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Forums > Home› Ten Forward

Frakes: Forget about Trek on TV

mattjohnsonvamattjohnsonva Member Posts: 4,974 Arc User
edited April 2015 in Ten Forward
http://www.trektoday.com/content/2015/04/frakes-forget-about-trek-on-tv/
If you’re waiting for a Star Trek series to air on television, don’t hold your breath.

Jonathan Frakes said it won’t be happening anytime soon.

Frakes, speaking at Fan Expos Regina 2015 last weekend, was asked about the possibility of a new televised Trek series.

The actor told the crowd that he had pitched a concept to CBS but that they weren’t interested in a new Trek show, not even one pitched by him.

Frakes went on to explain that CBS feels that it diluted the Star Trek brand during the 1990s and early 2000s, with Star Trek: Nemesis being the first Trek film to fail to make a profit.

So when the rebooted Trek movies did well, CBS decided to concentrate on them, and not branch out and make the same mistake as they did back then.

Thoughts?
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • warmaker001bwarmaker001b Member Posts: 9,205 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    I wish they did bring Star Trek back on the small screen.

    As much as I criticize JJ-Trek, it did bring Star Trek back into peoples' minds. I felt that after Star Trek 2009, the chance to do Trek on TV was right. Well, that was 6 years ago now. Yes, SIX YEARS AGO.

    It has been a long time since Star Trek was on TV when ENT went off the air in 2005. 10 years now! I will also concur with Frakes' CBS sentiment about the oversaturation of Star Trek in the 1990s. I felt that having TNG & DS9 on at the same time was already a stretch. Then came VOY. Then came ENT. I think by the late 90s it was just burning out. Nemesis' failure just cemented it.

    Anyways, with Trek having been off the air for years now, I think the franchise can take the newer movies doing their thing with 1 TV series. Not 2 TV shows at the same time like what happened in the 90s.
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  • disposeableh3r0disposeableh3r0 Member Posts: 1,927 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    nemesis was also just a terrible script. It was fan fiction, and bad fan fiction at that.

    they should have left it at insurrection, and moved on to a new project.
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  • moonshadowdarkmoonshadowdark Member Posts: 1,899 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    Oh okay, CBS. You guys clearly know what works. After all, you did leave Two and a Half Men on the air for like FOUR YEARS AFTER SHEEN LEFT. SO YOU MUST HAVE SOME EXPERT OPINION ON WHAT WORKS BEST WITH YOUR PROGRAMMING.
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  • mjarbarmjarbar Member Posts: 2,084 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    If anything ST works better on the small screen because you have better chance for story and character development and shows like Game of Thrones have shown that the camera work and effects can be just as spectacular.

    CBS does have a point that the franchise got over exposed but the fact that the show has been off air for so long and they have said they want to concentrate on the films tells me they are too scared to commit and they don't have any ideas themselves to push the show forward.

    Two questions that always crops up is that, is the idea of the shows that have been put forward to CBS by people like Frakes and Dorn to further the show or just the actor? and how would that tie into something like STO that has moved the timeline forward with the blessing of CBS.
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  • rickdankorickdanko Member Posts: 470 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    I'd watch another trek series as long as it's in the prime universe. No JJTrek for me.
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  • mustrumridcully0mustrumridcully0 Member Posts: 12,963 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    It's interesting...

    Marvel and DC are both busy making both movies and TV shows set in their diverse franchises, and particularly Marvel seems to be pretty successul in there. And they have that on top of their Comic lines!
    Star Wars also has its animated series, is apparently also considering a live action series and is bringing out new movies.


    CBS however somehow believes it's better to focus just on one medium?


    Maybe they are right, and what works for Marvel or Star Wars won't work for them. But I am unconvinced.

    IIRC, JJ Abrams ended up a bit disappointed with Star Trek because he couldn't do the cross-medium launch that he had hoped for, due to the Paramount / CBS rights split and all the conflicts and resistance that he had to deal with.


