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Star Trek's Next Series
Moogle writes "Trektoday has got photographs of the Series V cast up. They also explain about Paramount's announcement that the new series will be called "Enterprise" and have Scott Bakula in the lead role. for the full shebang" Every episode the captain and his crew will beam (surrounded by a blue light) to a new time and space where they will encounter strange new intelligence and fight them. Oh wait, that would be cool. They'll probably have touchy feely pseudo-philosophy crap and hardly any explosions.
Alas, I was wrong. I shouldn't be surprised, knowing the team that brought us seven years of Voyager time-travel/holodeck/alternate-reality/it-was-all- a-dream mindfuck idiocy.
I wish they'd give Trek a rest for about 10 years.
Meanwhile, it's high time for a Dr. Who revival...
Anyone who could play in the Quantum Leap series and pull it off with a credible character is a very good actor. I personally will be there and give the new Trek every possible chance. We didn't like TNG when it came out however for most of us the series eventually grew on us. So basically don't totally slam on this series till you have seen the first several episodes
:P
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When I'm good I'm very good, when I'm bad I'm better, But when I'm evil you better run
"GET / HTTP/1.0" 200 51230 "-" "Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; Setec Astronomy)"
Wasn't he in that bad 70's movie about a Soul Brother who gets bitten by a vampire?
Oooohhhh...I thought you said BLACKULA!
I'm a lifelong Star Trek fan, so I'll be watching, but if it ends up being crap like Voyager was I won't be watching long.
Okay, I just have to do it: "Cap'n, our servers canna take much more o' this" Damn Slashdot effect.
Scott Bakula's character will "possess" the body of a different Star Trek captain each week, trying to right some of the wrongs that have happened over the years.
First episode, he possesses Kirk's body and prevents him from obtaining an inappropriate hair weave.
Next episode has him entering Jean-Luc Picard's body and basically has a non-stop banging session with Beverly Crusher and Tasha Yar (pre-mortem of course).
There is a "very special" episode planned for when he becomes Janeway, but I'm not sure of the details. Possibly something to do with menstruation, but it could be anything.
Praying for the end of your wide-awake nightmare.
Anyone familiar with the WWWF grudge matches and the like? I think a better new Trek series would be a season of Trek versus (insert other show here) live action contests!
Think about it! 26 episodes per year of the Enterprise being squished on the Battlestar Galactica's hull like a bug against a car windshield! Lyta Alexander exploding Deanna Troi's head in with a thought! John MacLean hiding out in Jeffries tubes, waging a guerilla war against the crew!
Maybe even some anime crossovers, for the truly geeky. Xellos and Q collaborating together! The Enterprise encounters the SDF-1! Wesley Crusher gets a 5-second guest appearance in Fist of the North Star! And, of course, the ever-popular Starfleet Shuttle versus Taurus Mobile Doll contest!
And best of all, HORDES AND HORDES OF REDSHIRTS DYING AT THE HANDS OF THE EWOKS!
This could work.
Blasting Klingons
Blasting Romulans
Vulcan stuff (neck pinch, mind meld, ...)
"I kenna mek the engines go enna faster, Capn!"
"He's dead, Jim."
"It's life, Jim, but not as we know it."
Uhura/7 of 9 in those (gulp) tight uniforms!
Watching Kirk get hit by anybody!
CowboyNeal explaining the plot of each episode you've already seen 147 times.
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All your
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
For those of you who don't bother reading the linked article: the series premise stated by CmdrTaco in the Slashdot summary was a joke . Here's TrekToday on the subject:
to have one shot careers, to get bad hair pieces and expose our large guts by wearing tight spandex uniforms, to spend our retirement selling airplane tickets and selling autographs to the socially-starved pantheon of the great unwashed, and to promote a niave political punch of social commentary worthy of the Love Boat and yet firmly laced with the accademic socialist tripe that appeals to the unemployed, and finaly to boldy go were we've been for the past 30 years.
Someone you trust is one of us.
Okay... Give me a second to put all thoughts of 'Quantum Leap' and 'Unecessary Roughness' out of my head. Now I'm putting all thoughts of 'Voyager' out of my head. Okay...
Okay...
Bakula is a good TV actor, one that I'm afraid will never really manage the leap to the silver screen because he keeps taking CRAP roles. This could be a very good move for him. That said, from what I've heard, this has the potential to be tons better than Voyager.
What would be really cool would be if Paramount got their heads out of their asses and realized that they were writing science fiction rather than political commentary.
Yeah, there is room for the former in the latter, but I'd *really* like to see a non-PC Trek universe when the Prime Directive was more of a guideline, female starship personell all wore skirts that showed their asses, and starship captains weren't afraid to throw down and open up the occasional can of phaser-powered whupass.
