Star Trek - it's future on TV
01/07/2000 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 

An assessment on announcements.

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Although this isn't strictly a review, I think my comments are probably more appropriate here than in the editorial or in a separate article.

Producer Rick Berman has indicated that the next Star Trek series is likely to be set at the dawn of Starfleet or at least on the USS Enterprise prior to Pike and Kirk captaining it.

All right, let's think what this means. Obviously, one indicator is from the success of the film 'First Contact' and maybe the belief that fans want to know what happened next.

That has to be balanced with what has been documented already and part of the Trek canon. There's little in the way of secrets here really.

For this same period, the producers will have to produce something in line with what was created in 1966 and for that one has to look at the costumes from 'The Cage', the first pilot episode.

Tacky single colour jumpers that made the original series jumpers a brilliant change.

A non-descript Captain cos if he was remembered, comparisons would have been made or awards presented using his name in the current time period.

Everyone shouting orders because everyone was terminally deaf at that time.

On the alien front, apart from the Vulcans, there would be little else to show.

Starfleet starships couldn't wander the galaxy so well.

They hadn't encountered the Klingons and certainly never saw the Romulans.

To make it worse because we know what has happened in successive series, there is not going to be any concern that the crew cannot get out of the situations they get themselves in because the future is so well documented.

Based on all of that, I think Berman is probably pulling wool over the Trek fans' eyes as to their true intentions.

Considering the state of the Federation after DS9, I'd be more inclined to think they're planning to do something along the lines of getting everything put back together again.

If they are, then look elsewhere in the 'Nest for my article on this subject.

GF Willmetts