    Seems to me as if Star Trek is overall in the hands of people that lack a grand vision for the franchise. Heck, if reports are correctly, many years ago Paramount ultimately cancelled the plans for a Las Vegas project where they would create a lifesize USS Enterprise as attraction:
    http://collider.com/star-trek-enterprise-vegas/

    They feared that it would have negative repercussions on the franchise if it failed.


    I on the other hand now imagine that any show or movie set in Las Vegas would invariably have a picture of the Enterprise. It would become a building as well known and often seen as the Eiffel Tower, if not more so. Eternal advertisement for the franchise!
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  • evilmark444evilmark444 Member Posts: 6,951 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    If you’re waiting for a Star Trek series to air on television, don’t hold your breath.

    Jonathan Frakes said it won’t be happening anytime soon.

    Frakes, speaking at Fan Expos Regina 2015 last weekend, was asked about the possibility of a new televised Trek series.

    The actor told the crowd that he had pitched a concept to CBS but that they weren’t interested in a new Trek show, not even one pitched by him.

    Frakes went on to explain that CBS feels that it diluted the Star Trek brand during the 1990s and early 2000s, with Star Trek: Nemesis being the first Trek film to fail to make a profit.

    So when the rebooted Trek movies did well, CBS decided to concentrate on them, and not branch out and make the same mistake as they did back then.

    Classic example of a studio adding 2+2 and getting five. Nemesis didn't fail because of dilution, it failed because it was a terrible movie. Replace Shinzon with Sela and the movie is 100 times better and makes a lot more money.

    Enterprise is similar, replace B&B from the beginning and ratings don't nose dive.
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  • stofskstofsk Member Posts: 1,744 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    disposeableh3r0 wrote: »
    nemesis was also just a terrible script. It was fan fiction, and bad fan fiction at that.

    they should have left it at insurrection, and moved on to a new project.
    The director was IMO the reason Nemesis sucked. Scripts can be rewritten, but if your director is an idiot or lacks creative vision and does things like forget major cast member's names then your movie is going to suck. A good director can save a bad script, but the reverse rarely happens, and Nemesis' script was already bad.
  • rikwesselsrikwessels Member Posts: 367 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    the fact Nemesis didn't do well at box-office b/c it wasn't a particularly good movie somehow didn't register with CBS .

    As far as I'm concerned the best TNG movie was First contact , rest of them are mediocre .
  • jonsillsjonsills Member Posts: 10,473 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    Waitaminnit. I thought CBS had nothing to do with the movies?

    Maybe it's just that Frakes' series idea sucked harder than Captain Worf, and they were just trying to let him down easy...
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  • antonine3258antonine3258 Member Posts: 2,391 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    How are the DVD sales going for those 'over-saturated' series out of curiosity? Nemesis must have really led to a housecleaning at CBS if it's still the bogeyman there for even the idea of a series.
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  • mirrorchaosmirrorchaos Member Posts: 9,844 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    mattjohnsonva wrote: »
    http://www.trektoday.com/content/2015/04/frakes-forget-about-trek-on-tv/



    Thoughts?

    ive had thoughts about the duration of the amount of exposure trek had during the 90's, that is also in combination with other highly successful sci-fi series like babylon 5, stargate, farscape and others over that time.

    its like the michael schumacher domination of the early 2000's in f1 racing, 4 years of the same thing is about as interesting as watching pain dry in knowing the outcome and no one wants to see a repeat the same thing happen again, the fans want more competition and variation, that means putting some time and distance between the whole thing and thinking a way to overcome the issue.

    its the same here in the trek world; the trek brand oversaturated the 2 decades it was on the screen from late 80's to mid 2000's, frankly when enterprise came, probably at one of the worst points in combination with a bad director and bad writing staff running out of ideas. at some point there will have to be some time between the whole thing and find a way to bring trek back later on.
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  • stofskstofsk Member Posts: 1,744 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    antonine3258 wrote: »
    How are the DVD sales going for those 'over-saturated' series out of curiosity? Nemesis must have really led to a housecleaning at CBS if it's still the bogeyman there for even the idea of a series.
    I don't know what the numbers are but the remastering of TNG for bluray cost a lot of money, and they didn't sell as high as expected. That is one of the reasons why neither DS9 or Voyager are going to be remastered, certainly not in the near future.
  • hawku001xhawku001x Member Posts: 10,769 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    They may not want to continue the Prime Universe, but, for me, it exists.... IN HEEEERRRRRE!

