Star Trek

[coloradodem2005]

I have to say, the thing that has been bad for Star Trek the last 10 years has been a result of complacency. And I am not too crazy about a lot of what Berman has done with Star Trek. I will give him credit for the remainder of TNG after Gene Roddenberry died, and Deep Space Nine was an excellent show, and Star Trek: First Contact was a great movie, but other than that, he has put out material for Trek that has been at best decent and at worst utter shit. Insurrection was an enjoyable movie, but Nemesis felt contrived. I did not like Voyager, and the early seasons of Enterprise were not great. Though this season I have enjoyed because they actually seemed to be connecting it to the legacy of Star Trek. But when Roddenberry came out with Trek and TNG, it was visionary for him. It was his vision. It wasn't meant to be a cash cow, it was meant to be a beacon of hope for humanity. Sadly, Star Trek has become more of a cash cow in recent years. Because of that, Trek has been in decline since about 1996. DS9 was the only really good show going on at that point and First Contact was the last great Trek movie. I liked DS9 because it was a counterpoint to the optimism of the other two series to remind us that there will still be major problems to face even in a very bright future.

One thing I remeber reading in a TV guide magazine about Star Trek is that they were saying that Voyager was the first time they expected to succeed. Voyager is the first Trek series that I didn't really like as well as the early seasons of Enterprise. Complacency. They worked hard on the original to put forth the vision that they had. They did the same with TNG. And DS9 because they wanted these shows to succeed and they acknowledged the possibility that the shows would not succeed. With Voyager and Enterprise they did not acknowledge the possibility and that is why Trek is in the mess it is in.

The sad thing is that I enjoyed this season of Enterprise. A lot of the credit goes to hiring Manny Coto who is a fan. He was committed to bringing back the former glory of Trek and connecting Enterprise to the legacy. The franchise needs someone like him in charge.

I posted this in the Sci-fi group, but I figured that I would put it here too.

[edbermac]

1. I watched about 5 minutes of the first episode of Enterprise and then...

They ran the opening credits with that PUKEY, SUCK-ASS theme song and I haven't watched ONE SECOND of it since then...

[Placebo]

3. Wow. You and me are exactly the same in that regard.

'Enterprise' was sacrilegious, IMHO. It was wrong before it even began. I was willing to give it a chance, but it was total crap. Glad to see it scheduled for a long overdue death.

[edbermac]

7. Besides, my heart belongs to TNG...and Counselor Troi...

Sigh...:loveya:

[coloradodem2005]

8. You're telling me.

She was always a very beautiful woman, and that is true now and in that picture.

[trotsky]

2. Nemesis sucked so bad, I think it proved the existence of black holes.

I kinda liked Voyager, it did manage to avoid becoming a "Gilligan's Island in Space" type thing where every week was the same plot (Find a way home, but end up missing it). Sure several shows were like that, but they did a really nice job with character development. Except they could have played up more of the Maquis/Federation tension those first couple of seasons, IMO.

I have tried to give Enterprise a shot, but I'm just not feeling it. You're right, it's now a "cash cow" for Paramount and all they care about is milking the Trekkers.

[disgruntled_goat]

4. omg "gilligan's planet" flashback

the horror
the horror...

[Uroboros]

5. Star Trek on television was over when DS9 went off the air. IMHO

And when Enterprise came around the producers had a chance to create another character driven show like DS9. Instead they choose the complete opposite.

That scene in the first episode (I believe) where 3 of the crew is rubbing decontamination gel over each others half naked bodies, was the surest sign the show was going to suck.

Thankfully Star Trek, and specifically DS9, still lives in books.

[coloradodem2005]

6. Save for the current season of Enterprise, that has been true for me.

God, DS9 was such a good and very underrated show.

[mojaverose]

9. Star Trek and Roddenberry

Gene Roddenberry was a man with a vision. As long as he was alive his inspiration permeated the show(s), even though, as he got older, other people took some of that.
This is exactly what happens when the original genius dies; everything from Jesus and Mohammed to Jim Henson and the Muppets, to your favorite series writer. It is taken over by mundane souls who know all the rules, but haven't got the Spirit.
That's what you may be noticing, and, unfortunately, It won't get better until/unless another inspired soul finds it.

[TheMightyFavog]

10. Fuck First Contact.

That was the beginning of Berman's retconning of the whole Trek Universe.

Zefram Cochrane was a Native of Alpha Centauri, not Earth, Bobdammit!

[coloradodem2005]

12. I thought he moved to Alpha Centauri in his later years.

I don't think he was a native of there. Yes, there was retconning involved with that movie, but it was still good and it is one example of retconning I will forgive.

[GalleryGod]

11. Met "Troi" and "Scotty" at the Valley Forge Con in '93!

Prettier in person!:evilgrin:

Bought Doohan a scotch rocks!:beer: