I think Temis's point is the success of the series doesn't depend on the name/design of the ship.
Exactly. Very few people will notice the difference and the action can be set in the parallel Abrams' universe, where the ship's name could easily be different.
It would be a shame to forego the easy PR value of using a recognizable Space Shuttle name. The Space Shuttles are far more famous than the
Constellation, which might not even sound like a "real" starship name to most folks. Not aggressive enough. A constellation just sits there. Better to have a name that suggests some kind of motivation or activity -
Enterprise, Voyager or (most aggressively)
Defiant. I'd go for a name like
Discovery or
Endeavor.
Challenger would be the best of all except for the tragic overtones.
Rather than worry about canon, which doesn't even need to apply, the show producers should worry about whether a show about a guy named Decker and a ship named
Constellation would attract an audience, vs a different name for either or both. First off, we need big numbers for the premiere episode to fend off the inevitable second episode 50% drop which seems to happen to all sci fi series. For that to happen to a series that is expensive to produce could be fatal.
I'd write up a long list of alternatives all the important names - lead character and ship name included - and focus group them extensively with non-
Trek fans who would consider watching a space opera series, with particular regard to the answers of those who like space opera but consider
Trek boring or passe.
I understand what Temis' point was but I think she was failing to understand the concept that the OP came up with. If another Captain and ship is used then we might as well toss out what the first poster suggested.
I don't think the OP's concept has more or less chance of being successful than any other random idea that is thrown around here on a regular basis. I'm talking about the elements that need to be considered in order to make the show successful. And by far the most important consideration is this:
Focus on creating a compelling show that will be convince CBS to produce it.
Nobody has ever come up with that compelling element. It could be as simple as one sentence, or maybe it simply doesn't exist. But I poke my nose into every thread on the off chance that somebody has finally thought of it.
Oh PS, the idea of having the series end already be determined, "everybody dies," is unlikely to make CBS happy or even be workable. For starters, what if it's a huge hit and they want more than five years? What if some of the characters are so popular, CBS wants them for a spinoff series, and nixes them getting killed off? What if they cancel the series abruptly before anyone has time to make the planned ending? What if CBS likes the show but fires the showrunner midstream for whatever reason and the new guy decides on a different ending? What if the audience figures out the ending (if it's a remake of a TOS show, that would be obvious) and they decide to stop watching because they don't want to get attached to characters that are just going to die anyway, killing the ratings and getting the show cancelled prematurely?