I want to see racism. I want to see sexism. I want to see the captain of the show bag all the cute alien hotties. I want facepaint rather than creative nose ridges.
And... like a previous poster put it, I want explosions. Lots of explosions. This is supposed to be the Star Trek equivalent of the old west, so lets get some kick-ass space dogfights going on.
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The site is /.d, so here's the release's text, without links. And with slight variations in spacing. Thanks, lameness.
After years of speculation, Paramount Pictures yesterday officially announced that the next Star Trek series will be called Enterprise, and will star Scott Bakula in the lead role.
According to a press release sent out by the studio, Bakula will portray the physical and intensely curious Captain Jonathan Archer. "Obviously, I love the genre and am a long-time fan of Star Trek," Bakula commented. "I am also thrilled to be working on a TV series again with Kerry McCluggage and Garry Hart, a relationship that dates back to 1988 with Quantum Leap."
Star Trek producer Rick Berman, who co-created the series, agreed. "We couldn't be happier. Scott personifies the charm and intelligence that the role calls for."
Paramount's press release did not officially confirm the next series' setting, but this news makes it all but certain that the series will indeed be set aboard a 22nd-Century Enterprise. More information about the show's premise can be found in the casting sheet that was leaked to the internet two months ago, as well as recent pilot script review.
Enterprise is scheduled to start shooting on Monday the 14th of May. Paramount still has not reached an official agreement with UPN, but the network is widely expected to announce the series when it unveils its Fall schedule on Thursday.
Paramount also revealed the rest of the Series V cast, though it did not announce which roles these actors would be playing. Below is the full list of principal actors for Enterprise, as well as some info on which character they will likely be playing. Please note that the below character information is based on the assumption that the basics of the original casting sheet are still unchanged - Paramount may well have decided to change some characters during the casting process.
Scott Bakula - Bakula is best known for his five-year role as Dr. Sam Beckett on the Quantum Leap drama series, but he has also appeared in series such as The Invaders and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Most recently, he played the lead role in the CBS comedy pilot Late Boomers, but now that he has signed on to Enterprise that show will have to look for another star.
Bakula will be playing Captain Jonathan Archer, a character that was originally to be called Jackson Archer. The casting sheet described him as a physical, bold personality, who unlike the Starfleet captains of later centuries exhibits a sense of wonder and excitement about the strange things he will encounter. He is said to hold a grudge against the Vulcans, who he blames for impeding humanity's progress - but with his first officer a Vulcan, he will have to reconsider these preconceptions.
Jolene Blalock - Blalock previously had a starring role in the recent NBC miniseries Jason and the Argonauts, in which she starred as Medea opposite Jason London. In addition, she acted in the upcoming Diamond Hunters mini-series, and had a guest role in an episode of C.S.I.. The above photo comes courtesy of Jason London Online. Though not officially announced, it is likely Blalock will be playing Sub-Commander T'Pau, an "austere yet sensual" Vulcan female. She's the Enterprise's Science Officer, assigned to the ship to oversee humanity's progress. Although she's cautious and guarded around humans, whom she considers primitive and irrational, she'll come to develop a grudging respect for Captain Archer.
John Billingsley - Billingsley is a 20-year veteran of the stage, who has said his greatest joy comes from performing in front of live audiences. He appeared in such plays as 'The Seagull' and 'The Nerd' before moving to Los Angeles, where he had guest roles on a great number of televisions shows. Science fiction fans will best remember him as Prof. Miles Ballard on the short-lived NBC television series The Others. The above photo comes courtesy of the official NBC site for that show.
Billingsley will likely be playing Doctor Phlox, a character who appears to be in his mid-40s. Phlox speaks with an alien accent, has an eccentric sense of humour that no one quite understands, and thinks that humanity is fascinating. He has filled Sickbay with all sorts of bizarre medical instruments for his own particular brand of "Intergalactic Medicine," making even the most routine visit to Sickbay an unexpected adventure.
Linda Park - Parks appeared on an episode of the WB series Popular this March, playing an Asian woman named Anna Lin. The above Popular photo comes courtesy of B5LR.com's AntonyF. Parks will likely be playinng the Japanese Ensign Hoshi Sato. She's described as "striking and intelligent," as well as an expert in exo-linguistics. As Comm Officer, she's not only in charge of all communications aboard the Enterprise, but also serves as ship's Translator.
Anthony Montgomery - Generally credited as A.T. Montgomery, this actor is best known for his recurring role on Popular as George Austin. He had guest roles on shows such as Frasier and Charmed, and last year made his first film appearance in the horror comedy 'Leprechaun in the Hood.' The above photo comes courtesy of the Internet Movie Database.
