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Details About New Trek Series?

John B. Random writes "I see that Science Fiction Crowsnest has got it's hands on the leaked details of the new Star Trek show set to replace Voyager, Star Trek Excellent." Stupid name but the plot did actually read interesting.

237 of 313 comments (clear)

  1. Give me Macross by DebtAngel · · Score: 1

    I am really tired of the whole ST big ship thing. The Defiant, their smallest whooping ship, needs 50 crew, and even Voyager's Delta Flyer needs four people. Let's get us a show in North America based on the "one over many" concept, where one man/woman/furry blue creature from Alpha Centauri (oops, some Hitch-Hiker slipped in there) can make a real difference to the universe.

    Oh, and nowhere in the universe should I be able to find Minmei.

    Crazy anime fan, the Lord DebtAngel

    --

    Is this post not nifty? Sluggy Freelance. Worshi

  2. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Julius+X · · Score: 1

    Not to nitpick too much, but it was a Sovereign class Starship that got controlled with a joystick(in Insurrection.
    The Sovereign is quite a bit smaller and more agile than the Galaxy class, but still much larger than the Defiant. Cheers


    Cliff Palmer, Jr.

    --

    -Julius X
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  3. Re:Ever notice.. by Asim · · Score: 1

    Correct. There has been mention in TOS (The Original Series) of a race called the Precursers, who seeded a number of planets. It's not at all made clear in this ep. if these people are them, though -- they are the ones who seeded Miri's planet, for instance, which implies a much later time frame than the people of the TNG ep.
    The ulimate goal, as I recall, was to see the various intelliegences of the galaxy live in peace. Needless to to say, they missed a ittle on that one. :)

  4. Re:Think about dog breeds. by Julius+X · · Score: 1

    Well if I remember correctly, what the aliens had said was that they had spread their genetic code on planets that had already developed primitive life, so that would make that after the sequence in "All Good Things..."

    Cliff Palmer, Jr.

    --

    -Julius X
    remove "-whatkindofspamdoyoutakemefor-" from email to send
  5. Re:Needs some fixing by leiz · · Score: 1

    Hey, I love star trek and I got a miniture Enterprise-D to prove it, but I think Iain M. Banks is far more creative than the star trek writers.

    First off, the ship names are better. In star trek, all the ship names are like "Enterprise," "Excelsior," and "Defiant" while the culture has more interesting names such as GCU Prosthetic Conscience (my fav) and GSV No Fixed Abode. Also, the characters in the Culture are also smarter. I remember in Excession where a bot, about to be destroyed, fakes a suicide attack but instead uses it's laser to burn an encoded message onto the enemy ship's hull. Kirk/Picard/Sisko/Janeway would never have thought of something like that! The aliens are also much more interesting (probably because they are part of a book, not a tv show - no need for puppets/models/customes) but just to give you an idea, see what an Idiran looks like. Finally, the idea of a hedonistic society where you got perfect genes, a built in PDA, and the abilitity to change hex sounds a lot more exciting than exploring space and meeting strange aliens that all look alike.




    _______________________________________________
    There is no statute of limitation on stupidity.

  6. Some small suggestions for a practical ST by 47Ronin · · Score: 1

    Seat belts or harnesses!! How many generations of Starfleet ships have existed only to kill half their bridge crew upon impact with some weapon (everyone goes flying around with exploding panels). Klingons have had half a mind to put shoulder harnesses for gunners. Even the Defiant has everyone sitting or standing unrestrained.

    The Universal Translator shouldn't be the instant language solution. I can't believe that thing could decipher any alien language just for the sake of having all actors speak English. Foreign tongues and subtitles do come in handy sometimes. Oh, and why do the more intellectual aliens get universally translated with British accents??

    Use less bipedal humanoid aliens. It's getting silly seeing the same actors wearing rubber suits and multi orifice masks. They need more aliens that look, well "alien!" More 8479-type aliens. Things with more/less than two legs or arms, different locomotion (levitation, crawling, rolling, etc)

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    Those who laugh at you for you having a Mac.. are the people who constantly call you to fix their PC.
  7. Curing the unnatural by FalseConsciousness · · Score: 1

    There is pretty good evidence that same-sex preferences are "natural" for individuals across several species. Of course, medical science is likely to view a lot of things as disorders - witness the first edition of DSM, which noted a "runaway slave disorder" as a legitimate mental illness definition. Or the speech therapists who "cured" a friend of mine of his Louisiana accent at age eight. Or the number of surgeries, electroshock therapies, etc., which have been administered to make individual appearances and behaviours less "unnatural" and disturbing.

    My recommendation: get therapy. You have a mental illness, xenophobia. It's not natural. You yourself know that something is wrong with you, as you have taken steps to conceal it. Let's pray for a cure soon!

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  8. Will Kuano Reeves be in it? by Lumpy · · Score: 1

    I know I massacared his name...

    But Star trek excellent? I know bill and Ted adventures were funny, but I doubt that Mr. reeves will come back to play a dimwitted teenager in searh of excellence with his mighty guitar and badly knarled english...

    "Excellent Bill, hey captian, can we try that guitar riff at warp nine?"

    I know sensless drivel... but if any part of this supposed star trek series has the word excellent anywhere near it, the roddenberry family need to go on a axe-murder rampage....

    What's next? a TV series based on the Foundation series with bobcat Goldthwait and Carrot-top as the lead characters or better yet.. Gilbert Godfrey! he'd make a great alien!

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  9. Re:Powerlines on the bridge?? by Ronin+Developer · · Score: 1

    Well, according to the Star Tech technical manual (yeah..I've got one), all computer consoles consist of touch screen panel illuminated/powered by one of those plasma channels (sorta like a high energy conduit).

    The concept behind the panels includes a fully customizable set of controls and very high resolution display - all inside a thin plate of some material that has the appearance of a "Miracle Thaw" (and behaves like one when not powered up).

  10. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by Matty_ · · Score: 2

    It sounds like you are uncomfortable with gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. That's too bad for you, but there is help available. The majority of mental health professionals call that homophobia and are happy to help you overcome that anxiety.

    I'm gay and what you said is offensive. Just because you don't want to see "yucky" homosexuality on TV doesn't mean I don't. Maybe I want to see a gay character in Star Trek? After all, I loyally watched ST:TNG for many, many years.

    It's probably difficult for you to understand, as you think we're "yucky", but queers have to put up with straight poeple flaunting their sexuality in our faces every day.

    So, basically, asking to see ourselves portrayed on TV isn't asking much.

  11. Re:They've one-upped 'catdog'.. by Ronin+Developer · · Score: 1

    Dunno. Sponge Bob and Catdog are two of my kid's (age 4) favorite shows. There are infinitly worse shows on TV that these two (most of daytime TV, I supposes). At least Catdog teachs something about friendship and loyalty in a way that kids can understand.

    He likes Star Trek too, but never got into DS9. And, he loves to watch Will Smith dodge that "green %$&*" fired at him by the "bad aliens".

  12. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by bentonsmith · · Score: 1

    I do not require validation from a television series to feel good about myself. I feel good about myself anyway.

    I do require that people extend the same level of civility that common courtesy demands. You have proven yourself lacking in this regard.

    Why fear and loathe us? There are so many other reasons to hate people based on defects in the character.

    --
    -- benton.
  13. Re:You will never see them by Matty_ · · Score: 1

    Your point in well made, but I find it difficult to believe that Star Trek is geared towards children. Maybe.

    But I find it interesting to note that for many, many years in Indianapolis ST:TNG and DS9 were shown at night around 10:30 P.M. Of course, they did air each week's new episode on Saturdays around 6:00 P.M.

    I guess I'm not sure, but I would say that Star Trek is geared towards a wider audience than just children.

  14. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by fustflum · · Score: 1

    Ahh, but I am asexual...
    that is a *choice* so why cant homosexality be a choice too?

  15. Here, here. by Inoshiro · · Score: 1

    Didn't Picard have a male/male romance anyway?

    I know that Beverly had a delicious female/female thing once :-)

    --
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    Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
  16. Re:Star Trek by Telamon · · Score: 1

    Babylon5 and DS9 had one remarkable thing in common: They both sucked until the wars started (the war with the Dominion in DS9 and the Shadow War in B5.)

    Of course, when they go good, they were MUCH better than any but the best episodes of the other Star Trek series'. B5 was even better because it didn't stop every few episodes to do some stupid human interest/secondary-character character growth episode.

  17. Re:How about ST taking another 15-20 year break? by Ender2 · · Score: 1

    I belive your right. I've got two points to back up this statement. One absents makes the heart grow stronger. So maybe with a break will it will come back and everyone will like. Now please PLEASE I'm not trying start a flame war. Please everyone put down the fire hoses. But Look at Star Wars. There was a 25 year break and now everyone loves it again. Perhaps that is the way to go.

  18. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by alumshubby · · Score: 1

    How do you think a straight male would feel if guys kept flirting with him?

    He'd reconsider when it came time to re-up in the Navy.

    --
    "How many light bulbs does it take to change a person?" --BMcC-->
  19. Re:Ship Names & Intelligences by komet · · Score: 1

    So I gather Cmdr. Data isn't under the General Public Licence? Bad, bad, bad...

    --
    Any technology which is distinguishable from magic is not sufficiently advanced.
  20. Rumors Available on Mirror Site by SteveKrutzler · · Score: 1
    I have finally been able to get on and have posted the article in its entirety on TrekWeb.COM:

    New Series Rumors @ TrekWeb.COM

    --
    -Steve Krutzler TrekWeb.com -- THE source for everything TREK
  21. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by fustflum · · Score: 1

    hehe, not quite...
    i just dont have any lust...
    (... for humans that is... ooooh pi, fibanocci...)

  22. Re:New Series Ideas by dysprosium · · Score: 1

    Star Trek: Holodeck Island -- the name says it all.

    Hmmm...sounds good, but I don't know how the characters would respond to having Khan for a host. (or Soren, from Generations, if you go by the new series)

  23. Re:New Series Ideas by RobertEdwards · · Score: 1

    I always wanted a Love Boat Star Trek.

  24. Re:I have a plot idea for them... by FalseConsciousness · · Score: 1

    How about a revival of Space 1999! Even better series than Voyager!


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  25. Star Trek by J.+Pierpont · · Score: 1

    I love Star Trek, but it really is getting a little tired. DS9, Voyager. It's an unpleasant trend.

    -awc

    1. Re:Star Trek by Psiren · · Score: 1

      Really? I love them both. I think DS9 was very good... especially the 5th and 6th series. I've yet to see the final series (I'm in the UK and don't have Sky).

    2. Re:Star Trek by delmoi · · Score: 1

      no, YOU SUCK beyond all reason, j/k I liked b5, TNG was really fantastic. now, if you want a show that sucks beyond all reason, just look to voyager. it's as bad as any other cheesy syndicated action show
      "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

      --

      ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
    3. Re:Star Trek by J.+Pierpont · · Score: 1

      Actually, if you go back and watch the pre-Shadow War eps of B5 after seeing the whole series, they are really really interesting.

      -awc

    4. Re:Star Trek by barryp · · Score: 2

      Actually...if you go back and watch even the pilot movie, you'll find foreshadowing of the coming war. One specific bit to watch for: G'Kar offhandedly mentions that "there are no Narn telepaths". The entire first season is strewn with things that didn't seem to mean much when first seen, but after seeing the entire 5 years - have great significance.

      So it wasn't like they threw in a war to make things interesting (the way DS9 obviously did) - the entire series basically -was- the Shadow war..the leadup to it, the actual battles, and the aftermath (along with a few interesting asides).

      JMS (the creator) basically had the entire thing planned out, beginning to end, and that's what made B5 so great..a single pretty coherent vision of a BIG story. Unlike the Treks, which have become: what are we gonna do -this- week? (Although DS9 did break from that a bit, but it was still kind of hacked-together)

    5. Re:Star Trek by Ed+Avis · · Score: 1

      I think they should give the whole thing a rest, at least for another twenty years. And they could stop gratuitously hopping between centuries for each new series (DS9 excepted).

      But a prequel might be quite cool - I've always been interested in the 21st century portrayed in Encounter At Farpoint or First Contact.

      --
      -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
    6. Re:Star Trek by mong · · Score: 1

      Hmm, I agree... maybe. Personally, I feel that TNG was the worst of the "current" STs. Voyager had the same theme as TNG - Fly Round, Be nice... Only DS9 had anything approaching an "edge of seat" atmosphere. None of them, imho, had anything like the tension of B5's "Shadow Wars".

      Now, if the new series is all about tension on the frontier, not knowing what the "enemy" is going to do, then fine. But if it's "Lets fly randomly and hope we get to debate over our Prime Directive", then it's not.

      As a ship name, "Excellence" is alright I guess, but it simply doesn't work as the name of a TV show.

      Mong.

      * Paul Madley ...Student, Artist, Techie - Geek *

      --

      *...Slacker, Artist, Techie - Geek *
      Remember: Nothing is Cool.
    7. Re:Star Trek by Pjottum · · Score: 1

      How about:
      Star Trek: Babylon 5

      Remake bab5 with more money, better effects but the same story !

  26. Voyager by bgheen · · Score: 1

    Why do you people dislike Voyager so damn much? I thought the last season was very good. I was very scared when they realized they were in the Borg area of the Delta Quad. I think it would be very scary if they ventured to the Borg Homeworld like the great book, Star Trek The Return.

    -brandon

    --
    "when i needed you most, when i needed a friend, you let me down now, like i let you down then."
    1. Re:Voyager by bgheen · · Score: 1

      Bad writing? Its a TV show...and its not a Chris Carter TV show!!! what do you expect? I do agree though...its just very star trekish.

      --
      "when i needed you most, when i needed a friend, you let me down now, like i let you down then."
  27. Re:Star Trek: Plots by demi · · Score: 1

    There are three plots to choose from for TNG:

    * Evil Data
    * Stuck on Holodeck
    * Q

    Sometimes you can mix them, and have evil data on
    the holodeck.

