CBS Considering New Animated Trek Series For The Web

Star Trek may be set for a comeback into yet another arena, this time in the 2nd dimension. TrekMovie.com has learned that there is a new animated Trek project under consideration at CBS, but it has yet to get the green light. The series would most likely be broadcast on the web and be made up of ‘Clone Wars’ like 6-minute mini episodes. The yet-to-be-named project was originally pitched by long-time Trek producer David Rossi (well known to TrekMovie.com readers as a producer on Trek Remastered) along with his producer/writer partners Doug Mirabello and José Muñoz. Rossi sat down with TrekMovie.com for an exclusive look at how he and his partners hope to create a different kind of Trek set in the 26th century.

The idea for a new animated Trek started back around the time that Star Trek Enterprise was cancelled. Rossi and his partners didn’t buy into the notion that Star Trek ‘needed a rest’. "We wanted to spark a little life into Star Trek and to keep it alive in people’s eyes," explains Rossi. They knew CBS and Paramount weren’t going to be keen on a new (and very expensive) live action show so they decided that animation was the way to go. Their first notion was to do a show set in the Original Series era (but not on the Enterprise), however that notion didn’t sit well with the people at CBS. Rossi then took the advice he got from LeVar Burton on how ‘Star Trek should always be about moving forward and what is next in the human adventure.’ So the team came up with the notion of taking a big leap forward and setting a show 150 years after the time of Picard and Star Trek Nemesis, but in a very different and somewhat dark Trek universe. CBS were more open to that idea and over the last year and a half have asked the team (now formed into Zero Room Productions) to flesh out their idea. Although CBS have not committed to the series, they have asked the team to develop test artwork and scripts for 5 mini episodes.


Test art shows that this Trek is kind of scary

Trek’s darker future…with a spark of hope
The Zero Room team felt that the time was right for a new approach to Trek. The setting is the year 2528 and the Federation is a different place after suffering through a devastating war with the Romulans 60 years earlier. The war was sparked off after a surprise attack of dozens of ‘Omega particle’ detonations throughout the Federation creating vast areas which become impassible to warp travel and essentially cut off almost half the Federation from the rest. During the war the Klingon homeworld was occupied by the Romulans, all of Andoria was destroyed and the Vulcans, who were negotiating reunification with the Romulans, pulled out of the Federation. The setting may seem bleak and not very Trek-like, but that is where the show’s hero Captain Alexander Chase comes in. Relegated to border patrol, Chase is determined to bring the Federation (and a ship called Enterprise) back to the glory days of seeking out new life and new civilizations. 

The parallels with the real world are obvious. The view is that to be relevant Trek cannot skirt around issues. Rossi explains: "couching big social issues in allegories so they are more palatable is kind of passé now. Today shows deal with these issues head on, so we decided to  make the entire show an allegory. The premise is an allegory for the post-9/11 world we live in. A world of uncertainty and fear." In addition to the attempt at relevance, the Zero Room team want to incorporate other modern techniques. The show will have an overall ‘arc’ related to the mystery of who perpetuated that ‘Omega’ attack which sparked the Romulan War (turns out it wasn’t the Romulans…ooops). As one might imagine, all of the above back-story is quite a lot to get across in animated mini episodes, but that is where the web comes in. On StarTrek.com there will be a special sub-site for the show with crew logs and detailed histories of the Federation to get viewers up to speed on what has been going on since Picard’s day. The team also want to tackle the issue of how Trek does not usually lend itself to the action-oriented world of animated shows like Star Wars: Clone Wars. "We won’t have long diatribes, we are utilizing a clipped kind of writing and the editing is frenetic," explains Rossi. The overall approach is hoped to make the show have a wider appeal than Trek’s last foray into the world of animation. 


