Cool News
Ron Moore leaves "Star Trek" ((confirmation of existing rumors)) !!!
Glen here...
...with a bit of news which comes perilously close to the kind of story I usually want nothing
to do with.
It's borderline gossip, a little vague, and relates directly to inter-personal politics and
relationships - instead of more general and anonymous corporate machination and network /
studio policy (indeed, they sometimes do go hand in hand - and might in this case). None the
less, I have had this confirmed by trusted sources, so I know it's the real thing. And it's news -
so here go I where angels fear to tread...
For the past few weeks, there have been a great many rumors flying about the industry and
the Net indicating Star Trek writer / producer extraordinaire Ron Moore - who moved
over to Star Trek: Voyager after concluding work on Star Trek: Deep Space
Nine - has left Voyager due to some sort of personal in-fighting between Moore and
friend / associate Brannon Braga. This report has surfaced, vanished, and resurfaced on several
occasions: I think I first heard about it though HREF="http://www.trekweb.com">TREKWEB.COM.
Coaxial is now able to confirm that these reports are accurate: Ron Moore is leaving
Voyager & there were "issues" between Moore and Braga. Something had to
give, and now Moore is gone.
Many people characterize Moore's departure as a substantial blow to the Star Trek
franchise - and whatever form the next Trek series takes will be significantly
impacted...some say for the worse...by Moore's departure. BTW- there will be a new
series (confirmed), although I've not received indication as to whether or not it will take the
form described by HREF="http://mrshowbiz.go.com/news/Todays_Stories/990629/showcon062999_1.html">MR.
SHOWBIZ.
There should be some sort of official announcement about this forthcoming within the next
two weeks.
Glen
If you send a message to the above address & bounces back to you, HREF="mailto:glenoliver@hotmail.com">send mail to a back-up address!
Or call:
(512) 347-1992
Mail can be sent to:
Glen Oliver
P.O. BOX 160812
Austin, TX 78716-0812
USA
More to come as more comes in...
P.O. BOX 160812
Austin, TX 78716-0812
USA
More to come as more comes in...
Austin, TX 78716-0812
USA
USA
More to come as more comes in...
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This is really bad news for Star Trek. I personally thought they should have given Bragga and company the heave-ho and brought over the entire production staff from DS9. Ira Behr and Ron Moore brought that show from the brink of mediocrity (which is what Voyager suffers from) to being the best of all the Trek series.
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When it came time to rank the Trek shows, easily the one that stood out the least was, and is, Voyager. The stories on the show never gripped me or made me think the way TNG or, occasionally, DS9 did. I was not the biggest fan of DS9 and fell away from it just before the long heralded resurgence... In other words, I really don't know what I was missing. But I know what I miss when I pass up Voyager: almost every opportunity to ogle Jeri Ryan, and that's about it. The shameless way the writers have suddenly made 7 of 9 the focus, almost habitually, is pathetic and weak. It's no surprise that there is contention behind the scenes. Perhaps someone was trying to pull a swan out of a pack of turkeys? (Bad analogy.) Maybe they were trying to pull the show's figurative head from it's collective bunghole and steer it into some decent sci-fi direction. Perhaps the idea was tossed around that maybe they ought to abandon the freaking stupid 'Lost In Deep Space' scenario and get back to the real deal? Alas, it don't mean jack, folks. Mediocrity? It's here to stay for as long as the UPN can stand the stink in there.
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Ron Moore is one of the rare screenwriters who really understands his craft in a classical sense, who can transform characters into people, and who can use science fiction as a tool of great storytelling. He is a great advocate of originality and character detail, and he never failed to bring a human element to Star Trek that has been de-emphasized in so many other writers' work. He is one of the very few writers for any of the Star Trek series that really understands the full potential of the Trek universe (especially the dramatic potential of the Romulans), and he exploited that understanding regularly. His departure is the latest and most reliable sign that the Star Trek franchise has strayed from the path. I hope Ron's departure paves the way to new projects that will finally bring him the recognition he deserves. I look forward to his future work...until then, Ron - keep the Elvis candle burning.
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Jul 01, 1999 8:17:36 PM CDT
Voyager coming home is one of the four signs that the end is nea
by ranger1138
I am right with you DWD. Seven years of the rag tag fugitive ship is way to much. This show insults all that is Trek and displays every known quality of lazy writing. When tchnobable moves the plot rather than the characters then you know that it's time to move on.
I liked the ida that the Niners would come over and maybe fix a couple of things but I should have guessed that this would happen. So much for Pillar being gone as a sign that things might turn around.
