned as captain of Enterprise, and after an episode or whatever story arc he comes in on is over with, he ends up choosing Spock as his first officer, and Spock elects to keep his position as science officer as well. More adventures will happen, some of them recognizable as reworked versions of the original episodes. More crewmembers will be killed or transferred, and more will be brought in. This is how we get McCoy on board, as well as Chekov and Sulu, though Chekov will have a higher rank because of his position as security chief. Keep in mind that just because there are familiar names that they might not necessarily survive the show. At some point, Scotty will be assigned as chief engineer.
At the end of the "five year mission", the ship will be taken in for a refit, and Kirk will get his promotion. Basically the plot of TMP will be worked into the show, and they'll have some more adventures before the ship is eventually retired from active duty and designated a training ship.
The Ship
USS Enterprise, NCC-1701: Constitution class starship, and the second ship of her class. As far as how the thing looks, I'd go with one of two options – either something that uses the original design as a basis, only with a much higher level of detail, or something that uses the refit TMP version as a basis, only with TOS-type features (the idea being that the refit wouldn't be as drastic then). If I go with the first option, the refit the ship gets toward the end of its career will make it look similar to the "Phase II" concept Matt Jeffries did, and the 1701-A will be the Probert design, and probably a new class name. If I go with the second option, the refit will still be considered a Constitution class, and the 1701-A will simply be a later version of that class. The interior designs will reflect the option chosen, at least as far as the corridors and other sets (the ship isn't going to be completely gutted for the refit), though the bridge will still look very similar to the original, just more detailed and including a second turbolift, with the stations being adjusted.
I can't really destroy the ship until after it's been relegated to being a training ship, but I'd do my best to convey a sense of danger whenever the ship got into some kind of trouble.
Oh yeah, I'd have to redo engineering so it fits in better with the more prevalent layout we've seen on basically every other ship since TMP was made.
The Characters
Captain Christopher Pike: CO. He took command some years ago when Enterprise's fist captain, Robert April, was promoted and reassigned. Enterprise is Pike's second command, having previously commanded a smaller science ship (like the TOS version of a Miranda). We never see it real time (but perhaps in flashbacks), but Pike initially got off to a rocky start with the crewmembers who stayed on from April's command. He is later able to prove himself to them, so by the time the series starts, he and his crew are pretty tight. Personality-wise, he is pragmatic and hard-working, and somewhat by-the-book. He'll either be promoted, end up like we saw him in the original series, or get killed, at which point Kirk is given command of Enterprise.
Commander Shuarri Eltan: XO. Raven-haired and highly intelligent, Eltan is a full Betazoid. Assuming she is done correctly, she could actually be pretty useful, unlike pretty much every other Betazoid we've seen (especially Troi). As April's former XO followed him to become his adjutant, this left the position open, and after Pike finished the interviewing process, Eltan was selected. By the time the series starts, they are friends, though not on the level as Kirk and Spock. She'll probably be on until half a season or so before Kirk takes over as captain, at which point she'll be killed in the line of duty.
Doctor (Commander) Philip Boyce: CMO. Boyce served as the CMO under April, and stayed on after Pike took command. He's a crusty old man, close to mandatory retirement. Arrogant, cynical, and sarcastic, he's kind of an asshole, and at first Pike considered having the old man reassigned, but had to admit that he was damn good at what he did, and that he could trust the aged doctor implicitly. His bluntness also occasionally serves as a rude wake-up call to Pike when the captain lets his idealism get the better of him.
Lieutenant Commander Marlena Moreau: SCI/3IC. A human woman, she's the senior science officer on Enterprise. A very capable officer, she's actually due for another promotion, but she's holding out for a position on one of Enterprise's younger sisters, which is still being constructed at the time the series starts. She may or may not live to transfer off the ship, thus opening up the spot for Spock either way.
Lieutenant Paul Freeman: TAC/4IC. Another member of April's crew that stayed on, Freeman serves as both tactical officer and security chief of the ship. He's very tough, and not the type you’d ever want to get into a fight with, but he's also quiet and somewhat awkward with the opposite sex. I'll probably end up killing the poor bastard and have Chekov replace him.