Captain Chase…bringing back the old days

A conflicted ship and crew
This new animated series would take place again on a ship called Enterprise, but the old girl has seen better days. Captain Chase’s Enterprise will be a ‘Bismarck Class’ heavy cruiser from the Romulan war and a bit out of date. Her mission will be merely patrolling the border, but Chase chose the Enterprise for a reason. As a student of the Federation’s glory days, he wants to have the Enterprise reclaim her legacy. Although they are not ready to share artwork, Rossi says the ship will be very different than familiar saucer/hull/nacelle designs while still being recognizable as a ‘Star Trek’ ship. Her crew will be a collection of humans and aliens including a chief engineer named ‘Mr. Zero’ who wears an environmental suit to survive. Life on the ship will mirror that of the Federation itself. "The Captain is more forward thinking and wants to go out and do some exploring but half the crew will be against that and want to just protect the border," says Rossi. Leading the ‘stay the course’ faction will be Chase’s first officer, Commander Barric Holden who wants a command of his own and be a bit resentful of the his new captain. Rounding out the ‘big 3’ will be Lt. Kaylen Donal, a tough-as-nails security chief whose team of red shirts are all linked with Borg technology implants called ‘Biomechanical Utility Grafts or ‘BUGs’. The Zero Room team want to see this security squad kick some butt and not just be cannon fodder. Rossi draws the distinction with previous security personnel "they aren’t the hapless pajama wearing guys who get vaporized every time…these are going to be very thoughtful clever bad-ass soldiers."

  
Cmdr. Holden and Lt. Donal fill out the ‘troika’ for the new animated Trek

A new look and a look back
When choosing a style for their new animated series, Zero Room chose a 2D style that was both modern and yet nostalgic. The designs are influenced by the work of Darwyn Cooke who made the recent retro-cool New Frontier comic series. "Although the show is set in the future the designs are founded in TOS, it is a throwback that is also looking forward," explains Rossi. From the designs of the uniforms to the phasers there is certainly an Original Series feel to the work, possibly harkening back to their original idea to set the series in the TOS period. Jeff Parker, an accomplished comic book artist currently working on Marvel’s on X-Men, has done most of the character design work. In addition to Jeff there are some others artists who have done work on the project and Zero Room are looking to expand the team as well. [If you are a 2D artist interested in getting involved, Zero Room do take submissions. Inquiries can be sent to zeroroomprods@gmail.com]


a nostalgic look for the uniforms and props

So what is next?
One thing that should be made clear is that it is entirely unclear if, when or how this animated series will be seen. If the project gets the go ahead it will most likely be seen on StarTrek.com, however the show would be made in a way so it can be also shown on broadcast TV as well as DVD. This is somewhat similar to the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series which was shown on StarWars.com as well as the Cartoon Network and then put out on DVD. One of the big hurdles seems to be the convoluted nature of the  Trek license sharing deal between the former Viacom partners CBS and Paramount. Apparently when your name is not J.J. Abrams it is a bit difficult to work a new Trek project through the system. Currently the project is in a holding pattern and may remain so until the release of Star Trek XI in 2008. If CBS and Paramount want Star Trek to compete with other franchises like Star Wars, Superman, and Batman, then it makes sense for it to have an animated component.

Only time will tell if this project will see the light of day or end up like ‘Star Trek Phase II’ and other ‘Treks that could have been’. It is certain that this different take on the Trek universe will spark debate, but the people behind it are to be credited for attempting a daring take on the venerable franchise. The project does have the support of one of Star Trek’s most respected designers (and Trek’s semi-official historian) Mike Okuda (although he works with Rossi on Trek Remastered, Okuda is not inovled with the new animated project). Okuda tells TrekMovie.com "the concept offers fresh, exciting characters and stories, and the visuals promise to be cool…I hope it happens."

more sketches from the new animated Trek

         
(click to enlarge) 

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: I would like to thank David Rossi for taking the time out to talk to TrekMovie.com about this new project, especially since this week he and his lovely wife Lili welcomed a new Trekkie in the world. A big TrekMovie.com welcome to Dave and Lili’s new daughter Frankie Lu Rossi. 

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I just bought the animated DVD’s. Pretty cool, for sure. But I thought, could they not completely re-do the animation with the same voice actors? It would be a breeze and look fantastic.

I dont like it.

The adventures of the Battlestar Enterprise have zero interest for me.

Sorry.

^^^^^

I’m not so close minded as to say this wouldn’t satisfy some fans appetite for something new in the Trek universe that defies convention and where the show has been before, but this is just entirely too much of a stretch for me, too related to Battlestar Galactica.

Roddenberry postulated humanity survives, that is the fundamental appeal of Star Trek, here is yet another post armageddon scenario of picking up the peices of a calamity and having a semblance of normality.

Why is everything doom and gloom today and distorted with a cynical view?

What happened to bright, cheery, even naive optimism. That is what Star Trek was always all about. And just as in 66, the world today NEEDS that unbiased, untainted optimism.

If I wanted to see this shit I’d turn on the world news.

This sounds like another very interesting new Trek project, but just like Trek XI – it has to be done in the right way!

