Future Trek on TV.

[ConRefit79]

Last weekends convention, a guest speaker(Sorry, I forget his name) claims to have spoken with the current team making Star Trek today. It is his opinion they have no desire or plans for making a new Star Trek TV series. And like an idiot, I did not think to ask Frakes, Spiner or Dorn if they have any interest in taking B&B's place and produce a for TV Trek series. Specifically, a post TNG era series set in the prime universe on a future Enterprise. Anyone here know if any former members o TNG, DS9, Voyager or Enterprise has any desire to bring new Star Trek back to the small screen.

 

[AviTrek]

At this weeks convention, a guest speaker(Sorry, I forget his name) claims to have spoken with the current team making Star Trek today. It is his opinion they have no desire or plans for making a new Star Trek TV series. And like an idiot, I did not think to ask Frakes, Spiner or Dorn if they have any interest in taking B&B's place and produce a for TV Trek series. Specifically, a post TNG era series set in the prime universe on a future Enterprise. Anyone here know if any former members o TNG, DS9, Voyager or Enterprise has any desire to bring new Star Trek back to the small screen.

I believe some of the actors have said they'd be interested in returning if asked, but I don't believe any of them are actively campaigning for a new show. Also while a couple of actors(Frakes especially) have built new careers around directing, none of them have any creative experience writing/show running.

If you want to see old school Trek return, the people you would want to take over are Behr, Echevarria, Fuller, Taylor, and Moore. Of those I believe Fuller has said he is interested.

Of course the real problem is not the creative side(there will always be someone interested), it's CBS. CBS does not see space opera as a viable genre, and until that changes Star Trek will sit in their filling cabinet.

 

[Dukhat]

At this weeks convention, a guest speaker(Sorry, I forget his name) claims to have spoken with the current team making Star Trek today.

The "current team making Star Trek today" would be Bad Robot and Paramount, and they're making the films, not the television show. The television show is CBS's domain, not Paramount's or BR.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I think CBS may be looking at it from the position they've got five Trek shows that can be syndicated for anyone who wants them--TNG was recently placed back in syndication and other Trek shows are still running elsewhere here and there. There really isn't a need for CBS to invest in a sixth Trek series right now because the brand is still doing "well enough" as it currently is for them.

It may actually take the brand going into the dumpster again--or at best, a long time (perhaps a decade) between productions--for CBS to revitalize the brand with a sixth series to keep it viable, IMO.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Future Trek on TV

There really isn't a need for CBS to invest in a sixth Trek series right now because the brand is still doing "well enough" as it currently is for them.

It may actually take the brand going into the dumpster again--or at best, a long time (perhaps a decade) between productions--for CBS to revitalize the brand with a sixth series to keep it viable, IMO.

This is an interesting analysis C.E. Evans thanks.
After 3 feature films most of expect to see a Trek TV series again. That would be 2015-ish and ENT finished it's 4th season in Spring 2005.

 

[ConRefit79]

At this weeks convention, a guest speaker(Sorry, I forget his name) claims to have spoken with the current team making Star Trek today.

The "current team making Star Trek today" would be Bad Robot and Paramount, and they're making the films, not the television show. The television show is CBS's domain, not Paramount's or BR.

Sorry for not being precise. I'm aware BR is making the films.

Wouldn't the shows be made at Paramount and CBS would be the broadcaster? I was not aware CBS, NBC, ect filmed their own shows. I figured they bought them from the studios.

 

[AviTrek]

At this weeks convention, a guest speaker(Sorry, I forget his name) claims to have spoken with the current team making Star Trek today.

The "current team making Star Trek today" would be Bad Robot and Paramount, and they're making the films, not the television show. The television show is CBS's domain, not Paramount's or BR.

Sorry for not being precise. I'm aware BR is making the films.

Wouldn't the shows be made at Paramount and CBS would be the broadcaster? I was not aware CBS, NBC, ect filmed their own shows. I figured they bought them from the studios.

Nope, CBS has it's own TV studio. As do most of the other networks I believe. In fact, since the Paramount/CBS split, I don't think Paramount has a TV studio.

 

[ConRefit79]

The "current team making Star Trek today" would be Bad Robot and Paramount, and they're making the films, not the television show. The television show is CBS's domain, not Paramount's or BR.

Sorry for not being precise. I'm aware BR is making the films.

Wouldn't the shows be made at Paramount and CBS would be the broadcaster? I was not aware CBS, NBC, ect filmed their own shows. I figured they bought them from the studios.

Nope, CBS has it's own TV studio. As do most of the other networks I believe. In fact, since the Paramount/CBS split, I don't think Paramount has a TV studio.

Then there will be no new Trek on TV until they get a Sci Fi friendly CEO. Or at least one who only cares about a show that will make money.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

It would also help if there were any example of a successful space opera series on TV today for CBS to take inspiration from. TV execs are herd animals; they're afraid to strike out on their own, so they keep repeating the same tired old genres - police procedural, family sitcom, doc show, lawyer show, etc.

For anyone to delve into the dead genre of space opera would be a real risk, and the last network I'd expect to take that risk is staid old CBS. A cable network would be a far more likely possibility. I can see AMC or TNT giving it a shot. They don't have the rights to Star Trek, but even if they did their own original space opera series - and it was a decent hit - that might break the ice.

