Star Trek: How many follow any of the franchises?

[PHLBOS]

Not to mention that the screen shot you have there also has the original actor who played Apollo in the original series in the 1960s

That would be Michael Forrest.

[hbelkins]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the internet-only series Star Trek Continues.  It's essentially what a possible 4th Season TOS would look like.  Scotty is played by Chris Doohan; James Doohan's son.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G-ziTBAkbQ

Never heard of it.

[kkt]

Not to mention that the screen shot you have there also has the original actor who played Apollo in the original series in the 1960s

That would be Michael Forrest.

He should have moved on to playing Zeus by now.  He's a bit elderly for Apollo.

[US 81]

Star Trek Continues is a made-on-a-tight-budget series by fans who clearly love the show. It is very much in the spirit of TOS. Lots of true-to-the-Star-Trek-universe touches. Some of the acting can be a little hammy (in the spirit of Wm Shatner) Good replicas of costumes from TOS, scored with actual music from TOS. Most episodes have an appearance from an actor who appeared in one of the ST series.

Probably not of interest to anyone except a Trekker, but very fun if you are one....

[cl94]

We know this technology as impulse engines. Cross another item off the "Star Trek inventions scientists haven't figured out" list.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/emdrive-leaked-nasa-paper-reveals-star-trek-microwave-thruster-does-work-1590244?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=rss&utm_content=/rss/yahoous/news&yptr=yahoo

[TheHighwayMan3561]

ST:TNG had an interesting 1st season episode which dead ended in terms of future stories that was titled "Conspiracy".  The next episode was "The Neutral Zone", which set the table for introducing the Borg in season 2 (Q Who?), which I always found to be an interesting juxtaposition of plotlines.  The "Conspiracy" alien life form was scarier than the Borg in my opinion. 

Rick

I think the original plan was for the Conspiracy creatures and the Borg to be the same entity, but due to creative problems with the insectoid species that the Conspiracy aliens were to be they were scrapped and the Borg were created. Unfortunately it left that abandoned cliffhanger at the end of Conspiracy where the mother alien living inside Dexter Remmick had sent a homing beacon back to their species. This was never mentioned again in TNG or its movies.

[kkt]

We know this technology as impulse engines. Cross another item off the "Star Trek inventions scientists haven't figured out" list.

I will wait until there's a trial before I cross it off my "haven't figured out" list, not a press release.

[nexus73]

Nice to see this thread mentioned so it seems a good time to resurrect it!

Would a Mirror Universe series do well?  My guess is that it would draw initially high interest, after which storyline development would determine the success or failure.

How about a Star Trek set in the 30th century?  That would really open the doors for new tech and styles at least.  What would the 30th century look like?  Then comes the fun of piecing together a 30th century timeline.  Did the Federation go intergalactic and wind up facing the Andromedans?  Were more Doomsday Machines found?  What are the values of the societies portrayed in such a series like?

Rick

[SP Cook]

Mirror Universe - Like all such devices, it is good for a episode, but will not work for a series.  Also, if you buy into the concept, then everyone there is evil and dark.  Who wants to see that?

As to the new shows, Picard is a pointless preachfest where faded ST actors do a cameo.  Unwatchable.  Then there is Discovery.  Among the worst things ever filmed.  An idiotic plot, unrealistic time travel scenario, changing canon about one of the two main OS characters, constant preaching. 

[nexus73]

Mirror Universe - Like all such devices, it is good for a episode, but will not work for a series.  Also, if you buy into the concept, then everyone there is evil and dark.  Who wants to see that?

As to the new shows, Picard is a pointless preachfest where faded ST actors do a cameo.  Unwatchable.  Then there is Discovery.  Among the worst things ever filmed.  An idiotic plot, unrealistic time travel scenario, changing canon about one of the two main OS characters, constant preaching. 

The reality TV show "Survivor" does well despite it being about humans solely acting based on selfish self interest.  I prefer teamwork but others take a different path, so I would expect a Mirror Universe series to collect its share of fans.  The spectrum of morality is rather broad.

Rick

[vdeane]

I feel like the Mirror Universe is controversial in the fandom, at least beyond Mirror, Mirror.  Some people love it, others don't and think it's just an excuse for the actors to have fun hamming it up and playing evil people.

[kkt]

The first couple of Mirror Universe episodes in DS9 were good, but they went too often to the same well.

[OCGuy81]

Glad to see this thread resurrected as well!

