Ron Moore Developing New Sci-Fi Show For Fox April 14, 2008
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: DS9, Sci-Fi, TNG , trackback
Star Trek veteran writer/producer (and Battlestar Galactica co-creator) Ron Moore may be bringing space-based science fiction back to network TV. According to the trades Fox has greenlit Virtuality, a two hour ‘back-door pilot’ written by Ron Moore (and fellow Trek vet Michael Taylor). The show is set on a space ship equipped with a virtual reality system (cough, Holodeck, cough).
The description of the show from THR:
set aboard the Phaeton, Earth’s first starship, on a 10-year journey to explore a distant solar system. To help the 12 crew members endure the long trip and keep their minds occupied, NASA equipped the ship with advanced virtual reality modules, allowing them to assume adventurous identities and go to any place they want. The plan works until a mysterious “bug” is found in the system.
THR quotes Katherine Pope, president of UMS (the production company who also produce Battlestar):
It’s very much about what’s fantasy and what’s reality; what we do to escape our lives and what actually institutes our lives, and are these things very different.
The idea for the show was first conceived by Lloyd Braun (who developed Lost, along with JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof). Braun developed the idea with his producing partner Gail Berman (no relation to Rick Berman) and the pair then looked at ’several writers’ before settling on Moore to develop the idea and create a script. Moore then brought in Taylor (who wrote 4 episodes of DS9 and 21 episodes of Voyager and is a writer for BSG). All four are executive producers.
Virtuality: The mock reality show. Variety reports:
“Virtuality” also comes with a hefty online component: As part of the plot, the space voyage is funded by a reality show that features the trip being streamed back to Earth. That “reality show” will be produced as webisodes, featuring the same cast members.
If the pilot becomes a series, it will be the first new space-based sci-fi show on broadcast network TV since Firefly, which Fox cancelled after airing only 11 of 14 episodes in 2002.
More info at The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
Loading ...
Comments»
till waiting to see what Ron comes up with that is totally “his” one day.
Teaser clip here- hat tip Mr. Ricky.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU
How Exciting. I love Ron Moore’s work. BSG and lost are my two favorite shows right now. I hope he doesn’t get spread too thin between this and Caprica.
It sounds like the astronauts might get lost in The Matrix… or at least ”_a_ matrix’. Might be a cool show.
As long as it’s not “Holodeck: The Series.”
Ron Moore of all people should know how close the post-TOS series came to that.
Hmmm – a whole show built around a mal-functioning ‘holo-deck’.
Not sure about this – depends on the split between reality and fantasy.
Wellll, if it’s Fox and it is actually the best thing you’ve ever seen EVER…
…they’ll cancel it.
So dunno really. Not much point getting your hopes up either way ;-)
Yes, we’ll definitely not see them reach their destination.
I hear all the characters will have flowing, blow dried, 80’s hair :-)
Um — is that the whole premise? Does other stuff happen, I hope? I mean, it could get good, but so far there’s not enough there to hold my interest past the second commercial. Seriously, ditch the holorip-off and focus on a real LONG mission made as plausible as possible. 12 characters (plus assorted robots, holo-ho’s, sentient computers, Zsa Zsa in a silver dress stopping by) is more interesting than being stuck in a fantasy the whole time.
How big is the ship? I’d seriously love to see RDM take on “The Star Lost.” THAT would be cool beans.
Michael Taylor is also a writer/producer on “Battlestar Galactica” and worked on Michael Piller’s series “The Dead Zone” bofore that. He and Ron Moore and both wonderful writers. I hope their new series comes to fruition!
To #10 -
I remember that show! The Star Lost would be a great show to revamp. Originally it was a bit off-beat/quirky but…it could be cool.
#10: You’re right. They need to make it more interesting.
I think they should make everybody gay.
/runs away
This sounds interesting.
Hmm…FTL or relativistic? Wonder if they need sketches. :)
Ronald Moore, the new Rick Berman of science fiction.
I’m not too hip on these “holodeck” adventures. When your creative palette is the galaxy I never understood the need to take the adventure “indoors” and artificially create it. Roddenberry was once asked if he would ever run out of ideas for Trek and his reply was (paraphrasing) “Its a big galaxy out there, and there are quite a few stories to tell.” The same is true for this new show.
Now the back story about the twelve astronauts on Earth’s first spaceship would contain, in and of itself, plenty of drama and suspense. It wouldn’t need to rely on “Robin Hood” or something as an episode premise.
To bodly play advanced video game in holodeck..
what a stupid idea
Nothing comes close to TOS
Yeah, it’s supposed to be taking place in space, on a starship, but I bet most of the “virtual reality” scenarios will be taking place right here on Earth and they won’t even be sci-fi stories (Wild West and World War II, anyone?!)… How many times have we seen this with Star Trek? More than half of the holodeck simulations on TNG and Voyager took place on Earth. I sincerely hope this show won’t be going down that road because I certainly won’t be watching….
17-Beat that dead horse……….and sorry but NOTHING Berman ever did was called “One of the top shows on TV”…….so really nothing about your post makes sense to me.
Caprica is going to flop.
I can’t see it appealing to a wide audience. This whole notion of the creation of the cylons – unless they can somehow draw in the same people who watch shows like ‘heros’, they are doomed.
