Since all indicators point to this being the last season of Enterprise, and with no new series or movies in the pipeline, I thought it might be fun to speculate where Trek could go next. Would you prefer a new series ASAP or should Trek take a decade or two of hiatus? If there is a new series, when would it take place? 22nd century? 24th? 23rd? Another leap forward into the future? Or should they just stop with Trek forever?

My idea for a series would be one on cargo ship set in the Alpha Quadrant in the 24th century. This crew would not be Starfleet, or even have many humans, and they'd be kind of on the outside of the law. A little like Quark was: perfectly legitimate most of the time, but not above a little smuggling on the side. Anyway, in the pilot, Starfleet busts them, and offers the crew immunity if they'll do intelligence work for them. A commander in SF intel is posted on the ship to keep them in line and report back.

I figure this series would offer several new angles on the Star Trek universe. First, there was a lot of political upheaval in the last seasons of DS9 and Voyager that left some questions unanswered. What happened with the Borg? Did the virus stop them? Did the tech from Janeway's future get integrated into the fleet? What about the holographic sentience question at the end of Author Author? It looks like there's a rebellion brewing. And then there's the state of Cardassia. This series would be a good way to address all the political questions. Second, SF intelligence is kind of a shady, underdeveloped area of Star Trek. How do they operate? Do they follow the Trekkian ethos in their spying? Or are they more like Section 31? Also, this crew would be mostly alien with an alien captain, something that hasn't happened on Trek before. I can think of tons of new possibilities with this show, but I wouldn't trust it in the hands of Bermaga. I'd like to see Ira Behr or Ron Moore return to Trek. These two, plus Manny Coto and the Reese-Stevenses, seem to know what they're doing.

But I'd love to hear anyone else's suggestions.

I think Trek should take about 3-5 years off. Then, I'd like for the new show to be based on the adventures of a small group of Starfleet Intelligence operatives that takes place about 5 years after Voyager's end. I'm a junkie for the political leaning shows, so it'd be fun for me to see all the different aspects of the relationships the Federation has with the other Alpha Quadrant powers.

Whatever they do plot-wise, and however long they wait (I hope not long), I think they should try their hands at animation of some sort again. "The Kids" dig the animation nowadays, so there's your new audience, and it is bound to be less expensive and less limiting than the standard filming + effects. An added bonus would be that they could use Trek actors (or clever impersonators) from any era, freeing them up for all sorts of things.

Perhaps a series of animated miniserieseses? Say, five hours of DS9 followup, five of Voyager followup, the adventures of Cap'n Riker and the Titan? Or even Cap'n Pike? Or Cap'n Garret? I see endless potential.

I just fear that if they let it lapse for any amount of time, it'll never recover. On the other hand, I don't think that they should be so quick to introduce something new. Even if ENT runs for seven years (I wish), it's be best to just do that, release all the DVDs, and wait. Except there may be nothing to wait for.

I definitely agree there needs to be a break. And I'm glad that even though this is likely the end of ENT, there doesn't seem to be any hot speculation for movie 11 or a new series yet. So there'll automatically be a hiatus.

I can think of a lot of directions I'd like to see the franchise explore. Top of my list would be something like Starship Exeter where it's a different crew at the same time as one of the previous shows. Or like BanjoSteve suggested, possibly an all-alien crew, Starfleet or cargo runners or whatever.

When DS9 was winding down, I thought a great new show would be set at Starfleet Academy, showcasing something akin to the brainiacs of Wesley Crusher's Nova Squadron. We would get to see the inside workings of Starfleet and use a somewhat younger cast who could get into all sorts of interesting situations.

When they announced Enterprise, I was pleased and I've followed the show fairly regularly. However, Enterprise sucks when compared to every other ST series. It could be great if not for Scott Bakula If only they would kill Captain Quantum off, the show would be reasonably tolerable.

