Investors in commercial space flight contribute $3-million to save Star Trek.

trekunited ^ | 03.01.2005 | Chris R

[Names Ash Housewares]

Star Trek Enterprise has been cancelled but a fan movement to privately fund a fifth season has just had a huge contribution. Great news for fans of Enteprise! Im not surprised its from entrepreneurs with long reaching vision.

The benefactors also added a statement explaining why they believe this campaign deserves such a substantial contribution:

"We think Star Trek and especially its latest incarnation, "Enterprise" is the kind of TV that should be aired more often. The people responsible at Paramount think this is just a show and we want to tell them, it is not. We are in the commercial space flight industry and would like to testify that at least one out of two of all the actual entrepreneurs involved in this industry has been inspired by Star Trek; and we are not only good at watching TV sci-fi , we are also good at writing checks, big checks. The people airing this kind of TV have a responsibility; inspiration. Star Trek has inspired us, and particularly Enterprise, with its superb theme song that tells so much about our struggle to move space travel forward and closer to the public, this inspiration is so self evident, that Virgin Galactic has ordered a 5-sub orbital ship fleet from Scaled Composites, a 100 million dollar investment, and the first one being built is going to be christened ‘VSS Enterprise.’ Now doesn’t that ring a bell in Paramount’s ears? Now, canceling the series so bluntly, for the sake of just ratings, tells very much about the kind of thinking going on inside Paramount. If we thought the same way, Paul Allen would have never funded the SpaceShipOne program. Sir Richard Branson would never have funded Virgin Galactic and Space Adventures would never have put two space tourists aboard the International Space Station. Instead, we would all be at home watching Survivor or some other reality TV show. Enterprise needs to be renewed, for the sake of fan loyalty, for being quality TV, for bringing imagination and hope for a better future to our homes, but over all that, for inspiring us so strongly that we have fought all our adult lives to bring that future closer to our children and to us."

[solitas]

Ugh - no: don't use anything that thinks it's remotely talented based upon past appearances. Use entirely new people and give them a chance to build their characters and reputations - if you bring in anything considered a 'celebrity' there will be too much expectation for it to behave as people have seen it previously.

Definitely use a capable director; but one who isn't going to use the same old hacks that appear everywhere else.

[LibertarianInExile]

Odds are good if you use a new cast and crew you're going to get sketchy performances, but if you use an old hand in the director's chair you'll get real response in performance because the cast knows and respects the name.

But I don't care, honestly. I just wish they'd get out of the cornball transporter/PC universe of Star Trek. That whole 'sci-fi' realm is nothing but UN-loving, soap-opera-in-space, dreck.

[mikrofon]

"It's dead, Jim."

[Names Ash Housewares]

"Fate protects fools, little children, and ships named Enterprise" William T. Riker

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Spock: "It's never been done!"

Kirk: "Don't tell me that *again*, 'Science Officer'! It's a theory! It's possible! We might go up into the biggest ball of fire since the last sun in these parts exploded, but we've got to take that one in ten thousand CHANCE!"