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Rick Berman Asserts STAR TREK Needs Re-Invention, TREK XI Scribe Announced

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By TRexx / 16:56, 22 February 2005 / Enterprise

For the past 19 years Paramount has launched STAR TREK films and series amid continued syndication and massive video sales. "Each time we started something else, we were competing against the previous shows, so as the number started to accumulate, we started to see franchise fatigue," glums Rick Berman. "You could see it with the performance of the last film, which was a wonderful movie. You can only squeeze so many eggs out of a golden goose." Downbeat results for STAR TREK: NEMESIS have curbed the studio's appetite to move quickly on more features. Dismal ratings prompted UPN to pull the plug on ENTERPRISE.

Berman tells Variety that the whole TREK concept has been so exposed that it needs to be re-invented. Another series would be at least three years away; and if a film goes forward, it will be the first that won't be based on already established TV characters.

Roger Nygard, who put together the TREKKIES and TREKKIES 2 documentaries, believes that taking a break is the sensible course. "It's a little like after you've eaten Thanksgiving dinner, you really don't want any more turkey," he notes. "There's been so much, for so long, that the feeling is that it's OK to take a pause."

"I think we're unique in Hollywood in people working here for 12, 15 even the full 18 years, so that's the sad part -- the family we've had here splitting up," frets Berman, who has teamed with Jordan Kerner and Kerry McCluggage to create an 11th feature now at the early stages of development; Erik Jendresen has signed on as writer.

"I don't think it's going away," attests Paramount Network Television president David Stapf. "We look at this as a hiatus."

Nygard's not worried. "We asked the question in TREKKIES 2 whether STAR TREK would be around in another 50 years and it was unanimous that it would be, in some incarnation. It's worth noting that STAR TREK didn't really begin to flourish until it had been off the air for awhile the first time."

Walter Koenig, a.k.a. "Chekov" in the original series, also believes it will be back eventually. "I really don't think that the series cancellation is its ultimate demise, although that may be just a reflex on my part," he says. "At some point, everything loses a little bit of its glow but STAR TREK has shown an uncanny ability to survive."

You can read the complete article at Variety.

UPDATE: Via Paramount Studios, Variety confirmed TrekWeb staff speculation that Erik Jendresen, not "Eric Genderson," is the scribe for TREK XI (story). Variety has now changed the name on their web site.



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RE: I don't get it | Report this post to moderator
By: Jadzia-Dax (Odo's file, contact) @ 03:29:33 on Feb 24, 2005

Quote:
Even Gene Roddenberry eventually conceded control/was forced out (as of The Motion Picture), so to all of the fans who say that Berman can't be forced out, you're wrong. Anything's possible. Overbearing producers eventually write their own death sentences, and Berman is spoiling to write himself out of Star Trek's future. Here's hoping he doesn't start wrriting fast enough!

First, Roddenberry was very much involved in TNG which came after TMP. He might not have been involved in the film part of the franchise, but he certainly wasn't completely booted out of television part either until the PTB put Piller and Berman in the forefront after season 3 (also corresponding with his worsening health issues).

As I have written over and over and over again. Berman's contract is up in 2006. And interestingly enough, I and a number of others have a gut feeling that some of the comments coming from Moonves (who is ultimately in charge of all things "Domestic television" for Viacom, including Paramount Studios television division, which he has personally merged with CBS's studios) seems to have hinted that a renewal is not in order - or at least in terms of Berman being involved in Trek. His repeated use of "rest a season or two" places the theoretical timeframe after 2006.

The bigger issue that some of us have is whether they will let the entire franchise wither away. The publishing end of it has already announced a scaling-back of product (although I would agree that it shouldn't just churn out drivel but should be more proactive in the variety) and this whole ST XI thing seems really iffy at best - almost like soon-to-be vaporware IMHO, not unlike all the work on Phase II in the '70s that suddenly got dropped and transformed into TMP.

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"I think the show talked to people through the characters. They're stories that speak to the heart. They talk about love, they talk about friendship, they talk about loyalty, they talk about patriotism, exploration, curiosity, reaching out... And I think all those things still touch people. Even when you look at a 30-year old show, it still has something to say." - D.C. Fontana, Sci Fi Channel Special Edition TOS 1998
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"If the season finale involves the re-built USS Reliant coming back in time to the 21st Century crewed by Moogie, Dr. Selar, Morn, Transporter Chief Kyle, and the Salt Vampire, then we'll know that Coto has gone too far." - tomba1701

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RE: I don't get it by Sennik @ 11:25:20 on Feb 24
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