[Potential SPOILERS] Enterprise - Course Correction?

[John Crichton]

Counselor, maybe. You know how holodeck episodes go over round these parts...

Heheh. You make a good point there. Now I should have said TNG holodeck... those were cool. * ducks *

 

[Mark]

Heheh. You make a good point there. Now I should have said TNG holodeck... those were cool. * ducks *

Whatever you say, Dix...

 

[Mark]

OK. I apologized in another thread but I will do it here also for the record. I'm sorry to RR for calling him what I called him. It wasn't kind and I take it back.

 

[Orius]

Simply put, they ran out of creative juice to impress their longtime fans.

Take a break. Make a Trek film every two years to keep the interest there, or follow George Lucas approach: let the fan reach a feverish demand for a new film or series.

I love Star Trek like the latest pop song, but if you keep playing it over and over and over and over and over and over and over... eventually, you worn it out and tired of playing it again.

I'm not asking Paramount to end the franchise, just take a break. Give us a break.

I generally agree. People got sick of Star Trek becaue of Voyager, not to mention all the constant reruns on TV. Sure they have loyal fans out their but the fans' appetites have been more or less sated. I too, think it would have been a good idea if they waited a year or so to take a break, and plan a good show, instead of just slapping it together while they were finishing up Voyager.
Network pressures might also be involved here. UPN is tanking horribly, so they may not have been willing to wait on a new Trek series, hoping to get a hit here. But then, I think its likely UPN will eventually tank anyway, so they might as well have waitred and released Enterprise on syndication.

 

[Ghostwind]

First off, most that know me will acknowledge I am a Star Trek fan going all the way back to the first run of the original series.

Secondly, I am going out on a limb and making a wild prediction... Season three will be the end of Enterprise.

Poor ratings will continue to plague the show despite the attempt at a new direction. As a consequence, the franchise will be put on extended hold for several years as Paramount and those in charge of the franchise struggle to "fix" things. It is very apparent that the current "rulers" of the franchise (B&B) cannot think beyond the episodic formula that has driven every series since they took over the reins during the end of TNG. It is apparent in the later series (DS9, Voyager, Enterprise) and especially so in the movies (Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, Nemesis).

What needs to be done is for Majel and Eugene to step forth and reclaim full control of the franchise and then lock it in the closet for a few years while new blood sets about redefining the franchise so it goes back to the elements that made it successful, great stories. The writing has become so cliche' and formula driven that nearly every long time fan can anticipate not only the outcome of a new episode, but also recite the lines before they are even spoken. The franchise is tired, but not dead. Time to give it a nap so it becomes refreshed and re-energized.

 

[Ranger REG]

OK. I apologized in another thread but I will do it here also for the record. I'm sorry to RR for calling him what I called him. It wasn't kind and I take it back.

You're forgiven and it's forgotten.

BTW, I'll tone down my B&B-bashing.

 

[Umbran]

It is very apparent that the current "rulers" of the franchise (B&B) cannot think beyond the episodic formula that has driven every series since they took over the reins during the end of TNG. It is apparent in the later series (DS9, Voyager, Enterprise)

Two problems:

First: DS9 deviated very strongly from the episodic formula.

Second: The networks tend to impose the episodic formula. Strong story arcs carry a problem - an inability to expand their audience over time. They make the shows "inaccessible" to new viewers, and so are frowned upon by networks. There's the occasional exception, of course, but the tendency is pretty darned strong.

 

[Mark]

You're forgiven and it's forgotten.

BTW, I'll tone down my B&B-bashing.

Thanks...on both counts. I'll start bashing some things a bit more just to temper my over-enthusiatic tone and keep in line with reality a bit more.

Truth be told, there are a lot of problems but I tend to be an easy audience, probably because I have always kept my expectations fairly low...but that's just TV for you. I think if I was more critical, I'd have to toss my television out of the window and spend more time with other pursuits.

 

[John Crichton]

Second: The networks tend to impose the episodic formula. Strong story arcs carry a problem - an inability to expand their audience over time. They make the shows "inaccessible" to new viewers, and so are frowned upon by networks. There's the occasional exception, of course, but the tendency is pretty darned strong.

This is true. I know that I tend to avoid shows that I know I'll be missing a good part of the story. However, Trek may be one of the few franchises that could get away with it. If UPN made sure to run enough repeats along with the current arc, a non-episodic series would be much easier to follow. I also think that what FOX did with 24 was a stroke of genius: They released their first season on DVD right before the second one started at a decent price point so if people wanted to catch on, they could. Other shows could take advantage of this so they could make their stories last longer than one episode.

Just a thought...

 

[mojo1701]

The franchise is tired, but not dead. Time to give it a nap so it becomes refreshed and re-energized.

I know I always feel energized after a nap. Groggy first, but then energized.