I would much rather a TV Animated Series from the TOS movie (not ST:TMP but rather ST:TWOK) era.

Seems like those that favor a Capt Sulu series woudl best be served by that idea. Plus, since Shatner and a few key TOS persons are still “VOICEs amongst us” we might yet see Kirk and Co. in their prime.

We still keep going further into the future and leaving vast voids of time un filled. GOLDER OPPORTUNITY here FOLKS!!!

What say you?

I think it sounds great. The idea is fresh. It would be a great way to bring some new fans in, and those that have gone astray. Having watched the Animated series recently, I’ve been craving new Trek, in any form.

I think a new animated Star Trek could only succeed if it’s one thing…FUNNY! Star Trek, as new animated cartoon, could be very enjoyable as a light hearted parody or spoof of our favorite tv show.

Go to this site for a perfect example of how funny a cartoon version of Trek could be. It’s hilarious! – stonetrek.com

Has any cartoon, or animated series ever succeeded as a serious, dramatic show? I can’t think of any. Someone here correct me if I’ve missed one…

Maybe I’m wrong, but I think a dramatic, serious animated series will only appeal to a very small segment of ST fans. That doesn’t sound like a formula for the studios making alot of money, but maybe there’s more interest out there than I realize.

For myself, if it’s going to be anything like the animated series from 1973, I will respectfully say, “no thanks.”

Long live Spock and Quark!

Mike :o

Unless they put sufficient resources into this project. Cash and sem-decent story lines (for a cartoon) of course then they just better forget it. IF I really want to see 2nd rate animation then all I have to do is watch the poorly made cartoons that are being churned out of Asia and elsewhere.
INSTEAD….why don’t they put in some good stories (like Jonny Quest) was in their first season? As some of you may know….that series was never cancelled – they just couldn’t afford to produce it anymore so they quit producing it. Now….that would be a cartoon worthy of anyones time and effort both in making and watching the final product. If they chose to make it in the lines (quality) of some recent films like The Incredibles…..then we’d all be in for a pleasant surprise. A nice idea….

#7–No, no, no, no, no. Trek died because it became a joke in the minds of too many people. We need projects that make Trek relevant and interesting again, and this new animated series might work, if handled well. At least it seems like a step in the right direction.

But if Trek can’t do anything other than mock its own conventions, it’ll just damage itself even further in the public’s mind–they’ll think “Star Trek = Lame Crap.”

As for any cartoon succeeding as a dramatic, serious toon? Try Bruce Timm’s “Batman.”

My only question is,

in the above picture why is Captain Pursue holding a Martian War Machine head from George Pal’s 50’s classic, and why is it not incinerating his head off?

Very interesting. I’d watch. What the hell?

This is around the time of the 1701-J i think.

People who bash animation (cartoons) are akin to people who bash science fiction. Kind of discouraging to see it get bashed here.

Good God look at that Phaser!! FINALLY beefy guns to spread our peaceful mission LOL. That gun is wicked cool! And I love that they call the security guards “The Red Shirts.” Nice tip of the hat to those poor lost souls from a more dangerous era LOL!

#9 Here, here. The Bruce Timm Batman is VERY well done. How wicked would it be to see nasty aliens done with animation. If one of the producers of Trek Remastered is behind it then so am I. The care and reverence Rossi has for Trek is evident from the fantastic work CBS is turning out. I wonder if Okuda is part of this?

I hope this idea dies a slow and painful death at the hands of Regulan Blood Worms.

“…we are utilizing a clipped kind of writing and the editing is frenetic,” explains Rossi.
Yeccccch! There is enough of that garbage already.

Nothing against an animated series, but this has no reason to be called Star Trek other than wanting to use a proven brand name.

The more I read about this kind of stuff, the more I will stick with the 79 episodes and the Filmation animated series.

The concept and the art respectively for this new cartoon is going to have to be loud and out of place in the trek universe. That’s not to say I approve, but even though we adults will certainly tune in to see some new trek, no one will fund an animated series that’s not AIMED AT KIDS.
This means selling toys, video games, and cereal.
We can always make the argument that children are smarter than we give credit, and that kids would be just as content with a naive, nonviolent animated trek that is more akin to TNG than to G.I. Joe, but you’ll never convince anyone with the production money to take the risk on making toy communicators rather than toy phaser bazookas (or whatever).
Let’s just hope it doesn’t go the way of “The Batman”, you know, the new one that sucks ass, not the superior Bruce Timm one.