    --
    demi
  28. Not sure if that title's right. by scrutty · · Score: 1
    As I read the article it only seemed to be suggesting that the Ships name was "Excellent" not the series. Because, as you so rightly pointed out Star Trek: Excellent sounds quite silly.

    After all, both the original series and TNG had no mention of the ship name in the series title.

    --
    -- Oh Well
  29. Duck and cover by Watcher · · Score: 2

    OK, I'm probably going to piss off a few folks here by saying this, but I just have to say it.

    Ever since Roddenbary died the series has been running on inertia. I would equate the lax plot and writing styles (nevermind the always shoddy Voyager series) to the malaise that set in under John Nathan Turner's tenure as Doctor Who's producer (might I add his tenure resulted in the death of that once fine series?). We have a producer (Berman) who seems more interested in flash and money than pushing the bounds of modern science fiction, which Roddenbery did so well during the original series and during the majority of TNG (you could see when Berman and co. really asserted their influence-the latter half of season 6 and season 7 of TNG were the worst of the lot). What Paramount needs is to get someone in there who really wants to get the franchise back on its feet and return it to its roots-well thought out and inventive stories. Instead I'm seeing more and more stories which rehash the series past without any real creative influx-anyone who remembers the last 9 years of Doctor Who (especially 1984-1989) and the new adventures will agree with me.

    1. Re:Duck and cover by Watcher · · Score: 1

      In the last two years JNT's overall influence on the series began to diminish against Andrew Cartmel's (the best person in Who duringthe 80s), and so some very good authors were recruited. I believe that if someone akin to Phillip Henchcliffe (producer during Tom Baker's best years) had been brought in, the series never would have died.

      The best thing a new Who series could do is abandon a lot of the older continuity, and return to the roots of an inventive sci fi series where anything goes. The moment a who author wrote himself into a box and decided something would not fly, the story died. Unless you had Tom Baker working as the Doctor, and even then things sometimes tanked.

    2. Re:Duck and cover by Just+H. · · Score: 1

      Roddenbary, alone - had insightful ideas. I cherished someo fhte ideas he brougth to the screen(s). Berman, on the other hand does has that plastic styrene feel about him, kind of cheesy glamour and cheap glitz time feel - very shalow.

      The two of them together in equal balance brought about some excellent work - Gene - with the intellectualstimulation and story line, and Rick, with the push and drive to satisfy the paramount folk to actually get some of Gene's stuff onto the screen.

      When Gene passed away, that tension between them that created such gems died with him. Berman has complete control and has jeapordized the future of Star Trek with Series like Voyager, and DS9. They are too plasticy, and targeted at 9 year old boys. There's very little thought required to view one of these shows - which is what Paramount wants, which is what Berman delivers - and gets paid handomley to do so.

      As someone else here on slashdot stated, some of the TNG episodes were timeless and thought provoking ("All good things" comes to mind). They let you really get a feel for the characters struggles.

      Well' that's enoguh Rambling. I agree with the poster - Berman is a problem - he might think he's got his heart in the right place, but he's going about it all the wrong way.

      H.

  30. Re:Ever notice.. by kaphka · · Score: 1

    I'm glad somebody else remembers this, but it was the Preservers, not the Precursers.

    --

    MSK

  31. Mr Chekov, Prepare the Giga Slave Array by Zagato-sama · · Score: 1

    Hmm.. how long before Naga shows up? O.O

  32. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Cironian · · Score: 1

    > The crew finding an unknown piece of alien technology, and immediately knowing how to operate it/reprogram the computer

    Thats actually quite trivial. They only have to figure out whether the alien race belongs/belonged to the good or the bad guys. Group one uses Unix, so they take some time to compile their favorite tools but then can work very quickly. Group two uses Windows - Which are usually the episodes where the person at the keyboard is heard saying "Almost got it. One more minute, I have nearly figured it out. Damn, Bluescreen!"

  33. Space, the final marketing gimmick by Szoup · · Score: 1

    I am just as much of an ST fan as the next pointy eared fool, all the way back to the original, but I have to ask if I'm the only feeling like it's time this all saw the closing curtain. Doesn't the phrase "water from a stone" come into anyone else's mind reading about this?

  34. Now THAT is funny! by RatBastard · · Score: 1

    Good one. Very funny.

    --
    Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
  35. It could never happen... by kaphka · · Score: 1

    If the series is set in Star Trek's past, how can they invent a never-before-seen technology to save them at the end of the episode?

    --

    MSK

  36. I love start trek, but..... by gspencley · · Score: 1

    This is getting ridiculus! (i know that isn't spelled right). It started losing it's appeal after Deep space 9.

  37. Star Trek Anime? by Static · · Score: 1

    Well at least titles like that would work for Slayers.

  38. ST: Enema by poink · · Score: 1

    Star Trek: Enema would be more interesting than Voyager. The plot lines in ST:V were hokey, and the dialog wasn't very belivable.

    1. Re:ST: Enema by Ronin+Developer · · Score: 1

      As a former Naval officer, I found the differences between ST:NG and ST:V staggering.
      The "professionalism" supposedly shown by Janeway left much to be desired. If they are going to continue with the ST series, get a bridge crew worthy of the name. And, for Pete's sake, get someone like Patrick Stewart for the job of ships captain. I found him more a ship's captain (and a far better actor) than any of the others.

    2. Re:ST: Enema by JordanH · · Score: 1
      There is occasionally a ST:V or ST:DS9 episode that's worthwhile.

      It's frustrating, because most of them are such dreck. And, how many start out interesting and develop well only to have a really cheesy ending that wraps everything up in the last 2 minutes?

      It's getting to be not worth it anymore.

    3. Re:ST: Enema by Ronin+Developer · · Score: 1

      I agree, there are a few good ST:V and DS9 episodes. Most of the good ST:V ones involved Kess (older episodes). They're even allowing Ens. Kim to grow up a bit.

      What irks me the most about ST:V is that Janeway makes so many unrealistic decisions. No one with any common sense would make the decisions she does with regards to her crew. She just doesn't have "command presense".

      But, regardless, I still watch it just to get my ST fix of futuristic optimism.

    4. Re:ST: Enema by Ed+Avis · · Score: 1
      There is occasionally a ST:V or ST:DS9 episode that's worthwhile. It's frustrating, because most of them are such dreck.

      That would be Star Dreck, I suppose.

      --
      -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
    5. Re:ST: Enema by JordanH · · Score: 1
      That would be Star Dreck, I suppose.

      I was thinking Dreck Trek would be more appropriate.

    6. Re:ST: Enema by Ed+Avis · · Score: 1

      I wish they would make them shorter. 45 minutes is far too long for any amount of action they manage to fit into the typical episode. It would be much more pleasant to cut out most of the cheesy 'personality' bits and make snappy 25-minute episodes, with maybe the occasional hour-long special where the plot really justifies it.

      --
      -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
  39. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by Matty_ · · Score: 1

    We don't suffer from a "condition" any more than a black person suffers from their skin color.

    I have a real problem with your statement that gay people don't propogate. That's an incredibly short-sighted statement to make. Just because someone is gay doesn't mean that he/she doesn't want children. There are non-traditional ways of having babies.

    We've existed all throughout time, and will always be here.

  40. Needs some fixing by Skyshadow · · Score: 2
    OK:

    What happens after six months? It seems to me when the Federation's horde of Defiant-class starships show up and beat the living daylights out of everything in the quadrant (pursuant to the prime directive, of course), the meat of the story would be gone. Not a recipe for a long-running series (unless of course they get blasted into the Epsilon quadrant or the prophets disappear the Fed fleet or whatever).

    Also: The USS Excellent? What, is this in homage to that 20th century classic Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure? How about the USS Homicidal Insanity, the USS Asswhupper? Hell, why not just have the Enterprise show up and save the day (neither the Voyager nor the Defiant look as cool as the old Galaxy class did).

    In any case, so long as they don't wait three or four series to get cool like the last three series have, this plot looks promising.

    ----

    --
    Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
    1. Re:Needs some fixing by barryp · · Score: 1

      USS Excellent, led by Captain Wayne Campbell, and his science officer G'Arth - on a five year mission to map gaseous anomalies...NOT! More like: find some hot alien babes and bring the legendary music of Aerosmith to them. No way? way! Party on then!

    2. Re:Needs some fixing by eddiec · · Score: 1

      If they want to get a more interesting name than "Excellent" they should ask Iain M. Banks to supply them with a few choices. His ship names include GSV No More Mr Nice Guy, GSV So Much For Subtlety, Superlifter Kiss My Ass, GCU I Thought He Was With You, GCU What Are The Civilian Applications? and GCU Funny, It Worked Last Time..., so I'm sure he could come up with a suitable alternative. As for the basic plot line the article describes, well there are plenty of reasons why the Federation might not decide to send in the hordes of ships, such as having just got over 2-3 wars in recent years, and hence a shortage of ships and personnel, not wishing to lose Federation personnel in a 'foreign' war, lukewarm support in the Federation Council, etc. The interesting thing about this kind of storyline, is that it gives a chance to have an extended storyline, with some real plot development, and get away from the 'alien/spatial anomoly of the week then hit the reset button' type of episode.

    3. Re:Needs some fixing by awrc · · Score: 1

      My personal favourite was GCU Ultimate Ship The Second. There's a full list of Banks' ship names to be found here. They make the naming conventions of ships in most SF series (including the various Treks) seems rather limp and uninspired.

    4. Re:Needs some fixing by wabewalker · · Score: 1

      I also like ``Just Read the Instructions,'' ``Not Invented Here,'' or how about ``The Anticipation of a New Lover's Arrival''?

      One could view ST (disclaimer: I was never able to see any other series than TNG and some early DS9) as the ideal future for Mankind. It's nice but somehow I'd prefer the Culture. Oh, and the Culture does *not* have a prime directive!

      --
      --- Premature complacency is the evil of all roots
    5. Re:Needs some fixing by fcw · · Score: 1

      The story said that the Excellent would be by itself for six months -- then what? The USS Pretty Good relieves it?

      Not that this sounds like a thinly-veiled remake of DS9, oh no. But it is convenient that the writers of that show are, er, available.

  41. Star Trek: Plots by rde · · Score: 4
    I'm at the stage where I don't give a shit what they call the series, as long as it doesn't have the following:

    Holodeck mishaps that lead to danger and amusing adventures

    Technobabble to cover up piss-poor plots

    Major Kira

    Incredibly powerful technology that's a plot device one week and never mentioned again

    Major Kira

    A brand-new alien race that's vaguely based on an old earth culture

    Episodes written by more than eight people

    1. Re:Star Trek: Plots by hawk · · Score: 1

      >That extention of the Foundation series by
      >someone other than Issac Asimov.

      That extension of the Foundation Trilogy into a purported series by Isaac Asimov :)

    2. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Chandon+Seldon · · Score: 1

      That still doesn't explain away the fact that a joystick simply doesn't provide enough controls to effectively control a ship in 3 dementional space (You need at least for axies of motion, that joystick provided two).

      --
      -- The act of censorship is always worse than whatever is being censored. Always.
    3. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Andreas+Bombe · · Score: 1

      > To effectively control a airplane (spaceships are a little bit different, but for an airplane) you need 4 "range of motion" controls, and a whole bunch of buttons.

      Then so be it. Hey, they control real spaceships with joysticks. Try to find pictures of the control consoles used in the Apollo mission spaceships (sorry, don't have an URL handy).

      My point was that analog control is just a lot more accurate than digital button pressing. Not to mention that you can control a lot of functions with one hand staying on the joystick. As opposed to hitting different buttons. Even the simplest joystick gives you the equivalent of four buttons.

      The number of jets don't really matter, because that has to be controlled by computer anyway. What I was talking about is how to tell the computer what to do.

    4. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Chandon+Seldon · · Score: 1

      To tell you the truth, I beat Microsoft Fury III using only my keyboard as a control.

      To effectively control a airplane (spaceships are a little bit different, but for an airplane) you need 4 "range of motion" controls, and a whole bunch of buttons. The best joystick I ever used only provided 3 "Range" controls and 4 buttons. (The range controls you need are Up-down left-right faster-slower and leftspin-rightspin) you just can't control an airplane well with only a joystick (even in an actual fighter jet, you have up, down, left, right, in, out, and two petals).

      For a large spaceship, things are significantly more complex, because you have to control (most likely) hundreds of different jets to control what's happening to the ship, and you just plain can't make 180 degree turns quickly. For a small "figher class" spaceship, the problems are similar, although you don't have as many jets. In space, any movement has to take into account a large number of variables, and exactly what is to be done must eithor be painfully calculated out by hand, or left to a computer to do. Especially in a difficult situation, you better just let the computer handle it. I don't even see how you could configure a joystick to control something as complex as a Soverign class starship...

      --
      -- The act of censorship is always worse than whatever is being censored. Always.
    5. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Chandon+Seldon · · Score: 1

      Nah, as you said, they couldn't even power the thing up, so there's no chance they could have studied the internal computer system, figured out how the mother ship worked, found a security hole, and designed a virus. Also, they most assuredly couldn't have delivered that virus from a *Powerbook*.

      --
      -- The act of censorship is always worse than whatever is being censored. Always.
    6. Re:Star Trek: Plots by kaphka · · Score: 1

      "General lameness in science/technology..the writers obviously don't know or care about sci/tech, and the fact that they write scripts and fill in techie-sounding words later shows their disdain/lack of interest in science - which is pretty sad given it's a sci-fi show."

      My respect for Star Trek (except the original) declined rapidly as I grew up, but I think the nail in the coffin was when I read a little of the script for "Insurrection" online. Here's a quote:

      "...they inject something into the rings that starts a [TECH] reaction. After it's over, the planet will be unlivable for generations."

      There's the science behind Star Trek. (It's not an isolated example, by the way, the script is full of it.)

      --

      MSK

    7. Re:Star Trek: Plots by rve · · Score: 1

      Yeah!

