The Face Of The Franchise

[ichab]

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the face of the franchise going forward

Star Trek has always had its flag bearer franchise within the franchise. There was of course the original, which was so successful it went from the 1960s through the 1990s across live-action shows, animated shows, and eventually films. When the brand was relaunched in the 1980s, The Next Generation became the next big brand, and remained as such through the Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and even Enterprise years, despite it going off the air in 1994.

When the brand was brought back as a streaming show, Discovery was the first show to get greenlit. That means that it was supposed to be the franchise’s face. While it was for a little while out of necessity, when Picard came along, Discovery became an afterthought. The show’s quality couldn’t hold up against Picard’s name value.

Then people saw Picard and realized that neither show was really well done. Short Treks came and went, and then Lower Decks premiered, both of which found some fans but not enough to be the flagbearer of the show.

Then Strange New Worlds launched. It became a darling of a show, earning awards, accolades, top spots on Must Watch lists, and actually becoming a ratings hit. So it’s not surprising that it’s now front and center in advertising for CBS and Paramount+.

Strange New World is the first true hit the brand has had in years

You can claim that Discovery, Picard, Short Treks, and Lower Decks all had their fans, and you wouldn’t be wrong. Three of those shows didn’t have enough fans, however, and that’s why they’re canceled.

Yet, regardless of your views on those previous shows, Strange New Worlds didn’t just cater to Star Trek fans, or specific sects of the fandom, but instead to a more general audience. It went back to Trek’s roots and found an audience that fit more in line with contemporary streaming fans, as well as die-hard Trek loyalists.

It didn’t try to be just for one group of people and for that reason it found a huge audience. It’s become the face of the franchise and the blueprint for all future series. Though, it’s not like it’s a new blueprint.

All Strange New Worlds did was look at the 80s and 90s Trek shows and do that.

Now, here’s hoping that the folks at Paramount+ cancel everything else and just give Strange New Worlds and Prodigy 20 episodes per season.

TNG had the standard bearer title because
1.) Original cast retired, after a VERY long time on top
2.) DS9 and Voyager were spinoffs of TNG
3.) TNG was on the big screen during that time.

While Discovery and Picard will be ending soon, Starfleet Acadamy will be out and that is based in a different time frame from SNW. Plus the movie universe is still in the Kelvin Timeline. Its going to be interesting to see if SNW can keep it's popularity while remaining the "it" Trek show

While not perfect(I still don't like the casting of James Kirk nor turning the Gorn into creatures from Alien) the show got a lot right. I wasn't aware of how popular SNW got compared to the other recent shows or that it has appeal outside of the normal fan base. I just know I preferred it to the other ones and my tastes aren't always the majority. While it really has that standard bearer title now by default thanks to the other shows getting canceled, will it keep that distinction or will the fanbase splinter with the new shows that come afterward?

 

[Mudd]

Well, most everything he says is true.

Still, he's basically just trying to create a "why don't you and him fight?" situation to drive traffic to his site.

 

[HotRod]

I feel like this image is once again relevant.

 

[XCV330]

Anson Mount has the hair of the franchise.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

Mount is the Hair to the Franchise.

 

[donners22]

I'm never quite sure if these articles are satire or if they're just terribly written.

I wasn't aware of how popular SNW got compared to the other recent shows or that it has appeal outside of the normal fan base. I just know I preferred it to the other ones and my tastes aren't always the majority. While it really has that standard bearer title now by default thanks to the other shows getting canceled, will it keep that distinction or will the fanbase splinter with the new shows that come afterward?

You're taking a shoddy article at its word. There is no evidence whatsoever that SNW is a "ratings hit" in comparison to the other series; indeed, it's pretty plain it isn't. Nor does the "cancellation" of the others establish anything - Disco got five seasons and Picard was only ever going to be three. SNW has only had one air so far, and nothing is confirmed beyond season 3.

This is just tedious fanbase division.

 

[fireproof78]

This is just tedious fanbase division.

What else is new?

