TrekToday reports...

Rule #1:
Never believe anything until it's been officially denied

Rule #2:
Never underestimate the lunacy inside Hollywood.

Now, SPEAK YOUR BRAINS!

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"NO! NO! Kill you all!
Die! MAKE YOU SUFFER!!!"

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All hands, abandon ship! All hand, abandon...
BOOM!
 

If the report is, in fact, true, I think I shall have to accustom myself to watching reruns like I did after the demise of the original series (the animated one hardly counts -- it was a Filmation product :P).

--Baloo

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Oreos: <I>Ori-oz</I> (aleph-vav-resh-yud-ayin-zayin), translates as "my light is the source of strength."
--Lori's Mishmash Jewish Humor http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/6174/h--jewis.html
www.geocities.com/Area51/Shire/8641/

Outside the techie forums, TOS is a fun show to watch every time I catch an episode. What I desperately want to do is sit down and go through all the 79 episodes (I haven't even seen all of them, and it's been years), go through all the movies, TNG, DS9...(maybe VOY, but let's not push it)

Boris

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"Wrong again. Although we want to be scientifically accurate, we've found that selection of [Photon Energy Plasma Scientifically Inaccurate as a major Star Trek format error] usually indicates a preoccupation with science and gadgetry over people and story."

---a Writers' Test from the Original Series Writer's Guide

I agree that Star Trek needs to be reborn. I think that Voyager was an attempt to make a fresh start by jettisoning Star Trek's 30-year history. Unfortunately, this experiment failed, perhaps because the same people have been involved in Star Trek since the launch of TNG. Fresh blood, or at least someone's blood, is needed. I wonder what Nicholas Meyer is doing now?

As an old guy who grew up with the original series and loves it most of all I think the prequel idea is great. But I don't know how many people feel the same way about TOS. Maybe most of today's fans don't even like or haven't even seen TOS.

Among other things I like the fact that TOS told a single story well, rather than telling two unrelated A and B stories. Hey, how about this: remake TOS with new actors!! In the early 1980s the "Odd Couple" was remade with the original scripts but now with black actors (it only lasted a few weeks). (PS: this is not a serious suggestion)

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When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum

The creator's need to jettison their baggage and get back to creating! These are supposed to be artistic people. They're in the business of providing entertainment. And they get paid a ton for it. I for one don't want to hear about their little power struggles.

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"Resolve and thou art free."
 

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Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons; for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
 

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"If you are going to be my girlfriend please don't dump me after I like you."
--
Michael
 

Roddenberry Optimistic future?
Not if the DS9 faction wins power, didn't Hewitt-Wolfe suggest a saga set after the "collapse of the Federation"?

Continuity?
Getting too detailed for a non-fan to keep uip with. Likely to mean simple ignoring of established canon.

Human adventure?
What's left to tell? humanity goes to the stars. OK, but it has to meet rathermore interesting dramatic foils than blokes with funny foreheads.

I think it's telling that even FANS are struggling to come up with an original idea for a new series.

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"NO! NO! Kill you all!
Die! MAKE YOU SUFFER!!!"

If the report is accurate it doesn't seem like anyone at Paramount is concerned with Trek. Not just TPTB but Berman, Braga, etc. I understand that they have to have jobs but if they're only interest in Trek is from that viewpoint then the whole thing is doomed. I think we can all agree that the only people who should be messing with Trek are those that have a vested interest in the show's premises. Not someone whose only interest is in a paycheck gained at the price of those same premises.

It's just sad. How much longer can I be a Trek fan if they keep this up? If this is what they really want to do why not just come up with a non-Trek series from these creators? I'd watch that, but not if they called it Trek.

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Proverbs for Paranoids, 3: If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.
 

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Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons; for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
 

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Elim Garak: "Oh, it's just Garak. Plain, simple Garak. Now, good day to you, Doctor. I'm so glad to have made such an... interesting new friend today." (DS9: "Past Prologue")
 

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Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons; for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
 

In any case, I noticed the beginning of a trend when the Great Bird of the Galaxy passed away. It appeared to me that TPTB were concerned that with the absence of the guiding light of the series (Gene Roddenberry) no-one really knew what to do with Trek. It appeared to me that their tactic was to simply milk the cash cow (the trek franchise) as fast as possible to get all the profits they could before it died a natural (but greatly hastened) death. I think it surprised the Paramount execs that Trek has lasted as long as it has without Gene R., and they're afraid to do anything more because they are not confident that series 5 will turn a profit. They fear that whatever momentum the franchise possessed is about gone, and any money spent on it at this late date stands a good chance of vanishing without a trace.

Just My opinion.

--Baloo

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Hobbes: Do you think there's a God?
Calvin: Well, somebody's out to get me."
--Bill Watterson
www.geocities.com/Area51/Shire/8641/

[This message has been edited by Baloo (edited November 10, 1999).]
 

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7 of 9 alarm clock: "Wake up. Resistance is futile."
Dilbert: "I wonder if I could ever date a woman like Jeri Ryan."
7 of 9 alarm clock: "That too is futile."
Federation Starship Datalink - Now with a pop-up on every page...damn you Tripod!
 

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Calvin: "No efficiency, no accountability... I tell you, Hobbes, it's a lousy way to run a Universe." -- Bill Watterson

Ballo and I have been reading the same books :)
 

But do you have "the AUTHORITATIVE Calvin and Hobbes"? (I bought every C&H Book I could find in the Stars and Stripes bookstore when I was stationed in Korea.)

I regret that Bill Watterson is no longer doing Calvin and Hobbes.

