What if Star Trek DSC is the first season of an anthology?

[NX-01 Plumber]

First, let me preface this by saying that I am excited at the prospect of a new Star Trek Series (but certainly not excited at the prospect of our collective reactions - as we proved in the good old days of ENT).

I've been reading a number of articles detailing the difficulties encountered in getting DSC off the ground, 'mixed' initial fan reaction and the disharmony between Bryan Fuller and Kurtzman. Oh, and the CBS goal of promoting their All Access service - which I understand to be an attempt to compete with Netflix and Amazon productions.

I'm left with the initial impression (and hope I am wrong) that DSC may perform quite poorly in its first season, despite what I believe is a strong cast and very experienced production team.

If I am not proven wrong, it would present CBS with the option to go back to Fuller's initial vision of an anthology of Trek, allowing them to distance themselves from an initial failure and try to relaunch.

Although it may be a bit early to start discussing the future of Trek after the demise of DSC, I nevertheless thought it might be interesting to start a discussion of which parts of Trekdom might be interesting to explore (to get the ball rolling, Romulan wars, Section 31, Starfleet Operations, etc.).

 

[Noname Given]

First, let me preface this by saying that I am excited at the prospect of a new Star Trek Series (but certainly not excited at the prospect of our collective reactions - as we proved in the good old days of ENT).

I've been reading a number of articles detailing the difficulties encountered in getting DSC off the ground, 'mixed' initial fan reaction and the disharmony between Bryan Fuller and Kurtzman. Oh, and the CBS goal of promoting their All Access service - which I understand to be an attempt to compete with Netflix and Amazon productions.

I'm left with the initial impression (and hope I am wrong) that DSC may perform quite poorly in its first season, despite what I believe is a strong cast and very experienced production team.

If I am not proven wrong, it would present CBS with the option to go back to Fuller's initial vision of an anthology of Trek, allowing them to distance themselves from an initial failure and try to relaunch.

Although it may be a bit early to start discussing the future of Trek after the demise of DSC, I nevertheless thought it might be interesting to start a discussion of which parts of Trekdom might be interesting to explore (to get the ball rolling, Romulan wars, Section 31, Starfleet Operations, etc.).

If ST: D fails big, they're NOT going to throw money at another Star Trek project for TV/Netflix/CBS All Access. They'll conclude that with 750+ existing episodes, and 13 feature films; that Star Trek fans have what they like - and continue to repackage and sell merchandise based on the existing stuff.

 

[Jedman67]

Two seasons are planned; the success of the first season would determine if further seasons are called for. I don't see this show going beyond 4-5 seasons; at that point CBS would have planned for a spinoff show.

 

[Shalashaska]

It's not. Fuller wanted one, but they decided to go with a serialised multi-season story instead.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

I wouldn't mind an Anthology series -- similar to FX's Fargo and American Horror Story -- with a each season giving me a different story, on a different ship, with a different crew, and in a different time period.

They would most likely change actors every season (like Fargo) or potentially go the American Horror Story route and keep the same actors but have them play different characters each season (although Trek fans seem to be the type who would complain about doing that).

Having said that, DSC (from everything that I heard) will almost certainly not become an anthology. However, maybe a future series could be.

One thing to consider about an anthology would be the additional cost of set design/art design and set construction for each season.

 

[Long Syntax]

If ST: D fails big, they're NOT going to throw money at another Star Trek project for TV/Netflix/CBS All Access. They'll conclude that with 750+ existing episodes, and 13 feature films; that Star Trek fans have what they like - and continue to repackage and sell merchandise based on the existing stuff.

This certainly is a fear of mine for ST - that a short run of DSC would produce another hibernation period similar to the end of ENT.

I'm trying to remain optimistic though. I'm all in and will watch. How many others will I'm not certain.

 

[Mage]

Two seasons are planned; the success of the first season would determine if further seasons are called for. I don't see this show going beyond 4-5 seasons; at that point CBS would have planned for a spinoff show.

