The creation of Star Trek: Enterprise Season Two on Blu-ray brought the seven actors all together for a cast reunion feature, In Conversation: The First Crew. Before the reunion happened though, Keating did not realize that it would include all seven actors. “I had no idea until the morning we got there that they’d have [...] More...
The idea of the series beginning on Earth for an extended period has much appeal to it. It would have allowed for great character development as Archer and Starfleet did recruiting and picked the first crew for Enterprise. That, along with the final preparations being made on the ship itself could have made for a great build up for the first mission. I don't know if it would need to be half a season long but it certainly could have made for a good 5 or 6 episodes. This is certainly a good topic for debate.
That would/could have been a fun beginning for sure. With episodes similar to "First Flight" and some extensive footage of Starfleet Headquarters and the academy there would have been a solid background for the susequent stories; we would have better known and understood the characters through their (earthly) backgrounds. And then, after a few episodes, to finally see Enterprise leave drydock and start exploring might have made one of the most memorable Trek moments ever. Mario
NEXT WEEK ON ENTERPRISE, CAPTAIN ARCHER MUST MAKE HIS TOUGHEST DECISION YET...OAK...CEDAR...OR A METAL DESK FOR THE READY ROOM.
It definitely could have been great. "Set on Earth" doesn't have to mean "Earth-bound." I think that was the problem; the suits thought it meant they would be on Earth all the time. Test flights, short trips to Vulcan on other ships or the like, could have still happened.
It would have helped with some later episodes if they had. I have "First Flight" on my plate for the next few days, and it could have been much more effective if we had seen A.G. Robinson in the first season. Instead, we get a flashback about a guy we never heard of before.
The first time I watched that episode, I really wished Keith Carradine had played Archer... but that's also partly due to the fact I like Carradine and dislike Bakula.
I'm sort of the opposite. I don't have a problem with Bakula, but I first saw Keith Carradine in Robert Altman's Nashville when it was in theaters. He played a real unlikeable jerk in it, and I never saw enough of Carradine in anything else for me to shake that image.
Well, that's kind of what I mean. Bakula's jerky Archer never rang true for me - whereas when Carradine is smug, I think he pulls it off better.