Seth MacFarlane Wants To Reboot Star Trek On TV

This is no joke. Seth MacFarlane loves to drop Star Trek jokes into his various TV animated comedy shows, but the Family Guy creator now says that he wants to take his love of Trek to the next level and get a chance to reboot Star Trek on TV.

 

 

MacFarlane’s Star Trek?

Seth MacFarlane is featured as one of a series of showrunner profiles in the Hollywood Reporter. The of multiple hit Fox animated comedies says he is already looking beyond Family Guy and towards the future. MacFarlane also happens to be a big fan of Star Trek and drops Trek gags into all of his shows. He has even talked about doing a full Star Trek parody like he has done with Star Wars, but according to THR he would also like to take Trek on seriously. Here is an excerpt:

HE’D LOVE TO REBOOT ‘STAR TREK’
“I don’t know who would give me the keys to that car,” he jokes, acknowledging that the films have been so profitable for Paramount that he isn’t so sure they have a lot of interest in getting back into the TV business. “But I’d love to see that franchise revived for television in the way that it was in the 1990s: very thoughtful, smartly written stories that transcend the science fiction audience.”

Read more from Seth at THR.

MacFarlane is one of many successful TV producers who have expressed an interest in taking on Star Trek for the small screen. As I have expressed here before, I think Star Trek is best when it is on TV as it has the opportunity to do more character development and complex storytelling. MacFarlane clearly has a love for Star Trek and a track record of making successful TV series, so I am intrigued with the notion. Of course there is no indication right now that CBS is even taking meetings to talk about Star Trek on TV, but hopefully CBS sees his interest (and that of others) as an indication they have lots of options when it comes time to bring Trek TV back.

Here is more from Seth from last year when he was promoting his Star Trek TNG reunion Family Guy episode .

 

POLL: Seth Trek?

Seth MacFarlane certainly loves Star Trek, and he has been a successful TV producer (albeit for animated comedies). So do you like the idea of him bringing Star Trek back to the small screen?

[poll=676]

 

 

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I WANT NEW TREK

not dirty trek!!!

Already made the 3 worst TV shows on TV, why not go for 4…

I think he would need to hire a really good team of writers and have another producer. I am skeptical because he’s really known for comedy.

I never thought of it that way that Paramount might be thinking that the film franchise is more profitable than the TV side for Trek and wouldn’t care about doing Trek on TV anymore. Maybe they think Trek is cheaper to make on film than on TV? I wonder if we will ever get the official word if Trek on TV is done or not? Would Paramount take a risk of Trek on TV because Trek on TV would have to get at least 10 million viewers a week to justfy spending 3 Million an episode and then having to cancell if it got poor ratings during its first season. I also wonder how many new Trek fans the movie got that would make them want to demand Trek on TV again?

@2 I think Kirk and Riker already made Trek pretty dirty.

@3 And your definition of the best network comedy would be…?

I like to see a Trek set on a different starship in the same REBOOT era; exploring themes that TOS and TNG always told! Telling stories about our times in the 23rd Century… Make it so! :D

Star Trek has always stood for humanism, compassion, and tolerance. MacFarlane has produced some of the most inhumane, heartless, and intolerant shows on in the air in the last dozen years or so, making fun of gay people, AIDS sufferers, Parkisnons disease sufferers, the mentally handicapped, and who could forget his riff on “prom night dumpster babies”. Seth MacFarlane is a loathesome human being and I would hate to see his snide, snarky, callous fingerprints on something that has been a little beacon of good intentions in the entertainment industry for 45 years.

And I understand the impulse, fellow commentators, to rally behind this guy, because you like to think that the fact that he’s “cool” and the fact that he likes Star Trek will mean the mainstream, who have largely scoffed at and made fin of Star Trek and its fans for years, will also think Star Trek is therefore also “cool” – but would caution you to think twice about who you cozy up to. I can’t imagine Gene Roddenberry or Bob Justman chuckling at a barbershop quartet singing “You’ve got the AIDS” in four part harmony to a man dying in the hospital.

I think Seth is one of the smartest guys in Hollywood. He’s no idiot. He would not turn Star Trek into Lost in Space. He has a loving eye for Star Trek and that’s what we need. He also has money and clout and that is also needed.

Captain Kirk (Shatner) went from serious to comedic. Comedy has always been one of the pleasures of Star Trek. Comedy has always been a good base for serious actors. Look at Robin Williams, Bruce Willis even Will Smith. Producers can do it too.

