Hypothetically, If Enterprise ever came back, what form should it return in, if at all?

[FederationHistorian]

Sensing déjà vu with this subject, I looked to see if I had made this topic before. It turns out that I hadn’t. I am choosing to post it here on the ENT board, although the mods are welcome to move it to Future of Trek if they deem so.

Historically, while there have been numerous campaigns to either save Enterprise from cancellation after S4, or to bring it back, they have not been successful. But it remains a what if scenario if TPTB decided that it should returned. Which is what this topic is, a what if scenario - mainly what form it would come back in if it ever did.

Something that the Bring back Star Trek: Enterprise topic brings up over and over is what the series would be like if it ever returned. Factors ranging from the age of the actors (and general willingness to participate), to unavailability of the original sets, to affordability to produce, to what stories are left to tell from that era, to availability of the writers from its original run, to the episode format being different in the Kurtzman era tend to be repeating arguments either for or against its return.

There is also the case that a remastered edition like TOS and TNG is all anyone really needs/wants. Ranging from using Archer's theme in the intro in place of Faith of the Heart (or just mix and matching between the S1-2/S3-4 title sequences and S1-2/S3-4 themes, which would impact how the show feels to the viewer) to a reskinned NX-01 to make it a more "era-appropriate" ship (which means a lot of scenes would have to be redone) to reading deleted scenes from the episodes they were cut from.

So, to get a sense as to what ENT should look like in in a hypothetical return, I left it open as a poll to see what you envision a return of ENT would be. If you are in favour of it at all. Those that do not agree are also welcome to add their input. But do debate at your leisure .

 

[NCC-73515]

this only makes sense with multiple votes

 

[Saul]

I was going to choose series remake but I've come to live with Enterprise as the show that established the 22nd prequel era. In my mind the 22nd Century Starfleet wasn't yet as developed as it was in Enterprise. I'd rather see a gritty, stuck on a damn submarine in space show. So instead of a remake and doing that I would go with a different crew and different ship and explore the lower class side of Starfleet. If Enterprise was the ship of the line with the newest and best technologies then I want to see a ship that doesn't have that and a crew less lucky.

 

[Coops]

I'm of the view that what's done is done, despite me wishing there had been a S5, and most of the options up there are extremely unlikely for all sorts of reasons. I mentioned in another thread that a cameo from Bakula playing Archer could be a real possibility in one of the shows based on how they like to mess with the timelines and remind current viewers that there are all these other $how$ available to $tream or buy on blu ray but other than that I could see some sort of animated show where the voice actors don't actually have to be the original cast and could therefore be cheaper to hire so that's what got my vote.

 

[Relayer1]

Sequel miniseries for me.

Catch up with the crew ten or more years later after they've gone their separate ways.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Where's the option for "character cameo in a current series"? Cos that's pretty much all I see happening.

 

[valkyrie013]

Few options:
1. the only way to continue the voyages is to do animated. beause it has been 15 years, and the cast have aged out of playing themselves. but could do the voices.
2. Could do a sequal series/movie/etc. that is set in 2170 or so, but that would not show the romulan war, which is what I want.
3. Only way a live action series or movie set in 2165 would have to involve another crew and ship, with maybe a voice, or de aged cameo with comunications or videos. So I guess that is pegged under a "Spin off"

Would love a S5, but that time has passed, so I lean towards another ship during the same time frame and tell the Romulan War Story.
The only other option is an animated series/movie.

 

[FederationHistorian]

this only makes sense with multiple votes

Although I was trying to gauge the single most popular choice, I still changed the poll to multiple choice. Might be more fair, considering how many options are in the poll to choose from.

Where's the option for "character cameo in a current series"? Cos that's pretty much all I see happening.

I'll be sure to add it to the poll.

 

[NCC-73515]

Great - 8 votes from me!

 

[FederationHistorian]

I definitely lean towards a mix of the above. I find myself looking at a standalone film, a miniseries, Pocket ENT books adaptation, Short Treks, a new ship and crew, animation, and a remastered ENT.

If the novelizations of “Broken Bow”, “Shockwave” and "The Expanse”/"The Xindi" are any indication, the Pocket ENT novels are a solid 90 minutes each if they were ever adapted for screens. The Romulan War books are basically a 3-hour standalone feature film if put together, and the Rise of the Federation novels are 7.5 hours combined and can be its own miniseries that can be billed as a special event along the lines of “Broken Bow”. And the “Age of the Empress” story in Glass Empires, “Nobunaga’ from Shards and Shadows & the TOS novel The Sorrows of Empire could also be adapted too for a Rise of the Federation miniseries, to tell the story of the Sato Dynasty in the mirror universe.

