What direction would you like to see Trek take?

[Capt.Hunter]

Anyone saying "I don't care, as long as it's not Berman and Braga doing the directing" will be taken out back and shot, only to realize it's all pretend as I hand them a big wad of cash, shake their hand and tell them to disappear.

Seriously, where would you like Trek to go next? I feel Enterprise COULD be the kind of series I'd like to see, if only it would get back to the exploration theme a bit more. I ould definitely like a return to Trek episodes that really make you think and don't have a clear moral ending. Episodes like The Darkness and the Light and In the Pale Moonlight showcase the best of Trek - deep, involving and well-acted drama that doesn't necessarily have to be sci-fi in order to be told.

In short, what I guess I want is more stories where the purpose of the unexplained anomaly/moral dilemma/weird civilization of the week is to tell us more about ourselves (through the characters) rather than just being sci-fi for the sake of it.

So, where would you like to Trek today?

[KillerWhale]

I would like the show to take another leap forward like between TOS and TNG: something like 80 years after VOY. The Cardies and Roms are allies (or even members) or the UFP, which occupies now something like a whole quadrant.

All VOY technology is widely used at the moment. The galaxy unification is on its way, thanks to the slipstream drive.

The UFP now struggles even deeply with its morals as it has an incredibly advanced technology compared to almost everyone else.

Sort of TNG feeling, but with settings, aliens, characters, problems UTTERLY different, given the incredible advanced state of the technology.

[Polanski]

This one is simple ... I already took Star Trek in that direction

The Dominion War has been now over for nearly 8 years but the Federation has known little peace in this time. The Starfleet and its military resources are plagued by personnel and equipment shortage. The dream that once was, the utopian society of United Federation of Planets, is no more, as its citizens are beset by enemies, both foreign and domestic while trying to heal the wounds and rebuild what was once lost.

But there is hope; Starfleet Intelligence unveiled a new, bold initiative… the Avatar program. A top secret group of star ships equipped with modern technologies and well trained crews whose sole purpose is to restore the peace and prosperity that once was … by any means necessary.

Among those ships, one named USS Courageous has just departed on its maiden voyage. Can the captain, her crew and the new, unproven ship make the difference?

... wait, that sounds like a summary of my campaign at the time of second season.

I think that Paramount should leave it up to the people here in Narrator's forum to write the damn show for them ...

Kind Regards
Daniel

[Dan Gurden]

Originally, after Voyager I thought they should stop.

I thouhgt that a short gap, maybe of 5 years to build and develpo a new series concept would help infuse the franchise with more life, and give the writers time to develop better concepts, after all writing, producing, directing week after week, for nearly 20 years now... Its got to run the creative battreies down.

But that would leaveus with no Trek at all.

Or would it. After all we have a big franchise, one with a strong market presence and loyal fan base.

Perhaps a series of one-off TV movies would do the trick.

Give them a 2 hour slot to fill, this week/month we see Sulu on the Excelsior in 2291, next week/month the Political wranglings of the Romulan Senate in the 24th century. Last week/month was the Federation Timefleet from the 29th century...

Just a shotr series, with good production times, sometimes using established characters as an Add-on... We could see Siskos return, the Maquis trial after Voyager got home... All the loose ends could tie together.

Hell, even Weasal Crusher and the Traveller. After all, with a different show every time, its not like we have to face him every week... And he wasn't THAT Bad...

That was my concept, and much as I enjoy Enterprise, I still think the break would have served it better. While these spin-offs would serve us the fan-base/audience better.

[Joe Dizzy]

Two words: More cerebral.

I've given Enterprise one season to make an impression.
While there have been good episodes, most of them were rather boring, trite and fairly unengaging.

I want smarter writing. I want interesting conflicts, intelligent dialogue, episodes that actually have something to say. I want good Science Fiction. I want the authors to for once use the continuity instead of trying to out-smart or flat out avoid it. Instead of carefully tip-toeing around continuity issues, I want them to tackle them head-on and tell a story that's worth to be told.

That's where I want Trek to go.