 

[ichab]

Anson Mount has the hair of the franchise.

I thought his hair at the beginning of the first episode was fine before he put it in that....whatever you want to call it that it's in now.

 

[XCV330]

...whatever you want to call it that it's in now.

a marvel of Starfleet engineering

 

[JoseNoodles]

Mount is the Hair to the Franchise.

And Peck is it's Handsome Squidward.

 

[Mudd]

Link

 

[Quantum21]

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TNG had the standard bearer title because
1.) Original cast retired, after a VERY long time on top
2.) DS9 and Voyager were spinoffs of TNG
3.) TNG was on the big screen during that time.

While Discovery and Picard will be ending soon, Starfleet Acadamy will be out and that is based in a different time frame from SNW. Plus the movie universe is still in the Kelvin Timeline. Its going to be interesting to see if SNW can keep it's popularity while remaining the "it" Trek show

While not perfect(I still don't like the casting of James Kirk nor turning the Gorn into creatures from Alien) the show got a lot right. I wasn't aware of how popular SNW got compared to the other recent shows or that it has appeal outside of the normal fan base. I just know I preferred it to the other ones and my tastes aren't always the majority. While it really has that standard bearer title now by default thanks to the other shows getting canceled, will it keep that distinction or will the fanbase splinter with the new shows that come afterward?

Discovery is the face of the franchise. Everything about modern trek evolved out of Discovery, even the viability of Picard. The others have more direct connections to it.

 

[Mudd]

Discovery is the face of the franchise. Everything about modern trek evolved out of Discovery, even the viability of Picard. The others have more direct connections to it.

Nope.

For one thing, it's one-more-and-done.

For another, the other shows now in production have roots going back decades. STD demonstrated the viability of Trek as original streaming content, but Picard, SNW and the cartoons take little or no inspiration from it in terms of style or content. SNW has the clearest connection to it since the main characters were cast for that series and carried over to SNW, but it's grounded more directly in TOS than any post-1969 version. Every character that was not invented specifically for SNW has their origins many decades ago, including Robert April. It neither looks nor is written similarly to any current Trek production.

 

[Quantum21]

Nope.

For one thing, it's one-more-and-done.

For another, the other shows now in production have roots going back decades. STD demonstrated the viability of Trek as original streaming content, but Picard, SNW and the cartoons take little or no inspiration from it in terms of style or content. SNW has the clearest connection to it since the main characters were cast for that series and carried over to SNW, but it's grounded more directly in TOS than any post-1969 version. Every character that was not invented specifically for SNW has their origins many decades ago, including Robert April. It neither looks nor is written similarly to any current Trek production.

Nice effort, wrong though.

SNW is a direct sequel, in fact you can't get more direct than this at all, as Season 2 of Discovery was not just a prequel, it's practically a first season! Additionally, much of the creative team worked on both, and the Producer/showrunner kick started both into creation.

Discovery was huge when it started and still is the top show at P+. It's numbers are double what Picard is currently doing by some metrics. But without those P+ and Netflix returns to demonstrate a model for international Amazon Prime, Picard would only have been a dream. So Discovery gets the credit again.

5 seasons for streaming is fantastic, especially when considering Netflix shows have a 3 season and done policy with most shows due to increasing costs. Discovery had the same problem unfortunately, being the most expensive (and showing the most of it on screen) of the bunch with the 6th season coming up for new contracts, that would have blown the budget.

Instead of abandoning its top show, P+ is giving it a huge send off, and spinning off it's milieu into not only a new show set in it's time period, but also very likely another new show or mini-series set in it's old time period.

Discovery runs deep in everything.

So it's quaint you feel this way, but that's all it is, a feeling.

 

[F. King Daniel]

The face of the franchise is whichever one the PR machine is hyping next. It'll be SNW after Picard, then Lower Decks then Prodigy then Michael for Disco's last season, then the teens in the SFA show.

With a drop of Michelle Yeoh if that S31 miniseries ever happens.

