The "perfect" Trek show

[Mark]

Here's the scenario

We find that we have secretly been spied upon by the producers of a perspective new Trek series, who were doing marketing research. They decided to let the DITL create the premise for a new Trek series...allowing us to essentially create our dream Trek show.

Where would we go from here?

[shran]

Internal consistency would be a must, and considering our own experiences with designing ships, a massive fleet overhaul would be due to solve many of the ships problems. Then some more moral issues addressed, as we discussed on the site and perhaps make the overall tone slightly darker and cynical. I would like to see it post Dominion wars, with several old and new powers rushing in to fill in any gaps in the balance of powers.

For a start.

[Captain Seafort]

Era: Turn of the 25th/26th centuries, give or take. The late 24th century has got too crowded, so we need another jump forward similar to the jump from TOS to TNG.

Background: Federation expanded to most of the AQ, with the Klingons and Cardassians as members, Ferengi as friendly non-members (although with the potential for trouble from independently operating commanders), Romulans mostly friendly but still rivals and significantly weaker than the Federation (ignore the destruction of Romulus - we can brush it off as another alternate timeline). Most civilisations have trans-galactic propulsion of some kind (transwarp, slipstream, whatever - have different groups use different technology for a change). Most of the galaxy within either Fed or Dominion spheres of influence, with the two relatively friendly, but not close, with the potential to swing either towards a full alliance or another Dominion War (with the Federation a much closer match this time round). Delta Quadrant is the area where spheres of influence are weakest, but the Borg are effectively gone, and fragmented individually-operating cubes (i.e. how they should have been depicted in the first place).

Premise: Enterprise (probably H) assigned to the DQ as a roving Federation ambassador (with an assigned ambassador rather than relying on the Captain. This would also allow the occasional issue of conflict between the priorities of the CO (ship and crew) and said ambassador (the mission). Main objective is to convince the local powers to join the Federation, in competition with the Dominion and the Romulans (trying to establish a non-aligned movement to balance the big two). From there the series could develop either towards increasing tensions with the Dominion (a bit repetitive of DS9 IMO) or an extragalactic threat (in which case the Enterprise's mission would shift towards establishing a Milky Way-wide alliance to combat said threat).

[McAvoy]

Nice idea.

Biggest problem I see is like Voyager having this great potential but never used it.

Whatever series premise is there should be a near concrete timeline on how each season should progress. Determine how many episodes and how much of the episode should take up this series arc. Then fill the rest of the season as filler as needed.

I propose maybe the possibility of the series leading up to the formation of a permanent alliance of the Klingons and other races.

With CGI we should not see any of the old ships from previous series. Perhaps maybe see upgraded versions of the newer TNG ships but definitely no Oberths, Mirandas or Excelsiors. This also includes the Klingons as well. Maybe the Negh'var is still around but no old school BoPs or K'Tingas.

As far as ship design I would like to see a logical progression of the design as well as no more useless crap on it. Like the Sovereign class has this graceful look to it, but when you look at it all of these sharp angles and protrusions that makes no sense.

Ultimately, every time someone proposes something, there should be a how and why this or that is there.

Aliens should look more alien. CGI is far along enough to make respectable looking all CGI aliens. Avoid the bumpy forehead aliens as possible. If they look to human, give them something even as simple as changing the blood to make them as alien as possible.

Create a list of prior Trek cliches, and avoid them as much as possible. Technology should look more advanced but that does no mean put blinkies all over it. In addition we should seenew technology never seen before as well as further advancements of the existing technology. For example, transporters have a much greater range. Weapons are more powerful.

Lastly, no NuBSG style.

[Captain Seafort]

Biggest problem I see is like Voyager having this great potential but never used it.

That's a problem of implementation, not concept. What we're talking about here is the latter

Whatever series premise is there should be a near concrete timeline on how each season should progress. Determine how many episodes and how much of the episode should take up this series arc. Then fill the rest of the season as filler as needed.

Agreed, although I don't think this should be applied to the series as a whole. Base it on the recent Doctor Who series rather than B5.

[Mikey]

(although with the potential for trouble from independently operating commanders)

Don't minimalize this. The Ferengi have been shown to have the utmost respect for their central authority, as embodied in the Grand Nagus... only when he's nearby.

From there the series could develop either towards increasing tensions with the Dominion (a bit repetitive of DS9 IMO) or an extragalactic threat (in which case the Enterprise's mission would shift towards establishing a Milky Way-wide alliance to combat said threat).

It could also develop more organically to what we've already seen of the DQ. While 8472 definitely falls squarely into the category of "extragalactic" (even "extradimensional,") there are plenty of races in the DQ who have no experience with the UFP or AQ/BQ politics and wouldn't be so eager to fall under Federation hegemony.

[Sonic Glitch]

Here's the scenario

We find that we have secretly been spied upon by the producers of a perspective new Trek series, who were doing marketing research. They decided to let the DITL create the premise for a new Trek series...allowing us to essentially create our dream Trek show.

Where would we go from here?

Christ Man! Do you have any idea the can of worms you've just opened?! Tho so far it seems to be remaining reasonable...

[Tsukiyumi]

there are plenty of races in the DQ who have no experience with the UFP or AQ/BQ politics and wouldn't be so eager to fall under Federation hegemony.

