Before I get to a look back at FedCon, or Phoenix Comicon…. or a deadline reminder to you about the coming LA2Vega Trek tour and the one-day special we threw in... before all my backlogged videos patiently waiting… I need to address this today.There's a story up on "Plus.Google" by an unnamed writer—yes, a story without a byline—that quotes me from a Phoenix Comicon panel Saturday saying Netflix and CBS are "in talks" to do a new Star Trek series. "Lucrative" ones, no less.
And that's not true.
I know Trek fans are hungry for new material and hoping that someone "gets it" and gets on with doing one. That's why everything from the continuing novels to fan fiction, to Star Trek Online and other games, to the fan films, to cosplayers and prop and shipbuilders are all still going strong: People are desperate for new Star Trek—including the new fans driven by JJ or the Bluray remasters and, yes, mass Netlfix availability. And, said desperate fans pounce on every crumb that's out there — as good fans would. Or they even do more, like organizing a Facebook "petition" campaign to get Netflix to produce a "fifth season" of Enterprise.
But this non-bylined writer known only as "Starfleet Intelligence" is too wrapped up in tossing around jazzy phrases of TheBizSpeak in this post, and has the situation blown up way too big —though it makes a nice screaming headline. I wish he or she had talked to me afterward for some real context to the tiny bit I DID mention. (or even got my bio right.)
So, HERE's some context.
As we know by now, Netflix has changed the TV/media landscape yet again by becoming a platform of clout with original shows like House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black—popular not only with fans, but critics...and now the award shows. It's in Netflix's interest to be casting about for new shows—including those from known franchises. I understand Star Trek is one of them—especially as Trek's 737 hours of "reruns" performs as a top draw ON Netflix. As I understand it, there have been overtures. But none taken. So far.
That's it, guys. I appreciate the pedestal, of sorts, but this excitable blogger makes it sound as if show budgets and writer's guides for a done-deal Trek series are already floating around in CBS offices. Maybe they are—but not to my knowledge. We all know plenty of people in private and public have pitched show concepts and formats—and on a "channel" that makes financial and distributional sense. And, we do know that one good way to help get Star Trek back is to keep those Netflix viewer "ratings" tickers clicking right along marathon-style, as a barometer, to reveal any and all Trek shows being watched. But inertia and the unanswered questions of who, what, when, where, and how much have, so far, won out. Sadly.
Oh—and someone also needs to tell this "reporter" that Star Trek Communicator is not a current thing.
Sadly. *sniff*
*Again: That *I* know of.
20 comments:
The JERCHIO fans have been saying for years CBS and Netflix have been in talks to return THAT short lived series...
...Nice to see the rumor mill has gotten around to mentioning a CBS property that actually is worth reviving :)
I've been hearing a lot about this "Captain Worf" thing... including from Michael Dorn. Who knows?
Thanks for addressing the rumor. Nobody checks sources when there are precious clicks on the line.
Or is the Alternate Nemecek, with the goatee...oh, crap, how could we tell?
CAPTAIN WORF!! It's time!
I love Jericho. I'm still following the comic book releases...
I hope they dont bring that awful ST ENT back. It was so bad, just bad...
"Captian Worf" as far as I;m concerned is one of the show "resumes' on the pile. When CBS, on whatever platform, gets around to a series, they might very well look at all the "resumes" in the file at the time. Or, someone big might just walk in the door and create his/her own momentum, and no one ever looks at those. Who knows?
jaQ Andrews: Yeah, it;s all about the clicks. Heaven help anybody who gets in the way of that. Or accuracy.
Especially cruel to raise and dash so many fans' hopes like that. MY original comment, which I've said for months, was just meant to show there are always glimmers going on… but not a screaming headline.
There IS a Facebook campaign, to convince Netflix, to do a Season 5 ENTERPRISE. Hey, I have my critiques with the already done series--esp. the very thin Season 2--but it did get better and show the potential. The production do-ability points are valid.
But time, and no Trek, gives one a lot of perspective as well. The worst Trek is better than 80% of what's on TV elsewhere. As Doug Drexler said in our vidchat, "There are all these new ENTERPRISE fans who don't *know* they're supposed to hate it!"
That's right you tell em! Same goes from those Star Trek theme park rumors. No Wait! NOOOO!
Still surprise that some head way hasn't been made yet. By the time 2016 get's here, there should be a some real Trek news on the TV front then just a movie. I mean the mouse has Marvel and Star Wars spin-offs coming out or announce already. Wish CBS and Paramount could work things out and start a game plan to bring all of Star Trek back in a big way. Since syndication TV is no longer the the source of TV programming other then those rum of the mill reality shows. It seems logical that internet TV like Netflix or Microsoft TV(something I seen at E3 that announce that Halo show)could be the place to make Trek TV return mean something. By the way,you mention on some Trek podcast's how the new JJ Trek movies would divide new and old fans, yet according to this post and newcomers it bought more fans to all things Trek. But from the behind the scenes of power the people who control Trek have been divide due to the new movies, which has been reported has stall many Trek plans for TV, cartoons, rides, etc. Strange how that work out.
