D-Day for Enterprise (Star Trek)

Poststructural Pub
21

Wow, I didn’t know they were thinking about axing Enterprise either. It’s my favorite one so far.

I thought the 60s one was classic, and it’s (therefore) above reproach despite its flaws. I didn’t like TNG, DS9, or Voyager as much because yeah, they were preachy and all . . . but JEEZ, could you WRITE a story that didn’t mean your God-like technology had to break for the story to work? Crap, sometimes you can heal someone by using an old pattern in the buffer for the transporter . . . sometimes, you can’t. Shields work, shields don’t work. Blah blah. :wink:

Stuart

22

This is the first time that UPN is requesting people call, they usually just brush you off.

23

I looked at the site. It took me a full three minutes to realize they were…serious.


Dale

24

I liked Enterprise a lot when it started. I liked the concept of a “submarine show” in space (what i mean is, the ship is dark and claustrophobic, it’s like one of the old series that happened in a submarine). If you don’t know what i’m talking about, thank God, you’re still young. I like it very much that they don’t have all their Deus ex machina technology, they can’t just say “lets recalibrate the molecular discombobulator” and fix everything.

But i think it took a turn in the wrong direction when they decided to mirror the current political situation of the US by introducing the Suliban (=Taliban, give me a break), and the Xindi, the temporal war, militarizing the ship, etc. If they can unpaint themselves out of this corner, it may be good again. They’ve given good indications that they’re going to be able to work it out with the Xindi instead of going full-frontal-Rumsfeld on them.

Ah, and yes, i get it, T’Pol is gorgeous, yes, i get it, Vulcans and humans can copulate. Enough already! :imp:

25

Dale Wisely wrote:

…"dhigbee wrote:
Anyone seen this site? http://www.bringbackkirk.com/


I looked at the site. It took me a full three minutes to realize they were…serious. "

Serious is a gentle way of putting it. I am iclined to say that they are borderline fanatical. I am comforted to know that my level of Trek appreciation is not quite at thier level…yet… :smiley:

26

I’ve only watched the 1st 2 seasons of ENT. It’s ok, but not great. I like Archer (alright, I admit it - I just like Scott Bakula), Trip and Hoshi (they don’t give her - or the actress playing her - enough to do!). The Doctor is likeable enough. Do not like T’Pol, Reed and Mayweather.

T’pol is not Vulcan enough, IMO. Give me Spock and Tuvok any day.

From what I see, it’s not a horrible series, it’s just not one I’d rave about to other people. Production values are high, the SFX is pretty good for a TV series. The plots, though, can at times be blah or feel like rehashes of previous Trek plots.

However, I don’t think you can lay blame on only the writers and Rick Berman. I think part of the problem is that they really are quite restricted by having to keep within the boundaries of established Trek canon, and what’s possible/do-able in the Trek-verse.

It’s all well and good to say that other series (e.g. Farscape, B5) are more creative, came up with something new, etc, etc, but those were fresh new stories- they were able to start with a blank slate. ENT can’t do that.

If there’s one thing they could have done, and which I do fault them for for not doing, it’s perhaps to be more open to scripts and story ideas from outside their own stable. From what I hear, they absolutely refuse to accept ideas from outside sources. I mean, I’m not even talking about unsolicited scripts from fans or fanfic writers. What about the authors writing for the Trek novels published by Pocket books? Some of them are quite good.

To be frank, I’ve gone a bit off Trek, stopped watching it or following it, so my knowledge and opinions could be based on outdated facts.

I haven’t watched any of season 3, where they go in search of the Xindi. I know they’re trying to move ENT towards TOS and VOY territory where the exploration is of uncharted regions not already in Trek canon, but - hmmmm. I’m not convinced.

27

When I heard that there would be a new Strek Trek series that was set back in the beginning of Star Fleet, I was delighted. All of the other Star Trek series make frequent references to the history of Star Fleet and I thought it would be cool to see a program based on it. When it aired, I was a little let down…first by casting Scott Bakula in the lead role, and secondly, by casting Scott Bakula in the leading role. Perhaps my opinion is swayed somewhat by the show “Quantum Leap” which I found to be intellectually numbing and predictably formularized…ishy ishy yucky ptooo.

