Would you listen to Big Finish produced trek?

[JD]

About as likely as remastering DS9 and Voyager?

I still wish they would just crowdfund that. I swear the entire remastering project would be covered within a day.

I'm sure it would take a lot longer than that to do the kind of deep, full remasters they do for these kind of projects. I'm pretty sure they spent at least months or years working on the remaster of The Original Series and The Next Generdation. And I think it gets more complicated when you start dealing with CGI effects like you will in the later seasons of Deep Space Nine and Voyager.

Although it seems that Khan is not produced by CBS, but by Secret Hideout, Roddenberry Productions, and the podcast producers, under license from CBS, of course.

Since it's not directly from CBS, that would essentially make it a licensed production like any other tie-in; although since it's from the other co-producers of the TV shows, the studio CBS subcontracts to make them, I'd say the closest analogy would be something like Sony's non-Spider-Man Marvel movies like Venom or Morbius, something from the licensed subcontractor without the direct participation of the owner. Either that or TAS before Paramount acquired ownership of it, when it was a production of Filmation Associates and Norway Corporation that was simply distributed by Paramount, which is part of the reason Paramount was cagey about acknowledging it back then.

I thought CBS's podcast studio was one of the producers?

My expectation would be that it's not canonical, or at best is canon-adjacent. But I hardly see how it matters, since I doubt any future canonical work is likely to cover or address the same subject matter and either affirm or contradict it. Of course, canon works are always free to borrow ideas from non-canonical tie-ins, like Star Wars has done with a bunch of characters, planets, and species from the old Expanded Universe. And conversely, canon works are always free to contradict previous canon, like how TNG and Voyager ignored how quickly the Enterprise was able to reach the galactic center in ST V. So really, whether something is canon or not has no real impact one way or the other.

Wouldn't the fact that it is produced includes all of the major producers from the modern shows pretty much put it on the same level as them?

I have a similar concern. They've done some good stuff, but they do seem to prioritize quantity over quality.

Also, I suppose it might be harder for a British production to get hold of enough Trek actors who live and work in North America.

I'm really enjoying Khan, so suddenly pushing future podcasts over to Big Finish just seems like an unnecessary complication.

Khan only has two screen actors and an otherwise new cast, but future audios might make more use of returning regulars. I wondered if maybe they might want to limit the number of regulars they use for reasons of budget, but Naveen Andrews and Wrenn Schmidt are pretty high-profile actors.

I'm not sure what you mean by this, I checked Wikipedi and IMDB, and almost ever actor who plays a named character has dozens of live action screen credits to their name. Zuri Whashinton who plays Madot has the least live action credits with just 1, and at the other extreme, Ivan actor Maury Sterling has 119. Or do you just mean Star Trek actors?

 

[Zarm]

I'm sure it would take a lot longer than that to do the kind of deep, full remasters they do for these kind of projects. I'm pretty sure they spent at least months or years working on the remaster of The Original Series and The Next Generdation. And I think it gets more complicated when you start dealing with CGI effects like you will in the later seasons of Deep Space Nine and Voyager.

'Covered' as in 'funded'. As quickly as the Voyager 'To the Journey' doc was funded, and as much as it exceeded It's gold, I have no doubt that Star Trek fans worldwide with band together and cover the often-sided costs of the remastering project in record time.

I'm aware that the actual work would take much longer. I'm just saying that I feel like if they gave Star Trek fans worldwide the opportunity to contribute to Deep Space nine being remastered, even prohibitive costs would be raised within 24 hours of the campaign going live. Which would remove the one major barrier that is always cited to why they don't attempt the project. (Logistics of CGI and everything else aside, as there have been answers for those objections).

I'm aware that from a legal point of view, that will probably never happen. It's just frustrating because the demand is there, and I truly do think the funding would be there. It's just paramount unwilling to go that route, but also I'm willing to pony up the money themselves to undertake a project that is clearly quite necessary.