Well, from holding the horses to shutting the barn doors before the they coming in. I add that Star Trek: The Experience will never return to Vegas and hope it never will. To par-phase Indy: That belongs in a theme park. I know most of the Vegas fanbase will disagree. But Trek would have live on at a real park, not those Paramount ones, but a place like Universal which had one.
I hope your Sci-Fi Museum that Mr. Huddson succeeded, cause that will the only place to get that any Trek attraction other then those Universal Trek rumors. Whoa, the horses getting carry away again.
Thanks and let's all gather around Trek's body like in Star Trek III and will, hope, and pray that Star Trek TV katra will rise in the act of fal tor pan.
Sorry couldn't resist the Trek geek symbolism
I believe that when (not if) there is a new Star Trek series, it will be a reboot of The Next Generation. TNG was the last major Star Trek TV pop culture success. Its also just far enough of a memory for a reboot not to get nit picked to death. For a multitude of reasons DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise did not enjoy the level of success TNG did.
I suspect a strong producer/director will pitch a reboot of TNG with new actors within the new JJ Abrams Trek (NuTrek) universe and off we go.
^^ Holy Sybok I hope that's not how it plays out!
Haven't there been rumors going around lately about a TNG reboot in the new universe?
I've been saying for a while Netflix is the right place for the next Star Trek series and it makes perfect sense if Netflix has been making overtures to CBS. Whether CBS gives a flip is another thing. Broadcast is totally wrong for Star Trek now; basic or premium cable would take different approaches if they wanted a space opera franchise (and with the success of Game of Thrones, I could see this happening, but probably more along the lines of complex politics and uber-violent space marines action - DS9 on steroids). So I see Star Trek on Netflix as a "when" not "if" thing. (The other viable option is Amazon.) But it would be foolish to do Star Trek and completely change its character. Just because you can do cursing and nudity doesn't mean you will. The PG-13 level of naughtiness displayed by JJ Trek will be as far as Netflix goes with it. After all, why can't Abrams make R rated Star Trek movies? Because it's off-brand, that's why. Same goes for Netflix.
All the fan campaigns to do inside-baseball things like "revive ENT" or "reboot TNG" or "Captain Worf" or "Fall of the Federation" are really missing the mark. Netflix is going to want something that the casual viewer can appreciate. Most people don't remember TNG and never watched ENT. Nobody knows who the frell Worf is anymore. Netflix could easily just come up with an all-new bunch of characters, going boldly on a spaceship, and that work would wonders.
PS, Not to dis Worf...Ambassador Worf could be a good way to bridge the gap between fans and the general audience. Klingons are one of the few Trek elements that are generally known. Re-familiarizing people with Worf would not be difficult. He could be an elder-statesman character in the mix of Starfleet, Klingon and Romulan characters. There are worse ideas out there...
Stone: Thanks, but what I;ve actually always said that was afraid that we'd have a divide between old and new fandom--but it didn't happen. Or else new fandom is just unaware of the old...but i really think anyone who really loved the JJ-flicks went looking for more... and found 737 hours of it.
As you say, much to the chagrin of anyone wanting "old" Trek to go away...which was not CBS.
Vegas will always be attractive as destination, and it is cheaper there than LA. A theme park, yes...but near a destination. Better LA or LV than FL, though!
Thanks for the mention of the Hollywood Sci-Fi Museum--there are far more pieces of that already coming together than the current Kickstarter, but share it anyway!
Captian Slow: There have been rumors about EVERYTHING, but yes, a TNG reboot. Which to me is as uninteresting as the TOS reboot. Can't we go somewhere *new*?
From what I understand, many Star Trek shows have been pitched, but CBS either has said "no" or "we can't because X, Y or Z" (often to do with the deal with Bad Robot or conflicts with Viacom). Bad Robot having say over any new Trek series also means it would have to take place in the new timeline, not go back to the original Trek timeline, for better or for worse.
One loophole that I've heard is that CBS could proceed with a TV series if it was done through a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon Prime, etc as the deal with Bad Robot doesn't technically cover that?
I certainly hope they get their act together by the time the 50th anniversary roles around, it would be criminal negligence if Star Trek doesn't return to TV in 2016. (And they really need to do something new, not reboot TNG)
I've used my experience writing for Star Trek Voyager Elite Force (and many fan scripts I've written) and taken my own swing at coming up with an entirely new Trek TV series (carefully designed to work in either the original timeline or the reboot timeline with minor tweaks).
It's a progressive and inclusive approach to the future of Trek, with a diverse cast of compelling, unique characters on a series-long mission that would have season-long story arcs and real character changes (think premium cable format TV like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, etc.).
Check it out at www.startrekbeyond.com
I want a Ferengi series..."How I Met you Moogie" a 30 min ferengi sitcom
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