Personally, I'm also calling for 4-5 seasons. But not because I think the show will fail. Most shows these days tend to last about that long don't they? I was surprised Arrow got a 6th season, since I was under the impression it wasn't doing so well. Mind you, I only just started season 5. I think the only real exception these days is Supernatural (also just started season 5 there).

And really, 4-5 is a good run. I loved both TNG and DS9, but both shows had a decline in quality during seasons 6 and 7. Same for Voyager.

 

[KennyB]

Stay tuned all weekend.

 

[Thefallguy]

My theory revolves around the rumored Khan mini series. If the rumors are true AND discovery is a success, I'm hoping/ guessing, that we get a Trek mini series every year during the season hiatus of discovery, starting with Khan after season 2.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

My theory revolves around the rumored Khan mini series. If the rumors are true AND discovery is a success, I'm hoping/ guessing, that we get a Trek mini series every year during the season hiatus of discovery, starting with Khan after season 2.

That would be ideal.

A 5-part (even as many as 10-part?) limited series every DSC "off season", each limited series telling us a different story during a different time frame? That could be interesting.

 

[Thefallguy]

Yes. I'd say 5-6 parts. 8 max. And it should have unusual setttings. Like that Khan rumor. Not just another ship in another timeframe.

 

[psCargile]

Discovery will do well if science fiction in general is doing well. And I have no idea how the other as sci-fi shows are doing.

 

[Kevin Wolff]

A Khan show would by nature be more akin to something like LOST (except everyone is ultra-fit and beautiful) and probably not do much to help bolster interest in space-based scifi.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

A Khan show would by nature be more akin to something like LOST (except everyone is ultra-fit and beautiful) and probably not do much to help bolster interest in space-based scifi.

If it were a limited series (which is what is being discussed here), it could be more interesting than "something akin to LOST" because the story-telling would be more densely packed if the entire story needed to be told in 6 to 8 episodes.

After 6-to-8 episodes of a Khan story, then they move on to a different 6-to-8-episode story with different characters set in a different time and place.

 

[Kevin Wolff]

If it were a limited series (which is what is being discussed here), it could be more interesting than "something akin to LOST" because the story-telling would be more densely packed if the entire story needed to be told in 6 to 8 episodes.

After 6-to-8 episodes of a Khan story, then they move on to a different 6-to-8-episode story with different characters set in a different time and place.

I don't doubt it could work. In fact it could even reach mass appeal. And then they'd want to do more stuff like that instead of space stuff which is more expensive to produce. Of if it fails it could damage the brand further like Caprica did with BSG. Its follow-up got relegated to web mini-series (Blood and Chrome).

 

[Mirror Mirror]

The cost will keep an anthology from happening.

 

[Ralphis]

I love the 'idea' of a Star Trek anthology series, and at one time that's what I wanted. But I imagine that would get pretty dang costly after awhile. You'd have to design and build new sets and costumes every season. I think maybe those controlling the CBS pocketbook would put an ax to that after a few seasons.

I'm cheering for DSC, but I have wondered "where do we go from here?" if it's a bust. I imagine probably something a little lighter, and set in the 24th century just to make social media happy. (I keep on reading the comments section on Facebook... I don't know why... I need to stop doing that...)

 

[mattyhugh]

Please no more Khan.
And I love TWOK.

 

[Krandor]

I love the 'idea' of a Star Trek anthology series, and at one time that's what I wanted. But I imagine that would get pretty dang costly after awhile. You'd have to design and build new sets and costumes every season. I think maybe those controlling the CBS pocketbook would put an ax to that after a few seasons.

I'm cheering for DSC, but I have wondered "where do we go from here?" if it's a bust. I imagine probably something a little lighter, and set in the 24th century just to make social media happy. (I keep on reading the comments section on Facebook... I don't know why... I need to stop doing that...)

If discovery is a busy we won't see Star Trek on TV again for a decade or two.

 

[Captain of the USS Averof]

Some would argue that even if Discovery is a success we won't see Star Trek on TV again for a decade or two either. But not me of course.