I'd still love to see a spin-off in which Trip gets his own command. I guess it's kind of a way to salvage Enterprise. I think the whole prequel idea was a good one. Unfortunately, they screwed it up for the first couple of seasons. And who knew Captain Archer would be such a horrible character? I've always liked Scott Bakula, but I really hate Archer. And it would be nice if Phlox could go with Trip.

I'm afraid that concept would devolve into Star Trek: 90210, especially if Bermaga were involved.

I think the franchise definitely needs a break. I don't think Enterprise is failing entirely on its own merits. People are tired of Star Trek right now. Give it 1-3 years off and come back with a huge return campaign and a group of folks that are totally energized to be doing new Star Trek.

As for ideas, I'm open to a lot of ideas. But you need to have a human main character at the center of the show. I think a non-human main character would be difficult to relate to. We need someone to react when something happens that's odd to us. That doesn't mean the captain has to be human, but then you can't have the captain at the center of the show.

The best idea I've heard in the time we've been discussing this is a sort of post-Academy show. A bunch of young Ensigns are on a Starfleet rotation program. They spend six months to a year in one assignment, and then move on to another. This gives them the chance to do the "Lower Decks" sort of thing, and it frees them up to go all over the galaxy. One half-season they're working out of a Mars defense station, all embroiled in quadrant politics, and the next they're out on the edge of explored space, charting nebulae. Maybe that ship crashes and they get rescued by, and spend a half-season on, a Klingon ship. You keep a core group of characters around and moving through the Trekverse.

I strongly disagree with this. Throughout Trek there have been tons of interesting non human characters capable of supporting a show. Spock, Data, Worf, Kira, Odo, Seven of Nine, and The Doctor were all great, relatable characters who were all interesting and deep precisely for their alien-ness (except Kira. She was a great character but she was basically a human with a funny nose). And after Seven of Nine came to Voyager, it basically became the Seven Show, and IMHO wasn't much the worse for it.

Two words:
Khan's Creek

I don't wanna wait
For Kirk's life to be ovaahh....

Glark, I sense a pixel challenge in the offing.

</Counselor Troi>

My own favorite idea, shamelessly picked up from I know not where (read it somewhere) is a Trek anthology series. One week, we're watching temporal agents mopping up one of Kirk's what, 19 violations? (We don't see him, just their side of things) Next week, the story is set on Betazed (-zoid?) during the Dominion War. And so on.

I find it interesting that so far, many of the ideas you all have are also essentially anthology series. Fleshing out the Trekverse more fully is the way to go, IMO.

Of course, I'd prefer all this to happen about 2-3 years after Enterprise runs its seven seasons. [/hopeful thinking]

I like the idea of a series focusing on some kind of intelligence work; it would let us have the gadgets, the technobabble, a resolution to some of the things left hanging (the rebuilding of Cardassia, the Borg), and lends itself to just about any plot you care to mention.

I'd like to see it going forward from Voyager's time - for me, the prequel really hasn't worked and I want to see what happens next, not more detail about what happened before (if that makes sense).

Although a Starfleet Academy or new graduate series might work, I do think it would probably go wrong and descend into 24th-century teen angst. Which would be...bad.

And finally, I think there should be a break between series, preferably long enough for Bermaga to get bored of Trek and go off to balls up something else, leaving the field free for new blood. Whether a break between series would be commercially likely, though, I don't know.

ETA: I just re-read what I wrote, and thought - I don't know if any actual new series would be commercially likely, either. Sigh.

I too like the idea of an anthology series, but I think it would have to animated to work. It would be really expensive to have to build all new sets every week which would add to the expense of the show. In addition, the show would only appeal to hardcore fans and wouldn't have much chance of appealing to casual viewers, so because it's so narrow in appeal, it would have to be produced cheaply, and probably wouldn't be on a network. I could see it on SciFi, maybe.

The reality of making an anthology show would probably ruin it before it started. It's a neat idea, but there's a reason why TV series originally became TV series instead of being hour-long movies every week. It works better in a lot of ways. Sadly, because an anthology show would rule.

