Bandit LOAF
Long Live the Confederation!
Netflix in the United States, at least, has just switched over to the remastered versions of TNG. I think they've had the HD TOS episodes for a while (IIRC, these are now the only versions CBS licenses.)
Then this happened...
- Thread starter DefianceIndustries
- Start date
AD
Finder of things, Doer of stuff
Netflix canada right now only has TNG and the TNG movies (and Into Darkness). They had all trek for a while. One of the big canadian cable companies made their own streaming service (shomi) to compete with Netflix and they made some exclusivity deal to air the remastered Trek episodes it seems. And looking at the TNG episodes on Netflix they really don't look remastered. It's not like shomi costs much but other than first run TV shows their other selection is pretty pathetic.
Bandit LOAF
Long Live the Confederation!
I suspect that as legacy contracts lapse, CBS will not renew and will instead limit classic Trek to their own streaming service to drive interest there. Of course that could take years depending on what their agreements with Amazon and Netflix are. (I suspect we are seeing the beginning of the end of omni-content sources; Netflix et al will have a harder and harder time renewing all their contracts as the value of streaming over broadcast goes ever higher.)
bsmith1702
Rear Admiral
Bryan Fuller has been named the show runner. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. The two DS9 eps he wrote were good. The Voyager episodes were... Voyager episodes. I'm not really familiar with his other work.
I'm curious as to the shape the show will take. It can't be about the Enterprise from the new movies. They won't continue the existing continuity. Are they going to do a complete reboot this time?
Bandit LOAF
Long Live the Confederation!
It's VERY good news. There are few people in Hollywood who care as much about what they're doing as Bryan Fuller. I can't think of a better option for a showrunner. (Take a look at his recent Hannibal series... the subject matter isn't of interest to me, but the sheer about of dedication and detail he put into the show is astounding.)
Pedro
Admiral
I'm a big fan of Voyager series 3 onwards, more so than DS9 or Enterprise (so shoot me), but not because of its average quality (which was often hard to defend) but because of its standout episodes were amazing - I'll suffer a sea of average for a few stellar episodes (I'm a Dr Who fan). He wrote 20 episodes but looking at the list very few of the many standouts the show produced.
I adore Pushing Daisies, and it's easy to imagine the man behind it doing the Bride of Chaotica... but that's not Trek to me.
I want more Pushing Daisies from him, more star trek... I have no strong feelings. There are still episodes he wrote that I fully enjoyed, it's nothing like the situation of Chris Chibnall taking over Dr Who so I shall count my blessings.
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bsmith1702
Rear Admiral
That's encouraging. I've heard good things about Hannibal, but I never watched.
Bandit LOAF
Long Live the Confederation!
Pretty much no chance of that. Bad Robot gets a cut of everything in the new universe, and CBS has no interest throwing away a chunk of the bottom line. They had this battle already behind the scenes, when Abrams and company demanded all licensed material be based on their films instead of classic Trek (since they get a cut.) CBS told them to shove it, which is why New Trek merchandise is so few and far between (and the relationship between CBS and Bad Robot is now... chilly.)
LeHah
212 Squadron - "The Old Man's Eyes And Ears"
Thats a tricky question but we've glimpsed the answer in a way: Kurtzman and long-time writing partner Robert Orci split (professionally) immedeately after Amazing Spider-Man 2 underperformed at the box-office. Orci has since been chased out of Hollywood like a common pygmy; his attempt to write and direct Star Trek 3 had his script thrown out and his director's chair taken by Justin Lin.
Kurtzman is likely there to "hold the torch" in and as far as the property goes, but the fact that the franchise has already steamrollered Orci's career (as a terrible and weird person, I might add) says a lot.
LeHah
212 Squadron - "The Old Man's Eyes And Ears"
What I want to know about is how it affected the relationship between CBS (Trek TV) and Paramount (Trek Film). Theres gotta be some sort of talking between the two to keep the franchise alive - though its been mentioned that the people at CBS *really* did not care for Abrams's adaptation (likely for the reasons stated: they want their money).
Pedro
Admiral
I never much cared for Abrams adaptation as it felt too much like Star Wars (so I guess he ended up in the right job). It wasn't a style that lends its self to cost effective episodic content either.
I don't think there needs to be much communication - it was always a parallel reality, different audiences (with obviously some overlap).
DefianceIndustries
Rear Admiral
Unfortunately the choice of Lin doesn't seem to be any better given that the first trailer for Beyond looked horrible. Too much of his Fast and Furious for my liking; and if there's a scene where Kirk challenges Idris Elba to a race around the system for pink slips I'm going to throw something at the screen. 
AD
Finder of things, Doer of stuff
Unfortunately the choice of Lin doesn't seem to be any better given that the first trailer for Beyond looked horrible. Too much of his Fast and Furious for my liking; and if there's a scene where Kirk challenges Idris Elba to a race around the system for pink slips I'm going to throw something at the screen.
The trailer is kind of awful but mostly because it's not trying to sell the movie to *us*. The whole choice of the song to the editing that focuses on action and comedy just set me off, but I've watched it a few times and there's elements in there that seem like it could possibly have the underpinnings of a more traditional Star Trek story. I'm not sold on the new movie but at least one of the stregnths of Lin as demonstrated in the Fast and Furious series at least is that he knows how to work with a big ensemble cast.
Old news to many (but new to me) I read yesturday that the Star Trek Axanar project is being sued by Paramount and CBS.
http://www.trektoday.com/content/2016/02/axanars-peters-speaks-about-lawsuit/
I have never really been really that interested in the project, its certainly a shame, but they should really have got real written permission, a shrug of the shoulders isn't really approval.
I do hope that the Axanar team can sort things out, shame for them and shame for all the backers.
http://www.trektoday.com/content/2016/02/axanars-peters-speaks-about-lawsuit/
I have never really been really that interested in the project, its certainly a shame, but they should really have got real written permission, a shrug of the shoulders isn't really approval.
I do hope that the Axanar team can sort things out, shame for them and shame for all the backers.
LeHah
212 Squadron - "The Old Man's Eyes And Ears"
I've never understood why people say the Abrams films are "too much like Star Wars", as if Star Wars is some sort of insult? (Well, maybe Episode VII)
Whiplash
Rear Admiral
Because the tone and style of SW and Trek have always been fundamentally different. SW is fantasy in space and puts a high priority on action sequences. Classic Trek is story-driven first and foremost, and in episodic format is much slower paced than SW. It's also closer to proper sci-fi and likes to have a sound scientific footing.
Now I love both dearly and appreciate them for what they are, but many hard-core Trekkies view SW as being inferior, shallow, mass-market fare, and don't want any Wars in their Trek, as it were. The opinion among some Trek fans is that JJ tried to cash in on the SW elements of style over substance (matter of opinion here) in order to cater to the masses, and in doing so sacrificed the essentials ingredients of a proper Trek story.
Make of that what you will. I've no beef with the Abrams Trek stories per se, but I still prefer classic Trek, and would rather re-watch TNG Remastered than any of the new films.