Babylon 5 used arcs for: Internal Threat (a threat coming from within your own society). External Threat (a threat to your society from without). Both sort of arcs can be foreshadowed within the same episode, putting your heros between a rock and a hard place. Question-can this sort of thing be done in an optimistic Trek series?
Your ideal New Trek Series
- Thread starter jmampilly
- Start date
A show can be dark without being pessimistic. That's the very delicate balance DS9 managed. There has to be some hope, and I think the people on the show should be flawed and complex, but also people that try to do the right thing and aren't actively selfish.
I think that's a relatively low bar, but it seems to be a lot tougher for films and TV shows to do over the past few years.
So, what your'e saying is, you want a dystopian future in space. ie. Not Star Trek. That goes against the very idea of what Star Trek is.
Why not just make up a new show since that show will not have anything to do with Star Trek whatsoever?
Nobody is going to make Carebears, where they are all racist, derogatory, and occasionally murder each other. Nobody should make Star Trek with a dystopian society.
A delicate balance also managed by Babylon 5. I agree, Trek needs to have some hope, or its not Trek.
Why not? The Federation is window dressing. It's not important.
Ultimately this is true, the show has never had the Federation as it's main focus, Star Trek's center of attention is Starfleet and one hero group per series.
The Federation is a vague something in the background
That the Trek-verse would naturally have a "dark side" as part of the mix is okay, even desirable. That said, the show should be neither dystopian nor utopian. Efforts to build up the Federation as some kind of utopian paradise never rang true to me, it comes off as pollyanna fluff.
A falling out (or out-right civil war) amongst Federation members would be one possible direction. It definitely would be one way of dealing with the near godlike technology of Starfleet, having there be a partial fall of civilization (not total). And the show would turning into a more introspective story as we explore why the membership deliberately disassociated from each other. The show could deal with individual Starfleet vessels deciding which faction they sided with.
Star Trek takes place in an environment of near constant warfare and death, if not in the foreground, then as part of the backstory. Entire planetary populations are routinely destroyed.
What in your mind is Star Trek, that JeffinOakland's idea isn't a part of Star Trek's idea?
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With a new show there might well be a new team, and like JJ, might base the tech on what is already canon. That is, likely no later than the 24th century.
On the other hand, in the novels the Federation was devastated, barely hanging on. There are hints from history that a civilization can have periods when its fortunes are at a low ebb.
On the other hand, in the novels the Federation was devastated, barely hanging on. There are hints from history that a civilization can have periods when its fortunes are at a low ebb.
The novels never really depicted the Federation as a civilization barely hanging on, but one that had been truly shaken to its very core and weakened politically a bit (giving rise to a new rival). Currently, the novels have the Federation in widespread recovery mode, with an equally recovering Starfleet getting back into deep-space exploration and seeking out new life.
All civilizations have setbacks, but their true worth is probably determined by their ability to dust themselves off and keep going, IMO.
dystopia
[dis-toh-pee-uh] Spell Syllables
Examples Word Origin
noun
1.
a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.
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The literal opposite of the Federation. What have you been watching the last 48 years?
The federation, and its society, is the whole reason Gene created the show. That is the whole purpose. It was a commentary. It was a commentary on what the future and our potential could be, as well as an indictment of ourselves today. People that don't get that, don't really get what Star Trek is about.
If it's not your cup of tea, that's your prerogative. But I find it very intriguing that fans can completely miss the point.
Again I say, if you want a dystopian future set in space, I'm all for it. But it's not Star Trek. You might as well make a new IP, that is inspired by some of the politics of Trek. Because that's all it would be.
But that show would be terrible now that I think about it. I already know how it will go. Every episode will be melodramatic, and angsty. Each episode will conclude with a 3 minute music montage, with the main characters looking especially introspective.
On second thought, I'll pass.
Something set in between Enterprise and the Original Series a bit closer to the time of "The Cage." Set it on a deep space vessel with little to no contact with Starfleet Command. The tone should be lighthearted and optimistic but that doesn't mean exclude drama. Have it for the sake of the story. Fill the cast with likeable larger than life archetypes like the Original Series cast was and there you go.