Like the Voth or the Krenim, for example.

[Mikey]

Or the Hirogen, though either of those two would prove to be pretty tough opponents.

[Captain Seafort]

Even the Kazon could be pretty aggravating. They're a) stupid and b) weak, even by the standards of an Intrepid, but they've still got enough firepower to cause problems that a ship would have to be constantly rushing hither and thither trying to solve.

[Mark]

:::puts away can opener:::

I have no idea what your talking about

For me, I'd jump back to the prime timeline first. This way we can keep the new movie series and the show seperate (unless the DO a new TOS show...in which case its all a moot point).

Now, I'd jump us only to the next version for the Enterprise...the NCC-1701-F. This would allow us to jump forward just enough to where they galactic dynamics have changed, but one the average viewer can still relate too. As I said in the other thread, the NCC-1701-E was lost/damaged so badly she was scrapped/whatever. This would allow the TNG characters the freedom to FINALLY move forward in their careers (Picard to Admiral, Crusher to Captain of a medical ship, introduce the child of Troi and Riker, so on and so forth.)

But one thing I strongly feel about....ROMULAS BLEW UP!!! As horrible a plot device as it is, it happened, and thus must be dealt with and addressed. I'd use that event as the catalyst for the beginnings of Vulcan/Romulan reunification. The surviving Romulans need a home, the Vulcans welcome them, and the Romulan Empire is absorbed into the Federation (this allows for trouble to brew from that quarter from the Imperial fanatics).

Second, I'd have Martok die off screen, and the Klingon Empire revert back to baddies. Hell, the Romulans joining the Federation should be enough to piss them off. Thus with a new government, the battle seeking Klingons would revert to the conqurers of the galaxy as it should be.

I'd have Cardassia ripped in half by civil war completely, and now two seperate nations....one pro Federation (in fact petitioning for membership) and one against (so we can enjoy some evilly convoluted Cardassian plans).

However, with the successful advent of the Slipstream drive, we now have the ability to explore deep Beta, Gamma, and Delta Quadrant. I like the idea of the Borg reverting to individual cubes, especially after we saw Janeway take out the Queen and the transwarp hub. That gives the perfect oppertunity.

This being set, I'd lay out individual seasonal story arcs, filled in with TOS style planet exploration.

[McAvoy]

Biggest problem I see is like Voyager having this great potential but never used it.

That's a problem of implementation, not concept. What we're talking about here is the latter

Whatever series premise is there should be a near concrete timeline on how each season should progress. Determine how many episodes and how much of the episode should take up this series arc. Then fill the rest of the season as filler as needed.

Agreed, although I don't think this should be applied to the series as a whole. Base it on the recent Doctor Who series rather than B5.

I don't think it should be as near concrete as let's say B5 but at least have a very good idea of the series will shape into in the later seasons. Which includes small things like promotions for the characters. No resets. Ship is damaged and should show the damage until repaired. Characters mess up which will come to haunt them or bite them in the ass until they are forgiven, redeemed etc.

I think the series should be a good leap forward in time line. Maybe 2420 or something. E-E is destroyed, and possibly Picard died with the ship saving his crew. I say that because I doubt Sir Patrick Steward will do another Trek even if it's cameo. But if he does well you could do a flashback explaining what happened.

I would like to see some more politics in the series. Like a better understanding on how the UFP works. I want also to have recurring characters like DS9 handled it. Kill off some of them too.

Maybe make the Captain a alien. We already did an American, a English Frenchman, a African American and a Woman. At the very least we could do a Asian. Or a Asian woman.

I also do not see the Klingons becoming bad again. Unless you lead the series into them becoming bad again. But you would think after the Dominion War, the friendship between the UFP and the Empire would be stronger than ever.

We barely know anything about the Gamma Quadrant except the Dominion is dominant there. Maybe there is a hostile enemy there that kept the Dominion in check or vica versa. Perhaps the Dominions defeat, weakened them to have this new race gain an advantage.

[McAvoy]

Forgot to add this: What is this series really about? Is it going to be like TNG/TOS? Exploring the unknown? Is it kore militant like DS9? Political like B5? Mix of the above? Or something different?

How 'Trek' is it going to be without being a rehash of one of the series? How different should we make it?

[Mark]

The show would be about whatever we make it about.

[GrahamKennedy]

What I'd do :

Basically like TNG did... jump forward about 100 years. Set it on the Enterprise F, which would be a transwarp ship on a mission to explore other galaxies. It would be a step up in scale as big as the jump from the E-nil to the E-D.

Our galaxy would have three major powers, the Federation, the Dominion, and the Borg. I'd have the Klingons, Cardassians and the remaining Romulans all absorbed into the Federation. However, bringing the ship back home to our galaxy would be a very rare event, something that would happen less than once a season if it happened at all - TOS managed perfectly fine without ever bringing the Enterprise back to Earth, after all (excluding past versions of Earth.)

It would be rather like TOS in nature... the show would be about exploring, meeting new species, finding new things.

Potential bad guys would be either Dominion ships sent to monitor and/or interfere with the Enterprise, the Dominion fearing that the ship is part of the first ways of Federation expansion beyond our galaxy - which, indeed, it would be. Plus whoever and whatever they find out there that's hostile.