You just got Rick Berman's job...now what?

[Ineti]

Let's pretend!

After 7 years of guiding ENT's life on television, Rick Berman finally decides to end his involvement with the Trek franchise. He picks up the phone and calls YOU, and for the sake of this thread, you accept his proposal to replace him at the head of the Trek table.

The execs and the fans are clamoring for a new series. None of the previous Trek main character actors are interested in reprising their roles. It's gotta consist of all-new characters (occasional guest appearances notwithstanding).

What's it going to be, boss?

(I'll post my own thoughts later.)

[Capt Daniel Hunter]

I cast myself as the new Captain of the Enterprise, and then cast an entire crew of T'Pol and Dax types to support me, and every week we'll get to lounge in our new decontamination chamber hooYA!

Sorry, I just couldn't resist

[Lt.Khrys Antos]

First thing I'd do is fire Braga...sorry but if I'm taking over I'm going to be a tyrant all by myself.

I'd place any new series in the future, maybe something like 100 years;

1) Makes for a plausible reason why we won't "see" any of the old crews.

2) Seperates timelines sufficiently so one can alter alliances and create new species.

3) Introduction of new technologies and endeavours.


I'd try to mix the feel of TOS with that of DS9. For instance, a ship crewed by officers from the Klingon Empire, Romulan Empire, Cardassian Union and the Federation working alongside against the Dominion threat or Taurhai Unity. A small ship skulking within enemy territory meeting new species, unknown phenomenon and occassionally running into hostile aliens for the action episodes every so often.

I'd introduce new ships, new aliens and "fix" as best that I can continuity errors made by previous writers. Oh and I'd hire a permanent staff of writers which would work together and revise each others work to avoid redundance and mistakes.

I'd get a half-alien/half-human captain dealing with humanity and such for the character development episodes. The rest of the crew would be seperated between the different species with the majority being Feds. I'd also have the classic hatred's between the races.

Once I think of more stuff I'll post again...a tyrant's job is never finished.

[Doktor Evil]

First of all, and it might come as a shock, but I'd reconsider going forward with another ST serie. There has been new ST episodes for the last 15 years continuously, spread over 4 series. Where do you want to go next? In the past? Done that : Enterprise. How many time travel stories can you do? Set a series on a space station? Done. Take a ship and isolate it in its own portion of the universe? Done. How many ships named "Enterprise" can you have? We're already up to the 3rd TV version of that vessel. Have an epic war story arc? Done. Twice : B5 and DS9. An idea that has often be suggested was to do a Captain Sulu series. Can't do : A-no original actor can return and most importantly: B-the main appeal of a 'Captain Sulu' series was going back to the TOS/Movie-era more "cavalier" spirit. But that is what has been done for Enterprise, so the idea is really canned.

If I would do anything on screen, it would most likely be in the form of a TV movie or mini-series, with a preference for the latter.
I'd like a DS9 reunion for a mini-series, but since none of the actors want to return...

Otherwise, its going back to the 80s and only have ST movies. But then again, with the TOS and TNG crews in the movies, Paramount could draw on the popularity of these characters that have been established on TV already to attract moviegoers. I don't think you could establish a successful ST movie franchise with characters that haven't been on TV first.

Also, I'd ditch the formula that has been used in the last few ST movies, with the following pts being particular irritants:

-There's a bad guy/gal. He/she is bad. Must die at the end of the movie. Real original.
-Stop trying to come up with a villain that matches Khan. It cannot be done.
-Lose the lame-ass one-liners. It seems that they are trying to squeeze in the humorous side of STIV into every damn movie, regardless of the tone. Even a movie that sets out to be darker like First Contact is prevented from reaching classic status because of the bad humour. I wouldn't be making damn stupid jokes if my ship were taken over by the Borg.
-Lose the 20th century style parlance (ie "assimilate this!")
-Then you need your starship combat scene, to please the tech/combat/whatever fans. I love those scenes as the next guy but they often feel contrived.

and etc,...

Were I forced to do a series, I'd do pretty much like Khrys; ie : set in the future; have cool new fed members, very menacing baddies, etc. I like the idea of a non-human captain. Would it be set on a ship called 'Enterprise'? See comment above. The series would be taking place on a ship, but I'd tend to call it something else than Enterprise.

Finally, I would also make changes on how the licence is run. I'd hire a continuity consultant, much like Lucas did, and allow SOME material from books or games to become quasi-canon. I'd allow cross-licensing stuff like deck plans, maps, etc. I'd also fusion all ST into one big license, instead of by series, movies, etc. But that would all depend on the numbers; if the accountants come in and say "well we'd make more by licensing in narrower terms or by keeping the distinctions between the various ST properties separate, etc" I'd have to consider that.

[The Tatterdemalion King]

I would probably try to wrap up Ent in 2 seasons... if I can figure out a way to turn the characters into intelligent folks without killing them off

Maybe a miniseries about something in the next three years. A miniseries every five years after that, for twenty years.

