CBS: Star Trek

[keg in kc]

...

The Next Chapter of the Legendary “Star Trek” TV Franchise Will Premiere on the CBS Television Network, Then Move to CBS All Access Digital Subscription Service

Alex Kurtzman, Co-Writer and Producer of the Blockbuster Films

“Star Trek” and “Star Trek Into Darkness,” to Executive Produce

CBS Studios International to Distribute the Series Globally

For Television and Multiple Platforms

STUDIO CITY, CALIF. AND NEW YORK, N.Y. – Nov. 2, 2015 – CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a totally new “Star Trek” television series in January 2017. The new series will blast off with a special preview broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.

The next chapter of the “Star Trek” franchise will also be distributed concurrently for television and multiple platforms around the world by CBS Studios International.

The new program will be the first original series developed specifically for U.S. audiences for CBS All Access, a cross-platform streaming service that brings viewers thousands of episodes from CBS’s current and past seasons on demand, plus the ability to stream their local CBS Television station live for $5.99 per month. CBS All Access already offers every episode of all previous “Star Trek” television series.

The brand-new “Star Trek” will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966.

Alex Kurtzman will serve as executive producer for the new “Star Trek” TV series. Kurtzman co-wrote and produced the blockbuster films “Star Trek” (2009) with Roberto Orci, and “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013) with Orci and Damon Lindelof. Both films were produced and directed by J.J. Abrams.

The new series will be produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout. Kurtzman and Heather Kadin will serve as executive producers. Kurtzman is also an executive producer for the hit CBS television series SCORPION and LIMITLESS, along with Kadin and Orci, and for HAWAII FIVE-0 with Orci.

“Star Trek,” which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2016, is one of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time. The original “Star Trek” spawned a dozen feature films and five successful television series. Almost half a century later, the “Star Trek” television series are licensed on a variety of different platforms in more than 190 countries, and the franchise still generates more than a billion social media impressions every month.

Born from the mind of Gene Roddenberry, the original “Star Trek” series debuted on Sept. 8, 1966 and aired for three seasons – a short run that belied the influence it would have for generations. The series also broke new ground in storytelling and cultural mores, providing a progressive look at topics including race relations, global politics and the environment.

“There is no better time to give ‘Star Trek’ fans a new series than on the heels of the original show’s 50th anniversary celebration,” said David Stapf, President, CBS Television Studios. “Everyone here has great respect for this storied franchise, and we’re excited to launch its next television chapter in the creative mind and skilled hands of Alex Kurtzman, someone who knows this world and its audience intimately.”

“This new series will premiere to the national CBS audience, then boldly go where no first-run ‘Star Trek’ series has gone before – directly to its millions of fans through CBS All Access,” said Marc DeBevoise, Executive Vice President/General Manager – CBS Digital Media. “We’ve experienced terrific growth for CBS All Access, expanding the service across affiliates and devices in a very short time. We now have an incredible opportunity to accelerate this growth with the iconic ‘Star Trek,’ and its devoted and passionate fan base, as our first original series.”

“Every day, an episode of the ‘Star Trek’ franchise is seen in almost every country in the world,” said Armando Nuñez, President and CEO, CBS Global Distribution Group. “We can’t wait to introduce ‘Star Trek’s’ next voyage on television to its vast global fan base.”

CBS All Access offers its customers more than 7,500 episodes from the current television season, previous seasons and classic shows on demand nationwide, as well as the ability to stream local CBS stations live in more than 110 markets. Subscribers can use the service online and across devices via CBS.com, the CBS App for iOS, Android and Windows 10, as well as on connected devices such as Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Roku players and Roku TV, with more connected devices to come.

The new television series is not related to the upcoming feature film “Star Trek Beyond,” which is scheduled to be distributed by Paramount Pictures in summer 2016

[Jamie]

The Andorian makeup in Enterprise is the best alien design update Star Trek ever did. They made it 1000 times better while keeping similar enough to plausibly be the same species.

