'Babylon 5' creator has written a Star Trek series that excludes Berman

[wyldwolf]

Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski claimed that he recently worked on the development of a new Star Trek series.

Cinescape has reprinted the news from a post at JMS News, in which Straczynski said that he and Dark Skies creator Bryce Zabel had written a treatment earlier this year for a new television series for Paramount. Straczynski stated that the new installment of the franchise would restore Star Trek "in a big way", adding, "I actually think it could be a hell of a show. Whether that ever goes anywhere with Paramount, who knows?"

Though there have been rumours that Paramount had entertained outside pitches for new Star Trek shows from everyone from William Shatner to a group of horror film producers, this is the first time another major television science fiction team has claimed to be working on a project independent of Rick Berman, who has been an executive producer of Star Trek for nearly two decades.

http://www.trektoday.com/news/210604_01.shtml

[CrownPrinceBandar]

1. Berman had a good run.........

but lately the franchise has been kinda stagnant. JMS made some good shows, but I thought B5 got a little soap-operaish towards the end. But variety is the spice of life, so I say let him have a go!

I think "Enterprise" is a good show, but IMHO its floundering on UPN. I know that in my neck of the woods, UPN is a rare commodity with the closest affiliate being Pittsburgh and many of the cable companies don't carry it. I have had to rely on buddies showing me episodes they have taped outside of this market. If Sci-Fi channel would pick it up, I think the viewership would definitely increase.

[TrogL]

2. They need to do something - Enterprise is unwatchable

[Selwynn]

22. I'll never understand this - I think enterpise is the best of any series

Star Trek series anyway.

[Kellanved]

3. The two "universes" almost were dancing with each other

First Babylon 5, with a larger soap content than TNG.
Copied by DS9 (almost 1:1), with an even higher Soap content; but when B5 went into an Interstellar War, so did DS9.
Then the (failed) Crusade spin-off, which was basically a Star Trek: TOS copycat series.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

6. Why I oughta smack you...

(Just kidding.)

But did you know that JMS pitched B5 to Paramount back in 1987? They were ramping up TNG, an they decided to not go with another science fiction series.
And Crusade's failure wasn't due to it's being a "Star Trek: TOS copycat series" (did you even watch the whole thing?) but more to TNT (the producing network) wanting, in order:
More barfights One an episode, to be accurate.
Stupid looking uniforms (they got those)
A crewmember who studies alien species by having sex with them.
Total creative control over the series (If you know JMS, that's something he's not going to give up).
JMS had plans for the series that would have turned the entire story on its proverbial ear.

Now that I'm done lecturing you on this (apologies if it seemed like a lecture. I'm a little over-defensive when someone brushes B5 aside), I have to say that JMS writing Star Trek would be a good thing. He's always loved the show, and loved what it's done for science fiction on television overall. He would definitely shake things up, and I personally feel that the Star Trek universe would not look the samey after what he'd do.
But I think he could easily do it, and revive a sagging franchise.

[Kellanved]

11. Brushing it aside hardly was my intent

And no: I haven't watched more than the first four Crusade eps. Even seeing those meant quite some work for me, as they never were aired over here.
I'm quite aware that Crusade had a lot potential; but it ended up in the heap of canceled Sci-Fi series (most recent addition: firefly).

Anyway: I'm quite fond of B5; I'd have loved to see a "Legend of the Rangers" Series. But as a matter of fact, the first four eps of Crusade screamed "TOS" at least as loudly, as DS9 had screamed "B5".

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

12. I worded that wrong. I'm sorry. And in retrospect...

I have to agree with you about Crusade. Question is, did you see the episodes in order on TNT or on Sci Fi. (The TNT episodes were not in the correct order. I didn't know this until it re-aired on Sci-Fi)

On edit: Stupid punctuaction errors.

[Kellanved]

13. don't be

My wording wasn't as I had intended it either.

I'm not 100% sure, whatever I saw the Eps in the right order, or not. My guess is that I didn't see them in the right order, as they seemed pretty disjointed.

The cancellation came as a complete surprise over here: the hype machine had just began to start, with interview specials, a making of, the pilot, and then: no series! not a single episode.

Why do Networks change the order of a series? And then they're surprised to see the series fail? I've heard that they did the same thing to firefly. :shrug:

[No2W2004]

4. It would be nice to see

the franchise do something without Berman At least a fresh take on the whole series would do wonders in my opinion.

[Gothmog]

5. Sounds great

B5 and Crusades were good series. I have been disappointed in Enterprise this season. I hope that this works out.