Then I'd just let it die.
Y'see, all this crap about "hipping-up" star trek isn't probably something that roddenberry would approve... and Berman/Braga are also trying to duplicate the success of the first two ST series! It won't work, morons! Plus, Berman/Braga just don't seem to be the most original of thinkers, really. Pretty much all the plots in Enterprise have been done already. It's not like there's no new stories, they just can't seem to make good new ones (and their retelling of the old ones is pretty lousy!). And (sorry for the disconnectedness here) they're focusing too much on appealing to the viewer and not enough on entertaining the viewer, leaving a rather (thematically) incoherent series.

Sort for the rant.

[qerlin]

I'd first try to pitch Paramount & UPN a sci-fi series that wasn't set in the Star Trek universe. I would push something with the same sense of exploration, but with entirely new set of aliens, ships, etc -- something with a decided 'transhumanist' approach.

Barring that, I'd probably do a series set post the other series. New story editor, instead of Braga, and a small clique of good writers who would work together to keep a tight continuity. I'd try to explore more of the Federation itself -- what worlds haven't we seen? What creatures could be explored? I'd try to lose the purely episodic format in favor of multi-episode stories, so we can get a better picture of worlds that are explored, give grander-scale plots, etc...

New actors and maybe one 'name'. I'd set it on a ship -- probably an Akira.

No holograms, thank you very much. I would explore androids as an up & coming 'race' that is at once advantageous & really scary for the organics...strong, smarter, faster, and highly adaptable, these new generation androids would be more lifelike. And the element of a possible enemy inside the ranks would be more interesting than another failed Borg invasion.

More CGI-based non-humanoid aliens.

A tighter reliance on real science over the over-the-top technobabble.

[Sea Tyger]

Braga is the first to go. I'd then find the best ST writers of the last 15 years (as of 2008..end of ENT) and sign them all to a long-term contract.

Hire a small panel of continuity experts and re-establish the "official" Star Trek timeline and bible (I, of course, will head the panel ).

I would want to do an Enterprise mini-series set in 2161, but since we can't use any crewmembers from previous series, this would be moot.

I would then set a series up for release in the Fall of 2010, giving me a full year to put a good premise together and get scripts together and reviewed ahead of time. I would prefer it to be set between 2295-2305, after Kirk's disappearance and the retirements and disappearance of the TOS characters.

There are a few vague references to events in this era, which may or may not survive my purge of conflicting continuity. Many things to deal with include the struggles with a failing Klingon Empire and their trials and tribulations (which does have a modern parallel with Russia's struggles), and the Federation's struggles as they deal with a changing astro-political starscape.

The Romulans will be involved, since they wouldn't pull back within their borders until sometime after the end of the series.

The theme would be a Starfleet Intelligence troubleshooting team that operates in and around the region near the three neutral zones...yes, a "Triangle" style series. This would also allow me to bring the Orions in as a main antagonist, while still using the Klingons and Romulans frequently.

The crew would have a small "spec ops" modified scout ship, allowing them to go to the action as necessary. They would get special uniforms, when they wore them at all, but they would still have their Movie-era dress uniforms.

I would return to a TOS "star system." I would want a trio to be the main characters of the show, with the rest of the crew being supporting cast. One established name would be necessary, as one of the "Big 3." Having the captain be a non-human may work well, maybe an Andorian...but I don't think I care for using the crew itself as a "statement" of current issues. I'll deal with that in episodes.

And, yes, the show would be named "Star Trek: (something)".

Oh, and I will allow myself one purely selfish indulgence when I take over: I will establish Caitians as a canon race in the new series....probably with a supporting character. And the way modern animators have done an excellent job improving the "fur" look (i.e., Sully from Monsters, Inc.), I'd probably make the on-screen Ciatian character CGI (similiar to the way they handled Jar Jar, with the actor being present during filming and overlaying it with the CGI model afterwards).

[Anomaly]

I'd shelve the property for 20 years and let the fans learn to live without Star Trek for that time. After all, it was about 20 years between TOS and TNG and everyone survived just fine. Let it go back into Cult Status for a bit.

[Sea Tyger]

I'm not sure I'd want to be 55 before I saw another Star Trek show.

Besides, even though there was 18 years between the end of TOS and the beginning of TNG, Star Trek was active as a movie franchise from '78 (IIRC) onward.

So, there was really only 8 years of no Trek (and we won't even go into TAS... ).

[Rixx Telar]

First thing I would do is the obvious. Get rid of Braga. He has not done much for Trek since coming on board.

I would go for a series set on a Large Carrier Vessel. Set about 50 years in the future when the Federation is in Disarry. The Klingons have gone back to their old ways and the Romulans are becoming increasingly aggressive.