BanjoSteve, I feel that a non-human central character wouldn't keep the show grounded in an exploration of humanity. The characters you listed are all great and have great stories about them, but we need that human perspective to be able to relate. I just think about an alien captain encountering something really strange and bizzare and not reacting because it happens every day on his planet. Either that or you get an alien captain who is just barely alien, leading you to wonder why they bothered (Peter David's Capt. Calhoun comes to mind, as does any Bajoran).

I could see an alien central character maybe working if they got it exactly right. But I don't think, for example, a series set on a Klingon ship with nothing but Klingons would succeed. Throw a main-character human onto a Klingon ship as the premise and you've got a decent show. There's fleshing out the universe, and there's ignoring Trek's themes, which are about exploring what it means to be human among things that are not.

I like my post-Academy series because we really need another DS9 that lets us sit still to explore. They could do that on this show. It does't have to be young, angsty people, I just thought those would be the sort who wouldn't have picked a specialty in Starfleet yet. You could easily throw in some older characters to balance it.

Oh, poo. I didn't think of that. Yep, come to think of it, the best way to go about that would be animated, which suits me fine. I never really understood why TAS isn't considered canon anyway ... I'll take animation and be perfectly happy with it.

What about doing something tangential to ST Canon? I've always been disappointed that the Gary Seven-pilot never went anywhere. What about picking up maybe a generation or two later in our time...or maybe just a few years from now. Use the knowledge that Seven has about the Trek-universe beyond Earth as a "in-joke" while dealing with crises and culture-shock in our times. Supervisor Seven has much fewer high-tech resources, yet can use and comment on "Trek-ness".

Maybe shift to our-timeline yet with the Trek-universe still out there, and it's implications. As far as my friends ...who were much more trekkers that I...the divergence of the two timelines was at the time of Gary Seven...and ST:TOS's filming. Trek was alway closely-tied to observations on "our" times, so reverse the formulae.

An interesting ally and adversary would be Flint, or as he's know in our time...Abramson. Seven attempting to control events from an "alien" agenda...and Abramson thrusting humanity ahead from behind the scenes. A mortal human who is an "alien" vs. the immortal genius who was Leonardo da Vinci. There would be plenty of opportunities for both to be wrong, or too pig-headed to see the humanity in a given situation; plus events that one or the other might wish to meddle-in. Each trying to blend-in while being "alienated" from their fellow man, with resources more advanced. Consider it The Equalizer vs. Lazarus Long. It definitely needs Edward Woodward's cool....maybe his son? Style-wise, it would be Seven's StarFleet corporate scifi-look vs. and Abramson's Jules Verne industrial-age look of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Heh, heh...or, have Supervisor Seven be Gary's daughter or grand-daughter and make it interesting.

Indeed!

Actually I remembered we already did this around PC #50 or so:

Click to view attachment

For the record that was Pixel Challenge #26.

Mr. b and I always wanted to see the medieval Klingon pirates show. (This would most definitely have to be a cartoon!) Pre-space flight Klingon sailors on Cronos, they're tough and just like the Klingons we all know and love now, but they're sailing the seas and dealing with piracy and inter-clan wars and other good Patrick O'Brien-y stuff. Hmm, maybe we're the only two people who would watch that....

If not anthologies, why not event Movie-of-the-Week type stuff? For the same kind of money as a whole season, they could do two or three movies or miniseries, that you could set in any Trek era. And have higher dramatic stakes. And then release it on DVD and clean up.

I rather like that idea, RiverThames. Trek needs to give up on the big budget theatrical releases--post Lord of the Rings, Trek simply does not provide the backdrop necessary for a sprawling, grand narrative (they could do the Romulan Wars, but I doubt it would happen) as in Star Wars (Ray's Famous Original) or in LotR.

I've always wanted to see a "Fall of the Federation" story (I hear that's what Andromeda is supposed to be).

They need to take as much time off as necessary until someone has some actual inspiration, and isn't just coasting on the ST name.

