Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his version!

[Samuel T. Cogley]

So I checked out "Star Trek: The Tour" yesterday.

One of the many video displays features a biography of Gene Roddenberry, narrated by his son.

One of the clips piqued my interest. It was not dated, but it seemed to be just before or during TNG.

In it, Gene states (and I am paraphrasing from memory, except for the portion in bold text, which is an exact quote):

I hope some new, young writers and actors come along some day and make their own version of Star Trek, and maybe the people will say "That's better than Roddenberry's!" I'd like that.

It seemed interesting to me because that is exactly what is happening now, and presumably with Gene's blessing.

Now, I, personally, don't really care that much about what Gene thinks, but I know many fans do.

I'm wondering if that sentiment on Gene's part might soften any hostility toward Star Trek XI.

This presupposes, of course, that people will ultimately say "That's better than Roddenberry's!" We'll have to wait until after the movie comes out, but it goes without saying that some people will like it better than Roddenberry's.

Interesting that that would seem to be what he wanted. (At the time of that interview, anyway.)

Thoughts?

 

[Kegek]

Honestly?

I'd love to be able to say 'I like J.J. Abrams' Star Trek better than Roddenberry's.' I may not have high expectations, but that's what I'd really love to be able to say coming out of the theatre.

 

[Cary L. Brown]

Re: Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his vers

Well, the trick is to make sure that the new production team's take really IS that good. If it's not, I'm sure Roddenberry would have been perfectly happy with us all getting our pitchforks and torches and heading out...

(I think the hard proof will be if there's a bathtub scene or not, huh?)

 

[archeryguy1701]

So basically, it doesn't matter if Gene's vision is completely shattered in the process, so long as everyone is pleased... Excellent! My love of DS9 and ENT has apparently been validated!

 

[number6]

I remember GR saying that in several interviews. Problem is that fans always have their own version of what GR believes and refuse to accept anything contrary to that, despite all the real facts to the contrary.

 

[Samuel T. Cogley]

archeryguy1701 said:
My love of DS9 and ENT has apparently been validated!

In a sense, yes.

What wasn't clear (at least form the portion of the interview I saw) was just how many changes you can make and still have it be inherently "Star Trek"). We've learned from history than you can call just about anything "Star Trek." But what isn't clear is what variables can be changed, and which must remain constant (if any), for it to still be Star Trek at its core.

 

[Plum]

Re: Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his vers

I think the trick is to keep the setting. Not timelines, or characters, but a future with a benevolent space military with sexy crew women from all over and officers more interested in peaceful exploring than following orders.

Something like that... everything else is style. ENT was sorta that as much as any Trek show or movie. It never had an ep above the best of TOS, though I'm the sort who thinks there isn't any new Treks that have.

The hostility I read around here is... so dull. You know, we get the news about the new films release going from this year to next summer. Smack into Blockbuster season. Now, myself, I saw this as great news. tptb believe Star Trek is good enough to compete. High praise! But the threads written around here seem to whine about the studio sabotaging the films release.

Seems that, with some Trekkies, ya just can't win.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Re: Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his vers

I already like DS9 better than any of Roddenberry's Star Trek, so he should be happy with that. I'm certainly willing to like JJ Abrams' Star Trek more than DS9, but there's gonna have to be a TV series so I can get a good read on it.

 

[ChristopherPike]

Re: Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his vers

I recall Roddenberry saying this too. I'm pretty sure it was around the 25th Anniversary. Not long before his death, a few months maybe? Most of that interview went into a TV special at the time, but some of it was reused for TNG S1 DVD boxset.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I'd just be happy to say that's better than Berman's.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Re: Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his vers

While Roddenberry did state, on more than one occasion, that he knew the day would come when others would do what they will with Star Trek, he was also quick to criticize those who had done exactly what he'd have them do-- make Trek their own. He was a man of many contradictions. He was human.

 

[MattJC]

Re: Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his vers

I never accepted Gene's word as gospel, and I see no reason to start now.

 

[Samuel T. Cogley]

Re: Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his vers

middyseafort said:
While Roddenberry did state, on more than one occasion, that he knew the day would come when others would do what they will with Star Trek, he was also quick to criticize those who had done exactly what he'd have them do-- make Trek their own. He was a man of many contradictions. He was human.

And I don't even see that as a contradiction, necessarily.