On Fox????
13 weeks at best..
On Sci-Fi? Could run for five years.
Out of curiosity and a love of genre, I’ll watch the first few eps of just about any sci-fi show. Hell, I even sat through all four hours of The Sarah Jane Chronicles, that were on SciFi from 730p-9p. But, ANY show has to hook its audience — with characters and real drama. Bionic Woman is a perfect example of a premise that’s proven, updated, and made to look great. SO… the producers turned the key, hit the gas, and slammed straight into a wall. There weren’t enough plot lines to make it through the second episode. Hell, the pilot was thin, and it had a catfight with Starbuck!
Remember to write the story. Add the glitz and sci-fi layering later. Give us stories!!!!! and again I say !
I’ve like Ron Moore’s work on Next Gen and DS9, I think he even did Voyager for a bit (sorry if I’m wrong there), so I’m willing to give anything he does at least one viewing. If it doesn’t live up to the hype, I still have my DVD collection……
Hey, Ron! Get a hair cut for freak sake. You’re not a pirate, or Fabio for that matter. And if you think I’m watching “A Fist Full of Data’s” stretched into a 7 year long series you’re kidding yourself.
Many of you posters are NOT getting the possibilities inherent in the premise at all. That’s why you are posters and Ron Moore, et al. are darn good professional sci-fi writers.
The “holodeck” does not confine them but expands the boundaries of storytelling. TNG and (more so) Voyager ruined the holodeck, for me, by overusing it for silly holo-novels and other diversions for the characters (and the audience) when the writers could not think up a new alien race to encounter that week.
The story possibilities are endless. For example: If you can create a virtual world from the ground up, what would it look like? If you created a “perfect” virtual world, why would you want to return to this one? You can become addicted to it/dependent on it. You can bring back your dead mother, child, brother, or wife; or “virtually” satisfy some homicidal instincts. If you “kill” in a virtual world does that make you a threat to your crew mates on this long voyage.
Some of you posters spend endless hours in fantasy worlds of role playing games. But what if you could breathe, taste, smell, and feel that virtual world? If you could inhabit it, what would make it less legitimate that this “reality”? What is “reality”? Sorry, I forgot that most of you are not much for philosophy.
Seacrest out!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Maze_of_Death
#13, I certainly wouldn’t mind that, there aren’t enough gay shows on regular programming.
Maybe they’ll even have a virtual physician who will pop up every once in a while to say “Please state the nature of the medical emergency.” I think that would be TOTALLY original. And the main character can be a virtual-reality-addict named Reginald Barclay!
Will Flotter be making an appearance?
And will Kate Mulgrew have a cameo as the Bride of Chaotica?
Note to Fox: STOP WITH REALITY SHOWS!!! They suck, “mock” or otherwise. I will keep an open mind about this and not criticize it too much until I’ve seen it. And if it becomes Survivor: Trek, I will be so beyond-irked it’s not even funny….
And Kahless help me… if they do… before I’m done with them, Fox Executives will be saying “today is a good day to die.” Which is also a highly-original phrase.
#28. the king in shreds and tatters – April 14, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Maze_of_Death
TWO THUMBS UP on the link! THANKS!
I just don’t get why it’s set on a spaceship.
LOL! a Series based on YAHE or Yet Another Holodeck Episode!!! YEAH!
So Moore says that Trek has too much continuity…
… and then rips off Trek for another show?
Must keep a eye on this, but I’m not 2 sure about this Virtual Reality thing, a whole series based in a Holodeck!!
does any one remember watching Eart 2
Gay… God Parents who time travel. This could save the series…
Ron Moore didn’t say that Trek had too much continuity per se. He was referring to the idea that it’s intimidating for new writers, and especially new viewers to enter a world with so much history. The canon became restrictive less because the writers didn’t actually have the ability to work around it but because, from a psychological point of view, they were justifiably afraid of stepping on the toes of what had come before. When a show only has a couple of seasons of history to work from you don’t need to do much research to figure it out, but when a show has 800 hours of stories, it probably takes more time to do your fact-checking than it does to write the thing, even for the biggest experts on staff–people like Ron Moore. It’s not a very practical production process.
The premise for this show is intruiging if executed right. It’s nothing like Star Trek because it’s very much an extrapolation current technology into the near future (I assume this takes place sometime within a hundred years or so).
The virtual reality simulator would more likely be used as a tool to develop the characters by examining their hopes and dreams. What do they miss about Earth? I bet it’s like flashing back to the crash victims former lives on Lost but in this case the characters actually get to live vicariously through their former selves. They can wander the streets of their hometowns, they can use it for many of the things the crew could on Star Trek, but I think the way they’ll use it will be different.
I expect the budget to be higher since it’s on network television. It’s also seven years since we’ve seen a holodeck anyway, so who knows how they’ll visualize it anyway. I bet instead of having O’Brien in a kayaking suit, for example they’ll actually show the crew kayaking.
Plus, we have very talented writers working on this. This could be very good.
#35 yes one of the most god awful science fiction series ever to hit the airwaves, they couldn’t cancel that piece of scif garbage fast enough for my taste. Horrible acting, bad writing, crappy production. Earth 2 should not have made it into production.
