New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 2017

[ancient]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

Troi provided insight into what their opponent was thinking. She wasn't a bridge therapist.

"He's hiding something, Captain."

In practice, Troi provided comedic uselessness as an adviser, later seasons kinda dropped that bit entirely.

Anyway, to return to the topic at hand, if they are going for live-action, they should set the new show about 30 years post TNG if they want to make use of the massive amount of potential cameos & story line tie-ins from the 3 TNG era shows. I mean, they could follow up on DS9 - they kinda left Sisko hanging in limbo at the end of that show. (I know about the books but still) On the other hand, they probably want to put major distance between this & old treks.

I'm thinking something like Starfleet's first transwarp ship - that would allow them to get out of the familiar neighborhood of aliens & have the ship be out on the frontier alone, boldly going etc. and progress the treknology a bit w/ something new. That's my preference.

 

[JayTheTrekkie]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

Will the new trek series still be shown on the CBS network while its shown on the CBS All Access?

 

[captainkirk]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

I know it's an old topic, but I'm really hoping there won't be any forehead aliens. In the last year I've been watching more British sci-fi, mainly Doctor Who and Primeval, and seeing the creatures they did (I admit with varying degrees of success) and then comparing them with what Star Trek typically does it's kind of sad. Hopefully with modern CG they can do better.

 

[Timewalker]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

At. Last. Trek, back where Trek belongs.

Mark

Where a sizable number of fans won't be able to access it.

Brilliant news. I've missed not havign "new" Star Trek episodes to watch. I'm so happy its unbelievable.

I'll be celebrating tonight!

We have had new episodes, if you consider the better fan films.

Great news. The blurb just says it will feature new characters doing star trek stuff (boldly going and seeking new civilizations yada yada). Since Kurtzman is involved, I am guessing it will take place in the current Abrams movie universe.

NY Times: "A new movie in the film franchise (with a new crop of actors playing the characters on Kirk and Spock’s Enterprise), called “Star Trek Beyond,” is planned for release next summer, but is “not related” to this latest TV series, CBS said."

Makes sense since the Paramount/CBS split. Lets CBS stay away from the new timeline Abrams started. If they stick to the original timeline, the only things they have to use from XI is Spock gone missing and Romulus blown up. I think it be cool if the pilot starts with "Previously On Star Trek:" shows the destruction of Romulus scene from XI and goes from there. I don't care if the ship isn't the Enterprise, but I'd hope they use the history and just start the show post-2387.

I posted this elsewhere, but I'll do it here again:

"Is not related" could mean a few different things.

• It could mean that it's going back to the Primeverse. Sure. That's a possibility. But, I think it's the least likely scenario.
• It could mean that it will be set in the same universe but not deal with any of the characters or situations involved in the story told in Beyond. Paramount has made a mint with the two Abramsverse movies. Why wouldn't CBS want to capitalize on that?
• It could mean that it is going to be something completely different. They may be bold and really make Star Trek a multiverse.

If this has anything to do with the Abramsverse in any way whatsoever, I will not watch it.

If it's a completely new universe, I'd give it a chance... if I could access it.


Cue the people who are going to get angry with me for being negative about this, and I get why they'd feel miffed that not everyone is jumping for joy at it.

I don't like the Abramsverse. To me it isn't good Star Trek for reasons I've posted about before and don't wish to argue about again. Other opinions differ, and note that I'm not casting aspersions on anyone who likes it.

I just hope this isn't going to mean that CBS is going to forbid the fan films from continuing, because I do enjoy those.

 

[ancient]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

I know it's an old topic, but I'm really hoping there won't be any forehead aliens. In the last year I've been watching more British sci-fi, mainly Doctor Who and Primeval, and seeing the creatures they did (I admit with varying degrees of success) and then comparing them with what Star Trek typically does it's kind of sad. Hopefully with modern CG they can do better.

There are two kinds of aliens in Trek: Humans w/ strange foreheads & energy clouds.

There are two kinds of aliens on Dr. Who: Ones with British accents & ones trying to hide their British accents.

Seriously though, I agree, forehead aliens alone don't cut it anymore. We need more species 8472s.

