Your ideal New Trek Series

[T'Girl]

... one hour romances that come out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly.

Friday night, down at the dance club.

Utopianism makes for bland drama, but Trek's humanist sensibility is a rare and valuable quality in a TV show.

Humanism should be part of any new Trek series, that said there should be at least one or two members of the main cast that poo poo the very concept of humanism.

Someone who advances the ideas of structuralism or positivism over humanism.

Just to get everyone off the same page.

 

[BillJ]

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 could see watching something like this.

 

[fireproof78]

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?

Define progress

I think that the positivism and humanism, especially in Trek, ran side by side. It seemed to emphasize more of the Caral Rogers school of psychological thought of human move towards self actulization. Stargate often had similar themes in terms of human evolution. Could be very humanistic

In an ideal Trek series, that positivity can be viewed by moving towards eliminating basic needs such as hunger and sheltered (easily done with replicators and social planning, as indicated in TNG and TOS, respectively) and allowing humans to work towards improving themselves while facing the challenges of living out in space.

Personally, I think any new Trek series should be set further out, more on the frontier, as it were, allowing for more challenges, and difficulties to present themselves, rather than just an alien of the week. I think a combination of DS9, having a station of some kind to provide a "home base" and a ship that would go out and discover different aspects.

 

[T'Girl]

Define progress

Movement toward a destination or goal. The goal might be vaguely defined, but progress as a concept does require some kind of ultimate objective.

The inherent problem with "progress" in general (whether cultural, social or political) is you might be progressing towards a catastrophe.

It seemed to emphasize more of the Caral Rogers school of psychological thought of human move towards self actualization.

I would disagree, with few exceptions we rarely see the individual grow and advance on Star Trek, they (again with exceptions) remain the same person for entire seven season runs, and beyond. It's one of the flaws of the show. One prime example would be Command Riker, who is introduced as a career fast mover, a young man who made sacrifices to get where he was, someone who would probably make Admiral before Picard. Followed by fifteen years of essentially no growth.

 

[Borough 31]

I would love to see Trek on cable. HBO or AMC. Let the series grow up, but maintain its wide-eyed awe of the cosmos and sense of exploration.

I also agree that they botched Enterprise pretty bad. The non-standard intro, the spineless captain, the plot devices injecting sexuality into the show for ratings.

 

[fireproof78]

Define progress

Movement toward a destination or goal. The goal might be vaguely defined, but progress as a concept does require some kind of ultimate objective.

The inherent problem with "progress" in general (whether cultural, social or political) is you might be progressing towards a catastrophe.

It seemed to emphasize more of the Caral Rogers school of psychological thought of human move towards self actualization.

I would disagree, with few exceptions we rarely see the individual grow and advance on Star Trek, they (again with exceptions) remain the same person for entire seven season runs, and beyond. It's one of the flaws of the show. One prime example would be Command Riker, who is introduced as a career fast mover, a young man who made sacrifices to get where he was, someone who would probably make Admiral before Picard. Followed by fifteen years of essentially no growth.

I am afraid you missed the point of my post, so I will attempt to rephrase.

I am not referring to character growth within the confines of a show-that is an entirely different matter, and debatable from person to person.

What I am referring to is the change in a society and one that is moving towards self-actualization as a goal of an entire society. "Humanity works to better itself" is an often quoted part of the Starfleet gospel, starting in TNG, and reiterated in DS9. In that case, it does remind me of your comment of a vague goal of "progress" but the idea is one that has roots in psychological theory, which is what it reminded me of in the case of Star Trek.

How it applies to individual characters will vary, as any psychological theory would. More relevant to this discussion is the movement of a society that has eliminated more basic human needs and move towards self-actualization. For better reference point, please see this diagram of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

 

[T'Girl]

What I am referring to is the change in a society and one that is moving towards self-actualization as a goal of an entire society.

I have to admit, I do associate the term "self-actualization" with the individual, and not groups or entire societies. The ability of a person to realize their personal/individual full potential.

