Survey: Experts Pick Star Trek As 2nd Best Brand To Return To TV

Starting in 1966 there have been 28 seasons of live-action Star Trek aired on television, all of which came to an end with the fourth season of Enterprise in 2005. Many wonder if or when Star Trek will return to the small screen. According to new survey of global licensing experts, the time should be now
 

 


Brand experts rank Star Trek as #2 show to be revived

The Brand Licensing Europe Conference kicks off this weekend and they have just released a new survey in advance of the show looking at the most successful TV brands. The survey asked 450 global brand licensing professionals various questions, including “what TV show should be revived to offer the best licensing opportunities?” The Muppet Show (which aired from 1976-1981 in prime-time on CBS) was ranked first with 35% of the votes, and Star Trek came in second with 24% of the survey votes.

In 2005 the Star Trek TV franchise ended a seventeen year run (with four series and 25 total seasons). The Star Trek series had strong ratings in the 90s, but by the final seasons of Enterprise ratings were in deep decline. However, the Star Trek brand continues to have very strong name recognition (especially in English-speaking markets), and the hit 2009 Star Trek feature film went a long way to reviving the brand.


Star Trek 2009 movie has helped rebuild the brand – so is Trek ready to go back to TV?

It stands to reason that if Paramount’s Star Trek feature film sequel in 2012 is a success, CBS (who own the rights to Star Trek on TV) would start to seriously think about bringing the iconic brand back to the small screen, possibly following the third new era Star Trek film. However even with strong film performance and a revived brand, true space-based futurist science fiction is something that has always struggled on the broadcast networks, so the question as to where to air Star Trek is a big one (choices being” CBS, The CW, another network, basic cable, or subscriber cable). CBS will likely keep a close eye on progress for the Star Wars live action TV series (which George Lucas recently said is on hold due to cost, but he still expects it to go forward).

Of course Trek fans are probably most interested in how the new series would be set up. Should it be in the prime timeline, the new movie timeline or something else? Is it ship-based, station-based, land-based or some kind of mix? Is it episodic or arc-driven? Is it light-hearted and geared for kids or something darker and more dramatic for adults? And of course, who does CBS look to for executives to develop and oversee the show.

It is extremely unlikely that the Star Trek actors who crew of the new USS Enterprise would transition to doing a weekly TV series, as they all have active film careers, however some fans on the Internets have speculated on what a show based on the USS Kelvin might be like. Although probably just as unlikely, here is a video of fan-made opening credits.


USS Kelvin the TV show? (via Trekprojects)

The global brand survey also ranked The Simpsons (with 31% of votes) as the most successful TV brand, followed by Sesame Street (26%). Lost (created by JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof) was voted as the TV series with the most "further licensing growth".  More details at The Guardian.

POLL: When will Trek be back?

So take a guess on Star Trek’s return to TV

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Nice animation.

“USS Kelvin the TV show?”

Eek. I hope not. I’m not into a prequel to an origin story. I want to move a bit more forward.

Star Trek: Kelvin… perhaps not. The name Kelvin was chosen a bit unusually. Perhaps Faran Tahir would do this, but we know what’s going to happen to the lead character. Not that desirable in prime time to know how it ends.

However, Faran Tahir as a descendant of Captain Robau during the post-TNG era could really be exciting. Set it simultaneous with the Titan novel era, and then Frakes and Sirtis can be a valentine as the Titan coming in for a “very special episode” of “Trek” (just use that for the title). As much as we love the name Enterprise, at the moment it’s not available. But by NOT using a ship name in the title, we open up for our series to go a couple years with a good name, such as Excelsior or Eagle, followed by the Enterprise being passed on, again, in a “very special episode” by Picard to our lead.

A USS Kelvin series may be interesting. Perhaps SyFy could pick it up and really make it a big hit like BSG?

After the next film…. Either James Badge Dale (From HBO’s The Pacific) or Nathan Fillion (Firefly and Castle) as Captain Robert April of the USS Intrepid!

