Star Trek's Hidden Years

[Odo]

I've been thinking about the time periods that don't get focused on in Trek. I'd personally love to see different shows at different points in Star Trek history - one in the 2170s, one in the 2310s, one in the 2450s, etc. Would anyone else like to see stories that take place in Star Trek's "hidden years"?

I'm making a list (for some reason I love making lists) of all the episodes that take place during these time frames. Here's what I have so far (will add more later) -

2100-2150 (including Earth's NX Program)

• 2121 - Broken Bow (Archer builds model ship with dad)
• 2135 - The Seventh (T'Pol chases a fugitive)
• 2137 - The Forge (katra of Surak discovered)
• 2143 - First Flight (Earth NX Program breaks warp 2.5)
• 2143-2144 - Cold Station 12; Borderland (Arik Soong raises augment children, but is captured)
• 2150 - First Flight (Archer chosen to command Enterprise)

Enterprise: 2151-2155

2156-2229 (including founding and effects of Federation)

• 2161 - Zero Hour; These Are the Voyages... (Federation's founding, real & holographic recreation)
• 2164 - Star Trek Beyond (Edison's ship logs)
• 2174 - Year of Hell, Parts 1-2 (Annorax begins work on the Krenim weapon ship)
  
  2230-2255 (including Michael Burnham's childrhood; Spock's childhood)
• 2233 - Star Trek '09 (Nero's attack on USS Kelvin [Kelvin U])
• 2236 - The Vulcan Hello; Perpetual Infinity (Klingon raid on Doctari Alpha)
• 2236 - Brother (Michael Burnham is adopted by Sarek and Amanda)
• 2236 - Battle at the Binary Stars (attack on Vulcan Learning Center)
• 2236 - If Memory Serves (Burnham runs away and is found in Vulcan's Forge)
• 2237 - Yesteryear (a time traveling Spock saves his younger self)
• 2239 - The Brightest Star; The Sound of Rhunder (Saru contacts Philippa Georgiou)
• 2244 - Star Trek '09 (Spock and Kirk's childhoods [Kelvin U])
• 2249 - Lethe (Burnham graduates from the Vulcan Science Academy)
• 2249 - Battle at the Binary Stars (Burnham joins the USS Shenzou)
• 2249 - Star Trek '09 (Spock declines to join the Vulcan Science Academy [Kelvin U])
• 2254 - Q&A (Spock joins the USS Enterprise)
• 2254 - The Cage; The Menagerie 1-2 (Pike encounters the Talosians on Talos IV)
• 2255 - Star Trek '09 (Kirk meets McCoy)

 

[FederationHistorian]

A series set during 2120s -2140s offers a chance to do over ENT and the early Starfleet idea with an all-human crew. And see the XCV-330 in action. They’d have to cut out the filler though, and be more open to taking risks with the stories and cast compared with what happened with ENT. Any year prior to 2120 should really be a time travel destination or a historical holoprogram setting.

Right now for 2170s -2190s, an Archer focused West Wing-style series seems to be the most popular choice right now. It would be very different from the usual Star Trek presentation, since it would give viewers a look at the inner working of the Federation. An alternative could be a series that focused on the middle decks crew from the NX-01 (Reed, Mayweather, Sato & Phlox) later on in their lives. In either case, a new take on the ENT cast is likely the only way we get them back on screen, while creating a cast of new characters to care about at the same time.

There is the start of the Federation-Klingon Cold War in the early 2220s. That might be the type of series where you could have an all Klingon cast.

SNW is going to cover the period between The “Cage” and “TOS”. A cameo from Robert and Sarah April, the first captain and CMO, respectively, on the NCC-1701 is likely here, and might even spur a Short Trek based on them.

I’d be open to an Ent-B series focusing on a Captain Demora Sulu, only because the actors that played Harriman and Sulu in Generations are older now, and the series should reflect that. There’s no reason to think Harriman would not have become an admiral by this point either. Might get a Captain Hikaru Sulu and Excelsior cameo out of it, or an Ensign/Lieutenant Rachael Garrett.

 

[Imaus]

A series set during 2120s -2140s offers a chance to do over ENT and the early Starfleet idea with an all-human crew. And see the XCV-330 in action. They’d have to cut out the filler though, and be more open to taking risks with the stories and cast compared with what happened with ENT. Any year prior to 2120 should really be a time travel destination or a historical holoprogram setting.