So all you Voyabore writers..What is there to be proud of? The show barely eeked it to syndication and you get beat by "Charmed" almost every week in the ratings. Wow!
On a brighter note, it should be funny watching the crosspromotion of 'Smackdown" with Voyager. Any chance we might see Rick Berman in a steel cage death match? -
One of the biggest problems with Hollywood is that not only are the studio execs out of the loop, but the entertainment magazine writers are idiots also (follow that link on the last page and read the article). The comment that Stewart is the reason the last film made no money is rediculous. Will hollywood EVER figure out that it's STORY that sells!!! I get so tired of hack writers' moronic bitchy articles about what the studios should do. YOU ARE JUST CONFUSING THEM!!! The Trek franchise could be much bigger if they would just spend more time on the script and a good story. Try doing this, ask yourself "would I wanna see this movie" when deciding what to put the money into. Borg movie? yes! Fountain of youth movie? NO. Bringing back a great character from the series like Khan? YES! Searching for God in space? NO.
Ask the same question about the new series, Starfleet Academy? yawn...NO. How about a series with those Starfleet Time traveler guys? -
Ronald D. Moore is the best writer Star Trek has had since Harve Bennett!
The reason he had to leave Voyager was probably that he was too good for them, and they were jealous, and had 5 years of vested interest in defending mediocre product. And Ron Moore is a WAY better writer than Brannon Braga. Give me a break. Braga is a goofy X-Files episode type writer. Moore is a sharp dialogue and incisive human drama type writer.
To Ron Moore: Why oh why didn't they get you to write the Deep Space Nine finale? You were pretty badly needed, dude.
I will miss the hell out of you. -
Don't get me wrong. I friggin LOVE Star Trek. I've seen all the original shows a billion times. I watch TNG all the time. DS9 was at least somewhat interesting in how different it was. Then there's Voyager. It's not that Voyager is bad. I think the problem is that it is TOO MUCH like TNG. This show was hyped as Trek extreme and instead became Trek PC. They take no chances with a show that is easily the best format for Trek to take chances. Here they are lost in space, and rarely does anything extraordinary happen. Instead we're still dealing with boring aliens and holodeck problems. I really wanna see the fit hit the shan, man!! Let's kill some characters or destroy the damn ship. Make it almost impossible to get home!! Stop foolin' around and DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!!! If that means get all new writers and let the old ones walk, do it. Dawson's Trek has to be at least more original than Voyager. The franchise desparately needs a new direction. It cannot continue the way it is now. The last movie was just unimportant. If getting rid of Picard in Riker for a while will fix it, please do it. Do ANYTHING more interesting for us Trek fans!!! We still love the franchise, but will not follow blindly!! Bye!!
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We go from 2 writers that are great together (Moore and Braga), down the good one leaving (Moore, who can write good stories by himself) to somebody who hasn't written a decent script since TNG (Braga). Damn, down to 4 reasons to watch Voyager.
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Prick. There I said it...And I'm glad i did he never cared about trek or its fans....yeah just look at generations or first contact you know he stunk,,,,
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Coop,
That's right, the story does make the movie, and that's why Patrick Stewart should have left his nose out of it!! What they thought they were doing by giving Stewart power to completely reject scripts and participate in the writing process is beyond me. The man may perform Shakespeare, but he sure as hell can't write it and probably wouldn't be able to recognize it except for the fact that it says "Shakespeare's [insert title here]" Before Stewart had a duck over the script the story was much darker and serious, more along the lines of First Contact, which, IMHO is the direction the next generation films should stay in since it works very well for them in the film world (as opposed to television). In fact, in a interview Berman said Stewart hated the first few scripts and said of it, "It's not entertaining," or something to that extent. Obviously, Stewart thinks boob jokes from Diana and zits on Worf are funny. We all know Stewart would have had a fit if the zit were on HIS nose! So, yes, they need a better story, but to say Stewart had nothing to do with Insurrection's awfulness is absurd. Anyways, I'll take more Dr. Crusher over more Picard anyway, she's been disrepectfully under used. -
Do you get the feeling Gene Roddenberry's rolling over in his grave right now at the sorry way his beloved creation is being handled. Ron Moore should never have been allowed to walk away from the Trek franchise. While I like the team of Moore and Braga, Voyager has been a colossal mistake and the blame for that can go to Braga. With Moore on board, I thought Voyager might be interesting...well, not so much interesting but I thought I could at least sit thru an episode without surfing to a ball game or something. No such luck. On the movie and new series fronts, if Paramount elects to pursue the kiddie crowed with "Dawson's Trek" or worse yet the "Starfleet Boys", they should then also start digging a hole to bury the franchise. Is it so hard for Paramount to understand that they need to not only attract a new audience but retain their core as well? Are they really so blind that they can't figure out that there are 3 elements that will make Trek fly for new and old fans:We want characters we care about, a premise that works, and stories that captures our imagination and reel us in. If they can't do that, they shouldn't bother doing anything. I think all Trek fans are tired of being insulted and taken for granted by Paramount.