#31. the king in shreds and tatters – April 14, 2008
“I just don’t get why it’s set on a spaceship.”
The setting, a 10-year mission, on a cramped spaceship (This isn’t the Enterprise-D) is a “plot device” by which they set-up the reason why they would need this “virtuality” machine.
Now, do I have to ’splain to some of you why it’s set in the future too???
SEACREST OUT!
Lloyd Braun… Wasn’t he part of Mayor Dinkins staff during the Seinfeld years? And sold computers over the phone for George’s dad?
Serenity NOW!
I’ll give this a watch… to give it a chance… but it smacks of a TNG era trek rip-off…
…. and will Barclay make an appearance?
Someone explain to me how “Stargate”, a mediocre film, spawned TWO mind-numbingly dull TV series??? Even the worst episodes of Voyager and Enterprise had better plots and more character development than that Sci-Fi crap.
Hmmm, a little error with time constants could make them “virtually immortal”. I’m looking at this as a riff on Inner Light. A whole virtual lifetime could pass by in…. a few hours. They come out of the VR thinking 10 years has passed… but no, it’s only been 10 weeks.
Lots of possibilities, I see where Ron’s heading with this. What if some of the VR, running for *much longer* than any testing or simulation might have run… could perhaps gain some sort of sentience? Might they find they *can’t* turn it off?
Holodeck episodes were always superb in TNG. Even DS9’s Bashir holodeck stories were reasonably twisted. Give me a Moriarty-like creation, and I’ll watch.
“Cylons of the mind”…. I guess.
#40 The stargate movie was not exactly great scifi, but i have to disagree with you, Stargate Sg1 and Stargate Alantis are among two of the better shows on television, if anything in some what they do pretty much the same thing that the trek series do explore the galaxy,even though these is a military theme to the shows, in some ways they do the whole exploration as good or even better then trek. The writing is actually quite good on this show better then alot of what trek has to offer.
“Stargate SG-1″ was good in the Showtime years, but really dwindled on SCIFI. “Atlantis” just sucks.
It’s mildly annoying that TNG took the vague premise of virtual reality – which was already extant – did nothing very interesting with it for seven years, passed it on to two other Trek series which did nothing very interesting with it…and now when someone else tries to use it, people react as if “Star Trek” somehow is owed a nod for that. “Holodecks?” Please…
I’d prefer to see something more original than this.
Where’s the emotional stake in a hologram? “Oh dear, my buxom girlfriend just died. I’ll have to walk all the way over there to hit the reset button. Think I’ll trade up for a redhead.”
Holodecks, bah. I want strange new (solid) worlds.
#45 – I’m guessing you haven’t seen the Voy episode ‘Real Life’.
I wonder if Lloyd Braun, while coming up with the idea for this show, chanted “serenity now, serenity now” over to himself…? (I hope I’m not the only one who gets this Seinfeld reference)
” I remember that show! The Star Lost would be a great show to revamp. ”
“You’re right. They need to make it more interesting.
I think they should make everybody gay.”
ROFLOL Have either of you even seen The Starlost? There was an episode where they went to a colony where everybody was gay. It guest started John Kolicos [The Goddess Calabra (Airdate: October 6, 1973) Writers: Martin Lager and Ursula K. Le Guin]
This sounds like Enterprise, Version .5! I like the idea of a single star-bound voyage of ten years (more realistic than warp speeding here and there), but the VR angle kind of loses me. Sounds like what Ron Moore’s reimagined Cylons do aboard their base ships in BSG with “projecting”. The ship and crew also sound remarkably similar to the excellent BBC 2 part series, Space Odyssey. Known in the States as Voyage to the Planets. That show, from 2004, depicted a very realistic international mission to the planets done in a very realistic way. Kind of how Enterprise the TV show SHOULD have been. Anyway, I wish Moore would focus instead on his Caprica prequel series (the pilot is being cast now) before jumping into another. He’ll scatter his energies. Look at David Eick’s terrible Bionic Woman mess. Even Katee Sackhoff couldn’t pull that one out of the fire (maybe if she were cast in the LEAD….).
47. Epyon – April 14, 2008
I wonder if Lloyd Braun, while coming up with the idea for this show, chanted “serenity now, serenity now” over to himself…? (I hope I’m not the only one who gets this Seinfeld reference)
Look at #39
“That’s why you are posters and Ron Moore, et al. are darn good professional sci-fi writers. “
Thanks, man. :-)
Some questions come to mind:
1) How smart is the Holodeck (”I’m sorry Ron. I can’t do that.”) ?
2) Self-aware?
3) Staying alive in space, in virtual reality, and in reality… a type of Trinity??? ;)
I’ll volunteer!
And why does Ron Moore look like Will Riker?
And why does Will Riker look like Ron Moore?
:)
#53
Twins separated at birth by Klingon gypsys.
I still think he should bring Star Trek back to TV.
I’ve been able to find only scraps of The Starlost on wiki and YouTube. Mostly, those show the muck-ups that killed it virtually at ‘go.’ But, I do remember the feel of the show. I don’t actually remember the gay colony.
