Problems Trek has?

[Lord Borg]

What kind of problems do you see effecting trek today? No, I don't mean for this to be one topic that bashes Enterprise, and nothing buy, not only are there already topics for that, it gets tiring. The same goes for Berman, he made some poor choices, sure but it�s not all just him.

-Expectations

That's right fan's, I am partially blaming us. Our expectations are way too high. While some say that we have a right to, No? Maybe? I simply think that if we didn't expect an award winner every episode/movie, perhaps so many fans wouldn't be dissatisfied. Nemesis is a good Example, I head so many expectations from people, when they didn't happen, and many decided to all out bash it. Word of mouth of that dissatisfaction caused some to not see it (In addition to it being a holiday season, and HP and LotR premiering at the same time) (Yes, I know there were some poor choices in the story, but that�s not just the reason)

-Syndication Broadcast Times

Ratings wise, this is in major trouble. Why? Not because we've seen them all already, who could get tired of Sisko telling Dukat he'll be back for his baseball? The problem is this: Poor time slots. How many people are up at 3:00 AM Monday morning waiting for the episode to come on? If you�re like me, only because you were sick and you can't sleep (Only to find out Maximum Extreme, or what ever that dare show is, is on instead.) Then there's it being on in the middle of the day, again who is there? Ratings only count when the TV is physically on, and on that channel. DVR, VCR etc... Recording, does not affect ratings at all, so that means, that if 10 million recorded, but 2 million watched, the ratings will say 2 million.

-Network Choices

Perhaps this could go in Syndication, but what ever. The choices of the network to air at odd times, or even not at all, instead airing something else, does not help none (Example, 3 am scheduled time, but don't start until 3 35 thanks to a football game) So, this abrupt changing don't help matters none.

-Production Staff

Let's face it, even the most un loyal fan of star trek, or the most hard core, however it goes, will admit these people are messing up, no real one person in particular, but the entire staff. Fan outcry calls for a specific Idea, or era for a movie, what happens? Kirk and Spock in the academy....

-Pricing

I bring this up. Many things come into play now, who has 7.50 for a 2 hour movie now a days? When i went to see nemesis, it was a shock to me that I saw it in theaters during the rough patch I was going though at that point. Trek is pricy, that don't help none either, this causes low sales (Aside from there also being a limited availability on MANY things)

For now, in short, I see the blame has to go EVERWHERERS

Fans the Networks, the Production Staff, etc.... Funny, look how well trek did at 8 PM on channels EVERYONE had. Quiet well for the most part. Specking of which...

-Ratings

The TV rating system (As in how many watched) is severely flawed. This don't help matters none. A major example is the trek series. They are exclusive to UPN now adays it seems (The new Episodes, I mean). It was winter of 2001 before I had UPN, which means I never saw the first run of Voyager, and the first half of Enterprise�s first season. I am a loyal fan and each week a new episode is on, I had the TV on it. Many others were in that position to. Then there's the initial broadcast run that only counts, Aside from it being on 8PM wed night (Hey, middle of the week...) It was on a channel a SMALL percentage had (To my knowledge, there is still many that don't even have it). Weekend repeat broadcast didn't count towards this. What is the result? Voyager and Enterprise�s ratings suffered not JUST because of that, or writing, but in contributed to it.

All in all, what sparked this is the constant complaining of trek lately. Fans I feel are partially to blame, i willingly take some of it on. I noticed though, this past weekend, the Star Trek Re mastered of TOS was to start airing. How many actually saw it? In My area, it wasn't on; it was scheduled for 3 am Monday morning, what was on instead? Some stupid reality show, that I not only had no interest in, but was getting the ratings slow that Trek was supposed to get. In New York, it was missed almost completely, thanks to a Football game which means many fans that had to record it, got like 10 minutes of the episode.

