How can Star Trek be saved?

[Joelist]

First off here is an interesting video:

 

[Joelist]

I put the video up as part of some speculations on how to get the Trek franchise running properly again. And I would say that the first step in getting it fixed is identifying the issues.

To me, the first BIG issue is the split license. This is forcing a lot of the wrong visual cues and also some of the canon issues. It has to do with CBS owning the rights but Paramount having a license that requires non-identical productions. Which leads to the second issue at present..

Secret Hideout is the second problem. It was contracted by Les Moonves to handle all Star Trek but only has the Paramount license. Even worse, the new combined company legally can't just drop Secret Hideout apparently or else wise resolve the licensing problem. Plus it forces the talentless Alex Kurtzman into the picture.

And to me another big problem is these shows tend not to have anyone in the writers room with actual experience in the science fiction genre - to say nothing of Trek experience. STD was notorious for this and even Picard largely lacked such writers. To me the poor writing stems from this problem - if you put soap opera writers to work on a science fiction show you tend to get a soap opera with science fiction frosting.


So, how can what the video covers fix Trek?

Well if there is a Netflix purchase in the right way Secret Hideout goes bye bye. It would also unify the licenses so the creative issues are resolved. The other things that need to happen would be up to Netflix - would they bring in the right type of writers. If they do it can work. After all, even as badly screwed up as Star Wars is The Mandalorian worked because in large part they brought in a good show runner (Jon Favreau) and writers who understand the Star Wars universe.

Look at the Orville too - Seth MacFarlane brought in science fiction writers and also writers with Trek pedigrees and the result was excellent.

 

[Overmind One]

I put the video up as part of some speculations on how to get the Trek franchise running properly again. And I would say that the first step in getting it fixed is identifying the issues.

To me, the first BIG issue is the split license. This is forcing a lot of the wrong visual cues and also some of the canon issues. It has to do with CBS owning the rights but Paramount having a license that requires non-identical productions. Which leads to the second issue at present..

Secret Hideout is the second problem. It was contracted by Les Moonves to handle all Star Trek but only has the Paramount license. Even worse, the new combined company legally can't just drop Secret Hideout apparently or else wise resolve the licensing problem. Plus it forces the talentless Alex Kurtzman into the picture.

And to me another big problem is these shows tend not to have anyone in the writers room with actual experience in the science fiction genre - to say nothing of Trek experience. STD was notorious for this and even Picard largely lacked such writers. To me the poor writing stems from this problem - if you put soap opera writers to work on a science fiction show you tend to get a soap opera with science fiction frosting.


So, how can what the video covers fix Trek?

Well if there is a Netflix purchase in the right way Secret Hideout goes bye bye. It would also unify the licenses so the creative issues are resolved. The other things that need to happen would be up to Netflix - would they bring in the right type of writers. If they do it can work. After all, even as badly screwed up as Star Wars is The Mandalorian worked because in large part they brought in a good show runner (Jon Favreau) and writers who understand the Star Wars universe.

Look at the Orville too - Seth MacFarlane brought in science fiction writers and also writers with Trek pedigrees and the result was excellent.

I have been following this very closely since the stirrings started with the possible sale of all of ViacomCBS to Netflix. First, the newly merged company now has a fully restored original license. But Kurtzman's license supersedes it until there is no more Star Trek in production. My sources say that Shari Redstone has issued a hard pass on any new Star Trek projects from Secret Hideout. If the sale goes through, then Kurtzman and Secret Hideout are toast, as you made a reference to. I do think that Netflix would turn to a production company to make the show if they do an original series.

A fun and successful first season would be to pull some brilliant, yet believable scenario which restores the original timeline and erases everything Kelvin and the Discovery/Picard nonsense.

 

[Joelist]

That would actually be doable. Have your new Star Trek show with its first episode or two in the Kelvin-verse and a time travel plot where our heroes successfully prevent the destruction of Romulus. The Kelvin Verse would instantly disappear.

 

[Overmind One]

That would actually be doable. Have your new Star Trek show with its first episode or two in the Kelvin-verse and a time travel plot where our heroes successfully prevent the destruction of Romulus. The Kelvin Verse would instantly disappear.

