Text 642, 168 rader
Skriven 2005-02-05 11:30:00 av Tony Underwood (1:278/230)
Ärende: ENTERPRISE canceled!
============================


At 12:45 hours 02/05/2005 -0600, you wrote:
>
>syndication or cable.  Interestingly, someone on TrekWeb suggested that fans
>create a fan effort to raise the money necessary to produce a season of
>Trek.  The most surprising thing is that -- provided it could be organized,
>which would be highly unlikely -- the idea is workable.  The rumored price
>of an ENTERPRISE episode is $1.6 million.  With 22 episodes, that comes to
>$35.2 million per season.  A big chunk of change, true, but when divided
>among 3 million viewers... it comes to $11.74 per person.


Let's see if someone would put their money where their mouth is... ;)   

If such an organized campaign were to be launched, *I* would pay 12
bucks/season to see ENT.   I'd Paypal the funds to such an organization (a
*legit* organization) and await the results.    Even if it didn't work out,
the money could be alternatively earmarked for a charity etc.      

I don't think anything like this has been tried before...  and what with
the *entire* cost of another season not necessarily being required by the
producers...  what if they suddenly had their production costs for a season
of ENT cut in *half*?    Would they run it another season if it only cost
them, say 18 million instead of ~35 million...?    

Money talks...  and we know how Paramount/Viacom looks after its money...     


>It is true that, for the most part, Trek has kept mostly to conventions of
>writing and directing developed... well, a long time ago.  While DS9 -- and
>more recently ENTERPRISE -- have delved into the serialization pool a bit
>more than previous Treks, they remain far away from anything approaching a
>FARSCAPE, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, or B5 approach.  

It's  never too late to explore other options... ;)  

>Then again, as rerun
>syndication has taken poorly to many of those serialized series, television
>in general has slid somewhat back into stand alone episodes (i.e. CSI, LAW &
>ORDER, et al).   On the other hand, this season has seen a lot of success
>for much more serialized series -- you can't get much more inter-connected
>than LOST, 24, or BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, all of which have been doing very
>well.

See previous statement.     (*IF* ENT were to somehow survive via whatever
means)


>> Thematically, TOS reflected the climate of the 60s, TNG reflected
>> the climate of the 80s.  And since then, we've had a steady stream of Trek
>> production that reflects those values - specifically, the values of the
>> production team (though maybe it's that team's vision of how GWR would
>> interpret modern day Trek.)

Then again, there remains Trek history...  which a prequel like ENT could
milk for content, thus "validating" past events we came to know about from
the other episodes of TOS, TNG etc.    Prequals have lots of "wiggle room"
with which to work.   However, they also have preset guidelines between
which they  have to work in order to avoid YATI.   Shouldn't be that
hard...  IF a series were handled by people who knew what was going on.     


>   With ENTERPRISE, they were trying to go back to the
>beginning, so people felt like they were coming into something that didn't
>require hundreds of hours of continuity to understand -- to the point that
>they dropped such trappings as the "Star Trek" name and the traditional
>instrumental theme.

Dropping the Trek moniker wasn't a good idea IMHO.   It's like trying to
avoid a heritage for whatever reason.   

The opening theme isn't too bad... and I kinda like the later evolution of
the theme even better.   It seems to fit.   When combined with the montage
of imagery in the opening credits, it fits quite nicely.   My opinion... 



Re:  What to do for another possible Trek series:  


>As much as I hate to say it, though, the best answer may be to "reboot" the
>Trek universe by creating a whole new TOS with a new cast and an updated
>approach, much like BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.  

I have *always* supported this idea.   It may not have to even include any
Enterprise at all,  except via now-and-then mention as might happen since
they're all Starfleet.   The show could feature another starship of the
line with its own independent crew...  ala TOS with Constitution class
vessels, or perhaps the later TOS era vessels like the Excelsior
styled/class 1701B or Avenger or Miranda class vessels.   Sulu could make a
token appearance on occasion etc if they really wanted to be cute.    Or
not.   Make the show autonomous with no original TOS people shown or even
mentioned at all.    

Again, lots of room here to play.   

>On the one hand, as a long
>standing fan, that would seem to be abandoning all those years of continuity

Not necessarily.    Trek history could not only be well preserved, but
confirmed via anecdotal event coverage.   After all Kirk and Co weren't the
only Fed starship out there doing a good job.    


>(given that, unlike the new viewers, I *have* watched the 700 hours of
>Trek... many of them,  multiple times...).   If nothing else, it probably
>would makes James Dixon's head spin.  :-)

700 hours of Trek?   JD's head spinning?   Naah...  it would be steadily
focused and concentrated on the tube.    


>But I was thinking... what if, early on, it was made very clear that this is
>a completely different universe, just similar to that of the Trek we know?

This might or might not work...   some viewers would see it as confusing
and a bit "far fetched" but then again there is precedent in that such
alternate dimensions did appear in Trek.   
 

>some kind of parallel universe episode.  The "original" Trek universe would
>certainly continue in novels and such -- maybe even in TV films or movies,
>if desired, but the "new" version would be far more of a ground floor

Considering the radical departure of such a show...  it might be better to
not associate it with Trek at all and give it its own identity so as to not
confuse it with "real" Trek.    Part of the draw of Trek was that it
presented hope for a future with bright and grand accomplishments and
advances and adventure through exploration and learning and discovery.
An alternate universe variation wouldn't be able to adhere as closely to
this concept from a viewer's standpoint... it would be "someone else's
ballgame".    Farscape had John, thrust into a new environment far from
home...  and returning home was never far from his mind.    BG has humanity
attempting to "return to its roots" in that they're searching for US...
rather than us seeking them out.    However,  it's a similar concept in
that the viewer identifies with the protagonists and feel a kinship...
since these characters could be our decedents or relatives...  while an
alternate universe would contain none of this.    Sometimes it's more
reassuring to be able to identify "home"...  

However, if such a show were to evolve and air, I'd still watch it.    This
sort of viewpoint has been explored a few times in the recent productions
of "The Outer Limits" which is another show that seldom got its just due...
 rather well done for the most part, and even included some continuity
between episodes on occasion.  



>idea...  I don't know if I'm completely sold on the idea, but if it would
>make a Trek series popular again -- and give the writers a boost with pretty
>much infinite ways to approach this new universe (after all, there's no
>guarentee the "rules" would be same as in the Trek universe we know), who am
>I to argue?

Again, if it was done right, I'll watch.  



tony.. 

----- I want my Hoover and I want it now!   


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