What's next?

[Snowman37]

When Star Trek's weekly TV adventures returned in 1987; it was a new crew, a new starship, and set a century after the original show. This allowed for a very different version of Star Trek without picking up right where Kirk and crew left off. Next was an alien space station, a Starfleet/Bajoran crew with numerous human and alien civilians. The storyline was about getting Bajor into the Federation, exploring the Gamma Qudrant via the wormhole, conflict with the Cardassians, a temporary war with the Klingons, and finally war with the Dominion. Among these big stories were the weekly drama or adventures of the space station. For the next show, we got a starship stranded on the far side of the galaxy, looking for a way home. The crew was a Starfleet/Maquis crew trying to function as a united Starfleet crew. There were also a few aliens for the ride, Neelix and Kes for example. Due to 24th century burnout, Berman and Braga decided that Star Trek should move to the 22nd century. Everyone assumed Birth of the Federation, but I think the producers were aiming for a simpler production. The first Enterprise's weekly adventures, a decade before the Federation.

We've moved forward, backward, seen a space station and war, and been stranded on the other side of the galaxy. What's next?

[maneth]

I don't think there's any chance of a new show until the movie adventures of Kirk & co are done with. Space-based TV shows are out of fashion at the moment, possibly due to oversaturation in the 1990s and early 00s.

If they ever decide to make a new show, I would expect it to follow the format of a ship out exploring the borders of known space, possibly set about two or three decades after TNG/DS9/VOY, simply to allow for cameo appearances by members of those crews. Even 4 decades might not be too much, if you allow for better healthcare and anti-aging treatments in the future.

[tlw]

I guess people got tired of Star Trek on tv as Enterprise didn't last as long as the previous 3 shows.

What they did with the final movie re-vamped the franchise I guess.

Concerning DS9, I felt like at times the show was more about Alpha quadrant politics than Gamma quadrant exploration. It is my least favorite of the 24th century versions of the show. Admittedly I have not seen all of the episodes.

[maneth]

I hear you on the politics, but in general I must say I disagree. For once, they get quite a lot of character development, about on a par with ENT.

[Ukko]

This.

[blueray]

i personally would love to see another show take place in the 24th century, like after ds9 ends. while it'll have its own characters and plot, it will mention the aftermath of the dominion war. though I doubt they'd ever actually make another show.

as for what someone says about DS9, it had some politics in it, but that was hardly the main story. most of it dealt with the prophets and the dominion, which was a war for basic freedom of oppression. which is another theme that also relates back to Bajor. the character development is by far the best of any show, same for the overall major story arcs!

[knowles2]

I do not think we will ever get another trek tv series, there to much money to be made making crap JJ Albrams version of Star trek films.

But in general I think you need to change things up a bit. It should still be about exploration but there need to be something new to the series something different. Not sure what difference should be but may be less Federation and more other species, may be tap into the sentiment going around that government cant do everything.

[Snowman37]

I don't think there's any chance of a new show until the movie adventures of Kirk & co are done with. Space-based TV shows are out of fashion at the moment, possibly due to oversaturation in the 1990s and early 00s.

Though I disagree with oversaturation of Star Trek, I can agree with oversaturation of space-based TV shows. Westerns came and went, the same happened to space-based shows. As for the movies, again, probably right. Problem is, CBS has the TV rights. Can you really see CBS producing Star Trek, especially when Leslie Moonves (CBS President) hates science-fiction?

If they ever decide to make a new show, I would expect it to follow the format of a ship out exploring the borders of known space, possibly set about two or three decades after TNG/DS9/VOY, simply to allow for cameo appearances by members of those crews. Even 4 decades might not be too much, if you allow for better healthcare and anti-aging treatments in the future.

Problem is, that premise has already been done three times with TOS, TNG, and ENT. DS9 did something different, an alien space station. VOY did as well, stranded on the other side of the galaxy, alone, looking for a fast way home. That's why I started this thread. If there were to be a new show, what's next? You can't really do yet another ship-based exploration show, unless the individual characters and episodes are going to be radically different.

I guess people got tired of Star Trek on tv as Enterprise didn't last as long as the previous 3 shows.

Part of the problem was that casual viewers simply didn't know the show existed. Most people I knew who loved Voyager tuned out of UPN permanently when VOY ended. They were completely unaware that there was a new Star Trek show.

What they did with the final movie re-vamped the franchise I guess.

It did in that it made Star Trek fun again. My only problems with the movie were the bad science and Kirk's promotion from cadet to Captain. Experience no longer needed to be a starship Captain?

Concerning DS9, I felt like at times the show was more about Alpha quadrant politics than Gamma quadrant exploration. It is my least favorite of the 24th century versions of the show. Admittedly I have not seen all of the episodes.