To be completely honest, I think self-actualization is a meaningless psycho-babble buzz word.

How do you see the term applying to a society as a whole? That would seem to defy the "self" in self-actualization wouldn't it?

"Humanity works to better itself" is an often quoted part of the Starfleet gospel, starting in TNG, and reiterated in DS9.

The phrase "We works to better itself and Humanity" was used once in a TNG movie (by Picard), and once in DS9 (by Jake). Also in the first season of TNG Picard told someone to "better yourself."

The phrase Humanity works to better itself was never used, and the multi-species Starfleet would hardly have it as their gospel.

More relevant to this discussion is the movement of a society that has eliminated more basic human needs ...

By the 23rd/24th centuries, the entire Earth would consist of "the developed world." with the majority of material need being affordable and obtainable.

please see this diagram of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Seen it before, anytime you attempt to say all Human Being have the same needs, you already failed.

... and move towards self-actualization.

Again, how does a society self-actualize?

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Again, how does a society self-actualize?

By wearing more hats.

 

[fireproof78]

What I am referring to is the change in a society and one that is moving towards self-actualization as a goal of an entire society.

I have to admit, I do associate the term "self-actualization" with the individual, and not groups or entire societies. The ability of a person to realize their personal/individual full potential.

To be completely honest, I think self-actualization is a meaningless psycho-babble buzz word.

How do you see the term applying to a society as a whole? That would seem to defy the "self" in self-actualization wouldn't it?

"Humanity works to better itself" is an often quoted part of the Starfleet gospel, starting in TNG, and reiterated in DS9.

The phrase "We works to better itself and Humanity" was used once in a TNG movie (by Picard), and once in DS9 (by Jake). Also in the first season of TNG Picard told someone to "better yourself."

The phrase Humanity works to better itself was never used, and the multi-species Starfleet would hardly have it as their gospel.

By the 23rd/24th centuries, the entire Earth would consist of "the developed world." with the majority of material need being affordable and obtainable.

please see this diagram of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Seen it before, anytime you attempt to say all Human Being have the same needs, you already failed.

... and move towards self-actualization.

Again, how does a society self-actualize?

I'm honestly not sure how to respond to this response, because there is a lot of questions, and statements that really don't follow very well

First of all, I will retract the "Starfleet gospel" terminology as a bit of hyperbole, since you are right with regards to how the Federation was formed.

Since you don't think "self-actualization" is a real phrase, I'm not sure it is worth while to continue on this thread, since there is not really any common ground.

Suffice to say, a society can move towards a form of "self-actualization" of its members due to the fulfillment of basic needs such as food, shelter and safety. While I don't think all humans need all of those things in the same amounts, I think that humans, in general, want to be fed, feel safe, and protected. There will be exceptions, of course, and this is not a broad painting of all of humanity.

 

[T'Girl]

But it would it be "self-actualization" if the things you mentioned were being provide externally by society, "self-actualization" by definition is what you do yourself.

What you achieve, not someone for you.

 

[fireproof78]

But it would it be "self-actualization" if the things you mentioned were being provide externally by society, "self-actualization" by definition is what you do yourself.

What you achieve, not someone for you.

Yes, self-actulization is not a societal movement, in the sense of it is something that happened to society. It is an individual process that is impacted by outside forces, such as food supply, shelter, societal attitudes towards self-improvement, etc.

My point is what the Federation, as a society, or the human race, as shown in TOS and TNG, is that humanity was attempting to foster human beings reaching their full potential. In other words, basic needs were being met by technology so that citizens could work towards the betterment of themselves, and by so doing, would benefit the whole of human society.

So, while self-actualization is a personal activity, the greater society can impact it through attitudes, and through meeting needs of people so that they can reach for their full potential.

If that doesn't make sense, I'm sorry but its also just buzz words

 

[The Overlord]

I think an ideal Star Trek series would have to be serialized, with a stronger focus on characterization, story telling and continuity.