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Everything will be announced in "2 weeks." What? Is the malfunctioning mask Arnold used in "Total Recall" the new reception lady for Hollywood?
As for Trek, DS9 was great. It did everything I wanted Trek to do when I was watching TNG. Worf got married, and is now co-ruling the Empire with another cool Klingon character. The Federation had a war that lasted more than a season cliffhanger. An alien culture(Bajorans) was given almost as much development as the Vulcans and Klingons were originally given. DS9 was a good change from Next Gen, even though it was never THE SHOW like TNG was. But I agree with Phreek, Voyager, the last show left to us, is a mere rehash, and not even an inventive one! The reason people are turning to Babylon 5(or were, I should say) and Farscape and any other show in the genre is because Star Trek is old. God, I sound like Saliari from Insurrection. But its true! Star Trek needs a jolt of life again! NEW WRITERS WHO LOVED THE ORIGINAL SHOW IS IMPERATIVE! The original show shouldn't be rehashed, but it should be re-examined and worked with. GET BACK TO EXPLORING, DAMMIT! Now that the Dominion, and the Cardassians are defeated, and the Romulans and Klingons are actually in a cool sort of alliance with us, lets see the Federation send out some ships to explore the Beta Quadrant. Hey, why base the show on just one ship? Have a cast that come from three or more ships. Imagine a husband and wife pair of captians. Go to Peter David and BEG him to write episodes in his free time(2 minutes, but I bet he could do it and produce something better than all of Voyager). Lets see some actual new and interesting ideas again in the Star Trek feel and look! And don't stop with the writing, hire new lighting people. Hire new art people, hire new make-up, sorry Westmore, and new costume people. The CGI guys from Foundation are the most inventive part of Voyager, keep those guys. But fire those lousy composers Star Trek has been saddled with forever! GET BACK RON JONES, YOU IDIOTS! The Trek Producers let this guy go and it was criminal! Star Trek fans are losing faith, forget about the movies for a while. Work on the TV show concept, let it incubate on the drawing boards for a few years. Then, a year after Voyager quits, give us a taste. Two weeks--HAH! What a joke. -
This is bad news for ST fans. Ron Moore was the only hope I had that Voyager could turn itself around and reach the potential it had in its first episode. The lost in space premise had HUGE potential because like on ST:TOS the captain wouldn't be able to run back to Starfleet everytime she got in hot water. Plus they could have actually returned to the premise of exploring "strange new worlds." Plus they had the added element of the friction between the Maquis crew and the Starfleet crew. Unfortunately all of this was quickly forgotten and we got a goody two shoes crew and season after season of shipbound stories, stories that were too afraid of offending anyone to be any good. Doesn't anyone remember when Star Trek used to tell stories that meant something? Thank the Maker that the original series is coming out on DVD. At least I'll have some INTERESTING Trek to watch.
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....so what are the other two reasons to watch Voyager?
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I have it on very reliable information that the new Trek show will consist of Dr. Crusher and 7 of 9 wearing spandex and doing streching exercises. Actually, I think that any Federation-based show will fail because Trek has written itself into a corner. Humans have lost all sense of personality. Let's have a Klingon show. Martok as Emperor, Wolf as loyal aide who 1) engages in court intrigue with wit and stealth, 2) engages in a lot of personal combat when intrigue fails, and 3) has a kick-ass ship and crew on the side. Capt. Picard can stop by for a Very Special Christmas episode. Worf can finally kill that Riker transporter-clone in a violent and bloody battle. Alexander can be the mandatory Trek-character-who-is-torn-between-two-worlds. And Worf can stop by DS9 and visit old friends while cruising the galaxy in his ship, the Khlaurund (translation: skull-crushing war hammer of flame, famine and horror). Kaplah!
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Attention all naysayers:
I believe Voyager will do OK. Hasn't anyone been watching this year? There have been a number of excellent shows--"Night," which took risks exactly as many of you have been demanding. "Drone" which brought back the Borg and had some cool FX. "Extreme Risk," "Nothing Human" brought back some crewmember friction.