Point is — the best way to do television is to set up a smallish group of interesting people (like em, hate em as long as you care what happens to em) and get them in and out of situations frequently. Trek did that with planets. Quantum Leap did it with… um, leaping. The Starlost did it with dozens (hundreds?) of colony domes. There are no doubt many other creative conceits. Getting stuck in a holodeck seems to lack the emotional charge of actually going someplace. Dunno. I’m just a hack news writer, but I still think there are MANY star-based stories out there.
“It’s very much about what’s fantasy and what’s reality; what we do to escape our lives and what actually institutes our lives, and are these things very different.”
I’ll bet that looks great on the page. What you get on the screen is what they ‘do.’ Inner voice often doesn’t translate well to TV or film. Unless there are countless Dune fans who cheered at Kyle MacLachlan’s countless voice-over asides to the audience. Most would also say this of Harrison Ford’s voice-over in Blade Runner, the non-director’s cut. Where Battlestar succeeds is in having longer story arcs. The payoff may seem inner, but it’s on their faces because we’ve taken the time to get to know them. They did some things that caught our attention. Then and only then did we look closely to try to figure out what they were thinking. If BSG were ALL inner life, it would be deadly.
38.
“Space is boring” just seems like a lame reason for using that means of isolating the characters.
Admit it. If you had a holodeck, you’d never leave the basement……er…….house.
Im not sure about this one,. they are on a ship in space existing in a continuous Holodeck simulation?sounds like star Trek . It really does not sound promising as a series, coupled with the fact that it will be on Fox. That alone could be a problem. It might make it to the pilot stage but as a series? I don’t think this one has an audience or any kind of a future.
This sounds utterly horrible. The holodeck episodes of any Trek series were often the worst. Especially Voyager. I can’t believe the lack of originality here.
Bring back Firefly.
I am going to vomit.
” “Virtuality” also comes with a hefty online component: As part of the plot, the space voyage is funded by a reality show that features the trip being streamed back to Earth. That “reality show” will be produced as webisodes, featuring the same cast members. ”
I could not write something as funny as that, no matter the salary. I mean, the utter stupidity is simply bloody staggering.
I just hear Eric Cartman laughing incessantly while TV execs, marveling at their own brilliance, actually bring in no revenue due to their own lack of talent. “Virtuality” sounds like the series “made by morons for morons.” And Ron Moore gets a pass for making a show he didn’t create into something watchable.
I could care less what Ron Moore comes up with next.
Anything new on that rumor of a new Star Trek movie?
Sounds ridiculous.
God oh god why can’t someone bring back Firefly…
#65 I don’t think fox would even consider bringing back Fireflybecause the did not produce the kind numbers that they wanted when it was on, combined wih the fact that the Serenity movie under performed at the box office Fox executives have probably concluded that there is not enough of a fan base to support bringing it back as a series, there is also the issue that they may not be able to get back key members of cast back. Remember Pilot and Preacher are dead and Summer Glau has commited herself to the Chronicles of Sarah Connor, Jules Stait is a regular on Stargate Alantis. However last I heard they were supposed to be making a direct to video sequel movie to Serenity. I Just don’t think a series is in the cards for Firefly.
cough, Holodeck, cough
#63: “I could not write something as funny as that, no matter the salary. I mean, the utter stupidity is simply bloody staggering.”
Where’s the evidence that you could write anything, period?
“I just hear Eric Cartman laughing incessantly while TV execs, marveling at their own brilliance, actually bring in no revenue due to their own lack of talent. “Virtuality” sounds like the series “made by morons for morons.”
Don’t listen to those voices in your head. They’re no cleverer than you and probably just as impressed with their uninformed snap judgments as you are.
#68 Now now IrishTrekie remember we talking about a quality product from the great Ron Moore, of course its going to be good and if you believe that, I’ve got two bridges to sell you. This one has got cancellation written all over it.As if the Holodeck on star Trek wasn’t bad enough.
#70: “Now now IrishTrekie remember we talking about a quality product from the great Ron Moore, of course its going to be good and if you believe that, I’ve got two bridges to sell you. T”
Ah, sarcasm about quality from someone who thinks “Stargate Atlantis” is good television. The irony is off the meter. :lol:
It’s amazing how many negative comments flow, and we have not seen anything more than a 1 paragraph description.
Imagine how we might react if Star Trek entered development today, as in Gene’s own words “I see it as a wagon train to the stars…”.
Honestly though, the concept may be too ‘high concept’ for mainstream TV. I see more Matrix here, than I do holodeck retreads.
Having the web component seems a tad bit ‘after the fact, to make the suits happy’ with a reality series here back on Earth.
The technical geek inside of me says there is no way to effectively transmit anything between the stars, especially on a starship that takes a generation for a round trip. Heck, our own TV broadcasts become too faint even a few light years from our world. But then again, they might have access to a couple of Goa’uld communicators… whoops, wrong series.
#72:”It’s amazing how many negative comments flow, and we have not seen anything more than a 1 paragraph description.”
Well, you know, all these folks posting this stuff are successful producers and programming executives themselves. They really know from experience what they’re talking about – not just ignorantly cynical anonymous Internet posters with nothing to do but complain.
#71 Okay Denis point taken LOL
73. Dennis Bailey – April 14, 2008
Wow Dennis, you must be feeling better, you’ve not properly slammed three in a row in weeks that I’ve seen. Been popping vitamins?
