If you owned the franchise ... ?

[David Strickhouser]

According to Trek lore, Gene Roddenberry was offered the rights to Star Trek around 1969-70 for a "song", $100-150,000 (U.S.) dollars.
At the time, he couldn't afford that, so Paramount retained the rights.
Also in this period, syndicator Kaiser Broadcasting began airing the reruns of TOS. Kaiser bought the "syndication" rights during TOS's first season.
Now suppose, just suppose .... you had the money and wherewithal to purchase the rights back then?
What would you have done with the property? (A caveat: knowing what you now know fifty years hence)

This is my "time travel" tale ... .
As the "Warren Buffett" who ponied up the money, my first order of business: see Gene Roddenberry.
He created it, ran it (under his Norway Corp.), so I'd see if I could work with him to continue the series in first-run syndication (unheard of then) with Kaiser. Strip the 79 Monday through Friday and offer fresh, new eps to Kaiser affiliates on the weekends.
If I couldn't work with Gene (due to his personality; remember the caveat), then I'd try to re-hire Bob Justman, John Meredyth Lucas, Jerry Finnerman and Gene Coon to shepherd the series going forward.
Next, the syndication deal: no network interference! Continuing the series with 26 new installments spread over two "seasons". This would allow the actors (notorious for typecast worries) to field other offers during the gap between the two 13 episode "seasons".
Yank the production off Paramount's lot! Too many bean counters/nosy neighbors! As "Buffet", I'd probably purchase the old RKO/Forty Acres lot from Cinema General and refurbish and move everything there.
My "Buffett" would be a "creative consultant"; I'd would advise the staff to use the 26 to wrap up the first five-year mission. Then, with Kaiser (or "Buffett" would buy them too) the second 26 installments would involve the second five -year mission (refurbishing the sets. costumes, etc.)
The visuals: I would have tracked down young Doug Trumball after "2001" and said: Name your price to get these visual effects improved (for the '70's audience).
The actors: well, "Buffett" could get them all nice, hefty raises. Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley would all have parity and "favored nations" contracts. Directing and story input opportunities as well. Doohan, Nichols, Takei, and Koenig would be "comfortable". Gotta keep everyone happy!

Would it have become what it became in this version of events? Maybe, maybe not.

What's your tale?

 

[TwoJakes]

Endless reruns during the seventies helped Star Trek find it's place in the world, keeping it on the air might have actually destroyed it.

 

[David Strickhouser]

Endless reruns during the seventies helped Star Trek find it's place in the world, keeping it on the air might have actually destroyed it.

It may not have become as special in pop culture history. It may have become just another one of those forgettable shows of the '60's and '70's.
Maybe it would have turned into ENTERPRISE, and be run into the ground.
But I had to play with the idea.... .

 

[TheGoodStuff]

I can't pretend to have any real insight into who I would have hired or collaborated with. I'm not in Hollywood [and I wasn't born when TOS was on air] so I can't speak with any realistic authority on the credibility of writiers, composers etc over the past 50 years in TV.

So keeping things more general:

1. I would have done my utmost to greedily, and logically, keep the franchise together. Right now Paramount & CBS have cut up the movies & TV, while Sony own the music. If I could have bought Star Trek and everything that went with it I would have kept my claws in it all. That way, it'd be easier to make TV and movies while simultaneously I would be able to green light giving, say, the music rights to other projects so long as the fee was agreeable [for example to STO].

2. I'd pretty much keep the show in keeping with Gene's 'vision'. I'd want the focus of Trek to be on moralising, philosophising and tackling ethical issues. I'd order any show I green-lit to always shun any positive portrayal of religion in Trek. I'd also want the show to steer away from needless violence/action and cheap sexuality.

3. I'd have happily green-lit TNG, DS9 & VOY...but Enterprise would have been ordered back to the drawing board to actually have some kind of premise.

4. In contrast to Roddenberry, as i said, I would have allowed DS9. If some writer/producer came to me with a great station/planetary show I'd have happily went with it. Similarly, I would not have ordered the show to be episodic only. Basically, I'd be similar to Roddenberry in a philosophical sense but far more liberal in a practical sense.

 

[Jedi Marso]

If I owned the franchise:

1. John M Ford Klingons (author of The Final Reflection) would have been the definitive Klingons of the Trek-verse.

2. FASA would STILL have the Trek RPG gaming contract.

3. John M Ford Klingons (author of The Final Relfection) would have been the definitive Klingons of the Trek-verse.

4. When in doubt as to what would happen if I owned the franchise, refer to rules 1 and 3. Over time, Mr. Ford would have been a very wealthy man.

 

[BillJ]

Keep my $150,000 and go live on a tropical island. I could live like a King in the 1970's on that kind of money.

 

[TheGoodStuff]

Keep my $150,000 and go live on a tropical island. I could live like a King in the 1970's on that kind of money.

But if you owned the franchise, by now you would likely be a billionaire and could buy the tropical island.

 

[BillJ]

But if you owned the franchise, by now you would likely be a billionaire and could buy the tropical island.

I'd also likely be dead by now. Or so feeble I couldn't enjoy it.

 

[The Old Mixer]

If I owned the franchise,
Yubby dibby dibby
Dibby dibby dibby dibby dum.

Sorry, had to be dibby done.

 

[The Wormhole]

If I owned the franchise:

1. John M Ford Klingons (author of The Final Reflection) would have been the definitive Klingons of the Trek-verse.

2. FASA would STILL have the Trek RPG gaming contract.

3. John M Ford Klingons (author of The Final Relfection) would have been the definitive Klingons of the Trek-verse.

4. When in doubt as to what would happen if I owned the franchise, refer to rules 1 and 3. Over time, Mr. Ford would have been a very wealthy man.

