Anti JJ Abrams | Who Do You Want in Control of Star Trek?

[LoneReconEagle]

Im not a fan of JJ Abrams and his works:

• Director, Executive Producer and Writer of ALIAS
• Director, Executive Producer and Writer of FELICITY
• Director, Executive Producer and Writer of LOST
• Director and Writer of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III
• Producer and Write of JOY RIDE

Who would i want to see in control of Star Trek and its future? Maybe:

Chris Carter (X-Files, Millennium, the Lone Gunmen)
Dean Devlin & Roland Emmerich (Stargate, ID4, Universal Soldier)
Donald Bellisario (JAG, NCIS, Quantum Leap, Magnum PI, Airwolf, BSG)
Frank Miller (Sin City, Batman, Ronin, RoboCop, 300, Elektra, Daredevil, Martha Washington)
J Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Crusade, Captain Power)
Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Carribean, CSI, Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Enemy of the State, Dangerous Minds, Beverly Hills Cop, Con Air, Black Hawk Down, Bad Boys, Crimson Tide, the Rock)
Joel Surnow & Robert Cochran (24, the Commish)
Joss Whedon (Serenity, Firefly, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Michael Bay (Bad Boys, the Rock, Armageddon, Transformers,
Kenneth Johnson (V, Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Woman, Alien Nation)
Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Spiderman, Xena, Hercules, MANTIS)
SciFi Channel

What do you think? Any other ideas? Thoughts? Comments?

[PG15]

SciFi Channel

May I ask...why?

[Trek_Girl42]

May I ask...why?

Frak, you got to ask first.



I really couldn't picture anyone on your list taking over Star Trek. I've never really watched any of J.J. Abram's stuff, I just look forward to seeing what someone fresh to the franchise can do with it.

If I had to pick someone to take over the franchise, then I'd go with Ronald D. Moore, who, first of all, is certainly within the realm of possibility. He did amazing work on Trek when he was there for so many years, and he could certainly bring everything he's learned from the various shows (Carnivale, Roswell, Battlestar Galactica) that he's worked on since to revitalize the franchise.

[gopher65]

I'd perfer something new. Like maybe a fan collective taking over Star Trek. Has this ever been done before? Having a huge (but limited) group of fans get together and write a show?

Anyway, if I had to choose someone on your list, it would have to be J. Michael Straczynski, for his work on B5 and Jeremiah.

[LoneReconEagle]

Its just a list of examples. I never stated i was for or against any of the examples. Its just a list of examples.

Wasnt Ronald D Moore fired from Trek by "TPTB" after two episodes he was involved with on Voyager?

I dont believe a "council" has ever had control over an entity like Trek. It is an interesting concept.

May I ask...why?

If I had to pick someone to take over the franchise, then I'd go with Ronald D. Moore, who, first of all, is certainly within the realm of possibility. He did amazing work on Trek when he was there for so many years, and he could certainly bring everything he's learned from the various shows (Carnivale, Roswell, Battlestar Galactica) that he's worked on since to revitalize the franchise.

I'd perfer something new. Like maybe a fan collective taking over Star Trek. Has this ever been done before? Having a huge (but limited) group of fans get together and write a show?

[LoneReconEagle]

Im mostly upset that they are "reinventing" Trek. This after, what i call a failure, a series called Enterprise.

Maybe it is and maybe it is not time for something new.

On one hand, new person(s) bring new ideas as long as they are canon.

On the other hand, too many hands in the pot can make a series go stale.

Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Babylon 5, and Star Trek (up to late 1992) was controlled by one person. This person controlled all aspects of their creation (TV, movies, comics, books, toys, etc).

Star Trek has had many hands touch it since Roddenberry's death. This is the ultimate downfall for Trek.

So many movie and television series were destroyed because so many people had control over them (Trek since 1992, Superman, Batman, Aliens, etc).

I do not like JJ Abrams or his works.

