posted
Alot of people have said that the next trek might turn out to be mediocreand dull. I think we cann all agree that this could become true. Instead of just making something "totall different," (DS9 was supposed to be totally different, and it was good; Voyager was supposed to be even more different, and well, uh... its Voyager), the rpoducers could try and make something with a number of inteesting story possibilities, as well as ther ability to grow and change.
Let's look at the poast of trek a little for some advice: TOS-It had some epidsode that were very good, as well as other that were very bad. What really defined TOS and made the overall series good were the episodes concentrating on the issues of the 60's. That is what made TOS sucessful. But you have to admit that many of TOS's stories were often times tachy, and probably wouldn;t pass on today's trek.
TNG-TNG's first few years weren;t necassarily that great, with many episode's that were simply rewritten TOS stories. But within a few years, TNG was pop culture, becoming one of television's most popular shows. What made this possible? Well, TNG was pretty much the only sci-fi show of its time. It also was under the leadership of the very famous Mr. Roddenbery, and also possed an excellent writing staff. The trek universe was also pretty new and open to TNG, allowing the writers to pretty much do wahtever they wanted. We were introduced to a romulan empire, peaceful kilngons, visocu cardassians, and the borg in their most frightening form. But by the 7th season, the writers admit that they started to run out of ideas for stories.
DS9- I have a book call "The Making of Deep Space Nine," which details the development of the show. Originally, it was entitiled Star Trek: Starbase 362, and was to be set in a kind of Federation Hong Kong situated on the surface of a recently freed Bajor. And that was to be the setting, with no wormhole. However, the producers realized that the cost of bulding and outdoor city set were too high, and so changed the setting to a space station. Then they added the wormhole to bring more space travellers to that station. We all know what this lead to: internal Bajoran conflicts, conflicts with the cardassians, conflicts between many interesting characters, and fianlly conflict with the dominion that split the quadrant apart and lead to some of the best stories ever written for trek.
And fianlly, VOY- Orignally, VOY was going to bring two conflicting crews together on a long, lonley journey home that could include ever chainging threats and stories materiazlising with the final release from the well-known alpha quadrant. But that's not how it happened. The series pretty much just didn;t work, just coming out with ever repeating sotry lines. This might not have only been because the writers were bad. There havne;lt been anythiung for Voyagers stories to be about except there little ship and its survival. That's why every story has been about Voyager's survival. Because there's been nothing for Voyager to help in the survival in. At least TNG and DS9 could deal with threats to the federation or its allies. But Voyager has just been about threats to itself.
So, the next series has to have a good storng base for sotries. DS9 was the only series that really had alot of sotries left to tell when it ended. So, perhaps that next series having some type of stationary setting such as DS9 would be a good idea. A Starfleet Academy series might work for a stationary setting, but I think I would find a bunch of wesley crusher's running around as annoying. Someone I know has proposed a differnt kind of show based on Earth. Some type of special ops team, based on Earth, could be assigned starfleet's most important missions right out of starfleet command. However, what I immediatley found flawed about this series was that earth was too far from the federation;s frontier for a show like this. But what if starfleet discovers an alien ship with a transwarp drive. Its technlogies are far ahead of the federation's and barely understood. Its so advancd that Starfleet reserves it for the federation;s most important missions. It could be stationed on Earth, and travel out to the edges of the federation within days via iyts transwapr drive. W could also get a glimpse into federation civiilian life on Earth, as well as insights into starfleet command and the workings of the federation's government. Put in a post-dominion war setting of a dead Cardassian Empire, weakened Klingons, some internal moral issues in the federation, a suddenly more powerful romulan empire, and a stable wormhole to the gamma qudrant still running and I think you got yourself some good story possibilities. There's even a frightening villian that is still out there somewhere: the alien infiltrators from "Conspiracy." And this alien transwarp vessel, designtated USS Infinity, could get involved in all of these stories.
------------------ USS Infinity NX-100239 First Transwarp Ship of the Fleet Epsilon Omega Shipyards
"It's like I said, the more things change, the more they stay the same."-Unknown Vulcan Philosopher
posted
We also need conflict. Good, continuing conflict. That's what made DS9 great, and made the characters into real people. It's also one of Voyager's failings.
------------------ Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons; for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
posted
I thought one of the most interesting twists DS9 did early on was all the political intrigue. The rouge alliance between religious and political elements, etc.
There was alot of worry that DS9 would be too stationary, but they totally made the best of that and focused on Bajor's problems.
I agree with the above comment about having a continuing storyline, something that can branch into other things but always revolves around an overall story arc.
Yes this would require alot of forethought on the part of the creators. Don't hold your collective breath.
posted
All it needs is a continuing story arc with lots of plot twists, continuity, not too much technobabble and as little as possible of "holodeck fantasy" episode.
Of course, that means good actors, good writers who can actually plan story in advance, not just "make it up" along the way.
Sorta like "Gargoyles" if you ask me. That's the kind of scope we need. Great story, great caracters, and at the end everything falls logically into place.
------------------ -If you ask me, I think continuity is highly overrated... *Brannon Braga*
-Give me Good Trek or give me Death! *Me*
-Where were you when the brains were handed out? *Sonic the Hedgehog*
posted
"You could also add in there the two who did 'The Visitor', Michael Pillar and Peter Allan Fields."
Strike one! Current Voyager writer Michael Taylor wrote "The Visitor" to have it slightly rewritten by Rene Echevarria.
And Joe Menosky. Definitely Joe Menosky (but Shankaar might be able to go...).
------------------ 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")
posted
I would like to see Star Trek move in the direction of an ER style of story telling and camera directing. I love how Er uses layered plots and and subplots to keep the action and drama going. This would help Star Trek to retain an audience and to make it fresher and newer, in story telling.
IP: Logged
posted
Something like Bab5, where the entire series is all planned out, with everything slowly falling into place until the finale, where the big shocking thing is revealed.
Saltah'na
Chinese Canadian, or 75% Commie Bastard.
Member # 33
posted
Shows like "Lower Decks", "Hollow Pursuits", "The Inner Light" and so on is what made TNG so popular. Not about phasers, photon torpedoes, and exploring new worlds, but also a behind the scenes look at life aboard the ship. Voyager needs more of these to make the series more interesting.
------------------ I can resist anything....... Except Temptation
posted
What would make a good 5th series? No more Picard. No more Riker. No more arrogant and heroic characters. And please no more episodes that make humans seem and sound like heroes. What would make a good new series? Hmm...a non-human captain. I"m just sick of human captains who think they are so great just because they're human...Grrr...I'm so upset...(Picard, Riker, Kirk, and Kirk's stupid doctor are among a few)
------------------ Logic is the beginning of wisdom