Yesterday's Enterprise as Star Trek: Generations

[Superman]

Okay, a little "parallel universe" here to consider.

It's 1993 or thereabouts. TNG is coming to an end, and the writers are trying to come up with a film that will bridge the generations of TOS and TNG.

However, "Yesterday's Enterprise" never happened.

The idea is bandied about, and all are agreed that the crews of the Enterprise-A and the Enterprise-D will meet via time travel.

So how would the story have been modified for a full-length feature? And one involving the bridging of the generations and continuance of the film franchise?

Let's see some ideas.

\S/

 

[Chindogu]

Well we probably would have gotten a much better movie, with all of the Ent-A & D crew interacting. It would have been fun to have a scene where Gordie gives Scotty the idea for storing a persons pattern in the transporter buffer as a tie in with Relics. Scotty of course was playing dumb in that episode so as not to break the temporal prime directive.

As far as the story goes it could have been more or less the same as Yesterdays Enterprise but there'd have to be some kind of mcguffin to keep it flowing for 2 hours. The idea of both Enterprises just sitting in one place doing repairs for pretty much the whole movie seems rather boring. Maybe Romulans came through as well with some of the Ent-A & D crew being kidnapped and there's a race for Romulus? I don't know, that's really the best I can do off the top of my head. But whatever they would have came up with it probably would have been better than the Nexus.

Anyway, with a better script maybe Nimoy would have directed like they first wanted and Kirk wouldn't have died. Both good things in my book.

 

[Unicron]

It's an interesting premise, but truthfully I'd rather not have the A and D crews meet this way. I think YE worked better with the C, and without that ep in this alternate TNG we probably never would have seen it.

 

[cardinal biggles]

Well, I doubt they'd do exactly the same circumstances... they could easily create some sort of reason to return the Ent-A crew to their time without having to go the drastic route of modifying all the sets, uniforms, etc.

It would probably also be confusing for the casual viewers you want to attract with a major motion picture. The Nexus was confusing enough, it would be nice to not confuse the audience more.

 

[USS Excelsior]

There would probably have to be some kind of reboot at the end, so that the ENT-A crew end up forgetting they were in the future.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

That actually could've been really interesting.

 

[USS Mariner]

With the original script as a loose template, I highly doubt it could have been worse than what we did get. Mediocre and/or bland, perhaps, but worse? No fucking way.

 

[Ah Forgive!]

I honestly don't think it would have been a good idea. Yesterday's Enterprise drags on a little as an hour-long tv show. Stretching it out into two commercial-free hours would have been reminiscent of The Motion Picture.

If they'd gotten the original cast to appear in a full film, it would probably have been a more fight-orented film (ala Nemesis). Having a paint-by-numbers crossover movie (two crews meet, inexplicably fight each other, then team up to battle a common foe) would have been anticlimactic. Besides, they were trying to launch the Next Gen film franchise, so the classic cast probably would have been limited to a glorified cameo.

Star Trek VI was a well recieved, proper send-off for the original cast, which is what they deserved. I was as happy as everyone else was to see Captain Kirk brought back to life for one more movie, but dragging Sulu and Uhura back in so they could sit in the background and stare intently at a viewscreen would have been unnecessary.

 

[bullethead]

I don't think it would've worked well with the Enterprise-A crew. I agree with Ah, Forgive! in that TUC was the send-off for the TOS cast. Part of Yesterday's Enterprise's appeal was that it showed us a bit of missing history in the Enterprise lineage.

 

[T'Cal]

If you'd like a good crossover story, read the novel "Crossover." I have it as a book-on-tape as read deftly by Frakes and it's a wonderful story. It takes place in the 8th year aboard the Ent-D and Spock is working with Unificationists when he and a large group are captured by Romulans who don't know they have the infamous Vulcan. Picard is ordered to resolve the matter diplomatically before the Rommies learn who they have. He is assigned an expert on Spock: Adm. Leonard McCoy. Meanwhile, Scotty, who is as crafty as ever, also learns of Spock's capture and he takes his shuttle and goes on his own little rescue mission.

This story does not have a "two-generations forced together" feel at all. All three TOS characters are already established to be alive during this timeframe and the story is exciting, dramatic, funny, and easily imagined as a full-length feature film. I like GEN but this or the novel "Q-Squared" would've been better as movies.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

If it was written in a way that it was a two-generational feel, it could work...

 

[SeanMcC]

I agree with USS Excelsior, The reset button would kill it. Just like 'Year of Hell'.

 

[gastrof]

Okay, a little "parallel universe" here to consider.