So come on CBS. Give him a go.

Can’t get pole to work????

Animated Trek perhaps?!? I like Seth … But would like Manny Coto as he knows his sci-fi & Trek a lot more…

I doubt MacFarlane’s the man that’ll eventually “get the keys”, but if you catch him away from his animated world, like on “Real Time with Bill Maher”, for example (he’s appeared a few times), it’s obvious that he’s a sharp guy with a real desire to explore and question our society a little more deeply. That, plus a genuine love of what makes “Trek” great is, at least, a pretty good start.

For years, I’ve been saying that a good way to reboot Star Trek was to ignore Star Fleet and the Federation completely (okay. almost). A reboot could be looked at two ways (well, pre-movie reboot it could have…): “There are 40 years and multiple series I have to try not to screw up” or “I have 40 years worth of material to expand on”. Trek is SO much more than Fleet and Fed. For instance, I would LOVE to see a series focused on Klingons: Kahless The Unforgettable and the Tyrant Molor. Or perhaps something on the Vulcan Great Awakening, where Surak led the Vulcan to the age of Logic (and the Romulans went off on their own). Maybe a Deep Space Nine prequel about the Occupation? If you look at it from this perspective, the possibilities are endless.

seth mcfarlane is a brilliant, creative guy, and those criticizing his “inhumanity” above are just upset that he uses his shows to take on sacred cows. he’s a huge supporter of science and reason over faith-based fear mongering. he’s even remaking cosmos, with the endorsement of sagan’s own widow.

he’s the perfect guy to bring something fresh to trek, at a time when we could sure use a show that reminds us why science and rational, “logical” thinking are cool.

I choose Option D- Bring Trek back but with a different producer.

and can we just forget manny coto and any of the other brilliant minds that eventually ran trek into the ground? enterprise was. at its best,.very mediocre television. trek needs something fresh,otherwise why bother?

Have to admit that intrigues me too.

Agree with him that Trek should be thoughtful and smartly written.
I only wish he practiced what he preached.

I’m in.

I’m in. What about you Bob Orci.

Watch out Bob… ;p

I’m fine with reviving Star Trek. But get someone who can actually write science fiction to do it.

I love Family Guy, but please no more rebooting! How about a new crew but set some time after the next generation era? Set it in the prime universe and I’m there :)

The thing that has made Star Trek so unique, in my opinion, from any other franchise has been and is being destroyed. It was a continuing 40 year story that was still unfolding on screen, but that story was effectively ended by the new movie. So if the movies have to be set in this new reality for the foreseeable future then please at least keep the torch burning for the Prime universe on TV.

No.

Shut up, Meg!

PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!

I’ll help!

I dont know…. I like trek how it has been. I’m sure McFarlane could do a good job, But I’d be cautious of the jokes and gags that would get pulled over. #8 Pretty much sums up what I’m thinking… I dont want trek to go to that level. Parodies, fine. There’s no much control over parodies. But the actual show, No.

The word “reboot” says everything I want to know about this project: not interested!!

If given a chance I think MacFarlane would give us some thoughtful and interesting Trek, which is what I crave.

Trek will come back to tv when JJ is done with his movie trilogy,,,,2017 or 2018 maybe???

@#8 You mad bro? Seriously man, that’s your argument? If you are really that offended by his material then you truly are a human being with no sense of humor, which also means that your are the biggest bore of all time. Just like the saying goes, “if you aint laughin, you aint livin”. Yah, some of his jokes are raunchy, and yah they may seem hurtful, but if that was the case, why is the show still running? Why is it one of the highest grossing comedy franchises of all time? Obviously somebody finds it funny. And you want to know who the majority of the people are that find his shows hilarious? Those gay people, AIDS sufferers, Parkisnons disease sufferers, the mentally handicapped, and those “prom night dumpster babies” surprisingly, are the biggest audience. These people are strong enough to look in the mirror and laugh and say, “Life could be worse”. They love the humor he brings to the table because its real.

I mean, come on, If we didnt have humor in this day and age, we’d all be like you, boring and dry. Star Trek needs someone like MacFarlane to give it that revitalization it deserves. He’s a huge fan of the series, so Im sure he’s not gonna get radical with it. I personally think that he would give it new depth, while keeping it favorable to us, the fan base. Don’t be like those “GeeWun” transformers fans who think everything new will ruin the franchise forever. Come join the rest of us who accept change in this new day and age.