Montgomery will almost certainly be playing Lieutenant Joe Mayweather, the African-American helmsman aboard the Enterprise. Mayweather was raised on cargo ships, and as a result is more "interstellar" than even the Captain. His closest friend is 'Spike' Tucker.
Dominic Keating - Keating is an experienced science-fiction actor, with credits on shows such as Poltergeist: The Legacy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and G vs E. He had a recurring role on The Immortal as Mallos, and has also had a regular role during the final season of the Teenage Health Freak television series. The above photo comes courtesy of the official 'The Immortals' web site.
Keating will likely be playing either Commander Charlie 'Spike' Tucker or Lt. Commander Malcolm Reed. Spike is described as a Southerner who enjoys using his "country" persona to disarm people. He was hand-picked by Captain Archer, who is something of a mentor to him. Though he is a brilliant officer, he has very little first-hand experience with alien cultures, and will often be a "fish out of water" on the series.
Connor Trinneer - Trinneer is probably best-known to the general public for his role as Zeus Zelenko on the long-running One Life to Live television series. However, he has also had guest roles on series such as Sliders, Touched by an Angel, FreakyLinks and Gideon's Crossing, and last year appeared in the TV adaptation of the 'Far East' play. Prior to appearing on television, Trinneer enjoyed a successful career on the stage. The above Sliders photo comes courtesy of B5LR.com's AntonyF.
Trinneer will likely be playing either Lt. Commander Malcolm Reed or Commander Charlie 'Spike' Tucker. Reed is the British Armoury Officer aboard the Enterprise, and a bit of a throwback in this new age of humanity's enlightenment. Reed is a 22nd Century soldier, "all spit and polish and by-the-book." He's also a man of contradictions - near-obsessed with munitions, but at the same time soft-spoken, shy and awkward around women.
According to a report that appeared on Ain't It Cool News this morning, Bakula reported to the Paramount lot yesterday for his first meeting with the rest of the cast.
As part of the meeting, the cast also took part in a "table reading" of the script. This reportedly went especially well for John Billingsley, who the site said will be playing a "distinctly alien" character, in all likelihood Dr. Phlox. There was immediate chemistry between Bakula and Billingsley, and the expectation was that the two actors will play off each other well on screen.
AICN stated that not only is Bakula being paid a "small forture" to star in Enterprise, but he has also apparently been given the level of creative involvement he requested. He reportedly gave significant input to the script and his character, all of which were used by the producers.
Apparently, the massively positive reaction of the fanbase when it was first announced Bakula was negotiating for the series was one of the reasons for his eventual hiring. Bakula himself is said to be very interested in Star Trek, and then especially its characterisation and emotion rather than mere technobabble.
Now that the series has been officially announced, we have created a new Enterprise Forum at the Trek BBS, where dozens of discussions are already going on about every aspect of Series V.
According to the official press release, Bakula will also continue to develop new projects for Paramount Network Television as part of this new deal. Together with partner Tom Spiroff and his production company Bakula Productions, he has already created TV films such as 'Bachelor's Baby' and 'Papa's Angels,' and the new deal gives him the opportunity to develop series, telefilms, features and specials.
For more on this, please check out the official press release sent out via PRNewsWire by Paramount yesterday evening, as well as this article by Variety's Michael Schneider.
This news item will be updated throughout the day as new information becomes available.
Brant
Brant
Argle. Bargle.
The basis of all truly cool technology is the recalibration of shield harmonics. Without that, Trek is nothing.
oh, wait...
This is the voice of World Control. I bring you Peace.
The keys to good sci-fi, as I see them (opinion):
1. Great battle scenes. LOTS of them. Explosions and death are *requirements*. Thats reality when you colide things.
2. Politics. Lying. Intrigue.
3. Sex, or at least the *distinct* impression and hint of it. Includes outfits (see Seven of Nine)
4. Flawed characters with growth. Who didnt love watching Han Solo grow to accept Princess Leia?
5. Villians we can fear instinctively. Klingons (TOS) were *plain mean*. Ferrengi (TNG) were greedy bastards that would sell you into slavery for a buck. The borg take over your BODY, and keep your mind hostage. Romulans were ALWAYS weak because there wasnt an instinctive fear attached to them.
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Now, the question becomes what are they going to do that will work? Things they cant use:
1. Holodeck - occurs somewhere between TOS and TNG, definitely after the time period this is set in.
2. "Ablative Armor", "Quantum Torpedos", and other war tech - All came during or after TNG
3. Borg - If the show has *any* hope of keeping fans happy they WONT appear. Picard and his crew encountered them first, WELL after TOS, and the show canon says Borg *did not* get to our space before that.
4. Q - No. Just, no.
What can they do instead?
How about doing the things that geeks *love* and they havent done yet. That would be a change. Like oh, grabbing new technology, and making it a prominant part of the show in subsequent shows!