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  • hawkwing43hawkwing43 Member Posts: 1,701 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    CBS is just not handling the Star Trek band properly. Yes, they want to make money off it, but No they don't want to make the same mistakes again.

    It has made to gun shy with the brand. So for it to return to TV, someone really has to W O W them with a new idea, and not something that has been done before. But really IMO they just need to get back to the grass roots of what made Trek work on TV.

    Focus more on story and content, have strong personalities and characters, and for goodness sack have fun while doing it.

    Start a new show like 50 years after the events of Romulus, and roll with it. Don't over think it, just do it.

    If you bring good to great writers to the new show, it will not fail.

    If you have good to great actors on the show, it will not fail.

    If you just make it good old fashion fun, with good messages like from the TOS one, it will not fail.

    "Space... The final frontier...
    These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.
    Its continuing mission:
    To explore strange new worlds...
    To seek out new life; new civilisations...
    To boldly go where no one has gone before!"

    Start there and tell your new story.

    The CBS dinosaurs just need to get out the way, and let this story continue to be told.

    my 2 cents.
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited April 2015
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  • hawkwing43hawkwing43 Member Posts: 1,701 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    Maybe, might be why they can't focus on more than one thing at a time. lol :D:D:D
  • angrytargangrytarg Member Posts: 11,008 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    I like that they see Nemesis as the "final nail" when they basically shat out a really terrible piece of dung with a director that not even knew the actors' names and a horrible, horrible script and then claim "people don't want it anymore".

    Network TV has really no place any more - it's a outdatd concept running after outdated metrics, killing every creative spark in the process. Dan Harmon (creator of the show "Community" which was canceled by NBC but immedeatly saved by Yahoo to continue as a web show) called the situation with Network TV like following some strange religion praising ratings. If anyone or anything deserves the well known "dinosaur" comparison it's those concepts and stations.

    EDIT: Don't get me wrong, I am dreading and longing for a new Star Trek show equally. It could be absolutely terrible but it could also be rather nice...
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  • philosopherephilosophere Member Posts: 607 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    valoreah wrote: »
    I would agree the main issues with the Star Trek IP are executives who don't know what to do with the franchise and the license split between Paramount and CBS.

    It's doubtful we will ever see Star Trek on major network television again. It's too expensive a program to produce, especially in an age where "reality" television is the all the rage. I could see HBO or Netflix picking it up though.

    You have it right I think. TV is a changing and the major networks are still trying to figure it out. Disney has boatloads of cash and can afford to try multiple venues with its' Marvel properties.

    Paramount/CBS may not want to risk it, and we as fans will rip them a new one if they misstep... Their biggest decision would be whether to set it in the prime universe, or the new one. How the next film does and is received will be most influential. :confused:
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  • raj011raj011 Member Posts: 987 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    Over ten years ago, I mentioned to a friend that they should do what Marvel is doing right now with Agents of Shield and the Marvel movies. Link them together. When something very important is going to happen in the story do it as a movie. Plus they could have done more crossovers.
  • rogerthelegendrogerthelegend Member Posts: 26 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    Heres my 99% Garentteed to make 155 billion dollar Super Diverse STAR TREK Franchise:

    STEP 1: Have a NEW company buy it from CBS/Viacom/Paramount, a company who can see a future in the franchise

    Step 2: Hire Me to oversee the project

    Step 3: REWRITE CANON, no novels, fan stuff, nuthin, just Prime-Univese, Mirror Universe, Reboot-Universe

    Step 4: Launch NEW FRANCHISE with Reboot-Universe Star Trek 3 Movie in 2016, Prime-Universe Star Trek 11 Movie in 2017 (staring crew of Enterprise-G)