Joe Leary

[calguard66]

More space-battle scenes... perhaps a series based aboard a carrier? Federation Marines... with a special squad of power armor babes dressed in durasteel bikinis... fighting evil unspeakable deamons with horns and tenticles and things... oh, wait... that would be anime... sorry.


Oh, and just for the cash, "Anywhere as long as B&B aren't at the helm"...

"Please step out here, sir... right onto the drop cloth, thank you..."

"Oh, is this where I get my money?"

BAAM!

"Hey, I thought you were kidding about that part! (ouch!) Where's my cash? (bleed)"

[Atlirith]

In regards to Enterprise and Trek -- develop the "founders" of the Federation -- show the Tellarites, have an Andorian liason officer (why not? if I was the part of the Andorian government, it would seem to be an ideal means to balance out the Vulcan domination of Earther affairs...), actually go to Vulcan (doh...I can't believe they haven't done this yet...).

Start the Romulan War already, that would sate the more hawkish members of the Trek community...

Give Porthos the ability to talk (this is a JOKE people...), but seriously, the little guy gets a whole episode, which is more than I can say for many of the secondaries who get paid more than alpo and biscuits...or heck, have little Porthos do more than sniff and pee his way across the universe -- the one good thing about that ep was how the aliens reacted to the Captain having a "subservient quadraped," some of their comments were almost Trek-like. almost.

Bring in the Orions, develop more plot lines with the other humans in space -- the Traders, other Federation ships (it's about time for another NX class ship to be in need of rescue...).

Are the humans colonizing planets yet?

What about the Genetic Supermen -- that would be a great subplot, have one of the characters secretly a khan like character, perhaps Reed, it would explain why he's so aloof.

And if you want a real trek atmosphere then you've GOT to bring back the redshirts! and mini-skirts, bee-hives and or go the other extreme and "feel" everyone's pain. honestly I'd settle for some more mature writing, less skin and pre-teen sexual moments and have the ship just discover something new.

just some ideas...

[NobAkimoto]

More serialized arcs and probably an attempt to try to really EXPLORE the galaxy instead of go sight-seeing like you're driving by cities on a map while driving down an interstate.

They should spend more time getting to know individual cultures, making contact, and more often planets and the like should be RARE.(I mean how many have Enterprise encountered now? Like 30? Going in a straight line at Warp 4? That's an enormous number of concentration along a single relatively sparse area of space...)

They need to add some sense of adventure and vastness back into space, ala 2001, or maybe go literal with the Horatio Hornblower parallels and have ships stuck outside of Starfleet jurisdiction for a long long while.(Note back in TOS, Kirk made a specific referrence that contact with Starfleet Command was some sort of amazingly rare occurance...)

[Perrryyy]

I have to agree with Joe Dizzy. Enough "fluff" and "brain candy" episodes already!

Give us something intelligent. Go back to what Trek did best in its heyday: social commentary.

Discuss the social problems of the day a la TOS. I was watching Plato's Stepchildren yesterday after seeing an online friend with OI on CSI and a discussion of people with pseudoplasia "little people".

I'd just like to see Trek go back to anything other than decontaminaiton scenes

I wouldn't mind their re-use of plots so much either, if they'd take them in a different direction than the other series did.

[kimq]

Forward would be a nice change.

[calguard66]

Now that I've though about it, getting the founding races together would be great... put an Andorian or two on Enterprise, a Tellarite, etc. Use the "temporal cold war" as an excuse for their cooperation... then have them find out how well they all work together. Enterprise could become the basis of the "Combined Star Fleets of the United Federation of Planets"... later shortened to Starfleet (and just coincidentally the same name as used for Earth's space force).

It would explain why Starfleet has such a huge role in inter-Federation politics, if it had such a large role in creating the Federation in the first place.

Be a great excuse to have the Wayune/ Andorian commander/ actor who's name I can't recall as a regular member of the cast again.

The guy who played Quark (having brain-drain today) might make a good Tellarite... he's the right height anyway.

