Posted:
17:01:54 on November 23 2001
By: Steve Krutzler
Dept: Andromeda
The co-creator and executive producer of GENE RODDENBERRY'S ANDROMEDA, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, who is mostly responsible for getting that show off the ground after several years as a favorite writer on DEEP SPACE NINE, has been ousted by the show's star, Kevin Sorbo (who also serves as an executive producer), and Tribune Entertainment and Fireworks.
In a farewell message posted at SlipStreamNews, Wolfe explained that the complex arc-nature of the show that he had envisioned was not appreciated by all involved. "Basically, they want the show to be more action driven, more Dylan-centric, and more episodic. They also want more aliens, more space battles, and less internal conflict among the principal characters. Also, they want a lot less continuity so as not to confuse the casual or new viewer with too much backstory. And finally, they wanted to rework the visual signature of several of the characters, most especially Trance and Rommie, but also Dylan (less uniforms, more civvies)."
Wolfe left in September and in the latest issue of British Cult Times magazine, Kevin Sorbo praised Wolfe but explained the problems like this: "Robert is a genius, but was developing stories that were too complicated and too clever for the rest of us to understand," he said. "What we now have is a team of very talented people who write standalone stories that can, on occasion, blend together to form a story arc. That simple 'turn-up-tune-in' attitude was what was missing. Now we have that, I really feel we're on track towards making Andromeda an outstanding show."
For more information about the writers left in charge and more quotes from the major players, check out this page.