Lieutenant Ryan Leslie: OPS/5IC. Not much to say about him, other than that he stayed on after April left, and he's the senior operations officer. I'm not even sure if I'll work Operations in as a station on the bridge or if that will be its own room. I may replace the Engineering station with Operations, and have a smaller Damage Control station closer to the viewscreen. Or I could make Communications smaller. Leslie will probably get promoted and transferred off, or I might kill him, you just never know (neither do I at this point).
Lieutenant Commander Mythral Ne'Than: CE/6IC. An Andorian and another hold-over from April's crew, Ne'Than (or just "Than" for short) is the ship's chief engineer. She can also be somewhat ill-tempered and irritable, owing to her Andorian heritage, but her engineering team and the enlisted technicians are all pretty loyal to her. Again, I'm not sure if I'd kill her or transfer her to make room for Scotty.
Lieutenant (J.G.) Arex Na Eth: NAV/7IC. An Edosian, Arex serves as the ship's navigation officer. He was also a member of April's crew in this position. I don't have much else to say about him so far, other than that while I'd try to keep his appearance (presuming there was a large enough budget and a CGI character could be superimposed over a stand-in), I wouldn't get very descriptive of him in any scripts simply because his appearance might have to be changed if any of this were ever realized on screen. I have no special attachment to him, so he might die, or he might get transferred, since I doubt I'd keep him for the run of the series.
Lieutenant John Farrell: COM. Not much to say about him, as he'd be a relatively minor character. He's just the communications officer, and he'd have a few opportunities to shine because I don't like relegating characters to the background too much if I can help it.
Ensign Jana Haines: Helmsman/pilot. Basically she's the "main" helmsman of the ship that we'd see the most of, at least until I kill her or transfer her so Sulu can replace her.
Lieutenant Spock: Science officer (later SCI/XO). Spock will come aboard as a moderately seasoned science officer, who has served on once ship prior to being assigned to Enterprise. Initially he'll just be another science officer who occasionally has a watch on the bridge, but as Marlena is promoted and reassigned to Defiant (yeah, you can probably guess where I'm going with that), Spock is promoted in position to her former post as senior science officer (mainly because Pike is impressed with the young half-Vulcan), but not in grade, as he remains a lieutenant for a while longer. It isn't until he also takes on Shuarri Eltan's position as first officer that he is promoted to lieutenant commander. Initially this was intended to be a temporary arrangement, with Spock retaining the higher rank but not the XO position in addition to his position as science officer, but Spock volunteered to stay on double duty, and Pike saw that he was able to perform both tasks adequately and decided to give him a chance.
Ensign Kevin Thomas Riley: Navigation officer (later NAV/7IC). A new academy graduate who's excited to have been assigned to Enterprise, he'll show up a season or so into the show as someone who sits at Navigation in one of the other shifts. He's a good officer and pretty friendly, but he also has an Irish temper which will be provoked on occasion. Eventually he'll replace Arex and we'll see more of him.
Captain James Tiberius Kirk: CO. He is assigned to Enterprise after Pike is severely injured, resulting in the melted face we all know and love. Kirk's first appearance will actually be in a visit to Pike in the hospital, where Pike kind of tells him who he can trust et. al. Kirk had previously commanded a smaller ship as a commander, but he is promoted to captain and assigned command of Enterprise. There isn't any insta-friendship or initial hate going on between Kirk or any of the other characters, but there will be a transition period where captain and crew get to know one another. Over the course of the series Kirk and his crew will develop a kind of "band of brothers" relationship as far as their loyalty to everyone. Kirk and Spock will have a very close relationship (just not the kind slashers everywhere apparently want them to have. Still somewhat career-minded, Kirk will later accept promotion, though the V'Ger crisis will later see him back aboard Enterprise, as well as later on when his old ship becomes an Academy training ship.
Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott: CE/3IC. Mythral Ne'Than is either going to be killed or injured in the same accident that crippled Pike, or die heroically saving the ship a short time later. Either way Scotty is going to be her replacement, his reputation as a miracle worker already coming to be known, though Enterprise is going to be the first ship he is the chief engineer of. He is so excited that he studies the technical manual and memorizes it. Kirk has him also assigned as the third in command because Spock is pulling double duty, and because he feels more comfortable having a senior officer in that position, even if he isn't normally a bridge officer.
