"TV" or "SCIFI" writers?

[Biggshow]

Listening to the fans rarely, if ever, works out. The fans themselves can't agree on anything.

Why do you think that?

Not wanting to speak for anyone else but I can think of several instances including reading this thread. Other examples: slash fanfic, debates over Klingon foreheads, is the Federation a socialist state, how do stardates work, etc., etc.

OT, I'm with those who would prefer good writers period and writers who ideally had some science education or knew how to do research or who had access to a science advisor (and would actually listen to them).

I have long held that ST needs to stop competing with itself and other sci-fi shows and start competing with the likes of "The West Wing", "House", "Kings" (which, I guess, counts as speculative fiction), "The Sopranos", etc. I would also like a moritorium on any new "science" that has no basis in real science, for instance, like telepathy.

 

[Australis]

I'd argue the more memorable TOS eps are written by SF writers, while TNG eps are written by writers using SF. To me, TNG stuff is well written, but few of them go big on SF ideas.

Yeah, I know, I'll get shot down over that, but I maintain it's true.

 

[jamestyler]

I have long held that ST needs to stop competing with itself and other sci-fi shows and start competing with the likes of "The West Wing", "House", "Kings" (which, I guess, counts as speculative fiction), "The Sopranos", etc. I would also like a moritorium on any new "science" that has no basis in real science, for instance, like telepathy.

I feel the same way. I'm sure many wouldn't agree with my opinion, but I'm getting the feeling that the only way to keep genre TV alive is to hide he genre aspect of it.

 

[Tachyon]

Listening to the fans rarely, if ever, works out. The fans themselves can't agree on anything.

I have to agree.

 

[RobertScorpio]

I have long held that ST needs to stop competing with itself and other sci-fi shows and start competing with the likes of "The West Wing", "House", "Kings" (which, I guess, counts as speculative fiction), "The Sopranos", etc. I would also like a moritorium on any new "science" that has no basis in real science, for instance, like telepathy.

I feel the same way. I'm sure many wouldn't agree with my opinion, but I'm getting the feeling that the only way to keep genre TV alive is to hide he genre aspect of it.

As I said before, I think they tried 'hiding' the scifi genre aspect of it already by ditching STAR TREK title when ENTERPRISE started. I think they need to go the absolute other way. Hire some "REAL" scifi writers and to try and bring the awe of Star Trek back...not just make another soap-opera, which to me, makes TREK too much like...ta da...the other shows on TV

Rob

 

[RobertScorpio]

I have long held that ST needs to stop competing with itself and other sci-fi shows and start competing with the likes of "The West Wing", "House", "Kings" (which, I guess, counts as speculative fiction), "The Sopranos", etc. I would also like a moritorium on any new "science" that has no basis in real science, for instance, like telepathy.

I feel the same way. I'm sure many wouldn't agree with my opinion, but I'm getting the feeling that the only way to keep genre TV alive is to hide he genre aspect of it.

As I said before, I think they tried 'hiding' the scifi genre aspect of it already by ditching STAR TREK title when ENTERPRISE started. I think they need to go the absolute other way. Hire some "REAL" scifi writers to try and bring the awe of Star Trek back...not just make another soap-opera, which to me, makes TREK too much like...ta da...the other shows on TV and not unique at all.

Rob

 

[jamestyler]

As I said before, I think they tried 'hiding' the scifi genre aspect of it already by ditching STAR TREK title when ENTERPRISE started. I think they need to go the absolute other way. Hire some "REAL" scifi writers to try and bring the awe of Star Trek back...not just make another soap-opera, which to me, makes TREK too much like...ta da...the other shows on TV and not unique at all.

Rob

I don't see that as much hiding sci fi rather than hiding the Star Trek brand. Though it could be the same thing in a sense...

My line of thought goes onto the elements I've enjoyed the most. Episodes with more dramatic content - In the Pale Moonlight (which only comes to mind as I watched it yesterday) is one example of a show thats all drama on a sci fi basis (or arguably not as it's war based - but a war of weird looking aliens), rather than another layer of SF over the top of an SF backdrop.

The problem I have with some sci fi is that it can focus too much on the event or something interesting and lose out on a personal connection.

 

[Biggshow]

As I said before, I think they tried 'hiding' the scifi genre aspect of it already by ditching STAR TREK title when ENTERPRISE started. I think they need to go the absolute other way. Hire some "REAL" scifi writers to try and bring the awe of Star Trek back...not just make another soap-opera, which to me, makes TREK too much like...ta da...the other shows on TV and not unique at all.

Rob

I don't see that as much hiding sci fi rather than hiding the Star Trek brand. Though it could be the same thing in a sense...

My line of thought goes onto the elements I've enjoyed the most. Episodes with more dramatic content - In the Pale Moonlight (which only comes to mind as I watched it yesterday) is one example of a show thats all drama on a sci fi basis (or arguably not as it's war based - but a war of weird looking aliens), rather than another layer of SF over the top of an SF backdrop.

The problem I have with some sci fi is that it can focus too much on the event or something interesting and lose out on a personal connection.

Right. I'm not talking about hiding the sci-fi. Anything calling itself Star Trek is going to be Sci-fi. What I'm talking about is raising the bar as far as human drama is concerned, which also almost automatically means "no soap". The problem with later Berman era Trek is that the science got shaky and the stories got soapy.

Therefore get good dramatic writers with some experience/acces to expertise with science and all will be well.

Frankly, I'd love to see Trek written by Aaron Sorkin, David Mamet, Michael Frayn, Paula Vogel, Tom Stoppard, Sam Shepard, etc.