      And the next time they're reading elevated neutrino levels or quantum fluctuations, I demand to know how they do it.

      And about those transporters: why hasn't the issue of morality regarding these devices ever been raised? Essentially every time someone is transported, he/she is murdered, disintegrated on the spot, and with the energy released in your destruction, an identical copy of you is made elsewhere. It's like "I didn't really murder him, your honor, because I cloned him in the process!"

    8. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Julius+X · · Score: 1

      Um, if you look at the specifications for a Soverign class ship, it is indeed smaller than the older Galaxy class. The Galaxy class was also classified as an Explorer, not a Cruiser or Warship, and ships designated as Explorers are the largest in the fleet. The Soverign is longer in overall length, but in number of decks and sq. footage, is much smaller.

      Cliff Palmer, Jr.

      --

      -Julius X
      remove "-whatkindofspamdoyoutakemefor-" from email to send
    9. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Tardigrade · · Score: 1

      The Independence day virus has at least some scientific credibility, as they had a ship (presumably, since the aliens didn't seem to alter their hardware/software while in transit) with the aliens tech to study for 50 years. Still highly unlikely (as they couldn't figure out how to power it up, but possible.

    10. Re:Star Trek: Plots by johnnie · · Score: 1

      Uh, i think you forgot Major Kira there...
      (she never was as cute as Jadzia Dax anyhoo... mmm... spots :)

      at any rate, i think that a new Trek series is a Good Thing, my criteria basically being, uh, well, that it is Trek.

      huh. go figure.


      "Respect was invented to fill the space where love should be." - Anna Karenina

      --
      Don't ask. Go see.
    11. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Fastolfe · · Score: 1

      Haha.. I'd love to see that happen. Everyone's technology is always so 100% stable.. surely there are some races where the equivalent of Microsoft has taken over.

      "Can you shut down the dampening field?"

      "Hold on, their user interface is so archaic, I'm having trouble locating the control mechanism."

      "Hurry, the structure's about to collapse!"

      "Hmm.. What is an 'invalid page fault'? I think it's telling me the dampening field subsystem is shutting down because of it. Oh crap, the interface just froze up. I'm locked out! It must be some sort of security system!" *boom!!*

    12. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Fastolfe · · Score: 2

      Heh; agreed.

      I've read a few sci-fi books in my time and those that deal with this type of transportation invariably bring up those issues.

      Though, from what I've read, in the Star Trek universe, the transporters capture every single bit of information about the matter that makes up the person as is possible, right down to the energy levels, *spins* of the particles, orientation of the molecules, etc. It then re-assembles everything *precisely* as it was before.

      So I guess it all boils down to whether or not you believe a person has a "soul" or if they're just the sum of their component atoms and molecules and energy states.

      Of course, it's all fiction anyways, but it's always fun to poke holes into it and try to patch them up again.

    13. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Fastolfe · · Score: 1

      Of course, you say that now, but won't you feel dumb when we discover that time travel and parallel realities are all commonplace and our future is just a mish-mash of people and places and times. :)

    14. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Szoup · · Score: 1
      You forgot one:

      Major Kira

      It's a shame all of this will come to pass, eh?

    15. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Captain+Comet · · Score: 1

      uhm The Soverign Class vessel is Starfleets newest ship. She is the largest in the fleet, fastest, and equiped with the biggest, best and most guns and torpedos. The technology involved with them is many steps up from a Galaxy class starship, which seemed to have some interesting flaws, the main one being it was not a warship and was never intended to be. The Galaxy class is smaller, and much less armed. The main difference between the two ships is the Soverign Class is a ship of war, designed to eradicate Borg and Dominion forces in short order. The Galaxy class is a ship of exploration, and if need be a flagship for a task force. also the Soverign and Galaxy class ships are several times larger than the Defiant class vessel

    16. Re:Star Trek: Plots by shambler+snack · · Score: 3
      Other plot gimmicks and "features" worth excluding:
      • Westley Crusher saves his ass.
      • Westley Crusher saves his virginity.
      • Westley Crusher saves the day.
      • Westley Crusher saves the ship.
      • Westley Crusher saves the planet.
      • Westley Crusher saves life as we know it.
      • Beverly Crusher fawning all over Westley.
      • Beverly Crusher jepardizing Federation interests in pursuit of her ideals.
      • Any episodes where they have to eat meal worms.
      • Any alien creatures with speed-bumps on their foreheads.
      • Any alien creatures that look like they've all been hit in the nose too many times.
      • Any alien creatures that can't say anything more than "We find things".
      • Any alien creatures that look like warmed-over Star Wars characters from Return of the Jedi and are seemingly named after a French cheese.

    17. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Andreas+Bombe · · Score: 1

      > Controlling a Galaxy class starship with a joystick.

      Hm. I think it's rather strange that they do *not* use more joysticks. For standard situations it's alright, punch in the coordinates and start the autopilot. But in battle situations? Does anyone like to control a combat flight simulator with keyboard alone? Probably a Galaxy class ship would be too big for fast maneuvers, but at least shuttles and fighters would be hard to control in battle by touching symbols.

      Sure, the manual control == joystick in the movie was a bit ridiculous, but it was funny and Riker looked really cool using it :-)

    18. Re:Star Trek: Plots by barryp · · Score: 1

      If Starfleet would just put the guys who do the Artificial gravity (their motto: "we -never- fail") in charge of transporters - the Federation would be unstoppable :)

    19. Re:Star Trek: Plots by jamesoutlaw · · Score: 1

      and none of those stale plots involving time travel. how many of the "voyager" story lines were resolved by traveling back in time or to a "parallel reality"? enough is enough.

    20. Re:Star Trek: Plots by stark^ · · Score: 1

      Yeah, the thing that really gets me is that they have all this pointless techo techno babble. I saw on ep yesterday where Voyager had been over run by that 'hunter race' - bad copy of a Klingon anyone? - and they were using the holodecks to simulate hunts. In the end they had to blow the whole hollow system to shut it down..... Obviously they haven't heard of Kill [proc ID]

      I bet if they used decent OSes on their ships they would run out of plot lines

      END FAMEBAIT

      later
      Tim

      --
      -- "Don't you just hate it when people put witty quotes in their sig files...."
    21. Re:Star Trek: Plots by KevCo · · Score: 1
      Exactly! I haven't watched alot of Voyager but I've always felt that they encountered far too many space-time anomalies in NG.

      (and I also second no more Wesley)

    22. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      How about any episode where they get to dress up in old costumes (usually, for some obscure reason or other, as cowboys). And surely Major Kira (who is actually quite sexy in a strict but fair kind of a way) can't measure up to Neelix, The Most Irritating Creature In The Universe?

    23. Re:Star Trek: Plots by barryp · · Score: 2
      Also, no more:
      • Tetryon beams...I swear ever third show or so of TNG, DS9, and Voyager has had some crisis resolved by someone suggesting: "If we could just generate a phased/modulated/inverted tetyron beam, that would blah blah blah." I wish ST scripts were online somewhere, so I could search and find out how many times they've done that.
      • Countdowns...a favorite plot device of ST writers. "Sir, we will be stone cold dead in exactly 13 seconds! 13, 12, 11,..."
      • The crew finding an unknown piece of alien technology, and immediately knowing how to operate it/reprogram the computer
      • Episodes made up of a major, and a minor, but barely if ever related storys..TNG was terrible about this: "War breaks out with the Klingons! and Data struggles with litterbox training Spot..on the next exciting episode of..". It's like they couldn't get one decent idea, so would glom two half-assed ones together.
      • Transporters breaking down at critical moments..fix the damn things!
      • Idiot admirals giving riduculous orders (a favorite of TNG again)
      • exploding bridge consoles...does Starfleet build them with pyrotechnics already installed? They're just computers for chrissakes..why is anything combustable in them?
      • General lameness in science/technology..the writers obviously don't know or care about sci/tech, and the fact that they write scripts and fill in techie-sounding words later shows their disdain/lack of interest in science - which is pretty sad given it's a sci-fi show.
        • Barry
    24. Re:Star Trek: Plots by jandrese · · Score: 2

      I always figured they were more or less like CRTs today when you shove 1000s of watts through them (IE by phaser fire). Of course 90% of Star Trek injuries could be prevented with a simple 50 cent fuse...

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
    25. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Black+Parrot · · Score: 2

      In the original, I couldn't brook a story line where every time an unknown and presumably dangerous planet was found, the Captain and his top officers immediately beamed down to check it out.

      Also, it was kinda lame to know in advance that if ever a previously unseen crew member beamed down with them, he was going to die.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    26. Re:Star Trek: Plots by neuroid · · Score: 1

      "exploding bridge consoles...does Starfleet build them with pyrotechnics already installed? They're just computers for chrissakes..why is anything combustable in them?"

      Obviously you've never had a power supply or monitor go *really* bad on you... ;-)

    27. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Surak · · Score: 1

      There are no longer any Star Trek shows with Major Kira. Its Colonel Kira to you. :) {ducking}

      BTW--you list had me ROFLing... Its absolutely true! Too many stupid plots recently. And when you see this stupid plots, you see "Written by" in the credits, and after that the credits never seem to end! Some of them are bad enough to be shorts for MST3K (RIP).

    28. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Chandon+Seldon · · Score: 1

      More Lamitude to not include:
      Not nessisarily just from StarTrek eithor.

      • Controlling a Galaxy class starship with a joystick.
      • Screwing up realy neat plotlines with crap. (This happens so damn frequently in SciFi, I hate it. Example: The "Leader Female" of the Borg; Example: Star Wars, The Phantom Menace; Example: That extention of the Foundation series by someone other than Issac Asimov.)
      • Screwing up an alien invasion by infecting their computer with a virus. (Most well known: "Independance Day")
      • Obvious misunderstanding of current scientific theory.
      • Soap Operas. These should be obviously marked as such so I don't watch them by mistake.

      --
      -- The act of censorship is always worse than whatever is being censored. Always.
    29. Re:Star Trek: Plots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      Even with all those problems ST:TNG (along with classic trek) is still the best IMHO. Why?

      • Compelling characters
      • THEY DID NOT RELY ON THE TECH!!! - tech was a means to an end and an acessory to the story (with some exceptions)
      • STORY STORY STORY!!! TNG had some great story concepts - "Ship in a Bottle", and some excellent moral & ethical explorations (Voyager is just a hollow re-hash of these concepts)

      I thing Trek is past its prime. It seems that DS9 was going nowhere until the writers followed B5's lead in creating a coherent story arc. Oh well, the best SF for the eighties/early ninties is ST:TNG, for the rest of the nineties it's B5.

      Respectfully,

      Kevin Christie

      kwchri@maila.wm.edu

    30. Re:Star Trek: Plots by PG13 · · Score: 1

      As long as they don't "punch out" of an event horizon again I will be happy.

      At least give some technobable explanation not "if we hit it really hard then we will break out"

      --
      Marriage is the "pseudo-ethics" that cloaks the messy truth of sexuality in the raiment of propriety -- it's "Don't Ask,
  42. Star Trek: New Frontier by bgheen · · Score: 1

    Anyone read the Star Trek: New Frontier books? They are great. Great plot and by far the best crew. The captain has Picard's ability with Sisco's strength. Why don't they make a series based off this? Oh wait...this is pretty close. Hmm...lets hope they have a great crew! The Crew saved DS9!

    -brandon

    --
    "when i needed you most, when i needed a friend, you let me down now, like i let you down then."
    1. Re:Star Trek: New Frontier by bgheen · · Score: 1

      I believe Worf was in your TNG aswell....infact he was so POPULAR that he came to DS9 to appease the fans...

      BTW: i loved TNG:) did you catch that great marathon on UPN50 on sunday????


      -brandon

      --
      "when i needed you most, when i needed a friend, you let me down now, like i let you down then."
  43. Exactly by hawk · · Score: 1

    Anyone who's never had sparks or fires from their electronics, and can't tell what type of component is burning by the smell, just isn't pushing them hard enough :)

    hawk, who was nonetheless surprised to find yout that you really do get thrown across the room for touching the coils on a 9" crt . . .

  44. Bones on TRO by hawk · · Score: 1

    On TRO (The Real One), that's a constant issue with McCoy. But the budget didn't allow shuttles until the second season, so he spent a lot of time in them anyway. (For that matter, the transporter exists because the special effects for landing the ship each week were too expensive . . .)

  45. Star Trek Excellent? by MassacrE · · Score: 1

    (Heard about the USS Wyld Stallyn) Captain Bill:Whoa, you totally bones that Klingon in the Head, First Officer Ted! First Officer Ted: Yeah, he was a real bonehead!

  46. Re:The Star Trek series I'd like to see by hawk · · Score: 2

    >TOS covered the Federation when it was already mature

    umm, how do you define "mature" in a manner that allows sending Kirk around the galaxy in a heavily armed ship? :)

    That was the real problem with the newer series: they introduced adult supervision:)

  47. Bridge Crew. by Static · · Score: 1
    I've begun wondering about the way the bridge crew. Clearly there's a second and third shift when the regular lot need to sleep, eat and just not be on the bridge. So why is there only one main bridge crew with all the character and abilities? They should all have experience at working with second studies!

    Apart from that, Voyager is pretty good. (But I'm several seasons behind... :-)

  48. See the Federation from the outside. by Static · · Score: 1
    Of course, that depends on your definition of "outside"... :-)

    Something that explores the life of the Galaxy in more depth and gritty non-Starfleet life would be intriuging. I think they'd have to do a lot of work, but, to set it up. Maybe they could hire J Michael Stryczinski (sp?) to help.

    Static.

  49. Troy McClure? by David+Gould · · Score: 1


    "I thought you said he was dead!"

    "No, I said he was sleeping with the fishes..."


    David Gould

    --
    David Gould
    main(i){putchar(340056100>>(i-1)*5&31|!!(i<6)<< 6)&&main(++i);}
  50. voyager,TNG,ds9 all in the 24'th century by delmoi · · Score: 1

    They all take place in the same time period.
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

    --

    ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
  51. Re:It'd be cool if by gpm · · Score: 1

    Why does the universal translator work for every language encountered but not work for Klingon?