I just recently got caught up with Game Of Thrones and oddly enough it got me thinking about Trek TV shows. If I could make my own Trek show I'd borrow the following elements from GoT;
1/ Multiple settings. Rather than a scenario like TNG and DS9 running simultaneously, it would be great to have a single show that followed characters in both locations. Rather than the writers feeling the need to pull a terrible 'B Story' out of their asses, just move to another location and show something meaningful happening there. Obviously if there is a story strong enough to carry an episode then keep that episode in one location.
You could even have Starfleet command or even the Federation President as one location, show more of Earth and the upper hierarchy of Starfleet. You could even have the crew of a Klingon ship or station etc.
2/ Fewer episodes. Cut all the garbage, one off comedy episodes, pointless one hour romances that come out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly. Basically no filler, just strong stories across each location.
3/ Changing of the status quo. With more locations and more characters it becomes easier to change things around over time. Say the Enterprise is destroyed and Worf transfers to DS9, you can show him join that established team whilst also showing what the rest of the Enterprise crew are up to. Characters can die, transfer, new characters can join the crews easily enough. Keep it interesting and surprising.
1/ Multiple settings. Rather than a scenario like TNG and DS9 running simultaneously, it would be great to have a single show that followed characters in both locations. Rather than the writers feeling the need to pull a terrible 'B Story' out of their asses, just move to another location and show something meaningful happening there. Obviously if there is a story strong enough to carry an episode then keep that episode in one location.
You could even have Starfleet command or even the Federation President as one location, show more of Earth and the upper hierarchy of Starfleet. You could even have the crew of a Klingon ship or station etc.
2/ Fewer episodes. Cut all the garbage, one off comedy episodes, pointless one hour romances that come out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly. Basically no filler, just strong stories across each location.
3/ Changing of the status quo. With more locations and more characters it becomes easier to change things around over time. Say the Enterprise is destroyed and Worf transfers to DS9, you can show him join that established team whilst also showing what the rest of the Enterprise crew are up to. Characters can die, transfer, new characters can join the crews easily enough. Keep it interesting and surprising.
The adventures of Captain Sonya Alexander during the 2250s, played by Kate Vernon. One of Starfleet's most decorated combat officers from the Four Years War sets out on a mission into the unknown, farther than any other ship has gone before.
I'd watch it. 
AAAAAARGH THIS!! That's one thing ENT got right (AFAIR).
Here is an idea: a post Nemesis story line where for the first season or so, we have a series of ships exploring other nearby galaxies using Quantum Slipstream.
We have unique an NON/BARELY HUMANOID aliens, thanks to CG. We have artists like John Eaves or Doug Drexler design the hero ship and main villain's, and we have fans submit designs for the lesser other ships, like destroyers and frigates and such.
CBS or Paramount will just describe who uses it, and the specifications for which it is used. We could even see if the good CGI modelers like Madkoifish or Dak Phoenix are willing to do some of the modeling. My thought is that we can basically have the fans do designs to supplement those designed in the studio, and so we'll see more designs.
The idea is that we have a fleet of a variety of different ship classes from different races in the story line, in addition the the older ships, though I imagine we won't see the non-slipstream ones very often anyways.
At first, it is about exploration, and continues to be so for the first few seasons, but in the middle of the first season, Starfleet encounters an enemy that the audience will really learn the like to hate, or at least we have hints of them. Starfleet bringing aid to another race, who has been losing their colonies, and having their ships attacked left and right, for example.
Something like a fascist-like, war-mongering race, who conquer anyone that they encounter, and the main character villains: well, you're always hoping that Starfleet is going to come in, and arrest or kill their crooked asses. I'm not saying that everyone of their race is bad, but those in power are; like Goauld bad. They conquer, they're megalomaniacal, they enslave, they torture, and they wipe out entire cities, as well as any who dare to oppose them.
The second season would continue to drop hints that the Federation and this race are getting along very badly, with even the occasional skirmish, the race obviously building up their military, and Starfleet bringing in more ships along the border, that sort of thing.
The third season can go on from there. Maybe the race makes a blitz attack on a Federation colony, even takes some of her citizens as slaves, and all hell breaks lose.
