Star Trek: The Next Series, The Fans, and The Truth

[drt]

I suppose we could read between the lines and infer that Paramount's licensing deal with CBS is exclusive, which prevents CBS from developing a new Star Trek show whilst Paramount's deal is active.

This doesn't mean that Paramount is the villian, just they got the better end of the deal. (At the time, CBS may have thought the idea of a new TV series was a non-starter.). However, Paramount must not hold all the rights, as it was reported Orci approached CBS and not Paramount about producing a new animated series.

 

[Hober Mallow]

This is reading like a Greg Stone thread.

 

[dub]

^ LOL!

 

[C.E. Evans]

I suppose we could read between the lines and infer that Paramount's licensing deal with CBS is exclusive, which prevents CBS from developing a new Star Trek show whilst Paramount's deal is active.

The only thing that prevents CBS from developing a new Star Trek show is CBS. Trek is theirs. All Paramount has now is a license (from CBS) to make and distribute movies based off Star Trek.

However, Paramount must not hold all the rights, as it was reported Orci approached CBS and not Paramount about producing a new animated series.

Paramount got out of the television business in 2009 when CBS absorbed the remnants of what was formerly Paramount Television and folded Trek (including Star Treks XI and XII) into its long list of properties. Anyone wishing to do a new Trek TV series has to go to CBS.

 

[drt]

Yes, I know all that.

I was simply postulating based on the "insider information" hinted at in the OP's posts.

With most licensing contracts there are terms around what's called "exclusivity" - I think we can safely assume that Paramount has an exclusive license to use the Star Trek IP to create new content. And as you pointed out, this isn't a problem for CBS to grant because Paramount doesn't make TV programs. However, Paramount doesn't really want any new Star Trek TV programs that could potentially compete with their cinematic product, so for additional consideration, they may have obtained agreement from CBS that it wouldn't produce or licence the rights to additional television content while Paramount's movie license was active. Which is what the OP seemed to be hinting.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Can't really see CBS agreeing to anything like that. It's giving away too much control of the IP to someone who's only borrowing it. And given that CBS and Paramount's owner, Viacom, still aren't playing nice with one another after all these years...

I think CBS can make a new Trek series tomorrow if they really wanted to and Paramount can't say boo about it. IMO, CBS just doesn't need a new Trek series right now.

 

[The Colonel]

So is there actually a point to this thread?

 

[Borgminister]

The OP could tell us, but then he'd have to kill us.

 

[BillJ]

The OP could tell us, but then he'd have to kill us.

 

[drt]

Can't really see CBS agreeing to anything like that.

I don't either, really, but I'm sure dumber things have happened.

If there's any truth to what the original poster brought up, then perhaps Paramount may have some exclusivity to "classic" era stuff.

I think CBS can make a new Trek series tomorrow if they really wanted to and Paramount can't say boo about it. IMO, CBS just doesn't need a new Trek series right now.

My guess is that it fails any kind of cost-benefit analysis. Star Trek is a flagship property, CBS would have to spend a ton of money on a new series to live up to fan expectations (any kind of lower-budget effort would be crucified by fans), which I'm guessing they don't think they can make back.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Can't really see CBS agreeing to anything like that.

I don't either, really, but I'm sure dumber things have happened.

If there's any truth to what the original poster brought up, then perhaps Paramount may have some exclusivity to "classic" era stuff.

That's probably even less likely.

I think CBS can make a new Trek series tomorrow if they really wanted to and Paramount can't say boo about it. IMO, CBS just doesn't need a new Trek series right now.

My guess is that it fails any kind of cost-benefit analysis. Star Trek is a flagship property, CBS would have to spend a ton of money on a new series to live up to fan expectations (any kind of lower-budget effort would be crucified by fans), which I'm guessing they don't think they can make back.

That's such a long-held view by TV networks that it's basically their golden rule. Roddenberry faced that even when he first shopped TOS around.