--Baloo

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Hobbes: Do you think there's a God?
Calvin: Well, somebody's out to get me."
--Bill Watterson
www.geocities.com/Area51/Shire/8641/

Posted by Montgomery (Member # 23) on :
 
Calvin & Hobbes was required reading at my last University.

"Spaceman Spiff is going down! IS THIS THE END?!!!!"

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"You will be swept away....
You, your men, your ship, your WORLDS!"

 

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Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :
 
I got them all. They're classic.

::Searches for a new Calvin & Hobbes sig::

I love Calvin's snow creations...

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7 of 9 alarm clock: "Wake up. Resistance is futile."
Dilbert: "I wonder if I could ever date a woman like Jeri Ryan."
7 of 9 alarm clock: "That too is futile."
Federation Starship Datalink - Now with a pop-up on every page...damn you Tripod!
 

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Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
 
I think if Marjel did produce "Earth: Final Conflict," that she could do the job for trek. That said, I'd rather have Nimoy.

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Fool of a Took, throw yourself in next time!!
Gandalf

 

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Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :
 
I don't even know what they could do for a 5th series. We've already seen 3 starship series and 1 based off a space station.

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Calvin: "I'm a man of few words."
Hobbes: "Maybe if you read more, you'd have a larger vocabulary."
Federation Starship Datalink - Now with a pop-up on every page...damn you Tripod!
 

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Posted by Lt. Tom on :
 
I really don't see any problem with doing another ship or station. A series set during the formative days of the Federation has a lot of potential if done right--although I don't think that Paramount is capable of doing this correctly. There's also the period between ST6 and TNG--an Excelsior series has potential, although there would be problems with the actors getting along in years. An Ent-B series could cover much of the same ground as an Excel series, and I'd love to have an Enterprise on the small screen again. However, I just don't see this working as well.

Kosh:
The problem with Nimoy is that he and Paramount aren't exactly best of pals. (Actually, I guess this would be more of "another problem with Paramount" than "the problem with Nimoy.")
 

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Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :
 
That's too bad. I wouldn't mind seeing Nimoy take a position as a producer/director. He's utterly familiar with the series and the basic Trek philosophy, plus he's a damn good director!

--Baloo

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Hobbes: Do you think there's a God?
Calvin: Well, somebody's out to get me."
--Bill Watterson
www.geocities.com/Area51/Shire/8641/

 

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Posted by Masao (Member # 232) on :
 
I agree that there is nothing inherently wrong with either a ship show or a station show or with any particular time period.

Personally, since I'm a TOS-head, I'd prefer to see a ship show set in the early days of the Federation (pre-TOS). Or how about a show based on the surface of a planet? How about a rapid reaction force among outer Federation Territories (like Gunsmoke in Space)? How about something involving the Starfleet Marine Corps baseball team? How about a show set in the Klingon Empire? How about a show about civilians? Who knows?

AS far as style, I'd also like the show to emphasize just a few core characters rather than diluting the focus on the entire senior staff. No holographic characters: that's been done. Make all the characters adults: no one who needs to be babysat or who misses his mother. Rather than the beige hotel decor of the EntD, I'd like to see a brighter, more stylized palette as on TOS. Of course, less techobabble, psychobabble, and gadgetry: these date the show very quickly. The show needs to be vigorous. It needs to be well-written: spend the money and hire some good writers from SF literature or even comics. Get rid of all B stories.

The foremost problem is in the execution. Is Paramount willing to spend enough time on developing this show correctly while avoid political infighting and back-stabbing? Can they abandon the ideas and methods that have grown stale since the start of TNG? I don't think so. Star Trek has become just another product, which they admit by calling it "the Franchise." They'll probably just choose one producing faction and rush a show onto the air to overlap with the end of Voyager. Of course, we'll watch because it's still called Star Trek.

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When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum

 

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Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
 
OK, so how about Majel and Lenny colaborating? Just keep Shatner's nose out of it, and it just might work...

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Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons; for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
 

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Posted by bear (Member # 124) on :
 
I still say an Indiana Jones of Trek would be a very interesting direction to take the franchise. How many of us really enjoyed Picard's interest archeology of ancient cultures. The series obviously wouldn't have the scope of a lone ship in the delta quadrant, but with fewer characters the writers could avoid a majority of the inconsistencies. Of course Starfleet would play a large role in the series in general by either coming to the rescue of our hero, or by hampering him. Our hero could be an outcast of sorts in the Federation circles of Archeology, and not always have the ideals that are commonly associate with trek. His ship would be the ugliest thing in the galaxy, but his pride and joy.
Anythoughts

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Posted by grb on :
 
I myself think that an archeology series ould get a little boring, but a lone person or small crew all alone in the alpha qudrantdoes seem like a very good idea. Maybe sometype of combined romulan/klingon/federation crew that was so tired of the squabaling of the AQ powers that they left together to explore space on their own?

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USS Infinity
NX-99237
First Transwarp Ship of the Fleet
Discovered Stardate 4578
San Fransico Fleet Yards

"The more things change, the more they stay the same."-Unknown Vulcan Philosopher

 

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Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
 
It certainly does have a lot of possibilities. Maybe it could explore the mythologies and "supernatural" things that that go on in the Galaxy. Maybe the Nova Class could play a significant role.

Unfortunatly, this show would quickly be given your label "The Indiana Jones of Star trek" and the creators and Paramount would never go for it.

Honestly, I think an Ent B series has a whole lot of potential. You've got Federation expansion issues, pure science and exploration, the kick a$$ red uniforms and Excelsior refit model. There would be no obligation to use Captain Harriman or any of the other crew seen in Generations. Plus, since some future history has already been established there would be loose guidelines to work within. We could even see the creation of some of the older ships from the TNG era.

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"Resolve and thou art free."
 

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