Doctor (Lieutenant Commander) Leonard Horatio McCoy: CMO. Dr. Boyce either croaks or is forced to retire due to his age (I'm thinking heart attack though, which I'd probably play up for drama), and Kirk has McCoy come aboard to replace him. Kirk actually knows McCoy from his days at the Academy, as McCoy was an assistant instructor (like a TA basically) while Kirk was there. The "Bones" nickname is actually a reference to McCoy's age, which he doesn't much care for at first even though he knows Kirk is only teasing. McCoy naturally teases right back, and he also has the semi-confrontational relationship with Spock as in the original show/movies.
Nurse (Chief Petty Officer) Christine Chapel: Head Nurse. Honestly, I don't know if I'd have her there under Boyce or show up later to replace someone else. Obviously she'd be played by a different actress than Shuarri Eltan, probably someone about the same age though to reflect her rank and experience. I'd also retain her attraction to Spock, though I'd have to make the decision later if this would be reciprocated by Spock or not.
Lieutenant Pavel Andreievich Chekov: TAC/4IC. Freeman is either killed or reassigned, and Chekov takes his place. He's somewhat young, but he's good at what he does. Though he's a security officer, he's very friendly, and endures himself to his new crew fairly quickly, probably due to some heroics on his part. I'm afraid I don't have much more than that right now, but that's not to say Chekov would be a minor character or anything.
Lieutenant Samara Uhura: COM. I'm not really sure what to say about her, other than that she's pretty much the same as what we saw on the original show. She'd come aboard sometime after Kirk and replace John Farrell. She can speak Swahili, English, and Spanish fluently, and with the help of the translation software that is standard aboard Federation starships (aka the universal translator), she can figure out most other languages, including those from alien species that haven't been previously encountered. She's also very good with computers and electronics, and she likes to make modifications to her translation equipment. She can also repair it if it ever becomes necessary. She likes to sing, and she's also pretty good at mimicking voices.
Ensign Hikaru Sulu: Alpha shift helmsman/pilot. Though of mixed Asian ancestry, Sulu was born in San Francisco. He had aspirations of being a pilot at an early age, and as a teenager decided he wanted to join Starfleet. Enterprise is his first assignment after graduating the Academy. I'll definitely retain his fondness for fencing (as in not with a katana) and I might even make him gay for the hell of it. Over the course of the series he'll earn a couple of promotions, though one of them will see him taking over the operations department and placing him in the chain of command. Mostly this is because he finds that he has a knack for command, and Kirk does his best to groom him for his own command. Toward the end of the series, Sulu is offered a command and accepts it. Eventually we'll see him in command of Excelsior.
Crewman 1st Class Janice Rand: Yeoman. I'm not sure how much of the undercurrent of attraction Kirk had for her that I'd keep, but I'd definitely lose the sexist attitude directed toward this character in that Kirk would have no reason to be surprised to have a female crewmember assigned to him as his yeoman. If I did retain some kind of a thing between them, I'd be sure to make it completely clear that it has the potential to end Kirk's career.
Commander Willard Decker: XO. Decker will be assigned to Enterprise by Starfleet, partially because they are uncomfortable with Spock pulling double duty on one of their larger ships, and partially because of his father's influence. Kirk and the majority of the others will initially resent this, but as it turns out, Decker isn't the entitled brat they think he is, and he's actually quite competent at what he does. Kirk will actually become quite fond of him, and when Kirk is promoted he recommends Decker to command Enterprise (at which point the ship undergoes a major refit).
The Movie Era
The stories for the first couple of movies will actually make up the last season or so of the series if I did it. Starfleet would systematically refit and upgrade a large portion of its mainline ships. Enterprise is refit when Kirk is promoted to Starfleet Command. Later Kirk takes command of Enterprise, or rather the small task force it leads during the V'Ger crisis, though there is friction between Decker and Kirk because Kirk isn't quite used to being on his old ship without actually being in command of it.