Also, the �new� TOS is suffering already, again to what I had pointed out above in many examples, (Despite not �expecting� a lot, I can see the reason for disappointment) CBS went in house for the new effects. It shows, the episodes �In a Mirror, Darkly� serve as an inspiration due to the awesome effects with the sister ship USS Defiant, that company made a bid and test shots. They were shot down. (Check out the test shots if you can find them, impressive stuff)

[ZiriDelvar]

I agree that the syndication time slots are horrible. I only got one of the two TOS episodes that was supposed to be on last weekend, because the second one was replaced by some rather vulgar show. I was only able to tape that episode because my cable company provides me with at least 2 versions of all the major networks. The show was supposed to come on my most local station, however, it was absent from the schedule when I looked.

I was actually quite surprised that the TOS episodes weren't made a bigger deal of... if I owned my local TV station, I would have put it on in place of some of the re-run shows that play 3 or more straight episodes every weekend, I certainly wouldn't have put it on at 1am or 3am. I would have also bragged about having the shows on.

I remember when I was quite young, the last time TOS was played in syndication consistantly, around the time of the First Gulf War, it came on daily at a decent hour (around 7 or 7:30pm) weekdays on WGNX in Atlanta. This was actually a rather major station that was available by antenna throughout most of Northern Georgia.

I really believe that any Star Trek series would do quite well in a similar CONSISTANT syndication spot, if not daily, then certainly weekly.

The re-runs of any of the more recent series need to be played in logical order so that someone who isn't familiar with the show can watch them and follow what's going on. For example, we don't need to see an episode from the 1st season of Enterprise, then next week one from the 4th season, then the following week one from the 3rd season.

Perhaps only one episode a day per series should be played on any of the channels that play the show in syndication. This would make the series last longer, and would help people not feel like the same episode is always on. We don't need 2 and 3 episodes of DS9 or TNG every day. As much as I like both shows, it overdoes the frequency to show that many hours of episodes every day.

VCR settings should be figured in to count for the ratings, that way, the networks could see that at the time slot Star Trek is supposed to come on at 3am, that there's a disproportionatly large number of hits, and could then move the show to a better time slot.

[Lord Borg]

I'm surprised there hasn't been more replies...

On a continuing rant about the "new" TOS, I've noticed that less and less are able to say they saw the episode, is it just me? It isn't on in this area, AT ALL. (Freaking Reality shows)

Agreed, ZiriDelvar. There was a time when networks jumped at the chance to air TOS. Now? It's like "PFft"

I say it again: Timing. You can't put star trek on at 3AM and expect 10 million viewers.

[lifeguide]

Well Lord I have only just joined the forum and am quite willing to join in.

Firstly the movies.

Everyone and his dog knows that the time of year not to premiere a movie (unless it is academy award class) is the Christmas period. Why do Paramount and the franchise overseers always feel the need to open up against 5 or six blockbusters and some independents who have oscar buzz about them.

I am not in the film industry but even I can understand that if you open up in a period where there are 8 to 12 great movies being shown then your little cult following movie is going to be lost in the warp draft, I mean afterburn.

Also fans are the ones who have made the franchise and you would think that the writers and production principles would seek out (either on the website or through conventions) some ideas, no, no ideas about joining the different series because obviously that is a too logical suggestion ) or no ideas concerning ST doing battle with Star Wars imperial empire or some astronomically stupid suggestion like that.

I am talking about the sensible ones which sometimes see fans become writers (Jeri Ryan a great example) or at least a consultant.

Also I think you are right when you say ST just does not rate highly enough for TV execs to consider the fanbase it does have when deciding on the timeslots.

On our expectations Lord I feel we all have the right to feel cheated and let down when people who have been entrusted with the continued success of a franchise do not do the right things for it's continued success.

Whoever thought it would be a good idea to see what the Remans and Romulans were doing in the last movie should be shot, I know a lot of Star Trek fans who were absolutely apathetic towards seeing it because they did not understand the correlation of the story within the ST history.

And what a stupid way for the series main character (even more important than the captain ) to die. I hope that we do not have to put up with seeing B4 again, that would be wasting a fine actors intelligence and wit.