So what will fandom do when Star Trek XI is a huge hit?
- Thread starter Admiral Buzzkill
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I'd like to see the creative people who put so much energy into these things succeed in whatever terms are neccessary to keep Trek going in an entertaining and energetic fashion. They can't do that within the multiple and conflicting restraints that a lot of fans insist upon. "This is 'Star Trek' and if you deviate from that, damn you and hope you fail" serves no one.
I'm sure that at some point Paramount will do something with Trek that I find as disappointing and uninteresting as some other folks have found things like "Enterprise." I hope that when it happens I'll go off and find myself another hobby. Maybe I'll even kiss a girl.
I'm sure that at some point Paramount will do something with Trek that I find as disappointing and uninteresting as some other folks have found things like "Enterprise." I hope that when it happens I'll go off and find myself another hobby. Maybe I'll even kiss a girl.
Some will celebrate, some will still be bitter. I think in the latter case, arguments about the franchise "selling out" if it deviates too far from canon or predictions that they will fail with the next attempt will be common.
I do disagree that a success is more likely than failure, though I hope for the former.
I do disagree that a success is more likely than failure, though I hope for the former.
I was under the distinct impression that you had *already* found one of the shows to be 'disappointing and uninteresting'. Hopefully you took advantage of that situation and kissed a girl sometime between 1993 and 1999.
I mean, if DS9 can take the credit for your going out and kissing a girl, then look at it this way - it wasn't a total loss.
:thumbsup:
If the new movie is a major hit, every single fan will rise up and say, "I told you it would be great!"
Even all the fans in here
Even all the fans in here
I kissed a lot of girls in those days. Different time in my life.
Anyway, I said "as disappointing and uninteresting as some other folks have found things like "Enterprise." Now, as I read the Internet, "Enterprise" was a case of cats and dogs living together and giving birth to the demon spawn of Braga and Berman - monstrous critters that broke into the homes of fans and raped their childhoods while destroying their TOS collections.
By contrast, I just thought DS9 was overpraised, dull and usually mediocre. Not exactly a shattering experience.
If we're lucky, it will be like Doctor Who:
The revival will be faithful and nostalgic enough that most old guard fans will embrace it as a continuation rather than a remake. The new fans will embrace the new and flashy version, while developing a new found interest in classic Star Trek. Everybody will be happy.
If we're unlucky, it will be like Battlestar: Galactica:
It will be a complete and total remake. Many old time fans will despise it because the ship looked too bulky, McCoy wasn't crotchety enough, Spock's ears were too pointy/not pointy enough, and Checkov kept pronouncing Wessel with a 'v'. The new fans will embrace it as superior and the two fanbases will loathe one another.
If we're REALLY unlucky, it will be a standard Hollywood bastardization of an old tv show. God help us all.
The revival will be faithful and nostalgic enough that most old guard fans will embrace it as a continuation rather than a remake. The new fans will embrace the new and flashy version, while developing a new found interest in classic Star Trek. Everybody will be happy.
If we're unlucky, it will be like Battlestar: Galactica:
It will be a complete and total remake. Many old time fans will despise it because the ship looked too bulky, McCoy wasn't crotchety enough, Spock's ears were too pointy/not pointy enough, and Checkov kept pronouncing Wessel with a 'v'. The new fans will embrace it as superior and the two fanbases will loathe one another.
If we're REALLY unlucky, it will be a standard Hollywood bastardization of an old tv show. God help us all.
As an "Old Guard" TOS fan, I remember many of the same arguements in fan circles (Usually face to face at Cons) regarding ST TMP prior to it's release..TMP and the films following that injected NEW fans into the mix..allowing for all the different series we now have arguements about... I forsee very much the same thing will happen in the future if this film hits big...
This Trek fan would be VERY happy to see any Star Trek that's even half as well-written and produced as the new BSG. I care far more about thinks like the quality of the writing and characterizations than trivia concerned whether it's a "reboot" or adheres to "canon" etc.
As to the topic at hand, if the movie is a big success, the vast majority of "the fandom" will be happy to see Trek doing well. And a very small, very bitter and very vocal minority will spend an enormous amount of time attacking it on the Internet, probably making themselves look somewhat silly.
I used the new Doctor Who and Galactica series because they're both excellent shows that took entirely different approaches to their source materials.
While I enjoy the new BSG, it seperated much of the fanbase into two obnoxiously hostile camps. The current fragmentation and bickering amongst Trek fans is tiresome enough as it is. I don't want a new movie that will make it even worse. Trek doesn't need to be torn down and rebuilt entirely different ala BSG. That's why I want a faithful continuation by some fresh new writers and cast ala Doctor Who.