Right now for 2170s -2190s, an Archer focused West Wing-style series seems to be the most popular choice right now. It would be very different from the usual Star Trek presentation, since it would give viewers a look at the inner working of the Federation. An alternative could be a series that focused on the middle decks crew from the NX-01 (Reed, Mayweather, Sato & Phlox) later on in their lives. In either case, a new take on the ENT cast is likely the only way we get them back on screen, while creating a cast of new characters to care about at the same time.

There is the start of the Federation-Klingon Cold War in the early 2220s. That might be the type of series where you could have an all Klingon cast.

SNW is going to cover the period between The “Cage” and “TOS”. A cameo from Robert and Sarah April, the first captain and CMO, respectively, on the NCC-1701 is likely here, and might even spur a Short Trek based on them.

I’d be open to an Ent-B series focusing on a Captain Demora Sulu, only because the actors that played Harriman and Sulu in Generations are older now, and the series should reflect that. There’s no reason to think Harriman would not have become an admiral by this point either. Might get a Captain Hikaru Sulu and Excelsior cameo out of it, or an Ensign/Lieutenant Rachael Garrett.

All interesting ideas, for sure.

 

[Shawnster]

I've been thinking about the 2300s and a series that takes place right at the turn of the century. This could server more of a bridge from the TMP era to the TNG era. Constitution class retires and phases out, the Constellation class comes into full swing, Excelsior class proves it's worth as a workhorse. We start seeing a blending of TOS aliens and TNG aliens.

 

[Orphalesion]

I've been thinking about the 2300s and a series that takes place right at the turn of the century. This could server more of a bridge from the TMP era to the TNG era. Constitution class retires and phases out, the Constellation class comes into full swing, Excelsior class proves it's worth as a workhorse. We start seeing a blending of TOS aliens and TNG aliens.

An exploration of the period after TUC could hold potential for an interesting look back and reevaluation of the political changes in the early 1990s and the 1989-2001 period from a modern perspective.
Of course it would be somewhat limited by the fact that it still has to end up in the Federation we see in TNG... but that's the problem with all prequels "mid-quels".

 

[Nyotarules]

The era where matriarchal societies like Betazed joins the Federation would be interesting to watch, to see how a mainly human dominated ship deals with a planet of telepaths who read your mind as casually as one listens to a conversation.

 

[Odo]

Some cool ideas - I think what's interesting to me would be the period between Enterprise and Disco, because we know almost nothing about it, and that opens up a lot of possibilities. There's little canon here, and a lot to play with. This is where the Federation is first stretching its legs and getting out there - how does that go over?

 

[F. King Daniel]

There's a huge set of missing years between Picard (2399) and Discovery (as of S03E03, 3189)

I'm guessing they plan to explore that in the near future

 

[Orphalesion]

The era where matriarchal societies like Betazed joins the Federation would be interesting to watch to see how a mainly human dominated ship deals with a planet of telepaths who read your mind as casually as one listens to a conversation.

I joke a lot that Rebecca Romijn could play a young Lwaxana Troi, but the First Contact with Betazed (or the planet joining the Federation) would honestly be something I'd like to see in SNW.

 

[serdogthehound]

I joke a lot that Rebecca Romijn could play a young Lwaxana Troi, but the First Contact with Betazed (or the planet joining the Federation) would honestly be something I'd like to see in SNW.

First Contact was pre-discovery since Harry Mudd had robbed a bank there before he met Lorca. A visit on SNW would be cool maybe even have Rebecca Romijn play a daughter of the 5th house.

 

[Orphalesion]

First Contact was pre-discovery since Harry Mudd had robbed a bank there before he met Lorca. A visit on SNW would be cool maybe even have Rebecca Romijn play a daughter of the 5th house.

Yeah, or Pike's enterprise transports a Betazoid delegate (who just happens to be a daughter of the 5th House, played by Romijn) to the ceremony where Betazed is admitted into the Federation.
Honestly I will be happy if SNW includes at least some aliens from 90s Trek (Bajorans, Cardassians, Betaziods, Trills, some more obscure ones) I don't want it to ignore everything that wasn't included in TOS.
With a lot of the species we do not have an official First Contact date, so I think they are free to include them.
Plus there were already Trill and Barzan on Discovery/Short Treks set in that era, so they could be in for sure.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I know there's not a chance in hell we'll ever actually see this, but I wouldn't half mind a World War III series. Or miniseries.