[hyphenate]

7. I haven't cared much for Enterprise lately

But I despise Strac's pomposity far more, and with reason. I would simply give up the world of "Trek" if that self-centered ass had anything to do with it.

I think what Harve Bennett wanted to do with the series in the early 80's is far more accomplishable, and would be a great addition--he wanted to put together a "Starfleet Academy" series concentrating on the young people who ended up there, and focus on that. It's still a great idea, and I know I would be far more receptive to that than anything coming out of the mouth of Straczynski.

[Deja Q]

8. We need more Blake's 7, Sapphire and Steel

And less of this mainstream DRIVEL that Berman buried 50,000 feet into the ground with his multiple spinoffs of spinoffs that recycled the same ideas over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

[Khephra]

9. He was also asked to pitch a V return mini-series too

I'm more interested in his still-as-unnamed and unknown B5 project that is coming up.

One more season set and I'm all up on B5! :bounce: Errr...at least until Rangers, Crusade and the mega-movie set comes out.

[Book Lover]

10. How about a Trek moratorium for a while?

I vote for no new Star Trek, tv, movie or videogame, for five years. Then come back to it.

Off-toipc, I finally saw the Bill Shatner/Leonard Nimoy Priceline commercial; it made this old Trekker laugh hysterically.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

21. Can I download this ad from somewhere? (nt)

[hyphenate]

25. There are two now

One in the office when Leonard walks in on Bill's meeting, and one where Bill is trying to open a hotel room door, and it opens and Leonard is standing there in a robe.

[Book Lover]

28. I saw the meeting one

I'm sure some Trekker somewhere has uploaded these as avi's...

[baldguy]

14. JMS & the Romulan Wars?

[7th_Sephiroth]

15. there was a sci-fi show

that was great, came out bout the same time as Earth2, i cant remember the title of it but the aliens they were fighting they called"chigs", ummm, what was the name of that series? i'd like to see that come back

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

16. That was "Space, Above and Beyond"

Didn't last more than a season on Fox.

[7th_Sephiroth]

18. it was awesome

and i think it lasted 2 seasons on Sci-fi

[Gothic Sponge]

17. Star Trek is a show for lonely geeks!

Why would you watch such dribble?



;)

[King Of Paperboys]

20. We're onto you, Balok!

You're really that creepy Howard kid!

[Gothic Sponge]

26. Who told you?!

;)

[King Of Paperboys]

32. We drank the Tranya!

We now know ALL about the First Federation!

[WillParkinson]

31. Um...don't you mean...

Why would we watch such Tribble?

[Solon]

19. I feel that Berman has recycled too many ideas...

From the B5 copycat DS9 to "Lost in Space" Voyager, Star Trek needs fresh blood, and while the throwback idea is good in conception, it must be a writer's nightmare for consistancy sakes, not that Berman wants that to begin with. They could do a Starfleet Academy type of show, I think that would be good, or go back to the roots and "Explore Strange New Worlds". Also I would LOVE to see it made bigger than human scale for once, similar to the episode in TNG about Dyson Spheres, some of the TOS episodes etc.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

23. JMS is like the Stephen King of television.

History of high-quality work? Check.
Reputation for playing by his own rules, especially if it makes him unpopular? Check.
Life-altering near-death experience? Check.
Jumped the shark ten years ago and didn't notice? Check.
Legend in his own mind? Check.
Whines about how nobody outside of his personal cult knows who he is? Check.

Now all he needs to do is start writing himself into his own stories, and the transformation will be complete.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

24. He did...once...

Final episode of Bab 5, he was the technician that shut the station down at the end, right before they scuttled it.
JMS says he hates being on screen. But he did it just this once.
(Considering all the crap he's gone through just to get B5 on the air...)

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

30. I forgot about that.

That's not quite what I meant, though it was pretty egotistical of him. I'm talking about writing a story/script where one of the main characters is obviously a carbon copy of the author. King's done this two or three times in recent years.

[hyphenate]

27. AMEN!

You've got the JMS I know down pretty pat. :)

[TheMightyFavog]

29. I'm still pissed off at Berman for retconning the whole fucking Universe.

Zefram Cochrane was form Alpha Centauri, dammit, NOT Earth!

If this ets greenlighted, hopefully, JMS can undo all the damage Berman did to the Star Trek Universe's timeline and we can just toss Enterprise asside as not being official Trek universe canon.

[King Of Paperboys]

33. You know what the WORST part of this is? The WORST?

The WORST part is that I care so fucking much about what happens. I mean, that doesn't speak very highly of me or my pathetic little world.