Classic Star Trek
Here, I'd like to pay tribute to one of the great creative runs in all history.
Four of the greatest TV shows of all time- by far- and 9 of the great movies of all time.
We didn't know what we had.
We knew we had it good.
But we didn't realize just how historically good.
I mean three- at least- movies to compare well to the likes of E.T. and the orignnal Star Wars trilogy, from 1979 well into the 80's.
Then a successful series of movies- really good movies- and the greatest, most successful syndicated TV show of all time.
Then a series of successful movies and two- two!- successful TV serieses- At The Same Time.
All three really, really great.
Really, it's no wonder it eventually ended.
I mean, how do you follow up over 500 of the greatest television episodes- hour long, no less- of all time?
The Star Trek writers- that incredible, legendary group of writers that Gene Roddenberry assembled for Star Trek: The Next Generation to succeed him as Star Trek's creative leaders when he died, including the likes of Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Brannon Braga and Jeri Taylor- eventually had to follow of well over 500 masterpieces!
The hard part is coming up with an idea for a new television show.
They were smart. They ended each television show after 7 seasons before it had a chance to grow old creatively.
The hard part is coming up with an idea for a new television series.
I mean after 500 plus episodes, it can get hard to come up with ideas that you haven't tried before.
So they tried something hard.
Instead of going for another show in Picard's time, or going another century in the future, they decided to go for a prequel.
A prequel with over 500 episodes of continuity problems. That's hard.
But that's not the big place where it went wrong.
They decided that as long as we are in the Federation's past, and closer to the present day, that they could give the show more of a contemporary feel.
Warning! Warning! Shields up! Red alert!
Star Trek is supposed to be better than contemporary times!
Star trek is supposed to be about a hope for a better future!
And this is, what, the Grunge 90's?
Star Trek is intellectual. Intellectuals are not supposed to imitate Britney Spears and N*SYNC.
The result?
A Star Trek show like a Grunge album.
A Star Trek show like a Nirvana album.
That's been Star Trek ever since.
You might as well call it Star Trek: CSI.
You know what CSI is?
The X Files without the fun stuff.
I'm going to stick to those first 9 movies and first 4 TV shows.
I'm not complaining.
I just want to state why those are the real thing.
I can't complain.
I really can't complain.
After all, I have well over 500 of the best hour long television episodes ever made.
I have rediculous wealth in those first 9 movies and first 4 television shows.
And, after all, taking creative chances like that is how Rick Berman and company kept it fresh and creative for so long.
They were not gonna fade away. They were gonna crash and burn.
I am also thankful that the new 'kelvin timeline' movies brought Star Trek back in the spotlight.
But I prefer the ideals of the classic Star Trek.
But I'm not complaining.
The guy that has more wealth than anyone could have possibly imagined in Star Trek television shows is not complaining.
I just want to point a finger to the ideals of those first four Star Trek shows and first 9 movies.
Thank you Gene Roddenberry, Rich Berman, Harve Bennett and the rest!
God loves you!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson
P.S. Star Trek: The Motion Picture was not a successful pop blockbuster. It was one of the greatest indie films of all time. The next two Star Trek movies, like E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, successfully combined all the sophistocation and intimacy of a great indie film with the spectacular of a great blockbuster. That's an achievement. And a rare one!
Yes, the spectacular. When done right and with passion it is more than just a spectacle.
P.P.S. I have only seen bits, but what I saw of the newer televivion serieses (which is mostly or entirely from Discovery) since the new movies is even worse than Star Trek: CSI. I have only seen bits and pieces. But it looks much worse than Enterprise and the new movies- more like Star Trek: Terror than Star Trek: CSI even. I will stick to the classics!
As far as I am concerned everything after Voyager and the 9th movie is a bad dream Captain Kirk had after too much Klingon food and a bad episode of CSI from the dystopian early 21st Century America that his world grew out of (and which does not even represent most of the early 21st Century world, look to Japan and Bollywood!) (referring to our early 21st Century, not his, his was much worse!)