"Timeless," obviously, was one of the all-time best Trek shows.
"Thirty Days" made a change in a character--demoted Paris to Ensign.
"Counterpoint," "Latent Image," "Bride of Chaotica," "Gravity," "Think Tank," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Equinox Part I," and only two of those were the so-called Seven shows. Anyway all the episodes I listed were about on par with TNG's third season, maybe even their fourth. Which means this year will be great--particularly with the crew coming back to the Alpha Quadrant.
I am the first to admit Voyager's second season sucked completely, and the third season was also pretty bad. But I say it's gotten much better, and it's Trek so we should support it.
As for Seven of Nine, as you can probably tell, I'm a fan. I think it's good to have the "Spock" character be a woman for once, and I think the sexual tension created by her character is good for the show--it's particularly well-done since the character herself is oblivious to such matters. She's been graduately having the focus on her reduced, and things are about normal now. One of the most recent "Seven of Nine episodes" had an excellent part for the Doctor, and a good B-plot for Neelix, of all people.
Finally let me say specifically that there have been BAD episodes this year, of course, just like there are bad episodes in any season. "Dark Frontier" is an excellent example--COMPLETE wasted opportunity. -
1) Foundation Imaging. Nuff said.
2) I have a friend that got hired as a Set Designer for Voyager. -
What was once a philosophical gem for the 1960's and 70's, has been degraded into a cash cow by Paramount, giving us what they think the fans want to see. It's too bad Roddenberry didn't buy the rights to the franchise and kept it in the family (similar to what Lucas did with Star Wars). Mr. Showbiz indicates that Paramount is blaming Patrick Stewart for the poor boxoffice performance of Insurrection. What B.S.! It's the STORY stupid! (To paraphrase the Clinton/Gore economy quote). The story was weak and filled with holes, and wouldn't have made a good TV script, let alone a multi-million dollar film. I would see ANY good Star Trek film, irregardless of who starred. And I think Stewart is being bashed for no good reason. I also believe that fans in general can see that Stewart as a captain of such a vessel as the Enterprise, along with the responsibilities it entails, is a bit more realistic than having some one young and inexperienced on the bridge. That's not a blast at William Shatner's role on the TV series. Shatner was perfect for the part at that time, and I think improved with age. Ever since Roddenberry died I think that Star Trek has gone slowly down hill. And when Paramount says that they want to "reinvent" Star Trek, it makes me fear that they plan to change the characteristics of the show that have endeared it to two generations of viewers. But I hope my fears are unfounded.
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Are you crazy? Voyager will be canceled after 13 episodes if that were to happen.
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BREZERKER wrote: "Not to spam, but.... fortunately the head of our team was in LA on other business, but got a lot of insight into the Moore/Braga situation. He'll post on it when he returns. Suffice it to say, it doesn't look pretty for crybaby Braga..." GLEN says: No, it looks singularly, embarassingly bad for Braga, actually...*Glen**
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After reading all the talk backs last night I watched some old Trek and new trek. I think the problem is the franchise looks tired. Perhaps a new take on an old idea is just what Trek needs to boost itself back into the spotlight. Ditch TNG movies for at least 5 years or more, rethink voyager completely. Take the story where it is now and totally shake it up. THEN bring us something new and unexpected. Why not a movie with unestablished brand new characters? Even a TV movie on UPN or something completely unrelated to shows? B5 movies are pretty good. Why just aim for the big screen? Think a little smaller. Trek has consistently done well on televsion, so go with it. As for a Trek Academy series -- why the hell not? But don't wimp out!! Make it an action-adventure show, not just some aliens in every episode that are trying to learn to live with each other. What made DS9 interesting was the relationships between the regulars, not the relationships with the alien of the week!! A teen Trek soap opera? Hey, I'm all for anything that will boost this tired franchise.
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If anyone wants to do a little research (Solow & Justman's STAR TREK: THE TRUE STORY is a good place to start) one would realize that back in 1968-69, Roddenberry became fed up with NBC's putting TREK on at 10PM Fridays and basically walked away from the show (he kept the "Executive Producer" title but moved his office off the lot over to MGM where he produced PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW). I don't know how interested he was in associating with TREK in 1970 (before it caught on in syndication) or how legally easy or affordable such a purchase would have been. In any case, most of Roddenberry's best TREK work was done in collaboration with skilled story editors and producers like Gene Coon, D.C. Fontana, and John D.F. Black. Without their help he ended up doing weak things like STAR TREK--THE MOTION PICTURE and the first season of TNG.