Even from the brief bit of the clip that I saw, I got the sense (and this is all assumption, of course) that he had no problem with other people making better versions of Star Trek (he welcomed it, actually), but I got the sense that he wanted to make sure that we remembered that it was his idea. That he planted the original seed.

In that sense, it's not a contradiction. If Abrams makes a better version of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, then great! If Abrams claims he invented Star Trek and that Gene Roddenberry never existed, then we have a problem.

(And I'm not claiming that Star Trek was entirely a product of Gene Roddenberry. I'm just trying to get inside his head for a minute or two.)

 

[shapeshifter]

Re: Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his vers

IDIC. If this new Trek turns out better than the original then good for it!

 

[PKTrekGirl]

Re: Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his vers

Personally, I have never understood or agreed with the premise that all Trek must be exactly like Gene's Trek.

Which is a good thing, because there are many differences between TOS and TNG...and there are differences between TOS and DS9, VOY and ENT as well. I think that VOY is to a certain extent a sort of 'TNG Lite', if you will...but other than that, I think all of the Trek shows have just as many differences as similarities...with TOS and with each other.

Roddenberry gave us the Trek universe. For that I will be eternally grateful. But I am also eternally grateful that this universe has not become stagnant - that it has not stayed locked with the TOS crew, the 23rd century, and the TOS themes...which quite frankly, are unsurprisingly rather '60's' in nature.

The world has come a long way since the 1960's; the decade which spawned TOS. Whether it has come a long way forward or a long way backward is a matter of some dispute...but I do believe that Trek has changed with the times, to a certain extent, and that is a good thing.

Certainly, I prefer some Trek shows to others...but I have never bought into the idea that one show or the other is any less Trek because it is different from TOS. Because I don't think being the same was ever necessarily required...or even advisable.

Trek should be, above all things, relevant. I think that was what Gene was trying to accomplish with TOS...and I think that any of the Trek shows which tried to be relevant are worthy of the name.

 

[aelius]

Re: Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his vers

Plum said:
I think the trick is to keep the setting. Not timelines, or characters, but a future with a benevolent space military with sexy crew women from all over and officers more interested in peaceful exploring than following orders.

Something like that... everything else is style. ENT was sorta that as much as any Trek show or movie. It never had an ep above the best of TOS, though I'm the sort who thinks there isn't any new Treks that have.

Strictly, Star Trek is any show set in the same "universe". With Klingons and Romulans and other familiar Trek aliens and settings. Exactly what message the show portrays has, and probably always will, change with the times the show has been made in. Different people like different series depending on which exact message they prefer, for purists, or like me they prefer the series that presented the type of drama they preferred.
In any case I find the idea of Star Trek having some almost holy message that it must portray in order to BE Star Trek to be... a little strange.

 

[Garth Rockett]

Samuel T. Cogley said:
What wasn't clear (at least form the portion of the interview I saw) was just how many changes you can make and still have it be inherently "Star Trek").

I think that's the sort of question that ultimately is up to each viewer. What is it that sets Star Trek apart from other forms of entertainment?

Is it Mr. Spock? Captain Kirk? The Enterprise? The setting? The theme of exploration? The theme of humanism? The search for a peaceful solution first?

I could go on and on with things that someone may associate with "Star Trek", but various incarnations have had (or not had) those elements. Gene himself discarded some of them in making TNG. What he thinks makes something "Star Trek" may be radically different than what I think makes something "Star Trek", and even though he created Trek I don't think either of us are right or wrong.

Just as everyone will have to judge for themselves whether Trek 2009 is good or not, everyone will have to judge for themselves whether it's Trek or not.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

It's the trousers.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Re: Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his vers

Samuel T. Cogley said:
And I'm not claiming that Star Trek was entirely a product of Gene Roddenberry. I'm just trying to get inside his head for a minute or two.

He often talked about how ST had become a modern mythology, and how ST itself had used elements of centuries-old myths and legends to tell stories in the 23rd and 24th century, to comment on life in the 20th century.

Also how ST had even done versions of Shakespeare (ie. "The Conscience of the King" revamping "Hamlet", and "Elaan of Troyius" reprising "The Taming of the Shrew"), but addressing contemporary audiences.

He was already aware how mythology is written, rewritten and reworked, and he was flattered and proud that ST had passed into that category.

 

[number6]

Re: Roddenberry wants us to like Trek XI more than his vers

Starship Polaris said:
It's the trousers.

That's just your answer for everything!!