#9.. I think Trek is far from dead, in any sense of the word! It’s on hiatus now and maybe that’s a good thing. And why are so many fans against a humorous look at Trek? Did the movie “Spaceballs” destroy the Lucas Star Wars empire? No way!

One of the things I like about Bill Shatner is the fact that he both respects high quality science fiction, as a writer, actor and director, yet doesn’t take Star Trek as seriously as many of his fans do. I find that balance is both healthy and refreshing.

The Star Trek universe is very large indeed, and maybe that’s one of the problems. Maybe it has become too big with an emphasis more on quantity vs quality. Maybe there have been too many tv shows, too many movies, too many books, too much Star Trek in general over the years for the good of the franchise.

Like most people here I want more Trek in the future, but I don’t want CBS and Paramount to milk the franchise into the ground either. To me, an animated series will not make Trek “relevant and/or interesting” to most fans. I think it will only appeal to a very small minority of die hard fans the “love everything trek.” Maybe I’m wrong, but the first attempt at animating Star Trek was not exactly a rousing success. (Unless you consider a one year run and 22 episodes a success.)

In my opinion, Star Trek belongs in the live action arena only- live action TV and movies. If they are going to go animated, why not go comic books too.
There will always be a market for anything Star Trek, but I really wonder how large the audience is for a another animated series. You named one serious animated series that was successful, but I could name dozens of “comedy based animated series” that succeeded, even in prime time!

Star Trek has had an incredible run, but no show, no movie series will last forever. I hope that if Star Trek XI is both a critical and commercial success, the franchise ends. I really, really, really want Star Trek to go out on top! For me Star Trek ended in 1969, and anything produced after the original show ended has just been a nice added bonus, especially DS9.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Mike :o

It’s an interesting concept, but I, too, feel that it unnecessarily eschews Roddenberry’s original concept for the show.

In the ’60s, there was Vietnam and the threat of global thermonuclear war, and yet ‘Star Trek’ provided an optimistic, hour-long break from the days events. Surely intrepid Capt. Chase could have adventures in a more optimistic future. However, I understand that the idea of an optimistic series may not fly in the board room.

I will say this: my favorite recent Trek series is DS9, so I’m certainly open to “gritty” ‘Star Trek.’ I hope it’s done well.

#7 – The Japanese have a long history of creating dramatic, successful animated series that are very popular over here. Check out Cartoon Netowrk late at night or look on the shelves at any Best Buy store. The anime section is larger ththe science fiction area in most of their stores.

As far as American television goes, no. Americans have this grating attitude that animated means Bugs Bunny or Goofy and has to be humorous in nature. The only successful American animation that are serious and popular are full length feature films.

#18 Yes Anime has been popular since the 1990’s. I never found Japanese animation very compelling, but many younger viewers love it and prefer it over the old time cartoons I grew up with. Time will tell if it isn’t just a passing fad with American viewers…

You are right, most Americans associate animation with comedy and family movies. Not a bad thing I guess, because it’s been so successful over the decades.

Maybe a more interesting Star Trek animated series concept would have computered generated animation featured in such movies as “Toy Story,” and other Pixal features. That would be quite impressive, but I’m sure quite expensive too…

Mike :o

Given the excellent work on shows like the Batman/Superman animated series of the 90s, an intelligent cartoon series could work very well.

Setting it in the 26th-ish century would work quite nicely with a live action series set in the 23rd century.

I’d also like to see the classic animated series, which I’m working my way through on DVD at the mo, released with new animation, new music and maybe a couple of new voices (perhaps by actors from later Treks) to add some variety to the constant recognisable ‘guest’ voices of Majel Barrett and James Doohan.

If we can have Star Trek Remastered, why not Star Trek Re-Animated?!

Golly this I said earlier today that this is an intersting time to be a Trek fan. Wasn’t kidding was I? :shock:

I agree with the earlier writer that said that one of the elements of Star Trek that has set it apart from other science fiction like Star Wars and Galactica is its vision of the future. Thoughtful, good science fiction would be appreciated and remembered. Rushing something to take advantage of Star Wars Clone Wars successes or the interest being currently shown in Galactica would be sad, and probably unsuccessful. I think if done well, and with a serious effort to tell Trek-stories of success of the human spirit and bold explorations of uncharted territory an animated serious has great potential to raise the bar for Trek lore. Remember, the Star Trek Online MMOG is scheduled to appear on the store shelves soon and it primarily is an animated version of Star Trek….