Dennis — and Ron, in case you read this [hahahahaha I just made myself laugh] — I have lots to do. Instead, I’m commenting on a project that involves starships in flight — my lifelong obsession because of Trek. I really believe scifi shines when it explores our world through allegory. Like others in this thread, I feel that holo stories fall a little short. Even The Matrix was a familiar tale with a new coat of bullet-time paint. If RDM has the chance to build on BSG’s success and pump out a few admittedly risky space-based drame, I am expressing the concern that they be bold. Not a Trek clone, but something that holds our interest. Holo’s just fall short. IMHO.
dramas
Gosh, I never knew it was this easy to be a writer-producer-director. Just take some weak element from another TV series [holodeck], write a bunch of scripts based upon the worst ideas regarding that element [ghosts in the machine] and Jezooks!!! Fox buys the series! don’t get your shorts in a wad, though. It’s Fox. It’s Sci-Fi. It’ll last a month or so.
But really, take all of the holodeck malfunctions in all the Trek series — any well-written organization [Starfleet] should have realized it was a dangerous, bug-infested Beta version [Windows Vista] and canned the project for personnel safety reasons alone, not to even mention how many times it endangered the entire ship….
There are very few holodeck episodes I enjoyed. It’s a bit odd, but I actually enjoyed one of the worst, ‘A Fistful of Datas’…
You know if they are going to make another Scif series what about doing one base upon David Weber’s Honor Harrington series of Books those would adapt very nicely, to either series form or as big screen movies, Hollywood does not need to keep churing out remakes and recycle tv programs into feature films. If they want ideas what can’t thees executive and directors and producers take trips to the local bookstores.
Maybe Ron Moore should bring back “Lost in Space”
He could make Major West a women and there could be an entire lesbian thing between her and Judy….how cool would that be?
And Dr. Smith could be a child molester always after Wil.
And John Robinsons could be a wife beater…surely Maureen could use a little beating any way.
The Robot could be searching for his sexuality.
And Penny…well, she could be like Jan Brady…nobody would really care what happened to her.
Mabye ron moore could do a reimagined version of All in the Family but give it a scifi Galatica theme.
So “Ferra Faucet” up there is writing a new Non-Trek show ,That’s it I’m outta Here.
NOOOO not Fox! We all know how Fox treats sci-fi! Look at what they did to Firefly and Space: Above and Beyond.
And as for the slamming…please, let’s see more about it. At first glance it sounds like most of what we got on Voyager, lost in space meets holodeck adventures.
However, I’m a firm believer that RM didn’t truly blossom until he left Trek and Berman’s controlling idiocy. BSG is a brillient series and that’s because of RM (though let’s give David a little credit, too, though after Bionic Woman, I’m more apt to give most to Ron. Although even Bionic Woman might not be all David’s fault — Suits! Cough! ).
It is an absolute fact that all stories have been told. It’s the style, the characters, the setting, the overall look or approach that makes each incarnation or combination of stories something unique or different.
For all we know, Voyager’s horrid holodeck years were in fact the inspiration for this new show. RM could’ve been sitting there one day and suddenly realized, “Hey! There’s a better and bigger idea in that muck that was Voyager!”
The point is, we have no clue where it’s going or what it really is. As with all sci-fi, I will give it a open-minded chance. Hell, I even gave Braga’s POS series Threshold a real chance, knowing that one of the worst writers ever was behind it. I was vindicated there, though, it was terrible. In the end, I laughed that Braga was finally being seen for what he was…a hack!
But Ron on the other hand is truly talented. And if I’m willing to give his ex-hack-partner the benefit of the doubt…then RM deserves even more.
CE
Anthony (cough) hilarious (cough)!!!!!!!!!
kg
#10. CmdrR
By “The Star Lost” do you mean that cheesy show with Keir Dullea and our very own Walter Koenig? Man I haven’t thought about that for YEARS. Can’t remember anything about it.
Would love to see a few episodes just for nostalgia’s sake.
kg
This sounds an awful lot like the ending of “Men In Black”. The camera pulls back from the ground, up into the sky to show the earth, then back even further (if I remember correctly) to show our seven planets sorry, six planets, then the Milky Way galaxy and that whole thing turns out to be a marble in an alien’s collection that it plays the game “marbles” with. So we think we’re huge and yet we’re just microscopic specks on a microscopic speck in a microscopic speck in an alien’s marble bag.
What I’m trying to say is it’s a reality show of a reality show of a reality show…
Hey. I’ll watch it. Once.
kg
Oh god no…
Do any of you guys understand what he just said?? Imagine a Star Trek series that was totally, 100% about the crew’s adventures in a malfunctioning holodeck. THAT’S WHAT THIS IS!!!
Does ANYONE else think that this is the stupidest, worst idea for a television show ever?!? For cryin’ out loud, just one episode about a holodeck is bad enough, but a WHOLE SERIES?!?
I knew there were a few screws lose in Ron Moore’s pompous, vainglorious head after I saw a few episodes of his “Battlestar Galactica,” but this just takes the cake. There’s no denying this is a horrible, stupid idea, people; there’s no getting around this.