Then there is The Good That Men Do, which can still be decently adapted even with Aron Eisenberg sadly being no longer with us anymore. Maybe have Jake Sisko meet with Riker and Troi to discuss the events in TATV as he is looking for a second opinion and he heard they ran the program once before on the Enterprise. Or its a round table discussion and has a VOY character also debating those events with them. It does seem like a Short Trek at this point though, but would be suitable enough as a prequel to a movie adaptation of the Romulan War books.

I would not mind a remaster of all four ENT seasons. If the Romulan ships can be digitally replaced in “The Enterprise Incident” in the TOS-R from the original airing, then I don’t see why the NX ships can’t get a reskin to make it more suited as a pre-TOS ship? A remaster would also offer the opportunity to extend the episodes lengths by adding the deleted scenes to the episodes. Constraints due to length aren’t an issue anymore, and hour-long shows are commonplace on tv now. And digitally alter Riker and Troi to look as they did during “The Pegasus” considering the tech today. Basically ENT as is was meant to be.

I can also get behind telling a story of an Earth freighter ship the 22nd century. Basically roughing it between cargo routes and other space lanes, and showing the experience that was hinted at in TNG i.e.no phasers, primitive medical equipment, importance of warp coils for space travel.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I don’t see why the NX ships can’t get a reskin to make it more suited as a pre-TOS ship?

In fact they've done the exact opposite, they've changed the TOS Enterprise to look more like a progression from ENT in Discovery season 2 and and Strange New Worlds. Concept art for the new Enterprise even has pics of NX-01 for hull texture reference.

 

[Delta Vega]

Make three feature length films
Set a few years after the Terra Prime period (to take in the obvious ageing of the cast)
Bring the Romulans into the equation

 

[C.E. Evans]

A series set 16-20 years later with a new cast & ship, but frequent guest appearances and even some multi-episode story arcs featuring the original cast. "Enterprise" would not be in reference to the new ship, but rather to the Federation (as a bold enterprise still in its infancy).

 

[Imaus]

I think Animated would be good. Then you just need the actors in a voice booth; and could continue the series roughly where it ended.

A series set 16-20 years later with a new cast & ship, but frequent guest appearances and even some multi-episode story arcs featuring the original cast. "Enterprise" would not be in reference to the new ship, but rather to the Federation (as a bold enterprise still in its infancy).

A early Federation story wouldn't be amiss either. The 2180s era.

 

[Nyotarules]

An animation of Rise of the Federation novels

 

[Kor]

A couple of "Short Treks," or perhaps the streaming equivalent of a "TV movie of the week."

Kor

 

[Takeru]

A miniseries set 20 years later, the cast is too old to continue after season 4 as if nothing happened, the show ended in 2005.

I wouldn't bring the entire cast back, it should focus on T'Pol and Trip.

 

[Boris Skrbic]

A Bad Robot feature film called Star Trek Interrupted, to be followed by Star Trek Embattled and Star Trek Reborn. Set between 2156 and 2160, this Romulan war trilogy would feature at least some of the Enterprise crew (all recast and faster, more intense), a version (“refit”) of the NX-01 and many other ships inspired by the pre-Nero Kelvin (ranging from 400 to 600 meters in length, some of them with spherical primary hulls and industrial appearance, the latter to emphasize the wartime situation).

Paramount can’t help but be sold on this given STB’s disappointing returns and, of course, the budget needed to bring back the current A-list cast. What’s more, they wouldn’t have both SNW and the Abramsverse exploring adjacent decades with some of the same characters at the same time; it’s a win-win for all.

 

[Skywalker]

I think the ship has sailed on any kind of long-form continuation, and I don't think TPTB would offer enough of a budget to fund a whole miniseries. With that in mind, I wouldn't mind a Short Trek episode set 25 after years ENT with the gang coming together to celebrate the Federation's 25th birthday (can even have T'Pol comment on humanity's fondness for commemorating an event after the passage of an arbitrary number of years) and just kind of give everyone a chance for some proper closure. Maybe answer whether or not Trip really did die in TATV, or if something happened like in the books where the holoprogram was actually a cover-up for some reason.

 

[FederationHistorian]

the cast is too old to continue after season 4 as if nothing happened, the show ended in 2005

Age might not be an issue. Its sci-fi. Either do a story similar to TOS episode “The Deadly Years”, where the only different is that the aging for the main cast, while not as radical, is permanent. Or have Future Guy/Daniels take them on a long-term time travel mission and then drop them back off in 2155. The latter is probably more likely as a story, as its the most Enterprise thing ever.

The bigger issue to me is the sets. I’m not aware of any fans rebuilding the ENT bridge sets like with TOS & TNG. I have seen ENT-era fan films depicting close emulations of the bridge and sickbay for different NX-class ships, but not a full-on replica. Plus, it was normal for those working on ENT to bump their heads when in the captain’s ready room, to the point they needed to wear a hardhat on set. I’m not sure anyone working on the show would want to go back to that.