 

[kaj21206]

I'd be interested in an audio series either by Big Finish or anyone else. I've listened to the first two Khan episodes so far so good. Maybe we could get Shatner and Takei to do an adventure set during TOS. Just have them record their parts separately.

 

[JD]

With so few of the original TOS actors left, it just wouldn't hold that much appeal to me.
If they were going to do TV series stories with the original casts, I'd much rather see actors from DS9, Voyager or Enterprise.

'Covered' as in 'funded'. As quickly as the Voyager 'To the Journey' doc was funded, and as much as it exceeded It's gold, I have no doubt that Star Trek fans worldwide with band together and cover the often-sided costs of the remastering project in record time.

I'm aware that the actual work would take much longer. I'm just saying that I feel like if they gave Star Trek fans worldwide the opportunity to contribute to Deep Space nine being remastered, even prohibitive costs would be raised within 24 hours of the campaign going live. Which would remove the one major barrier that is always cited to why they don't attempt the project. (Logistics of CGI and everything else aside, as there have been answers for those objections).

I'm aware that from a legal point of view, that will probably never happen. It's just frustrating because the demand is there, and I truly do think the funding would be there. It's just paramount unwilling to go that route, but also I'm willing to pony up the money themselves to undertake a project that is clearly quite necessary.

Oh, my mistake. In this case, I do agree with you, they could definitely crowd fund for those remasters in no time.

 

[Christopher]

I thought CBS's podcast studio was one of the producers?

Oh, was it? I didn't know that. I heard them saying "Eye Podcast Productions," but I thought it might be "I Podcast Productions," so I didn't make the connection to the CBS eye logo. I guess I was wrong, then.

Wouldn't the fact that it is produced includes all of the major producers from the modern shows pretty much put it on the same level as them?

Not necessarily. Lucasfilm produced Genndy Tartakovsky's Star Wars: Clone Wars animated shorts, but still felt free to contradict them with Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Marvel Studios produced the Agent Carter short film, but that didn't stop the Agent Carter TV series from contradicting it. A side production with a niche audience is generally considered supplemental or secondary even if it's from the original production company.

On the other hand, the main Secret Hideout Trek productions have largely treated Short Treks as canonical. So maybe they'll consider Khan that way as well. Although, again, I doubt the specifics of what happened on Ceti Alpha V are likely to be relevant to any future screen story, so it's probably an academic question, at least where this audio is concerned.

I'm really enjoying Khan, so suddenly pushing future podcasts over to Big Finish just seems like an unnecessary complication.

And unlikely to happen. As long as CBS/Eye is making its own audio dramas, I doubt they'd sell the audio license to anyone else.

I'm not sure what you mean by this, I checked Wikipedi and IMDB, and almost ever actor who plays a named character has dozens of live action screen credits to their name.

I was talking about Star Trek screen actors specifically, as the rest of the paragraph makes clear. I meant that Takei and Russ are the only veteran Star Trek cast members to appear in this one. I was continuing the point that it would probably make more sense logistically to keep Trek audio production in North America for the sake of actor availability, presuming that future audios want to use more veteran Trek actors reprising their characters, as opposed to new or recast characters.

 

[Zarm]

One of the approaches Big Finish took with Stargate (that I think could work well) was to do a sort of hybrid audiobook- one main actor (say, Walter Koenig, Nana Visitor, Conor Trineer, whoever...) doing a first-person narration, as if recounting an event that occurred to them. But then the most significant second role that the character interacted with is also cast, so that there is a second voice- while all other characters are simply the narrator's impressions of them, audiobook style.

I suspect it was partly done to keep actor costs down. But I think that kind of approach could be used to tell a story in an era where not all cast members are no longer with us. And it could also be a great way (as Stargate did) to focus on some of the less-main characters. Have Joe Carrey telling a story about an unseen crises on Voyager where he had to step up and serve as chief engineer with B'elanna indisposed. Let Barclay narrate his own trying academy days. Crewman Cutler talks about her first away mission with Captain Archer. And so on.