    Step 5: Launch Reboot-Universe TV Show, staring the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-B, Taking place 10 Years after Star Trek 3 and Prime-Universe TV Show staring the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-G, Taking Place in 2425, 15- years after the events of Star Trek Online, Both new shows launch 2017

    Step 6: Launch Star Trek: Renagades, Taking place in 2425, Star Trek: Captain Worf, Taking Place in 2380, 8 years before Romulus & Remus were Destroyed, Both Shows Launch in 2018

    Step 7: Release Star Trek 4 & Star Trek 12 in 2019, Launch childrens show called Star Trek: Youth, staring a group of 5 kids on a Scholl Ship, easily introduces kids to Star Trek, Have 1 kid in group be related to Captain Kirk, Kid being the ladies man (you all admit, a show like that would be hillarious and awesome) SHow also launching in 2019

    Step 8: Launch Netflix TV Series, Star Trek: Mirrors, Staring 3-5 groups attempting to take control of the Terran Empire, Game Of Thrones-like, Very much Adult Oriented, Releases 1 Season a year, Starting 2020

    Step 9: Release Star Trek 5, Star Trek 13 in 2021, Keep renewing TV shows, Continue to Expand Universe in a wide array of ways

    Step 10: Swim in Lake Sized Hole filled with money made from franchise

    EDIT:

    ALMOS FORGOT! in 2017, Launch Star Trek: Timestream Staring crew of the U.S.S. Timestream, the frist ever Tmeship, set in year 2950, Crew deals with fixing timestream can easily jump between Reboot-Universe, Prime-Universe, and Mirror Universe TV Shows & Movies
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  • UnknownUnknown
    edited April 2015
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  • UnknownUnknown
    edited April 2015
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  • rogerthelegendrogerthelegend Member Posts: 26 Arc User
    edited April 2015
    valoreah wrote: »
    After reading your post, I think I see where the problem with your idea is.....

    read edit made, its awesome :D
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  • mhall85mhall85 Member Posts: 2,852 Arc User1
    edited April 2015
    jonsills wrote: »
    Waitaminnit. I thought CBS had nothing to do with the movies?

    Maybe it's just that Frakes' series idea sucked harder than Captain Worf, and they were just trying to let him down easy...

    This is the first thing I thought, honestly.

    1. What does Frakes know? It's cool he cares about the franchise, don't get me wrong, but he's part of the "old guard" that aren't coming up with good ideas to bring Trek back to TV. Renegades looks bad (high-quality fan film, at best), the Captain Worf idea is laughable... so yeah, whatever Frakes pitched must've been pretty terrible. He's an actor, not a producer.

    2. CBS is hiding behind the JJ films... I find that FAR more interesting. Now, contractually, they may have to wait until Paramount is done with the next JJ film. The Trekcast podcast actually just talked about this, and it sounds like there's question marks at the top of Paramount (although, that podcast if just a fun fan show, not industry insiders).

    As someone else pointed out... Marvel, DC, and soon, Lucasfilm is killing/will be killing it in multiple mediums. It's LAUGHABLE that CBS wouldn't want a piece of that action with a long-sustained franchise.

    Something else is up... and I fear Frakes doesn't really have that much leverage to pronounce Trek dead on TV.
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  • mhall85mhall85 Member Posts: 2,852 Arc User1
    edited April 2015
    valoreah wrote: »
    I would agree the main issues with the Star Trek IP are executives who don't know what to do with the franchise and the license split between Paramount and CBS.

    It's doubtful we will ever see Star Trek on major network television again. It's too expensive a program to produce, especially in an age where "reality" television is the all the rage. I could see HBO or Netflix picking it up though.

    Your final point is agreed, although... the unstable nature of network TV, cable, and cord-cutting is only getting worse (or better, depending on your perspective).

    I don't want Trek on network TV. Network TV is a dying breed, and they know it.

    GO TEAM NETFLIX! :D
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  • UnknownUnknown
    edited April 2015
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  • UnknownUnknown
    edited April 2015
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