perfidy

Yeah I can't stomach Enterprise for that reason. Instead of "Shields up!" a la Old Skool Trek or TNG, Enterprise gives us "Polarize the hull plating!" Shit, even before you can get to the show you have to suffer that silly theme song, an unholy cube of sonic Velveeta dusted with cancerous saccharine.

Ultimately Enterprise is suffering form the same debilitating disease that killed DS9: protracted war. In Star Trek writing land, it seems that "when in doubt, write in a war" is the rule. They already have time travel issues, transporter accidents and other techno-plots. All they need is the equivalent of holodeck malfunctions and it'll be time to throw in the towel.

Personally, I'd like to see a piece- maybe a mini-series?- built around CPT Sulu and the Excelsior. Or perhaps a chronicle of the first war between the Romulans and Earth. Yes it's war, but if the show is built around that idea, maybe it wouldn't be so lame...? I'm guessing here.

Your thought of a far far future Trek is intriguing. But I just know they'd blow it- more techno speak, more wacky aliens with scary ray guns, "better" ships, etc. What would the theme of such a show be? Exploration... of what? The galaxy next door? I'm asking, not being snarky.

I am more than happy to see Berman go. He spent too much time trying to turn Trek into a combo action/dark fantasy show, copying the offerings on SciFi channel.

GL,
Well, it's a big universe. The production costs would be higher, but what about a series that could incorporate one-off stories and plots, with one-off characters?

I also like your Sulu idea. Or a firefly-like series with civilians trying to do their do at the border of the Neutral Zone. You get war, aliens, Han Solo smuggling fun, crime, excitement, and sex, along with the Trekky goodness.

NDR, I'm with you, but DS9 was the darkest (and best) of the post-TNG series, and it's the one that Berman was least involved in. I see his fingerprints more on TNG, Voyager and Enterprise. But reasonable people may differ. It's TV, after all.

How about a future where humans are a bedraggled resistance fighting assimilation into the almost completely victorious Borg? Or a show centered on Romulan characters in the Earth/Fed war? Or a new movie where the cast of TNG has to fight the creatures from Alien and Predator and Godzilla?

"an unholy cube of sonic Velveeta dusted with cancerous saccharine." Very good. Heh.

J
I'm liking your one-off idea. It needn't be terrifically expensive... think "Twilight Zone" with spaceships. You really only need a few different types for visuals and "exterior" shots. Shit, that's all software anyway.

Yeah the more I think of it the more I dig it. I mean, think about it- so much of existing Trek plots were really good for only one go anyway but were stretched like taffy. A solid hour on one topic, that needn't realte to any other, is perfect.

*SIGH* Which means it'll never happen. Now, come up with something that marries that good idea to shitty execution and you're really onto something.

Johno,

The best years of DS9 were under Michael Piller, who was one of the better Trek writers from TNG and had a more philosophical approach to sci-fi. The intention of DS9 was to put Trek ideas to the test. Later series that were more under Berman's thumb disregarded the Rodenberry vision.

NDR, I stand corrected!

What we need is to have frickin' Firefly back, that's what.

I don't watch Trek stuff any more. If I did, it'd be rewarding the idiots who canned Firefly.

Am I the only one who misses Lexx?

Yes. ;)

Firefly, people, firefly. Best SF show yet. buy the DVD!

Never saw it. I am obviously a poor substitute for an sf geek. Strange, if you look at my bookshelves, you'd think I was really into the stuff...