 

[Avro Arrow]

I personally wouldn't mind seeing something along the lines of a recurring series with no previously-established characters at all: an entirely new crew, akin to Vanguard or Seekers. I like it when things are expanded beyond just the shows. But I admit that would be a harder sell generally, since a lot of fans seem to really only be interested in more adventures of the characters they are already familiar with from TV/streaming.

(But as mentioned by others above, I see no reason why it would have to specifically be Big Finish doing it.)

 

[JD]

I would be up for that. One of my biggest disappointments with the current era of Trek Lit is that we've gone back to nothing but TV based series. One of my favorite things about the books during the relaunch era was the non-TV based series like Vanguard, SCE, and IKS Gorkon/Klingon Empire, they were a great way to expand the universe. At least IDW is giving us things like Red Shirts, The Last Starship, and anthologies that mix issues focused on TV/movie characters with issues focused on original characters.

One of the approaches Big Finish took with Stargate (that I think could work well) was to do a sort of hybrid audiobook- one main actor (say, Walter Koenig, Nana Visitor, Conor Trineer, whoever...) doing a first-person narration, as if recounting an event that occurred to them. But then the most significant second role that the character interacted with is also cast, so that there is a second voice- while all other characters are simply the narrator's impressions of them, audiobook style.

I suspect it was partly done to keep actor costs down. But I think that kind of approach could be used to tell a story in an era where not all cast members are no longer with us. And it could also be a great way (as Stargate did) to focus on some of the less-main characters. Have Joe Carrey telling a story about an unseen crises on Voyager where he had to step up and serve as chief engineer with B'elanna indisposed. Let Barclay narrate his own trying academy days. Crewman Cutler talks about her first away mission with Captain Archer. And so on.

That's nice if that's all you can do, but I'd much happier with series with the full or at least most of the casts from the TV shows, and that's going to be a lot more likely with Eye Podcast Productions, Secret Hideout and Rodenberry Production than with Big Finish.

 

[Turtletrekker]

A Eugenics War story could retain Naveen Andrews in the cast.

 

[coryjosb]

I personally wouldn't mind seeing something along the lines of a recurring series with no previously-established characters at all: an entirely new crew, akin to Vanguard or Seekers. I like it when things are expanded beyond just the shows. But I admit that would be a harder sell generally, since a lot of fans seem to really only be interested in more adventures of the characters they are already familiar with from TV/streaming.

(But as mentioned by others above, I see no reason why it would have to specifically be Big Finish doing it.)

Yeah agreed with all of that.

It'd be nice if we do get something similar at some point, but to be fair I think any audio Star Trek series following a more standard adventure-of-the-week format would be a big pull.

It's a shame it likely wouldn't do too well unless there were some returning elements to get people listening. Potentially something like Captain Riker with an otherwise entirely new crew would work for me, which could also allow the occasional appearance from another TNG actor.

And then with returning characters a lot of it would also be managing the budget. I doubt we'll ever be at the stage of somebody like Patrick Stewart signing up for an audio series, or that recent Scott Bakula series pitch being adapted for audio after being rejected for TV.

If Big Finish were going down that route it'd end up being The Continuing Adventures of Captain Malcolm Reed and his first officer Commander Sato or something.

It'll be interesting to see how Khan does and what it leads to a few years down the line, purely anecdotal but I have seen a lot more engagement from fans discussing this than the average Big Finish release but also Khan feels a lot higher budget and is being released in a more standard podcast method with the adverts.

I enjoy audio dramas and end up listening to a lot during my commute to work so I'm hoping for some more in the future - I will say though if we do get more I hope it never gets to the point of Big Finish where they have where there are 15+ hours of Doctor Who audio dramas being released this month alone. I'm very happy with one high quality series per year with 8 (is that how many episodes Khan is?) or so per year.