  52. hrmm slayers in space? by justbob · · Score: 1

    Well i hope a law suit goes on. This is kinda blatently ripped off the comedy/action series The slayers. Its a japanesse animation that is on the second series here in the states called slayers next. I hear they have a third seson going on in japan called slayers excellent. prob just a coincidence but all the voices in my head can't be wrong can they?

    1. Re:hrmm slayers in space? by pelrun · · Score: 1

      Hehe. I just KNEW someone would derive a Slayers reference (fyi, the different series and movies have the following names - Perfect, Great, Excellent, Next, Gorgeous - they must have picked up an english thesaurus and looked up "superlative"...) :)

  53. Star Trek Excellent by ajs · · Score: 1

    "Star Trek! Excellent! Party Time!"

    "Let's welcome out first guest ``the borg chick from First Contact.'' Scha-wing!"

  54. Re:Ever notice.. by Taliesin · · Score: 1

    Heh, Precursors was from a computer game. Ack, I can't think of the name, but it was in a series, I think three games. Typically, you has a Precursor vehicle and you went around talking to various races, getting resources, artifacts, etc. The Ur-Quan were evil, at least some of them, some of the time. Star Control, I think.

  55. beacuse it's terrible by delmoi · · Score: 1

    low production values (the amount of money spent to make it), bad acting, and terrible writing.

    it's a bad show, and does a huge disservice to the star-track story :(
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

    --

    ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
  56. Re:how is that posible? by Andreas+Bombe · · Score: 1

    The Milky Way is 100,000 light years in diameter. It is in the part where we are 650 light years thick. So if you are going to divide into big chunks you can just as well leave away the third dimension. If you want more granularity the quadrants are way too big.

  57. whoh!! by delmoi · · Score: 1

    More proof that Neo == Ted (or was that bill, whatever)
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

    --

    ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
  58. how is that posible? by delmoi · · Score: 1

    How can you devide 3d space into only 4 quadrents? (in a similar way to the x-y grid)
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

    --

    ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
    1. Re:how is that posible? by Andreas+Bombe · · Score: 1

      > How can you devide 3d space into only 4 quadrents?

      Because our galaxy is basically flat and not much in 3D?

    2. Re:how is that posible? by Fastolfe · · Score: 2

      Look at our galaxy from the top (so it looks like a giant circle) and divide it into 4 pie slices. Each slice isn't two-dimensional, but it still ends up cutting the 3D galaxy into 4 manageable chunks. That's how they do it in the Star Trek universe.

      Of course what *I* want to know is how they deal with moving borders. Our galaxy is hardly keeping still, with the outer edges moving slower than areas nearer to the core. After a few years (hundred years, thousand, whatever), the "quadrants" will start getting swirled around unless they keep re-adjusting the borders.

    3. Re:how is that posible? by Ronin+Developer · · Score: 1

      Especially if you watch too much TV.

      Actually, in the original series, they address this problem by stating that "quadrant" sounded cool. They never thought people would take it literally.

      And, if anyone's counting, I think superstring theory is based on twenty three dimensions that collapsed into four.

  59. Re:The Star Trek series I'd like to see by bgheen · · Score: 1

    Yeah i wonder why Earth is the center? Wasn't Vulcan where it all started? also the new rts game tells the story of the beggining of the Federation.

    -brandon

    --
    "when i needed you most, when i needed a friend, you let me down now, like i let you down then."
  60. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by Matty_ · · Score: 1

    Are you an expert?

    Because the REAL experts say otherwise. The American Psychiatric Association took homosexuality off their list of mental disorders in 1973. In 1975 the American Psychological Associate passed a resolution supporting the action.

    They did this because homosexuality is not associated with emotional or social problems. In other words, we have normals lives. That's why you can't compare us to people with ADD or schizophrenia. Something isn't a mental disorder *just* because of something chemically wrong inside our bodies. If that were true then we'd all be mentally disturbed by your definition.

  61. Re:So what? by cmholm · · Score: 1

    My gullibility needed an outlet, and it turns out that zoning on Star Trek Rev X.X is a lot cheaper than Scientology.

    --
    Luke, help me take this mask off ... Just for once, let me butterfly kiss you with my own eyes.
  62. New Series? by Trekologer · · Score: 1

    I too am a little tired of the crap coming from DS9/Voyager. I would like to see a series like what Star Trek 2 (the series which turned into Star Trek: The Motion Picture) was supposed to be. The time between TMP and TWOK would be good. It would be hard considering DeForrest Kelley is dead and all the other stars are very much over the hill.. If you didn't focus on the Enterprise but another ship instead, that could be possible.


  63. Re:Another plot idea to liven up Star Trek's plots by mOdQuArK! · · Score: 1

    That's funny - I didn't even realize that such a series ever existed when I picked my nick.

    Actually, although the scenario I put together sounds like a parody/comedy, it doesn't necessary HAVE to be - I was thinking more along the lines of: crew of "average" beings (rather than the cream-of-the-crop which all StarFleet personnel supposedly are), somehow scraped together the resources to get their own starship (perhaps they own it communally and they're always trying to scrape together enough credits to make the mortgage payment).

    They might not get along too well with each other, but they're all stuck with each other because of the financial obligations. They're always looking for the "big score", and willing to take a few chances (both physically & legally) to get it.

    Anyway, there's lots of opportunities with a setup like that. I just get tired of seeing series where the main characters are always some kind of "elite", and they save the universe every other week. I'd like to see something where you stick a bunch of people like myself & my friends, with all the slovenly, neurotic & irrational behaviors we have, & put them into a science-fiction situation somewhere (hopefully, they have a chance to survive :)

    On the funny side, you could have their weapons system running on Windows 30001 "damnit, another BSOD - hit ctrl-alt-del fast, we need those weapons!"

  64. Re:I really doubt this story by def · · Score: 1

    I'm guessing they were slashdotted and took it down, but it's back now (many days later...)

    --
    WRCT Pittsburgh, 88.3FM
  65. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by gig · · Score: 1

    Wow. You better check yourself. A guy wonders why everybody on Star Trek is straight and suddenly you're talking about "immoral fags spouting their bs philosophy while they blow each other in space"? Get some help, man. I know it's tough to be straight and all, but please!

    Go read Nichelle Nicols biography and check out some of the hate mail she received when she was playing Uhura on the original series. That's you, brother. You "watch TV to be entertained", you don't want some "community's agenda" interfering with that. You're part of the "HUGE majority of Americans" who are "normal".

    Man, even the fact that the characters in the original series could use technology without wearing glasses and pocket protectors was cutting edge stuff for the time. Where is the challenge in today's Star Trek? The leadership, the vision, the UNEXPECTED? Slashdot's opinion on Star Trek today seems to be "too bland". Your response: make it blander, gimme more of the same. Today's Star Trek has been Fortune 500 approved for saleability and cross-marketability.

    And it has to be said: the guy in the dress wasn't necessarily gay, same as women in pants aren't necessarily lesbian. A hundred years ago women couldn't wear pants, but three or four hundred years from now men can't wear skirts?

    >How will spacemen in dresses entertain the
    >majority of the population?

    They wouldn't. But talented, happy, productive characters who also happen to be homosexual might entertain them by opening their minds ... showing them something that might be (unfortunately) new to them.

  66. Re:I didn't want to get dragged into this, but... by ralphclark · · Score: 1

    ...is an adaptation to an outside stimulus. So is homosexuality

    Actually that's a fairly poor (though common) misinterpretation of how genetics is thought to operate. According to Dawkins, genes are the fundamental operator on adaptation, but they don't code for behaviour that "intentionally" abandons all reproductive opportunities, nor for any other altruistic behaviour, ie. self-sacrifice for the sake of one's distant kin. It's easily proven; a gene that results in an altruistic behaviour which effectively removes itself from the gene pool (eg a homosexual gene) will not be able to propagate itself, it is effectively committing suicide. Even if it has a beneficial effect on the population at large it is completely cut off from the positive effects of its own actions.

    The only exception to this is self-sacrifice which directly benefits one's own direct descendants.

    Don't take my word for it, go and read Richard Dawkins somewhat more deeply than you did before. His only serious critic is Steven Jay Gould but even he doesn't appear to contend this particular issue.

    To summarize: homosexuality is not a positive adaptation in any respect. It is just one of thousands of possible maladaptations (we all have some of them).
    Consciousness is not what it thinks it is
    Thought exists only as an abstraction

  67. Powerlines on the bridge?? by delmoi · · Score: 1

    Why do they always have to put exsploding thigngs on the bridge to burn people? why don't they just put them somewhere else?? I mean, the only power they need near the bridge is to run there little TVs and stuff. That always irritated me...
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

    --

    ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
  68. Anything that replaces Voyager... by aonaran · · Score: 1

    is fine by me!

  69. You've got bad karma, man.... by delmoi · · Score: 1

    it's down to -31 points... if you don't do somthing to get moderated back up, you're posts will always start out at -1... I don't know, I think this system is just a bit *to* sensitive...
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

    --

    ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
  70. Kira's "evil twin" was bi by delmoi · · Score: 1

    and very hot to :)
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

    --

    ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
  71. Consistency? by Craig+Maloney · · Score: 1

    You expect consistency from a show that in it's previous incarnations (fondly referred to as "The Old Series") routinely killed off "The Red Shirt" (Let's put together the away team. Bones, Spock, Checkov, and McDeadGuy, meet me in transporter room three) Kids, it's a television show. Of course the good guys are going to pull something out of their proverbial ass at the last minute. (Oh, wait. I think I can just screw with he plot continuum, and the good guys (that's us) will live to see another day, just like the beginning of the show!) It allows them to syndicate it just like Three's Company, and show the episodes in whatever order they want, so only their hair style shows what season it's in. I'm just waiting for the movie where Jean Luc looses the rent money, and has to pretend he's gay so Admiral Ralph Furley doesn't suspect he's sleeping with Bev Crusher.

  72. Lesbianism in DS9 by delmoi · · Score: 1

    Kira's "evil twin" character was bi, and had quite the hedonist. There was also one or two eppisodes where Dax ran into an old lover of Kerzon's (sp?) who was female.
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

    --

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  73. We killed it? by baboin · · Score: 1

    With all these hundreds of comments, I imagine we lowly SlashDot readers 86'ed (or 8086ed?) the server containing the ST:Excellent story...why else would it suddenly go tits-up (or is that slash-dot?) after breaking news we Trek zombies would kill to read first-hand...

    "ST is the McDonald's of science-fiction." -- David Gerrold, in Ellison's delicious "City on the Edge of Forever"

  74. also... by delmoi · · Score: 1

    sorry, I also wanted to mention that lesbianism is much more acsepted by American sociity then Male homosexuality. probably beacuse guys get off on it :)
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

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  75. Conditions and suffering by delmoi · · Score: 1

    Well, a black person in the first half of this century could be said to be 'suffering' due to there skin color, witch is defnetly a 'condition'

    anyway, Gays can't reporduce unless they do somthing that they don't really want to do (from what I understand), so it is most certanly a genetic 'flaw'. With homosexuality becoming more acsepted, less and less gay people will be having childern. it may be removed by the 24th century
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

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  76. It'd be cool if by RoLlEr_CoAsTeR · · Score: 4

    Star Trek aliens had makeup on something more than their faces/necks. I realize this will likely be moderated Flamebait, and so be it, but honestly, I find their aliens/races rather uninteresting.

    Furthermore, it seems that they mix at will, and the mixing doesn't do much to produce a more exciting race, and the ony way you can tell the difference is if you watch the show more than once, or memorize all the different tattoes they like to wear. Or their big hair and ridged foreheads (re: Klingons).

    I'm not saying Star Trek isn't a good show, because I like it and I used to watch it every day (back in the days when I watched T.V.) but I don't anymore, and I love Star Wars a heck of a lot more than I like Star Trek, maybe because they seem more creative or something.. It couldn't be the fact that their alien races actually look like alien races, or that they have lightsabers, or....

    But back on topic, I think this is interesting, and I'd certainly try it out. Yay Star Trek!

    --

    Insert mind here.
    1. Re:It'd be cool if by Pascal+Q.+Porcupine · · Score: 2
      Have you watched Farscape? (it's on sci-fi channel) They actually do a good job of making the aliens look alien, for the most part, and they do use full-body makeup quite a bit. They also use muppets for some species. The writing on that show kinda sucks, but it's better than Star Trek's in many ways (and they don't rely on deus ex or short attention spans)... They also do a much better job of the 'universal translator' idea; it's somewhat like the babelfish in HHGTTG, and not everything translates properly (idioms and connotative expressions in particular).

      They also do a much better job of the science on the show, namely that they don't try to adapt our notions of science to it (badly), but instead have a complete separate set of rules and they stick to it (gee, how about that).
      ---
      "'Is not a quine' is not a quine" is a quine.

      --
      "'Is not a quine' is not a quine" is a quine.
      Quine "quine?
    2. Re:It'd be cool if by doobie · · Score: 1
      Okay maybe I'm lost about this somewhere.. Maybe I just haven't watched it enough...What is it with Star Wars? Why is it so popular, I mean its got all the cool comp. graphics, and it was the first of its kind....but its now 4 episodes and thats it. How can you watch/rave over 4 episodes of anything so much as people do?

      When Star Trek: TNG was around and Gene Roddenberry was writting/producing episodes Star Trek most of the time was good, every week (during the season) you could expect to watch a new episode that was most of the time a ride through space. Every episodes plot was pretty much differnt and unrelated. You had the same crew, but it was something always different.

