Lots of articles and discussions are asking what’s wrong with today’s Trek and how to get back to the success of yesterday’s Trek. I think a more fundamental point has been missed. Today’s audience is much less enamored with space travel than the audiences of the late 60s through to the years of Next Generation. There’s really no “formula” to pump up the popularity of a show to counteract this change in attitudes, especially when you are trying to get a portion of the large youth audience. Today’s average youth is NOT a space junkie any more. Many of them just may not watch, no matter how the show gets tweaked and spiced up.

While it is true that the writing and acting in Next Generation was especially good, that series also had the advantage of timing. Its primary audience had grown up with the success and excitement of Apollo, some interesting planetary probe missions, and the early years of the Space Shuttle. This preconditioned an audience to acceptance of Trek and many other space sagas. Whether the shows were really great or not, this generation liked to watch anything that reinforced the future optimism mindset that they learned as children of Apollo. It is not a coincidence that the original series was essentially too early, and had much more success in syndication in the post-Apollo years.

But, Enterprise probably can be helped by more risk-taking and appealing to new audience attitudes. That means dealing with human issues that concern and interest today’s youth, and avoiding an attempt to feed a space-junkie appetite that isn’t there. Enterprise has attempted this, but it seems to suffer from a lack of identity because it is hard to be both fresh and familiar. It has not risked serving the appetite of a new young audience if it might be too far afield of the mature audience’s expectations. However, the writers should be willing to take more risk with the mature audience, because undoubtedly their attitudes have not been static either. Their eyes have been opened to the many changes in the world over a generation or two. There is a longing among this audience to restore lost optimism in the face of stark realities of our time, and Enterprise could capture a bigger audience by appealing to this longing.

Enterprise might seem disadvantaged by its choice of time-period (aside from use of time-travel as an escape). The mature Trek audience must accept stories about a SMALLER known space and INFERIOR human technology, and the show has to work hard to set new expectations to make this scenario interesting. But, that does NOT have to mean that the show’s premise and time-setting are bad ideas. To the contrary, the problem with DS9 and Voyager was being too closely spaced in time with Next Generation, both within the show’s time-frame and in the real-world release schedule. We had too much of basically the same Trek in too few years. Actually, it was a GOOD idea to make Enterprise unique and go back to the early days of warp-technology and first alien encounters, but it could be better executed.

As the Columbia tragedy illustrates, space travel is dangerous and there is much to learn. Enterprise has not really captured this sense of danger and awe that the characters should experience as they take a quantum leap in the distance their technology can take them. They are supposed to be pioneers in a new territory of vastly larger accessible space. Things should go wrong, and human flaws should play out under the stress of this new environment. This was done well as a facet of the drama in Hunt for Red October, when the submarine was taken to extreme depth for the first time in a dark, cold, isolated place. The behavior of the crew should be less polished and predictable, with real fear and doubt about the missions, and power struggles and confidence tests among each other along the way.

The other unique characteristic in the time-period of Enterprise is the struggle of humans to accept the idea of other intelligent life in the galaxy. It seems that Enterprise has somehow missed the opportunity to capture the remarkable human changes that would come with this immense historic change in our understanding. What happens to our religions or our Earthly politics in reaction to this new understanding? In this time-period that is still very early in human space travel, one would expect remarkable change in life on Earth which could be as interesting as what happens in space. The movie 2010 used this theme wonderfully, with a combined Russian and American crew reacting to a crisis at home within the bounds of their isolation and mutual dependence.

These human factors make good drama, whether based in extraordinary or mundane settings. If the Trek producers want a bigger share of today’s audiences, they should take note that the popular weekday prime-time shows of today are about cops and lawyers and doctors and families; about PEOPLE with their problems, flaws, hopes, and aspirations. In some of the prime-time hit dramas, “action” may be minimal or at least secondary to the drama of human interaction. Maybe some exciting explosions and gun-battles and high-tech stunts are still nice to see on Enterprise, but that should not override or replace the human drama. Dealing with these human factors in balance with technology helped make Next Generation great as well.