That Kelvin opening gave me chills!!
I’ve been saving this since the film came out- WE NEED A TV SHOW TO BRIDGE THE MOVIE GAP! Paramount? Hello??
Faran Tahir would be awesome!
But no, don’t use the ship name in the title…

The Star Wars live-action series is dead, last I heard.

I think we should have the actual founding of the Federation and at the time of the Start of the Romulan War and of course have the Klingons involved somehow. There is so much story there and if J.J and Bob Orci were to be at the helm then it would be one hell of a ride!.

I would love to see this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QATzBgkdo4s

These folks have put a lot of thought into this fan series, their opening episode was great. I’d love to see this as the next one.

If it was to happen it could be called Star Trek Federation. Have the Enterprise as the main ship but also have it from the points of view from the Romulan and Federation with all of the Federation members being a part. From the Comander in Chief of Star Fleet and the 1st Federation Presedent to the Capt of the Enterprise and show the Preater of the Romulan Councel and The Chanceler of the Klingon Empire. Be complete with Ship Battles and intrige and spys. If done right would be a ratings hit.

Personally, I hate what they did in the 2009 movie’s alternate timeline, but you can’t destroy a major planet like Vulcan and not annoy me.

I’d like to see something set in the prime timeline, say set 50 years after Voyager.

I’d also air it on SYFY.

And don’t let Braga any where near it! That boy is the kiss of death!

I really like the Kelvin, but a prequel series would only bog down this new universe in what the writers were initially trying to avoid in Trek ’09—getting bogged down in Trek canon. Unless they wanted to set the Kelvin series in the Prime Universe, I don’t see the point in a show where the audience already knows the fate of the ship, its captain and first officer (and, yes, I know “Titanic” was a huge hit, but that’s a whole other story…)

Come on people! Isn’t it obvious what needs to happen here?

Star Trek: The Muppet Show

INSTANT 59% approval rating!!

#14

I like that idea! Kermit the Frog and an Orion Slave Girl could sing a duet of “Bein’ Green.” :D

STAR TREK PAWN DANCING STAR FRINGE IDOL GAGA CHEF with OPRAH

I think a Star Trek series set in the new universe would be a smarter decision, because the prime time-line has been done to death. But what should the tv show be about? I’m no pro at this, but it has to be something different then all the previous trek-series’s and most other sci-fi shows. I’ll leave the rest to the writers/producers, lol.

But i wonder what JJ Abrams team has in mind for a tv-series, if they even thought about it.

Primeline TOS era. Leave Abram’s universe alone. That’s his to do with whatever he wants too.

Also it should be animated

Put Star Trek Phase II on television, and compelete the five year mission.

Yes, I would like to see Star Trek return to TV, but only as a continuation of TOS.

I couldn’t be less interested in continuing to extend theTrek lineage with even more wannabe TOS impersonator shows, anymore than I would want to see a spinoff of The A Team called The B Team.

#15.

hehehehe. Good one ;-)

Way too soon and will hurt the chances of any future movies. Wait til there’s at least 3 movies in the can, and bring Ira Steven Behr back out of the veteran producers on staff.

How about a animated series ALA the Clone Wars and the old Trek animated series?

I disagree with Anthony’s “It is extremely unlikely that the Star Trek actors who crew of the new USS Enterprise would transition to doing a weekly TV series”. In order to please everybody, I’d say CBS could do several miniseries, let’s say 12 hours of 1.5 hours per episode, one for Fall and one for Winter/Spring. A miniseries could be written and produced in a short time. This would allow actors doing other movies or other interests and could definitely please fans with long story arcs intermixed with shorter secondary and tertiary stories. Three months later, DVD’s are out and CBS makes further tons of money.

@ 23
I second that.

My prediction in 2005 still holds. We will see a return of Star Trek in 2016 on the 50th Anniversary of the original Star Trek series. If TPTB are smart, they will keep it on network television. CBS would be ok but I’d be just as happy with the CW.

I’d love to see something in the Prime Timeline set after Nemesis/Voyager myself.

But the most logical thing to me is to satisfy both fan groups by doing something set before TOS/2009 movie – something set between Enterprise and the original, so it can fit in either timeline. There’s still a good 100 or so years there left unexplored.