      Star Wars was 3 episodes (now 4), how does/did that compare to being able to watch a new episode of Star Trek every week or so. Would the Star Wars followers be any different if Star Wars was a series? Maybe this is a line for a totally new conversation :)

    3. Re:It'd be cool if by warpSpeed · · Score: 1

      I agree, FarScape is pretty interesting. The writing leaves a little to be desired (but they seem to be working on it a little) and the plots are very different from ST:(OG,NG,DS9,VOY). Very cool aliens.

      just my $0.02

  77. Re:I want to see an Excelsior based series by Lumpy · · Score: 1

    How about something that is different?
    we've had 4 series about nothing but plot re-cycling. I have seen origional ST plots used blatently in every other series with only DS9 having the only origional worth. The whole thing needs a death and quickly... now seeing a series based on First contact as the beginning this would be interesting.... the beginnings something new.. instead of mindless saving of the universe every week....

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  78. So what? by florin · · Score: 1

    Much as I'd hate to add to the negativity on Slashdot, with topics like Star Trek a regular recurring feature, I feel forced. I think I'll never understand what people see in this cheap looking soap in space. Is it the complete lack of human traits like fallibility or greed in the completely two-dimensional hero characters? Is is that the holodeck makes anything goes as far as plot goes not just a possibility but that they actually do it? Or perhaps simply that even the most bizarre backward alien species they'll find in any quadrant 60 million light years from earth looks like a human with rubber acne on his face? I'm sorry, I'm really not aiming to mock Trekkies (my girlfriend is one), I just really don't understand what they see that I don't.

  79. New Plot: It's Not too Late! ST: RD by Skyshadow · · Score: 3
    Psiren's .sig gave me a flash of inspiration concerning the new series. ATTN: Rick Berman -- it's not too late to put out the best Trek series ever! This fall, prepare yourself for: Star Trek: Red Dwarf

    That's right, we follow the adventures of the intrepid crew of the USS Red Dwarf, a ship crewed entirely by (for some reason) the english. And a cat. And a hologram. And (later) a mechanoid. And (even later) a woman.

    OK, you guessed: Actually, we just retread the old Red Dwarf episodes with a new Trek-type opening sequence (the voiceover would be dymanic, featuring Holly's introduction to the series and the requisite joke about gym teacher's IQ).

    Disadvantages: Lack of women in skin-tight outfits. Advantages: Lack of women, surplus of beer.

    So, it's cheap to produce and Rick Berman wouldn't be able to fsck it up. Any takers?

    ----

    --
    Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
    1. Re:New Plot: It's Not too Late! ST: RD by Psiren · · Score: 1

      There were a few nice women in RD throughout the years. Pete Tranch's sister in Psirens (yes, that is where my name comes from) springs to mind. I believe she wanted Lister to squeeze her buttocks together to make one juicy giant peach.

      Worra laugh! ;)

    2. Re:New Plot: It's Not too Late! ST: RD by Masem · · Score: 3

      How about ST:MST3K where our crew (one guy and 3
      robots) visits strange alien cultures and make
      fun of their cinema?

      --
      "Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - P&TB
      "I can see my house from here!" - ST:
    3. Re:New Plot: It's Not too Late! ST: RD by Happosai · · Score: 1

      Not exactly a new idea...;)

      I remembered reading a Red Dwarf meets Star Trek fan-fic a few years ago, so I did a search on Google for 'rimmer AND picard' and found a few...

      [Happosai]

    4. Re:New Plot: It's Not too Late! ST: RD by DMoylan · · Score: 1

      I am a massive fan of Red Dwarf but the show is also running out of steam like the Trek:franchise.
      IMHO the last 2 series have failed big time in the humour and sci/fi.

    5. Re:New Plot: It's Not too Late! ST: RD by Kisc · · Score: 1

      Red Dwarf is a British show, therefore, most or all of the crew will tend to be Brits.

      Conversely, ST:*** is a show made in USA, therefore most or all of the crew will tend to be Americans.

      Therefore, if an american show (Star Trek) stole from a british show (Red Dwarf), it would be reasonable to say "for some reason".

      I'm quite certain he wasn't trying to imply USA owns space :)

      --

      Failure is not an option.
      It comes bundled with Windows.
  80. Crew rotations by fcw · · Score: 1

    Not as bad as the second series, when she let a bunch of fools with ludicrous hair and pop-guns steal the ship, stranding the entire crew. Oh, except for madman hiding in the vents, ready to save the day.

    A pity Suter's character showed too much promise to live.

    It says a lot about the vision of the producers that the best actor on the show seems to have been hired for her body. Funnily enough, like Troi before her on TNG, 7of9 looks better in a regulation uniform than spray-on spandex. Maybe she'll go the way of Suter, if she gets too interesting, or interferes with Janeway's erratically-written character once too often.

    God knows, the writers wouldn't be smart enough to eliminate Janeway and Chakotay, and make Tuvok the captain and 7of9 first officer -- the ship might actually get home!

  81. maybe it is to much to ask by delmoi · · Score: 1

    I don't know... Homosexuality used to bother me, but it dosn't really anymore. but I still don't know if I'd want to watch a series with homosexual main characters
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

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  82. What, not "Star Trek: The Marrissa Cronicles?" by Masem · · Score: 3

    Or did Steven R.'s idea get shot down at the
    start? :-)

    --
    "Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - P&TB
    "I can see my house from here!" - ST:
  83. Defiant looks like... by WolfShades · · Score: 1

    OK, while I've always said DS9 was just a rip-off of other SF series, it really just hit me the other day just HOW BAD of a rip-off it is.

    So, I'm sitting there watching DS9 for the first time in probably a year, because the plots are just LAME, but I was bored and flipping channels, and it's on, so I'm thinking, OK, let's see what's up. So I'm watching, and something about the shape of the Defiant catches my eye. You know, how it's kinda rounded in front, but has that deflector thing sticking out. I've seen that somewhere else before...

    Aha! The Defiant looks like the Ark from the Transformers! OK, the Star Trek people have tacked on their gawdy warp nacelles, but other than that, it's the Autobot ship that crashed on Earth like 4 million years ago. Don't believe me? Check out the last episodes of Beast Wars: Transformers. There it is, different color, engines are a bit different in back, otherwise it's the Defiant.

    Admittedly, I've just told everyone I have no life. Plus, you may not agree with me. I still think I'm right. And my Slashdot karma will probably drop me into the garden slug class after this message. I don't care, I still say ST is so desparate they've been ripping off cartoons!

  84. Re: Homosexuality is a tool of nature. by PhonyToad · · Score: 1

    Complete bullshit. Decrease in birth rates due to a homosexual percentage of the general population is linear, or nearly so. True population control "devices", such as plagues, are effective because they are caused and/or sustained by the features of a large population, such as waste management problems, etc.

    --
    void post { post_random_comment("slashdot.org"); karma--; }
  85. yeah, but ... by jetpack · · Score: 1

    ... goofy looking aliens aside, it's going to feature a ship called the "USS Excellent". Is the captain of said ship going to be "Bill" or "Ted"? Maybe it's a comedy :)

  86. Ain't It Cool News Rumors of "Phoenix Rising" by w3woody · · Score: 1

    There were rumors on Ain't It Cool News (www.aint-it-cool-news.com) about a Roddenberry inspired new series. One rumor has it that an x-DS9er put together a proposal for a new series, set in the distant future when the Federation, Romulans, Klingons and all the rest had collapsed, leaving the Galaxy in total ruin.

    The idea was to have someone uncover a Federation Star Ship from that past, perhaps an Enterprise from farther down the line, with most of it's crew in suspended animation. The idea would be that the Enterprise, it's crew fresh with the memories of the former glory of the Federation, going around and trying to restore order to a galaxy with roaming bands of Klingons and Vulcans who have renounced their philosophy of logic.

    Sounds like a cool idea, especially given that there isn't a person over 16 who wouldn't immediately grasp the magnitude of the loss suffered by the inhabitants of that future Enterprise.

    Of course AICN suggests that while they may go ahead with this idea (using Hercules's Kevin Sorbo as the captain), they may nix putting this in the far future of the Star Trek universe.

    Too bad--something about merading bands of pissed off Vulcans fighting to the death with bands of empire-less Klingons that sounds sort of fun.

  87. Re:Major Kira is HOT! by barryp · · Score: 1

    Actually, I think it's pretty obvious that that character was originally supposed to be Ensign Ro - but the actress didn't want to do it. Too bad, Ro (Michelle Forbes) would have been -way- better.

  88. Re:Ever notice.. by look · · Score: 1

    I don't really watch DS9 very much (never really got into it and I also don't watch TV, really), but I did see that episode. They weren't evolving BACKWARDS, rather the propulsion device they were testing caused them to evolve FORWARD in time billions of years. The lizard/amphibian things they turned into were the future of humanity, not its past.

    Though I don't know why they didn't just use that super fast drive (if I recall correctly it was Warp 10+ [which for any of you who have read the ST:TNG Technical manual, is supposed to be impossible] device) to blast a message to the Federation "Hey we're out here!". Or send their transporter image or something. That would get them home...

    Luke

  89. It's called continuity. by Cptn+Proton · · Score: 1

    Supposedly they hire people to check and remove inconsitencies and contradictions to the storylines.

    But let's be honest here. The only reason rules and laws exist in the Star Trek universe is so that they may be broken.

    From the laws of physics or the prime directive, they have all fallen at one time or another. Heck, remember when warp 9 (which is faster than the speed of light by the way) was as fast as you could go??? See, they even break rules they make up, with 'slipstream' technology making it possible to go alot faster.

    It's ok though. I've thought that the writing on Voyager has been good, and the stories interesting. Yes, it is soapish, but I'm not asking for perfection either. I think that the key to any quality product is consistency, and I feel like that's what I have received for my viewing. Much has to do with a matter of taste.

    I have always been a trekkie, before it was fashionable to be one. (I wish I didn't throw away my enterprise squirt gun!!) If they were to take the series off, I would miss it.

    1. Re:It's called continuity. by scode · · Score: 1

      First of all, it's never been stated that
      Warp 9 is the absolute speed limit in Star Trek.
      What *has* been stated, is that, on the post-TOS
      Warp scale, Warp 10, by definition, equals infinite velocity. That's never been contradicted
      (although "Threshhold" sucked because they treated Warp 10 so poorly).

      I agree with you about Voyager's good (my favorite
      series), but there *is* room for improvement. But
      I don't think it's a soap either - DS9 falls into
      that category though.

      --
      / Peter Schuller
      --
      peter.schuller@infidyne.com
      http://www.scode.org
  90. "biologically correct"??? WTF?? by delmoi · · Score: 1

    biology doesn't tell what's right and what's wrong, it can only tell us what's evolutionarily favorable/disfavorable. homosexuality is certainly disfavorable (if it is in fact genetic). but it certainly isn't "wrong" in any sense of the word. Science only tells us what is true, not what is 'right' those decisions can only be based on ethics. Unless you are right-wing Christian radical, there is nothing ethically wrong with homosexuality (but then, you don't believe in evolution)

    It might be possible that homosexuality will be "bread" out of the gene pool in 400 years, if we continue on this path (of open acceptance). But then, why would it not have in the past 10,000 years?

    To say that homosexuality is 'wrong' is a stupid (and dangerous) mis-interpretation of Darwinism.
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

    --

    ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
  91. Oh boy! by Kev+Vance · · Score: 1

    A new star trek! I loOOoo()O00O()()ooOo0o()ooOve star trek!

    Well, /what/? All the other comments were negative... I'm just trying to increase entropy.

    The site's been slashdotted so I can't make any opinions about the new show (but I have a feeling that didn't stop half of you who posted :)

    --
    F0 07 C7 C8
  92. Re:New Series Ideas by daala · · Score: 1

    More we want more.

    That was one of the funniest things I have read in awhile. I love my Star Trek and Star Wars but love the Red Dwarfesque treatment you gave it kind of like GR meets Terry Pratchett and a Hollywood spin doctor over lunch.

    Thanks for the laugh!!

    --
    "The way she used to say Rimmer as if it rhymed with scum" Red Dwarf
  93. Base a new series on the "New Frontier" Novels by Cygnus+v1 · · Score: 1

    The Star Trek: New Frontier novels by Peter David have set up a pretty strong set of characters; they are the crew of the USS Excalibur (a ship name also used in the B5 spin-off Crusade, right?). I started reading this series mainly because I've always liked Mr. David's work and his previous Star Trek novels have always been a great read.

    No holographic doctors, no Borg, but an even mix of gender (especially the character Burgoyne), quite a few non-human characters, and a security chief (Zak Kebron) who can actually keep things under control!

    Berman and co. seem to have been loathe to tap into the book-writing side of the franchise for TV ideas. This may be because many of those writers don't want to be tied down by a weekly series. I've never seen this topic addressed, though.

    --
    ---- Politics: Kissing ass and pointing blames.
    1. Re:Base a new series on the "New Frontier" Novels by MKalus · · Score: 1

      Mmhh, I don't know, but I actually like the Doc on Voyager.. quite funny, and it seems that in the last season they finally got a bit the hang on it.... Compared to the second sesaon ...

      Oh well, but they still didn't get rid of the "We are the good ones"....

      Michael

      --
      If you want to e-mail me, use my PGP Key.
  94. I love Red Dwarf by Ken+Broadfoot · · Score: 1

    I just wish the local Public Broadasting station here in Oregon would carry it. The do carry the Black Adder though.

    --
    Bitcoin pyramid: Join here: http://www.bitcoinpyramid.com/r/1427 it's FREE!
  95. But Where Are The Homosexuals? by Crick · · Score: 2

    Just what the world needs: another moralistic, SF TV series. The theme I've noticed throughout the posts in this topic is that ST episodes are rehashed versions of episodes from the original series, the aliens (and characters) are shallow and two-dimensional.

    What is worse is that it is bad science fiction. Aliens that coinicidentaly look like humans and parallel cultures from our own world. Pseudo-scientific explanations run amok (its all quantum physics you know) as if it were some kind of New Age Scientist meeting. Maybe this was all quite sophisicated stuff during the sixties and seventies but this is the post-Alien nineties. Do we need to be patronised like this?