I agree that DS9 had some good Mirror Universe episodes, but I'm not sure good enough to support an entire spinoff.  If there was to be a DS9 spinoff, I think the founding and growth of The Dominion in its early days could be really interesting.

[Life in Paradise]

As a fan geek, Mirror Universe episodes are fun, but it does bring on the question....if they keep killing each other all of the time way before they do in the regular universe, wouldn't that change people over time?  Meaning due to this murder or that murder, some people are never born in the future...on and on and on..  You can do too many of those shows.

I have enjoyed parts of Discovery (to some its STD heh, heh), but other parts don't fit for me.  I do think that they improved when they moved it 900 years in the future (32nd century).

[kkt]

I really like Disco's credits sequence and some things about it... but so many of the characters don't get backstory.  Michael, sure, and the captains.  A bit about Saru, eventually.  But most of the rest we only get a couple of sentences at most.  I guess I'm just spoiled by DS9, where people have parents, kids, careers previous to their current post, and their lines reflect that.  Disco (and I don't think it's just Disco) has the pace and character development of a video game.

[OCGuy81]

I've always felt like Deep Space Nine was very underrated.  I liked that it showed a grittier side of the Federation, not the utopia we'd seen depicted in the previous two series.  I also appreciated that each episode wasn't "new week, new adventure" but you had stories, like the Dominion War, that spanned seasons. 

There's quite a few Trekkers I've talked to that didn't like DS9 but loved Voyager.  I liked Voyager, but I don't get why DS9 was never looked at as favorably. I think it was better than Voyager.

[Mr_Northside]

I liked Voyager, but I don't get why DS9 was never looked at as favorably. I think it was better than Voyager.

I'm in the same boat.  In my opinion, of everything thru Voyager (haven't really seen any series after), I'd rank DS9 as the best, with TNG a close second.  A major reason, among others, being it ended up with I think the best roster of well-developed (over the course of the series) recurring (some very often) characters.

Just my opinion, of course.

[Scott5114]

The thing about DS9 is that it was doing an ongoing, serialized story way before that was the norm on TV. At the time it was this strange new thing a lot of people couldn't get into. Now, because of things like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones, a TV show doing an ongoing rather than episodic story is an idea viewers are more comfortable with, so DS9 shines more than it did at the time it came out.

...But on the other hand. Before we watched DS9, I made sure to warn my wife that some people didn't like it because it was more serialized and thus to keep an open mind and think of it like Game of Thrones or whatever. Her verdict? DS9 was too episodic for her liking, because she knew there was an overarching plot going on and she wanted it to be developed more rather than the bouts of seeing what the Ferengi were up to or time traveling back to the 21st century or whatever other diversions it made along the way. Also, with all that fluff going on, it bothered her how long it took for the Dominion War arc to really kick in–she felt like DS9 has a really good plot, but it's a shame it took so many years for it to get started! Basically, she didn't mind the episodicness of TNG or Voyager and she likes serialized stories like GoT, but in her opinion DS9 just didn't commit to serialization as much as she would have liked.

[OCGuy81]

The thing about DS9 is that it was doing an ongoing, serialized story way before that was the norm on TV. At the time it was this strange new thing a lot of people couldn't get into. Now, because of things like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones, a TV show doing an ongoing rather than episodic story is an idea viewers are more comfortable with, so DS9 shines more than it did at the time it came out.

...But on the other hand. Before we watched DS9, I made sure to warn my wife that some people didn't like it because it was more serialized and thus to keep an open mind and think of it like Game of Thrones or whatever. Her verdict? DS9 was too episodic for her liking, because she knew there was an overarching plot going on and she wanted it to be developed more rather than the bouts of seeing what the Ferengi were up to or time traveling back to the 21st century or whatever other diversions it made along the way. Also, with all that fluff going on, it bothered her how long it took for the Dominion War arc to really kick in–she felt like DS9 has a really good plot, but it's a shame it took so many years for it to get started! Basically, she didn't mind the episodicness of TNG or Voyager and she likes serialized stories like GoT, but in her opinion DS9 just didn't commit to serialization as much as she would have liked.

That's a fair criticism regarding the Dominion War.  They were introduced in season 2, but the war didn't really start until the end of the 5th season?  Yes, a lot of buildup. 

I kind of appreciated the episodes in between the war story arc.  A reprieve from an otherwise very serious toned series.