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Jul 02, 1999 10:51:15 AM CDT
New Star Trek Format: How about a show where the Holodeck goes o
by kieran
Oh wait, they've done that one.
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It seems with what is going on in the Trek world today, it looks like Star Trek is quickly sinking. With Moore leaving, ideas of a newer, cheaper budget show, and no final movie for the TNG cast, it looks like Star Trek might not be staying afloat much longer. Paramount and Star Trek need to figure out something quick.
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I guess I'm one of the rare individuals who actually liked the first 3 seasons of Voyager. I thought the first season was easily the best first season of any Trek series. TNG's first season was unwatchable, DS9 had an almost equally bad first season, while Voyager's first season offered some pretty good episodes (Eye of the Needle, Deadlock, State of Flux) and I thought the characters fell into place almost immediately, whereas the other shows took a long time for the writers to figure out where each character belonged. The second was OKAY, a little bit weaker than the first, while the 3rd season had some pretty darn good episodes - Before and After, Distant Origin, Future's End, Worst Case Scenerio, and of course, Scorpion. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how I feel about seasons 4 and 5. I think the writing has gotten more consistent and there are bigger things happening and yes, there have been plenty of really outstanding episodes - Year of Hell, Message in a Bottle, Prey, Living Witness, The Gift, Drone, Timeless, Infinite Regress, Counterpoint, Dark Frontier, Someone to Watch Over Me. But personally, I'm kinda sick of all the little jumps they've been taking - 10 light years there, 2 light years here, 15 more over there, etc. And course, all of the Seven the SuperBorg episodes. It makes yearn for the days when they're fighting off the Kazon, negotiating alliances, doing what they can to survive. Now, it seems like there's no question that they'll survive cuz they can do practically anything.
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IMHO Meyer rescued the Trek franchise from possible extinction not once but twice -- after ST:TMP and again after STV:TFF. STVI is for me the greatest Trek "thing" ever, and STII is probably #3 after Best of Both Worlds Part I ... but I digress. I firmly believe Trek is facing another life-or-death situation here, and that it's time to bring Meyer back once more.
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Yep.Ron Moore leaving is definitely bad news.What's even more worrying is the things I've read about the new Trek series possibly focusing on the Starfleet Academy.That surely means another load of young,unexperienced and,frankly,uninteresting actors.As if Voyager's cast isn't enough.
By the way,here's my recipy for saving Voyager:
1.A massive transporter accident involving Paris,Kim,Torres and 7 of 9.(mature cast members would finally get some breathing space to really start acting)
2.Voyager simply has to return to the Alpha Quadrant,with or without R.Moore "on board".Let's face it - no alien species created for "Voyager" are as interesting as those created in Roddenberry's times.Also,there's a brilliant storyline left unfinished in the Alpha Quadrant - Section 31.That would give Voyager's crew something to do for the remaining seasons.
As for the new Trek series,I have only two requests: 1.Accomplished actors only,please!And none of that Academy nonsence - another Enterprise based show would do just fine with the right actors and intelligent scripting! -
Someone posted that they have one less reason to watch it. I cant find any reasons to watch it. But I do because its like watching a train wreck. A mix of horror and fascination that you cannot avert your eyes from.
Ok, its not that bad sometimes. :)
But it sure aint no DS9 or TNG or TOS.
I have no hopes for any new Trek series. Let it die in dignity. :)
David
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No . . . no, no, no, NO! The last thing I think any of us needs to hear is, "Tonight, on a very special 'Dawson's Trek' . . .". They have to be scraping the bottom of the bad idea barrel. I can't wait for the stories about a Vulcan learning to deal with ponn-far, or the hazards of holo-addiction. Guess what, Paramount: I want Star Trek! I want a crew searching the galaxy for new life and worlds. I don't need a quest. I don't want stories "ripped from todays headlines". I don't care what's cool this week. I swear, Gene must be spinning in his grave!
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I had the pleasure of interviewing Ron Moore for a magazine early on in his Trek tenure. I was impressed by his first few scripts for TNG, and looked forward to what else he might contribute. But, as the show wore on, I became disappointed. It might have been creative burnout, or it might have been the politics of the show, or it might've been a lot of other things, but I never felt his later work lived up to the promise of those first few episodes.
