Star Trek - Then and Now
I am one of those old people who remember watching Star Trek when it first came on TV. I remember the fall preview issue before it started. It was call "A Wagon Train to the Stars". Now the review was referring to Another TV show called Wagon Train, not a literal wagon train - it was a western with a fairly large cast of regulars and guest stars every week. Looking at it, in this context the reviewer was correct. To us SF fans in the late sixties this was the greatest SF show ever to be on TV. For three great years we were able to watch it, and then it was gone!! The network, NBC, felt that there were not enough viewers for the high cost of the show. It cost an average of $100,000 a show. And it could be replaced by two half hour sitcoms costing around $30,000 a show. (We have stars on half hour sitcoms getting a million dollars a show today). The show was gone but not forgotten. Reruns and a bad cartoon series followed plus books, fanzine , clubs and more. I was part of a Fan club in the mid seventies. We wrote letters wanting the show back or at least make of movies version of it. (They didn't want to do a movie, because you can't do a movie of a TV show). Then a young director sold 20th century Fox on his idea of a movie called STAR WARS.....A movie that ran in some theaters for more than 12 months!! The time was right for SF. Everyone was jumping on the SF band wagon. New TV shows came on and went off. None of the TV show came close to Star Trek or Star Wars. Paramount realized this was the time to test the waters with a new Star Trek project - and production on Star Trek- the motion picture began. And when it came out the fans went nuts going to the Theatre to see it and the general view by most fans was it was the worse Star Trek story they ever saw, but it was Star Trek. And the fans went to see it enough times to make Paramount realize it would be worth while to do more. After several movies Paramount decided on doing another series based on the Star Trek universe, but set in the future. And so came Star Trek: The next generation. Followed by Star Trek : Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. and then going back in time before the first series with Star Trek : Enterprise. The movies are now about Star Trek the next generation and who know what the future will hold. But I sometimes wonder how the person at NBC who axed the show because it cost too much feels today....
UPDATE: Paramount has canceled Star Trek: Enterprise! At this time there is nothing about a new series or movie
UPDATE: 10/2007: A new movies is being casted using the orgianal crew with new actors.