>What happened to bright, cheery, even naive optimism. That is what Star >Trek was always all about. And just as in 66, the world today NEEDS that >unbiased, untainted optimism.

I agree. For more than a decade I have seen the ever increasing pushing of not just creatives, but parts of fandom as well to turn Trek into something it is not – a dark and dystopian action show brimming with conflict. I think those people got it totally wrong – in the 1960s, the situation was very much comparable to now, and yet, at that time TOS offered kind of an alternative view to the uncertain future people were facing, providing reassurance that it would not just go on, but become better and better. Given its stance opposition by all those pragmatists out there, back then and now, this kind of optimistic future is still way more daring than any dark scenario could be, and if Trek gives in to the latter, this will be the *real* death of the legend, because then it will be indistinguishable from the Farscapes and Fireflies and Battlestar Galacticas of this world. But I guess this is what happens when you have to cater to majority taste, which unlike the 1960s doesnt seem very open about anything but “gloom and doom” these days anymore.

No offence to those who have put work into this, but with the details and grim art provided I sincerely hope this show wont get the green-light. It’s a dead end.

Sod animated trek, get CBS Paramount to put money into the Star Trek New Voyages fanfilms so they can ramp up production and fill in the final years of the original series.

Maybe they could get a CGI department to due some facial augmentation so that it would look like the original actors continued their show.

The stories the New Voyages Team have done so far are great and would literally bring us back to the original series.

No interest. I don’t think these people realize that Kirk and crew are the characters that made Trek so great. I don’t care about some wacky future with some characters I don’t know. At this point, that’s been done, no matter what era it’s set in. It’s still a copy of a copy.

You don’t see constant cartoons based on the great grandson of Superman. You see Superman.

If they’re going to do an animated series of all things, I want something based on Kirk and his crew. Not in the TOS ERA and another crew. KIRK and the Enterprise.

Anything else is just boring.

This would be an excellent re-boot, with a chance of relevance and not the incestuous inside-looking continuity concerns. Do it as live action!

what a great idea! The art work looks great and the story idea makes me excited. As a 38 year old, I prefer animation over most live action. It’s good to see some new and exciting ideas! Rock On!!!!

Why do they keep going so far ahead?
It’s hard enough trying to figure out what the 23rd century would actually be like…………THE 26TH CENTURY?

C’mon.

CBS can try all they like to cash in on the TREK cash cow but unless they create interesting, riveting, characters like the well know triumvirate KIRK-SPOCK-McCOY, it ‘s destined for failure.
The phasers look like some cheesy Flash Gordon ray gun for God’s sake. I would think by the 26th century you would be able to mount a mind controlled phaser on your finger or something.
That’s 500 years in the future folks.
Do you think in 1506 they knew there would be cars, jets, telephones, electricity, computers, space travel and George W Bush?

Not bloody likely…………….; )

I like it. It reminds me a bit of the Gene Rodenberry “Andromeda” series. I believe Andromeda was originally a trek series pitch, since they couldn’t do it as a trek series they changed aspects of it.

I don’t think that Trek is necessarily about one thing. I keep reading – its a positive vision of the future. Well, not everything in the Trek universe is positive. Edith Keeler dies, wars happen, Kirk kicks the Klingon off the mountain and into the lava, the borg are scary.

Some people just have an idealized rememberance of the past and want a movie or tv show to give them that same feeling of nostalgia that they get when they clutch their beloved DVD’s in their hands.

Star Trek can be many things – scary, funny, dramatic, powerful, thrilling. Its a wide canvas.

Hey MichaelJohn,

Check this out…

http://www.ptrope.com/Star_Trek_Reanimated/

Wow, that looks pretty interesting Spockboy…CGI is really approaching photographic realism!

I’m curious to see the end product, as it certainly won’t look at all like the original cartoon.

Just think, in a few years CGI will become so good that they will be able to duplicate the original actors from TOS and make realistic new episodes. I’m not sure if that is a good thing or not, but I don’t think it’s too far fetched, or too far in the future.

Thanks for the link!

Mike :o

It sounds…to be blunt, crap. I’m as much as fanboy as anyone but look at those phasers and the uniforms. Stepping forwards while stepping backwards? WTF? And the captain’s motivation? But…I’ll wait to judge.

I’d much rather have an animated continuation of Enterprise or something a little less ridiculous.