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As to the franchise, losing Ron isn't such a bad thing...because I believe it's long since time for a housecleaning at Trek. The franchise is stale. Moore was there for a decade. No one can be fresh grinding out script after script for that long. The same is true of the makeup artists, set designers, etc. Their work has gotten statle. It's time to breathe some new life into Star Trek. Yes, Rick Berman has to go too.
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The answer to me is obvious. It's not war, it's not ships lost in space. It's not some tweak on the format (exploring the whathaveyou quadrant)...it's a format that allows Star Trek to be Star Trek, and to tell the kinds of stories it tells best. This would be:
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A show about a starship out in the frontier, removed from home base, but doing so bravely, not by accident.
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A crew that risks their lives to expand knowledge, not to save the ship from the cheesy threat of the week.
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A show in which many stories are adapted from REAL S.F. short stories, if not written by SF writers. The Original Series had episodes penned by writers like Sturgeon, Spinrad, Bloch, Ellison and George Clayton Johnson. They set the high-bar for the show. Any new Trek would benefit from such input (a good example, David Gerrold's story book "Yesterday's Children" could be adapted into one helluva Trek episode...the kind that would expose the darkest souls of characters and transform the show mid-season).
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Lose the technobabble. The old show didn't need it. Spock could say, "It's hull is pure neutronium. There is no known way of blasting through it," and that's all we needed.
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Lose the soap-opera plots. Give the characters strong convictions about moral and ethical and scientific issues and let the conflicts come out of their differences on how to do their jobs.
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Lose the humanoid aliens. Instead of meeting a new bump-head every week, meet a new species only periodically, and when we do, make them bloody ALIEN, and that part of the problem is figuring out how to communicate and relate to creatures that you at first appear to have nothing nothing NOTHING is common with.
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Yes, I have strong opinions on this. I've always thought Star Trek could be a brilliant show, but in none of its incarnations has it lived up to its potential. Sadly, I doubt it ever will. -
..just that. hated generations, but if one of the boys had to go and one had to stay...the wrong one left. oh, and to that other question, i seem to remember roddenberry saying in an interview long ago that at the time he had a chance to buy the rights to trek back from paramount (before it hit bigtime in syndication) he could not meet their price. wish i could cite the exact source, but it seems he tried.
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1. Technobabble. Too often tech magically solves problems for the characters.
2. Acting. Kim and Chakotay are painfully bad.
3. Writing. Too inconsistant. Even the best episodes have problems. ie: Have you noticed the best Voyager episodes are the ones that never happen? The only time something truly interesting happens is when it's some sort of alternate timeline or anomaly. But, Voyager's writing problems are so bad that they need to be dealt with in their own categories.
4. The Magic Reset Button. This ties into 3. When something interesting does happen, it's gone the next week. There are no consequences on Voyager. The ship can be blown to bits and pieces and the next week it's as good as new.
5. Lack of Conflict. Part of the promise of Voyager was the conflict between the Maquis and Starfleet. We were going to have two ideologically seperated groups forced to find common ground. Instead, the issue got swept under the rug and gets brought out once a season.
6. Inconsistant Characterization. Characters suddenly acquire back histories that come out of nowhere(Paris is a good example of this). They act competant one week and are complete morons the next. For example, Counterpoint portrays Janeway as a competant captain who doesn't take unnecessary risks with her crew. But, in other episodes, she jumps in blindly and risks the ship. And all too often she loses and gets saved by some technobabble miracle.
Well, I could probably go on about the show's other flaws. It's too late to solve most of these problems now, so let's concentrate on what's good.
1. The Doctor. Robert Picardo is a god. He can turn shitty writing into gold. I needn't say more.
2. 7 of 9. Yeah, she was brought in to increase the T&A factor, but she can act! And she's an interesting character to boot! She also brought some conflict into the crew; Seven appears to have more balls than the entire crew combined. She's provided a fresh perspective on the whole Voyager bit.
3. Janeway. I actually like Janeway somewhat. I wouldn't rate Mulgrew as good an actor as Ryan or Picardo, but she is solid and reliable. And I enjoy her playing the badass.
It speaks volumes about the state of Voyager that the most interesting characters are a hologram, a borg, and a megalomaniacal Captain.
How to make Voyager better:
1. More continuity. Not bullshit like Paris and Torres' "relationship." More like damage to the ship actually carrying over. Entire episodes can be made around the consequences of that battle with the alien of the week. Take that reset button and smash it into little itsy bits and pieces. Remember the "Paris is an asshole"/Jonas arc? I want to see more of that; only done better. The whole point of Voyager is that it's stranded. There's no threat to the ship if it can magically repair itself week to week. Or if the Doctor can go insane and be better the next. etc etc etc.