 

[shivkala]

There's a reason Red Shirts Must Die is a site I avoid and this article is one major part of that reason.

First, it makes the case for SNW's popularity based off one commercial with the word "popular" in it. It ignores the Superbowl commercial, which while also having Pike, used Mariner, as well. I'm not in advertising, but I would think you wouldn't put a character in a Superbowl ad unless they had a certain degree of popularity.

Second, it took every chance to score cheap shots at Picard and Discovery. For the record, I love Discovery and have enjoyed most of Picard.

It also ignores the attention Picard has been getting this season for fans reacting to it with overwhelming praise.

Third, there's no evidence for any of this. As others pointed out, Picard was planned for 3 seasons and there's a lot of goodwill for a spinoff series, similar to what encouraged Paramount to launch SNW. I've yet to see any explanation for why there's been no more Short Treks but I don't think it's due to popularity. The second season was Pike heavy, which again led to SNW.

Fourth, it is a poorly constructed argument since it takes swipes at the other shows, briefly touches on why SNW is beloved, and then, out of nowhere adds Prodigy to it's argument. I do love it, but it's strange to see it included when no argument is made for it over the other shows. With Mariner on the Superbowl ad, they could have easily included it over Prodigy.

Which brings me to my last point, I've seen nothing to indicate it's a zero sum game. Lower Decks continuing shouldn't diminish SNW or Prodigy. Picard and Discovery ending should be unwelcome news, even if you don't care for the shows because it limits the Trek out there. There will be fewer options, where just recently fans had 5 shows to choose from and nothing to say we couldn't choose and enjoy all of them.

 

[ichab]

You're taking a shoddy article at its word. There is no evidence whatsoever that SNW is a "ratings hit" in comparison to the other series;

The higher ups disagree with you.

‘Strange New Worlds’ Is Most-Watched Paramount+ Star Trek Original Debut; CEO Says Franchise “Just Getting Started”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds wrapped up its freshman season last month to high praise here at TrekMovie, along with a lot of positive buzz from critics and fans. So it should be no surprise to hear that the show is also a big hit for Paramount+.

Today Paramount+ sent out an announcement revealing that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds had the strongest debut ever for a Star Trek series, setting a new record as the most-watched original series in the franchise over its first 90 days. The series is also off to a strong start internationally, ranking as one the top two most-watched original series on Paramount+ in the U.K.

Paramount executives showed their enthusiasm for the show in an official statement released today, starting off with the chief of programming for Paramount+ Tanya Giles:

"Star Trek’ fans all over the world embraced this incredible new ‘Star Trek’ journey. We are thrilled that the ‘Star Trek’ universe continues to be one of the most-watched franchises on the service."

Last week the company announced Paramount+ had grown to 43 million subscribers globally, with the most sign-up for any US subscription service during the second quarter of 2022. In a call with investors last week, Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish cited Trek among the drivers for Paramount+, saying:

"The power and strength of our franchises, existing and new, was on full display this quarter, thanks to strong performances from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, 1883 of the Yellowstone Universe and our latest South Park special, South Park: the Streaming Wars as well as Halo, which has become a top driver globally for subscriber acquisition and engagement."

 

[ichab]

Discovery is the face of the franchise. Everything about modern trek evolved out of Discovery, even the viability of Picard. The others have more direct connections to it.

Discovery is not the face of the franchise. SNW has it's roots in the very first Star Trek pilot. Even the style of the show is like TOS with it's self contained stories. Discovery might be able to lay claim to small spinoff since Pike appeared in the second season, but it's hard to call it that when it's a captain and crew that first came out in the 60s. And Picard has absolutely no connection of any kind to Discovery.

 

[CorporalClegg]

No shit.

 

[donners22]

The higher ups disagree with you.

When Discovery debuted , the subscribers were ~1.5 million. When Picard debuted, they were ~8 million. When SNW debuted, they were ~40 million.

If SNW didn't debut with more viewers, it'd be a horrendous failure.