[stumppy]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Watching three seasons of ST Discovery now gives you a new appreciation for how good Enterprise actually was.

Enterprise was easily one of my favorites.

[Mennonite]

So what is your favorite episode of the original series?

My top five:

City on the Edge of Forever
The Cage
A Private Little War
Mirror, Mirror
Where No Man Has Gone Before

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Mennonite

So what is your favorite episode of the original series?

My top five:

City on the Edge of Forever
The Cage
A Private Little War
Mirror, Mirror
Where No Man Has Gone Before

1. Doomsday Machine and it's not even close. Not only my favorite from the original series, but my reigning favorite of all Star Trek. Loved before it got the CGI overall. Now it's amazing. William Windom was fantastic as the broken, obsessed Commodore Decker. I'll never forget the first time I saw it, when I was a little kid (not old enough to remember it when it first aired, but saw the first round of syndicated reruns in the early 70s). At that point I was too young and naive to realize that the star of the show couldn't be killed, and when Kirk was on the Constellation after setting the self-destruct and the transporter was broken, I completely lost my shit. That was great. Woke mom up yelling at the TV. She was pissed.

Rounding out the top five:

2. Balance of Terror
3. City on the Edge of Forever
4. Mirror, Mirror
5. Day of the Dove

[Frazod]

This video highlights some of the special aspects of Doomsday Machine, including it's unique score and certain things the director did, including showing the entire bridge (which was only done in this episode).

20 minutes long or so, but if you like Star Trek it's worth the time.

[Mennonite]

Cool vid. Thanks! I believe that I've read that Doomsday Machine was James Doohan's favorite episode too.


Balance of Terror is a classic. I'm sure you already know that it was based on The Enemy Below (1957). Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea also did a pretty good version of the story called Killers of the Deep.

[Mennonite]

I'm rewatching some early TNG. Abysmal. It's amazing that this show made it to season two. I don't think this show would have ever become a classic if Gene Roddenberry hadn't gotten sick.

The best of a bad lot:

Conspiracy
Too Short a Season
Heart of Glory
The Battle

I also watched season seven's Phantasms:




There are some clunkers in the final season, but I think it's generally underrated.

[Frazod]

The first couple of seasons were pretty lame. I thought the pilot sucked bad enough that didn't watch it further. In fact, I really didn't like anything about it at first - the ship design, the uniforms, the characters, any of it (it really is amazing how unattractive they made Troi early on). Riker kind of seemed like a Kirk knockoff, and I remember describing the show to someone as "Kirk in space with his snooty dad." And Wesley was Jar Jar before there was a Jar Jar. I had no interest in it.

Then a couple of years passed, and I started hearing that it had improved, so I gave it another chance. That was the beginning of the third season. The uniforms were better, the characters were fleshed out, the stories were more compelling, and they started the Worf dishonor arc, which was really cool. Even the Enterprise D finally started to grow on me a bit, although I still don't like it nearly as much as the original. By the time Yesterday's Enterprise came along (still my favorite TNG episode) I was completely hooked.

The following year the station that aired it started showing reruns every night at 6:00, so then I watched the episodes from the first and second seasons for the first time. They were mostly klunkers, but there were a few gems that stood out. The Measure of a Man is probably the best early episode.

[Mephistopheles Janx]

Can we all agree that the Defiant is far and away the best ship in all of Trek?

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Mephistopheles Janx

Can we all agree that the Defiant is far and away the best ship in all of Trek?

Yeah, I think so. I actually thought about it for a few minutes and nothing else really comes close.

The only drawback is not having a holosuite.

[mnchiefsguy]

Originally Posted by Frazod

1. Doomsday Machine and it's not even close. Not only my favorite from the original series, but my reigning favorite of all Star Trek. Loved before it got the CGI overall. Now it's amazing. William Windom was fantastic as the broken, obsessed Commodore Decker. I'll never forget the first time I saw it, when I was a little kid (not old enough to remember it when it first aired, but saw the first round of syndicated reruns in the early 70s). At that point I was too young and naive to realize that the star of the show couldn't be killed, and when Kirk was on the Constellation after setting the self-destruct and the transporter was broken, I completely lost my shit. That was great. Woke mom up yelling at the TV. She was pissed.