 

[Daveros]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

This is good news. Star Trek has a place in modern drama, and I believe the creative people involved may just work out that place and go with it.

As much as I have my problems with the most recent films, they certainly attracted an audience. That is a positive thing, and I am hoping they expand on that, but also bring back a few more things that I consider to be at the core of Trek.

I think there's the potential to please everyone, or at least, most people. I am excited.

 

[USS Triumphant]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

I just hope this isn't going to mean that CBS is going to forbid the fan films from continuing, because I do enjoy those.

"YAY! In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek, we're shutting down and/or suing all of the fan projects! Consider it... a valentine to the fans!"

I like to think they know which side their bread is buttered on, but who knows?

 

[Campe]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

Cue the people who are going to get angry with me for being negative about this, and I get why they'd feel miffed that not everyone is jumping for joy at it.

I don't like the Abramsverse. To me it isn't good Star Trek for reasons I've posted about before and don't wish to argue about again. Other opinions differ, and note that I'm not casting aspersions on anyone who likes it.

Personally, I like the Abrams films and I feel my thoughts about this series are cautious at best. Regardless, I don't care if you love, like, hate or secretly want to have babies with or kill every member of the production staff for bringing these movies. Or this TV series. I also don't think you're being as overtly negative as some people on this board and elsewhere.

The truth is this: We know next to nothing about this series. We know the producers. We know the premiere date. We know how its going to be consumed. (We know that there will always be alternate means to be consumed.) We know that in some way it is "not related" to Star Trek Beyond. That's about it.

I want to like it. But I know nothing at this point. But I'll tell you, if at any point, the show just looks like I won't like it, I'll step away and let it go entirely. I will always have the things *I* like about Star Trek. And that's fine.

I think that more Trek fans (not necessarily you) need to take that stance as well.

 

[Norsehound]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

I'm ready for something different. Ever since I became a Star Trek fan I've had to suffer the barrage of TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT Sameness that the Berman crew put out, and I've been longing for something that feels closer to the original series' amount of fun. The Abrams effort brought a nice breath of fresh air and a likable cast to fit those old roles, while giving a kick in the complacency to the Star Trek name.

If this ends up being another re-hash of the TNG era it'll end up just like Enterprise did: claiming a bold new direction but in the end everything feels the same as it did in TNG.

So I'm skeptical. I know I'm never gonna get a TV Series of the Motion-picture era of trek, so I'm treating everything with a huge grain of salt. It would be nice if it's the Abrams movies in TV styling... I'd love to see more of that universe.

 

[SuperSpaceMan]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

I just hope this isn't going to mean that CBS is going to forbid the fan films from continuing, because I do enjoy those.

"YAY! In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek, we're shutting down and/or suing all of the fan projects! Consider it... a valentine to the fans!"

I like to think they know which side their bread is buttered on, but who knows?

With this subscriber model, I can't imagine CBS willing to compete for fan dollars for their own IP... While fan films may not get shit down, per say, I think the crowd funding efforts may be coming to a close....

 

[Campe]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

^ That basically means shutting many of them down.

 

[Romulan_spy]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

With this subscriber model, I can't imagine CBS willing to compete for fan dollars for their own IP... While fan films may not get shit down, per say, I think the crowd funding efforts may be coming to a close....

The big reason we got fan films was because fans were desperate to fill the void of no TV series. Since TPTB seemed completely uninterested in a TV series, fans took matters into their own hands, using crowd funding to get the money to make their own shows. Now that CBS is bringing a TV series back, fan films are no longer really necessary. Don't get me wrong, I think fans should have the right to do their own not-for-profit fan productions. But there is no longer a need for them when there is going to be a professional series again on TV, giving us brand new episodes.

In fact, I don't think CBS will need to crack down on fan productions. Their funding will dry up on their own. After all, it will become much more difficult for these fan productions to convince fans to give them money when for a measly $6/month, the fans can watch a professional Trek series.

 

[SuperSpaceMan]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

With this subscriber model, I can't imagine CBS willing to compete for fan dollars for their own IP... While fan films may not get shit down, per say, I think the crowd funding efforts may be coming to a close....

