JamesSmith
Lieutenant Commander
What if Star Trek: The Original Series wasn't cancelled in 1969, but continued until 1975?
WI Star Trek: TOS continued until 1975?
- Thread starter JamesSmith
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It is entirely possible, maybe even likely, that without the feeling of being cut off prematurely, the fan movement might've never taken hold and Star Trek would've gone into rerun heaven and stayed there.
The first thing that comes off the top of my head was the story that was told about Star trek being canceled because of low Neilsen ratings. The following year they supposedly started using demographics and allegedly the show with the perfect demographic ratings was the one that they had just canceled...Star Trek. It could have had a long run like MASH, Hawaii Five-O or Gunsmoke. Who knows? I think it would have been treated more fairly by the network with a better time slot. Roddenberry would have been encouraged to resume taking a more active role in producing the show again at a higher quality like before season three. Actors could have come and gone like MASH. More stories featuring supporting roles just to give Nimoy and Kelley a break if not Shatner. There would have been no animated Star Trek which Roddenberry greenlighted as a way to keep Trek alive in some form in the public. Some of those stories could have been reworked and ended up on TOS. Lots of possibilities to consider. Like a world with no SNL Star Trek spoof with Ackroyd and Chase??!!
Nimoy might've been replaced with Martin Landau, add a regular Klingon villain (such as Kor, Kang or Koloth), longer hair (like seen in the "reruns" of Galaxy Quest). Minor characters replaced completely. Segue into Phase II. That sort of thing.
Koloth was intended as a continuing villian to Captain Kirk...
Perhaps that "Harry Mudd" spinoff would've been greenlighted...
The fan movement and movies et all probably wouldn't have happened...including TNG..and all that followed..
BUT..the 09 film probably would have been made in the 90s (LIS movie anyone?)
Perhaps that "Harry Mudd" spinoff would've been greenlighted...
The fan movement and movies et all probably wouldn't have happened...including TNG..and all that followed..
BUT..the 09 film probably would have been made in the 90s (LIS movie anyone?)
Leonard Nimoy wouldn't have moved to Mission Impossible.
Shatner wouldn't have done Barbary Coast (which I liked). Or Empire of the Ants. Still could have done T.J. Hooker.
Roddenberry wouldn't have had the time to do Spector or Questor. Or the many faces of Dyion Hunt.
After being cancelled in 1975, TMP might still have been made in the mid - late eighties.
Without TWOK to boost her career, Kristie Alley could have remained a wannabe actress.
Shatner wouldn't have done Barbary Coast (which I liked). Or Empire of the Ants. Still could have done T.J. Hooker.
Roddenberry wouldn't have had the time to do Spector or Questor. Or the many faces of Dyion Hunt.
After being cancelled in 1975, TMP might still have been made in the mid - late eighties.
Without TWOK to boost her career, Kristie Alley could have remained a wannabe actress.
I agree. If the series had run its course there would not have been any large cult following to develop watching Star Trek in syndication and I doubt that would have lead to a movie. It was the success of the movies that paved the way for the Next Generation and other series of the franchise.
It is all speculative but I think we would have been seeing less Star Trek and not more if the original series had run longer.
Hmm interesting how many more seasons would they have been ? They might of introduced more crew members like ilia tellrite andorain races the possibilities are endless. Also new uniforms bigger budgets and sets, and to finish of the series finale may be enterprise returning to dry dock at earth to be refitted watching out crew go different ways kirk getting promoted, Spock going hippy and returning to Vulcan McCoy leaving starfleet.? Now that would have been a fitting tribute to the TOS crew !!!!
No movies, no spin offs. But a remake of the show today. Like with the A-Team and Miami Vice.
So we'd still wind up with ST09?
So we'd still wind up with ST09?
I actually believe so! If Star Trek had been canceled in 1975 then it stands a chance that it would have been rebooted just as other 60s and 70s TV shows had been. I actually remember a reviewer who looked at Trek 09 and saying the movie was like a reboot of the TV series as if none of the other movies or series had occurred.
Nardpuncher
Rear Admiral
I think this sort of question came up before and I agreed when someone said it would probably look like Space:1999.
I wouldn't be surprised if it somehow got all Love Boaty some strange way too...in that if it was popular enough to be on till 1975 then maybe every couple of weeks Henny Youngman and Charo would be guest stars or something equally vapid.
I wouldn't be surprised if it somehow got all Love Boaty some strange way too...in that if it was popular enough to be on till 1975 then maybe every couple of weeks Henny Youngman and Charo would be guest stars or something equally vapid.
