Star Trek: Starfleet Scouts in development

[fireproof78]

Fans understand the dimensions of the box and know what's already in there. Fans are well aware that the box is full of tropes and clichés that people have grown sick of. Fans have spent time daydreaming of what could be outside of the box and contemplating what the box means. And fans can hire other writers too.

They're really not.

I don't trust fans to actually write a story that will "kill their darlings" to borrow an writer's phrase. If fans want what's outside the box then hiring someone unfamiliar should be a no-brainer.

Instead, we get lip service towards outside the box, self-praising, for copying elements and thinking popular acclaim is the same as something new.

The Borg came back three times under "a fan." :

 

[Quinton]

Moore or Matalas would be great get-backs, sure but how does that move the franchise forward? Fans don't think outside the box enough.

Honestly, though: what is your idea of moving things forward? Setting, tone, types of storytelling, so forth? Whatever it is, can you provide an example or two of something that would, indeed, move it forward?

Matalas, I can get. We’ve seen him do one thing with Star Trek, and as much as I enjoyed it, yeah, it’s steeped in so much nostalgia that there’s no way one can say he took it to new places. I have more faith that Moore might return, after all these years, and think outside the box enough for it to count.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to see new folks take the helm, too.

 

[fireproof78]

Honestly, though: what is your idea of moving things forward? Setting, tone, types of storytelling, so forth? Whatever it is, can you provide an example or two of something that would, indeed, move it forward?

Star Trek: Colony. A series set somewhere unexplored around the mid to late 25th/26th century. Starfleet provides a small colony support as it expands in to a larger area in a recently discovered Star system, featuring several native animals but no native sentients.

Explore a mix of adventure from both Starfleet and civilian points of view, go exploring in alien environments, and adventure.

Less Starfleet, a different mix of stories, and the possibility of failure of the colony.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Oh, definitely. To be honest, I fell off entirely from the actual subject of this thread.

That happens when certain posters get going.

 

[Jayson1]

Moore or Matalas would be great get-backs, sure but how does that move the franchise forward? Fans don't think outside the box enough.

Moore though I feel has shown he can think outside of the box. I would argue even that Galaticia was a chance for him to do something that is very opposite of Trek even though he loves Trek and "For All Mankind" was his chance to do a more modern and realistic Trek. My guess is his approach to Trek would be something along the lines. My guess is his Trek would be more like what Andor was to Star Wars than just being something that is 100% fan service.

 

[Jayson1]

Star Trek: Colony. A series set somewhere unexplored around the mid to late 25th/26th century. Starfleet provides a small colony support as it expands in to a larger area in a recently discovered Star system, featuring several native animals but no native sentients.

Explore a mix of adventure from both Starfleet and civilian points of view, go exploring in alien environments, and adventure.

Less Starfleet, a different mix of stories, and the possibility of failure of the colony.

I have been a fan of the idea of a Star Trek; Colony show as well, Or a alien planet based show were we have humans/Starfleet among other Civilian types living on it. I kind of like the idea of even having a show set on Vulcan but part of Vulcan were most of the non-Vulcan residents live. Like how Earth has non-aliens living on in the future my guess is that would be the case with all Federation planets.

 

[Jayson1]

I'm not against the idea of Moore returning In the slightest, but I think that "Starfleet Scouts" would be both an extreme waste of his talents and his time.

I do agree he wouldn't be right for the "Scouts" show. I

 

[fireproof78]

Moore though I feel has shown he can think outside of the box. I would argue even that Galaticia was a chance for him to do something that is very opposite of Trek even though he loves Trek and "For All Mankind" was his chance to do a more modern and realistic Trek. My guess is his approach to Trek would be something along the lines. My guess is his Trek would be more like what Andor was to Star Wars than just being something that is 100% fan service.

But that's a different box. He thought outside of it because he had worked in the Trek box.

I would not guess his approach, nor do I trust him with Trek. Other work is not Trek work.

 

[Quinton]

Star Trek: Colony. A series set somewhere unexplored around the mid to late 25th/26th century. Starfleet provides a small colony support as it expands in to a larger area in a recently discovered Star system, featuring several native animals but no native sentients.

Explore a mix of adventure from both Starfleet and civilian points of view, go exploring in alien environments, and adventure.

Less Starfleet, a different mix of stories, and the possibility of failure of the colony.

Neat! I like it. Something that’s not been done before, and it feels like it’s got the bedrock to tell meaningful stories.

 

[eschaton]

Why bring in someone new with a vision when we can just keep regurgitating the past?!

Just because someone has experience with a franchise, it doesn't mean they can't come back to it with fresh ideas. I mean, authors almost always pen sequels to their own works - sometimes decades later. They're not inferior as a result.

Ron Moore was pretty publicly struggling against the Berman-era straightjacket as well, and his work outside of Trek hasn't really been derivative of Star Trek in any way (though some of it could be seen as a direct response to it).

Also, it's been awhile, but if you watched the DS9 writer's room reconvening to break the story for a hypothetical "Season 8" they made plenty of choices which I think the fanboys wouldn't have been happy with, like killing Nog in the very first scene (this was before Aron's death).

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I thought that was a shame when I watched it, because deciding to kill Nog automatically gets you disqualified from writing Star Trek.