The big reason we got fan films was because fans were desperate to fill the void of no TV series. Since TPTB seemed completely uninterested in a TV series, fans took matters into their own hands, using crowd funding to get the money to make their own shows. Now that CBS is bringing a TV series back, fan films are no longer really necessary. Don't get me wrong, I think fans should have the right to do their own not-for-profit fan productions. But there is no longer a need for them when there is going to be a professional series again on TV, giving us brand new episodes.

In fact, I don't think CBS will need to crack down on fan productions. Their funding will dry up on their own. After all, it will become much more difficult for these fan productions to convince fans to give them money when for a measly $6/month, the fans can watch a professional Trek series.

I think it depends... New Voyages, which shoots for 20k, and STC which shoots for 50k per episode may survive.... The 2 million dollar axanar on the other hand.....

 

[JoeCabby]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

Excited for this even though there is no information regarding it. I think the subscription model will work just fine for at least a season or two. As someone else said, the fans really have a voice with this model. Even if it starts out slow, the hard core fans can keep it a float.

 

[Romulan_spy]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

I think it depends... New Voyages, which shoots for 20k, and STC which shoots for 50k per episode may survive.... The 2 million dollar axanar on the other hand.....

I guess it also depends on the setting and quality of the new series. If the show is set in the prime universe then I could see TOS fans still wanting a show set in their beloved era. Axanar deels with a time period of Trek that the main shows have not dealt with and tell a unique story too. A CBS series set in the prime universe would not really compete with Axanar so it might still do well with the TOS fans. But it would be an uphill battle for sure. And, if the series is set in the Abrams universe, then TNG fans might still want a TNG era based fan show. And if the new series bombs, then fans might look to some of the better fan productions to give them the quality trek that they are not getting from the CBS series. So, I think some fan productions may still continue but it will be tough.

 

[Squiggy]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

You know what's funny? Back in 2006 when Enterprise was getting cancelled most of the fans trying to save it advocated hard for crowd-funding the show. The concept was too nascent at that time for the television executives to take it seriously, but 10 years later that's EXACTLY what we're getting.

No, it isn't.

 

[MichaelDornFan]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

I really hope it's set in the prime universe as well!

Sure, Romulus was destroyed, but for all we know most of the empire survived. I think this could actually be a really interesting premise. Trek always draws analogies to the real world. The damaged but alive Romulan Star Empire could be based on modern Russia after the collapse of the USSR, with a leader determined to see their empire re-assert itself.

Other than that, Voyager saw the crippling if not destruction of the Borg.

And our last detailed look at the Alpha Quadrant involved a war severely damaging many of the major powers. We mostly saw an idealistic Starfleet focused on science and exploration - but now you have an entire Starfleet made up of Dominion War veterans who saw many of their friends and comrades die. Their attitudes could be quite different than Picard's. Cardassia was in ruins - perhaps they will move towards Federation membership. The Dominion probably won't come back, but the Breen are still around and we barely know anything about them.

I realize they're mostly going to want new stories either way, but I think a post-DS9/VOY series could be really interesting.

 

[Timewalker]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

I want to like it. But I know nothing at this point. But I'll tell you, if at any point, the show just looks like I won't like it, I'll step away and let it go entirely. I will always have the things *I* like about Star Trek. And that's fine.

I think that more Trek fans (not necessarily you) need to take that stance as well.

I'll be okay. I have a huge bookshelf that's absolutely crammed with fanzines from the '70s-'90s, many of which I have yet to read. Some of the stories are available online, but most of them aren't. And then there are the fanfic sites. And the novels I have but haven't read yet. I don't own any of the DVDs and haven't bothered to subscribe to the Space Channel in nearly a year, so I'm already not watching the pro series. But I do have my favorite fan films that I try to keep up with.

With this subscriber model, I can't imagine CBS willing to compete for fan dollars for their own IP... While fan films may not get shit down, per say, I think the crowd funding efforts may be coming to a close....