Eventually Enterpise is assigned as an Academy training ship, largely in part because Kirk wants to keep it close by out of fondness for it, and because he is made commandant of Starfleet Academy. The crew is essentially split up at that point, either taking positions on other ships or posts, or they become instructors at the Academy, which is what Spock, McCoy, and Scotty end up doing.
Other Vulcans in Starfleet
Spock is not the first Vulcan in Starfleet, but he is the first to commission through Starfleet Academy on Earth. Most Vulcan officers commission through something akin to an ROTC program at the Vulcan Science Academy. Even after a century since the end of the Earth/Romulan war and the founding of the Federation, Vulcans are still somewhat uncomfortable with Starfleet's seemingly militaristic tone, which has persisted even all this time after the Earth/Romulan War. While part of this is because of conflict with the Klingons, there's also been a lasting element within Starfleet coming from Earth to keep the military aspect of Starfleet in the forefront, the attitude on Vulcan is that there should be more focus on the science and exploratory missions that Starfleet has also taken on. As a result, most of their officers take posts on dedicated science ships, and most of those are on ships built by Vulcan. So in that way Spock is something of a trailblazer and he initially takes a lot of flack for it; even his own father stops speaking to him. Others end up following in his footsteps though, including some younger Vulcans who look up to him. Starfleet also has a Constitution class ship in order to sort of bring Vulcan further into the fold, and they even let them have Vulcans make up the senior officers (and no, it's not named Intrepid, but rather something more appropriate). This eventually paves the way for more Vulcans to serve in a more integrated manner within Starfleet later on.
Maybe it makes me something of a hypocrite, but with all this hype going on because of JJ Abrams take on Star Trek, and my general dislike of said take, I've been thinking myself of how I'd update Star Trek for modern audiences, and the conclusion I've come to is that it would be more of a retelling than a reboot.
Premise
I guess I could say that it's more or less the same as the original – somewhat optimistic, while not overly so. Rather than confine myself to the three years the show actually lasted, I'd take on a seven season format, and I'd probably mix stand-alone episodes and multi-episode story arcs the same way I have been in Foundations. That might upset some people, but then so would a reboot by itself. In a way, this is more of a retelling, than a reboot, but I suppose that is in the eye of the beholder.
The show would start out with Pike in command, and more or less the crew seen in the first pilot episode. It'd stay that way for the first season and a half or so, following the adventures of that crew, and keeping in mind that the show isn't necessarily going to follow the one season = one year format. Over this time, there would be crew losses and other change-overs. Spock will join the crew from another ship as a lieutenant in the science department. Obviously another officer will be the science officer. "Number One" will be killed or transferred, as will the original science officer. Eventually, Pike will be injured, giving him the melted face and landing him in the iron-lung hover chair. I'm thinking he'll be more Steven Hawking than "blink once for yes, twice for no".
At this point, Kirk will be assigned as captain of Enterprise, and after an episode or whatever story arc he comes in on is over with, he ends up choosing Spock as his first officer, and Spock elects to keep his position as science officer as well. More adventures will happen, some of them recognizable as reworked versions of the original episodes. More crewmembers will be killed or transferred, and more will be brought in. This is how we get McCoy on board, as well as Chekov and Sulu, though Chekov will have a higher rank because of his position as security chief. Keep in mind that just because there are familiar names that they might not necessarily survive the show. At some point, Scotty will be assigned as chief engineer.
At the end of the "five year mission", the ship will be taken in for a refit, and Kirk will get his promotion. Basically the plot of TMP will be worked into the show, and they'll have some more adventures before the ship is eventually retired from active duty and designated a training ship.
The Ship
USS Enterprise, NCC-1701: Constitution class starship, and the second ship of her class. As far as how the thing looks, I'd go with one of two options – either something that uses the original design as a basis, only with a much higher level of detail, or something that uses the refit TMP version as a basis, only with TOS-type features (the idea being that the refit wouldn't be as drastic then). If I go with the first option, the refit the ship gets toward the end of its career will make it look similar to the "Phase II" concept Matt Jeffries did, and the 1701-A will be the Probert design, and probably a new class name. If I go with the second option, the refit will still be considered a Constitution class, and the 1701-A will simply be a later version of that class. The interior designs will reflect the option chosen, at least as far as the corridors and other sets (the ship isn't going to be completely gutted for the refit), though the bridge will still look very similar to the original, just more detailed and including a second turbolift, with the stations being adjusted.
