Star Trek Novelty

[Brainsucker]

Well, I think the era is not the main issue here. The problem is how to create a new star trek that will sell.

I think it's obvious, television production is all about money. Every studio has their rights to seek profit for their production; including Paramount. That's why when they want to make a new Star Trek, the thing that they seek is profit. We can't blame them for that, it is their right. No one want to make a loss project. Everyone needs profit to sell something. So, if Star Trek sell well, it will continue, but if not, it will be cut off.

The problem is, Star Trek didn't sell. their newest series was considered failure and cut off at season 4. Fans have their reason. Enterprise didn't match the canon. I think Star Trek canon has lost it's touch to get new audiances. Rather than watch Star Trek, youngster prefer to watch Dragon balls. it is not because Star Trek Canon is bad, but it is because the Star Trek we have seen today has lost it's novelty.

Unlike in 1966, Star Trek is not considered as amazing by people today. Their space adventure is no more than "Space Opera". To get more audiance, the producer need a new idea to bring back the novelty of the story. But, they have a problem Just look at the temporal battle in Star Trek Enterprise that considered bad; just look at people said that Deep Space Nine is not Star Trek because it has no "trek" in it's story; and look at the fate of Enterprise because it didn't match the canon (TOS canon).

So what should the producer do? To bring back the novelty, they need new idea; but the Rodenberry commandment didn't favor well to them. People in the production house still want to follow the last wish of Rodenberry. For me, this last wish is the problem that "killing" the new ideas to born. Star Trek will be always Star Trek TOS and TNG; they won't evolve and adapt to the current market demand; as Rodenberry can't change his thought again... forever.

So, why risking money to make a new program that doesn't give guarantee to make profit? Star Trek has both external and internal problems. To sastify new audiance demand, they must adapt, but to change the canon and make new ideas, there are great obstacle they must get through. For me, this project is surely a curse.

ok, so what is our idea to bring back Star Trek to us again. First thing first, they must bring back the novelty. People love new things. We can't give them the same old thing with new stories. If you want Star Trek to be survived, just think about idea that bring a new Star Trek. You want a reboot, please do; but if you want to make a new course of the old concept, you're welcome.

Just to remind you that telling a story about another space ships and crews won't make Star Trek new. It only replay the existing one with new stories. making a new TOS or TNG is good idea, it will refresh the old and make it new again. but it's risky (as long as the old fans who love TOS can't forget William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy)

So just tell us your idea. Giving Star Trek "Fighter battle"? why not? Make a super huge baseship that can travel to another galaxy, you're welcome; To start at 31st century, you're more than welcome. Creativity should not be stop by old docrines and canon. Ideas are not to be killed; it should to be expand.

Me? My idea? Well, I haven't thought one, yet. So, I let's you start our session.

 

[Kaziarl]

Quick question. How did enterprise not match the cannon. Granted there are a couple things I wouldn't have done, like use the borg, but I still think they did an adaquate job of not stepping on too many toes. At least I didn't see anything that stood out.

 

[Brainsucker]

Because of the appearance of Klingon, Ferengi, and several other races that supposely not been found in Enterprise. The fans think that those races appearance was an act of violation of the canon.

Honestly, I don't care about that. I think the borg is following the canon. they came from the future anyway (from First contact), but some people think the borg thing was bad.

I, myself like Enterprise, but some people didn't. the only problem that I found in Star Trek Enterprise is the lack of development to the side characters like the helm of the ship. I don't view this point from racism view point. Just a waste of a cool character who has a lot of potential to be developed.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Enterprise's problem wasn't a lack of adherence to canon, it was stagnancy. Star Trek wasn't changed or innovated much in formula since TNG. DS9 did things differently, but never really took off due to a lack of mainstream appeal. Star Trek has become too vanilla in my opinion. Directing, writing, background music (how could Berman think that random, flat boring noise is better???!), everything about the feel of it. Star Trek needs to get back to making waves. TOS made a lot of controversial choices, but the modern shows have played it safe in every way imaginable. Writing style never changed, controversy is hardly ever brought into the fold, and most importantly, there weren't a lot of episodes that got you thinking, really thinking about their content and the implications of that content. Star Trek is at its best as an examination of humanity, in every respect. A future series badly needs writers who understand this. I would even say to get actual science fiction writers, as there were many TOS episodes written by SF writers.

 

[Kaziarl]

They have never said when starfleet encountered the Klingons. And the federation knew OF the ferangi before there appearance in the next generation, but again, was never said when. The romulans fit due to the Earth Romulan War, and something had to start the conflict between the federation and the klingons in TOS since Kirk and several generations before him were dealing with the Kobyashi Maru, which was a simulated battle against the Klingons.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The problem is, Star Trek didn't sell. their newest series was considered failure and cut off at season 4. Fans have their reason. Enterprise didn't match the canon. I think Star Trek canon has lost it's touch to get new audiances. Rather than watch Star Trek, youngster prefer to watch Dragon balls. it is not because Star Trek Canon is bad, but it is because the Star Trek we have seen today has lost it's novelty.

You've misdiagnosed the problem. You should take a holistic look at the full entertainment landscape over the past 20 years. TV ratings are down across the board due to the massive proliferation of entertainment options on cable, satellite, DVD, video games and the internet.

TV has responded by either going really pop-culture/lowest common denomenator (reality TV, police procedurals, formulaic formats like sitcoms) or catering to a small but loyal niche that will boost revenues by buying DVD sets, downloading episodes, etc. Sci-fi and artsy cable shows fit into the latter category.

Sci-fi is actually doing okay as the business model for TV moves away from Nielsens and towards other revenue streams. Look at all the new sci fi shows debuting this fall. I know they aren't space operas, but it's not such a leap to think that format would return as well.

Star Trek's best strategy for TV is to cater to its niche fandom, which is probably around 10M people. That's a healthy number of any TV show, especially one that can be expected to garner good results on alternate revenue streams as well.

As for what will work - my advice to whoever is putting Star Trek back on TV is to key off the success of Trek XI. Stick to the 23rd C, stick to Starfleet, invent some new characters and bring Kirk et al in as guest stars - that is, assuming you can't lure those actors to a TV series. But also realize that this is a niche show, so you've got budget accordingly.

Because of the appearance of Klingon, Ferengi, and several other races that supposely not been found in Enterprise. The fans think that those races appearance was an act of violation of the canon.

Why can't the Klingons appear in ENT? I personally was annoyed about the Ferengi and Borg, but those could be justified via fanwankery. Neither case is enough to kill a series.

ENT failed because it didn't tell the audience why they should care about those characters. They were just roaming around the galaxy on a joyride. They weren't really explorers because Star Trek is never about exploration - real scientific explorers would stop on the first planet they came to and spend their careers just cataloging that one planet.

On Star Trek, the "exploration" is a window dressing for what the stories really are about: Kirk or whoever playing space cop or space soldier for the Federation. Plus there can be personal stories revolving around the characters. But with no Federation, there was no compelling motive for Archer & the gang to go anywhere.