[First of Two]

I think my two great ideas for a future Trek series were already best put forth in "Adventure Seeds."

Star Trek: Empire's End -- 5 years after Dominion War ends, Romulan Empire collapses. Our heroes go in to pick up the pieces / keep the peace / explore formerly off-limits areas. Various Romulans factions struggle for dominance. Former subject worlds revolt / start empire-building. The unknown enemy on the other side of Romulan space surfaces, slowly.

Star Trek: The Last Ship -- fairly near-future post Dominion War
Fade in to starfield.
Pan slowly upward, as a glow coms from off bottom screen.
*background chatter, almost inaudible*
BORG VOICE: "Resistance is futile."
Random chatter like in when the fleet in ST:FC first engages the Borg: "Lexington has been destroyed! Shields collapsing! fall back! No Effect!" etc.
Upward pan reveals a familiar once bluish planet... now assimilated.
Voice ('Alt. Riker from 'Parallels'): "The Federation's GONE! The Borg are EVERYWHERE!"

cut to visual of small, damaged-looking, lonely-looking ship making its way through space.

Voice Over: "Captain's log, Stardate... irrelvant. These are the voyages of the Starship Excalibur. It's mission... to survive."

SliderTrek (or Star Trek: Exiles, if you read Marvel comics) -- On a mission to the Guardian of Forever, our heroes find themselves involuntarily "recruited" by the Guardian to 'fix' the timelines of other universes. They spend a show or more in each new parallel universe they encounter, such as the universe where the Federation was never formed (Balkan Trek) and Captain Robert Picard commands the USS Enterprise for the Human League, while Ambassador Sarek and Councilor Dax negotiate treaties between the Alliance of Worlds and the Union of Planets, and the dreaded Ferengi/Orion/Talarian Consortium prowls the spaceways. Or the universe in which Kahless was assassinated, the Klingons self-destructed, and now the Federation stands alone against the Romulan/Cardassian/Dominion alliance. Etc.

[Perrryyy]

SliderTrek (or Star Trek: Exiles, if you read Marvel comics) -- On a mission to the Guardian of Forever, our heroes find themselves involuntarily "recruited" by the Guardian to 'fix' the timelines of other universes. They spend a show or more in each new parallel universe they encounter, such as the universe where the Federation was never formed (Balkan Trek) and Captain Robert Picard commands the USS Enterprise for the Human League, while Ambassador Sarek and Councilor Dax negotiate treaties between the Alliance of Worlds and the Union of Planets, and the dreaded Ferengi/Orion/Talarian Consortium prowls the spaceways. Or the universe in which Kahless was assassinated, the Klingons self-destructed, and now the Federation stands alone against the Romulan/Cardassian/Dominion alliance. Etc.

I like that one, but I'd probably go with the Dept of Temporal Investigations angle, fixing things that went wrong. Something a la 7 Days or (heaven forbid) Quantum Leap

[First of Two]

I didn't want that much structure.

The way I figure, the Guardian of Forever is so beyond comprehension that I can basically give them seemingly arbitrary missions without having to explain the rationale behind it (the one thing my gamers seem to love, especially the one who used to gm the rest of us at AD&D, is getting the players in "wayyyyyy over their heads" {remind me to talk about the Wemic Diatribe sometime. "Angels... Demons... badass unicorns... things from beyond... archetypal entities... god-level dragons... she slept with the Demon... YOU WHAT???"})

The GoF seemed like a good Inscrutable Godlike Entity (TM) to be pushing them around.

(besides, it's how I'm going to get them out of the "Last Ship" universe.)

[Kirok]

briefly, I've thought for some time now that what Star Trek needs is new blood, creatively. Now don't take me out back and maim me, I actually have a suggestion. I think that doing what the original series did story-wise would be a good move - get actual science-fiction writers to submit stories/scripts, to get some new ideas in the mix.
On the plus side, I think Enterrpise has done a good job when it comes to designing new aliens. I was worried when I heard trhat they were bringing back the same guy who has been designing aliens for them for years, but I take it back.