Honestly, I find the Klingons of The Final Reflection overrated. There are some good ideas there, TFR's explanation for Klingons with forehead ridges and smooth-headed ones is much better than the one which ultimate became canon, but honestly, I don't see TFR Klingons as much of an improvement over the canon ones.

Now I did like what TFR did with 23rd century Earth and Starfleet, which actually was a military. Also we got to see Earth's Army, or Marine Corps, I forget which it was meant to be. Definitely a ground-based military force, anyway.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Honestly, I find the Klingons of The Final Reflection overrated. There are some good ideas there, TFR's explanation for Klingons with forehead ridges and smooth-headed ones is much better than the one which ultimate became canon, but honestly, I don't see TFR Klingons as much of an improvement over the canon ones.

I've read the book, but don't recall what the explanation was.
After all the hype, I wasn't impressed by the book when I read it.

 

[The Wormhole]

I've read the book, but don't recall what the explanation was.
After all the hype, I wasn't impressed by the book when I read it.

It's more an implication than a direct explanation, that Klingons with ridges are "pure blood" Klingons, while the smoothies are hybrids with other races. I interpreted this from references made to some Klingons being identified as "Imperial Klingons" with the implication the protagonist wasn't one of them. Given he's a smoothie, as seen on the cover, I assumed Imperial Klingons were the ridged guys.

 

[fireproof78]

If I owned the franchise....

First, I would be in contact with GR to see what other plans he might have. I would also allow syndication to continue to test the sustainability of the franchise.

Secondly, I would increase the merchandising to more of a Star Wars level to allow for more market share as the franchise became more popular.

Thirdly, I would look at a major motion picture sooner rather than later. I know that hindsight is 20-20, but I think that looking towards a motion picture could allow for recognizing fan interest and build the brand.

Finally, I would allow Franz Joseph's and other spin off material to continue.

 

[David Strickhouser]

This was just a fun mental exercise.
To be honest, I never read John M. Ford's novel; I knew of it, but never knew of his conception of the Klingons.

 

[David Strickhouser]

If I owned the franchise,
Yubby dibby dibby
Dibby dibby dibby dibby dum.

Sorry, had to be dibby done.

Er ... okay?!?

 

[1001001]

If I owned the franchise,
Yubby dibby dibby
Dibby dibby dibby dibby dum.

Sorry, had to be dibby done.

Did it, though?

 

[ChristopherPike]

If I owned the franchise thanks to time-travel, just a few changes... all tweaks to recent history. Nothing universe unravelling.

Enterprise wouldn't have been cancelled. Properly syndicated or shopped to another network for Seasons 5-7. It broke for a few months, while the production relocated to Canada and relaunched on Spike in January 2006. Finally ending May 2008.

There were two more Star Trek films in cinemas during the 2000s between Nemesis and JJ Abrams'. One a proper send off for the Next Generation around Summer 2004 called Star Trek Legacy. Another celebrated the 40th Anniversary at Christmas 2006 combining characters from right across the franchise. That introduced Nero who disappears along with Spock into the black hole at the end, not unlike the graphic novel Countdown.

 

[2takesfrakes]

I love STAR TREK: The Next Generation. I surely do. It's my most favourite of STAR TREK's and, without a doubt, it is Gene Roddenberry's finest masterpiece. However ...

Had I own STAR TREK, as Gene Roddenberry almost had the chance to, I would've rebooted The Classic Series, early. There never would've been a "Spin Off." Why introduce a new cast? Why reinvent the wheel and make unnecessary work for myself? It doesn't seem to make very much sense, in those terms. I would've kept it as just Kirk/Spock/McCoy and I would've wanted these characters played by much younger actors.

Unfortunately, Trekkies weighed-in most heavily, back in the early days. And they would've worried about the original cast's feelings on not being in STAR TREK,. anymore. As long as they were still ambulatory, Shatner & all of the 2nd bananas would get the movie deals. Personally, I would've never accepted this. If I were to revisit TOS in movie form, it would've been a reboot, right away. And I'm not sure that I would ever sell the franchise, outright, either. I'd always want to keep my fingers in the pie, as it were. They'd never get rid of me ...

 

[TwoJakes]

I would've kept it as just Kirk/Spock/McCoy

But how long do you think you could have held on to Shatner and Nimoy? Nimoy always had a bit of trouble with the Spock character and at some point would have declined contract renewal. He (as I understand it) had no interest in appearing in Phase Two.

Shatner too would have wanted to move on to other acting possibilities.

Replacing Nimoy in a hypothetical season four with a new first officer character, with that actor then replacing Shatner subsequently as captain might be the way you would be essentially forced to go.

Kelley on the other hand, as a working actor, would have stayed for a decent paycheck.

 

[Vger23]

If I owned the franchise, I would have maintained the more action/adventure oriented plots and supplemented with smart, sophisticated science fiction in all the series. I would have steered away from the high-and-mighty preaching and philosophy Gene started to infuse in the franchise after he spent a decade smoking his own press and believing he was a visionary. The positive future would be there, but not the ham-fisted elitist "evolved humans" garbage.

I would have brought in more conflict with some characters possessing "edge" in TNG, and would have pushed for stronger regular female characters, more along the lines of Ro Laren.

I would have kept DS9 as is.

Voyager I would have forced to,stick with the original premise: a lost ship with a mixed crew fighting for survival and struggling to maintain their morales and ethics in the face of great challenges.

Enterprise probably never would have happened. At least, not in the way we saw.