Instead of many new shows, would TV movies be a better choice for Star Trek?

[evilchumlee]

I don't disagree in principle. Just the potential motivation behind it is a deep rooted fear. We're acting like it's no big deal.

I look at it as simple risk vs. reward. High risk could yield high reward.

Low risk would likely yield lower reward.

But being fearful of losing a small amount of money seems counterproductive when they're willing to risk the farm on huge, expensive prestige shows that are basically a company-killer if they fail.

 

[fireproof78]

I look at it as simple risk vs. reward. High risk could yield high reward.

Low risk would likely yield lower reward.

But being fearful of losing a small amount of money seems counterproductive when they're willing to risk the farm on huge, expensive prestige shows that are basically a company-killer if they fail.

The problem is the fact that high risk is the norm now. Lower risk with some tentpoles use to be the way. That's how we got Star Wars. It was a smaller film to offset Fox's profits for the year if Damnation Alley failed. But, that model shifted away, and it's going to be hard to shift it back because of the lower reward.

 

[Jedi Marso]

Yeah, for each new setting they have to build an entirely new group of sets. It's expensive to do for TV movies, unless you expect a bunch of TV movies to utilize the same standing sets.

Actually, that's a hybrid idea that I kind of wish Trek would entertain. Don't stick to either the 10-episode or movie format, but mix/match as the stories require. If you break a story that needs six episodes, shoot it at six, then do a three-parter four months later, than a standalone feature. It might cause some issues with contracts, but it seems like from the storytelling perspective it would be the best way to avoid padding.

I like this idea too.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I like a mix of both! But they've got to have a god story to tell, not a contractual obligation to fulfill.

 

[dmac]

When you attempt to be all things to all people, you risk becoming nothing to nobody.
After a while for me personally it became like, "Oh another new Trek reliving some old trek"
That's a Paramount problem. They call it Star Trek and are afraid to work outside of the box because fans will call bull-s-it on them and turn it off.
In the end everybody is afraid of letting down Paramount or the fans or the producers or the directors of the streaming service because they are selling Star Trek which is anything but the Star Trek I grew up with.
You can't be creative and run scared at the same time, So go with it.
Cross Star Trek with components of Big Bang, Friends, Mythbusters, few visits to Pawn shop.
Regular season deals with a bunch of Trek enthusiasts making their own Trek film in the basement.working out scripts, building sets, camera angles, special effects, acting, dealing with personal lives. Then at the end of the season you get to see what 90-120 minute movie special they created.

 

[Dukhat]

I like a mix of both! But they've got to have a god story to tell, not a contractual obligation to fulfill.

Shatner tried telling a God story, and look how that turned out.

 

[fireproof78]

Shatner tried telling a God story, and look how that turned out.

Better than the devil story originally pitched.

 

[evilchumlee]

When you attempt to be all things to all people, you risk becoming nothing to nobody.

That's a Paramount problem. They call it Star Trek and are afraid to work outside of the box because fans will call bull-s-it on them and turn it off.

Yes... although calling bullshit on creators and turning it off is an absolutely valid option.

I do think Paramount has to kind of pick a lane, at least the micro scale. Don't try to be everything to everyone. Pick a target demographic and go for it. If that demographic is old fans, stick with it. If the target is new teenage fans, stick with it.

The worst possible thing they can do is... Discovery, where it was basically trying to cash in on nostalgia and bring in the old fans, but then... changing everything so there is precisely zero nostalgia to bring in new fans. Just... pick one.

 

[E-DUB]

Perhaps a new approach, using a very old approach. There used to be something called "Wheel Series." Tune in one week, you get Colombo, tune in the next, it's Night Gallery. You could set a "series" somewhere post-Picard and pre-whatever century Discover is in now. Different crews on different ships, but all the same ship-class so you could use the same sets for each.

 

[evilchumlee]

Perhaps a new approach, using a very old approach. There used to be something called "Wheel Series." Tune in one week, you get Colombo, tune in the next, it's Night Gallery. You could set a "series" somewhere post-Picard and pre-whatever century Discover is in now. Different crews on different ships, but all the same ship-class so you could use the same sets for each.

I feel like that's setting up people to get super confused, especially in the streaming age.

In the grand scheme, it's probably not sets that are killing them. On one hand they talk about how they need to save money, on the other they build the largest Trek set ever for SFA... it's the actors and CG that are bleeding them.