I gave up on Enterprise a couple years ago, when I realised it was season 3 and I still couldn't tell any of the characters apart. Don't know if it's improved any.
The original premise was great, a prequel about the early days of pre-starfleet space exploration. It could have filled in the history of the ST universe, the uniting of the Federation, the begining of the Federation-Klingon war...so much they could have done. In TOS it really seemed like these were pioneers in a new era of exploration, except for Phlox and (as chliched' as he is) Trip, this crew just doesn't seem to belong here.
It's like they just went down a list of "Generic Star Trek Characters" 1 Vulcan, 1 Alien species we haven't met before,1 black, 1 asian, 1 guy who speaks with an accent, 1 person who's never been on a space mission before, 1 chick in spandex, someone has to be the Captain (I'll give 'em credit for the dog, we haven't had a dog before)...Then went to central casting for people who look good in their underwear, recycled a few stand-alone storylines from the previous series, Viola! Instant Star Trek! might as well have used Mad Libs.


If/when they do do another ST series, they should have well developed characters from the begining, then be like TOS, and have a real pioneer-era feel or like DS9 (the best ST series IMO) and center around specific events in the "history" of the ST universe.

I have to respectfully disagree with the SF academy and other "all young cast" sugestions, I wouldn't trust any Tv PTB, let alone the ones reponsible for Enterprise, not to turn that into a boring soap opera with nothing but, love triangles, dating angst, gratuitous sex and pretty starlettes who can't act. Bleah! ( Sci-fi + soap opera = shark bait ,I'm picturing Lana Lang's great-great-great-great grandchildren in Star Fleet 90210 here, don't need it)

Cleo's post in the "Babel One" thread reminded me of this.

I had an idea this week about the next Trek, whatever the story premise may be. I think the next Trek should be a comedy. They've done occasional comedy eps in the past, and they (the ones I remember, anyway) were great. Also, it seems like so much of Trek has been so stodgy, it would be a novel idea. I'm not talking about the average, cringe-inducing "wacky hijinks ensue," sitcom stuff, but more grown-up humor, organic to the situation.

Maybe it could take place on a small, unimportant ship somewhere in the Alpha Quadrant, with a crew consistently underrated by Starfleet, not considered "hero" material, which would also make a refreshing change.

I don't know, just thinking out loud. A whole new direction would be a good thing, and this would definitely be that.

I think the comedic, non-heroic ship is a brilliant idea. All the other shows have had the central ship and crew the "Saviors of the Known Universe" (hence, Daniels licking Archer's feet, the Federation always calling Kirk to save them, Q letting Picard decide humanity's fate). It would be so much fun to see a ship that no one expects great things from, an ordinary crew often placed in extraordinary circumstances, etc. Monk in Space. As long as it didn't descend into silly, I would watch and enjoy it (I could see someone like Trip in charge of that crew).

I could only see comedy working as a supplement to a Star Trek series, not as the main thing. Star Trek takes itself too seriously to let itself become all comedy all the time. If it they had a whole new ship and maybe once a season or so turned it over to the Lower Decks for a comedy episode, like the Lone Gunmen on The X Files, then I could see it working, but not all the time.

I agree with BanjoSteve. I think the comedy episodes like Bride of Chaotica or Take Me Out To The Holosuite work because they're unusual and because we're used to seeing the crew as competent heroes. There is humour in many of the episodes, but it needs the "serious" storylines to bounce off. If humour became the raison d'etre for a series, I'm not sure it would work.

Thanks scarymom! I didn't think anyone would like the idea, honestly.



Actually, I was totally thinking of him when the idea occurred to me. You read my mind. I picture a captain who's a smartass with a dry sense of humor. Less "hothead Trip," more "I could paint a bird-of-prey on the hull" Trip.



Ah, BanjoSteve, that's exactly what I'd want to change about it. Not for all time, just for one new series. Loosen it up, bring some fresh air and newness to it.

EnglishMuffin, I get what you mean, but I wouldn't want a crew of incompetents, don't get me wrong. I was just thinking of your average Starfleet officer, frequently ordered to do the impossible in 20 minutes, and applying a sense of humor to the whole thing.