It's 1993 or thereabouts. TNG is coming to an end, and the writers are trying to come up with a film that will bridge the generations of TOS and TNG.

However, "Yesterday's Enterprise" never happened.

The idea is bandied about, and all are agreed that the crews of the Enterprise-A and the Enterprise-D will meet via time travel.

So how would the story have been modified for a full-length feature? And one involving the bridging of the generations and continuance of the film franchise?

Let's see some ideas.

\S/

I don't really have any ideas, but I do remember thinking at the time "At some point during the planning of this episode, someone HAD to have had Kirk and company in mind, rather than Enterprise-C."

I'll always think of "Yesterday's Enterprise" as the one that could have been the final chapter of the TOS story, with them going out in a blaze of glory, saving Federation history.

Naturally, Kirk would NOT have died as Garret did. Not until they returned to their own time, at least. (And probably because in a moment of stress he got fresh with Yar. )

 

[ChristopherPike]

I'm a big fan of "Yesterday's Enterprise" but doesn't it hold somekind of record for the most writers involved in an episode? To me, endless rewrites and that many fingers in the pie shouldn't really have worked well on TV, let alone the silver screen. I'm not sure a mainstream film adaptation would work.

 

[cardinal biggles]

In this case, it was less a matter of tampering and more of tight schedules.

"Yesterday's Enterprise" article at Memory Alpha -- section on the creation & production of the episode

 

[Broccoli]

I remember reading somewhere that Berman wished they could have held that episode for the first TNG movie.

 

[M'rk son of Mogh]

I remember reading somewhere that Berman wished they could have held that episode for the first TNG movie.

Definately wouldn't have worked as is.

The whole episode takes place in a parallel universe. That would NOT have flown with the general audience, let alone the fans.
"Yay, a whole movie that has nothing to do with any of the heroes that I was watching on TV all these years, but it's the same actors."

 

[Superman]

I remember reading somewhere that Berman wished they could have held that episode for the first TNG movie.

Definately wouldn't have worked as is.

The whole episode takes place in a parallel universe. That would NOT have flown with the general audience, let alone the fans.
"Yay, a whole movie that has nothing to do with any of the heroes that I was watching on TV all these years, but it's the same actors."

Well, the solution would be to get rid of the parallel universe aspect.

Years ago, there was a special issue of one of Marvel's Trek books. In it, Trelane and Q are playing chess and decide to manipulate the TOS and post-FC crews.

Picard is captain of the original Enterprise, and a young, TOS Kirk is captain of the Enterprise-E.

Of course, you'd have to adapt this story, but it would work. Q and/or Trelane bring the Enterprises together for some purpose.

At the end of the episode, you'd have to do a mindwipe to preserve the timeline and all of that crap.

\S/

 

[Broccoli]

I remember reading somewhere that Berman wished they could have held that episode for the first TNG movie.

Definately wouldn't have worked as is.

The whole episode takes place in a parallel universe. That would NOT have flown with the general audience, let alone the fans.
"Yay, a whole movie that has nothing to do with any of the heroes that I was watching on TV all these years, but it's the same actors."

I'm curious about that too. I'm sure it would have been re-worked, but as is, that would be odd. Especially for the general public. Meeting the new crew as alternates. Maybe they would have had a "saved by a bubble" thing like in First Contact.

Years ago, there was a special issue of one of Marvel's Trek books. In it, Trelane and Q are playing chess and decide to manipulate the TOS and post-FC crews.

Picard is captain of the original Enterprise, and a young, TOS Kirk is captain of the Enterprise-E.

Of course, you'd have to adapt this story, but it would work. Q and/or Trelane bring the Enterprises together for some purpose.

At the end of the episode, you'd have to do a mindwipe to preserve the timeline and all of that crap.

\S/

Star Trek: Unlimited. Number 7, I believe. That was a fun issue.

 

[Philo]

I kinda really like this idea. It would have to be majorly retooled to fit a movie but I could see it working. As mentioned above, you'd have to keep the E-D protected from the timeline change so that we would be watching 'our' version of the crew but that would add some crucial plotting opportunities to the early stages of the movie as we get to watch the crew discover just how the timeline has been altered. Plenty of possibilities there.

The only problem using the E-A crew is that we have three characters already established as existing in the 24th century timeline. There'd be a potential there to have them meet their future selves but it would throw a wrench in the 'returning to their own time and sacrificing themselves' angle.

And of course, the whole thing with the Klingons and the peace treaty/war thing would tie nicely into TUC.