[In_Correct]

I do not care for the Mirror Universe episodes. The first episode "Mirror, Mirror" is good enough, but the Deep Space Nine episodes should not have been made. Too many characters were killed. It is more fun to have the villains alive. ... How ever, the Ferengi have been killed off in The Mirror Universe, and it seems The Romulans have been killed off also. These are not weak villains either; I am disappointed how the Ferengi are depicted in Mirror Universe episodes.

That, and numerous Holodeck episodes are examples of being too episodic.

Nothing wrong with Serialized episodes, but things need to happen much faster than in modern Star Trek programmes. ... which I can comment about shortly. Serialized episodes have occurred as early as the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation or even earlier than that ... beginning with Data, and then Worf.

And also I am disappointed what be came of those two popular characters. as well as The Borg.

[Roadgeekteen]

My dad loves Star Trek.

[In_Correct]

ST:TNG had an interesting 1st season episode which dead ended in terms of future stories that was titled "Conspiracy".  The next episode was "The Neutral Zone", which set the table for introducing the Borg in season 2 (Q Who?), which I always found to be an interesting juxtaposition of plotlines.  The "Conspiracy" alien life form was scarier than the Borg in my opinion. 

Rick

I think the original plan was for the Conspiracy creatures and the Borg to be the same entity, but due to creative problems with the insectoid species that the Conspiracy aliens were to be they were scrapped and the Borg were created. Unfortunately it left that abandoned cliffhanger at the end of Conspiracy where the mother alien living inside Dexter Remmick had sent a homing beacon back to their species. This was never mentioned again in TNG or its movies.

It was mentioned very quickly and then more or less swept under the rug again. They were introduced in Conspiracy by Dennis McCarthy ( It does not sound as a usual Dennis McCarthy episode. ) and then again in The Drumhead by Ron Jones. She blamed Picard for not investigating the matter further. And that was the last mentioning of it.

I am not sure how many creative differences there were, but the episode all most did not get made. Gene Roddenberry insisted that it get made and kept rewriting it to be more drastic, even comically drastic, which occurred many times in the 1960s episodes. ... and a Machine Planet story occurred for episode The Changling and again for The Motion Picture.

When they made a story again with The Borg this time, it was mentioned in The Neutral Zone by Ron Jones, and officially introduced in Season 2 where they went over the budget during a season with the smallest budget.

The Borg returned again the next year.

Perhaps another reason why The Insect Creatures did not return in Star Trek is be cause a different programme Dark Skies with Jeri Ryan is also about parasitic creatures. 

[In_Correct]

Here is a rant about two things I do not like about Star Trek:

The Cinematography ... such as the lighting and set designs.

In The Cage Pilot Movie in 1964, they had a very futuristic look despite being the oldest production ... it looked much better than much of the other episodes. They kept the colour scheme muted. The doors were grey not red, and they used beautiful rounded stained glass dark blue ceilings that were eventually discarded. Instead, they used a bunch of Easter Egg Lighting which looks silly.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture returned to the 1964 lighting as well as the use of landing party jackets.

Edward R. Brown used a similar style which generally was not carried over to his successors.

It is better to have low key lighting even if it means you might have a light shining in your face.

Also interesting is that Edward R. Brown and several of the production staff previously worked on Scarecrow And Mrs. King.

...

The other is the music. Good music is hard to find but the best music seems to be from:

Sol Kaplan, George Duning, Gerald Fried, George Romanis, Ron Jones, Don Davis, John Debney, Richard Bellis, Paul Baillargeon, and Gregory Smith. Other musicians are Dennis McCarthy and Jay Chattaway... And perhaps Star Trek: Armada One by Danny Pelfry and Danny Baker. More of this music must be added to Star Trek Online also.

Musicians not from Star Trek also:

a few are on Space Age Pop, many from that time period... such as: Paul Horn, Henry Mancini, Edward Bilous, Jeff Alexander, Don Barto, Patrick Williams, Jack Elliott, Allyn Ferguson, Eugene Poddany, Walter Greene, Bill Lava, Doug Goodwin, Rob Walsh, Don McGinnis, Joe Siracusa, Carlos Brandt, Dean Elliott, Elliott Lawrence, Ed Bogas, Hoyt Curtain, Bob Sakuma, Masahito Maruyama, Yuji Ohno, Maury Laws, Bernard Hoffer, Jerry Martin, Famous Classic Tales, Pinocchio In Outer Space, Halloween Is Grinch Night, Judge Mathis, Soul Train, and numerous Game Show musicians. Also perhaps some of the King Of The Hill musicians such as John Frizzell and John O'Connor. And also Lance Rubin and Roger Neill.