You people who are bashing those of us who’ve reacted negatively – what do you want me to do, lie about my reaction? OK, here goes.
Wow! That sounds awesome. That has never been done before. I mean, except for Next Generation, DS9, Voyager and a few other science fiction movies, this is totally original sounding and I’m sure it’s going to be ground breaking! I can’t wait!
Hm, nope, that doesn’t work for me. My initial reaction was negative and I’m going to express that feeling. Sorry if it doesn’t settle with some of you fan boys. I’m not saying I won’t like the show, but this is how I feel right now. That might change. But I’m not going to stroke you off by saying, “Hm, that might be pretty neat,” because it doesn’t sound pretty neat to me.
I didn’t know this was a site where you had to be slobberingly positive or you weren’t welcome. Is there a similar site where critical thinking is allowed? If so, please let me know.
#87 TOS Purist..
Can you over-react a little more? You got all that out of a very generic plot summary…wow.
Like it or don’t, but you’ve got very little to base that venonous post on. Does it sound good?…. not yet. But we’ve not seen the product either.
#89 Xai…
“You got all that out of a very generic plot summary…wow.”
Maybe because this sounds like a generic idea for a sci-fi show… I can see them sitting around a table…
“Hey guys, we can make a show about life on a holodeck, and then we never have to write about the actual show! It can take place anywhere we want, and even have them meet “famous people” from the past which will allow us to use today’s TV stars as themselves! It’ll be like Fantasy Island in space!!!”
…great.
#88. Jason Portable
“You people who are bashing those of us who’ve reacted negatively…”
Who?
And speaking of bashing… You’re doing a pretty good job of it yourself. Calm down.
BTW, who said you had to be slobberingly positive or you weren’t welcome? How about not being welcome if you’re scathingly negative? Or contemptuously supercilious? If anything, those attitudes, with the accompanying verbiage, provoke a “bashing”.
Oh, and FYI, some people have been attacked because they WERE ’slobberingly positive’ as you put it. Don’t feel like you’re the only one bashed. It’s an equal opportunity internet risk.
Many people here who disagree with each other have been able to post their opinions intelligently and disagreed with each other without attacking each other. Some of us have just agreed to differ.
Don’t slather the website and all the people here with accusations if you were bashed by someone. Respond to them with intelligent, well-thought out replies. Take it up with them instead of lashing out at everyone else, please.
“You people”, indeed.
kg
Purist
Final warning for flaming
you don’t like the idea, fine…but don’t get personal…with other posters or the subjects we are reporting on
btw…this is your final warning before permaban
comments to http://trekmovie.com/about/feedback
#91 Katie G. -
Wow, I’m just having fun and trying to liven things up a bit. I’m not really taking this seriously.
“Scathingly negative”? If you think I was scathing then you have much to learn about scathingity. Sorry, I know it’s not a real word, but I’m no sesquipedalian and can’t just conjure up words like supercilious.
Sorry it seems like I was slathering the site and its citizens with slander and salacious solipsism.
You people take everything so seriously. This has got to be one of the least fun sites I visit. Which is why I don’t come by very often. And just when things DO start to get fun, Anthony bans them.
OK, I ban myself before it can be done by the Site Gods.
Ya’ll have fun. Big slobbery kisses and warm hugs to all of you.
doesn’t sound like a great show, but hey, Gilligan’s island with time-travel (Lost) or a Tv show about superheroes (Heroes) didn’t sound like much either whereas a Young Indiana Jones show souned great and disappointed in the end…
93. Jason Portable
Scathing – severely critical and scornful; mocking, sarcastic, cutting, caustic… etc.
Hmmm. Seems pretty accurate to me.
“…but I’m no sesquipedalian and can’t just conjure up words like supercilious.”
Very clever. And um, “salacious solipsism” (?) Really.
solipsism – the belief that the only thing somebody can be sure of is that he or she exists, and that true knowledge of anything else is impossible.
Talk about sarcasm…
Also – - Anthony bans posters who are vicious among other things (like trying to derail conversations or start arguments with unsuspecting posters who then sit back and laugh). That is the kind of “salaciousness” we can do without. And considering this gift to us is his creation, he can do what he wants. You would do the same if you created something and were in charge of it. I am impressed with the things that he doesn’t tolerate. I wish more people would do the same.
“…You people take everything so seriously….”
Well, you did speak the truth when you said that you don’t come around very often. That’s fairly obvious because if you did, you wouldn’t say that. Oh well. You’ve decided not to come back. That’s okay. Hope the other websites you ‘enjoy’ feel the same way about you. Glad you have a forum to express yourself.
“…Big slobbery kisses and warm hugs to all of you.”
Most kind.
kg
Nuts. Sorry. The line should read
“…who are vicious, among other things (for example like trying to derail conversations or trying to start arguments with unsuspecting postersTHEN sitting back and laughing)”
or something like that. It’s late.
Goodnight.
kg
come on Ron, you can do better than that…
another show that tried to use the web was…
Push Nevada
Can’t believe how many people are judging the premise. I mean Voyager and Galactica had similar premises. But Voyager is as dull as dishwater and Galactica is the best show on television.
69:
Dennis, you’re probably right.