2. Kill off everyone except The Doctor, Seven, and Janeway. Well, maybe keep Tuvok. Neelix, Torres, Kim, Chakotay, and Paris all need to be expelled out airlocks and replaced with more interesting people.
3. More exploration. No more episodes set completely on Voyager.
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paramount has strategically and systematically screwed up the francise since the death of Rodenberry. The dumba ssed studio execs that Rodenberry LOATHED have gained control. Without Moore, Stewart and a new series that returns to the lame asssed premise of "Star Fleet Academy" (wich seems to be the preference what with the you oriented only cycle hollywood is focused on these days) Trek is going to virtually disapear within a few years. the wise studio execs will kill the show. The ever desired youth market will avoid this "pre-fab" shit show like the plague, and the new cast movie will fail. When will paramount learn? They change technology, uniforms, and even the background universe with every freakin' production. reflect this hogpodge mess with Lucas's Star Wars Universe. It's not perfect but it has continuity. Trek has been finally assimilated. The Federation is finally being lost to the Corperate execs. The robber barons of imagination.
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Or don't even bother burying it. Just leave it behind; forget it completely. It shouldn't affect the next show in any way (neat parting gift from the show with no continuity). As for the next show, why should it even have a set cast? There is nothing new and insightful to be gained from playing out the old, tired scenario Trek has been using for thirty years (DS9 being a distinguished exception). The fifth Trek should be an anthology series; the flexibility inherent in that format opens up vast areas of potential drama, if done right. A "Star Trek: Outer Limits" has more potential than Voyager and ST:90210 ever had. Of course, this is too radical for Paramount; can't risk that cash cow!
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I said Ron Moore was a god before. I had forgotten that he cowrote Generations. Ick.
Anyway, to improve Voyager, I would suggest making a list of all the things that have worked on the show, and then base future episodes on that knowledge. Some examples:
--Seven challenges Janeway's authority, and Janeway actually puts aside her pride and regulations and lets Seven be insubordinate if she senses Seven is right.
--Seven has a yearning for perfection, left over from when she was a Borg, and this obsession is a source of humorous aggravation to the crew. As in one episode, however, this obsession can also be a source of dramatic danger to herself and the ship.
--Tuvok is loyal to Janeway, beyond logic (like Spock with Kirk). A touching friendship.
--Neelix gets people who are at odds with each other, to reconcile with each other. (Hasn't he done that a few times?)
--Neelix sees into people's feelings, "reads" them in other words, in a helpful way. (Hasn't he done that a few times?)
--Paris is fun-loving and makes funny wisecracks at appropriate, and inappropriate, times. He expresses a light-hearted sense of humor even in dangerous situations.
--Torres has a hair-trigger temper. She gets to tell off people who bug her--generally, people who deserve to be told off.
--Torres is a cynic. She sees the dark side of everything, and her biting sarcasm in the face of difficult situations provides humor.
--Kim and Paris have a sparring friendship. Each kids the other about his shortcomings, yet they back each other up strongly.
--Tuvok offers guidance to those in emotional or spiritual crisis. He show a near-parental interest in those who are especially in need (Kes, Torres).
--Chakotay is both friend and boss to his subordinates. When he switches from friend to boss it makes for dramatic moments, and when he switches from boss to friend it makes for touching moments. -
I think this will be the 1st year since before ST:TNG started that I won't be watching first run Star Trek episodes. I was really looking forward to Moore bringing his talent to Voyager. The show needs talent in a bad way. It's not that Voyager is all bad, it is just uninteresting a great deal of the time. My season by season break down from the beginning to now:1st season was average, but that was to be expected. Despite all the critisms of the 2nd season, I thought it was relatively entertaining. Yes there were bad episodes (Twisted anyone?). The third season to me was the worst season of Trek since the original's third year. Flashback was the worst crossover with classic Trek and there were many other horror stories. The fourth season was a marginal improvement, but there were too many 7 of 9 stories. Season 5 started off great, but became more and more uninteresting as time went on. Timeless was good, but rushed. After that, I was bored. The final blow came with Dark Frontier (a big ratings gimmick if you ask me). I followed the plotlines on the Internet and found most to be not worth tuning in for (Chakotay boxing, oh please). I started tuning in again for the last 4 episodes. The only great one was Equinox. If the 6th season doesn't restore my faith, then that's it for me. With Ronald D. Moore gone, I'm not too optimistic since he was in my opinion, the show's last best hope for greatness. With the not so dynamic duo of Berman and Braga, the writing is finally on the wall.