More generally, DS9 aside, it's the same premise every time out, and maybe shaking up the very foundations of the show might add a new kick.

Why not a Boston Public/ Sex and the City/ Ally McBeal type comedy? Not ha-ha with a laugh track, but a crew that was having a good time and showed it?

Dane, your premise sounds a lot like Firefly (without the 'Verse of Firefly). Scrappy, humorous crew that can take on the tough jobs with a cutting one-liner and without a ramrod surgically attached to thier spines. Personally I'd be on board with that, but I don't know if that would fly with diehard Trek fans. It's *too* different. Good thought though.

Nobody seems to have posted this idea yet, so here I go!

Star Trek has been alive and kicking for almost 40 years now. Let's put it to bed, period!

We've had five series now, each one getting progressively worse in quality with the exception of TNG. The prequel was a beautiful idea in theory, horribly executed. Talk about a study in humanity. There's no reason to think that a new series would fair any better.

I am an unashamed Trekor (TOS and TNG) anyway, but the last drops of original creativity were wrung out of the franchise a long time ago. Let's move on to other things in the TV world and call Star Trek a failure that overcame all obstacles and succeeded.

As it stands now, the Trek universe has become a cliché-ridden parody of itself and that saddens me.

I completely disagree, TickTock. As a Trekkie from wayyyy back (one of my earliest memories is of NCC-1701 sliding across the screen), I can still see ways that Enterprise can be saved. (Force-feed Quantum some Prozac, for instance...)

Even leaving Enterprise aside, Peter David's New Frontiers stories are still going strong. I haven't heard any of George Takei's Excelsior audiobooks yet, but I understand they're quite good. And I've still been able to find some good writing amongst the TOS and NextGen novels (haven't read any of the DS9 or Voy novels yet, but I imagine it's much the same there - depends on the author).

No, we don't need to throw the baby out with the bathwater - we just need to drain the bathwater, and stop passing it off as Dom Perignon '83.

If by bathwater, you mean Bermaga, I totally agree.

Dane, would a series based on TNG's Outrageous Okona be close to what you're talking about? Not the Data v. Joe Piscopo subplot, but the misadventures of Okona kind of thing.

Come to think of it, Okona could easily be a version of Firefly's Captain Tightpants, without the angst.

I think the franchise -- hell even ENT -- could be saved but not with the current administration. Not with Bermaga. Not with UPN.

Slackerprise! With lots of futuristic pot-smoking, hahah... The crew's really laid-back, but somehow they always manage to get just enough done to get by. The missions get accomplished enough, eventually, even if in a very non-regulation, unique sorta way. :D The last line of the dedication plaque on the bridge says, "You just need to relax..."

Yeah. A half-hour supplement. Fun idea. The late 24th century Alpha Quadrant seems fairly pacified to me, so there are plenty of peaceful space lanes to cruise along in, and no doubt plenty of day-to-day Federation planet-hopping space-jobs that really don't require the best of the best.

So many footprints have been laid down already, we can really have some fun with the established cultures in ways Kirk and Picard and Co. never had time to do, since they were always busy trying to reach that next frontier, or beating back invasions like Sisko. Let's explore the stodgy Federation's ticklish underbelly. Let's follow the misadventures of some ordinary people in this glorious universe doing the suck-ass jobs.

It should be a show that, while going for humor in its premise, has its share of drama too, just as in real life. Say, a Taxi ensemble approach. Heavy reliance on characterization and interaction to carry the show along. Stay far away from the particle or anomaly of the week that gets defeated by recalibrating the main deflector dish. Cosmic menaces are beyond this crew's purview. That's the sort of thing they should be very reluctant to hassle about, they'd have to be dragged into it. Not to say that even ordinary folks can't unintentionally save the galaxy now and then.

(They might even prove to be more fascinating to someone like Q for study. They represent the midsection of the human spectrum, yet are no less noble in their own screwed-up way.)

