Why Was This Cancelled!?!

Why was it canceled? They wasted too much time on the TCW and the Xindi and spent too not enough time being the "origin" series. If the first three would have been like the 4th season, it would have went seven.

 

I like to think it had to do with that slo-mo, shirtless, desert lacross match against the Kurgen with that really creepy music. Or maybe it was Archer having to chop down a tree while dressed as Bo Derrick. Either way, the rest of the series wasn't that bad.

 

So to recap: A series of unfortunate events. A change of management, with most of those supportive of Enterprise out. A corporate merger, which was also paradoxically a split. A network devoted to programming a world away from Star Trek. A change in the way ratings were being counted. With weekend repeats and TIVO not even being added to boost the numbers.

Don't underestimate online reaction to Enterprise either. It got very unpleasant at times. If I were a new fan, I'd take that as a lack of endorsement. The writers talk about the more moderate criticism in various audio commentaries and Season Four clearly took much of this to heart, in a vain attempt to bring back audiences they had lost.

Since 2006, J.J. Abrams' film has been as much about smoozing fans online at various places, as it has been catering to a new audience.

 

No, No it would not. I need to keep looking for that quote, but I remember reading thet unless ENT was in the TOP 10 neilson's the show was not getting a fifth season!

 

Why?

Because the first two seasons were boring crap. Really. And for most shows you only have a very limited time to actually grow an audience. And for two years we got served bland stories that could have been used on any Star Trek show. And to make it worse, the cast was also blander than usual. The whole Archer/T'Pol/Trip triumvate of characters that were supposed to be the core of the show were just not that interesting. (at least initially)

People were tuning out and not coming back.

I think it was only in season 3, with the Xindi arc, that Enterprise really came into its own as its "own" series. It was something new and fresh. Season 3 is by far my favorite season of the show.

While season 4 was had good intentions, it just turned into continuity porn in a desperate attempt to get old Trek fans back, But it was just too much, IMO. Some good stuff (Andorian/Aenar trilogy) vs mind-numbing stupidity (klingon ridges, the augments).

 

If you ever do find that quote, I would be interested in hearing it's source. ENT is still one of my favorite Trek series.

 

I read here and have read elsewhere too, that people were turning away from Enterprise during the first two seasons. Now, while it probably was not the best tv ever, many episodes were really very good and speaking for myself I love the series. I watched Enterprise on dvd and not on tv and I understand it's a different way, but I still cannot see what was so bad to turn people away.

 

And don't forget, a network not available to half of the nation and the decision not to syndicate it in areas not covered by the network. Even Voyager was syndicated and could be watched in areas that did not show it on network channels.

 

ENT took a bullet...
To allow Trek XI to make more money.
And I think it just might be successful.
At the cost of the ENT fans.

 

Well, the original writers and creators of ENT didn't seem to care about the ENT fans in the end. "These Are The Voyages" should be evidence of that. Why make a great ENT ending when we can just do another TNG episode?

 

I would like to join the "Seasons 3 & 4 were kewl, Season 1 & 2 sucked (with a few exceptions)" crowd.

Maybe Paramount should have done what it has done with Trek XI now: Fire Berman & Braga before even starting with the production. It wouldn't have done any damage had Manny Coto been the sole showrunner from the start.

 

I'd say that it wasn't Berman's and Braga's fault beyond the fact that they didn't stand up to the network and that they were exhausted to start with. They ostensibly wanted to take a few years break to recharge and regroup but UPN wanted another Trek and NOW.

So what we were tantalized with was something fresh and new, and what we at least initially got was virtually a total retread. By the time the show offered something new, it took people too long to turn around and care, and the higher-ups had pretty much decided to axe it anyway.

 

I did hear around the time ENT was canceled there was petition for a direct-to-DVD movie or something to the equivalent. Haven't heard how successful it was but im assuming not very much so since one's not come to fruition out of it.

 

^ Well, yeah... that was a group of us tilting at windmills, around 2006. It's still ongoing though, since I sent a few mail outs quite recently. You'll have to PM me if you're interested in receiving an example.

I shudder to think of how much I must've spend on that over the years, posting out bits and pieces. All in vain, given how expensive recreating all those scrapped NX-01 sets would cost. But somehow, I've never felt able to call time on campaigning. A resurgence in interest right now, before JJ Abrams' film becomes the Star Trek of choice, probably means the end is in sight. I can't see anything but a new universe series happening after a sequel or two on the big screen.

 

I think the JJ Abrams movie will get more traction with TOS than ENT unfortunately. I mean, what would be cool is if they did some Star Wars type marketing and had movie theaters that showed relevant episodes before the XI. For example, I know nothing of the plot, if it was about Romulans then show the Vulcan arc, Balance of Terror, Enterprise Incident, etc. before the movie.

 

The movie is getting more advertising than Enterprise ever did. If it is a success then more people will be watching Enterprise on SciFi and HDNet. Even with this I don't think they will ever go back and do a Enterprise movie unless CBS buys SciFi channel and decides to do a direct to DVD than can also be shown there. If that opportunity was ever to be made to the cast I think they would all jump on it. It would be better than the appearances they all make at the conventions.

 

The "fans" got all pissy and whiny about "canon" and other crap. Then a fan took control, and the slow steady buildup we saw in the first 3 seasons went to hell. Everything in season 4 felt far too rushed, with the exception of Storm Front & These Are The Voyages.

Crucify me if you will, but that's just how I feel about it.

 

That's kind of how I feel about it. I think that if Coto and his new crew were going into season four with the knowledge that they'd have at least a fifth season, they would have spaced all the TOS stuff out some and not rushed so much in S4.

 

I loved Enterprise from the get go, season 2 was a bit iffy but it was a Trek so that was good enough for me. I was so disappointed when they cancelled it which just proved once again TPTB didn't know their a***es from a hole in the groud.