Both Riker and Kirk Tried To Make New Star Trek Shows

[vansau]

Both Riker and Kirk Tried To Make New Star Trek Shows

It turns out that William Shatner and Jonathan Frakes both wanted to boldy go back where they'd gone before.

While Star Trek is once again a hot property, thanks to the recent film by J.J. Abrams, it still has yet to return to its original medium, the television. However, this isn't for lack of trying. Aside from Bryan Fuller's <a href=http://io9.com/#!5068676/pushing-daisies-creator-wants-to-make-new-star-trek-show>failed attempt to get a new show off the ground a couple of years ago, but it turns out there were some even more recent tries from series' alums.

Jonathan Frakes (better known as William Riker on The Next Generation) recently sat down with UGO to talk about how he and William Shatner (Captain Kirk himself) had both tried to -separately- start up new Star Trek series:

I had a Star Trek that I developed for TV, and we were told in no uncertain terms that they said no to Bryan Singer television Star Trek, they said no to a William Shatner television Star Trek. They feel at CBS Paramount that they don't want to make the same mistake that's been made before, which was watering down the brand by having a TV show and a movie. That's what happened with Star Trek: Nemesis, and that's why I think Star Trek: Enterprise didn't last the way they expected to. It was the classic corporate greed of "we've got something good, so let's continue to milk it" and we milked it so dry that the fans had no appetite for a movie. So I think what they've done by taking time off before the Abrams Star Trek, and they're doing it again because they haven't even begun to shoot the second one, is a much smarter business plan. Much to my chagrin! Not that wouldn't love the Titan, or the Rikers in Space, or any of those shows on the air.

Presumably, Frakes meant Bryan Fuller instead of Bryan Singer, but it's possible that the latter also wanted to get a new show on the air, too (there's just no information confirming such a pitch). I was a pretty big fan of Voyager and The Next Generation, though Deep Space Nine will always be my one true Star Trek love; that said, I'd like to hear what kind of a show Shatner wanted to make.

Source: <a href=http://www.ugo.com/tv/jonathan-frakes-bar-karma-interview>UGO via <a href=http://io9.com/#!5790302/william-shatner-and-jonathan-frakes-both-pitched-star-trek-tv-shows-recently>io9

<a href=http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=star+trek#/d22nj6>Image Source

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[Bon_Clay]

TOS will always be my favourite. But Shatner already has enough stuff going on he doesn't need to get involved in Star Trek again. I'm glad there are still people in Hollywood who realize when something would be milking it and object to that.

 

[Wrann]

Could be interesting and I would love new Star Trek stuff. Though I would rather have Picard than Kirk.

 

[viranimus]

Yeah I am in that camp that loves startrek, but cant stand the campy ToS. Which is a major reason I hate the new film franchise. (doesnt help that I am still pissed that the prior film basically left Data as psuedo dead)

I do get what they are driving at, that it is a conflict of interest to have a series and film running at the same time, but we havent had a ST series in over 5 years now. And quite frankily the television science fiction landscape is rather bleak at the moment (Only real bright spot I can see is fringe, and it feels like it will get cancelled due to not maintaining enough viewership on Fox) So really.. a new series would be very much welcome. Hell at this point I could see getting behind a new franchise with Frakes (and if you could get Burton behind it) at the helm.

Eventually there will be a new startrek series. I think it will likely have to be another generational leap forward instead of this nonsense of rehashing its past.

 

[Worr Monger]

While I enjoy the Abrams film just fine... I'm afraid it may have damaged the franchise somewhat.

I feel like they wouldn't be able to go back to the old Star Trek ways after that movie... and I like old Star Trek ways...

 

[Antari]

The only thing they need to do is keep Ira Steven Baer about 3000 miles away from the operation and it can work!

 

[Lyri]

Your quote tags are messed up.

 

[Jfswift]

Honestly I really like Star Trek (all of them), and i'm looking forward to the next two movies but I that'll be it for me. I feel like the series should come to a close now.

 

[Nomad-Three-one]

I'm just going to leave this here. It's an interview where Frakes and Sirtis talk about a pitch for a "The Rikers" space sitcom and refer to Patrick Stewart as "Old Baldy". They play off each other so well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI8ezrK6Qjs

 

[ShadowsofHope]

I wish there would be more TNG seasons to go from at some point for Star Trek nostalgia's sake, but with Data gone (fuck you, Nemesis, FUCK YOU), I don't see TNG being the same anymore if they even managed such.

And yes, Enterprise was a failure. Most of every character on that show (save T'Pol, but that was just looks) was either mindlessly stupid, or cardboard cutout acting (or both). Deep Space 9 (when they did the Dominion War episodes), Voyager (best series ender) and TNG (best captain) are still my most favorite though, and ToS can go and suck it. Kirk was fun as a character, but damn if the CGI, acting from everyone else save Leonard Nimoy and cheesy plots every episode didn't just piss me off..

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

I was a pretty big fan of Voyager

GET HI-

and The Next Generation, though Deep Space Nine will always be my one true Star Trek love;

... You get to live.

 

[Canid117]

Frakes, Star Trek didn't die because of Nemesis, It died because Enterprise suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked.
Seriously, Archer makes Janeway look 3 dimensional.
Fuck You Scott Bakula!

I'm pretty sure it was the writers fault.

 

[Pilkingtube]

Frakes, Star Trek didn't die because of Nemesis, It died because Enterprise suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked.
Seriously, Archer makes Janeway look 3 dimensional.
Fuck You Scott Bakula!

Hey! Hey, hey hey. Janeway WAS 3-dimensional.. she was just batshit crazy in 3 different dimensions at the same time, aswell as in two additional dimensions which existed only in the land of technobabble and usually involved a remodulation of the inverse tachyon field!

 

[aashell13]

Ehh, in my humble opinion ST: ENT died because the writers decided to have the whole 3rd season be 'Starfleet vs. Alien Terrorists', which was a pretty significant departure from the overarching themes of Trek. This made me particularly mad because the concepts for the 5th season looked really cool, especially the refit NX-01.

My only real complaint about Bakula as Jon Archer was that he seemed to be trying too hard to be Jim Kirk. I actually thought that Kate Mulgrew did a good job with Janeway's character, who is my second favorite captain behind Picard.

 

[FogHornG36]

I would have watched enterprise if the writers wouldn't have went "FUCK YOU SET UNIVERSE! WE WILL WRIGHT WHAT EVER THE FUCK ME WANT!" i mean, come one, you are going to tell me that they ran into the ferengi and the borg, but chose not to tell anyone, or even mention it.

Also, i want series of Riker's evil twin... or did he die in ds9... i don't remember.

 

[aashell13]

I wish there would be more TNG seasons to go from at some point for Star Trek nostalgia's sake, but with Data gone (fuck you, Nemesis, FUCK YOU), I don't see TNG being the same anymore if they even managed such.

And yes, Enterprise was a failure. Most of every character on that show (save T'Pol, but that was just looks) was either mindlessly stupid, or cardboard cutout acting (or both). Deep Space 9 (when they did the Dominion War episodes), Voyager (best series ender) and TNG (best captain) are still my most favorite though, and ToS can go and suck it. Kirk was fun as a character, but damn if the CGI, acting from everyone else save Leonard Nimoy and cheesy plots every episode didn't just piss me off..

I agree, mostly. I got ahold of a book compilation of all the TOS scripts many years ago, they're much better on paper without all the bad special effects and Low-Rent costume jobs dragging them down.