What is wrong with Star Trek?

[Alanmelon]

Right, lets get the jokes out of the way to start with....I posted this in Entertainment, not Humour :pp

Seriously, for those who have a genuine interest in and enjoy watching Star Trek, what are your thoughts on the fact that things seem to be getting progressively worse.

- Viewing figures seem to be steadily dropping with each new addition to the franchise
- Enterprise was on the verge of being cancelled
- The movies have been performing progressively badly (to the extent where the most recent one was probably the last for the 'Next Generation')

What are your opinions on why it's gone wrong, and what would you change?

The same team has been writing and producing Star trek since they resurrected it in the late 1980s. 15 years is a long time to expect the same people to keep coming up with original ideas, especially when they haven't actually had that many original ideas. The fact that they have shifted through four completely different scenarios in that time has disguised the fact that the same basic plotlines keep coming back again and again.

For proof of this, look at Enterprise. This of all Trek incarnations should have been the most original and interesting, set as it is in a completely different era, with different technology, different politics and so on. But what do we find? First, that it was Archer who first met the Romulans and not Kirk; second, that 'first contact' with the Klingon empire wasn't nearly as disastrous as Picard once claimed it to be; third, that transporters, phasers and photon torpedoes were all around 100 years before Kirk, which leaves us wondering how Earth technology managed to effectively stagnate for almost two centuries .... essentially the scriptwriters of Enterprise have proven themselves unable to write Star Trek without relying on the usual kitbag of cliches, two-dimensional aliens and technological get-out-of-jail cards.

Star Trek has just grown tired. The only way of rescuing the franchise is to create a completely different series, set in the same universe but departing completely from the usual focus of interest (i.e. Starfleet/Federation/exploration). I would suggest they head back to the 24th century if they are going to have a go at this, and to try a little harder to keep away from 'particles' as an explanation for everything (a la most episodes of Voyager).

Originally Posted by towny

First, that it was Archer who first met the Romulans and not Kirk

Kirk didn`t make first contact with the Romulans, first contact came even before the founding of the Federation, and it was the war with the Romulans that helped bring about the birth of the Federation.

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclop...ttle-of-Cheron

I think towny's post illustrates another aspect of this. Namely that the various series have been around long enough for people to think of it as slightly 'real'.

I entirely take the point regarding inconsistencies in plot & timeline, but I find I enjoy Enterprise a lot more if I 'suspend disbelief' and view it as a standalone series.

I have to admit initially I made the inevitable comparisons with previous series and frankly didn't like Enterprise, however, lately I have found the episodes are edgy & entertaining. (with the caveat above)

As to where it goes - apparently only 10 episodes of a new season of Enterprise have been sanctioned, so it looks like 'Star Trek' will peter out

[aliferste]

Enterprise was devised to try and appeal to the masses........unfortunetly they didnt realise that lots of people liked star trek anyway......all they did was alienate the people that liked it by mixing up who met who first and th ehisory and the people they tried to attract didnt come.
Next Generation was great.....poor old Riker always got the short straw.....Voyager was good (although takeon beams solved everything)....didnt fancy deep space nine much!

[orangebird]

everything....

[Defiant]

Well the forth serie's has been booked Only one more episode of season 3 to go now too

[Martin]

I hated Enterprise when it first came out. I thought the timeline had been spoiled with some of the stories. But having said that i have come to really enjoy this last series of Enterprise. Some of the stories recently have been quite good. Plus not a big fan of the Klingons so I'm glad they haven't been around as much.

[Bifta]

What's wrong with Star Trek?

This sort of thing springs to mind

http://www.lixonline.com/clingon_luvz_annville.jpg

[Defiant]

ha-ha whoever done that looks devoted to StarTrek but can't spell Klingon right lol

[Bifta]

http://www.eonline.com/Features/Live...s/trekkie2.jpg
http://home.swipnet.se/~w-34210/Hsulu.jpg
http://neleman.tmfweb.nl/trekkie-dorks/7.jpg
http://www.anti-justice.com/topics/salute.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~whutto/DustyTrekkieR.jpg

Almost as bad as the sad acts that learn the Klingon dictionary (and think it's exceptionally cool to quote from it in normal conversation ..)

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by Bifta

http://www.eonline.com/Features/Live...s/trekkie2.jpg
http://home.swipnet.se/~w-34210/Hsulu.jpg
http://neleman.tmfweb.nl/trekkie-dorks/7.jpg
http://www.anti-justice.com/topics/salute.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~whutto/DustyTrekkieR.jpg

Almost as bad as the sad acts that learn the Klingon dictionary (and think it's exceptionally cool to quote from it in normal conversation ..)

sad ......

[aliferste]

Originally Posted by Bifta

http://www.eonline.com/Features/Live...s/trekkie2.jpg
http://home.swipnet.se/~w-34210/Hsulu.jpg
http://neleman.tmfweb.nl/trekkie-dorks/7.jpg
http://www.anti-justice.com/topics/salute.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~whutto/DustyTrekkieR.jpg

Almost as bad as the sad acts that learn the Klingon dictionary (and think it's exceptionally cool to quote from it in normal conversation ..)

Kill em'......Kill em ALL!!!!

Originally Posted by Alanmelon

What are your opinions on why it's gone wrong, and what would you change?

Well a few quick points:

1) Continuity? What continuity?

The writers seem to think (or not care) that viewers have *memories* and tend to *remember* what has gone before, even those who aren't die hard fans who can recall every word of every episode, so we get major contradictions between what we've been told previously and what is being said now.

2) Star Drek: The Same Old Plots

How many times can they ring the changes on a storyline they've already used several times in different series.

Just recently in Enterprise (on Sky, but it's not really a spoiler) we had the crew needing to get through a "dangerous nebula" and the only way to do it was for the Doctor to put everyone to sleep (the Doctor was conveniently immune). But, hang on a moment, didn't Voyager do *exactly* the same thing in one of their episodes? Did they really think people wouldn't notice??

3) The weapons and technology.

Just *how* come everyone that the Enterprise crew has to fight against has weapons that, conveniently, can damage the ship, but usually not quite seriously enough that they can't fix it?

The NX 01 doesn't have deflector shields, yet, incredibly, enemy weaponry isn't powerful enough to do too much damage. Is it *really* credible that every race is practically at the same level of technological development?

Oh, and by TNG it seems that everyone has transporters, but not in Enterprise etc etc etc...

4) The aliens.

Despite being at this for god knows how many years, most aliens are *still* two-dimensional cliched cardboard cut-outs.

That's a few things to be going on with...!

Addendum: PS Towny, I'd rep you for your post if I could!

BTW to those who are having a go at the Star Trek Fans, let me quote from Terry Pratchett who pointed out that anyone who dresses up in a Star Trek Uniform or wears a pair of pointed ears is seen as a sad loser, but someone who wakes up to a Manchester United alarm clock under a Manchester United duvet with Manchester United wallpaper, puts on their Manchester United shirt and goes downstairs to drink coffee out of a Manchester United mug is just a "dedicated fan"...!