No useless characters like Harry Kim and lets not retread the same old stories with some planet of the week or some random anomaly every week.

If the show is about exploring, instead of war and real politic, then make a serialized story about that. Have a rival ship trying to gather allies and resources against the Federation, so the Starship in the show has to convince non aligned worlds to join them, rather then their opposition. Star Trek will seem out dated in today's television landscape if it just recycles the same old stories from TNG, rather then embracing what makes television great nowadays, a strong ongoing story.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I think an ideal Star Trek series would have to be serialized, with a stronger focus on characterization, story telling and continuity.

No useless characters like Harry Kim and lets not retread the same old stories with some planet of the week or some random anomaly every week.

That is exactly how it should be

If the show is about exploring, instead of war and real politic, then make a serialized story about that. Have a rival ship trying to gather allies and resources against the Federation, so the Starship in the show has to convince non aligned worlds to join them, rather then their opposition. Star Trek will seem out dated in today's television landscape if it just recycles the same old stories from TNG, rather then embracing what makes television great nowadays, a strong ongoing story.

I quite like the idea of the UFP and a rival vying for power in the same region, could definitely offer up some interesting story fodder.

 

[eyeresist]

ENT actually did something like this in its 3rd season. But who was watching? (apart from me)

 

[ColeMercury]

I have two premises: one for the Abramsverse and one for the Primeverse.

There are some things that are essential to both ideas. Each one needs to essentially reintroduce Star Trek back to television -- and to do that, they need to get back to the core premise of Star Trek: trekking through the stars. There's no need to use gimmicks like making the series about an interstellar war or destroying the Federation or making a series about Section 31 or what-have-you; dark Trek worked in DS9, but that doesn't mean we should copy that series and turn everything up to eleven. Instead, the thing that should be emulated from DS9 is the style in which it told its stories: with a strong emphasis on inter-episode continuity and character development.

(Note: that's not to say that a new series should shy away from dark storylines, or shouldn't develop its own interstellar-war plot later in its run. But it shouldn't be built into the very premise of the show.)

Now, for the ideas themselves. For the purpose of these profiles, I'll assume each one premieres in the year 2017.

Abramsverse idea -- Star Trek: Excelsior
Basic premise: Skipping ahead about 15-20 years after Star Trek 3, the year is 2281 and the newly-promoted Captain Hikaru Sulu is the commanding officer of the top-of-the-line starship USS Excelsior NCC-2500. His mission: exploration of uncharted space.
The hook for Primeverse fans: "We're finally making an Excelsior series. Sure, it's not quite how you may have pictured it, but it is Captain Sulu."
Some explanations: We can take advantage of the fact that John Cho is about 15-20 years older than Sulu is supposed to be, to create a bit of breathing room between the movies and the series -- but the events of the movies would still be important for the background to the series' setting and character histories. Oh, and I changed the Excelsior's registry number because "2000" would probably seem dated now.

Primeverse idea: Doesn't have a title
Basic premise: The setting is the year 2394. The collapse of the Romulan Star Empire seven years ago has opened a vast expanse of previously-inaccessible unknown space in the Beta Quadrant up to Federation exploration. Our protagonists are the crew of a Federation starship (not top-of-the-line, about ten years old) who are one of the ships sent to explore this new region. Of course, while this region and its species and civilisations have been unknown to the Federation, the Romulans, Klingons and other species have had a presence here for some time.
The hook for Abramsverse fans: "You know how Romulus was destroyed in the original timeline? This is what happens next."
Some explanations: I want the same amount of time to have elapsed in-universe since Nemesis as in real life, i.e. 15 years. This series should be able to be watched without ever having seen Star Trek before, but the events of TNG, DS9, VOY and what happened after (including the Dominion War and the subsequent occupation of Cardassia) should again be important for developing the characters. Oh, and by the way, the reason why I wouldn't simply set this one on the Enterprise is that in my headcanon at this point Captain Picard is still commanding the Enterprise-E.