I can't really destroy the ship until after it's been relegated to being a training ship, but I'd do my best to convey a sense of danger whenever the ship got into some kind of trouble.
Oh yeah, I'd have to redo engineering so it fits in better with the more prevalent layout we've seen on basically every other ship since TMP was made.
The Characters
Captain Christopher Pike: CO. He took command some years ago when Enterprise's fist captain, Robert April, was promoted and reassigned. Enterprise is Pike's second command, having previously commanded a smaller science ship (like the TOS version of a Miranda). We never see it real time (but perhaps in flashbacks), but Pike initially got off to a rocky start with the crewmembers who stayed on from April's command. He is later able to prove himself to them, so by the time the series starts, he and his crew are pretty tight. Personality-wise, he is pragmatic and hard-working, and somewhat by-the-book. He'll either be promoted, end up like we saw him in the original series, or get killed, at which point Kirk is given command of Enterprise.
Commander Shuarri Eltan: XO. Raven-haired and highly intelligent, Eltan is a full Betazoid. Assuming she is done correctly, she could actually be pretty useful, unlike pretty much every other Betazoid we've seen (especially Troi). As April's former XO followed him to become his adjutant, this left the position open, and after Pike finished the interviewing process, Eltan was selected. By the time the series starts, they are friends, though not on the level as Kirk and Spock. She'll probably be on until half a season or so before Kirk takes over as captain, at which point she'll be killed in the line of duty.
Doctor (Commander) Philip Boyce: CMO. Boyce served as the CMO under April, and stayed on after Pike took command. He's a crusty old man, close to mandatory retirement. Arrogant, cynical, and sarcastic, he's kind of an asshole, and at first Pike considered having the old man reassigned, but had to admit that he was damn good at what he did, and that he could trust the aged doctor implicitly. His bluntness also occasionally serves as a rude wake-up call to Pike when the captain lets his idealism get the better of him.
Lieutenant Commander Marlena Moreau: SCI/3IC. A human woman, she's the senior science officer on Enterprise. A very capable officer, she's actually due for another promotion, but she's holding out for a position on one of Enterprise's younger sisters, which is still being constructed at the time the series starts. She may or may not live to transfer off the ship, thus opening up the spot for Spock either way.
Lieutenant Paul Freeman: TAC/4IC. Another member of April's crew that stayed on, Freeman serves as both tactical officer and security chief of the ship. He's very tough, and not the type you’d ever want to get into a fight with, but he's also quiet and somewhat awkward with the opposite sex. I'll probably end up killing the poor bastard and have Chekov replace him.
Lieutenant Ryan Leslie: OPS/5IC. Not much to say about him, other than that he stayed on after April left, and he's the senior operations officer. I'm not even sure if I'll work Operations in as a station on the bridge or if that will be its own room. I may replace the Engineering station with Operations, and have a smaller Damage Control station closer to the viewscreen. Or I could make Communications smaller. Leslie will probably get promoted and transferred off, or I might kill him, you just never know (neither do I at this point).
Lieutenant Commander Mythral Ne'Than: CE/6IC. An Andorian and another hold-over from April's crew, Ne'Than (or just "Than" for short) is the ship's chief engineer. She can also be somewhat ill-tempered and irritable, owing to her Andorian heritage, but her engineering team and the enlisted technicians are all pretty loyal to her. Again, I'm not sure if I'd kill her or transfer her to make room for Scotty.
Lieutenant (J.G.) Arex Na Eth: NAV/7IC. An Edosian, Arex serves as the ship's navigation officer. He was also a member of April's crew in this position. I don't have much else to say about him so far, other than that while I'd try to keep his appearance (presuming there was a large enough budget and a CGI character could be superimposed over a stand-in), I wouldn't get very descriptive of him in any scripts simply because his appearance might have to be changed if any of this were ever realized on screen. I have no special attachment to him, so he might die, or he might get transferred, since I doubt I'd keep him for the run of the series.
