What if Enterprise was released now?

[space_invader64]

I think that so many people had been spoiled with so many years of trek that they (myself included) expected a lot from the show that they didn't get so they found something else to watch.  But now, that scifi is showing the reruns on monday nights, I feel that I miss star trek and that I am ready to watch it.  Part of me thinks if they had waited until now to do the show that it would have been much more of a sucess.

Think about this just a second.  If Star Wars Episode 1 had been released in 1985, wouldn't the fans have freaked?  I think the movie worked because the long wait had caused such an interest that we were just happy to be getting something new.

Now, do you think that enterprise being off the air has helped interest in Star Trek to rebuild?  By the time the movie comes out, do how high do you expect that interest to be?

[Hancider]

I think they should have waited at least a couple of years before they released ENT.  I remember back when ENT came out I was just not really that interested in it.  I don't really know why I think part of it was the time in my life, I had just  gotten married and a lot of things were changing for me.  Another thing was 911 had just happened and it seemed like there were more serious things to think about at the time.

I do think that even through all that the fact that Star Trek had been on straight since 1987 made me I guess a little burnt out on it. Although to tell you the truth I had never watched DS9 or Voyager much to me neither of them could really match the feel of TNG for me and I guess that is why I didn't watch them as much.

Now that I am looking back on it they are all good shows in there own way.  I think that expectation can kill a show especially one that is following on the heels of another.  DS9 & Voyager had TNG's timeline and the in-show culture of Starfleet to build on. I just think that ENT was too different and too fast.

[Ktrek]

I think ENT might have done better had they waited but ENT had other problems with it that brought it down. I think most of the Trek fans abandoned the show early on. The reasons are many.

1. The writing was sub par (especially the episodes that Berman and Bragga wrote)

2. Berman tried to purposely distance ENT from Star Trek by dropping Star Trek from the title. (there may have been a perfectly acceptable motive in it but in season three they change their mind and decide to advertise it as Star Trek again but too many fans had moved on for this to have much impact)

3. The casting could have been better. Bakula as captain just did not work well imho. I think a more action oriented, younger captain would have been a better choice for what they were trying to do with the show.

4. The gratuitous use of sexuality early on was a major complaint by fans. It was done mostly to draw in the teenage and college age boys into the show. It may be true that sex sells products but not in this case. Trek has always appealed to a more intellectual crowd but turning to sex was trying to appeal to man's lowest nature and not his highest imo.

5.Too many years of Star Trek was a factor in many dropping away but from what I saw the many who dropped away did so not because they no longer wanted Trek but because they found what Trek used to give them in other shows (Stargate being one of them), which were better. Since many people have only so much time to devote to TV most do like I do and try and find the very best few shows to devote on a weekly basis and fit in others if you have time.

6. Back to the writing, if B&B had given their baby over and not had as much control early on the show might have done better. When you compare season one and two with seasons three and four there is a world of difference and especially in season four when Manny Cotto had most of the creative control.

There are other reasons I am sure, but that said I grew to like ENT very much. I just take the show on it's own merits. I don't think it was a bad show at all. It just didn't live up to what fans had come to expect from Trek. My wife and I have been working our way through the DVDs and perhaps the DVDs have enhanced the viewing pleasure but I am enjoying the show much more the second time through.

Anyway, those are some of the things I observed and not necessarily my own feelings about the show.

Kevin

[Hancider]

Wow you don't pull any punches K-dog. LOL  Actually some of those points I actually agree with especially the part about casting Bakula as the captain. I never thought he was really a good fit for the role myself and the fact that he was in another very successful scifi series before I think hurt because I couldn't get rid of the quantum leap stigma he had.