In Stargate SG-1, the asp handgun is *really* cool, and happened after the first episode, what a concept!
In ST:DSN, they added the cloak to the "nice little ship" worf loved so. In ST:VOY, they add ablative armor in the second (?) episode, but *never* mention it again.
The addition of new stuff to kick aliens butts with keeps the battles FRESH from week to week. Last time the klingons almost killed us! But THIS time we have technology-X!
I really have no idea what they could use instead of the borg. I really dont know if they can even have replicators, due to the time it is set at.
I just hope we get to see very HUMAN dialogue and reactions. I wanna see the ship get bigger, and badder. I wanna see the captain get plain PISSED OFF. I wanna see them actually stick to the canon timeline mostly.
But most of all, I want -- finally -- an explanation of the klingon head ridges. That was *such* a funny cop-out, and NOW is the time to address it and make fans VERY happy.
Explain the damned ridges!
GPL'd web-based tradewars themed space game
This would free up the creativity of the writers and let them come up with some actual science fiction , and get away from the gilligan's island/soap opera nonsense rut they've fallen into. If each episode took place on a different Federation starship bridge, it would also give the viewers the opportunity to see more of Federation space and move around without being stale or contrived.
remember this series' time is before even Kirk's era
Does that mean they'll go back to the old-style Klingons?
Oh lordy! Somebody mod this guy up, please...
Of course, it begs the following speculation: If prime numbered trek series are good, and divisible treks are bad...
Trek 7: 'The Spacefight Club' - This series will be composed almost entirely of starship dogfights in space, with some minor plot thrown in to appease the critics. Alien hottie flesh will be in abudance.
Trek 9: 'What Starship Captains Want' - Female and 'sensitive' male starfleet officers will particpate in a romantic comedy set entirely inside Starfleet headquarters. There will occasionally be futuristic matte paintings in the background depicting a futuristic earth, but there won't be any action or fight scenes.
Trek 13: 'Starfleet Tactics' - Series written by Tom Clancy. This one will be a little more 'intellectual' than previous Treks, but will focus on political machinations, espionage, technical and scientific detail, and large-scale starship battles. Action will not be plentiful, but it will be frequent, and well written. Critics will hail it as a 'sleeper hit'.
Treks 14-16: Will nearly bankrupt Paramount due to the casting of David Spade, Tom Green, and Britney Spears as starship captains.
Trek 17: Will be filmed using a combination of live action, full-scale starship models that really explode, and state-of-the-art quantum computer-based animation. The series will depict a life-or-death struggle in space and on Earth for the future of humanity, with generous dashes of action, sex, comedy, and gratuitous explosions. Due to the damages incurred wiping out the City of San-Francisco with a neutron explosion for the grand finale of the series, Paramount will go bankrupt.
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Don't tell that to the pentagon--we use on tanks today . . .
I wouldn't mind a decent show in the Star Trek universe, but why is everyone so stuck on having the main characters in Starfleet? Even the guy up above who had a great idea about doing a short-story style of Star Trek ala Outer Limits limited his idea to "changing to different Federation bridges".
Screw Starfleet! I wanna merchant/smuggler/criminal Klingon/Romulan/whatever vessel, or even just a bunch of people who hitch rides all over the Star Trek universe. Maybe they'll have a mad-on for Starfleet due to bad experiences (or because they ARE criminals), and do their best to screw over Starfleet any chance they get.
The cast could be majorly disfunctional, unlike the goody-two-shoes Starfleet members, and major stories could be written about them getting themselves out of messes that they got themselves into. Instead of figuring out a good solution, their first response is to run like hell - and if they're cornered, they maim & destroy with lots of viciousness.
I have a mental image of a female Klingon "captain" who's drunk most of the time & regards the male members of the crew (of any race) as her personal harem (as they maneuver to avoid being left alone with her). (Maybe that's too much of a comedy...)
Prime Directive? When there's money to be made & peaceful civilizations to exploit? It is to laugh...
There are plenty of low-tech sci-fi settings that rock. Remember Aliens? Even Star Wars had a much lower level of technology that Star Trek. In fact, the tech is the WORST THING about Star Trek, aside from the characters and the stories... oh, wait... yeah, I guess all of Trek has sucked lately.
Anyway, the low-tech setting will force them into trying some new things. If we had a series set yet farther in the future, it would be all time-ships and glowing beings of pure energy, and who needs that crap? I want crudely-improvised antimatter weapons and women in miniskirts. I want robots to clean the floors, not paint pictures and own cats. I want ships are angular and dangerous-looking, not smooth and wimpy like some kind of alien suppository.
Naturally I am fearful, but the news of the setting gives me hope (though it has yet to be confirmed). To have any hope of regaining its status as quality entertainment, Trek needs to try something new. This is it.