Lieutenant John Farrell: COM. Not much to say about him, as he'd be a relatively minor character. He's just the communications officer, and he'd have a few opportunities to shine because I don't like relegating characters to the background too much if I can help it.
Ensign Jana Haines: Helmsman/pilot. Basically she's the "main" helmsman of the ship that we'd see the most of, at least until I kill her or transfer her so Sulu can replace her.
Lieutenant Spock: Science officer (later SCI/XO). Spock will come aboard as a moderately seasoned science officer, who has served on once ship prior to being assigned to Enterprise. Initially he'll just be another science officer who occasionally has a watch on the bridge, but as Marlena is promoted and reassigned to Defiant (yeah, you can probably guess where I'm going with that), Spock is promoted in position to her former post as senior science officer (mainly because Pike is impressed with the young half-Vulcan), but not in grade, as he remains a lieutenant for a while longer. It isn't until he also takes on Shuarri Eltan's position as first officer that he is promoted to lieutenant commander. Initially this was intended to be a temporary arrangement, with Spock retaining the higher rank but not the XO position in addition to his position as science officer, but Spock volunteered to stay on double duty, and Pike saw that he was able to perform both tasks adequately and decided to give him a chance.
Ensign Kevin Thomas Riley: Navigation officer (later NAV/7IC). A new academy graduate who's excited to have been assigned to Enterprise, he'll show up a season or so into the show as someone who sits at Navigation in one of the other shifts. He's a good officer and pretty friendly, but he also has an Irish temper which will be provoked on occasion. Eventually he'll replace Arex and we'll see more of him.
Captain James Tiberius Kirk: CO. He is assigned to Enterprise after Pike is severely injured, resulting in the melted face we all know and love. Kirk's first appearance will actually be in a visit to Pike in the hospital, where Pike kind of tells him who he can trust et. al. Kirk had previously commanded a smaller ship as a commander, but he is promoted to captain and assigned command of Enterprise. There isn't any insta-friendship or initial hate going on between Kirk or any of the other characters, but there will be a transition period where captain and crew get to know one another. Over the course of the series Kirk and his crew will develop a kind of "band of brothers" relationship as far as their loyalty to everyone. Kirk and Spock will have a very close relationship (just not the kind slashers everywhere apparently want them to have. Still somewhat career-minded, Kirk will later accept promotion, though the V'Ger crisis will later see him back aboard Enterprise, as well as later on when his old ship becomes an Academy training ship.
Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott: CE/3IC. Mythral Ne'Than is either going to be killed or injured in the same accident that crippled Pike, or die heroically saving the ship a short time later. Either way Scotty is going to be her replacement, his reputation as a miracle worker already coming to be known, though Enterprise is going to be the first ship he is the chief engineer of. He is so excited that he studies the technical manual and memorizes it. Kirk has him also assigned as the third in command because Spock is pulling double duty, and because he feels more comfortable having a senior officer in that position, even if he isn't normally a bridge officer.
Doctor (Lieutenant Commander) Leonard Horatio McCoy: CMO. Dr. Boyce either croaks or is forced to retire due to his age (I'm thinking heart attack though, which I'd probably play up for drama), and Kirk has McCoy come aboard to replace him. Kirk actually knows McCoy from his days at the Academy, as McCoy was an assistant instructor (like a TA basically) while Kirk was there. The "Bones" nickname is actually a reference to McCoy's age, which he doesn't much care for at first even though he knows Kirk is only teasing. McCoy naturally teases right back, and he also has the semi-confrontational relationship with Spock as in the original show/movies.
Nurse (Chief Petty Officer) Christine Chapel: Head Nurse. Honestly, I don't know if I'd have her there under Boyce or show up later to replace someone else. Obviously she'd be played by a different actress than Shuarri Eltan, probably someone about the same age though to reflect her rank and experience. I'd also retain her attraction to Spock, though I'd have to make the decision later if this would be reciprocated by Spock or not.
Lieutenant Pavel Andreievich Chekov: TAC/4IC. Freeman is either killed or reassigned, and Chekov takes his place. He's somewhat young, but he's good at what he does. Though he's a security officer, he's very friendly, and endures himself to his new crew fairly quickly, probably due to some heroics on his part. I'm afraid I don't have much more than that right now, but that's not to say Chekov would be a minor character or anything.
