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Why do they keep going back to the Kirk era?

Awhile back I got a talking Star Trek greeting card at Wal Mart, one of several TOS choices. No TNG cards to choose from.
 
How many times did Law and Order recycle the same old stories over and over in 20+ years on the air?
Probably not as often as one would think, though 20+ years certainly would lend itself to some repetition. One aspect that I enjoyed, especially with SVU, is that it would borrow from real life headlines, which lend itself to some creativity in seeing how the characters responded.

Again, characters, for me, are more important than originality of story.
 
My favorite was the one with Vincent D'noforo(spell?) My wife and I used to watch it religiously. But the last time I saw it, his quirks annoyed me.
 
... One aspect that I enjoyed, especially with SVU, is that it would borrow from real life headlines, which lend itself to some creativity in seeing how the characters responded.
...
I wonder how that works with the typical disclaimer of "any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental."

Kor
 
I wonder how that works with the typical disclaimer of "any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental."

Kor

You just have to change enough specific details . . . .

Historical note: that disclaimer dates back to a lawsuit over RASPUTIN AND THE EMPRESS way back in 1932. One of the guys who actually killed Rasputin (who was still alive when the movie came out) sued MGM . . . not for depicting him as an assassin (he was proud of that) but for implying that Rasputin raped his wife. MGM had to pay a huge amount of damages . . . and thus the "any resemblance" disclaimer was born. Really.
 
I'm curious as to the effectiveness of that disclaimer. After all if a character is obviously based on a real person, and clearly the similarities are not coincidental can that disclaimer really save a company from a lawsuit? Because the disclaimer is a blatant lie, so that shouldn't provide them with immunity from civil suits.
 
The 24th Century is awesome.

Holodecks, quantum torpeodoes, Borg, Dominion Wars, starship separation, Ferengi, Picard, Maquis, Gamma and Delta Quadrents, Section 31, Sisko, The Defiant...awesomeness at every turn.

The Kirk era was just a little cooler than even all that.

That's really all there is to it.

:hugegrin:
 
I'm curious as to the effectiveness of that disclaimer. After all if a character is obviously based on a real person, and clearly the similarities are not coincidental can that disclaimer really save a company from a lawsuit? Because the disclaimer is a blatant lie, so that shouldn't provide them with immunity from civil suits.

I'm no lawyer, but I imagine it depends on how much you fictionalize them. As I understand it, what really helps is specifically WRONG details. As I advised a writer years and years ago:

"If the real guy was old, make him young. If he was tall, make him short. If he was fat, make him skinny. If he was white, make him black. If he was a man, make him a woman."

Another classic trick you see sometimes: Mention the real person by name somewhere in the story, to make it clear that that fictionalized version is supposed to be someone else. In other words,if your story is about a thinly-disguised version of, say, Justin Bieber, make sure somebody mentions the real Justin Bieber in dialogue somewhere to establish your character as a separate entity..

And, of course, the ultimate defense: wait until all the real people are dead and can't sue! :)
 
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Honestly, I'm glad that STAR TREK is not returning to the 24th Century. "They" should just leave it alone. There's no way of improving on it. You know? The Next Generation was Gene Roddenberry's coup de grâce ... and the franchise's finest hour. Screw around in the 23rd Century all you like. Pander to Special Interest to your heart's content in that fictional setting. I no longer care. I've already gotten what I wanted! The rest of this franchise is just sauce for the goose, if you like ...
 
I'm curious as to the effectiveness of that disclaimer. After all if a character is obviously based on a real person, and clearly the similarities are not coincidental can that disclaimer really save a company from a lawsuit? Because the disclaimer is a blatant lie, so that shouldn't provide them with immunity from civil suits.
Yes, it can. And it has.
 
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