"Enterprise" canceled just as it shapes-up

This and That | 2/20/05

[Richard Kimball]

The last Star Trek show I paid any attention to was the one where Dr. Crusher fell in love with the slug. After that, if it said Star Trek, I passed.

[buccaneer81]

The movies were these weird "action" movies that were erratically produced and mostly awful, boring, and had no interesting science fiction content.

Now let's be fair. Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan was very watchable, even for non sci-fi fans.

[cyborg]

LOL

[John Lenin]

The show turned into absolute PC crap. After 30 years, it's time for some new ideas.

[Kurt_D]

Well, I won't shed a tear for this show...

[spinestein]

I think it's not that there is "too much" PC in ST, just that they beat you over the head with what there is.

This is especially true of many of the TNG episodes (including every single episode with Wussley Crusher).

All in all, TNG had about four good years, starting about the end of the third season.

[RayChuang88]

But alas, did you notice that list didn't include the person that made some of the best Star Trek: The New Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes: Ronald D. Moore.

If Moore had been producing Enterprise the show would be VASTLY superior, that's to be sure. Instead, Moore became creator and Executive Producer of the re-make of Battlestar Galactica, a show that has FAR exceeded everyone's expectations.

[cyborg]

LOL I used to think valuable training was wasted on Wesley.

[k2blader]

Good title. Says it all. Well, except for the rest of the thread. :-)

[Darkwolf377]

The "Generations" DVD has the original death scene, I think. It looked like crap so they reshot it.

[Darkwolf377]

Sure, but one movie out of a ten movie series is a 10% success rate.

[Paul_Denton]

I wonder if science fiction has a future. I don't meet many kids interested in science fiction anymore.

I have always loved sci fi. Too bad Enterprise got canceled. I often wonder if it has a future too, but too many people are interested in stupid reality shows.

[altura]

I know!!

I've been totally into the last few shows.

Too bad.

[Paul_Denton]

If you missed Deep Space 9 (especially the later seasons) you missed A LOT.</p>

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

I miss Babylon 5. The new Galactica is great because like B5 its episodes can be woven into an epic.

And hence why DS:9 in the final 2+ seasons was the pinnacle of ST. It's been downhill, fast, from thereon.

DS:9 probably has B5 to thank for that, though, since they were competing during those last seasons and actually made attempts to move away from the Communists in Space theme from TNG.

[spinestein]

[Make real science fiction and it will find an audience.]

"Ring-world", the classic SF novel by Larry Niven is being made into a movie as well as "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card.

If a SF movie is well made, and follows the style and vision of the book, then it will be very successful. Otherwise it will follow in the footsteps of "I, Robot" released last year with a stinky splat.

Other examples of SF books made into movies (with mixed results):

2001 A Space Odyssey
Blade Runner
Total Recall
Bicentennial Man
The Running Man
Alien (?) not sure if it was a book first

[thoughtomator]

Star Trek is still running? Who knew?

[spinestein]

I don't know a single person who doesn't despise the Wesley Crusher character. I think the producers just kept trying to cram him down the viewers throats, and the more he was hated, the more he was featured in future episodes.


TNG-- "So, they didn't like the last episode where Wesley's science experiment almost destroys the entire universe, eh?" Well, we'll just bring him back again next week and have him preach to everybody about the 'Prime Directive'. That'll show 'em."

[cyborg]

Yup! LOL

[Paul Atreides]

I wonder if science fiction has a future. I don't meet many kids interested in science fiction anymore.

I will be surprised if science fiction ever shirks its stigma. Today's youth are not, for the most part, into imagination. I had an English professor talk about the "Frodo Lives" buttons he saw on campus, in the 70s. The class of early twentysomethings erupted in derisive laughter. Unless you are talking about a 90-minute film on the same level as an action movie, forget about it.

Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 has come to fruition.