 

[fireproof78]

Pick a target demographic and go for it. If that demographic is old fans, stick with it. If the target is new teenage fans, stick with it.

Sooo...Starfleet Academy?

 

[evilchumlee]

Sooo...Starfleet Academy?

Yes, actually.

SFA at least isn't try to pull the early Discovery "Hey guys, you liked TOS right? Well get ready, because this new show is gonna take place just before TOS, but it's also going to not look, feel or sound ANYTHING like TOS!"

At least SFA can just be it's own thing. I'm not personally jazzed up for a YA Trek show aimed at teenagers but... i'm also not like, mad at it. I'm pretty sure going in this show isn't "for me". I'm probably watch it, and i'm hoping it follows the general quality of the more recent entries. The ass end of Discovery has been pretty decent, SNW has been generally good (although the reliance in S2 on the goofy humor episodes was a bit much.), and PIC S3 was one of the best seasons of Star Trek just as a whole.

I'm hoping it's good. I have my reservations going in, but i'm hoping it's good.

 

[fireproof78]

SFA at least isn't try to pull the early Discovery "Hey guys, you liked TOS right? Well get ready, because this new show is gonna take place just before TOS, but it's also going to not look, feel or sound ANYTHING like TOS!"

Well, that wasn't the goal. The goal was to ride on the success ST 09. You like Kirk and Spock right? This is right before it.

At least SFA can just be it's own thing. I'm not personally jazzed up for a YA Trek show aimed at teenagers but...

I might be 40 but I thoroughly enjoy YA things. So this might not be aimed at me but I'm there for it.

I'm hoping it's good. I have my reservations going in, but i'm hoping it's good.

If it's not, nothing lost.

 

[E-DUB]

I feel like that's setting up people to get super confused,.

It could all be explained in the opening sequence. "These are the voyages of the Starships Copernicus, Kepler, Brahe, and.....whoever". But looking at the broader point, I for one am tired of studios treating SF fans as if we were morons (can we still say morons), when the fact is that SF fans are smarter than the average human.

 

[dmac]

My daughters think Kelsey Grammer was the coolest thing since Spock. What did he get? 40 seconds in the captains chair and peaked the interest of millions of young future Trek fans.
Paramount didn't care.. Sad because that's a whole plot line in itself. Ship returns from the past and shows Star fleet, "This is how we really do it."

 

[F. King Daniel]

My daughters think Kelsey Grammer was the coolest thing since Spock. What did he get? 40 seconds in the captains chair and peaked the interest of millions of young future Trek fans.
Paramount didn't care.. Sad because that's a whole plot line in itself. Ship returns from the past and shows Star fleet, "This is how we really do it."

They got a hardback novel out of it. A somewhat divisive one.

 

[HIjol]

What about splitting the difference between "Series" and "Movie" with a series of Mini-Series stories?

In the style @E-DUB suggested, rotate between the various ST properties and tell some "arc" stories...might be complicated, but would not lack for characters, actions, settings, problems and solutions...???

 

[evilchumlee]

I for one am tired of studios treating SF fans as if we were morons (can we still say morons), when the fact is that SF fans are smarter than the average human.

Yes... I agree but the point is that sci-fi fans are not enough to keep shows like this going and profitable. It needs more mass appeal, and the masses... tend to be more morons.

 

[HIjol]

Yes... I agree but the point is that sci-fi fans are not enough to keep shows like this going and profitable. It needs more mass appeal, and the masses... tend to be more morons.

Perhaps a fiction show from the Planet Moronia, where the Morons and their entire economy revolves around creating successful science fiction shows. The plot centers on the "behind the scenes" details of creating a "do or die" fictitious (wow, fiction within fiction!) Science Fiction production with Mass Appeal?...It is their last chance before the Moron Economy collapses.

(Wow, maybe toooooo much coffee, this morning!)

 

[M'rk son of Mogh]

SFA at least isn't try to pull the early Discovery "Hey guys, you liked TOS right? Well get ready, because this new show is gonna take place just before TOS, but it's also going to not look, feel or sound ANYTHING like TOS!"

I never once got that impression. How did you get this impression? Especially when we saw what the trailers were revealing. It definitely had a Kelvin vibe way more than anything TOS. And obviously so, that's where the most recent hype from Trek was. A "definitely not TOS" vibe.