Roddenberry's Andromeda as Trek series?

[bionicbob]

Not sure what the feeling on the forum of the Kevin Sorbo's ANDROMEDA series, but I greatly enjoyed it as a fun action adventure series (well, at least until season 5). I know it is based in part on Roddenberry's GENESIS II and PLANET EARTH pilots, along with some notes for another unproduced series (PHONIEX RISING, I think it was called, though I may be completely wrong on that).

But I seem to recall, back when they were discussing a new Trek series before DS9 got greenlit (or was it VOY???), there was an article (in Starlog, i think) about some the other ideas discussed for a new Trek series. And one of the ideas discussed was about Starfleet ship hurtled into a future where there was no Federation, the Vulcans had turned their back on logic and Klingons were the big bad again.

Does anyone else recall this? Anyone have any other details?

Since was RHW was one of the big Trek writers of the time, did that influence his development of Andromeda? Do you think it would have worked as a Trek series?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I remember plenty of discussion of whether Andromeda (or DROM as I fondly referred to it once upon a time) was really based on Roddenberry's idea. I think it pretty obviously was, but the lawyers wanted us to think otherwise, so that nothing untoward would happen in the legal arena. Which is something entirely different from whether or not something is reality.

And the concept could have been a perfectly good Star Trek series. The ever-popular and frequently mentioned "Fall of the Federation" concept.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Supposedly much of what became "Andromeda" was part of an idea that Robert Wolfe had for a Trek series. However, he's said that it's not anything that was ever actually pitched - just his own idea.

Some of "Andromeda" is supposed to have come from GR's unpublished notes, and some specific elements are borrowed from his TV pilots "Genesis II" and "Planet Earth" - including the premise of a character ("Dylan Hunt" in all versions) pulling a Van Winkle/Buck Rogers and sleeping through several centuries, then finding that his civilization has collapsed, as well as details like having character named "Harper" and so forth.

 

[Broccoli]

Andormeda would work as a Trek series (with some tweaking of course). At least the premise and early run of the show would. Tyr could be a Klingon. Rev could be...um...I guess he could be a new alien race. Could have been interesting.

 

[Mr. B]

Wasn't Voyager close enough?

 

[The Wormhole]

I only watched part of the first season of Andromeda, and I got to say it seemed to be pretty much a rip-off of Star Trek anyway. The Systems Commonwealth is basically the Federation, and the High Guard is a more militristic version of Starfleet.

 

[bionicbob]

I only watched part of the first season of Andromeda, and I got to say it seemed to be pretty much a rip-off of Star Trek anyway. The Systems Commonwealth is basically the Federation, and the High Guard is a more militristic version of Starfleet.

Well, since it was based on ideas of Gene Roddenberry, I think the Star Trek similarity is intentional. But I would not call it a rip-off. That would be like saying all cops shows are rip offs of each other.

The basic idea is the same as Trek, a starship serving a galactic government. But from there, it differed in many ways. The Systems Commonwealth was based heavily on the Roman Empire, in terms of history (a conquering royal empire evolving into a democratic republic) and government structure. It was also definitely a more militaristic, shoot first ask question later type approach to diplomacy, very different from Starfleet and the Federation.

I definitely liked Andromeda. While it was not always original, it was usually a good escapist hour of action and adventure. The first two seasons were the best, particularly before RHW was fired from the show. Definitely recommend to everyone to read RHW's "CODA" on his website. A short story that explains his 5 year story arc for Andromeda, it is a great "What if".

I think the concept could work really well as a Trek series, especially since you have so much history/mythology to work with.... It would be like all the great time travel/alternate universe Trek stories but with no stupid RESET Button at the end.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Everything in "Andromeda" that looks like a rip-off of "Star Trek" is stuff that Roddenberry ripped off from dozens of other space operas that preceded it. Folks who read science fiction or have ever seen a pre-Trek sf movie know that.

 

[flux_29]

I suppose it could have worked as a trek series, but wasn't there a rumour that there was going to be a spin-off of Andromeda?

