How would you have set up the premise to Voyager?

[Thomas Eugene]

Guys, you have brilliant ideas. I wish I were so creative. But as for creativity, if I were locked up in room which I could only leave on condition I came up with a story like yours, I'd starve to death ...
I am the type of person who consumes these shows ... not produces them. I envy you your creative minds. Really.

 

[Captain Nate]

If those felons were the worst of the worst. A bunch of Nauusicaan and Orion pirates, smugglers and gangsters, sure.

A bunch of federation convicts? Can't see it'd be much different.

What if one of the convicts was a genius serial killer and also an expert engineer. So he would be kept in the brig permanently. Then time to time when Voyager needed engineering help Janeway would be forced to go talk to him and try to get information from him about saving the ship/getting home. Of course he would try to trade info for his freedom. It would be like Silence of the Lambs setup but in Star Trek. Also there would be an episode where he escapes on the ship.

 

[DonIago]

Given the kinds of damage we saw the ship suffer throughout the series, it's hard to believe they would have been able to keep anyone a prisoner for the duration of their trip.

 

[UnknownSample]

With a ship blown half to shit and a crew about 50% less alive than it was to begin with?

Nope.

 

[MacLeod]

How they actually get to the DQ is really secondary to what they do with the premise when they get there.

Off the top of my head, you could have had Voyager looking into reports of various ships disappearing in the badlands, one of which was a Cardassian ship carrying Maquis prisoners. You could have kept the Seska storyline with her as a plant amongest the prisoners. Maybe even use Gul Evek. And instead of the Kazon in the pilot you have the Cardassians vs the Federation, the Federation would of course try and protect the Ocampa from the Cardassians who which to use them and in the resulting battle to protect the Array from falling into Cardassian hands it is destroyed. You could even have the crew of Voyager think they had destroyed the Cardassian ship so they set off on the long journey home.

You could then introduce the Kazon in a later episode as a race the Cardassians have allied themselves with. As for why the Cardassians would chase Voyager, you could easily have the Caretaker give VOY some bit of tech or knoweldge that would advance them as thanks for them fighting to protect the Ocampa.

 

[suarezguy]

The premise, especially using the Caretaker to get them to the DQ, is fine.
I would have made Kes more knowledgable about and involved in the Caretaker's plans (incidentally, one of the nurses did look a lot like her) and thus a bit more mature & morally ambiguous and make the interactions with the Kazon more intense but varied, some sects being more hostile and others more reasonable and willing to work with Voyager.

 

[Anwar]

First off, just explain that it was the Caretaker's own Natural Powers being booster by the Array that brought them to the Delta Quadrant and he was too weak to send them back before he died.

Secondly, don't have them know right off the bat where they are. That shouldn't be revealed until Season 2 or so.

Third, Voyager is a much bigger ship that can serve as a Carrier Vessel for other Starships as well like the Maquis Raider and Neelix's Gunship, etc.

Fourth, the Caretaker's Array upgraded Voyager while it was docked there so now it's more self-sufficient and doesn't need much maintenance work. The Doctor's emerging sentience is also due to these alien upgrades.

Fifth, Janeway is the 3rd in command or so of the ship who is made Captain when the actual Captain and XO die early on.

That sets up a bit better thought out opening.

 

[Kahless the Unforgettable]

The premise was fine. It was the execution that was flawed. Especially when they all but ignored a major point of the premise (the conflict between the Federation and Maquis crews) a few episodes in.

The casting was pretty weak, too, however.

 

[Tenacity]

First off, I would have had Chakotay agree to the Maquis combining forces with Janeway's crew to get home, but they would not be joining Starfleet, or wearing Starfleet uniforms. Keep them two distinct groups of people. Chakotay would still be second in command.

Seven managed quite nicely to remain out of Starfleet, have her own clothing, and still assist in Voyager's operations.

Second, get rid of the big reset button. There are ongoing problems with the ship that carry over from episode to episode. I'm not suggest that thing don't eventually get fixed.

Drop the holodeck's power is incompatible with the ships power grid, never made sense. Just have the holodeck consume little power for normal operations.

 

[GeordiFan]

.
I would also go with the idea that Janeway was not the Captain to begin with but was forced to assume that position because of the death of the original commanding officer.
.

I do like that idea...I really liked the premise and pilot episode for Voyager, the series problems came in the later seasons for me...

 

[MacLeod]

Drop the holodeck's power is incompatible with the ships power grid, never made sense. Just have the holodeck consume little power for normal operations.

I suspect they put that in so as to avoid fans complaining about the holodeck wasting power from TNG's "Booby Trap"

 

[Anwar]

I suspect they put that in so as to avoid fans complaining about the holodeck wasting power from TNG's "Booby Trap"

The real reason they kept using the Holodeck was because they had a ton of leftover period piece props from TNG's holodeck stories and figured it would save money to do Holodeck stories.

If they'd waited until after DS9 they'd have a ton of Dominion props and stuff to use for space stories.

 

[Captain Nate]

The real reason they kept using the Holodeck was because they had a ton of leftover period piece props from TNG's holodeck stories and figured it would save money to do Holodeck stories.

If they'd waited until after DS9 they'd have a ton of Dominion props and stuff to use for space stories.

Why was voyager recycling props and TNG and DS9 getting new stuff? Did Voyager have a smaller budget?

 

[Anwar]

Why was voyager recycling props and TNG and DS9 getting new stuff? Did Voyager have a smaller budget?

TNG got all the stuff for being the new series, and DS9 was the first spin-off.

VOY was the 2nd spin-off, and it was after DS9 got less-then-expected ratings so they weren't willing to give it the same privileges.