Now if CBS wants to start smaller here’s a suggestion – do what Battlestar Galactica did and start things off with a mini-series. My personal suggestion would be to do a mini-series focusing on the Earth-Romulan War. If they really wanted to do something special, have it include the Enterprise characters, as well as introduce a new set of characters and a ship to fight alongside them. That way it acts as both a proper end to Enterprise, while opening the door for a new series. Or CBS could start a brand new series with a miniseries or TV movie.

The important thing is that the ship (or station or whatever) HAS to be important. A lot of fanfilms focus on some random ship from whatever era that isn’t nearly as important as the ship of that time that everyone knows (Enterprise, Ent-D, etc). Often times it feels inconsequential.

All the shows have been important to Star Trek history in some major way – Enterprise 1701/A was a major exploration vessel, made first contact with worlds, and led to movies where they saved Earth and negotaited peace with the Klingons. Enterprise-D/E was also major exploration, first contact with many races, made peace with lots of worlds, and led to movies about them saving different worlds. DS9 was a frontier station, handled first contact with lots of new species and was the front line in a major war. Voyager was the first ship in the Delta Quadrant and it made first contact with tons of new species, dealt a big blow to the Borg and made it home safely with most of the crew intact. Enterprise NX-01 was the first major Earth exploration vessel, made first contact with many species, defended Earth a few times and brought peace between warring worlds leading to the Federation.

The Kelvin…….um……well…….blew up. That’s its major accomplishment so far as we know. If they introduce a new ship it HAS to be important historically, otherwise it’s a waste of time for the makers and the viewers. I don’t want to see a ship that lives in the shadow of a much more important one, unless it does something major.

Either way, I think they should avoid the new timeline because it will just interfere with the future movies’ production. Set something before and everyone watching understands that it takes place before whatever they’re used to (prime or alternate).

A prime universe series would face all the problems a prime universe movie would have. Fortunately, tv is a medium controlled by the advertisers, and middle-aged trekkies will not be the demographic they are looking for.

Any Trek show that returned to the small screen should be set way in to the future. 26th -28th century, without any of that irritating temporal cold war nonsense.

The only question should be whether to set it in the Prime time line or in the JJ time line?

i miss the TNG cast. they never got a proper swan song. STUPID STUART BAIRD!

would love to see a Titan show w/ Frakes and Sirtis w/ cameos by other TNG crew.

The Berman/Braga primetime Prime timeline is over. It is up to the new JJ people or others to bring forth a series or miniseries which would appeal to all generations of fans.

Trek is about the …voyages of the Enterprise, not the Kelvin.

Give Ron Moore A ST TV show like he has stated he wants. He has done no-budget sci-fi with battlestar and huge budget/movie budget with Star Trek/First Contact, he IS the guy to do star trek again.

I’ve enjoyed all of the incarnations of Star Trek, but if and when it returns to television, Trek needs to go back to what it does best. No more prequels, lost starships, or space stations. Leave the alternate reality for the films to play with. Do what Doctor Who has done: don’t reboot the universe, but don’t immediately assume the audience has been following the show for forty years either. Let’s see a new Enterprise with a new crew exploring space. Pull in Mulgrew and Frakes for guest spots as Admirals, but don’t make a huge deal out of it.

Let’s see better character arcs. Ditch the holodecks, and let’s see more TOS style weekly sci-fi/fantasy stories coupled with the character development and serial plotlines of modern television. Let’s see more conflicts between the characters, but let’s also see a hopeful vision of the future. The next incarnation of Star Trek could be awesome, if done right.

“The Berman/Braga primetime Prime timeline is over.”

AMEN!

I agree, Star Trek’s return to television is long overdue. Since the “Sequel” or “Number Two” is due out in 2012, a television series would seem to “oversaturate” the market and detract from the movie, but could be a nice addition shortly there-after.

I can see a couple of “Battlestar Galactica” type mini-series of something (could be an opener series of sorts,) running just before the movie release. And the new television series to run in the season directly following the film. If Spring, then summer or if Summer, then Fall. It could be a “three-prong” release; keeping Star Trek salient in the minds of everyone for a while, but this is just an idea which would be a logistical endeavor to say the least.

