Starfleet Acadamy

[dougiezerts]

A few years ago, my best friend told me a rumor he heard that there was going to be a new Star Trek series, and it was going to take place at Starfleet Acadamy. Sort of a sci fi version of "Welcome Back Kotter!"This was before the Enterprise show started.
I was wondering, how many of you also heard about this rumor?

 

[C.E. Evans]

The rumors of a Starfleet Academy series has been popping up now and then for a couple of decades. It being a sci-fi version of "Welcome Back, Kotter"...now that's a new one.

What would Trek versions of Vinnie Barbarino, Arnold Horshack, and Epstein be like, I wonder?

 

[Tarek71]

A few years ago, my best friend told me a rumor he heard that there was going to be a new Star Trek series, and it was going to take place at Starfleet Acadamy. Sort of a sci fi version of "Welcome Back Kotter!"This was before the Enterprise show started.
I was wondering, how many of you also heard about this rumor?

Ha! I never heard the Welcome Back Kotter reference, but I think we have all heard of movie and show ideas about Starfleet Academy. I used to hear it dismissively as Star Trek: 90210. I for one hope that nothing like it is ever made, unless it was a one season effort. If you had a Star Trek series like American Horror Story or True Detective where the show is a series of one season story arcs, maybe you could have one season be cadets, another season could be on a ship with a new cast, etc.

Even one whole season sounds like too much though, actually. But I think I could tolerate it in that format or another sort of anthology series.

 

[VST]

It might work as an animated series, targeted more at teens, but as a main Trek show? Never.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I remember hearing rumours about the SFA series prior to ENT's debut, and that it would feature a gay character.

I think a Starfleet Academy series could work brilliantly - just take the Smallville formula and apply it to Trek, with young versions of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

An Academy show would be more of a character piece, focusing on their development and relationships, rather than aliens of the week or space battles, so they could get into some interesting storylines.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

The rumors of a Starfleet Academy series has been popping up now and then for a couple of decades. It being a sci-fi version of "Welcome Back, Kotter"...now that's a new one.

What would Trek versions of Vinnie Barbarino, Arnold Horshack, and Epstein be like, I wonder?

Perhaps, use the fanbois from Galaxy Quest as a model.

 

[Tarek71]

I don't mind an installment of Trek involving cadets in character driven stories (albeit not an entire show), but there is some question as to whether that is Trek or not.

Similarly I think a police procedural could work in Star Trek; Federation Marshals, or some Federation Bureau of Investigation or some such. But the obvious question you would have to answer about these show ideas is if this is just basically a cop show or a young cadets show, why does it need to be set in the ST universe?

Why wouldn't CBS just make it about Naval Academy cadets or make a FBI or CSI show?

 

[VST]

The reason I don't think they ever make these kind of series is because they stray too far from the Trek formula, and consequently become a financial gamble.

Even people who don't know much about Trek (and they're the target audience to hook in), probably know it's set on a ship in space. That's your basics. That's what 95% of fans want & 95% of everyone else expect. Sure, 'Federation Marshals' to use an example may well appeal to some people but if anything shows like that, or ones set in the Academy, dilute the premise & shrink your target audience; why would they pump millions into a series they don't know people will like, or expect?

That's why, IMO, you'll never see a Trek series that's not a) set in space and b) set on a ship or a space station.

 

[T'Girl]

why would they pump millions into a series they don't know people will like, or expect?

That would be a fear with any style of new Star Trek series.

 

[VST]

Oh completely. These people are massive cowards, hence why we get a ton of crap every year with the odd great series that almost sneaks through.

 

[The Doctor]

Didn't Harve Bennet pitch an Academy movie rather than ST VI?

 

[VST]

Yeah I believe he did, and I think they did develop it a little bit actually. There was also a possible Earth-Romulan War prequel floated as well, I think between the end of ENT & ST09.

 

[T'Girl]

I think a Starfleet Academy series could work brilliantly - just take the Smallville formula and apply it to Trek, with young versions of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest.

I would agree with the first part, but not the latter. A new cast of characters please, I never felt that Kirk, Spock McCoy and the others all went to (or were present at) the academy at the same time.

An Academy show would be more of a character piece, focusing on their development and relationships, rather than aliens of the week or space battles, so they could get into some interesting storylines.