I wish them luck and good fortune but… I’m just not feelin’ it. :(

..well it’s certainly interesting. Not too crazy about the art…that phaser is an abomination….or the premise, and clone wars was a pain in the butt to watch until they finally got it all together on one DVD, so I don’t think I would go through the trouble to find it and watch it on the web. Who knows, the folks that love anime might eat it up, but it’s certainly not my cup of tea.

Well if it was a proper anime, then it might be more interesting. At least animes have specutacular artwork.

*spectacular even.

I think there has to be a distinction made between a one dimentional “flat” Star Trek animated cartoon, like the orginal, and a 3D Computer generated animated series that has the look of a modern Pixar studio release. They are both referred to as “animation,” but only one can be considered a “cartoon.” There’s really no comparison between the two..

I realize that the pictures that are posted above are just preliminary drawings, but I hope they don’t represent what the animated series would look like. If so, it will just look like another Saturday morning cartoon.

I honestly could care less about another animated ST series, but it they do spend the time and effort to make one, I hope they will incorporate all the updated CGI tools available today to make the animation enjoyable for a broader audience.

Well off to work…see yah later Treksters!

Mike :o

Congratulations to Davis Rossi and his wife on their new baby. And I too want to echo Anthony’s thanks for letting us have an exclusive peek at this new project.

I’ll judge the show if/when it is broadcast.

Great idea! :-)

Hey!! This is really COOL!! I love it!

It isn’t Star Trek’s “optimism” that made it great. It’s the idea that in the future the Carl Sagans of the universe will be in charge and successfully run society on the principles of secular humanism and science while the George Bush and Dick Cheneys of the universe are Klingons. Star Trek is about the promise of a new Enlightenment, not the depressing notion of another Dark Ages.

I’ve got no problem with the aspect of dark Trek, it’s just everything else. The artwork, the characters, those phasers.

#40, very well put. I can really do without ANY more testosterone-driven hogwash.

And about the notion that “Trek can be anything” (also shared by Ronald D. Moore, btw). If that is the case, and there’s no defining quality for Trek whatsoever, then it is really just a commercial brand you can tack onto whatever keeps the masses happy. Time for a quick and painless death then – better to never see new Trek again than to have its philosophical core bastardized.

I like some of the art.

Conceptually there’s nothing fresh here for anyone who’s watched or read anything other than “Star Trek” in the last twenty years, but that doesn’t mean the show wouldn’t work.

That said, I have to echo whoever said uptopic “I’m not feelin’ it.”

I’m not opposed to any Trek series. I’d watch 4 at once if they’d produce them. IF its really Star Trek.

Here’s the two lines above Star Trek fans should be MOST wary about – not just for this proposed new Animated Series, but for the direction and road that the people in charge are GUIDING the creative people towards…

Quote from above:
“The premise is an allegory for the post-9/11 world we live in. A world of uncertainty and fear.”

Wow. That’s what the powers that be think?

There’s only fear and uncertainty if you believe there is fear and uncertainty. Any fictional accounts or broadcast entertainment that accepts this as a premise convey’s that message to the viewers.

I dont like this idea one bit. And not on the basis of make trek into an
animated form. That i am fine with. My issue resides in the limited
comprehension of writers now a days that feel that every forum has to be
an exact mimic of our times in the literal since so that we must “change”
every forum to meet it. Though some darker, more pessimistic notions of
the future work for sci-fi IT IS NOT Trek.

I compare this to the notion of a writer coming in and writing material on
a specific idea – say life in Iraq, or espionage during WWII, or the
Spanish Civil War during the early 1930’s- but decided not to either 1. do
the research neccessary to write on the material or 2. all their own views
on the world to shape what another one actually was.

Star Trek is not about rampid fear of the future or what will happen. Yes
it does come up in its stories at times (ie. Star Trek VI) but it is not
something that completely envelopes the world. The difference between
good writing and simple stereotypical one is that good writing finds ways
to make its commentary come through NO MATTER what setting or forum it is
expressed in. Simple stereotypical ones play into fears, uneducated
conceptions, and miss informed thoughts that are mainly objective in idea.
Many of the presented ideas here for this Trek cartoon simply go against
the entire reason the series was created.