I agree that something needs to happen to Trek. I dont believe that a "reimagining" is right for Trek because it has been around for 41 years. Several things can be reimagined without problem. Trek is not one of them.

I say get somebody, scifi experience or not, to see the vision of Trek and keep long-term control over the franchise. Keep who touches it to a minimum. If that means leaving Paramount, then do it. Go to Fox, Lucasfilm, Dreamworks, Universal, SciFi, or anyone else that will respect it for what it is and not what it isnt.

"Too many flavors confuse the palate." This is what is wrong with Trek.

I'd prefer something new.

[LoneReconEagle]

If i would vote for this "collective," i would gather the main authors of Trek novels since the 1970s and have them control the destiny and features of Trek.

The authors of novels/anthologies and fan films are the only thing keeping Trek alive right now.

Comic books have been gone awhile and only recently reappeared. But this too, has been touched by many companies (Marvel, DC, Malibu, Paramount, and now IDW).

The ST Official Fan Club changed hands after Dan Madsen several times and then Decipher destroyed a 30 something year history.

Ultimately Trek is hanging on by a thread due to lack and declining sales of novels, comics, and DVDs.

I'd perfer something new. Like maybe a fan collective taking over Star Trek.

[ScifigirlSG]

Eugene Roddenberry, Jr

[gopher65]

Indeed, I too have written off the idea of "reinventing" Trek. While you could undoubtedly do some cool things, in my opinion there is simply too much history behind Star Trek; so much would end up being thrown away that it would leave a bad taste in the mouths of most fans, including myself. What I meant was for a group of fans to take over the writing and production of Star Trek. And, who knows, maybe even the financing. $100 * 10 million fans = a billion dollars = ~40 million per episode for a season. *shrugs* I still don't understand why some company hasn't tried getting fans to finance them. I’m sure there are 10 million LotR fans who would have all given (GIVEN, not even wanted anything in return) 100 dollars each to make a fantastic movie series, or the best game (well, best funded game) of all time.

No studio = no morons in suits making decisions about plotlines. This means no episodes like Enterprise 1x13 Dear Doctor, where Captain Archer massacres the population of an entire planet in order for the executives at Paramount to have “conflict” between main characters (*cough* I spelt “massacres” wrong, and the spell checker tried to correct it to “manicures”. Captain Archer is one talented guy. Not only can he command a starship, not only is he a subspace field theory specialist who helps prefect warp engines designed by his father, but he knows a great deal about nail care as well).

EDIT: I liked parts of Enterprise and all, and could even be described as an Enterprise fan, but that episode left such a bad taste in my mouth that I almost stopped watching the series right then and there. Starfleet captains are NOT suppose to engage in genocide.

[MB.Eddie]

Starfleet captains are NOT suppose to engage in genocide.

But it was before Star Fleet and the Federation, thats the whole point of it...

I like JJ Abrams work. He is good at writing series. Will be interesting to see how he goes at a ST movie.

[gopher65]

But it was before Star Fleet and the Federation, thats the whole point of it...

It wasn't before Starfleet. He is part of Starfleet. But anyway, think of *why* he committed genocide. He did it because (paraphrased) "someday there will be a rule saying that I shouldn't interfere in this culture, and I'm going to follow this rule that doesn't yet exist, even if it means killing everyone on that planet!". It made no sense, and ran completely contrary to what his character should have done.

He should have saved the people on the planet, and then looked back and said, "I know I just saved billions of people, but I have this ... feeling in the bottom of my gut that I may not have done the right thing. Strange isn't it? How can saving people be the wrong thing to do? But was it really meant to be me who decides the next course of evolution for this entire planet? I think I understand why the Vulcans were so reluctant to help Earth now. Maybe, someday, there will be a set of rules made by people with greater wisdom than I will ever have that will specify what should be done in situations like this one. For now, I can only say, 'I acted to save lives'."

IIRC, that IS the decision that he was going to make. Then execs decided that he should be in conflict with the doctor's point of view. So now he killed a planet. And *this* is the man who founded the Federation.