 

[coryjosb]

One of the approaches Big Finish took with Stargate (that I think could work well) was to do a sort of hybrid audiobook- one main actor (say, Walter Koenig, Nana Visitor, Conor Trineer, whoever...) doing a first-person narration, as if recounting an event that occurred to them. But then the most significant second role that the character interacted with is also cast, so that there is a second voice- while all other characters are simply the narrator's impressions of them, audiobook style.

I suspect it was partly done to keep actor costs down. But I think that kind of approach could be used to tell a story in an era where not all cast members are no longer with us. And it could also be a great way (as Stargate did) to focus on some of the less-main characters. Have Joe Carrey telling a story about an unseen crises on Voyager where he had to step up and serve as chief engineer with B'elanna indisposed. Let Barclay narrate his own trying academy days. Crewman Cutler talks about her first away mission with Captain Archer. And so on.

I mentioned in a previous thread but I think a similar format could be used for something like Star Trek Discovery to flesh out some of the crew members there.

You could do a series which is away missions from various periods of the show with one or two main cast members from that show and use the crew member's logs for narration and to fill in gaps for the cast members who don't appear in that episode.

EDIT: reading back I'm not sure if I like this idea of mine but eh.

 

[Christopher]

It's a shame it likely wouldn't do too well unless there were some returning elements to get people listening. Potentially something like Captain Riker with an otherwise entirely new crew would work for me, which could also allow the occasional appearance from another TNG actor.

The original book-only series generally had a mix of established and new characters. New Frontier featured fan-favorite TNG guest stars like Commander Shelby, Dr. Selar, and Robin Lefler, as well as prominently featuring Picard in the first book. S.C.E. also opened with a TNG crossover and had Geordi in the first few books, as well as making Sonya Gomez a lead character and Scotty a major recurring character (plus featuring a couple of less well-known DS9 guest stars like Dr. Lense and Crewman Stevens). Titan centered on Riker and Troi as well as featuring Tuvok, Melora Pazlar, and a few others. Stargazer, of course, centered on young Picard, and DTI centered on Lucsly and Dulmur and also had an Enterprise-E team-up in the first book. Vanguard started out with a mostly original cast, but had Kirk's Enterprise play a major role in the first and final books, featured Captain Terrell in a recurring role, and later brought in Carol and David Marcus as recurring characters, as well as tying into multiple TOS-era story developments.

 

[James Swallow]

I was continuing the point that it would probably make more sense logistically to keep Trek audio production in North America for the sake of actor availability, presuming that future audios want to use more veteran Trek actors reprising their characters, as opposed to new or recast characters.

This isn't an issue that would affect any hypothetical audio production, it can be done anywhere. For example, when I was working with Big Finish on their Stargate series, we used remote studio links to record with actors on three seperate continents. Post-production threaded them together seamlessly, and you'd never know they were not "in the room" together.

One of the approaches Big Finish took with Stargate (that I think could work well) was to do a sort of hybrid audiobook- one main actor (say, Walter Koenig, Nana Visitor, Conor Trineer, whoever...) doing a first-person narration, as if recounting an event that occurred to them. But then the most significant second role that the character interacted with is also cast, so that there is a second voice- while all other characters are simply the narrator's impressions of them, audiobook style.

I suspect it was partly done to keep actor costs down. But I think that kind of approach could be used to tell a story in an era where not all cast members are no longer with us. And it could also be a great way (as Stargate did) to focus on some of the less-main characters. Have Joe Carrey telling a story about an unseen crises on Voyager where he had to step up and serve as chief engineer with B'elanna indisposed. Let Barclay narrate his own trying academy days. Crewman Cutler talks about her first away mission with Captain Archer. And so on.

That's the "Chronicles" style you're talking about there, first used for BF's Doctor Who stories, later for Stargate, Judge Dredd, Highlander, Blake's 7 etc...

That format does work well - it encourages a more intimate, personal style of narrative, it allows you to feature characters without having to recast actors who have passed away or are unavailable - and importantly, it's cheaper and quicker to produce!

Star Trek would fit perfectly with a two- or three-hander format, but the downside is that sales are often uneven, as audience interest depends on whichever actor appears as the "lead voice".