More of a drama, much less action/adventure. City on the Edge of Forever was basically pure drama, there were other episodes too. Properly written (there's the challenge) Star Trek can be fantastic in the realm of drama.

 

[BillJ]

Didn't Harve Bennet pitch an Academy movie rather than ST VI?

And to the horror of fandom everywhere, it featured an Enterprise prior to the NCC-1701. There would have been massive basement riots everywhere if the film had been made!

 

[mos6507]

George Takei lobbied against this during convention appearances at the time. He made it seem like it would have been a campy "Police Academy" sort of thing.

 

[BillJ]

George Takei lobbied against this during convention appearances at the time. He made it seem like it would have been a campy "Police Academy" sort of thing.

I'm sure he lobbied against it because it would have reduced his role (and salary) in Star Trek VI. Nothing wrong with protecting one's interests but I'm not sure he should be considered an unbiased source.

 

[mos6507]

George Takei lobbied against this during convention appearances at the time. He made it seem like it would have been a campy "Police Academy" sort of thing.

I'm sure he lobbied against it because it would have reduced his role (and salary) in Star Trek VI. Nothing wrong with protecting one's interests but I'm not sure he should be considered an unbiased source.

True, but it doesn't mean it still wouldn't have become a train-wreck if realized. He also didn't place the blame on Harve Bennett. He made it sound like the idea originated from Paramount upper-mangement who simply wanted to youngify the franchise.

 

[Tarek71]

The reason I don't think they ever make these kind of series is because they stray too far from the Trek formula, and consequently become a financial gamble.

I think Trek fans will tune into any ST series, at least at first. But I think for CBS the formula may be the problem. At least CSI: Federation, or Federation Marshals, or bounty hunters, or a multi-species Scooby gang solves mysteries involves a formula they know works. There is an audience for shows like that. But would the sort of people who like those sorts of shows like one set in the future? Forget whether it's the ST future or not. Would a show in one these genres or sub genres set in the future be a success worth the cost of producing it?

The problem is that it is a cop, FBI, investigative or mystery show except somewhat more expensive than the normal cop/mystery/private eye/investigative show. So why set it in the future (the ST future or not) when they could set it today to make it cheaper?

If you could get both sci fans and CSI/mystery/cop show fans to watch it, that's an audience that might be worth spending extra for. X-files did get both, so we know it's possible. But X-files was set in our time, so it was cheaper. There's the rub IMHO.

I agree that is not exactly going where no one has gone before, but such a show could have a Warehouse 13 or X-Files aspect so that there could be a fair amount of the strange, unknown and alien.

 

[TerraNovan]

The reason I don't think they ever make these kind of series is because they stray too far from the Trek formula, and consequently become a financial gamble.

Even people who don't know much about Trek (and they're the target audience to hook in), probably know it's set on a ship in space. That's your basics. That's what 95% of fans want & 95% of everyone else expect. Sure, 'Federation Marshals' to use an example may well appeal to some people but if anything shows like that, or ones set in the Academy, dilute the premise & shrink your target audience; why would they pump millions into a series they don't know people will like, or expect?

That's why, IMO, you'll never see a Trek series that's not a) set in space and b) set on a ship or a space station.

The trek formulaic tendencies is what killed the show.

So I hope their intelligent enough to understand that the formula is the primary problem.

We live in very different times from the mid 80s.

Hopefully if there intelligent there gonna stick to upper tier format that has come about with the use of dvds.

10 episodes a year, with one year at a time story arcs.

Story arcs are of course a necessity in this format type.

As episodic television doesnt really work when there is almost a year gap in seasons. People have to be engage in a plot for 12 months of the year waiting to know what happens next.

Also make no mistake in an age when game of thrones is king geekyness is good. The key is having character devlopment so people really cares what happens next.

Star trek has the goods and people wanna see it. Even if they released an enterprise quality show, they would make money at this point. The key is character development(aka hiring good actors) The worst thing I think they can do is spend to much time thinking about the ship, the time period, the technology etc, if the writing is good, the time period etc should be entirely irrelevant. Not surprising enterprises best episodes were when they werent trying to focus on the time period or ship.

With a modern format production costs are easy to control. Small number of episodes with no set cast. And a boatload of people willing to do cheap guest star roles.