ChristopherPike said:
I'm always puzzled when that accusation comes up. Giving TOS the finger? Let's see... a shift in focus back to a main triad cast, at the expense of the supporting players. Name checking and even fleshing out several TOS aliens. Bringing back in your face, non PC sexuality to mostly prudeish critism. That just leaves the Vulcan issue. A race seen through human eyes, which while different from Spock, I'd argue are consistant with anything seen in Amok Time or Journey to Babel. Stubborn, prideful and more than a little arrogant to human outsiders. Oh and wasn't Admiral Forrest, and two other top brass from Broken Bow named in honour of De, Leonard and Bill? The rule of thumb with ENT seems to be throw enough shit and some of it's bound to stick. Just be sure to tell everyone you hated every minute of it (while secretly you didn't)...
Ignoring the source material though? No more than TNG did, in an effort to establish it's own identity I'd say. The natural approach for a prequel to the wider Trek universe, since it was 100 years off to be specifically important to Kirk and Spock.