Comments on: Star Trek Helps Bring Big Profits To Viacom & Paramount

By: Laura Peacock

Laura Peacock — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:44:27 +0000

My vote goes to the limited episode idea – but…I’d love to see the Romulan War. I mean, that was the main reason I started watching Enterprise and why I liked “First Contact”…some pre-Kirk history. And, the actors from Enterprise aren’t ‘ancient’. I also agree with using Frakes and Burton – the best episodes on Enterprise were directed by Burton and Frakes did a great job on “First Contact”. Romulan War could satisfy the original timeline trek fans plus the new AU movie fans.

By: John in Canada, eh?

John in Canada, eh? — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:03:42 +0000

Here’s my prediction: the next Trek movie makes another crapload of money, and after a great opening weekend, Paramount/CBS announces a new Trek show. It’ll be set in the Abramsverse, but with a new ship and crew, perhaps with a cross-over character or three that have been conveniently introduced in the second movie. Two or three of the new Trek ‘Supreme Court’ will exec-produce (gotta do something new when ‘Lost’ is off the air).

Advantages:
1) Ditches the ‘Prime’ universe, and opens up all of the storytelling possibilities of reinventing the TOS Kirk adventures that won’t be touched in the movies.
2) Makes it instantly attractive to all the new fans of NuTrek.
3) Sweeps = Cross-overs with Abrams’ Enterprise crew.
4) Story arcs can set up the third big-screen movie.
5) Set design and technology from the new movies already exist; easier to adapt to the TV screen than re-create a new time era.

Sound good? Paramount/CBS development, give me a call.

By: P Technobabble

P Technobabble — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:40:03 +0000

The major networks, and television, in general, is suffering because of competition from the internet, video games, niche programming (such as the Discovery Channel) and dvd watching. I’m sure most people feel (as I do) that, even with hundreds of channels to choose from, there is still very little of interest to watch. Some of the top-rated shows, such as the crime dramas, or sitcoms, are not bad, and often attract regular followers. But as I have watched CSI, CSI: New York, CSI: Miami, for example, these shows become tedious, because as soon as I know what the problem is, I know what the solution will be. There is just a feeling of same-old, same-old, ho hummm. To bring Star Trek back into such an arena (pardon the pun) would amount to the same thing. I agree with those who say that when Trek returns to tv, it should be done in a limited way, so that it won’t become tired and stale, like everything else becomes. A Trek mini-series, or continuing Trek tv-movies, would be a much better way to go, allowing for bigger budgets, and greater audience anticipation. The usual Hollywood tv mentality has got to give way to a new model, at some point. The times, they are a-changin…. still.

By: S. John Ross

S. John Ross — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:04:38 +0000

@36: I like the cut of your jib, sir.

By: RM10019

RM10019 — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:02:39 +0000

Where is a new Trek Animated show!!! I have long said that the likes of Frakes and Burton with a history of quality children’s programming could make this happen.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:00:17 +0000

Exactly! Do a limited episode run and get quality. Not more, nose appliance alien of the week, crew possed by aliens, same aliens in the rent-o-costume, styrofoam bolders and colored gels for skylines.
Trek needs an upgrade. Better stories and NEW concepts an ideas. Not the same formula plotlines recycled and thinly veiled as new.
Trek took risks, challenged current morals, poilitics, religon, idealogical norms and the mindset that felt war was an answer to anything.
Bring on board real scifi writers and pay them! Find budget conscious means to wrap their bold out there concepts into a workable script.
Trek on tv got lazy and dull. You can put a brand new suit and tie on a pig, but it’s still a pig…dressed up and nothing to say.

By: Cousin Itt

Cousin Itt — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:33:23 +0000

When (not if) Star Trek returns to series television, it will not be on CBS. That’s much too risky for the franchise. It would likely go to CBS-owned Showtime, where the financial model is much different than broadcast. Each ’season’ would likely be 10-13 episodes. Anyone not wanting to pay for Showtime, or the inevitable download, would have to wait for the DVD release.

Either way, advertisers won’t be paying for a new series – we will. This is fine by me, because it will allow the show to be produced at a very high level.

By: Author of "The Vulcan Neck Pinch for Fathers"

Author of "The Vulcan Neck Pinch for Fathers" — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:38:22 +0000

@33, I’m also interested in why the BR releases of the main TOS movies weren’t remastered. That was a source of a great deal of criticism from most places, IIRC. No interest here in the BluRay versions of the original movies unless they remaster them for the intended format, give them the treatment they deserve…

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:18:43 +0000

I STILL don’t get when the remastered DVD and Bluray season sets for TOS were released WHY the newly produced IN HD weekly teaser trailers do NOT appear on these??????????????????????????????//
Why did we simply get the OLD, horrible -shape 1966-68 poor footage used for the orig. network airings??????????
What mind set opted to NOT incld these? It took time, effort and cash to produce these, why use only for syndicated onair viewing for a brief time and then jetison? WTF?

By: Author of The Vulcan Neck Pinch for Fathers

Author of The Vulcan Neck Pinch for Fathers — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:14:22 +0000

Isn’t it great that Trek is this big a deal again?

That said, as far as new incarnations go, I think there are some realities here that are being overlooked.

First, I don’t think you will *ever* see a Trek mainstream TV series again. Why? Expense, foremost, combined with changing television tastes. We know that Trek, in particular, is expensive to produce, and a weekly series could very quickly run the risk of putting Trek into the overexposed mode again. Entrenching viewers for what might be termed a conventional series is much more difficult these days than in years past, making that financial risk much greater. CBS/Paramount has proof in the numbers that they don’t need to invest in Trek TV to make $$ from the franchise.

Licensing the property is a much lower-risk way to leverage a franchise, incurring virtually zero cost. Paramount knows the *movie* version of Trek is now commercialy viable again, so licensing and big screen versions of the franchise are virtually certain to be the mainstream versions you’ll see for some time to come. And I still contend that Paramount is watiing too long for the next movie installment. Strike while the iron is white-hot, and it may never be this hot for Trek again.