The STIV that wasn't (Roddenberry open vault)

[WarpFactorZ]

I was browsing through the Roddenberry open vault and found the following treatment for "Star Trek IV":

http://www.roddenberry.com/media/vault/ST4-Outline.pdf

I've never read anything about this before, and was wondering if anyone knew about its development (and obvious deep-sixing). When was this outline written? It opens with the Enterprise exploring a black hole, and thus isn't a follow-up to TSFS. Does the IV refer to something else?

 

[Kor]

That was... interesting. It's 1980s Roddenberry, all right.

Kor

 

[BigDaveX]

When was this outline written? It opens with the Enterprise exploring a black hole, and thus isn't a follow-up to TSFS. Does the IV refer to something else?

Considering that it mentions being set during the last leg of the Enterprise's five year mission, but also makes reference to the ship being refit, my guess is that it's supposed to be an interquel set between The Motion PIcture and The Wrath of Khan, as Roddenberry's way of not having to deal with the events of the second and third films.

But yeah, it's... weird, to say the least. Feels more like some sort of idea that Roddenberry had while he was working on Phase II, then tried to turn into a film script in the mid-80s.

 

[Takeru]

The entire thing is rubbish, what was Roddenberry smoking? Why did he even waste his time writing this, as if anyone was going to use this stupid idea.

 

[tharpdevenport]

I got bored of reading it one tenth in.

 

[alensatemybuick1]

Scanned through it quickly; where's JFK?

 

[Khan 2.0]

Skimmed read it may go back to it but what the hell? set in the final of the (second post TMP) 5 year mission? how would thatve worked? Just pretended they were a few years younger? What about wrapping up the Genesis trilogy?

As for the story seemed to start off something like Time Squared and Cause& Effect (maybe those eps were influenced by this treatment?)..before veering into something similar to ..Planet of the Titans? (missing Kirk, god beings, black hole/timetravel/earth millions of years in future - not the past like POTT) then a Kirk vs the enterprise crew finale?

Wonder who GR had in mind for Captain West? For some reason imagined David Hedison when reading..

 

[Phoenix219]

I'm a little mad that it ends so abruptly. As absolutely insane as it is, and as completely impossible as it would be to film this as the fourth movie, and to make Kirk a background character/antagonist, while starring a whole new character or actor..... I absolutely want to know what the twist / resolution was, not to mention the actual explantion. WTF is going on here? Its like a wonderful Twilight Zone version of Trek that never was, and I am so beyond curious now.....

 

[F. King Daniel]

I kinda like the idea that Roddenberry thought he could just pick up after TMP with his "Star Trek 4" and pretend Wrath of Khan and Search For Spock never happened.

I wish we got a conclusion. I'm guessing a reset button? I guess maybe it could work as a prequel to the Genesis trilogy that way.

 

[Pauln6]

That was fun. Did seem like a phase II two-parter though.

 

[Khan 2.0]

I kinda like the idea that Roddenberry thought he could just pick up after TMP with his "Star Trek 4" and pretend Wrath of Khan and Search For Spock never happened.

looks like Gene wanted to go all Terminator Genesis/T6 and Blomkamp Alien 5 on his Trek IV

I wish we got a conclusion. I'm guessing a reset button? I guess maybe it could work as a prequel to the Genesis trilogy that way.

Maybe it could've been reworked for STV (a couple of elements were sort of similar to TFF) Sean Connery for Captain West! And get Bran Ferren to work on that black hole!

 

[WarpFactorZ]

set in the final of the (second post TMP) 5 year mission?

It doesn't say that. It says "... at the end of it's five year mission." Obvious grammatical mistake aside (Gene apparently ain't a great writer), this almost sounds like he wanted to dial it back to TOS, i.e. pre-TMP.

 

[Phoenix219]

But then they refer to it as the "refitted ship." And there is no way they would go back to a TOS model.

I think he hated the direction the series had gone, and wanted to reset things back to the status quo - which ironically DID happen at the end of the real 4th movie. I always pencil in a 3rd 5YM after TFF, so I guess it could fit alright in that regard. This movie is bizarre, and out there, and could very easily be a companion story / spiritual successor to TMP, which was the last one Gene was responsible for.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

But then they refer to it as the "refitted ship." And there is no way they would go back to a TOS model.

I didn't see that -- but it's possible they would just keep the refit without acknowledging TMP in the first place. You never know....

This movie is bizarre, and out there, and could very easily be a companion story / spiritual successor to TMP, which was the last one Gene was responsible for.

I don't know what Gene was smoking/ingesting in the 70s and 80s, but this idea is the tripped-out cousin of TMP. Coupled with Planet of the Titans and the other crap he churned out, I'm quite happy the series chose to go another direction.

 

[uniderth]

It has potential. It has a strong mystery element that pulled me in. I would love to know what the resolution was. It's odd seeing Kirk left out of so much of it, though.

 

[Gul Sengosts]

"This Earth-spaceship could have held billions of humans in perfect safety and comfort and should have been capable of near ultimate philosophies."

...

 

[Maurice]

I don't know what Gene was smoking/ingesting in the 70s and 80s, but this idea is the tripped-out cousin of TMP. Coupled with Planet of the Titans and the other crap he churned out, I'm quite happy the series chose to go another direction.

Gene didn't "churn out" Planet of the Titans. He wasn't a writer on that.

 

[Tom]

Keep in mind this document is not dated so we don't know when it was written, it could have been an early idea (before TMP or before TWOK) of what he thought future movies would be about. Also the lack of Kirk maybe understandable given Shatner pay demands or possible scheduling conflict at the time, so Gene may have been thinking ahead to giving him a more minimal role

Also there may have been more pages floating around to complete. I presume that Rod went through all his Dad's saved paperwork and have his team scan them all. Some of them were probably out of order and maybe some even missing, who know how good Gene filed things?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

This is junk.

 

[ISS Enterprise]

This is junk.

Here here.....

The more if Gene's post TOS udeas I read about I get a L. Ron Hubbard vibe.....wow

This with the movie idea where Kik Spock meet "Jesus" he might need to pee in a cup lmao