I think that somebody like Seth McFarland could easily pull that off! Even if he were just working with somebody else. Technically, the NuKlingons, NuSpocks and the USS Kelvin and anything seen in Discovery and Picard belongs to Secret Hideout/Bad Robot. Somebody using the original license would actually have to pay them to use any of that. So, we just go to the point of Spock on Romulus after the Reunification episode and make him die there. At that point, any manner of ways could be used to prevent the Romulan star from exploding. There are about three episodes right there. Eliminating Discovery and Michael Burnham is extremely easy. Just don't ever mention her or Discovery, and seal the canon in the dialogue so that it never gets even a single reference. Much like they have done with Janeway, Chakotay, The Doctor, Beverly Crusher, Geordi and even Lore. Never show any of the ships, ever.

 

[Joelist]

I agree - thankfully the way they setup the Kelvinverse also makes it pretty easy to cause it to cease to exist.

A new show does not need a big budget. All it needs is good character actors in the roles and a writing room of people with real cred in science fiction and Trek in particular. Also it CANNOT be a prequel.

 

[Joelist]

So, what to me are the needed steps....

#1 - GET RID OF SECRET HIDEOUT. These idiots are either directly or indirectly responsible for all the issues and for the collapse of Trek in terms of both ratings and secondary revenue (Toys, games, etc.).

#2 - Whoever is put in charge of Trek MUST have a background in Science Fiction and preferably background in Classic Trek. This will help keep any future productions better anchored. And if we think this does not make a difference look at the big difference between most of JJ-Star Wars and The Mandalorian. A lot of the credit has to go to Jon Favreau, who has a background in these types of productions.

#3 - Prioritize writing over SFX and agendas and character development over star power. Star Trek always had social and political things to say, but it used to weave these into sound storytelling and also was not usually lecturing the audience. That is what good writing does - the social context feels organic instead of pasted on.

As to character development, having characters that feel like real people you might encounter in the Trek setting is paramount. You don't actually need big stars to play them either - Trek has a long history of putting character actors into leading roles and having it work perfectly. For example they found an actress whose background was on the stage and a supporting bit in a soap opera and made her the lead of a series; and Kate Mulgrew proved perfect in the role and is considered by a fair segment of the fanbase either tied for the best captain or the best captain.

#4 - And of course this all leads to the writers room. Use writers with the correct experience and background - none of these Screenwriters Guild soap opera or sitcom specialists and especially no political activists. Look at the people in Seth MacFarlane's Orville writers room (Andre Bormanis, Brannon Braga, Joe Menofsky) and it has real creds in Trek and science fiction. Any future Trek writers room should follow this model.

 

[Joelist]

Please keep this thread on topic. It has nothing to do with what you are posting about.

 

[Overmind One]

Please keep this thread on topic. It has nothing to do with what you are posting about.

I have hidden it.

I want the Netflix sale to happen. If Netflix buys ViacomCBS and the Star Trek license that comes with it, they will make EXTRA sure that Kurtzman and Secret Hideout are gone. His creation of Discovery was so far outside what Netflix was expecting that they almost sued CBS over it. When it came out that Netflix money paid for the first season of it and built the sets and bought those overdone uniforms and over the top effects, that must have felt like watching a thief who stole your wallet go shopping.

 

[Joelist]

I have hidden it.

I want the Netflix sale to happen. If Netflix buys ViacomCBS and the Star Trek license that comes with it, they will make EXTRA sure that Kurtzman and Secret Hideout are gone. His creation of Discovery was so far outside what Netflix was expecting that they almost sued CBS over it. When it came out that Netflix money paid for the first season of it and built the sets and bought those overdone uniforms and over the top effects, that must have felt like watching a thief who stole your wallet go shopping.

I agree - the sale seems to be the only sure way to get Secret Hideout out of the picture. And that is the vital step one to getting the franchise back on the rails so to speak.

