Starfleet Academy Series

[BillJ]

As I've suggested in other threads, the high-school/college group has been the one nuTrek really needed to grab and just hasn't as well as Paramount had hoped. An Academy series on the CW might be what the doctor order.

I disagree. Trek has to position itself to kids who haven't decided what they like yet. They need to rip a page from the Lucas playbook and hook kids well before they hit puberty...

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dKHDHI4W1UY[/yt]

My six-year old loves this!

 

[The Wormhole]

I've never cared much for the idea of a Starfleet Academy series. It would basically be something like Dawson's Creek or The OC or whatever the current popular teenage centric soap opera is, with the characters wearing Starfleet uniforms.

And besides, there's limited story material. You only have four years, than they'd have to decide do we continue following this cast as they head out on their first assignment or do they bring in a new cast and follow their four years at the Academy?

 

[Dukhat]

Correction, people were sick of ST: Enterprise.

An academy show, assuming that it was written and cast correctly (big assumption) would be great for the youth demographic.

That was my whole point. The only ones who would have produced a Trek academy series was UPN, and it would have had the same frat-boyish mentality ENT had, but worse, because it would actually take place at a college.

 

[Lt. Cheka Wey]

"JirinPanthosa wrote:
People love procedurals with political messages."

As longas it's not to right or left wing.

 

[surak-toc]

Correction, people were sick of ST: Enterprise.

An academy show, assuming that it was written and cast correctly (big assumption) would be great for the youth demographic.

That was my whole point. The only ones who would have produced a Trek academy series was UPN, and it would have had the same frat-boyish mentality ENT had, but worse, because it would actually take place at a college.

Not necessarily would this Starfleet academy series have a frat-boyish mentality, neither does it have to look like a soap opera kind of thing, to be a top class show I think having some of the writers of some of the great ST novels on board and a good strong cast, the series set after the dominion war, san Francisco's Starfleet academy destroyed and setting up a perfect setting for the new one on Luna colony, does not have to be a teen angst, of kind of thing

 

[Shazam!]

An academy series would be yawn-a-riffic. Where are the cool alien planets? The spaceships? The ladies (of legal age)?

This week on Star Trek Academy, Spock loses his homework whilst Kirk wedgies Sulu.

 

[surak-toc]

lets say it's set partly at the academy, partly on away assignments, we will see other starships, alien planets and such stuff, will still be action packed, its during the aftermath of the dominion war.

 

[The Wormhole]

The ladies (of legal age)?

That one shouldn't be a problem, since presumably most cadets are 18 when they begin the Academy. Granted, there is precedent for younger, like Wesley Crusher or Abramsverse Chekov. But even if there are characters younger than 18, there's a 90% chance the actor/actress would be over 18.

 

[bbjeg]

Where are the cool alien planets? The spaceships? The ladies (of legal age)?

With transwarp and quantum slip stream technology, further reaches of space can be explored, they can center episodes like that around tag-alongs with other vessels or maybe a new scout class vessel used for college use or class away missions. As for ladies, you won't just have college girls but maybe a sexy teacher, nurse, or milf ('Mother Inclined to Largen the Fleet' of course).

 

[Pavonis]

I've never understood the appeal of an Academy-centered series. The primary activity of cadets would be learning, as in listening to lectures, participating in seminars, and doing homework. I'll admit that some of their learning would be done in the holodeck, running simulations of battles and first contacts, but there would be no tension in these simulations. Sure, in the show we always know the main characters will live to the end of the episode, but a simulation of a scenario doesn't even have the artificial tension of "how will they get out of this situation"! They're students; the worst thing that can happen to them is they'll get a bad grade.

I know that Nog, in his sophomore year, was sent to DS9 for "field studies", which would be an opportunity to introduce real peril for the cadet characters. But if their field studies are the only time they're going to be out in space and really at risk, why bother depicting their time at the Academy? And since the cadets will need senior officers to learn from during their field studies, why follow the stories of the cadets and not the senior officers (whose lives would almost certainly be far more interesting)?

 

[Dukhat]

Correction, people were sick of ST: Enterprise.

An academy show, assuming that it was written and cast correctly (big assumption) would be great for the youth demographic.

That was my whole point. The only ones who would have produced a Trek academy series was UPN, and it would have had the same frat-boyish mentality ENT had, but worse, because it would actually take place at a college.

Not necessarily would this Starfleet academy series have a frat-boyish mentality, neither does it have to look like a soap opera kind of thing, to be a top class show I think having some of the writers of some of the great ST novels on board and a good strong cast, the series set after the dominion war, san Francisco's Starfleet academy destroyed and setting up a perfect setting for the new one on Luna colony, does not have to be a teen angst, of kind of thing

UPN would totally have not made the show anything like you've just described.

 

[LobsterAfternoon]

I don't get the complaint that it'd just be them sitting in lectures. In theory, Harry Potter should've been the same thing, but clearly they managed to get them out and having adventures with ease.