Check out the Futurama model. A charter delivery business was a great setup and could likewise be a fine premise in the Star Trek universe. The Federation can't beam supplies across the galaxy, they still have to do it the old-fashioned way. Futurama had lots of nods to Star Trek. A show that borrowed a few aspects of the Futurama premise to play against the backdrop of the actual Star Trek universe would have a great recipe for solid comedramatics.

Rather than being part of the Federation Starfleet, the ship could be a Charter vessel, doing whatever side gigs they can scrape up. The small stuff that falls in-between the cracks of what Starfleeet handles. Commercial deliveries, passengers, garbage disposal, tour groups, spelunking for minerals in the asteroid belts. They'd be doing any and everything that keeps the operation running. And there oughtta be a space station hangout somewhere for down-times and the deal-making.

(Hah, just imagining a live-action version of an overbearing Zap Brannigan type representing Starfleet... I notice Gene Roddenberry had some of the men in skirts too, early in the first season of TNG...where'd that go?)

OhdearJesusno! Oh wait ...



Oh!! *Whew* Sorry 'bout that, dbrugg. Your first sentence gave me palpitations. I can't hear the name of that episode without flashing to Data & Piscopo doing that Jerry Lewis impression. Oh Lord, that whole Piscopo thing, it gives me a heaving stomach, it does. Hmmm ... if Okona were less horndog, and were part of Starfleet, then ... yeah, kinda close.

Actually, minus the pot-smoking part :) I think Trevacious Guy put it all together beautifully. That's exactly what I had in mind.

I think that whatever happens, a break of a few years would be good.

On a slightly different tack, does Star Trek in any format have what it takes to be appreciated in the distant future (500+ years) the way we appreciate Shakespeare now?

I find myself wishing that this were season 2 instead of season 4. I feel like the show is really just hitting its stride as what a Star Trek prequel should be. I think they needed a season to go out and explore and discover all the problems that lead up to the founding of the federation and the problems with the Klingons and the Romulans, etc. and then we should have had this season (with some adjustments of course).

I happened to really like the Xindi arc for what it was, but I do have to admit that it had no business being there. I feel like Bermaga kind of screwed us over by alienating some die hard fans early on. That being said, even though I know that the chances aren't looking good, I'd really like to see a few more seasons play out as what a Star Trek prequel series should have been in the first place.

After that, I agree that a couple of years off would probably be a good idea. The next installment of Trek needs some distance from Enterprise, and the people who create it need the time to come up with an original concept. I don't know. Maybe it's time to move into the 25th or 26th century or even beyond that. Just something to get all the Trekkies out there, old and new, excited about Star Trek again.

Will Star Trek hold up to Shakespeare 500 years from now? I'm not sure we should really compare the two. But -- I do think that Gene Roddenberry was visited by an awfully powerful muse. Star Trek was a unique concept that has grown to proportions he probably never imagined, and has lasted nearly 40 years already. I don't think it will be forgotten anytime soon, and I don't think that it's even close to breathing its last breath. I don't know about 500 years from now, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's still around 60 years from now to celebrate its centennial. Hey, some of us might even be around to witness it.

The problem with Trek since TNG everything is perfect, neat and tidy, evrything fixed in no time etc. Too perfect, no real "adventure" like TOS.

Even though TOS may appear "campy" now. It was really exciting(at the time) and kept me on the edge when I was growing up in the 70's. I feel none of that when I watch ENT as I know it will all end perfectly.

Why does everyone call Quantum, Sir or Captain all the time. Call him by his first name, once in a while.

Actually Quantum is what is holding ENT back from being better and more "realistic" so to speak. He was a poor choice for captain.

Trek should of taken 5 years off after VOY or even DS9. There was too much Trek too soon. DS9 overlapped TNG and VOY overlapped with DS9. They oversaturated us and thats what could kill the franchise for 10-15 or even 20 years.

In a sense, the "the future of Trek" may be now, and it may be almost every other drama on TV.