As of right now %2% say good idea – not me. Not interested in his version.

That’s 52% – not 2% – wish it was 2%.

I side with the “South Park” take on MacFarlane’s shows. They’re pointless cutaway gags all strung together without regard to story, as if written by a tankful of manatees pushing random “joke balls” into a chute.

Only if every two-parter has a 5 minute fight between the captain and a large chicken…

#2 and #34:

Hear, here. I already lost the prime universe in the last reboot, let’s not loose the whole damn thing to someone like Seth. He’s NO Gene.

Oh and #8 actually summed it up better in one post than I could.

The guy makes good TV and I’m glad to see he’s not stuck on going back to the TOS recipe. I’d love to see him team up with RDM to bring Trek back to TV.

While I’d love to see some Star Trek on TV, I’m not sure Seth MacFarlane is the right person to put this together. His “humor” is “way over the top” for the Star Trek franchise.

I’m not saying that Star Trek couldn’t use a little more humor–I think it lost something when Gene died. I just don’t think this would be the right direction.

But, who knows? He says he’s a HUGE fan, maybe he’d do it right.

God, no.

When Star Trek was first brought on the air, who would have believed what came from the series. The original idea for cell phones was a Star Trek communicator. Then we got Ipads from TNG. Engineers were inspired by “Mr. Scott”. To let the “Next Generation” of sci-fi writers have a crack at Star Trek now, what could inspire the upcoming generations. Maybe the talk of what the “Federation” was about might come true. Isn’t it time to inspire and thrill us again. Instead of the “Jersey Shore” crap, or another Kardashian wedding [that will be down the drain in a few months]. Let new blood start “Trek” and truly go boldly where no man or woman has gone before.

McFarlane is a true fan and has the power and talent (yes, talent) to get things done in Hollywood. But this time, they need to partner with a major cable network – even pay cable. None of this syndication or broadcast network bu!!ish!t. Trek needs the Game of Thrones treatment. Shorten the seasons, increase the budget for FX and hire some great actors and cast them beyond just the main crew. Broaden the scope of story with continuing seasonal arcs in the Abrams Universe. Don’t try to cram missions into 45 minutes. Make the show can’t miss television. Dare I say grittier?

Or, should I say: God! NO!
Right on #34.
I have seen occasional snippets and my nephew got me to watch a Family Guy ep (or part of one). I love smart humor, occasional snark, and wit, but as for FG can I have my 15 minutes back, please?

That said, he seems tolerable on Real Time with Bill Maher. So maybe only his work sucks.

I say go for it, he is a true fan and he can do for Trek on TV what JJ has done with the Movies, I expect the next Movie too be good.

My vote is for Manny Coto – loved his work on Enterprise. The whole 4th season was for the fans and done very well.

Family Guy is amazing! Seth MacFarlane is a brilliant and tallented writer and I bet I’d LOVE his Star Trek. :)

I can sum up my opinion on Seth McFarlane doing Trek with the following:

No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Nooooooooooooooooooo. No! Non. Nyet. Dame desu. Iie. Nein.

And in conclusion, NO!

I can’t stand Family Guy, American Dad or The Cleveland Show. Letting him run the asylum over at Star Trek? No. Just… no.

Why not a tv series in JJ continuity, but crew the ship with little-seen charicters from TOS (or thereabouts) that weren’t refered to in ST XI bus “should” have been /somewhere/ in the universe (hopefully not on any of the of ships in the ill-fated academy fleet!) — “Number One,” Jose Tyler, Gary Mitchel, Lee Kelso, Janice Rand, Phillip Boyce (or Mark Piper or Dr. M’Benga), Ben Finny, J.M. Colt, Will Decker, Ilea, M’Ress, Arex, and first-nameless wonders Finnegan, Kyle, Leslie and DeSalle. The list goes on… we can surely pluck a good senior staff from it.

Such a series could be used to tell some more Trek-like stories, and also to devlop these seldom-seen, oft-remembered charicters of whom we know so little (in cannon).

A fan who “gets” Trek, producing it would be great. In any case, I hope SOMEONE will get Trek back on t.v. None of us are getting any younger, and having to wait year after year for the next movie with nothing on tv is not ideal.

Trek should try some British showrunners. I find British genre tv to be some of the most fun and creative out there, as well as some of the most emotionally powerful. Maybe an injection of Who or Torchwood?