 

[T'Girl]

Now, for the ideas themselves. For the purpose of these profiles, I'll assume each one premieres in the year 2017.

I think the best time to have a new series premier would be in a year and a half, coinciding with the release of Star Trek Thirteen. Even if the series had little or nothing to do with the events of the movie.

No useless characters like Harry Kim ...

As I understand it, at the time he was originally hired the producers did not realize what a poor performer Wang would turn out to be, they knew he was inexperienced, but the audition process went well. The budget didn't permit them to hire only seasoned actors and actresses.

There was nothing wrong with the character, they simply choose the wrong actor for the part.

... so that citizens could work towards the betterment of themselves, and by so doing, would benefit the whole of human society.

I do wonder if it is benefit to any society to have a population who aspire to be artists, rock stars, secret agents and race car drivers.

While I do think there would be some kind of minimal social safety net to prevent people from freezing/starving in the streets (like a modern shelter), we do know that in the late 23rd century people are still buying and selling their homes. I can only remember a single Human (a young man) in the 24th century who wasn't employed in some job or the spouse/child of someone with a job. Picard's brother was in agriculture, Sisko's father in food service, Riker's father is a military consultant.

What I'm getting at is I don't think basic services are being "provided" by society. Technology might make all the basics obtainable, but people are obtaining them through their own financial means.

humanity was attempting to foster human beings reaching their full potential

Okay, now explain the waitresses. And the housekeeper. And the guy doing janitorial at Starfleet Academy.

 

[eyeresist]

humanity was attempting to foster human beings reaching their full potential

Okay, now explain the waitresses. And the housekeeper. And the guy doing janitorial at Starfleet Academy.

[outrageous French accent]: "And so I decided to become a waiterrrr!"

 

[Tim Walker]

I can imagine the hero crew coming across an adventurer, on the very fringe of Federation space, looking for the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. Oopps! I mean the Lost Ferengi Latinum Mine.

Lets see, I have also brought up such characters as a scoundrel (Harry Mudd) and a scamp (Cyrano Jones). Give Federation society a bit of variety.

 

[Orphalesion]

Yay, a speculation thread!

My ideal New Trek series? Well first of all it should be unconnected to the new movies, but just on the same timeline as TOS, TNG and all that.

As for the basic setting, it might be a bit cliche, but I'd actually like a series set a century after TNG/DS9/VOY in a universe where a terrible, long winded war has devastated the Alpha and Beta quadrants, sort of almost a Post-Apocalyptic setting.

The new Enterprise should have been originally much larger and more advanced than the TNG one, really a flying city, but now it is partially destroyed, destitute and perhaps even devided against itself, meaning that parts of the ship could be cut of from main command and under the control of factions of refugees, with seething conflicts and the Captain being forced to act as a mediator between those.
The ship is barely dragging along (at least in the beginning of the series) and would have to forage for replacement parts and resources.

I'd also like more aliens as main characters, especially more obvious aliens. Can we have an Andorian as a main character?
I'd also like a faction of war scarred, aggressive Betazoids now making full use of the dangerous ESP abilities mentioned in "Battle for Betazed"

One theme could be the deadliness and isolation of space, perhaps many planets like Earth and Vulcan were devastated/destroyed, others are occupied by hostile factions and the Enterprise often finds itself on its own for long periods of time. Running out of food, running out of water, energy, no holodeck anymore etc. They stumble over old, forgotten traps and weapons from the war, grave planets, shortages.

The other theme I'd like to see would introduce a sort of spirituality and transcendence into Trek (which it is sorely lacking imho)
With technology slowly failing people could turn to superstition and religion again, at the same time there should be hints at genuine higher states of being.
Of course a transhumanist element would also be interesting to see.

 

[Tim Walker]

Sounds fairly similar to Andromeda, a space opera series. The Commonwealth was brought down by war. (Somewhat similar to the fall of the Roman Empire). Society is in tatters. And there is a new religion called The Way.