While I enjoy the new BSG, it seperated much of the fanbase into two obnoxiously hostile camps. The current fragmentation and bickering amongst Trek fans is tiresome enough as it is. I don't want a new movie that will make it even worse. Trek doesn't need to be torn down and rebuilt entirely different ala BSG. That's why I want a faithful continuation by some fresh new writers and cast ala Doctor Who.
I think Doctor Who is a great comparison.
Not sure about the US (still pretty niche over there I would imagine), but over here in the United of Kingdoms its bleeding huge! Its never been so popular.
Walk into any shop and the moment and they are littered, littered I tells yer with a variety of Doctor Who merchandise. Not just the toy stores. Everywhere. Everywhere.
Doctor Who toys are the number one seller over here. Every child wants a Doctor who toy for xmas (I think the DALEK voicechanger is outselling the OPTIMUS PRIME voicechanger...just) Given that the show was cancelled 20 years ago with viewing figures of around 3 and a half million, and hasnt exactly been massively popular until the relaunch - I find that astonishing.
At the time, it was a joke.
Now, it is literally a national treasure again.
Roll on Xmas 2008. "Star Trek Zero" :thumbsup:
Not sure about the US (still pretty niche over there I would imagine), but over here in the United of Kingdoms its bleeding huge! Its never been so popular.
Walk into any shop and the moment and they are littered, littered I tells yer with a variety of Doctor Who merchandise. Not just the toy stores. Everywhere. Everywhere.
Doctor Who toys are the number one seller over here. Every child wants a Doctor who toy for xmas (I think the DALEK voicechanger is outselling the OPTIMUS PRIME voicechanger...just) Given that the show was cancelled 20 years ago with viewing figures of around 3 and a half million, and hasnt exactly been massively popular until the relaunch - I find that astonishing.
At the time, it was a joke.
Now, it is literally a national treasure again.
Roll on Xmas 2008. "Star Trek Zero" :thumbsup:
After ST:TMP, Pocket's line of novels reflected TMP uniforms on the covers even though the stories might have been set during the 5YM. After ST II, they reflected the newer uniforms, even though some stories were clearly 5YM. (Some, like "Yesterday's Son", showed mixed imagery, such as Spock in a blue ST II-style uniform.) Eventually, the 5YM stories went back to TOS imagery and movie uniforms indicated when the novels were set in the movie era. I expect a similar pattern.
My ST club went from 200 members during TMP, and 400 members around the time of ST IV, up to 1000 members at the height of TNG. And they were frustrated members, because new episodes were on US TV every week, but Australia was getting sell-through TMP, two-eps-in-one VHS, every month... so it took a whole year - several years later - to see a whole season. Unless we did deals with US penpals and risked breaching Australian copyright laws showing NTSC off-air tapes to a paying audience. (Actually they paid for food and room hire, but it was still illegal to show the tapes outside of a regular household.)
We used to fantasize of the day when ST returned to TV. What a double-edged sword that turned out to be! Instead of planning a gala movie premiere every three years or so, we suddenly had to cope with increased newsletter circulation and needed bigger meeting venues. We used to be able to cater for monthly meetings at a fan's house and expect about 20 members. This rose to the ridiculous 100+ at a meeting, meaning we had to book public halls, sell tickets beforehand, hire video equipment, etc - and pray that everyone showed up, or face large financial losses.
I can't wait for ST XI - it'll bring in heaps of new ST fans . But, in a way, I'm glad that many fannish activities have moved online!
My ST club went from 200 members during TMP, and 400 members around the time of ST IV, up to 1000 members at the height of TNG. And they were frustrated members, because new episodes were on US TV every week, but Australia was getting sell-through TMP, two-eps-in-one VHS, every month... so it took a whole year - several years later - to see a whole season. Unless we did deals with US penpals and risked breaching Australian copyright laws showing NTSC off-air tapes to a paying audience. (Actually they paid for food and room hire, but it was still illegal to show the tapes outside of a regular household.)
We used to fantasize of the day when ST returned to TV. What a double-edged sword that turned out to be! Instead of planning a gala movie premiere every three years or so, we suddenly had to cope with increased newsletter circulation and needed bigger meeting venues. We used to be able to cater for monthly meetings at a fan's house and expect about 20 members. This rose to the ridiculous 100+ at a meeting, meaning we had to book public halls, sell tickets beforehand, hire video equipment, etc - and pray that everyone showed up, or face large financial losses.
I can't wait for ST XI - it'll bring in heaps of new ST fans . But, in a way, I'm glad that many fannish activities have moved online!
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