[Trek_Girl42]

Wasnt Ronald D Moore fired from Trek by "TPTB" after two episodes he was involved with on Voyager?

Uhhh.....no, I believe he left Voyager because he didn't like the show and Berman/Braga (whoever was in charge at the time) didn't like his ideas for it. He was never "fired".

As far as I can recall reading, it was nothing more than an issue of creative differences.

[LoneReconEagle]

What about Star Trek director NICHOLAS MEYER?

He wrote the screenplays for the three highest grossing and best liked Star Trek feature films:

• Star Trek II: the Wrath of Kahn
• Star Trek IV: the Voyage Home
• Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country

He also directed two out of three highest grossing and best liked Star Trek feature films:

• Star Trek II: the Wrath of Kahn
• Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country

He seems to have the right view on Trek. He has never rewritten Trek history. He has never "reimagined" Trek. He has been beloved and liked for over 20 years.

What about Star Trek director JONATHAN FRANKS?

He has directed two feature films (FC, INS) and has directed episodes of TNG, DS9, and VOY. He might not have extensive experience with feature films, but he has always had Trek in mind and never has "reinvented" any series or movies.

Trek Minds

Some of the best minds, besides the Great Bird, of Trek have included Harve Bennett, Ronald D Moore, and Michael Pillar (RIP). Harve is too old and hasnt been involved with Trek since STV. Ronald had creative differences with Paramount and hasnt been involved with Trek since during Voyager's run (thank you TREK_GIRL42!!!). Michael Pillar's last involvement with Trek was INS. Pillar died 01NOV05 from cancer at age 57.

Other Feature Directors:

Even William Shatner's own Trek novels are not considered to be apart of the canon the novels have created. Shatner would do anything to have a part of anything Trek, even if it would destroy everything previously canon. His only directing of Trek was STV, one of the biggest flops in history.

Leonard Nimoy cant decide if he wants to be Spock or not. He has directed STIII and STIV (which was one of the best liked of the franchise).

Robert Wise, director of TMP, died in 2005, as well.

David Carson not only did GEN but has directed several TNG and DS9 episodes.

Stuart Baird directed the fanboy film NEM, but has little directing experience and is better known as a film editor.

----

My picks for this is either NICHOLAS MEYER and/or JONATHAN FRANKS.

[BeckettRulez]

Roland Emmerich would be fun but I doubt that he would do something with Star Trek. He's often doing his stuff, his whole movies are (as far as I know) his ideas written by him with his sister or friends...

Jonathan Frakes is probably the one with the most experience with the whole Star Trek thingie but he isn't that successful (those Star Trek movies could have been better & Roswell survived only 3 seasons and had weak story lines)

But my main problem with the upcoming movie isn't Abrams, it is more the content of the movie: I don't like Kirk at all. Why not the DS9 Crew? After the war with the Dominion... That would have been interesting but Kirk and Co.? Not my thing...

[talyn2k1]

imho, the next movie will be a flop for the simple reason that it will just not feel right to have someone else playing Kirk, Spock, etc.
I never watched TOS but did really like the films, and I think trying to resurrect the original and best known characters with different actors is just a desperate attempt to try and revive the franchise - one that I think will blow up in their faces big time.

I liked Enterprise for the most part and imho its a shame it finished when it did just as I was really starting to enjoy it.

the best move for Trek is movies based on the DS9 crew or even the crew from the New Frontier books. These books, to me, are worthy of a series all of their own. I don't think a film would be out of the question. The plus side of using the NF crew is that no prior viewing is needed, they will be new to cinemagoers and Trek fans alike so everyone (except those who have read the books) will be approaching it from the same level.

And to anyone who hasn't read the NF books, I would HIGHLY recommend them.

The only other option I could think of is turning William Shatner's novels into movies or a mini-series.

There are so many options and I think TPTB are just going for the easy option that they think will make them the most money, and this will be the final nail in the coffin of Trek.