Since CBS also owns CW and Showtime, either of those might be a possibility. Space opera skews too male for CW (though they've expressed recent interest in diversifying into the 18-34 male demographic) and Star Trek is associated with free TV, which might not be "premium" enough for Showtime. Still, of all the not-very-likely possibilities, I think Showtime is the least unlikely.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

AMC or TNT giving it a shot. They don't have the rights to Star Trek, but even if they did their own original space opera series - and it was a decent hit - that might break the ice.

Star Trek[/I] is associated with free TV,

Frankenvorta CW did a pilot for a space opera that was not picked up:
"Plymouth Rock" series on CW for 2010
I mentioned it back in March on the
What channel should a new Trek TV series be on? thread which you mentioned in August.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Supernatural and Smallville are both pretty long in the tooth; CW has to find replacements for them, and I guess space opera isn't out of the question. But it's more likely they'd try something more similar to a "teenage witch" (in fact, I have a feeling I've heard about a show like that in the works).

 

[AviTrek]

Well, a Wonder Woman TV show is in the works, and it will presumably air on CW.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

That's more of the CW-style show I'd expect - female character, comic book derived. Space opera is more of a stretch. I'm still banking on Showtime.

 

[Kegg]

I think Star Trek is a film franchise for a forseeable future, and I also believe there isn't a chance of a TV series until at least after the Abrams films have run their course.

Temis is also right that space opera is no longer big on TV. That Star Trek: The Next Generation led a surge of space opera programs onto the small screen in the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s is a cycle that, alas, has run its course also. Of course, TNG got its shot basically because of the mainstream success of The Voyage Home, and Abrams' previous film did pretty well with broad audiences, so er...

 

[Whofan]

Caprica may have failed, but shows like the Doctor Who franchise are still going strong. (Although there was a dip in ratings after Tennant and RTD left). I'd say that has some space opera elements, as there's the whole going to distant worlds thing as well as time travel.

 

[bigdaddy]

I'm actually kind of stocked CBS hasn't made a Starfleet Academy show for The CW. Have sexy teens going around and doing nothing. It would be like 90210 with the Star trek name. Would fit perfectly into the crap they show.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Caprica may have failed, but shows like the Doctor Who franchise are still going strong. (Although there was a dip in ratings after Tennant and RTD left). I'd say that has some space opera elements, as there's the whole going to distant worlds thing as well as time travel.

Neither of those amount to a blip in the big pool of American TV. (And neither does SGU, assuming it survives much longer.) Space opera is for all intents a dead genre.

 

[ConRefit79]

Caprica may have failed, but shows like the Doctor Who franchise are still going strong. (Although there was a dip in ratings after Tennant and RTD left). I'd say that has some space opera elements, as there's the whole going to distant worlds thing as well as time travel.

Neither of those amount to a blip in the big pool of American TV. (And neither does SGU, assuming it survives much longer.) Space opera is for all intents a dead genre.

I disagree. Star Trek 2009 had strong box office showing. For all its flaws, I and many people enjoyed it. You put together a team to create a TV series that can tell compelling stories, set in the Star Trek universe, people will watch. For me, I was not crazy about the fx, and some of the sets, but the people kept me interested. Well except for Nero. If people watch the show for the story and characters, not the eye candy, it will succeed. Take TOS for example, people still watch it. New people become fans everyday. Even with it's outdated sets and effects, the stories and characters still speak to people. The same is true for much of TNG, DS9, some of Voyager and Enterprise. I think they went wrong when they lost site of the story and characters and focused so much on the setting. The same thing that Lucas focused on for his prequel trilogy.

 

[AviTrek]

Caprica may have failed, but shows like the Doctor Who franchise are still going strong. (Although there was a dip in ratings after Tennant and RTD left). I'd say that has some space opera elements, as there's the whole going to distant worlds thing as well as time travel.

Neither of those amount to a blip in the big pool of American TV. (And neither does SGU, assuming it survives much longer.) Space opera is for all intents a dead genre.

I disagree. Star Trek 2009 had strong box office showing. For all its flaws, I and many people enjoyed it. You put together a team to create a TV series that can tell compelling stories, set in the Star Trek universe, people will watch. For me, I was not crazy about the fx, and some of the sets, but the people kept me interested. Well except for Nero. If people watch the show for the story and characters, not the eye candy, it will succeed. Take TOS for example, people still watch it. New people become fans everyday. Even with it's outdated sets and effects, the stories and characters still speak to people. The same is true for much of TNG, DS9, some of Voyager and Enterprise. I think they went wrong when they lost site of the story and characters and focused so much on the setting. The same thing that Lucas focused on for his prequel trilogy.

Sorry, but movies != TV. Space Opera has always done well as explosion/FX filled summer movies. But the budget required to do that isn't viable on TV. Even Lucas has now acknowledged that you can't do movie like FX on a TV budget.

The question is, will viewers tune into a non-FX heavy space opera. And so far the answer has been a resounding no.

 

[ConRefit79]

Sorry, but movies != TV. Space Opera has always done well as explosion/FX filled summer movies. But the budget required to do that isn't viable on TV. Even Lucas has now acknowledged that you can't do movie like FX on a TV budget.

The question is, will viewers tune into a non-FX heavy space opera. And so far the answer has been a resounding no.

Have the stories & characters in those shows been good? If they were, like Firefly, did they get screwed by the stupid network?