Besides the outer space setting of the Trek universe, what defines Trek? It's the diverse ensemble cast, it's the fast-talking technobabble jargon, it's the week-to-week backstory continuity. It's a makeup and special effects showcase, it's part you-are-there experience, it's 42-minute morality plays with political (often liberal) bents, and with helpings of military- or bureaucracy-structured action now and again. Not least, it's a state-of-the-zeitgeist workplace drama with coworkers and neighbors serving as surrogate family, amid transitory relationships and encroaching alienation.

How many shows came close to hitting those bullet points when The Next Generation rose to popularity in syndication, circa 1990? Would Twin Peaks count? Quantum Leap? MacGyver? China Beach? Murder, She Wrote?

But how many franchise shows with those characteristics have established themselves since? ER... the CSIs... West Wing... 24... Buffy/Angel... Alias/Lost... Xena/Hercules... The Practice/Ally McBeal... NYPD Blue... even, in part, shows like Gilmore Girls and Desperate Housewives. Next Generation may have been at the vanguard of Baby Boomer and Gen X dramas filled with higher expectation, profession-specific cant. We may now have a glut of one-hour shows with ongoing backstories -- and, frequently, larger budgets. Plenty of alternatives for viewers who feel vaguely uncool watching outer space soap opera, and aren't committed to Trek.

DS9 was a bold departure, even easier to appreciate in retrospect. But its measured, novel-style pacing may have made it a bit too convenient for viewers to jump to newcomers like ER, with all the jargon at twice the speed, and adult plotlines too. As if beating a retreat from those other dramas, the writing of Voyager and Enterprise has seemed increasingly directed to 14-year-old boys, or to the inner Knight Rider viewer in all of us. (Or not, as the case may be.)

Enterprise has especially forsaken the "diverse ensemble" aspect of the series -- overly PC or not, it was a Trek staple, maybe part of its soul. The Original Series characters may seem token now, but the actors had more prominent roles than minorities elsewhere on TV, and became role models to many.

It'd certainly be nice to think we've grown beyond stereotypes, or any benefit to tweaking those stereotypes. But while other shows have given us President Palmer, President Roslin, Dr. Benton and Agent Dixon, Trek has somehow progressed from a friendly Russian in the midst of the Cold War, all the way to a non-speaking Middle Eastern-looking extra gassed in the virus chamber on Cold Station 12, along with a stiff-upper-lipped Brit, a not-a-Southerner-but-I-approximate-one-on-TV who tinkers with the engines, a "model minority" Asian prodigy born too soon to take instrument lessons from Harry Kim, a genial black guy who's seen little and heard less, and some middle-aged women who are... nowhere to be found, actually. Perhaps in this way more than any other, Enterprise really does feel like a prequel. To 1966, even.

Wow, lots of stuff here to respond to and so little time.

I'm not chomping at the bit for Trek to be canceled. I simply think it's run it's course. I was really excited about Enterprise after being let down by DS9 and Voyager, but too many plot inconsistencies and useless new aliens and plots made it impossible to like.

I think the franchise -- hell even ENT -- could be saved but not with the current administration.

I'm curious why you say that. It's true that bad writing doesn't translate well even under the original administration. The first two seasons of TNG proved that. If Michael Pillar came back, I'd agree, but I'm not sure there's any reason to think that another change would keep Trek intact in some form unless the producers/writers are Trek fans.

As for the comparisons of the other series, some arguments are on point. I think the concept of DS9 was bold, but it was essentially Enterprise in reverse. The lead actor killed the character and there was too much soap opera stuff going on amidst the war. Also, there was Babylon V to contend with. Voyager was just lame and again, the captain couldn't carry it off. It was basically a recycled Lost in Space.

BTW, I strongly dislike the idea of a Star Trek comedy.

If you think it is time for the franchise to end, it would be unlikely that you would like any ideas for a new series, right?

I personally wouldn't be averse to a five or even ten year break, but I think that the fact that fans are still brainstorming ways to save the current incarnation or to branch out in new directions indicates that there is life in the Trekverse yet. And the improved quality of the last two episodes gives me some hope that the future may be very bright.