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Can I live without Trek? Yep, to a certian extent. Now that Ron and DS9 is gone, there is no problem. I get my fix on the SiFi channel and I plan to write nasty snailmail & email to Paramount and those everloving sponsors. I refuse to put any more money in Paramount's & Bragga's slimy hands. No, I will not see anymore ST films. No, I will not see anymore ST series generated by Bragga (what an appropriate name...maybe he should change his first name to Bozo...) and I will boycott products from new ST sponsors periodically until Ron comes back and the two-headed Berman/Bragga monster is slain...which probably will never happen. Essentially, Trek for me will only stay alive via TOS, TNG and DS9 reruns...I'll be buying books, but thats about it for this old Trekker fossil... Trekkie indeed!!! Shmucks. Paramount named that movie Trekkies on purpose, another slap in the face for True Trek fans.
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Gee, maybe INsurrection wasn't such a big hit because it sucked. It sucked even harder than First Contact, which sucked even harder than Generations. Generations would've been exceptable minus the rediculous Kirk death thing.
Patrick Stewart should get $14 mil to do these movies. He's Picard stupid! Who is going to replace him? Janeway!?
Get some fresh talent in there Paramount. You don't think Quentin Tarentino likes Star Trek? He will write a killer screenplay for you people. Then get Robert Rodriguez to direct. Come on, have some fun with it. Next time someone comes up with an ALien5 script, adapt it into Trek10. In fact, just give the whole franchise to Chris Carter to do with as he pleases.
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He'd find a way to force some life back into a moribund franchise. Get him a decent script (two problems: who's gonna write it? Braga? HA! And it's been a while since QT turned in a stellar effort. Minor obstacles.), and let him do what he wants, be it violence, gore, language, sex, whatever (all things desperately needed in Trek), and it would be a blast! Oddly enough, I'm not being sarcastic; I think it's a great idea. The problem is that Paramount would never risk the damned cash cow by letting it get interesting. Their idea of risk is Voyager. THAT blows so hard it should be named ST: Monica (sorry, sorry). Ultimately, why bother? Just let the whole series die. It can be resurrected later, when there are new stories to be told, writers able to tell them, and a studio willing to shut the hell up and let the professionals do their jobs, merchandising be damned!
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I'm with BigE on this one...Voyager's writing the past two years well...sucked. Since jeri taylor left the show, it's been going down hill ever since. Voyager is in need of writers like Ron and Ira.
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Ahhhh the 64000 dollar question how to fix something thats not really broken just .....well kinda bland. If I had to choose I'd say kill Janeaway... she really is annoying. I think her death could result in a subtle power struggle between Chakotay and Tukok which could make for a more interesting show. No real trek fan wants to see them at each others throats but a little conflict would be nice and after 5 years its obvious Kate Mulgrew just doesn't work. I'd vote for losing her, Neelix and Torres over the period of 5 episodes and have the remainig cast members struggle to get home in a increasingly more deadly journey. You could really break new ground (for Trek anyway) and try for a more Blakes Seven type of feel....by which I mean the feeling that they may not survive rather than the feeling that it was only a matter of time before they get home.
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The problem with Voyager isn't because of the writers, it's because of the premise of the show. The female captain thing sucked. Jeri Taylor and Michael Piller did this show in from the beginning. However, I do think that Ira would be a great addition to the staff. The beginning of the season was ok with me, but as time went on things started to suck. Here's how I think they should end Voyager, make a movie, and create a new series. End the series with Voyager going home, I don't care how. When Voyager gets home, they arrive to Earth being invaded by a new enemy, I don't care who, just be creative. And end the show with Janeway being thrown out an airlock and exploding from the vacuum of space. Then, pick up this story arc in a movie with the TNG and DS9 casts. Make the movie about a major battle in this war. Starfleet wins the battle, but the war rages on. Continue the story line in a new series devoted to the war from the viewpoint of Section 31 and occaisionaly bring the normal Starfleet into the picture. And make this show about retaking Earth and winning the war. War is great, it's what made the last 2 seasons of DS9 the 2 best seasons ever of all Trek. And a continuous story is why so many people like Star Wars and B5. As for the lead in the next series, I want to see a tall, white, red blooded man as the lead. I don't want any racial prejudice or sexual intollerance brought into the story. I want the crew to be tough and not afraid to break the rules to win the war. And put some harsher language and sex in there too, that sells. And Meyer definitely needs to come back and direct the next movie.
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