 

[Pavonis]

Harry Potter had adventures out of the classroom because he was the target of a vicious psychopath and his primary mentor did little to protect him. So unless the characters of an Academy-set series are the target of a villain, I don't see how the show would work.

 

[surak-toc]

If anything since the series would be set in the aftermath of the dominion war I'd think there would be a faction or two out there ready to rear their heads

 

[Pavonis]

Rear their heads and do what? Kill cadets? Chase them across the galaxy looking for a MacGuffin?

 

[T'Girl]

This week on Star Trek Academy, Spock loses his homework whilst Kirk wedgies Sulu.

Or Spock is a instructor at the academy who has a series of affairs with various female students for higher grade like he did with Uhura in Star Trek Eleven.

Can you say "sweeps week?"

lets say it's set partly at the academy, partly on away assignments, we will see other starships, alien planets and such stuff, will still be action packed, its during the aftermath of the dominion war.

Great idea. Do half or two-thirds at the academy and it's surroundings, then have the rest of the season be during the yearly "midshipman's cruise."

... after the dominion war, san Francisco's Starfleet academy destroyed

Part of the appeal of the academy setting would be the chance to set portions of the stories in a future San Fransisco, the cadets would have civilian friends in the city, this would expand the series outside of the academy.

The primary activity of cadets would be learning, as in listening to lectures, participating in seminars, and doing homework.

While we would likely on occasion hear about this, realistically the show would never center on this.

The show would be the interaction of cadets in a future society, Humans and Aliens, their friends, the instructor, the surrounding society and environment. We the viewers would see more of the future Earth and hear more about the Federation than ever before.

Also, given the ages of the cadets and separation for home, and the pressures of the academy, no doubt we would see some of the cadets experience "teen angst." Having all the cadets blissful about their current lives would be unrealistic.

We might also see some cadets as ongoing disruptions at the academy, Ensign Ro "LIKE" personalities.

I'll admit that some of their learning would be done in the holodeck ..

Hopefully not, holodeck stories are usually pretty boring.

... why follow the stories of the cadets and not the senior officers (whose lives would almost certainly be far more interesting)?

If you're aiming for a youth demographic (and those young at heart too) the lead characters would have to be the cadets. The training officers would be the support characters.

 

[Pavonis]

Are the "youth demographic" really only attracted to shows about young people? I think Star Trek did just fine with the youth demographics without having to have exclusively young people. Was Picard a turn-off for young viewers? Was O'Brien the reason fewer people watched DS9? Is a little bit of gray hair scary?

Frankly, if the characters are going to be cadets in all but actual practice, why not just make them ensigns and post them to starships?

What's the advantage of having them be cadets? Seeing Future Earth? That's not enough to draw a regular audience, is it? And why should viewers who aren't in the "youth demographic" (the producers would want to attract those viewers, wouldn't they?) be subjected to stories driven by teen angst? Teen angst is artificial in drama and in real life - who wants to watch it?

 

[newtontomato539]

the Abrams TOS reboot movies were totally the right way to go to re-energize Trek

Sometimes there's merit in building a franchise that hums along at a lower level, but keeps going, rather than to pander to current fashion trends that are bound to become stale as fashions change and the prime-demographic groups age-out and develop more mature tastes.

JJ Trek will be lucky to get one more film after this, beyond which I think it will have been played-out. JJ will have left the building and it just won't seem fresh and hip anymore.

BAD Robot TOS isn't building a franchise that hums along at a lower level. It's at a high level and people are noticing it.

Bad Robot TOS isn't pandering to current fashion trends.

Bad Robot TOS isn't pandering to TOS purists.

Try again.



Prime Trek is dead. Bad Robot Trek is alive and kicking. Long Live Trek.

 

[T'Girl]

Bad Robot TOS isn't ...

... providing over a hundred episodes of Star Trek over the course of four years, instead Bad Robot is gives us a single two hour movie during the same time period. A series would generate more content.

Was O'Brien the reason fewer people watched DS9?

Okay, then what was the reason fewer people watched DS9?

Frankly, if the characters are going to be cadets in all but actual practice, why not just make them ensigns and post them to starships?

Much of DS9 wasn't about being "posted to a starship." Starship duty was instead a portion of the series. If you depict the cadets solely in the environment of a ship's mission, then that is where the stories will come from.

Combining campus life, with some starship time, with character development, with a stressful setting, with multiple diverse alien cultures, this is where the a Starfleet Academy show will be set.

Seeing Future Earth? That's not enough to draw a regular audience, is it?

All by itself no, but no one is suggesting that that would be the sole focus

... be subjected to stories driven by teen angst?

Again, not the sole focus. But I think that some of the primary characters - secondary characters would show sign of angst, given the academy environment.

Are the "youth demographic" really only attracted to shows about young people?

Exclusively? No. What is being proposed here is a show aimed a niche market, which is what many successful shows are today. And people who are pass their teens and twenties will watch a "youth" show if it is well made.

 

[Belz...]

Why do we have two threads of this ?