News Season 2 will be the last (show cancelled)

[TREK_GOD_1]

Well to be fair. It was a failure. But maybe something better will come of it.

What? The Nu-Trek era greenlit several series which failed to make that necessary transition to broad cultural appeal, which was always going to be a serious negative against them, and no one can claim within ST fandom, they were widely supported by a majority (or will have a life beyond their first format). So, to step back and take stock in all that NuTrek produced (if only to serve as a warning to never go down that path again), where is this franchise going to go that will lead to it really having a life beyond some die-hards?

 

[fireproof78]

where is this franchise going to go that will lead to it really having a life beyond some die-hards?

Nowhere. The die hards proved that nothing is good enough.

 

[TRON JA307020]

What? The Nu-Trek era greenlit several series which failed to make that necessary transition to broad cultural appeal, which was always going to be a serious negative against them, and no one can claim within ST fandom, they were widely supported by a majority (or will have a life beyond their first format). So, to step back and take stock in all that NuTrek produced (if only to serve as a warning to never go down that path again), where is this franchise going to go that will lead to it really having a life beyond some die-hards?

Quite right. They focused on appealing to a select group of fans and there just weren't enough. The original trek appealed to all age groups.

Sad but the 60th anniversary of Trek is going to have an auction of sets from a show that got low ratings. Thsts not a good way to kick off the 60th.

 

[Michael]

^ Just to be sure, you are aware that the original show, whose 60th anniversary is being celebrated this year, was itself cancelled because it got low ratings, right?

 

[fireproof78]

Sad but the 60th anniversary of Trek is going to have an auction of sets from a show that got low ratings. Thsts not a good way to kick off the 60th.

Seems like the most Trek thing possible given history of various shows, especially the vaunted TOS which Shatner was on a radio show trying to save with hopes of attracting a younger audience days before TOS was cancelled.

That Star Trek?

 

[Turtletrekker]

There's that cognitive dissonance again.

 

[Danja]

Empty soundstage.

It's over.

 

[fireproof78]

"Goodbye, Jean Lucas; you had such potential but then all good things must come to an end."

 

[TRON JA307020]

^ Just to be sure, you are aware that the original show, whose 60th anniversary is being celebrated this year, was itself cancelled because it got low ratings, right?

Quite correct. There are differences in the situations though l. It was the 60s. Star trek was new. Who knows how accurate the nielsens were It went 3 seasons after a letter writing campaign. 116k letters were recorded but as many as 200k to 1 million may actually have been received. There were enough letters where the network decided that it was worth to do a third. SFA got 41k signatures on a online petition. Much easier to sign a petition than send out letters. There.was just not enough interest. SFA in my opinion isnt going to go through what TOS went through. There most likely won't be a ressurection of the concept. TOS was unique for its time as well. SFA looks and feels like most other properties today. It was nothing special. Again this is all my opinion and conjecture. Lots of people here for instance think SFA is fantastic.

 

[Michael]

Quite correct. There are differences in the situations though l. It was the 60s. Star trek was new. Who knows how accurate the nielsens were It went 3 seasons after a letter writing campaign. 116k letters were recorded but as many as 200k to 1 million may actually have been received. There were enough letters where the network decided that it was worth to do a third. SFA got 41k signatures on a online petition. Much easier to sign a petition than send out letters. There.was just not enough interest. SFA in my opinion isnt going to go through what TOS went through. There most likely won't be a ressurection of the concept. TOS was unique for its time as well. SFA looks and feels like most other properties today. It was nothing special. Again this is all my opinion and conjecture. Lots of people here for instance think SFA is fantastic.

I didn’t want to say they were the same. Obviously a show in the 1960s, when there were only three TV channels and demographic analysis wasn’t as multifaceted as it became in terms of ratings, can’t be compared 1:1 to a streaming show from today, when audiences are much, much more fractured and it has to compete against a multitude of alternate entertainment options. And yet, the fact remains that the original Star Trek didn’t meet the studio expectations then just as Starfleet Academy apparently didn’t now. The surrounding circumstances were different, but the result is the same.

The broader point I was trying to make is this: The fact that a Trek show is cancelled doesn’t necessarily tell you everything about whether it found its audience, how good it was, and how it will eventually be viewed by fans and general viewers at large. Some of the most celebrated cult shows and movies disappointed in terms of TV ratings or box office results. I’m not even saying this will necessarily be viewed as a cult classic, but I do think that it has the potential of being one of these shows that wasn’t able to generate mass appeal, but that made devout fans out of those that did enjoy it. Much like we’re seeing with Enterprise now, which was decried at its original broadcast, but is often viewed as a celebrated part of Trek now.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I already enjoy Starfleet Academy more than Enterprise.

 

[fireproof78]

I already enjoy Starfleet Academy more than Enterprise.

That's not hard to do. There is little in ENTERPRISE that appealed

 

[TRON JA307020]

I already enjoy Starfleet Academy more than Enterprise.

That's not hard to do. There is little in ENTERPRISE that appealed

I enjoyed enterprise. The big issues I had with it was the Trip/Topol relationship and the gratuitous decontamination scenes. All that was terrible.

 

[Soong-type Android]

I enjoyed enterprise. The big issues I had with it was the Trip/Topol relationship and the gratuitous decontamination scenes. All that was terrible.

Well, that and the bland characters, poor world building and lazy writing among other things.

 

[TRON JA307020]

Well, that and the bland characters, poor world building and lazy writing among other things.

SFA was much worse..

 

[fireproof78]

Well, that and the bland characters, poor world building and lazy writing among other things.

Yup. First episode set it up so poorly there was no reason to continue. TNG lite.

 

[Set Harth]

The big issues I had with it was the Trip/Topol relationship

 

[TRON JA307020]

Lol.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

^ Just to be sure, you are aware that the original show, whose 60th anniversary is being celebrated this year, was itself cancelled because it got low ratings, right?

The original series quickly became a global cultural phenomenon not long after it entered syndication (not taking decades or other series to help its massive cultural footprint), launching an unprecedented franchise and merchandising end. No NuTrek series ever did anything remotely comparable to that, including any of its cancelled series, so when some attempt to make a smoke and mirrors comparison between TOS's cancellation and SFA's, they are purposely leaving out the important details about what TOS became post-first run, which is not going to happen with SFA.

 

[fireproof78]

Besides TNG none of the Trek's are like TOS.

So, horray for impossible standards that people will browbeat productions for not making.

Just imagine being compared to your older sibling constantly. It's a great feeling I'm sure for many.