The big reason we got fan films was because fans were desperate to fill the void of no TV series. Since TPTB seemed completely uninterested in a TV series, fans took matters into their own hands, using crowd funding to get the money to make their own shows. Now that CBS is bringing a TV series back, fan films are no longer really necessary. Don't get me wrong, I think fans should have the right to do their own not-for-profit fan productions. But there is no longer a need for them when there is going to be a professional series again on TV, giving us brand new episodes.

In fact, I don't think CBS will need to crack down on fan productions. Their funding will dry up on their own. After all, it will become much more difficult for these fan productions to convince fans to give them money when for a measly $6/month, the fans can watch a professional Trek series.

The professional Star Trek production has to entertain me; it doesn't command my loyalty just for having the words "Star Trek" in the title. The Abrams movies failed to entertain me, so when I found out about fan films and tried them out, I discovered that there are some pretty good Star Trek storytellers who may not have professional Star Trek credentials, but they certainly have the ability to do a good, entertaining Star Trek story.

 

[Tim Walker]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

I know it's an old topic, but I'm really hoping there won't be any forehead aliens. In the last year I've been watching more British sci-fi, mainly Doctor Who and Primeval, and seeing the creatures they did (I admit with varying degrees of success) and then comparing them with what Star Trek typically does it's kind of sad. Hopefully with modern CG they can do better.

There are two kinds of aliens in Trek: Humans w/ strange foreheads & energy clouds.

There are two kinds of aliens on Dr. Who: Ones with British accents & ones trying to hide their British accents.

Seriously though, I agree, forehead aliens alone don't cut it anymore. We need more species 8472s.

Species 8472, as well as the "shroomies" in Silent Enemy(ENT) were CGI. I understand that CGI is quite expensive relative to the budget of a television series. So it must be used selectively/sparsely.

 

[fireproof78]

Re: New Series Announcement from StarTrek.com - Begins January 17, 201

With this subscriber model, I can't imagine CBS willing to compete for fan dollars for their own IP... While fan films may not get shit down, per say, I think the crowd funding efforts may be coming to a close....

The big reason we got fan films was because fans were desperate to fill the void of no TV series. Since TPTB seemed completely uninterested in a TV series, fans took matters into their own hands, using crowd funding to get the money to make their own shows. Now that CBS is bringing a TV series back, fan films are no longer really necessary. Don't get me wrong, I think fans should have the right to do their own not-for-profit fan productions. But there is no longer a need for them when there is going to be a professional series again on TV, giving us brand new episodes.

In fact, I don't think CBS will need to crack down on fan productions. Their funding will dry up on their own. After all, it will become much more difficult for these fan productions to convince fans to give them money when for a measly $6/month, the fans can watch a professional Trek series.

Fan films happen for so many reasons that saying we get them because of a void, is rather limiting. Fan films, regardless of genre or franchise, have existed since film cameras were accessible to the greater public.

CBS now has more impetus to consider cracking down on fan films as, when their new series comes out, they will have a stake in the profits that could potentially be lost. That's a greater question to be asking.

However, fan films will continue on, crowd funded or not, as fans attempt to put their own stamp on a franchise, just like other fan art and fiction. The idea that C&D from CBS will stop the practice is not quite accurate due to the reasons fan films are made in the first place.

Species 8472, as well as the "shroomies" in Silent Enemy(ENT) were CGI. I understand that CGI is quite expensive relative to the budget of a television series. So it must be used selectively/sparsely.

If one were to portray a machine/robot civilization, I think the Daleks (Dr. Who) could be used as a model. That is, in terms of appearance.

First of all, CGI is much, much, cheaper now than even ENT's production days. Technology and the art houses that produce CGI works are far more numerous, the freelancers out there are numerous and the ability to become skilled at CGI work with minimal amount of schooling is appealing to many.

Hollywood studios like using freelancers as contractors on a piece by piece basis, as they don't have to pay them on a routine basis-only when they have work. I would guess that CBS knows what outfits can produce the work they want with little issue.

As for the new show, I'm in the wait and see game. I'm still skeptical of Beyond (though optimistic with Lin helming it) so there is no sense to jump to conclusions based on a press release which can be summed up in "New Star Trek series coming-would you like to know more?"