    What is worse, I feel that the latest Star Trek series (DS9, Voyager, whatever) betray the original vision of the great liberatarian, Gene Rodenbury. The mordern federation has become a disturbing vision of a vaguely fascistic utopia. Did you know that GR intended to have gay characters in the next series of ST:TNG, just before he died. I don't see them in any of the new series? I guess it didn't fit the whole Star Trek corporate identity.

    1. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by Lerc · · Score: 1

      Yeah. Why didn't kirk end up being trapped by som evil guy with his only way of escape being through seducing the evil guy's gay lover. I would have watched it. Or maybe just have some characters sexual orientation change due to a transporter malfunction (You can do anything with a transporter malfunction).

      --
      -- That which does not kill us has made its last mistake.
    2. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by Crick · · Score: 1

      I think this thread has gone completely off topic. My original observation, as gig pointed out, was that there was a distinct lack of of homosexuals in Star Trek despite the programs history of inclusive casting. Star Trek TM betrays Gene Rodneburys ideals of the Star Trek TV Series.

      What I did not expect when I mentioned homosexuality in this context was discusions about whether homosexuality was acceptable or not. The fact that the majority of the replies to my original post are of the nature that homosexuality is somehow disdainful says something very bad about the people who use slashdot.

      Not only are they widely off topic but they are irrelevant: no one cares what they think, especially any self-respecting homosexuals. I only mentioned homosexuality in passing as an example of the moral relavatism of Star Trek. Some of you just heard the word homosexual and went on a posting frenzy: I think this is the true definition of homophobia.

      Finally, I would just like to point out that if I had mentioned the fact that Star Trek had never used a mixed-race relationship (which is has) no-one would have flamed on about how appauling it was. 10 or 20 years ago they might have. I only hope that in 10 or 20 years from now people (and especially the supposedly forward-looking members of slashdot) will be more open minded.

    3. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by rde · · Score: 2

      Picking on Star Trek for its lack of gay characters is, frankly, silly; no SF series features/featured a regular gay character (include Ivanova and Talia Winters if you like, but that was only one scene). Trek has made a couple of half-assed attempts at addressing the issue (once each in TNG and DSN), which is more than any other series has done. You can argue that this was done because of public demand, but whatever their motivation they did try to address it in some manner.
      As for what GR wanted: I don't mean to sound callous, but who cares? I'm sure the creator of MacGyver didn't want the series to turn into the piece of shit that it did, but it's got something in common with trek: it's only a television programme.
      BTW: My nomination for best heading ever goest o 'But Where Are the Homosexuals?'

    4. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by lightPhoenix · · Score: 1

      Wow, thats pretty impressively shallow. And I hope the rest of America _does not_ agree with you. Maybe *I'm* just weird, but I feel comfortable worknig around gay people. Now it took me awhile to feel normal, due to societal/familial/religous ingrainings, but its no big thang now. I know that no normal gay guy is going to get his groove on with me the first time I turn my back on him, because theres no question that I have a definite appreciation for the fairer (female) sex. Thats just the way (in my experience it is).
      Overall, I think comfort with people being gay has to do with a couple things. Openmindedness and comfort with ones one sexuality. Openmindedness to accept thins nlike one's self, and sexuality comfort to just be cool with being intimate (I mean w/ one's signifigant other). I'm know I'm always working on both for my self, but then again in normal life (unfortunatly) here are plenty of role models of how Not to act.

      --
      http://www.somethingpositive.net Funny + bitter = comedy gold
    5. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by PollyJean · · Score: 1

      Did you know that GR intended to have gay characters in the next series of ST:TNG, just before he died.

      Actually, I read an article a long time ago about a script for ST:TNG that involved two officers on the Enterprise who were a long-term gay couple (I'm sorry I don't remember exactly which article it was. I'd usually post where to find it instead of just saying "I read something somewhere"), but Roddenberry was adamantly against it. The writers really liked it, but Roddenberry killed it. He was not ready to deal with the controversy.

      Trek has always been only slightly progressive. It's easier to deal with things in a glossed-over way (i.e. the two episodes referenced by a poster above), but the idea of really dealing with things like, say, a long-term gay relationship were just too scary for Roddenberry & co.

      --
      Think like a person of action, act like a person of thought. --H. Bergson
    6. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by Crick · · Score: 2

      As for what GR wanted: I don't mean to sound callous, but who cares? I'm sure the creator of MacGyver didn't want the series to turn into the piece of shit

      I'm sure GR cares. I'm sure his family cares, and anyone who understands the underlying theme of Star Trek will care. This is what I mean when I say Star Trek is bad SF: its turned into pulp escapism that never challenges
      its audience and never will. Rodenbury was a libertarian idealist. He had the first regular black, female character on any American network ever. Now everyone buys into the strangely posesive yet supposedly money-free society of the Federation where every has a job, everyone is happy and healthy: sounds strangely fascist to me.

      Oh, and MacGyver has always been shit.

      I have to disagree with you comments about homosexuality in ST: A lot of dramas have gay charcters in them, certainly a lot of those in Enlightened England. I can only assume Star Trek TM probably decided after GR's death that it wouldn't sell so well so ditched it. Or maybe they figure it will be eradicated in the future... scary!

      BTW: Thanks for the nomination. I was impresssed myself.

    7. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by neuroid · · Score: 1

      Well, personally, I find homosexuality in general pretty yucky. I think most of America agrees with me, and would rather not hear about/watch it. I think it's wrong that gay people are discriminated against sometimes, but hey, dems da breaks, as they say. I don't want to see gay people on television. If someone I have contact with is gay, I just don't want to know. I don't care. If they tell me, I always wish they hadn't. Not because I hate them, I just think it's yucky. Not that I'm saying they should feel they have to hide it, but many gay people seem to *like* to broadcast their sexual orientation.




    8. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by Agrajag · · Score: 2

      Actually, there are a good number of homosexuals and bisexuals who hardly breath a word of their sexuality. The people who broadcast their sexuality like that are the more forward homosexuals and bisexuals. If you think about it, there's a very good reason for them to broadcast it. How do you think a straight male would feel if guys kept flirting with him? He'd probablly get tired of it pretty quickly and want to find a way to broadcast that he's straight. Well, homosexual people think the same way, they gay guys want guys flirting with them and the lesbians want other lesbians flirting with them. Broadcasting like this also makes it more likely that they'll find someone else with their own sexuality. What are the chances of two needles finding each other in a haystack if one doesn't yell?

    9. Re:But Where Are The Homosexuals? by Yoon · · Score: 1

      Chakotay in Voyager is rumored to be homosexual, nothing sure tho... Yoon

  96. We can always use a new star trek by scenic · · Score: 3
    If you ask me, Star Trek is the ideal kids show (for like 10-15 year olds). It's also good for us "older" kids, don't get wrong. What I mean is that it is really a show aimed at the younger audience members. I mean, I hope that 20, 30, and 40+ year olds don't need morality messages daily. :-)

    But for a younger audience, I think it fits most peoples' definition of "good television" for children. It's a fairly "geek" oriented show, emphasizing knowledge of science and technology, showing both men and women in roles of responsibility. These same smart scientific folks are also fit and athletic, which is important in this day and age of couch potatos. There are also good messages in all of the shows, which, if you agree with the messages, are good for kids to see.

    Admittedly, this makes it annoying for the rest of us that don't need the moral lessons, but I would love to have my children (if I had any) watch star trek with me. I'll be sad if there isn't a Star Trek to watch when I do have kids.

    As for today, though, I think DS9 was the first Star Trek series that lost the morality message (Wheel of Morality, turn turn turn ;-) and became more of a science fiction soap, with a running plot line. That, I liked. I was sad to see it go.

    Sujal

    --

    politics, food, music, life: FatMixx

    1. Re:We can always use a new star trek by DebtAngel · · Score: 1

      I take it you never watched Babylon 5. The sheer amount of ripoffs (DS9 was a ripoff of B5, by the way) is astounding:

      Paraphrased quote from jms (the creator of B5):

      "We pitch the idea of a space station. They reject it, but then there's a Star Trek with a Space Station. We give them a ship (the White Star), they get a ship (the Defiant), we get a telepath named Lyta, they get a Dabo girl named Leeta. We use all CGI FX, they use the same FX house. It's just scary."

      The whole Dominion conflict was the last straw for me, the big B5 fan. I stopped watching DS9 after that (mostly because instead of a fight of good vs. evil turned evil vs. evil vs. the little guy) it was a fight of us vs. them, which is boring as hell, especially after the second year of it.

      --

      Is this post not nifty? Sluggy Freelance. Worshi

  97. Star Trek and B5 by TRyanC · · Score: 1

    B5 does have a steeper "learning curve" than ds9, tng, or voyager, but that's due to the depth of the story. It takes a couple episodes to get into the story, but once you're hooked, you're hanging on every episode. (It didn't hurt that some of my friends were die hard B5 fans, including my girlfriend who ran the ISN website.)

    I particularly liked the foreshadowing and flashbacks that are mostly lacking in the star trek series.

    So, is anyone else out there watching Crusade?

    --Ryan

  98. Star Trek - Americentric soap opera by RallyDriver · · Score: 1

    No, to keep with the current trend, the captain in the next Star Trek will have to be an ethnic minority*, bisexual, disabled single parent in order for it to be PC enough.

    Star Trek and its derivatives are merely a sitcom / soap with a pseudo - scifi backdrop, and are no less myopically American than Happy Days.

    From the original series, the Klingons are the Russians, geddit? And why does a galaxy-wide organisation like the Federation, with long established spacefaring species like the Vulcans (think - First Contact) locate its headquarters within 300 miles of Hollywood, and use the same designations for its vessels as the US Navy? Because the USA is the centre of the universe.

    Of course Paramount don't care about inconsistencies in the ST universe, or how plausible the stuff is. There is no science, it's not sci-fi. If you want sci-fi, read a good novel. And keep Hollywood away from it - look at the travesty that they have made of epic works like Dune.

    Let's hope they keep their claws off of Known Space and all the other untarnished universes out there.

    * minority in the sense of the US term, i.e. non-white.

  99. EU/EC by TummyX · · Score: 1

    First I heard of this European Union evquivalent in the Trek universe.....and I've watched almost all the episodes.

    HRM

  100. Re:Use CG on people by jonathanclark · · Score: 1

    Why waste 5 hours a day putting on makeup when you can paint dots on your face and then let a computer render your face for you. Then you can have faces that are physically impossible otherwise. Some people might complain you can't capture as much human emotion from a CG render, but some of those faces on Star* have so much latex they can hardly smile. There are some problems with occlusion and lighting, but it shouldn't be impossible to have one of the lead characters designed this way.

    Rembember when Odo first came out and did the morphing bit? It caught your attention.

  101. Excellent? I think not! by BluBrick · · Score: 1

    Don't Paramount have a history of leaking future plots with "names and places changed to protect the innocent"? This could well be another example of that practice.

    I certainly like the idea of a little more creativity on the alien effects front. It'd also be nice not to be able to pick whether a given character is a good guy or a bad guy based purely on how "alien" they look.

    --
    Ahh - My eye!
    The doctor said I'm not supposed to get Slashdot in it!
  102. ST:GSL by WillAffleck · · Score: 1

    Star Trek: Good Ship Lollypop?

    or

    Star Trek: Yog Shothoth's Revenge

    or

    Star Trek: Groovy, Baby!! Yeah!

    oh well

    --
    Will in Seattle
  103. Didn't you see that episode... by ForceOfWill · · Score: 1

    ...Where at the end there's a hologram from the one species that was the only one in the universe, until they split into humans, vulcans, klingons, etc.?

    I know it's just an excuse for their costume dept. to slack off, but I thought it was kind of a nice theory.


    --

    --
    Seeing is believing; You wouldn't have seen it if you didn't believe it.
    1. Re:Didn't you see that episode... by mtnbkr · · Score: 1

      What episode was that? I'd like to see it. Chris

  104. Epsilon quadrant?!? by Agrajag · · Score: 1

    The Quadrants of the Galaxy are called quadrants because there are only four of them, alpha, beta, gamma, and delta (the first four Greek letters). You'd never have more than four because once something is divided four ways, there are only four pieces.
    They've also never left the galaxy, so we're stuck with only these four divisions. (They have gone to alternative universes, but it was always the Milky Way over there, and they probablly kept the same quadrants for simplicity's sake)

  105. I didn't want to get dragged into this, but... by trims · · Score: 2

    (This is waaaayyy off the original topic, but I'm going to post it here, 'cause it's relevant to the thread we're in...)

    First off, there is considerable evidence that Homosexuality is GENETIC, and not a physiological condition. This is not proven yet, but it's definately a strong possibility.

    Thus, you aren't going to "Cure" a homosexual, any more than I could get a "straight" person to change.

    The AMA and the American Psychologists Association have wised up, and no longer consider homosexuality a "disease" or "correctible-condition". It's who gay people are. Period.

    Also, there is considerable natural evidence that homosexuality occurs in a large number of mammals. Many primates have been observed engaging in homosexual behavior, and it's also been seen in animals such as wolf/wild dog packs.

    Like the poster above pointed out, black skin in humans is an adaptation to an outside stimulus. So is homosexuality. The stimulus in this case is overpopulation. I liken genetic homosexuality as a mutation (remember, mutations can be either Good OR Bad, depending on environmental conditions). It seems to be getting expressed more and more these days, which leads to the question: how badly are we overpopulated that environmental effects are causing this to be expressed? Thus, homosexuality IS A FAVORABLE ADAPTATION IN THE RIGHT CONDITIONS. It may not be favorable for the individual to pass on his or her specific genes, but it's beneficial to the SPECIES.

    For a good look at how human society might change over time, w/r/t population and sexuality, I suggest you read The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. It's a good Sci-Fi read, and it looks at human evolution on the macro-level (over the course of about 3000 years).

    People, you are going to have to accept that homosexuals are here, have always been here, and will continue to be here. I'm rather disgusted to listen to fellow straight folks claim that homosexuals are somehow bad deviants or lesser beings. It makes me sick. Grow Up!

