What If...No More Nimoy?

[Shawnster]

"and starring Richard Gere as Spock 2"

Martin Landau as Spock

So basically, I think we would've gotten just a couple more interesting but ultimately less popular movies before they called it quits around STIV. Star Trek dies again for a while, and then they try to resurrect the show again in some form about 10 years later.

Star Trek IV was in 1986. TNG premiered in 1987. We may have still gotten TNG despite an interesting but ultimately less popular III and IV.

 

[Therin of Andor]

We've no idea how popular the movies would have been. Perhaps III would have been more popular and IV could have bombed.

One speculation of the day was that Alley and Butrick - supported by whomever of the previous cast still wanted to come along - would be the hot young leads of a series of telemovies. Shatner might have been tempted back in cameos as "the Admiral", or a bigger role in "sweeps week". It was firmly the era of the telemovie and the mini-series ("Roots" was in 1977).

This scenario would have probably have seen the producers delve back into the stockpiled "Phase II" scripts as time ran out. "Kitumba" was a Klingon-themed movie-length script already written. Lines for Xon, Kirk, Decker and Ilia would need some rejigging, but still doable. But risky without Nimoy, who'd proven his popularity anew with all the "Spock death" publicity in the lead-up to ST II.

Interestingly, when Billy Van Zandt was cast by Robert Wise as TMP's bridge alien (who ultimately only got one line in a then-unfinished shooting script), they were still talking about the expectation that TMP would kick off a series of telemovies or "Phase II" TV episodes, and that the extras and minor players of TMP might be required for further work.

 

[Orphalesion]

One speculation of the day was that Alley and Butrick - supported by whomever of the previous cast still wanted to come along - would be the hot young leads of a series of telemovies. Shatner might have been tempted back in cameos as "the Admiral", or a bigger role in "sweeps week". It was firmly the era of the telemovie and the mini-series ("Roots" was in 1977).

And North and South started in 1985 featuring Christie Alley as the delightfully deranged Virgillia Hazard as well as Johnathan Frakes.

Interestingly, when Billy Van Zandt was cast by Robert Wise as TMP's bridge alien (who ultimately only got one line in a then-unfinished shooting script), they were still talking about the expectation that TMP would kick off a series of telemovies or "Phase II" TV episodes, and that the extras and minor players of TMP might be required for further work.

Oh man, he looked cool in that movie, would have been nice to see more of that guy!

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'm picturing a show with Decker, Ilia, Saavik and David. ( continuity be damned!)

 

[fireproof78]

"and starring Richard Gere as Spock 2"

Martin Landau as Spock

So basically, I think we would've gotten just a couple more interesting but ultimately less popular movies before they called it quits around STIV. Star Trek dies again for a while, and then they try to resurrect the show again in some form about 10 years later.

Star Trek IV was in 1986. TNG premiered in 1987. We may have still gotten TNG despite an interesting but ultimately less popular III and IV.

Star Trek II was likely successful enough to get GR the show he wanted, which was TNG. I would imagine we would get that show, though we might not have the later crossovers such as Spock at Romulus, or Scotty in Relics if the films had continued on in a different way.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I'm picturing a show with Decker, Ilia, Saavik and David. ( continuity be damned!)

I'd watch that!

 

[JonnyQuest037]

So basically, I think we would've gotten just a couple more interesting but ultimately less popular movies before they called it quits around STIV. Star Trek dies again for a while, and then they try to resurrect the show again in some form about 10 years later.

Star Trek IV was in 1986. TNG premiered in 1987. We may have still gotten TNG despite an interesting but ultimately less popular III and IV.

Yeah, but what I was saying was that without the massive success and crossover appeal of STIV, TNG was much less likely to be greenlit. If TVH flopped, I don't see them starting up a brand-new TV show the next year, especially with risky factors like an all-new cast and first-run syndication.

History is a series of dominoes. If you change or remove one element, you can't expect the rest to continue unaffected.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

We've no idea how popular the movies would have been. Perhaps III would have been more popular and IV could have bombed.

Well, yeah, I thought that was obvious. This is ALL just theorizing.

Well yeah. We can't really theorize about popularity though.

Who says we can't? I don't think saying "TOS movies without Leonard Nimoy likely wouldn't have been as popular" is that great of a leap.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Star Trek II was likely successful enough to get GR the show he wanted, which was TNG.

No, ST II had estranged Roddenberry from the franchise. After ST IV's success, Paramount was going to do a new series with him or without him, but realised that with him came with a lot of (initial) excitement from the fans of TOS and TMP.

Wasn't the whole Mindmeld/"Remember" part added after the movie was first screened because so many people who screened it were so down about Spock's death?

No, the shot of the coffin having softlanded on Genesis was added after the test screening. Spock always did the meld with McCoy, but no one knew what "Remember" would mean, not even the writers. (I think they may have added a closeup?)

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Recast the role. Just use the Genesis effect as an explanation for any physical differences.

Yeah--make it up as they go along. Make Vulcans like the Doctor--at "death" he regenerates into a new look.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

No, the shot of the coffin having softlanded on Genesis was added after the test screening. Spock always did the meld with McCoy, but no one knew what "Remember" would mean, not even the writers. (I think they may have added a closeup?)

Yes. The hand mind-melding with McCoy in DeForest Kelley's closeup is not Nimoy's. Nimoy was a bit irked by this as he always conceived of Vulcans having precise hand movements & the hand double just sort of plopped his hand onto Kelley's face.

 

[f14peter]

Had Nimoy not returned and III, in whatever incarnation it became, was a success, it would have inevitably led to a IV, and if IV was reasonably successful, it would have led to a V and ....

If Nimoy, at nearly any point decided he wanted back on the bandwagon, the way was wide open. As long as any intervening film didn't close the book entirely on the Genesis Planet storyline, it and a regenerated Spock would be patiently waiting to be brought back into the fold.

COMING THIS CHRISTMAS, STAR TREK V: The Undiscovered Vulcan! ... er, STAR TREK V: the Rediscovered Vulcan! ... um, STAR TREK V: The Voyage to Fetch Kirk's Prime Peep! ... Oh hell, STAR TREK V: SPOCK'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!!! ........ Directed by William Shatner

 

[spockfan101]

I think it would be a different type of movie without spock.
I myself am a spock fan.
I like him the best.

 

[Kevman7987]

If Spock stayed dead, I would have loved them to bring in Commander Thelin from TAS to be Kirk's new best friend. It's a shame that the Andorians did not get any canon expansion until ENT.

 

[Therin of Andor]

If Spock stayed dead, I would have loved them to bring in Commander Thelin from TAS to be Kirk's new best friend.

You might enjoy the "Crucible: Spock" novel by David R. George III.

 

[Melakon]

If Spock stayed dead, I would have loved them to bring in Commander Thelin from TAS to be Kirk's new best friend.

You might enjoy the "Crucible: Spock" novel by David R. George III.

Maybe he mistyped Therin of Andor.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Maybe we could've seen, Star Trek III: Voyager Return.

V'Ger 's back, which sees Decker and Android-Ilia return to active duty as Executive Officer and Navigator, respectively. Saavik remains as Science Officer and Chekov resumes his post at the weapons console.

 

[Mudd]

I'd have preferred Spock remain dead and the series continue with Alley's Saavik.

 

[Kevman7987]

If Spock stayed dead, I would have loved them to bring in Commander Thelin from TAS to be Kirk's new best friend.

You might enjoy the "Crucible: Spock" novel by David R. George III.

I have read those novels. I also read the Myriad Universes short story (The Chimes at Midnight by Geoff Trowbridge) about that universe where Spock died as a youth on Vulcan.