It was about many things. Alpha Quadrant politics, getting Bajor to join the Federation, exploring the Gamma Quadrant, the Dominion, war between the Federation and Klingons, the Cardassians joining the Dominion and the Dominion going to war with the whole Alpha Quadrant, Changeling infiltrations, and so on. Was it episodic peaceful exploration of the galaxy? No, that had already been done not once, but twice. The whole point of DS9 was to offer the audience something new.

I hear you on the politics, but in general I must say I disagree. For once, they get quite a lot of character development, about on a par with ENT.

I would say DS9 probably had the most character development. Enterprise had character development with the big three: Archer, T'Pol, and Trip. Everyone else was exactly the same from the first episode to the final episode.

i personally would love to see another show take place in the 24th century, like after ds9 ends. while it'll have its own characters and plot, it will mention the aftermath of the dominion war.

Why the 24th century? Who cares about the aftermath of the Dominion War? If a show is going to be spun-off from DS9, then spin-off from DS9. Vague references are going to be lost on the audience. The show's been off the air for 13 years, only the fans are going to have any idea as to what the Dominion was. The 24th century's been played out, we've already had three shows and four movies in that time period. I'd argue to continue exploring the 22nd century just after Enterprise, jump forward for a return to the 23rd century, or explore the early 24th century, the era between Kirk and Picard.

as for what someone says about DS9, it had some politics in it, but that was hardly the main story. most of it dealt with the prophets and the dominion, which was a war for basic freedom of oppression. which is another theme that also relates back to Bajor. the character development is by far the best of any show, same for the overall major story arcs!

I'll say this. It took a two-hour finale to end TNG. It took a Neelix finale and a two-hour series finale to wrap up VOY. ENT was cancelled, but managed to pull a one-hour finale out of nowhere. Quality is subjective, but at least it got an ending. I'll take a crap ending over no ending. When it came to DS9... it took ten episodes to end the series. Ten, or eight and a two-hour finale (equal to ten episodes). They were advertised as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Final Chapter.

I do not think we will ever get another trek tv series, there to much money to be made making crap JJ Albrams version of Star trek films.

The quality of the 2009 movie is debatable, but I otherwise agree. However, if CBS wanted to do another show... they've got the TV rights. Paramount can't stop them from capitalizing on the new movies.

But in general I think you need to change things up a bit. It should still be about exploration but there need to be something new to the series something different. Not sure what difference should be but may be less Federation and more other species, may be tap into the sentiment going around that government cant do everything.

The last thing the show needs is too many aliens, alienating an audience which has lost touch with science-fiction. I'd suggest setting the show on a small ship, perhaps the size of Firefly's Serenity or even smaller. Imagine a Trek show set on a runabout with only three or four characters. Instead of exploring space, given them a specific mission to find something. This would necessitate them to explore, searching for whatever it is they're trying to find. I think this would be a great way to revitalize the saga. The time period wouldn't matter. 22nd, 23rd, 24th centuries, or beyond? Come up with the story first, then decide what time period fits the story.

[min min light]

I always thought it would be fun to follow the story of a ship that just did first contacts, but then that's always been one of my favorite things, peeking in on a new world and how it works. I suppose that would be too expensive for a TV show though, unless all the worlds looked the same - and then it wouldn't be interesting.

[Snowman37]

Isn't that what all five TV shows have been about?

[maneth]

The problem with having only three or four characters is that many will lose interest if there's no character that grabs their interest. But it should aim to be both fun and perhaps a bit more cerebral, like TNG was. No more miniskirts or skin-tight catsuits for the women, please.

What I'd really like to see, though, is an animated version of Titan with Riker as captain. The advantage of animation is that animating aliens is no more expensive than humans, and that it doesn't matter that Frakes has aged along with the rest of the crew...

Having lots of aliens as central characters hasn't hurt The Clone Wars.

[Snowman37]

I can't imagine that would work except as a Saturday morning cartoon. I only know a few people who watch cartoons, and they only watch anime and the superhero-themed 'toons.

What's wrong with a small cast? The X Files only ever had two main characters except for the final season where it expanded to three. That show lasted nine years.

Lots of aliens may not hurt the Clone Wars, but that's probably because the audience is kids watching for kewl lightsaber duels.

[blueray]

I agree that shows with more than a few characters tend to provide more relationships and therefore character developments. and I personally find them more interesting.

[min min light]

Isn't that what all five TV shows have been about?

Not all that often, really. And a lot of the time it was just, land on the planet, get in trouble (most likely a murder charge), get out of trouble, and back to the ship.

[Snowman37]

Murder charge? That was a rarity. As for beam down to a planet, get in trouble, solve the problem, beam up, and fly away to the next adventure... Well, it's a show set in outer space. This is kind of expected.