    To see how inane you sound, replace the word "homosexual" (or "gay" or "lesbian") with the word "nigger". Oooh. Ooops. You ended up sounding like a nice 1840s intellectual espousing the rightness (and superiority) of whites over the black man. How enlightened.

    -Erik

    We fear what we do not understand...

    --
    There are always four sides to every story: your side, their side, the truth, and what really happened.
  106. Re:The Star Trek series I'd like to see by Just+H. · · Score: 1

    Read a book:

    Federation.

    It delves into these areas, and is what the movie "Generations" should have been. (Ok, there are a few cheesy chapters in there, but hey!)

    Worth the read, and better than any episode/visual stimulation could be.

  107. Re:Ever notice.. by scode · · Score: 1

    You're wrong. In the episode (titled "Genesis") the crew "de-evloved" into *one* previous species. For example, Riker and Picard are both human, but according to Data Picard would "de-evlove" into something else than Riker did. Nothing in "Genesis" really contradicts what was said in "The Chase", although one might argue that a lot of things in general condradict what was said in "The Chase"...

    --
    / Peter Schuller
    --
    peter.schuller@infidyne.com
    http://www.scode.org
  108. Re:A New Star Wreak? by scode · · Score: 1

    No offense, but I really hate it when people
    say they hate a series, and then it turns out
    they've only seen 5 episodes.

    DUH!

    FYI, Voyager's very different nowadays. I've
    seen season 1, 2, 4, 5 and some random episodes in
    season 3. 4 & 5 are completely different than the first, and the second seson definitely shows
    the beginnings of that change.

    --
    / Peter Schuller
    --
    peter.schuller@infidyne.com
    http://www.scode.org
  109. Re:my god that sucks by ro · · Score: 1

    Worst name - 'Star Trek:Excellent' - nah
    I think 'The Phantom Menace' has to be the worst one so far

  110. Right here, m'Laddo by EXpunk · · Score: 1

    http://www.cs.duke.edu/~dsb/vindaloo.txt

    --
    Killing spammers is too good for them.
  111. WHY THE FSCK IS THIS MODERATED DOWN? by Ender+Ryan · · Score: 1

    This was relevant to the discussion.

    WTF?

    --
    Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
  112. "Star Trek Excellent"? by Frater+219 · · Score: 2

    Clearly Paramount has been taking sequel-naming lessons from the makers of the animé series Slayers ...

    (whose sequels have names like "Slayers NEXT", "Slayers GREAT", "Slayers GORGEOUS" ...)

    1. Re:"Star Trek Excellent"? by AnalogBoy · · Score: 1

      Two words: Batman Returns.
      Two more: Batman Forever.
      Two more: Batman Triumphant (The proposed title for a cancelled movie. i hope it was canceled. Oh god it might not have been cancelled. OH GOD! :()

      err... sorry.. erm.. *puts down postal outfit and gun* I hated what they did to the batman series..

    2. Re:"Star Trek Excellent"? by Nipok+Nek · · Score: 1
      Clearly Paramount has been taking sequel-naming lessons from the makers of the animé series Slayers ...

      (whose sequels have names like "Slayers NEXT", "Slayers GREAT", "Slayers GORGEOUS" ...)

      Well, be fair... Those animé titles are TRANSLATED! I'll bet Star Trek: The Next Generation translates into something like "Space Walk: Your Children"

      --
      Why choose white shoes?
    3. Re:"Star Trek Excellent"? by HappyHead · · Score: 1

      Clearly Paramount has been taking sequel-naming lessons from the makers of the animé series Slayers ...

      Gee, if they take more than just naming conventions from slayers, we'll get:
      1: Every other episode starting in a restaurant
      2: Lotsa big explosions when the characters need to vent stress
      3: Only one (marginaly) sane character in the whole series, who procedes to get tromped on by everyone else.
      4: A really cool soundtrack?

      (Yes, I just watched the entire 3rd season of Slayers (Slayers: Try) yesterday... I'm sick.)

    4. Re:"Star Trek Excellent"? by Hacksworth · · Score: 1

      Hey, both Batman and Batman returns were good movies. They both starred the same people and Tim Burton did them. The third one started to slide, and the fourth just fell flat on its face.

    5. Re:"Star Trek Excellent"? by brother_b · · Score: 1

      Well, be fair... Those animé titles are TRANSLATED! I'll bet Star Trek: The Next Generation translates into something like "Space Walk: Your Children".

      Um, no. Those were the original titles. Slayers was written in katakana as "sureiyazu", a transliteration of the English word, and the extra words ("NEXT", "TRY", etc.) were written in English to begin with.

      --

  113. Re:I really doubt this story by Linux+Meiser · · Score: 1

    The link is dead. Nothing is there. If someone has a copy could you send it to me? -Meiser

  114. They simply spread they're genetic material around by Puff · · Score: 1

    Humans, and everyone else, weren't accually the direct descendants of the original guys. Our original genetic material was just affected by theirs.

    Of course the devolution episode was kinda weird anyway...

  115. Stop flogging that dead horse. by AleT · · Score: 1

    Yet another example, as some other poster pointed out earlier, of a vital discovery/invention being
    made in one episode, only never to be mentioned ever again!

    Star Trek is not SciFi, it's a soap opera set in space, and not a very good one either. It has none
    of the juicy scandalous bits which make soap operas good, and rarely does it leave you wanting
    to see it again at the end of an episode.

    Cheers,

    Ale.

    1. Re:Stop flogging that dead horse. by QuantumG · · Score: 1

      It's not a soap opera because they wrap it up at the end of every episode. They leave stuff hanging over the edge now and then because the fans demand that it be a little immersible. We need these useless facts to hold onto so we can say "didn't you see the episode where they explained all that?". :)


      --
      How we know is more important than what we know.
  116. More info/rumours about new series by Gryphon · · Score: 1

    I would be all for a new series, if they can come up with something original.

    DS9 was original in the Trek lineage, but not really to my taste.

    Voyager was a bad concept from the beginning, IMHO. The usual complaints of bad scripts, bad acting applies for me as well.

    A new series would be welcome be me, anyway, if they:

    a) Came up with an original idea/concept again.

    b) Got some fresh blood in the writing pool. One reader's suggestion to include novelists like Peter David is a good one. I've always liked his Trek writing.

    On a side note, at Planet Riker there are some additional rumours/facts about what the new series might be.

  117. Ship Names & Intelligences by Evan+Vetere · · Score: 1

    There are a number of things that disturb me about Star Trek, but most of all, I dislike the way the ships are run. If Commander Data can be created, why can't a starship be similarly intelligent and run itself?

    I envision multiple-kilometer-long starships, some even maybe hundreds of klicks long, with millions of people on board; sort of like travelling cities. The entire inside of the ship would be something like a holodeck; it could be restructured at will in its entirety. There would only be backup crew on board. Everyone else would be a combination passenger/symbiont/pet.

    Maybe the Federation doesn't have this tech yet. Why not skip the next series forward a few hundred years, to give us some new toys to play with, like Roddenberry did with ST:TNG over ST:TOS?

    I've shamelessly stolen some of the ideas here from Iain M. Banks' Culture. He's got some of the best ship names ever. A few examples:

    1. GSV Ethics Gradient
    2. GSV Eschatologist
    3. GCU Big Sexy Beast
    4. GCU Ultimate Ship The Second

    Finally: USS means United States Ship. How about FIV (Federation Interstellar Vehicle) instead?

    1. Re:Ship Names & Intelligences by Nipok+Nek · · Score: 1
      GCU Ultimate Ship The Second

      Sounds a lot like the Unsinkable II from the Benny Hill show.

      "What happened to the Unsinkable I?"

      "It Sunk."

      --
      Why choose white shoes?
    2. Re:Ship Names & Intelligences by Accipiter · · Score: 2
      If Commander Data can be created, why can't a starship be similarly intelligent and run itself?

      That's because Dr. Soong was the only person ever able to create a stable neural net. And he's dead now, so he can't exactly help. :)

      -- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?

      --

      -- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
      (If you can't figure out how to E-Mail me, Don't. :P)

    3. Re:Ship Names & Intelligences by Evan+Vetere · · Score: 1

      If the series is shunted a few hundred years into the future, this stops being an issue.

      Party pooper. :p

  118. Give it up Berman! by Holly2000 · · Score: 1

    Star Trek is becomming /very/ triesome. Like the kickass final episode of TNG said "All Good Things Must Come To An End" before they degenerate into mindless technobabble based plots. I don't mean to be flamebaited, but Star Trek has had it's chance, and it's been on the respirator long enough, time to pull the plug. Earth: Final Conflict is a very good example of what can be done if you have a story to tell and you don't try to incorporate it into an existing franchise. I commend Majel for departing from Star Trek, and I condemm JMS for adding on to a great story that was already finished, resulting in not-up-to-par quality. When the story is over, it's over. There is nothing more to tell. What we really need in science fiction, is another fun adventure serial that everyone can enjoy without the messy technical details. Something which Star Wars is trying to be (but sadly falling short). Somewhat comical, and a bit absurd, but all in all a general scifi romp (think Doctor Who). Ever since the 1980s the genre has been focused on dark stories that never quite capture the fun, magic, and mystery that is a large part of science fiction. ----------------------------- "The End?" "The Smeg It Is!"

  119. Ever notice.. by GrenDel+Fuego · · Score: 2

    Well, this isn't exactly related, except that it is a star trek observation.

    A few people have mentioned the episode where it was reveiled that all the humanoid races were descended from the one race that colonized many planets before they died off.

    Well, I seem to recall another episode where due to some sort of genetic disease (i believe that was the cause), everyone started de-evolving into whatever their race origionally came from. Humans started turning more apelike, and Worf started turning into some sort of large spider like creature.

    Dosen't exactly sound much like races that evolved from the same genetic material to me. I know I'm just getting picky, but it would be nice if shows like this checked their old episodes for inconsistencies before coming out with new ones that just blow everything away.

    1. Re:Ever notice.. by dufke · · Score: 1

      Not to mention the Voyager episode where Paris and Janeway evolve backwards into large lizards (!).
      (First season, the one with breaking the warp 10 barrier.)
      _______________________________________ ____________________

      --
      __
      Comment submitted. There will be a delay before you understand what you posted.
    2. Re:Ever notice.. by PhuCknuT · · Score: 1

      If I remember it correctly, they weren't directly descended from that original race, what happened was that the race had added their own dna to the native species of each planet to speed up evolution. I haven't seen that episode in year though, so I could be wrong.

  120. Is the name correct? by anthonyclark · · Score: 1


    OK, Are you sure it's not Star Trek EXCEL?

    It could be sponsored by Microsoft and require you to turn your TV off then on again during each ad break...

    --
    ----- Documentation is worth it just to be able to answer all your mail with 'RTFM' - Alan Cox.
  121. The Star Trek series I'd like to see by Pascal+Q.+Porcupine · · Score: 4
    I'd like to see a ST series based on the Federation at its very beginnings. I mean, most of what happens then is unexplained... TOS covered the Federation when it was already mature, TNG and the first half of DS9 covered a period of stagnation, the second half of DS9 and all of Voyager cover a later period when they've become arrogant and just try to throw better and more expensive toys at every problem... anything set after Voyager would be depressing, anything between TOS and TNG would be boring. But something set between First Contact and TOS would kick ass, IMO. Why did Earth become the center of the Federation? How did people get accustomed to socialistic society? Couldn't have happened overnight... There must have been quite a bit of dissention among the ranks. And so forth.

    Just my US$0.02... I haven't read the plot for this 'excellent' series yet, since the server's /.ed.
    ---
    "'Is not a quine' is not a quine" is a quine.

    --
    "'Is not a quine' is not a quine" is a quine.
    Quine "quine?
    1. Re:The Star Trek series I'd like to see by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I've always liked the idea of a monthly two hour movie series that shifted throughout the ST universe. It could be anything and everything. The Romulan Empire, Starbase 1, StarFleet Academy, a research ship, a new colony, a explorer ship, etc. The show doesn't get tied to specific actors or sets. It's always changing, which would hopefully mean that it wouldn't stagnate.

    2. Re:The Star Trek series I'd like to see by Pascal+Q.+Porcupine · · Score: 2

      Ooh, that sounds even better! One month it'd be about the beginnings of the Federation, another month it'd be about the first contact between Klingons and Romulans... I like it!
      ---
      "'Is not a quine' is not a quine" is a quine.

      --
      "'Is not a quine' is not a quine" is a quine.
      Quine "quine?
    3. Re:The Star Trek series I'd like to see by Brian+Stretch · · Score: 1

      YES YES YES! I want to see this too. I want to see just how this Federation "working for the benefit of the species" utopian crap actually works. Going from bombed-out WWIII wasteland to Federation utopia leaves an awful lot of unanswered questions. I can see the part about the discovery of an alien race uniting the world, but beyond that, ?

  122. Re:nothing really.. by sinator · · Score: 1

    /*
    but "as exciting and as dangerous as Sweden"? Girls here sure excites me, but that was perhaps not what they meant. What do we have to do to get rid of this image of being so incredibly boring?
    */

    Beat up Norway and steal its lunch money.

    --
    Three Step Plan:
    1. Take over the world.
    2. Get a lot of cookies.
    3. Eat the cookies.
  123. Stop the Madness! by knife_in_winter · · Score: 1

    I just wish they would end the Star Trek franchise.

    Don't get me wrong, I have been a big fan for many, many years. I grew up with Spock's pointy eared logic and Kirk's unfettered libido. I watched STNG religiously all through high school and college. When STNG was in production and syndication, a lounge in my dorm transformed into 10-Forward *every day* at 6:00.

    When STNG ended, I was sad, but it was a great end to a *great* show. Think about how STNG started and how it ended. Things were starting to get stale and formulaic, but STNG still had the bang. As I say, I was sad to see the end, but relieved too. I was happy to see STNG end on a high note. And Babylon-5 was just around the corner. It was nice to see well done sci-fi that was not Star Trek.