We know next to nothing about Trek's WW III. Who started it, who all the factions are (the only one we know of for sure is the Eastern Coalition, i.e. China and its allies*), how exactly the hell Earth recovered so quickly, etc.

*yes, really. It's in the ST:FC DVD commentary. The ECON was supposed to be China, but I guess they didn't want to piss off Chinese fans (or their government) so the writers changed it at the last minute.

That said, as far as fanfic goes, I highly recommend Star Trek: The Iron Horse. You can find it right here!

 

[F. King Daniel]

I know there's not a chance in hell we'll ever actually see this, but I wouldn't half mind a World War III series. Or miniseries.

*cough* 1992 *cough*

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

*cough* 1992 *cough*

I'm not following.

 

[XCV330]

I've been thinking about the time periods that don't get focused on in Trek. I'd personally love to see different shows at different points in Star Trek history - one in the 2170s, one in the 2310s, one in the 2450s, etc. Would anyone else like to see stories that take place in Star Trek's "hidden years"?

I'm making a list (for some reason I love making lists) of all the episodes that take place during these time frames. Here's what I have so far (will add more later) -

2100-2150 (including Earth's NX Program)

• 2121 - Broken Bow (Archer builds model ship with dad)
• 2135 - The Seventh (T'Pol chases a fugitive)
• 2137 - The Forge (katra of Surak discovered)
• 2143 - First Flight (Earth NX Program breaks warp 2.5)
• 2143-2144 - Cold Station 12; Borderland (Arik Soong raises augment children, but is captured)
• 2150 - First Flight (Archer chosen to command Enterprise)

Enterprise: 2151-2155

I ran an RPG in Second Life based on life a few decades after First Contact in the 2070s and 2080's, shortly after the Conestoga's flight.

Was a lot of fun but of course it was more like Solar System Trek, as well. It also dealt with the reality that on some level Star Trek is a post-nuclear holocaust tale.

(XCV-102 Hypatia approaching Mars in support of colonists)

Obviously I would love to see the really early period revisited in any form.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

The problem I have with setting shows in those "in-between" periods is that you're hemmed by the stuff that happens earlier and later in the timeline. I know what you're thinking: contemporary historical dramas don't have this problem. But those productions are dealing with real time periods that people identify with on some level. Star Trek is 100% made-up. These kinds of shows are fun for fans like us to imagine, but they'd work best as a novel or comic series where you don't have to worry about appealing to a broader audience.

 

[Orphalesion]

I know there's not a chance in hell we'll ever actually see this, but I wouldn't half mind a World War III series. Or miniseries.

We know next to nothing about Trek's WW III. Who started it, who all the factions are (the only one we know of for sure is the Eastern Coalition, i.e. China and its allies*), how exactly the hell Earth recovered so quickly, etc.

*yes, really. It's in the ST:FC DVD commentary. The ECON was supposed to be China, but I guess they didn't want to piss off Chinese fans (or their government) so the writers changed it at the last minute.

That said, as far as fanfic goes, I highly recommend Star Trek: The Iron Horse. You can find it right here!

Idk I think hat's better served with the novels or fanfic or the ocassional time travel episode. By itself, what would make a WW3/Post-Atomic Horror show specifically "Star Trek"? What would distinguish it from other shows or movies that show WW3 and it's aftermath?
Plus as you point out, it has the potential to piss off some over-seas market (whichever they chose as the "bad guys")

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

what would make a WW3/Post-Atomic Horror show specifically "Star Trek"?

Well, like I said, how did Earth recover from a global thermonuclear war in only 50 years? (That's basically what Deanna says in ST:FC.) I'd say that it's a very Trekkian thing for Earth to pull that off so quickly.

 

[Tim Thomason]

First Contact was pre-discovery since Harry Mudd had robbed a bank there before he met Lorca. A visit on SNW would be cool maybe even have Rebecca Romijn play a daughter of the 5th house.

Not necessarily. Harry Mudd operates outside of the Federation. All we know is that Ash Tyler (through Mudd) is familiar with the Betazoids as existing, but they might not have made any formal contact.

 

[Orphalesion]

Well, like I said, how did Earth recover from a global thermonuclear war in only 50 years? (That's basically what Deanna says in ST:FC.) I'd say that it's a very Trekkian thing for Earth to pull that off so quickly.

Cochrane and his people were still living in Mad Max times...
But again by itself it would have none of the Star Trek elements; no aliens, no stars, no trek(even in DS9 they went places rather frequently) It'd just be a Post-Apocalyptic show.