 

[eschaton]

Ultimately, if you're talking about "someone new" writing for Trek, you're really going to get one of two things:

1. Someone writing Trek because they are a fan, to some degree.

2. Someone writing Trek because they just need a paycheck.

Most of modern-day Trek has been written by superfans. Kurtzman is a Trekkie. Goldsman is a Trekkie. Michael Chabon is a Trekkie. Terry Matalas is (obviously) a Trekkie. Mike McMahan is a Trekkie. The Hageman brothers are Trekkies. I'm a little less clear on Michelle Paradise, because the comments she made in interviews are more generic, but she has claimed that she was a Trek fan when she was young as well.

Of course, this is different from the Berman era, where most of the writers (other than Ron Moore, actually) weren't very big TOS fans. But I think it just signifies the changing nature of fandom over time. There's so many other opportunities now for writers. Why write for Star Trek if you're a superfan of something else, when you can just go there instead?

I'm also just coming up at a loss at fresh takes on a classic IP since (ironically) NuBSG which have added something worthwhile. Usually they either just take something decades old and make it more "modern" to be more relatable to modern audiences, or else they're just shallow cash grabs like the live-action Disney remakes. So if there's something people are thinking about here, please let me know.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

It's a lot easier/more likely for one to be a fan/familiar with a franchise when there's more content to consume (way more shows and movies now than in the 80s/90s), more ways and places to encounter it (DVDs, Internet, etc.), more influence on the culture, etc.

 

[eschaton]

I guess you could cite Tony Gilroy becoming involved in Star Wars as an example of a non-superfan. He came onto Rogue One to fix the mess Gareth Edwards left behind, and didn't really feel that connected with the franchise, though he kindled a friendship with Diego Luna, and wanted to explore the backstory of Cassian, leading to Andor, which has unquestionably been the best thing in Star Wars in decades.

That said, I think examples like Gilroy (or Meyer) are the exception to the rule. Usually when mercenary writers are brought in to fix failing projects, you get slop, not a masterpiece.

 

[Tiran O'Saurus]

I'm also just coming up at a loss at fresh takes on a classic IP since (ironically) NuBSG which have added something worthwhile. Usually they either just take something decades old and make it more "modern" to be more relatable to modern audiences, or else they're just shallow cash grabs like the live-action Disney remakes. So if there's something people are thinking about here, please let me know.

I liked the Netflix Lost In Space that was fairly recent.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Andor, which has unquestionably been the best thing in Star Wars in decades.

I question that

 

[Campe]

First, I'm doubtful this Starfleet Scouts thing will happen until I actually see something.

Second, I don't have an issue with Moore coming back, provided he takes some of what he's learned with shows, particularly For All Mankind, where we can actually take chances with characters and stories.

Third, I would prefer a new voice who isn't so connected to Star Trek. I enjoy much of what is new with Trek, but I cannot deny that it is deeply rooted in "what hath come before" and the preciousness that comes with it. I love SNW, but its hard to have a lot of care about Chris Pike, Spock, Chapel, M'Benga, Uhura and Scotty, knowing what happens to all of them. Its a fun ride, but its low risk fun at the end of the day.

Fourth, unsurprisingly, based on the above, I'd like to keep Matalas as far away from new Trek as possible.

 

[Jayson1]

I guess you could cite Tony Gilroy becoming involved in Star Wars as an example of a non-superfan. He came onto Rogue One to fix the mess Gareth Edwards left behind, and didn't really feel that connected with the franchise, though he kindled a friendship with Diego Luna, and wanted to explore the backstory of Cassian, leading to Andor, which has unquestionably been the best thing in Star Wars in decades.

That said, I think examples like Gilroy (or Meyer) are the exception to the rule. Usually when mercenary writers are brought in to fix failing projects, you get slop, not a masterpiece.

Sometimes you get Gilroy and sometimes you get a guy thinking Geordi is a robot. It can be a toss of a coin on whether or not a person will work out. The big reason to bring back Moore though isn't just because he is a fan. Lots of fans out their that shouldn't be anywhere near a Trek writing room. Ron Moore should be brought back, if he is interested, because he is proven to be a talented show creator.

 

[Dukhat]

First, I'm doubtful this Starfleet Scouts thing will happen until I actually see something.

Agreed.

Second, I don't have an issue with Moore coming back, provided he takes some of what he's learned with shows, particularly For All Mankind, where we can actually take chances with characters and stories.

I for one would love for Moore to come back to Star Trek.

Third, I would prefer a new voice who isn't so connected to Star Trek. I enjoy much of what is new with Trek, but I cannot deny that it is deeply rooted in "what hath come before" and the preciousness that comes with it. I love SNW, but its hard to have a lot of care about Chris Pike, Spock, Chapel, M'Benga, Uhura and Scotty, knowing what happens to all of them. Its a fun ride, but its low risk fun at the end of the day.

I agree that I find nuTrek totally reliant upon what came before, and quite frankly I'm sick of prequels, character returns, and constant callbacks to TNG. SNW season 3 better be freaking spectacular, because if it's not I'm pretty much done with Paramount+.

Fourth, unsurprisingly, based on the above, I'd like to keep Matalas as far away from new Trek as possible.

Agreed 100%.

 

[eschaton]

Sometimes you get Gilroy and sometimes you get a guy thinking Geordi is a robot. It can be a toss of a coin on whether or not a person will work out. The big reason to bring back Moore though isn't just because he is a fan. Lots of fans out their that shouldn't be anywhere near a Trek writing room. Ron Moore should be brought back, if he is interested, because he is proven to be a talented show creator.

Yeah, that's the number one thing. He's shown his chops, he can come back. I'd be fine with Naren Shankar returning for the same reason, as The Expanse showcased how much he grew from when he was a kid in the TNG writer's room.

OTOH, although I'm a Niner for life, I'm just not chomping at the bit for Ira to come back.