    But then they came out with DS9. Hmm, I thought. Seems similar to B-5. Or maybe the other way around. I don't know for sure, but I gave it a chance, and it did not hold me. I am not saying it was a bad show, because I know it was a good show. Many episodes blew me away. But the magic, as they say, was gone. B-5 held my interest. It may have been campy, but it was new and fresh and cool as hell. DS9 was cool as hell, but not new and fresh.

    Then they came out with STV. I gave that a chance too. And I have to say that I passionately dislike that show. Half the plots and conflicts and issues have been recycled from 3 decades worth of Star Trek. The rest are predictable and half baked. The writing is pedestrian. The direction and acting has improved with time, but a good director/actor can only do so much with a crufty script. I stopped watching. I was bored and offended by the decline of the quality of the Star Trek standard. If I ever watched, it was because I decided to give the show one more chance, much in the same way we might give a relationship with a codependent soul-sucking ex another chance. I was nearly always disappointed, except when Seven of Nine trotted her sweet-sweet can-can across the set. Ay Carumba! Indeed, Star Trek had to resort to pure sex appeal to keep the ratings up. That was disappointing. Mmmmmmmm, Seven of Nine.

    *ahem*

    So now we have Star Trek: Excellent? Can't they give it a break? Out of simple curiosity I would watch it; but I have to say, I am just tired of Star Trek. Why? Because Star Trek is getting tired.

    Is not Science Fiction and/or SciFi and/or Star Trek itself supposed to be about exploring the unknown? When was the last time Star Trek really went "where no one has gone before"? It is my firm belief that Star Trek is not going anywhere any more. It is getting stale and predictable and cliche. In short, Star Trek is becoming not much different than the hoard of other mediocre SciFi shows we have been bombarded with over the past decade. I say to Star Trek: move over; your time is past. I want something new and fresh. I want to explore *other* universes.

    I wish I could hear Harlan Ellison's take on this.



    Nothing can possiblai go wrong. Er...possibly go wrong.
    Strange, that's the first thing that's ever gone wrong.

    --

    Tyler's words coming out of my mouth.
  124. Re:Please Add: Anything by Brannon Braga by HarryZink · · Score: 1

    ...That guy was given way too much influence with Voyager, and all the worst episodes are (surprise) written by him.

    The original storyline for First Contact was by Braga, and involved Picard and Cochrane involved in a romance, because this moron didn't know Cochrane was a *MAN*.

    If this nitwit has anything to do with the next show, I won't even bother tuning in.

    Harry

  125. Re:Another plot idea to liven up Star Trek's plots by jabberw0k · · Score: 1

    Or maybe "Quark" ?

    See http://www.primenet.com/~luethy/

  126. Re:Major Kira is HOT! by Black+Parrot · · Score: 2

    Yeah. I watch it with the sound off, just to see the lovely Kira.

    I've tried it with the sound on a time or two, and found that I wasn't missing much.

    Sorry about the apparent flame bait, but I just don't like the series. Didn't like the original with Captain Dork; don't like the sequels. And what I really, really don't like is a galaxy full of aliens with plastic heads and childish personalities.

    But Kira, I like.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  127. Re:Another plot idea to liven up Star Trek's plots by birder · · Score: 1

    Sounds like an old series called Quark. Anyone remember that one?

  128. Re:They've one-upped 'catdog'.. by McKing · · Score: 1


    "oooooooooohhhhhhhhhh,
    Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
    Spongebob Squarepants!!"

    My son walks around singing the stupid themesong, and he hasn't even seen an episode of the show!

    I can't believe cartoons like CatDog, Cow and Chicken, and SpongeBob exist. They are all stupid, gross ripoffs if the first season of Ren and Stimpy (w/ John K at the helm). Hell, even the rest of Ren and Stimpy is a stupid ripoff off the first season!

    --
    If only "common" sense was actually that common...
  129. Another plot idea to liven up Star Trek's plots by mOdQuArK! · · Score: 2

    What *I'd* love to see is a series in the Star Trek universe, but *NOT* on one of those damn annoying goody-two-shoes Starfleet ships.

    Maybe something like a run-down merchant/smuggler vessel working on the fringes of the Federation territory, with a really small crew, perhaps with a Klingon female commander (just think of the possibilities!) and a drunk engineer!

    You could have the crew be severely dysfunctional, the ship falling apart half the time & a lot of shows would be about 1) survival, 2) getting themselves out of whatever scrape they got themselves into (which might be the same as #1 :)

    1. Re:Another plot idea to liven up Star Trek's plots by Jack+of+Trades · · Score: 1

      You could have the crew be severely dysfunctional, the ship falling apart half the time & a lot of shows would be about 1) survival, 2) getting themselves out of whatever scrape they got themselves into (which might be the same as #1 :)

      We already have this show: It's called Voyager.

      Canonical Voyager plot: A dangerous anomaly (or other enemy) threatens to destroy the crew and/or their chances of ever getting home. Cue Janeway: Let's investigate!!

      - - -

      --

      - - -
      I'm not a dog but I play one on the Internet.

    2. Re:Another plot idea to liven up Star Trek's plots by D4MO · · Score: 1

      Somewhere along the lines of Red Dwarf, me thinks?

      --

      Rocket science is easy. Neurosurgery, now *that's* difficult.
  130. It'll never happen by PollyJean · · Score: 2
    I had the pleasure of meeting Peter David at a con last year. People talked about the idea of starting a new series based upon his books (I haven't read them, but the responses to them were very positive). There are two reasons why a series or movie based on his novels will never happen.
    1. At the con, Peter David talked about how much the people in charge of Trek hated anything outside of their little world when it came to making movies or episodes & the like. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry wanted to do an episode of ST:TNG based on David's wonderful novel Q-In-Law, but the folks in charge of Trek deep sixed it from the giddy-up. They won't do tie-in-related stuff. Also, even if they did, by some miracle, change their policy and do a series based on his novels, you wouldn't recognize the characters and situations you love when it hit the small screen. Read some of Harlan Ellison's stuff about writing for television. Also, read "The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories" by Neil Gaiman. It's published in his collection, Smoke and Mirrors, and it's a sadly funny story about how Hollywood screws with really good ideas (It's about other wonderful things, too, but the bit about Hollywood screwing with good ideas is what's relavant to this discussion). You ever wonder why movies based on your favorite books are rarely anything like the book, even if the author of the book is involved with the project? This story illlustrates why, and a TV series would be even worse.
    2. This is my personal opinion, but I think most Trek fans are not able to deal with anything that's too far off of the original Trek idea. My favorite series has been DS9 for a long time. Yes, it had a lot of weak episodes, but when it was on, it was really on. I mean, it was a lot like the original trek in that they took risks like having Steve Barnes write an episode. It surpassed any of the other Treks by dealing with the problems of one area and not taking off for a new place every week. DS9 was definately the most challenging of the shows, but it was also consistantly lower-rated than ST:TNG, for example. People are too resistant to change to make a new series work.

    It's funny how many lists to which I end up posting about this topic, because in the giant scheme of things, it's Soooooooo not important. But I grew up with Trek; it strangely feels like family. I think it's time to let it go, though. Don't keep making series just for the sake of making series. That's just sad.

    --
    Think like a person of action, act like a person of thought. --H. Bergson
  131. They've one-upped 'catdog'.. by neuroid · · Score: 1

    I saw an ad on nick for 'spongeboy squarepants' or something like that...I thought they were kidding...they weren't. I unplugged the television.

  132. A New Star Wreak? by Anonymous+Chemist · · Score: 1

    I loved some of the movies. the original series, and TNG. Frankly, DS9 was a soap opera, and Voyager....was just barf-bait. I watch TV to be entertained, and I found that Voyager was just one implausable adventure after another, with equally implausable resolution of the problems. So, within the first 4-5 shows, I quit watching. Boring boring, that's all I thought. I disagree with others, I found that the time travel plots (which intelocked were pretty good. And get someone like Patrick Stewart for a Captain; he was great. Janeway, she was just a polically correct window dressing.
    As a general rule TNG was pretty good. Even the original series had some weak plots. But, if the new series is based on DS9 or Voyager, well hopefully the movies will be better. Hmmm Movies, what happened to having Alan Dean Foster write plot for a movie; everything after The Wrath of Kahn was pretty weak as well.

  133. Re:Major Kira is HOT! by shadrack · · Score: 1

    >>But Kira, I like.

    Escpecially in that paralell universe where she goes around in skin tight latex, and likes to have sex with everything in sight. Yummy.

  134. New Series Ideas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2
    Wow, everybody seems to hate Voyager and love TNG...
    I remember seeing ST:TNG with a roomful of college classmates... we were all slack-jawed over how awful it was. To each his own, I guess.
    Anyway, there are no new ideas in Hollywood, so why not just embrace that fact.
    • TOS was based on "Wagon Train."
    • TNG was based on, um, "Wagon Train."
    • DS9 is "F-Troop."
    • Voyager is "Gilligan's Island."

    Star Trek: Raisa -- set your sails for adventure, your mind on a new romance. Each week Isaac, your Klingon bartender, helps a new cast of characters seek whatyamacallit.
    Star Trek: Badlands -- okay, so they killed off Sloane. But Sloane's clone and his sidekick Artemus Changeling kick alien tail throughout the wild, wild badlands in the name of the Federation.
    Star Trek: Holodeck Island -- the name says it all.
    Star Trek Blues -- Due to a major reorganization, security uniforms are now blue. Join the phaser-bait in their squad room, where they wait for the call from the bridge that could mean LIFE OR DEATH! Let's be careful out there...
    Star Trek: Ferengi Exposure -- Julian Bashir is just marking time as a frontier doctor on the Ferengi homeworld. He's a fish out of water, but is finally charmed by the locals.
    Star Trek Bloopers -- never underestimate the stupidity of the viewership. People can't get enough of the same old clips.
    Star Trek: Cadet Squad -- not all Star Fleet cadets can be in Red Squad. Follow the antics of cadets who just squeaked by on the entrance exam.
    Star Trek: Riker's Heroes -- what do you get when you mix an inept Vorta jailkeeper, a lovable Jem'Hadar guard, and a raft of Federation inmates? Espionage and sabotage behind the lines in the Gamma quadrant!
    1. Re:New Series Ideas by tamouse · · Score: 1
      Oh, golly -- that was great!! And, actually, I think a few of them have a pretty good premise! There's a few other old sitcoms that would be great to resurrect as ST series:
      • McHale's Navy
      • Gomer Pile
      • Mayberry RFD
      • Green Acres
      • Leave it to Beaver
      • That Girl
      • The Mary Tyler Moore Show
      • and so on!
      Riker's Heroes would be a big fav of mine, I think. :) Seriously though, why wouldn't a completely non-serious series be good? Think about it, with the outrageous success of Red Dwarf, why couldn't it be done in the ST Universe, too? And what about some plain old romance? Or maybe a really good soap opera with evil doers, ne'er-do-wells, innocent ingenues and the like? Wouldn't that be great? I'd even think about become a stay-at-home type to watch it :) (NOT)
      --
      --tamouse
  135. Rumors have been flying for months, no real info.. by SteveKrutzler · · Score: 1

    I have lots of inside sources at Paramount (as evidenced through my good streak of reliable spoilers and such on my site, TrekWeb.COM) and although I haven't been able to read the SF Crowsnest article due to "slashdotting" (the enormous server overload due to being featured on slashdot), I know that Rick Berman and Brannon Braga are in the very early development stages of a new series and the chances that anyone outside of them knows anything about it other than Kerry McCluggage (the prez of Paramount tv) is highly unlikely. Expect some reliable information to be out in a couple months, since it is slated to premiere next fall (and thus casting must begin in Jan and shooting by May). Hopefully some of you will check out my site, TrekWeb.COM. I know that a lot of people that come to slashdot are Trek fans (as evidenced by the enormous amount of comments to this story) and I hope many of you try out TrekWeb.COM and maybe become regular visitors to the site for the best Star Trek news available. Thanks.

    --
    -Steve Krutzler TrekWeb.com -- THE source for everything TREK
  136. Make it an opera! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Then nobody would care how crappy the dialogue is cause it's all about "the music" anyway. I mean, Neelix is not more stupid than Puccini. No, I won't defend that statement. A Gilbert & Sullivan flavor would not be much of a stretch, either: A tachion field! A tachion field! A tachion field is a great big shield we hide be hind the dominionfrom! Rerouting things in the big machines lights all the lights on the cyclotron! Then we spurt our jets on the alien pest and modulate the crap out of everyone! It's a crazy idea! It's a pretty long shot! It's never been done but we'll give it all we got. You know you want this, but you don't know why.

    1. Re:Make it an opera! by Another+MacHack · · Score: 1

      You, sir are a genius!

  137. South Trek by mvw · · Score: 1

    Gimme the USS Kenny! :)

  138. I want to see an Excelsior based series by Trunks · · Score: 1

    I always thought it would be interesting to see a series based on Sulu's command of the Excelsior after the events of ST6.

    --
    This post sponsored by Ninja Burger. "
  139. maybe they should have translated *into* japanese by delmoi · · Score: 1

    so that the names didn't sound stupid here. like 'daikatana' (big sword) would sound stuipd in japan.
    "Subtle mind control? Why do all these HTML buttons say 'Submit' ?"

    --

    ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
  140. Re:What was the name of that site? by SteveKrutzler · · Score: 1

    TrekWeb.COM covers everything. Sorry for making my original post sound like an ad, I just am trying to get the word out to such a huge audience. Thanks

    --
    -Steve Krutzler TrekWeb.com -- THE source for everything TREK
  141. Re:Please Add: Anything by Brannon Braga by Matty_ · · Score: 1

    So what if Cochrane was a man? Maybe he meant to do that?

    I guess us queer folks don't exist in the 23rd century (or whenever it's supposed to take place).

  142. another one by llornkcor · · Score: 1

    Perhaps a cross between Red Dwarf and Seinfeld, where absolutely nothing really happens. With the billions of miles of space out there, there would have to be alot of boring time spent. Ever drive across the continent?