Hi gang new to the boards here
I haven`t read all 43 pages so if this idea has been posted, please for give me

this is a great idea that I think we would all love
AND would make the franchise a ton of money

TV Movies

think about it 3 or 4 times a year, UPN runs a ST the TVM
This could cover every idea put forth in this thread
You could any story, any crew, any timeline
Different actors and writers who might not otherwise do a ST movie
A Steven King written ST?
might be cool
Craig T Nelson as a starship captain?

You could do one from TOS era, one from the current era (NG,DS9,Voy)

Guest stars from the series
"What ever happened to" stories
They could actually makes us like a crew aboard a ship that gets destroyed wth no survivors

Think about people (actors) you`d like to see as Cptn
The feature films always use an existing crew (which is fine)
But this opens it up to let anybody be crew and cpt

the options are limitless

If they drop Enterprise, they could just run the movies
until another good series can be created (take a psudo break)
I think ratings for these would good for UPN, then of course they could later release it on DVD with "extra" scenes and interviews
making the franchise a good chunk of change

And I thought you were writing a tribute poem or something.... Heheheh



I fear for the continuity. I don't want to put you down, but to me it just sounds like its not going to work. People still remember what a flop Nemesis was, and now Enterprise, they'll want to stay away from Trek TV/Movie till the need comes around again.

And the many captains idea just doesn't quite work out well with me because Starfleet and the Federation is hierarchial. They can't just plop a stranger actor in the Captain's chair and a whole new crew, into an existing ship, unless they give new ship commisions.

Sorry if I sound like a wet blanket! :D

I do, because I've been heartened by some of the writing of this season and last season. It showed that if they writers actually go to do what they want without being stifled by Bermaga, it was a good thing. However, without the support of the bigwigs and UPN, there's no way it would work.

And I do believe (actually, I know) that Coto and most of the writers are Trek fans but if they aren't allowed to write what they want, no amount of fandom can help that.

Grumpy Old Man, not only is it common courtesy to read 15 days or 15 pages on these boards, it's also a rule.

Also, no amount of good writing will help when the show isn't marketed at all.

Edited for diplomacy

I did read some of this thread, I didn`t count the pages

I just had the idea and skipped ahaead...didn`t mean to be rude

I`m grumpy not rude LOL

I agreee with the continuity issue, but that can be corrupted in any of the series
(I`m still waiting to see if Archer and crew "see" the Romulans next week)
didn`t Spock make referance to never having seen Romulans in Balance of Terror?

but I don`t mean any cptn on the Enterprise or Voyager or summat
any cptn any crew any ship

I`m talking things like maybe the Defiant and crew before they were infected and killed each other in the Tholian Web, or Kelsy Grammer and the Boseman after coming through the time rift in the NG episode (name escapes me)
or the a mission for the starfleet ship manned by Vulcans that was lost to "giant space ameba"

people and ships we aren`t already aware of
the possibilities are limitless
just a thought
I`m not offended, people disagree with me on things almost as important as ST like world affairs LOL

I was sad that nemesis was flop I loved it

I did read some of this thread, I didn`t count the pages

I was reading the thread and just had the idea and skipped ahaead, you could make movies based on almost every idea in here...didn`t mean to be rude

I`m grumpy not rude LOL

I agreee with the continuity issue, but that can be corrupted in any of the series
(I`m still waiting to see if Archer and crew "see" the Romulans next week)
didn`t Spock make referance to never having seen Romulans in Balance of Terror?

but I don`t mean any cptn on the Enterprise or Voyager or summat
any cptn any crew any ship

I`m talking things like maybe the Defiant and crew before they were infected and killed each other in the Tholian Web, or Kelsy Grammer and the Boseman after coming through the time rift in the NG episode (name escapes me)
or the a mission for the starfleet ship manned by Vulcans that was lost to "giant space ameba"

people and ships we aren`t already aware of
the possibilities are limitless
just a thought
I`m not offended, people disagree with me on things almost as important as ST like world affairs LOL

I was sad that nemesis was flop I loved it