Now some may argue the business side here, and at its heart that is the
way sci-fi and story telling is now. NO, that is the way that many
writers have their own beliefs and feelings at now. They themselves are
expressing their own fears and uncertainities within their own work. Now
some may say that this is just an expression of the times, and yes that is
true and may be true in other formats of story telling. BUT not for Trek.
Trek is grounded on the basis of a future that has been shaped from
violence and fears and has moved patch must of it. It is about hope
taking a hold and everyone coming to some form of understanding that we
are not as different as we make ourselves out to be. It was about social
ideas, and how did it get that across……by being different from the
rest of the sci-fi and other programming that was attempting to cater
COMPLETELY to the audience. It tested societal ways of doing things, ways
of interacting between cultures. Yes it still did have its own
stereotypes, its own selling out, but the fact is that there were giving a
little away of themselves so as to produce something that gave MORE to the
audience.

Sometimes someone or something has to stand out and attempt to make
statements about the world around us within a different voice than what is
being heard and used by everyone else. It is the only way that u stand
out and it is the only way that u will ever matter.

I like the illustrations but wish the Captain wore red, if it’s going to be post VOY era.

Dip Thong. Why have you brought bigotry to a discussion about a Star Trek cartoon?

Don’t tell me you’re one of those types who mocks everyone who chooses to believe in God (more people in the world do than don’t!) The way you’re talking, everyone who believes in God has to be some kind of fundamentalist. I guess all those old ladies who have a cup of tea with the vicar after the Sunday service are priming their Uzi’s while eating cucumber sandwiches! What the hell do they have to do with Bush, Cheney or Klingons?

Roddenberry’s scary, utopian universe of TNG might have adopted a form of secular humanism, but I’ve gotta ask: where do you think all the religious people went? What happened to Mecca or the Vatican? Are you telling me everyone gave up religion all across the world in one fell swoop?

The TNG version of humans are bland people who show no artistic inclinations and mock those who do (Barclay!) The only way a secular humanist view could be dominant in the TNG universe is if it was forced on people a la communism in the Soviet Union. Can’t you see it? Humanist fanatics locking away priests, rabbis, artists, radicals, reactionaries . . . ‘Make it so!!!’

Unlike its preachy successor, TOS always questioned the existence of God, as many of us who acknowledge the ***possibility*** of God do! There was never a definitive statement made in TOS, because the makers acknowledged the truth: we can’t know for certain! The discussion is what made things interesting rather than the preaching of TNG Trek.

Carl Sagan, for all his past remarks (and I respect his work in a way I don’t respect that lunatic Dawkins, who is the secular equivalent of Torquemada!) discussed God in his novel Contact and, in spite of everything that happened in it, never denied the possibility of God, merely giving us aliens who don’t know either.

And, by the sound of it, the smug 24th Century Federation has had a well-deserved arse-kicking in this cartoon. No society could be that sterile for so long without a major reaction.

TOS was never as positive as people make out. Yes, blacks, whites and Asians can all live and work together. That’s positive. But there are still people like Kodos and Dr Adams out there. Space is still often as dark and scary as it is wondrous. The edge of known space is littered with failed colonies and abandoned mining stations.

I like the idea that we’ll see humans regaining their zest for life in this cartoon. Strong emotions are part of the human condition, love, lust, anger, sorrow . . . as is the questioning of all things, be it Jehovah, the Prime Directive or Captain Kirk’s right to fancy Yeoman Rand!

After years of underplayed human characters and drab therapy-speak the new Treks offer us all some hope.

And once again, leave it to we Trek fans to dismantle a project before it even gets going lol. I’m not opposed to seeing a less than perfect society for the Federation. If it keeps going the way it has been, you start moving characters away from having touchstone with US. They become too cheery and perfect.

Even Enterprise, which I had a lot of high hopes for, fell flat in the character department. Sounds like Rossi wants to add some grit back to Trek and I say bravo. Lets see what you got lol!

Maybe this is all just an elaborate ruse to devert you vicious disciples from turbo lift position and nacelle caps lol.

Hey Dom…who brought up religion?

Who brought up Secular Humanism?

Who was the Dip Thong you are referring to?

Sounds like you have a beef with TNG and Roddenberry for that matter.

I love the idea. Can’t wait. But then I love change (mostly – except those blasted nacelle caps, lol) I know change frightens a lot of the more autistic Trek fans.

I think the uniforms are really neat; the concept is interesting enough that I’d watch. I think they’re just searching for a way to make Trek into an adventure series again. Embrace that, I say; drop the pretentious allegorical nonsense (it’s a friggin CARTOON, people) and make it fun, make it Johnny Quest with phasers.