Star Trek has been about at least occasionally mystical music for example from George Duning. The first six movies also, with Leonard Rosenman particularly is another of many examples. And then for The Next Generation they hired a secondary musician Ron Jones. Rick Berman hated the music and eventually fired him and killed the sound track for Star Trek and others. The spiritual successor of Ron Jones is Paul Baillargeon, who worked for Rick Berman on The Big Blue Marble. This is the only reason why Rick Berman ever hired Paul, as well as Don Davis, John Debney, and Gregory Smith.

Rick Berman is very tone deaf; he seems to prefer the music of David Bell, and Velton Ray Bunch. The regular musicians Dennis McCarthy and Jay Chattaway can compose music of various qualities, but seem to prefer to make different melodies, instead of being forced to use Wall Paper.

Paul Baillargeon was probably hired to make six episodes per year, three for Deep Space Nine, and three for Voyager. But Paul Baillargeon only made at most 5 episodes each year... and that is how Gregory Smith made three episodes for Deep Space Nine, one each year. These episodes sound the same as Paul Baillargeon.

If this sounds confusing, watch and listen to the episodes Rocks And Shoals by David Bell and The Assignment by Gregory Smith. Both have a lady falling. One episode the lady ritually hangs her self. The other one possessed all most dies. The music should sound the same dramatic and suspenseful, but the resulting music one sounds terrible. The other one does not.

I do not know why Greogry Smith stopped after those three episodes; Perhaps after 1999, there was only one programme made instead of two. When they make multiple long 26+ episode each programmes again (after a 20 year gap?!) It is going to exhaust Jeff Russo and Michael Giacchino. And it is unacceptable to have them recycle the same few tracks.

I was hoping that Enterprise lasted for 7 seasons, and if they focused on Space Battles instead of Trip and Porthos, it would have. And then I would be able to enjoy even more episodes of Paul Baillargeon.

Even if Paul Baillargeon will not come out of retirement, John Debney and Gregory Smith are still active. Gregory Smith even has a web site.

They are making this programme Strange New Worlds which is finally about Captain Pike. I hope they are able to use the grey walls and dark blue stained glass ceilings that made the 1964 film so futuristic. Hopefully they can recreate the magic that the original actors did ... Every time (even in Fan Recreations such as Phase II New Voyages and Continues) the next actor to be Kirk ends up much more like Archer instead. Perhaps they will also remember that they had mystical music such as from George Duning and also from The Paradise Syndrome by Gerald Fried.

Ron Jones would frequently recreate this type of music.

And also Paul Bailargeon, who continued the tradition of mystical music. An example of the mystical, psyachedellic, perhaps somber at times, music by Paul Baillargeon is from episode Blink Of An Eye. Another good example is Chosen Realm.

I do not know why these musicians have not returned to Star Trek, but Gregory Smith has a web site. He might be convinced to return the moment that the Star Trek producers are able to hire numerous musicians and give them their own episodes. Currently, at least with Star Trek: Picard, they recycle the music much more than the 1960s episodes ever did.

As a result, I type the name of the episode's musician when ever I mention the title of an episode.

[US71]

My dad loves Star Trek.

My sister is an addict from the first show to the present.

I'm more partial to DS9 and Voyager, though Voyager was hit and miss at times.

[kkt]

I do not care for the Mirror Universe episodes. The first episode "Mirror, Mirror" is good enough, but the Deep Space Nine episodes should not have been made. Too many characters were killed. It is more fun to have the villains alive. ... How ever, the Ferengi have been killed off in The Mirror Universe, and it seems The Romulans have been killed off also. These are not weak villains either; I am disappointed how the Ferengi are depicted in Mirror Universe episodes.

That, and numerous Holodeck episodes are examples of being too episodic.

Nothing wrong with Serialized episodes, but things need to happen much faster than in modern Star Trek programmes. ... which I can comment about shortly. Serialized episodes have occurred as early as the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation or even earlier than that ... beginning with Data, and then Worf.

And also I am disappointed what be came of those two popular characters. as well as The Borg.

Worf's fate at the end of DS9 was nothing to be ashamed of.