I personally wouldn't mind seeing something along the lines of a recurring series with no previously-established characters at all: an entirely new crew, akin to Vanguard or Seekers. I like it when things are expanded beyond just the shows. But I admit that would be a harder sell generally, since a lot of fans seem to really only be interested in more adventres of the characters they are already familiar with from TV/streaming.

I've said this in the past, but that was exactly what BF wanted to make, back in the mid-2000s when they looked at getting the Star Trek license - an ongoing spin-off with a new ship and new crew, with the occasional big name guest star.

I feel like audio drama would be a great place to explore an idea like this, because the risk level is lower than with a TV production - but as you point out, it'd be a harder sell without some recognizable characters to draw people in. I think a mix of familar and new - like what we saw in No Man's Land - can thread the needle.

 

[Christopher]

This isn't an issue that would affect any hypothetical audio production, it can be done anywhere. For example, when I was working with Big Finish on their Stargate series, we used remote studio links to record with actors on three seperate continents. Post-production threaded them together seamlessly, and you'd never know they were not "in the room" together.

Honestly, that's what I would've expected given the state of technology, but it sometimes seems to me that audio or animated productions prefer to cast more locally for whatever reason, like maybe union rules or business connections or just convenience. While it might be possible for a British production to get as many North American actors as they need, it's probably easier for a North American production. In particular, if CBS/Eye and Secret Hideout continue to produce the audios, it's probably much easier for them to arrange for getting actors from the TV productions due to their existing connections.

 

[Steve Roby]

One thing to keep in mind: people are getting Khan for free. Big Finish is not free. A two-hour story with two or three name actors and a couple of others could cost $40 and you might get one a month. That's not going to be an easy sell. BF took off because they were producing new Doctor Who with actual TV Doctors when there was no Doctor Who on TV. Many of their non-Who productions are shows that have been off the air for years. You want some new Blake's 7, there's only one place to go. You want more Star Trek, you have more options that cost a lot less.

I say that as someone who started buying BF products in 2001 and is still a regular customer.

 

[Christopher]

One thing to keep in mind: people are getting Khan for free. Big Finish is not free. A two-hour story with two or three name actors and a couple of others could cost $40 and you might get one a month. That's not going to be an easy sell. BF took off because they were producing new Doctor Who with actual TV Doctors when there was no Doctor Who on TV. Many of their non-Who productions are shows that have been off the air for years. You want some new Blake's 7, there's only one place to go. You want more Star Trek, you have more options that cost a lot less.

I say that as someone who started buying BF products in 2001 and is still a regular customer.

Besides, monopolies are not a good thing. Okay, Big Finish does good work, but there are other audio companies out there that also do good work, like GraphicAudio. And Eye Podcast has been doing pretty well with Khan, so they should get the chance to do more. Better to have a healthy market with multiple publishers than to want one company to do it all.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Honestly, that's what I would've expected given the state of technology, but it sometimes seems to me that audio or animated productions prefer to cast more locally for whatever reason, like maybe union rules or business connections or just convenience.

Khan already lists multiple recording studios in the credits, so I kind of already assumed they were doing the “record in multiple places and stitch them together” thing that James Swallow mentioned. Granted, I think in this case they are all in the United States(?), but presumably they are already using performers who aren’t all in the same place.

 

[Christopher]

Khan already lists multiple recording studios in the credits, so I kind of already assumed they were doing the “record in multiple places and stitch them together” thing that James Swallow mentioned. Granted, I think in this case they are all in the United States(?), but presumably they are already using performers who aren’t all in the same place.

I guess that sort of thing has become more common in the COVID era. There were probably improvements made in the technology and workflow to enable getting consistent audio quality from multiple different professional or home studios, and maybe some changes in policy to make it easier to arrange.

 

[James Swallow]

Speaking of potential Star Trek audio drama projects....

 

[The Gatekeeper]

^^If done in the style of 1930s radio plays that could be a really fun idea.