Needs a new threat race that is actually a treat. ie Dominion or TNG Borg. Maybe a telepathic race not trusting of Not telepathic beings forging an Alliance with the Romulans (long range goal). They see the Romulans as an easy target to get their allegence and seeing as they have dormant telepathic abilities they are willing to invest time. They also get a quick and easy way into the Alpha Quadrant.

The Carrier will contain a strike team (SEAL's), fighter squad of small starships. ie single pilot attack fighters. Also have a few larger vessels such as the Defiant. It will also have other things which I can not think of right now.

I think this will provide a diverse array of characters as well as story options. Main characters would be the Captain of the main vessel, the SEAL team, fighter squadron plus others.

It's a beginning and needs further development.

[Phoenix]

A bit of advice for everyone, you might also want to draft a series summery, so you can figure you "non-eposodic" parts out, establish in advance where you want the show and characters to go by the end of the series. One other thing, be sure to leave some wiggle-room- if some real-world event that would need to be addressed, or stered well clear of comes up, like your getting ready to go into a starship crashing into a populated area episode, but events like 9-11 take place (God forbid) you might want to change or remove the whole idea.

And advise the writers, when making this summery "don't be afraid to kill some main, primary or secondary characters off if needed", also not all deaths need to be melodramatic, or tragic or for that matter expected (think Sameul Jackson's character in Deep Blue Sea).

Visual effects should really come into play, but not so heavy as to take away from good story telling, with space-based encounter remember 3-Dimensional.

One of the things I'd personally like to see though is reoccuring species "were going to have new species X in episode 107, then we'll go into more detail with them in episodes 114 and 115, then next season's episode 221 we'll have a minor character of that species replace Bob".

In case no one can tell, I don't want Rick Berman's job. However if any of you get it, I'll try out for the panel of writers/advisors .

[First of Two]

This was a series I posted on another board back when "Enterprise" was just a twinkle in someone's eye.

STAR TREK: EMPIRE'S END

*I want to start off by admitting that the concept of this story is shockingly similar to that of the New Frontier books by Peter David. However, I came up with the idea independently, before I ever read those books. Truthfully.*

It's 5 years after the Dominion War.

The Romulan Empire, having used up most of its military resources during the War, and, due to its isolationism not being able to economically and politically recoup, has collapsed.

The Romulans have split into several squabbling factions, each of which is trying to gain power in its own way, including:
--- Old Imperialists
--- The Tal Shiar
--- The Unificationists
--- Petty Warlords and Pirates

The Orion Syndicate is moving in.

Various and sundry planets that were previously Romulan-subjugated worlds with servitor people, are rebelling, some seeking simply independence, some seeking to startup their own little Empires.

The mysterious unknown powers on the other side of Romulan space (What I assume the Romulans to mean in "The Neutral Zone" when they spoke of 'matters of greater urgency caused our absence' -- The Taurhai??) are making subtle moves and overtures.

Into this cauldron, as an attempt to help create a little stability, perhaps invited by a more Federation-Friendly faction (or one acting in enlightened self-interest) while simultaneously gathering information in space that was previously a no-go area, is flung our heroes' starship, either a veteran of the Dominion Wars, or a ship that was constructed shortly thereafter. The older members of the crew are War veterans, the newer ones not much more than cadets. (This would reflect the losses suffered)

They are guided through this space by a Romulan National or two on board, who may have agenda/s of his/her/their own.

[Capt Daniel Hunter]

Originally posted by First of Two
This was a series I posted on another board back when "Enterprise" was just a twinkle in someone's eye.

STAR TREK: EMPIRE'S END

I like that. That is a pretty good idea. And I LOATH New Frontier (although the idea is a good one, PADs execution is awful IMHO).

[Captain Leana Craig]

Originally posted by Rixx Telar
First thing I would do is the obvious. Get rid of Braga. He has not done much for Trek since coming on board.

I would go for a series set on a Large Carrier Vessel. Set about 50 years in the future when the Federation is in Disarry. The Klingons have gone back to their old ways and the Romulans are becoming increasingly aggressive.

Needs a new threat race that is actually a treat. ie Dominion or TNG Borg. Maybe a telepathic race not trusting of Not telepathic beings forging an Alliance with the Romulans (long range goal). They see the Romulans as an easy target to get their allegence and seeing as they have dormant telepathic abilities they are willing to invest time. They also get a quick and easy way into the Alpha Quadrant.

The Carrier will contain a strike team (SEAL's), fighter squad of small starships. ie single pilot attack fighters. Also have a few larger vessels such as the Defiant. It will also have other things which I can not think of right now.

I think this will provide a diverse array of characters as well as story options. Main characters would be the Captain of the main vessel, the SEAL team, fighter squadron plus others.

It's a beginning and needs further development.

I hate to say it, but this sounds a lot like "Space Above and Beyond"

[Sea Tyger]

I hate to say it, but this sounds a lot like "Space Above and Beyond"

::shudder:: Melrose Space....