 

[YJ02]

First off here is an interesting video:

let me indulge for a moment

back in the day.. like 15 years ago... BSG was loved by many and hated by many. same with SGU a little later in its attempts to mimic the dark style and tone of BSG

But we got to admit, compare either of those shows to what is ST now... ST has become way worse then either of those shows ever came near to becoming

so, with that, IF some other company were to buy ST free and clear of the rest of the CBS,PARAMOUNT,VIACOM baggage, which would you rather see.... a "restart" of trek in a "type of" nuBSG style that focused more on TOS voyage of discoveries with some 'pew-pew' and a bit of personal interaction but without the SJW and whatever other droll is going on in new trek... or, content with leaving things as is with new trek?

just all speculation of course. i dont think the current owners will ever let go of trek

 

[YJ02]

this video popped in my YT feed today

i find this guys enthusiasm for nuTrek revolting.. however, some interesting bits that came into my thoughts ((WARNING!!!! ))

You know how when a big companies board of directors votes out the companies founder? basically fires them then later that founding person tries to start up something similar with a similar name and premise? All the while, the old company is being run into the dirt by "some guy who knew a guy on the board's kid, who dated that guys cousin's dog walker who had an idea and got appointed as Chief Idea man"

yeah

to me, the ppl running nuTrek have all the authority, the trappings and official emblems and "badges of office" of TOS even the actors coming back to reprise roles-- these are like that dog walker turned Chief Idea man

and the Founder of the company- in this case, whoever is out there who wants to make more TOS.TNG type Trek? They are like the ppl on YT making trek fanfiction like PACIFIC-201 or AXANAR. Not official, only allowed to use "trek" on basically a handshake deal...

do you follow?

this video and all that has happened in recent yrs forms these thoughts in my mind-- and I havn't even been watching the new shows (except PICARD)

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and sidebar-- this guy mentions he would like to see some DS9 characters come back. mentions "did Dr Bashir and Garrick ever get married?" I never thought of them as romantically involved. However, a quick web search shows that indeed, the two actors have performed Trek DS9 plays (so they must be sanctioned if they used the trek name and character names right?) where they are indeed in a romance

most def the stuff of nuTrek.

Alexander Siddig and Andrew Robinson to perform fan-written “fluff fic” featuring Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Garak and Bashir — Daily Star Trek News

Garashir fans, listen up! And if you’re not a Garashir fan, you should listen up too. Later today, Andrew Robinson and Alexander Siddig, the actors who played Garak and Doctor Bashir on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , will be performing a short fan-written play, in which the romance between the two ch

www.dailystartreknews.com

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zahJbbyMv10

 

[Joelist]

Well since Bashir was romantically involved (very seriously) with Ezri Dax in the last season of DS9 there would be issues. Then again these goobers thought nothing of just rewriting the character of Seven of nine into something unrecognizable so....

 

[YJ02]

Well since Bashir was romantically involved (very seriously) with Ezri Dax in the last season of DS9 there would be issues. Then again these goobers thought nothing of just rewriting the character of Seven of nine into something unrecognizable so....

i know

but i thought the 7 issues were due to copyright issues or something OM1 was speaking of.. like why her implant over her eye looked diff?

but yeah, i get what you man about her personality wise--- hmmm, maybe menopause?

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do you follow my thoughts though with the CEO vote out.. amateur's running the show, professional making the "Amateur's" stuff?

i think that those who love nutrek, esp DISCOVERY have no frame of reference for TOS or TNG or even ENTERPRISE to know just how bad and disconnected the new stuff is from the old

most of them were toddlers when ENTERPRISE was on, so, that is an issue too i guess

 

[Joelist]

That is definitely a large part of the problem. The writers room has no one in it at all with actual science fiction experience or real, legitimate Star Trek experience. It has soap opera and sitcom writers and, unfortunately, political activists. And it isn't like they couldn't have hired one or two to act as guides and mentors to the new kids either.

 

[Atlantis]

Personally, all of these reboots have influenced me to go to books so I can escape to them rather than letting some big corporation show it to me.

I am deeply immersing myself into audiobooks. I don't knowe how you can "save Star Trek" when it's being released and has not been cancelled. They are just releasing short shelf life shows and will be long forgotten