It's about good vs. evil. About the conflict of democracy vs. tyranny. And about Starfleet trying to stay true to it's primary charter, while also fulfilling it's secondary charter, which is pretty much to kick the butts of any faction who challenge the Federation or her allies. And the troubles that come from fulfilling that when the faction in question happens to rival the Federation in power, and thinks that they have the right to do what they do.
Ideally, there would be a lot of ship-to-ship battles, and even ground battles. We could see something that we've never before seen in canon Trek: Federation armored vehicles.
We have unique an NON/BARELY HUMANOID aliens, thanks to CG. We have artists like John Eaves or Doug Drexler design the hero ship and main villain's, and we have fans submit designs for the lesser other ships, like destroyers and frigates and such.
CBS or Paramount will just describe who uses it, and the specifications for which it is used. We could even see if the good CGI modelers like Madkoifish or Dak Phoenix are willing to do some of the modeling. My thought is that we can basically have the fans do designs to supplement those designed in the studio, and so we'll see more designs.
The idea is that we have a fleet of a variety of different ship classes from different races in the story line, in addition the the older ships, though I imagine we won't see the non-slipstream ones very often anyways.
At first, it is about exploration, and continues to be so for the first few seasons, but in the middle of the first season, Starfleet encounters an enemy that the audience will really learn the like to hate, or at least we have hints of them. Starfleet bringing aid to another race, who has been losing their colonies, and having their ships attacked left and right, for example.
Something like a fascist-like, war-mongering race, who conquer anyone that they encounter, and the main character villains: well, you're always hoping that Starfleet is going to come in, and arrest or kill their crooked asses. I'm not saying that everyone of their race is bad, but those in power are; like Goauld bad. They conquer, they're megalomaniacal, they enslave, they torture, and they wipe out entire cities, as well as any who dare to oppose them.
The second season would continue to drop hints that the Federation and this race are getting along very badly, with even the occasional skirmish, the race obviously building up their military, and Starfleet bringing in more ships along the border, that sort of thing.
The third season can go on from there. Maybe the race makes a blitz attack on a Federation colony, even takes some of her citizens as slaves, and all hell breaks lose.
It's about good vs. evil. About the conflict of democracy vs. tyranny. And about Starfleet trying to stay true to it's primary charter, while also fulfilling it's secondary charter, which is pretty much to kick the butts of any faction who challenge the Federation or her allies. And the troubles that come from fulfilling that when the faction in question happens to rival the Federation in power, and thinks that they have the right to do what they do.
Ideally, there would be a lot of ship-to-ship battles, and even ground battles. We could see something that we've never before seen in canon Trek: Federation armored vehicles.
As I understand it, the Federation during TOS was largely created by Dorothy Fontana, and not Roddenberry.
Star Trek is a action/adventure show set in space. Perhaps it is you who "don't get" a basic fact about Trek , the fans watch the show for a variety of reasons (including your own).
For myself it's a part of my fascination with space, and my love of science fiction, plus both of my parents were hardcore trekkies from the time they were teenagers..
It is my cup of tea, just not for your reasons.
Except they aren't actually missing the point, it just that you are (somehow) obtaining something from the show that others aren't. This in no way diminished your viewpoint on the show's "core meaning" nor does it make your take superior to other fans.
Star Trek was at it's worst when it made the failed attempt to depict future society as more evolved and the past as flawed and inferior. While world of Trek is in fact technologically more advance, the people and the society they inhabit are really no better than us.
I never said I did, what I did say was "the show should be neither dystopian nor utopian." Today's society contain beauty, passion and wonder, and so should a future Trek. But society also has evil, darkness and hopelessness, and again so should Trek. Not in some far off tyrannical empire, but right in the center of our heroes culture.
These things (all of them) are a part of the Human condition, they're a integral part of who we are. And when we explore ourselves, we're going to find these things from time to time.
We're killers wulfio, who aren't going to kill today.
")
I have to agree with Elvira, Trek society did not seem superior except technologically. The attempt in TNG to make the characters more evolved made them seem like stiff, bland, robots. Is this progress?
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