It just gets frustrating sometimes when the latest, greatest thing seems like a rehash of something that just died, or a consensus corporate meeting of adults with Nielsen data and no actual idea of what people want to see.
As for my ability to write, you may check out my limericks on chat. I also got a 5 on my English AP exam 26 years ago. I also won honors at Georgetown University in French and Russian. I can write in 3 languages, and am currently working on Polish.
That was a mean swipe. The evidence I can “write anything, period” is right here. Where’s the evidence you can? A paycheck? Doesn’t count.
Oh Ronald Moore, WHY CANT’CHA BE MORE LIKE LLOYD BRAUN?
There are some elements to this idea that I respond to; the more realistic approach to interstellar travel for one, using private funding and without some variation of warp drive. With relativity, 10 yrs in space would be many ground years by the time they reach their destination (if they’re not canceled first). I just wish they wouldn’t make the virtual reality the focus of the thing! To me, that’s a subplot, not a central story. Again, reference the remarkable BBC show “Voyage to the Planets.” I could see THAT show as a six year series; with no malfunctioning VR in sight! And #80 Pointy Ears: in your post on a Ron Moore ‘Lost in Space,’ you forgot to mention that the robot would’ve found the one, true God!
There is only one thing for certain, to quote William Goldman for his dictum about the uncertainties of show business, “Nobody knows anything.”
There are great films made that don’t do well at the Box Office… There are amazing television shows that hardly move the Nielson Ratings… There are so many endeavors of popular art that, despite the sweat and good intentions in their creation and exhibition, simply fail for reasons that are sometimes clear and reasons that are too often indiscernible.
Conversely, popular entertainment is covered with so much flotsam and jetsam of… well, crap that it is difficult to see clear waters anymore.
Hey Moore, people like wiping their butts better then this Holodeck ship idea, maybe you should develope a sci-fi show based on future butt wiping…at least it’ll be original.
In other words…stop while your a head, this show wont fly.
#100: “That was a mean swipe.”
Your characterization of these people and their work wasn’t flowing with the milk of human kindness, my friend.
The world is as you are.
I did real well on my school exams too. So nu?
Drop the holodeck and it sounds interesting.
Rob+
Sounds kinda like “Fantasy Island in Space”. All we need is Verne Troyer in a white suit saying “Da Cylons, boss, da Cylons!”
By the way, what is a “back-door pilot”? Sounds like the title of a very naughty film.
That concept+airing on Fox = quickly canceled show
Do you remember how the plots of TOS were framed, as comment that they could not do about the real world. Shows with content like a half White half Black person and a half Black half White peron. Just think of the humor they’d get out of the 2008 Presidentual race. Or even some thing as odd as the pregant gender changer. They might even get near the talent or Rowen & Martin’s Laugh-In. As for all the negative flack tossed at the show that can still be aborted before it has a first birthday.
How about some comments on what good it could do, and not the how bad it will be. The show is still in the womb and has not been born yet. We do not know it the baby will be the most beautiful or uglist Sci-Fi baby born.
The parents do not look that bad with there talents in the Sci-Fi world so the baby most likely will not look like a Medusa. But if they try to put to much hollyweed make-up on the show it will turn the viewers into stone Fox may toss it in the trash before us viewers turn into stone.
90. Green-Blooded-Bastard – April 14, 2008
#89 Xai…
Read the whole post.
Dennis,
I find you to be one of the most refreshing posters on this board. You out Bullsh*t lickety-split, and you wake us Trekkers up when we say silly things about our wacky show that make no sense.
But in your comment, before you even had a word about my opinion, you wrote “Where’s the proof that you could write anything, period?”
The proof is that I post on this board as a leisure activity, and I am comfortable expressing extreme opinions amongst perceived friends about a fringe TV show we all love.
I wrote a 27-page presentation on smokeless tobacco which I gave in China two weeks ago. Yay! It went over great with 50+ Chinese executives. It was well-written, and is now being reviewed by the monopoly in Beijing.
I wrote a 37-page paper for AP English on the socio-political origins of British punk-rock. 27 years ago. I got an A+. Does that count?
There’s no proof you can write anything, either, Dennis. I watched Tin Man, and the Tressaurian Intersection. I assume that Dennis Bailey is you. The former was brilliant, and the latter wasn’t bad. Maybe the acting got in the way of a great teleplay. Oh, and your credited on First Contact. Not that one, but the other one (which is actually quite good as well, I must say). You get a B+. Tin Man was actually really quite entertaining.. I’m thinking of giving you an A-.
Problem is, I would much rather agree with you than disagree. Because I generally do. You have the so-called “acerbic wit,” but it very easily decays to brutality. Deriding or complimenting a corporate product like Star Trek or Ron Moore’s latest gig is something fans do regularly, and it should be done, because executives have started watching the boards and we’re the ones watching the damned shows.
I took serious offense to your comment, Dennis. It was degrading. And I agree I was out of line, or just too sarcastic, with mine. But , what the hey? It was a comment on a Board: No more, no less.
Im sorry but this Ron Ron Moore concept just doesn’t do it for me. A show in which the characters are on a trip living in a virtual world, I don’t think to many people are going be watching this one. the voyage is going to be privately funded by a reality reality show? What an incredibly lame stupid concept ! This thing needs stay in development hell and never be allowed to see the light of day. Fox should really save the money and not bother with this one. It almost makes Chris Caters wretched virtual reality show Harsh Realms seem like a good idea by comparison. This one in not succeeding game over.