 

[Balthier the Great]

Everything in "Andromeda" that looks like a rip-off of "Star Trek" is stuff that Roddenberry ripped off from dozens of other space operas that preceded it. Folks who read science fiction or have ever seen a pre-Trek sf movie know that.

Did someone put exlax in your raison bran again? Man I bet you just pine after the good old days when the kids would walk to school in six feet of snow -- uphill both ways.

I loved andromeda, and Harper was one of my favorites. I dunno if it would have worked as Trek, it seemed like more of its own animal. But you could possibly do something *like* that as Trek. Trek -- Romance of the Three Kingoms might be fun. Captian Liu Bei anyone?

 

[Steve Roby]

I remember plenty of discussion of whether Andromeda (or DROM as I fondly referred to it once upon a time) was really based on Roddenberry's idea. I think it pretty obviously was, but the lawyers wanted us to think otherwise, so that nothing untoward would happen in the legal arena. Which is something entirely different from whether or not something is reality.

Why would lawyers want people to think "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda" wasn't based on Roddenberry's idea?

And the concept could have been a perfectly good Star Trek series. The ever-popular and frequently mentioned "Fall of the Federation" concept.

And that's exactly what it was, as created by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, with a couple of minor elements from Genesis II bolted on.

If Roddenberry had ever created something called Andromeda, or something about an attempt to restore an intergalactic civilization, Lincoln Enterprises would have been selling it. They sold Genesis II story outlines, they sold the series concept for Magna II, they sold The Secret Defense of 117 and Tarzan. If Roddenberry had written so much as a scrap of paper about the concept, they'd sell it. But they didn't.

 

[Mysterion]

Andormeda would work as a Trek series (with some tweaking of course). At least the premise and early run of the show would. Tyr could be a Klingon. Rev could be...um...I guess he could be a new alien race. Could have been interesting.

Agree that Tyr and the Nietzcheans would be klingons in a trekized version of Andromeda.

As for Rev Bem, make him a Borg who's broken away from the collective. The conflict with Harper would be that Harper had been nearly/partially assimilated and escaped but now has to work with a borg drone.

Trance? Maybe some sort of off-shoot of the Q? Better something new, though to keep her closer to her Androemda conception.

Although I like Andomeda as-is, a trek version might be interesting.

 

[Lord Garth]

The concept of Anrdomeda was basically Star Trek a lot further down the line if the Federation were destroyed.

Expand exploration to other galaxies. The Neitzcheans could've been a species never encountered until another galaxy. The Federation could've made the jump from interstellar to intergalactic around the year 3000 and could be an established intergalactic community spanning several galaxies by 4000. The Federation could even become part of something larger -- like the Commonwealth. Basically a Super-Federation.

The only problem: how could the Neitzcheans destroy the Federation/Commonwealth all at once when it would've grown to either be so large or so spread out? Doesn't seem like it could happen everywhere all at once. How would the Commonwealth not notice what the Neitzcheans were up to? That would take extensive coverup and coordination.

Not to mention the Commonwealth would literally have to be no match whatsoever for the Neitzcheans. Yet, if they were no match then the Neitzcheans should've been able to conquer the Commonwealth long before when it did. If the Commonwealth is a match, then the war should end with severe losses but not total destruction.

The total fall of the Commonwealth would have to be reduced to a small fraction in order for it to be believable, even in the context of the fifth millennium.

 

[clint g]

The total fall of the Commonwealth would have be reduced to a small fraction in order for it to be believable, even in the context of the fifth millennium.

The only way the concept would work is if the Federation was already in a state of decline. The Neitzcheans would have been the final straw. I suppose it would be entirely possible for the federation to have expanded too much; to the point where it could no longer sustain itself.

 

[Python Trek]

If you did some very minor tweaking, you could fit the whole series right into the Trek universe. The lack of Klingons, Cardassians, Vulcans, etc. could be explained by saying that the UFP expanded into other galaxies and many of the familiar Trek races just stayed home, for the most part............