Rounding out the top five:

2. Balance of Terror
3. City on the Edge of Forever
4. Mirror, Mirror
5. Day of the Dove

Tough to disagree with this list. My ranking might vary depending on the mood I am in, but I love all of these episodes.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Frazod

1. Doomsday Machine and it's not even close. Not only my favorite from the original series, but my reigning favorite of all Star Trek. Loved before it got the CGI overall. Now it's amazing. William Windom was fantastic as the broken, obsessed Commodore Decker. I'll never forget the first time I saw it, when I was a little kid (not old enough to remember it when it first aired, but saw the first round of syndicated reruns in the early 70s). At that point I was too young and naive to realize that the star of the show couldn't be killed, and when Kirk was on the Constellation after setting the self-destruct and the transporter was broken, I completely lost my shit. That was great. Woke mom up yelling at the TV. She was pissed.

Rounding out the top five:

2. Balance of Terror
3. City on the Edge of Forever
4. Mirror, Mirror
5. Day of the Dove

First two seasons were mostly great. 3rd season has some real clunkers.

Space hippies! Spock plays the harp!

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Frazod

The first couple of seasons were pretty lame. I thought the pilot sucked bad enough that didn't watch it further. In fact, I really didn't like anything about it at first - the ship design, the uniforms, the characters, any of it (it really is amazing how unattractive they made Troi early on). Riker kind of seemed like a Kirk knockoff, and I remember describing the show to someone as "Kirk in space with his snooty dad." And Wesley was Jar Jar before there was a Jar Jar. I had no interest in it.

I was SO excited to watch TNG but man, it felt so flat from the start. I didn't like Patrick Stewart's portrayal of Picard at all and hoped that his character would be killed off soon in favor of Commander Riker, who seemed to be far more inline with what I thought a Federation captain of Enterprise D would be but since it didn't happen, I stopped watching altogether.

Somewhere around 1990 or 1991, I checked in on the series and found that it had improved exponentially, only to be canceled in 1994 to due budget concerns. Seasons 3-7 were pretty freaking awesome and I still enjoy them to this day but I just can't get into Seasons 1 and 2.

[Fishpicker]

Originally Posted by Frazod

1. Doomsday Machine and it's not even close. Not only my favorite from the original series, but my reigning favorite of all Star Trek. Loved before it got the CGI overall. Now it's amazing. William Windom was fantastic as the broken, obsessed Commodore Decker. I'll never forget the first time I saw it, when I was a little kid (not old enough to remember it when it first aired, but saw the first round of syndicated reruns in the early 70s). At that point I was too young and naive to realize that the star of the show couldn't be killed, and when Kirk was on the Constellation after setting the self-destruct and the transporter was broken, I completely lost my shit. That was great. Woke mom up yelling at the TV. She was pissed.

Rounding out the top five:

2. Balance of Terror
3. City on the Edge of Forever
4. Mirror, Mirror
5. Day of the Dove

I always loved Shore Leave. But it made me wonder what was up with Sulu. He got attacked by a hostile warring-states-era samurai and got strafed by a A6M Zero. its as if Sulu was obsessed with the former glory of Japan. and then I realized that if I were in his place, the exact same thing would happen.

[Mennonite]

Originally Posted by Fishpicker

I always loved Shore Leave. But it made me wonder what was up with Sulu. He got attacked by a hostile warring-states-era samurai and got strafed by a A6M Zero. its as if Sulu was obsessed with the former glory of Japan. and then I realized that if I were in his place, the exact same thing would happen.

Sulu also goes running off after Don Juan at one point which is kinda funny in hindsight.



Written by the great Theodore Sturgeon. He also wrote Amok Time.