I admit I have only seen the first episode, so I can’t give a non-bias critique. When Voyager and TNG first aired, I found them pretty boring and poorly written/acted. But, in my mind, they both developed into pretty good programs. Perhaps this is or will be the case for Enterprise…should it survive UPN’s axe.

28

If thats the case then they’ve changed their tune since the Next Gen days…back in the Day I submitted an unsolicited script, and was called in to the studio for a meeting with Braga and Berman. I dont remember how I did it, but I had obtained an official script guide and summary published by the studio specifically for writers with episode summaries, a brief version of the tech specs of the ship, and character info, and the producers were very clear that they were open to receiving unsolicted scripts. Its true, though, that there are a lot of restrictions inherent in the TrekVerse, cause I pitched amillion “new” ideas a second for over half an hour and they were all shot down due to conflicts with past or upcoming plot elements or with rules of the Trek universe. And now its years later, with all the more “history” thats stacked up to have to take into account and abide by, so I’m quite sure that if you were going to try to write an unsolicited script to day you’d really have to be a fan.

29

I no longer own a TV, so can’t comment on the ‘new’ Enterprise series 'cos I haven’t seen it.

But what really really used to hack me off with TNG were the incredibly flatulent episodes where, since the writers couldn’t come up with any decent or credible story-lines, the whole show took place in the bl**dy holodeck. Data as Sherlock Holmes. Worf as a cowboy. Picard as Sam Spade… you’d think with an entire universe at their disposal the writers could’ve come up with strange new worlds to boldly split an infinitive on.

And Voyager… sigh … Gasp, we’re in deep trouble!.. oh, no we’re not, the chief engineer will just re-configure the lateral sensor array and plasma phase conduits to emit a concentrated technobabble pulse into the trouble and we’re saved… But at least they didn’t have some spotty-faced pre-pubescent wunderkind at the helm so I guess it wasn’t all bad.

The Original series was the dog’s danglies; at least they had plots which didn’t require gigabucks of CGI FX to keep the viewers’ attention. Like the original series of “The Outer Limits”, which I have on DVD… when I get the complete original series of Star Trek on DVD, and The Twilight Zone of course, I shall consider my collection of classic sci-fi complete. TNG and Voyager won’t be in it though.

30

Yep, what I had heard (or rather, read from various Trek sites that lament the lack of original plots) was that in recent years, their tune changed. It used to be possible and now it’s not.

31

I like him… his facial expression reminds me a lot of a dog who used to live with my family, a pointer. He’d wrinkle his forehead just so…

32

Slashdot is reporting that Enterprise has been renewed for next season…

33

I have a nephew that looks like Jean-Luc Picard. Does that count?

Dana

34

I like Scott too, but for most of the first season, to me he looked lost. Kind of like he was waiting for Al to tell him what situation he had leapt into. I kept waiting for him to call the computer “Ziggy.”

Costumes and high heels aside, I hope the writing improves if UPN decides to keep Enterprise around. Most of the characters are just plain bland. And I’d prefer a storyline that would let me escape from current events for an hour or so each week, not relive them in a different setting. I don’t mind social commentary, the original series was full of it, but the lack of originality is disappointing.

35

Sure, if he can play a Ressikan Flute. :smiley:

36

H’mm, maybe I need to send him a whistle!

Dana

37

Scott Bakula isn’t a bad actor, I just didn’t feel he was right for the role. Although, as I said in an earlier thread, I may just be retro-reacting to what I saw of him with his role in Quantum Leap…a show I thought a bit too formula for my severely starving mind. :smiley:

38

Yeah, that’s a shame… :wink:

39

Weeks: that is a highly inappropriate, sexist post. Actually, yeh, y’re right about Marina S. Although the Star Trek woman who really worked for me was Nichelle Nichols (spelling?), who played Uhura (spelling again?).

Time for that cold shower again. :roll:

40

Jeri Ryan…now that’s MY kind of cyborg!