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The thing that distinguishes "Enterprise" from all other Star Trek series, and from all other programs, for that matter, is the almost complete lack of color in the sets, the uniforms and the cast. From the very first episode, my wife and I have been puzzled by the drab look of the program. I can't tell if this is a technical fault or an artistic decision, but what ever it is, watching an hour of this show is like sensory deprivation. I am sure the drabness has a negative effect on the ratings. I thought at first the lack of color might be due to a problem with the station I watch on (Ch. 20 in Washington, DC) but other shows on that station have a normal color palette. This problem is definitely unique to "Enterprise."

Has anyone else noticed this? Certainly, an improved look would help the series, as well as better story lines and more energetic acting.

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that allot of the character moments like the scenes from the wedding and the goodbyes to crew were cut from Nemesis.
I think there would have been more of a pay off for the fans if they had left that in instead of opting for more of an action movie.

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After having faithfully followed every Trek incarnation and movie, I am giving up on 'Enterprise'. This show has now disgusted me so much that I no longer bother even tuning in. Any input from loyal fans is being ignored by the arrogant, smug and continuity- destroying Berman.
'Enterprise' bears no resemblance to what I associated with 'Star Trek'. It lacks the spark and chemistry of TOS, the sharp writing in the better TNG episodes, the depth of DS9 and the occasional good episode delivered by the wretched VOY. VOY was a disaster, but there were enough interesting episodes to atleast keep tuning in once in a while.
Instead, Enterprise has chosen to combine the worst aspects of all the series. The campiness of TOS, the righteousness/political correctness of TNG, the poor acting that plagued DS9, and the treacherous writing in VOY have been combined into one spectacular failure.
I thought it would never happen- but I am tuning out. And I think I am going to be part of a whole generation that will tune out, thanks to Berman. I blame his delusions of godhood for this unholy mess.


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psp1

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if B&B won't listen to bickering fans on the Net, maybe they'll pay attention to TV Guide. :)

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Could you imagine Janeway in the same position? Phew... - Siroth's author

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One other thing I didn't see mentioned in the TV Guide article, as posted on the web...T'Pol's catsuit has got to go. It's insulting to the character, and to the audience. Let the Vulcan be a Vulcan!

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Now that TV guide is covering the decline of Trek, maybe it will do two things, get the powers that be to fix what is broken because it is getting media attention, and proove to the fans that think the show is great no matter what that its not just our imagination and that we arent attacking Trek just because its the "IN" thing to do.

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I've been trying for a long time to put into words what I think of Archer (and Bakula), and this guy did it for me. I know things can change, and in the case of Archer, I hope they do very soon.




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"Verily, I have often laughed at the weaklings who thought themselves good because they had no claws."

---Nietzsche

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This might be the best thing to ever happen to the franchise in a long time. To explain, when your enemy criticizes you, you're much more inclined to just let it slide if not ignore it completely. However, when a close friend does the exact same thing, for whatever reason, it stings much, MUCH more. Dont tell my you dont feel the same way? You REALLY think about it when the critique is coming from someone that knows you very well.

If Cinefantastique rips apart a Berman/Braga production, I highly doubt either man takes it to heart, saying something to the effect of, "well that guy has hated everything we've ever done, so I'm not surpised."

But...

When Trek's biggest cheerleader "TV Guide" offers up a brutally honest review, the likes of which Deus might dish out, it might just be what it takes to get Rick and Brannon to take a serious look at their material.

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"We were almost to Barstow...when the drugs began to take hold."

--Hunter S. Thomposon

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It's amazing to me that TV Guide has a better handle on the decline of the franchise than B&B. I hope B&B take a few of TV Guide's criticisms and suggestions to heart and implement the necessary changes in both Enterprise and any future films. I can hardly wait to see the "changes" in mission and in space that are coming in Enterprise.

Does anybody have any info on the changes ahead?

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NOOO....

Not the dreaded nemesis, the evil Capt' Crunch!

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TV Guide are the same ones who thought that the abysmal "Future's End" was good television.

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New York will rise again...

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