Reasons for sanitized TNG Companion vs. honest DS9 Companion?

[Navaros]

I acquired both books and after reading portions for each it's a very stark contrast. The TNG Companion is extremely sanitized and therefore totally uninteresting to read.

On the other hand, the DS9 Companion is much more honest and therefore very interesting to read (although it's still more sanitized than say, Ron Moore's old interview with IGN Film Force which make some of the very same points in an even more blunt and damning-of-Berman way).

So my questions is, what is the reason for this?

Is the author of the DS9 Companion just a more honest person and/or better writer than the author of the TNG Companion? Did Berman keep a tighter leash on the TNG Companion than he did on the DS9 Companion? Or is there another reason altogether?

 

[miraclefan]

Que?

 

[Garrovick]

I believe the DS9 one was written as the show was being produced. With the author on the set or very close by. I think you are putting way to much thought in to it. Mine has just sat on the shelf for years.

Personally, I thought is way too chatty and wordy. I liked the TNG one better because it was an episode guide.

 

[Navaros]

The DS9 one is also an episode guide as well, but I couldn't care less about that aspect of it. I already know what happens in all the episodes simply from watching the show, so seeing it written down on paper isn't any use to me. Rather, I am interested in learning from the books some new insights into the episodes/overall series that I wouldn't ever have any way of knowing just from watching them/it. The DS9 Companion delivers this in spades.

Having said that, I don't see any shortcomings in the DS9 Companion's episode summaries, for those who are interested in that sort of thing. That is, it's equal to the TNG Companion in that regard anyways.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Is the author of the DS9 Companion just a more honest person and/or better writer than the author of the TNG Companion? Did Berman keep a tighter leash on the TNG Companion than he did on the DS9 Companion? Or is there another reason altogether?

The writers of the "Star Trek Compendium" (TOS), "TNG Companion" and "VOY Companion" wrote them after the fact, and they are more like episode guides with snatches of interview where appropriate.

The main author of "DS9 Companion", Terry J. Erdmann, had the unique opportunity to be on the sets, and very close to the action, during the creation of several years of episodes, so collected many more pithy interviews, and was able to get a little deeper. IIRC, Erdmann is the husband of Paula M. Block, who heads CBS Consumer Products (formerly Viacom Consumer Products), and oversees the manuscripts of all licensed ST tie-ins. She was also his co-writer on that book.

Rick Berman had very little to do with how each book turned out, although Paramount/Viacom Legal certainly wasn't about to let any officially licensed book malign Paramount employees or anyone else.

 

[The_Bandsaw_Vigilante]

You ought to check out the two Captain's Logs: The Complete, Unauthorized Trek Voyages, by former Cinescape Editor-in-Chief Edward Gross and former Sci-Fi Universe editor Mark Altman -- MUCH closer to what you're looking for; an honest, unvarnished, "warts-and-all" look at the various TV series and films.

Some of the opinions expressed during key production-personnel interviews in the books would never make it into any licensed Paramount publication, to put it mildly.

 

[Navaros]

The main author of "DS9 Companion", Terry J. Erdmann, had the unique opportunity to be on the sets, and very close to the action, during the creation of several years of episodes, so collected many more pithy interviews, and was able to get a little deeper.

Awesome insights in this thread, glad I made it. Thanks everyone.

In regards to this quote, what was the thinking behind giving Terry J. Erdmann this unique opportunity? Who decided to give him it, and why?

Was he paid for his time on the set, or did he spend all that time there for free in hopes to only make money from the experience later on, off the eventual book?

 

[JD]

I don't know if you could find them anywhere now, but for a brief time while BSG was on the air and there were several posts (possibly during the writers strike) where he talked pretty openly about working in the TNG writers room.

 

[Therin of Andor]

In regards to this quote, what was the thinking behind giving Terry J. Erdmann this unique opportunity? Who decided to give him it, and why?

Wasn't he already working for Paramount as a publicist? In which case hanging around the sets, and conducting mini-interviews, was part of his job.

http://www.space-debris.com/celebs.htm
Scroll down and he's called a publicist on this convention GoH list.

Ditto: Unit publicist on ST V:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0258773/

 

[Steve Roby]

I acquired both books and after reading portions for each it's a very stark contrast. The TNG Companion is extremely sanitized and therefore totally uninteresting to read.

On the other hand, the DS9 Companion is much more honest and therefore very interesting to read (although it's still more sanitized than say, Ron Moore's old interview with IGN Film Force which make some of the very same points in an even more blunt and damning-of-Berman way).

So my questions is, what is the reason for this?