So we'd still wind up with ST09?
I'd say yes.
So we'd still wind up with ST09?
So we'd still wind up with ST09?
I'd say yes.
Though it probably would have been a reboot without the alternate timeline to keep the old stuff.
The Trek Universe would probably be a whole lot simpler place without all the spinoffs, and so the reboot might not even be an alternate timeline.
L
Lord Garth
Guest
In response to growing opposition to the Vietnam War and apathy about the Cold War in general, the Klingons and Romulans would've been featured less, if at all.
Let's say NBC decided to give Trek a chance with a 4th year, better time slot and the ousting of Frieberger, as long as Gene agreed to come back and ride herd on the series. Then bump Bob Justman to producer and bring in one more. Or maybe DC Fontana would take a promotion to Story Editor or something. This would entice Leonard Nimoy to give the show another chance. Shatner's weight would continue to fluctuate, his hair would get a little longer and Star Trek sideburns would begin to resemble muttonchops. Sulu would rock out with a handlebar moustache and the supporting cast would probably wind up with more screen time.
As the 60's became the 70's, and lighter fare gave way to relevant programming, I could see star Trek becoming darker and gritty. Along the way, Nimoy will leave the series because he would have taken the character as far as he could and would find little reason to keep plugging away. Without Nimoy, Star Trek's ratings would decline, and some local affiliates would drop NBC's early primetime lineup in favor of running Space:1999. Nimoy would be asked back for the final episode of the season, which would turn out to be the last episode of the series. It would be a decent episode, but nothing magical.
And that would be the end of Star Trek. There would be no reunions, but there would always be rumors and aborted efforts to make "a movie" with the original cast. But the fan base would be a lot smaller, as they would have had their fill with 9 seasons of Trek. With no early cancellation or the feeling of being cheated, Star Trek would be just like most long running shows of the era: Popular at the time, very well known, but not seen on TV all that much after the first couple of syndicated runs (like Mission Impossible), except on low power stations needing cheap programming.
In 1979, the world would see Lost in Space: The Motion Picture with the original cast. They would have a successful run lasting through the 80's (not having retired to Argentina, Guy Williams would not have died from his heart attack). Finally, in the early 90's, a short series of TV movies would reunite most of the cast as Captain Kirk "thunders out of retirement" to solve some space dilemma. Nimoy would not take part, and would be replaced by Wayne Rogers as Spock. The second TV movie would pit the Enterprise against Thor, the thunder god - the one seen in The Incredible Hulk Returns.
These TV movies would be scorned by fans, and show up on cheapjack video and DVD, usually found in the dollar bins at Walmart.
And in a reversal of the real 1991, Irwin Allen's death would make the front page while Roddenberry gets shoved back to page 8.
As the 60's became the 70's, and lighter fare gave way to relevant programming, I could see star Trek becoming darker and gritty. Along the way, Nimoy will leave the series because he would have taken the character as far as he could and would find little reason to keep plugging away. Without Nimoy, Star Trek's ratings would decline, and some local affiliates would drop NBC's early primetime lineup in favor of running Space:1999. Nimoy would be asked back for the final episode of the season, which would turn out to be the last episode of the series. It would be a decent episode, but nothing magical.
And that would be the end of Star Trek. There would be no reunions, but there would always be rumors and aborted efforts to make "a movie" with the original cast. But the fan base would be a lot smaller, as they would have had their fill with 9 seasons of Trek. With no early cancellation or the feeling of being cheated, Star Trek would be just like most long running shows of the era: Popular at the time, very well known, but not seen on TV all that much after the first couple of syndicated runs (like Mission Impossible), except on low power stations needing cheap programming.
In 1979, the world would see Lost in Space: The Motion Picture with the original cast. They would have a successful run lasting through the 80's (not having retired to Argentina, Guy Williams would not have died from his heart attack). Finally, in the early 90's, a short series of TV movies would reunite most of the cast as Captain Kirk "thunders out of retirement" to solve some space dilemma. Nimoy would not take part, and would be replaced by Wayne Rogers as Spock. The second TV movie would pit the Enterprise against Thor, the thunder god - the one seen in The Incredible Hulk Returns.
These TV movies would be scorned by fans, and show up on cheapjack video and DVD, usually found in the dollar bins at Walmart.
And in a reversal of the real 1991, Irwin Allen's death would make the front page while Roddenberry gets shoved back to page 8.
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