Lieutenant Samara Uhura: COM. I'm not really sure what to say about her, other than that she's pretty much the same as what we saw on the original show. She'd come aboard sometime after Kirk and replace John Farrell. She can speak Swahili, English, and Spanish fluently, and with the help of the translation software that is standard aboard Federation starships (aka the universal translator), she can figure out most other languages, including those from alien species that haven't been previously encountered. She's also very good with computers and electronics, and she likes to make modifications to her translation equipment. She can also repair it if it ever becomes necessary. She likes to sing, and she's also pretty good at mimicking voices.
Ensign Hikaru Sulu: Alpha shift helmsman/pilot. Though of mixed Asian ancestry, Sulu was born in San Francisco. He had aspirations of being a pilot at an early age, and as a teenager decided he wanted to join Starfleet. Enterprise is his first assignment after graduating the Academy. I'll definitely retain his fondness for fencing (as in not with a katana) and I might even make him gay for the hell of it. Over the course of the series he'll earn a couple of promotions, though one of them will see him taking over the operations department and placing him in the chain of command. Mostly this is because he finds that he has a knack for command, and Kirk does his best to groom him for his own command. Toward the end of the series, Sulu is offered a command and accepts it. Eventually we'll see him in command of Excelsior.
Crewman 1st Class Janice Rand: Yeoman. I'm not sure how much of the undercurrent of attraction Kirk had for her that I'd keep, but I'd definitely lose the sexist attitude directed toward this character in that Kirk would have no reason to be surprised to have a female crewmember assigned to him as his yeoman. If I did retain some kind of a thing between them, I'd be sure to make it completely clear that it has the potential to end Kirk's career.
Commander Willard Decker: XO. Decker will be assigned to Enterprise by Starfleet, partially because they are uncomfortable with Spock pulling double duty on one of their larger ships, and partially because of his father's influence. Kirk and the majority of the others will initially resent this, but as it turns out, Decker isn't the entitled brat they think he is, and he's actually quite competent at what he does. Kirk will actually become quite fond of him, and when Kirk is promoted he recommends Decker to command Enterprise (at which point the ship undergoes a major refit).
The Movie Era
The stories for the first couple of movies will actually make up the last season or so of the series if I did it. Starfleet would systematically refit and upgrade a large portion of its mainline ships. Enterprise is refit when Kirk is promoted to Starfleet Command. Later Kirk takes command of Enterprise, or rather the small task force it leads during the V'Ger crisis, though there is friction between Decker and Kirk because Kirk isn't quite used to being on his old ship without actually being in command of it.
Eventually Enterpise is assigned as an Academy training ship, largely in part because Kirk wants to keep it close by out of fondness for it, and because he is made commandant of Starfleet Academy. The crew is essentially split up at that point, either taking positions on other ships or posts, or they become instructors at the Academy, which is what Spock, McCoy, and Scotty end up doing.
Other Vulcans in Starfleet
Spock is not the first Vulcan in Starfleet, but he is the first to commission through Starfleet Academy on Earth. Most Vulcan officers commission through something akin to an ROTC program at the Vulcan Science Academy. Even after a century since the end of the Earth/Romulan war and the founding of the Federation, Vulcans are still somewhat uncomfortable with Starfleet's seemingly militaristic tone, which has persisted even all this time after the Earth/Romulan War. While part of this is because of conflict with the Klingons, there's also been a lasting element within Starfleet coming from Earth to keep the military aspect of Starfleet in the forefront, the attitude on Vulcan is that there should be more focus on the science and exploratory missions that Starfleet has also taken on. As a result, most of their officers take posts on dedicated science ships, and most of those are on ships built by Vulcan. So in that way Spock is something of a trailblazer and he initially takes a lot of flack for it; even his own father stops speaking to him. Others end up following in his footsteps though, including some younger Vulcans who look up to him. Starfleet also has a Constitution class ship in order to sort of bring Vulcan further into the fold, and they even let them have Vulcans make up the senior officers (and no, it's not named Intrepid, but rather something more appropriate). This eventually paves the way for more Vulcans to serve in a more integrated manner within Starfleet later on.
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