The reason is that, as officially licenced tie-in books go, the DS9 book is unusual and the TNG book is typical. It's not that the TNG book is sanitized, it's just doing what it's supposed to do, which is to be an episode guide. The DS9 book was, IIRC, originally supposed to be the same kind of thing, but changed because of Erdmann's access and, just as importantly, the DS9 writers' and producers' openness.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

A warts-and-all look at the creation of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the production of its first season or two would be fascinating, but there's almost no way that that story would be told in an "official" book. Joel Engel's biography gives a little bit of the flavor, but a fuller recounting would make for fascinating reading. There are some things that should be documented, like the pre-Roddenberry series that Greg Strangis developed, the full extent of the role that Roddenberry's lawyer played, and so forth.

 

[Navaros]

Wasn't he already working for Paramount as a publicist? In which case hanging around the sets, and conducting mini-interviews, was part of his job.

How come they didn't put publicists similar to him on the sets of the other modern Treks shows too so as their Companion books would have a lot more good stuff in them as well, and for whatever other reasons that they also put Erdmann on the DS9 set for?

 

[Christopher]

How come they didn't put publicists similar to him on the sets of the other modern Treks shows too so as their Companion books would have a lot more good stuff in them as well, and for whatever other reasons that they also put Erdmann on the DS9 set for?

Not because there was any "sanitizing" or coverup going on. It's just not a normal situation. Erdmann's extensive access to DS9 came about through a rare concatenation of circumstances.

 

[Therin of Andor]

How come they didn't put publicists similar to him on the sets of the other modern Treks shows too so as their Companion books would have a lot more good stuff in them as well, and for whatever other reasons that they also put Erdmann on the DS9 set for?

Publicists use their unique skills. I recall the publicist for ST III, Eddie Egan, made ST convention appearances, showing an exclusive slideshow of the movie many months before it premiered. He was a delightful, funny, friendly public speaker. I can't imagine every other publicist having his skill either.

I know a few Australian publicists, and former publicists. They are incredibly busy people, and not all of them would be able to find the time and motivation to do "making of" books for each show they publicise. It's sometimes a high burnout-rate job, or they get poached for bigger and better things, where they are even busier.

There's also the saying, "You don't get rich writing non fiction". It's very rare that a successful book contract will compensate all the hours of researching, interviewing and transcribing before writing.

 

[Smiley]

At least the TNG Companion has some insights into the writing process for a lot of the episodes. The Voyager Companion has pretty much no information that is not already evident from watching the episodes. How hard would it have been to get Berman, Braga, Taylor, Fuller, or Piller to contribute a few comments? Even a sidebar that replicates some of the info from the DVD features would have been something to help justify a book purchase for someone.

 

[JD]

I've actually been working my way through the TNG Companion for a while now. I've just been reading a few entries at a time, so it's been taking me a couple months. So far I've really enjoyed it, it may not give all the dirt, but I still think the BTS stuff is interesting.

How hard is it to find the DS9 one?

 

[donners22]

There is another Voyager book written during the early part of the series which offers a bit more insight. I think it's called "A Vision of the Future" or some such.


I'd like to see a warts-and-all TNG book, particularly given some of the stories I've heard about Gates McFadden's departure...

 

[Christopher]

There is another Voyager book written during the early part of the series which offers a bit more insight. I think it's called "A Vision of the Future" or some such.

Right. A Vision of the Future: Star Trek Voyager by Stephen Edward Poe, the same author who wrote the classic, seminal behind-the-scenes book The Making of Star Trek back in 1968 under the name Stephen E. Whitfield. It is a pretty engaging and detailed look into the TV production process, although it's not a "tell-all" kind of book.

 

[darkwing_duck1]

You ought to check out the two Captain's Logs: The Complete, Unauthorized Trek Voyages, by former Cinescape Editor-in-Chief Edward Gross and former Sci-Fi Universe editor Mark Altman -- MUCH closer to what you're looking for; an honest, unvarnished, "warts-and-all" look at the various TV series and films.

Some of the opinions expressed during key production-personnel interviews in the books would never make it into any licensed Paramount publication, to put it mildly.

Like?

 

[darkwing_duck1]

A warts-and-all look at the creation of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the production of its first season or two would be fascinating, but there's almost no way that that story would be told in an "official" book. Joel Engel's biography gives a little bit of the flavor, but a fuller recounting would make for fascinating reading. There are some things that should be documented, like the pre-Roddenberry series that Greg Strangis developed, the full extent of the role that Roddenberry's lawyer played, and so forth.

The only problem is that the only people who still KNOW what all happened who are inclined to be honest about it (Fontanna and Gerrald) are under NDAs. They can't talk about it. Who else would you ask? GR's slimy lawyer? Richard "the Cretin" Arnold?