I DARE YOU TO DO BETTER!

I would like to see an anthology series based on Trek – it could utilize all of the eras and timelines as well as the Mirror / Myriad universes. They could even do animated episodes.

Just a thought…

There is no doubt in my mind something must and will be done for the 50th anniversary. It’s a bottom line decision and as Anthony stated, the time is now. A BSG type of
approach to Trek can be done by Moore and he’s possibly the only one who can bridge…well, the two bridges. I am certain he can and would do it.

As much as people love the Prime Universe (myself included), I don’t believe television executives would set a new TV show in the old timeline. The best case scenario for a new TV series in my opinion would be to introduce a new ship or at least some main characters that would appear in the third new Star Trek movie and then the new TV show would focus on them. So we would have stories and adventures set in the same period as the new movies, just with a different ship. Depending on whether or not the Star Trek movies continued, you could even have episodes where the Enterprise or at least some of the new cast guest starred for big adventures.

Personally, I wouldn’t bother watching JJ verse Trek on the small or big screen. Since that is now Trek, I say let it die.

By my count, there are 28 seasons of live action Star Trek, not 29. I’ve watched them all.

I agree with 34. Doctor Who is definitely a good model to follow. And get somebody like Moffat on board who loves the franchise and knows what he’s doing. Ronald D. Moore wouldn’t be a bad choice if he’s not busy. Ira Steven Behr if RDM has moved on to bigger and better things…I KNOW Ira is only attached to like one project atm.

well 40 I don’t know what you’re doing here, but the JJverse is what we’re getting for Star Trek atm other than Star Trek Online and some novels/comics, and I for one enjoy it.

Well, in a couple of years a TV series is a good option.
But today, in my honest opinion, its better to wait for the next movie to kick off a real new audience, especially overseas. I’m convinced that a new series will push us further into the final frontier, as long as the writers and the fans imagination isn’t bound by any limits.
I still have have some good hopes with an engagement of Mr. Moore for a new series, even if I hated the finale of BSG. Also Mr Abrams and the “supreme court” disappointed me in some ways with the finale of lost. But with the exception of some details they made a fine work for STXI so I’m confidently looking foreward, in Star Treks best tradition, to STXII. All hopes for our beloved franchise lies in the hands of some great guys. So please all you guys from the “supreme court” give us the adventure we wanted and a movie no. 12 to remember!!!
So say we all ;-)
Best wishes from germany
Arthur

What about the scenario of Star Trek never returning to TV ?

What if we just keep it a movie franchise instead? Will that reduce risks of a franchise becoming too bloated (aka. Berman TV/Movies concurrently) ?

37. Sybok is correct. I would love to see Star Trek:Anthology. Each week’s episode could be about a different part of the Star Trek universe. The Federation, the Klingons, the Romulans etc. It opens up a bunch of different storylines. They could update us on what is happening with Picard on the Enterprise, Riker on the Titan plus all the other series. All the previous Star Trek series could have special 2 hour episodes. Even more TAS episodes would be cool.

I like #11’s Federation focus idea. The Trekverse has grown a lot in past years, and fans have grown with it, and they should take advantage of all the great stories and intrigue and interplay between Starfleet and the Federation (and, sh-h, Section 31).
‘Don’t know what’s best for ratings/demographics, but I’D prefer NOT to have JJverse on TV.
And I loved all the series so far. Enterprise was set right in the timeline I most wanted to see.
But the time travel DOES have to go!! stay down-to-earth, so to speak, and out in space, but Temporal Wars and Time Agents are an unnecessary distraction.

European Licensing experts- translates into people who don’t have clue what the situation in Hollywood is. Europe may want Star Trek back, I doubt that America does, and despite all this globalization talk, America still has the largest markets and is the only place that matters for American TV studios.

hell, I’d be in favor of bringing Andrew J. Robinson back and just having a show focusing on Garak rebuilding Cardassia. That alone would be great television (and manage to upset some old school Trekkies in the progress).