#105 Dennis Rons Moore’s Galactica is a very good show no question, and his work in Ds9 outstanding. This concept that he’s’ developing ,Garbage, there are no two ways about it. If something doesn’t sound good on paper then there’s a more then reasonable chance that it won’t be any good in the translation to the small or big screen.
Ideas are worthless. ideas are a dime a dozen. Ideas are worth only the talent and skill of the people working with them.
In the hands of hacks, a “virtual reality” scenario becomes… well… pick any Holodeck episode of VOYAGER, to name one example.
In the hands of skilled, talented professionals with a proven track record for superior work… who knows?
This concept does not sound viable or desirable as a series.
115:
To you, no.
To me? I don’t prejudge things before I see them.
#115 SB Im sorry, you do have a good point. Its just that Ive gotten soured on the whole notion of virtal reality, I should explained more then I did. who Knows maybe it might I don’t know . all I know is right I have too many people angry at me for one thing or another and im sick of it. The Matix 3rd movie and overuse in trek, Harsh realms and others things, really killed my interest in anything virtual reality.
#116 one more thing to consider Chris Carter who had success had alot of other things that sounded good on paper but in the end did not work out. Evne the best creative minds can up with ideas that don’t work to well. Gene Roddenberry had the Questor tapes,Spector Mission Genesis.Earth. ideas that sounded good but did not in the work. This idea by just does not sound promising that all.
118
Garovorkin,
Okay. I get it. You think the virtual reality thing is a dumb idea. I get it.
Really.
I think we all get it.
Really.
#119 Okay SB sorry ILL Move on ,I did over do it slightly.
A holodeck malfunction tv series. Somehow I can’t see that working very well. I just have a problem with basing a tv show around a technology breakdown.
But… I think others have said it defore me… so I’ll stop now.
I would give this one about two episode three if it was really well behaved
so tricia hilfer signs a contract with Fox TV, then Ron Moore announces he is doing a show for them involving “imaginary” fantasies. Anyone else seeing the connections here?
#122 No none, just a silly coincidence. I can’t really see a connection. Yeah.
Hmm. Interesting.
At initial response, this sounds like it would be more interesting without the virtual reality element, however, I do not beleive we have enough information for me to really form much of an opinion. As many posters have pointed out, “There are Possibilities”
Ron Moore is the kind of writer that could bring gold out of a mediocre concept. I would be curious to see what comes of this.
Geez, get a load of “Captain Post Nazi” up there….the right word is jocularity.
Cynical just runs in some people’s Blood, it’s not meant to be mean Sweetheart, we just know how to make ourselves laugh, and others too who don’t want to admit it. Existentialism is Much better. next time I’ll bring My “A” material.
Sarcasm aside, Considering Fox’s Past record with scif which is not all that good Im surprised that they are making forays into the genre again. Lets see,Firefly, the net work geniuses broad casted the series slightly out of order with the pilot being shown later in the series and in any event they did not give the series the time it needed actually build its audience, had they stuck with it for another season the show would have caught fire. Space Above and Beyond, the Network brain trust put the show on Foot ball night where it kept getting preempted, which did not help it at all. Alien Nation a good show which they gave up on to soon. IF there had been no writer strike I suspect that The Chronicals of Sarah Connors would have similarly suffered a very early demise, now it will at least be getting a second season. Considering how the network treated Firefly, I am really surprised that Joss Whedon doing a new series of any kind for Fox. In the case of Ron series, personel opinions aside, I doubt that Fox would give this series, enough time to build any kind of an audience, They like the rest of the main networks want big number fast, It’s not likely that this show even under the bset possible scenario, will deliver the kind of numbers that they want.
Garovorkin;
You are right. They want the number fast. It kills innovation and creativity. But we’re at a unique time now. It looks like we have some good flicks this summer, but the small screen is a disaster.
Superboy is, like, 47 years old.
Lol, the comments here are funny. The show hasn’t even aired yet and already people are going on as if they’re being forced to watch it at gunpoint. I honestly don’t get it… if you don’t like a show, DON’T WATCH IT. But for heaven’s sake stop bitching and moaning and be generous enough to let those who actually do like it enjoy it in peace.
#128, I agree with what you’re saying. I also think part of the problem is that networks try to develop sci-fi shows for people who generally don’t watch sci-fi (in the hopes of getting higher ratings, I guess), instead of developing a sci-fi show for people who actually watch sci-fi.
Yeah, I was taken hostage by Lemmings and forced to watch Faulty Towers repeatedly for 47 years until the Lemmings finally croaked. Nasty Buggers!
It sounds like garbage. I enjoyed the first season and a half of Battlestar Galactica until it degenerated into punishing Starbuck and bashing technology every week. In my opinion Ron Moore is a misogynistic Luddite who has no business working on Science Fiction.
Idiots, Firefly was just starting to develop the characters. If they had let it grow it could have been really big I think. It had so many ways to go with no real boundaries to hinder it’s growth. Who says there has to be ray guns in space anyway.