Save Enterprise (May 11, 2004)

Bandit LOAF

Bandit LOAF

Long Live the Confederation!
Let's take a step back from Wing Commander for a moment to talk about something almost as important: the latest Star Trek series, Enterprise, is apparently in danger of being cancelled. If you're a Star Trek fan, I'll personally vouch for the fact that the show has significantly improved in quality in its third season. If you're not, read on for details as to why this is important.

Let me relate this to Wing Commander, through a hitherto secret tale of intrigue: Back in October, 2001 we received a phone call from a TV producer who was working with Chris Roberts to develop a Wing Commander television show. He wanted our help with some statistics: how dedicated is the fan base, what kind of traffic do we do, how many Wing Commander websites are there? I knew that the concept had been (and presumably still is) floating around Hollywood for quite a while, so I asked him why there was now an interest? His answer: Enterprise's premiere episode, Broken Bow, had scored much higher than expected ratings and the industry was interested in developing similar shows.

The lesson here is the same one we learned from Freespace - the success or failure of a similar product affects the entire genre. If Enterprise had been a smash hit through its first year we would probably be watching a Wing Commander show right now. More than that, though, if Star Trek is cancelled then everything built on its back will be in danger; saving Enterprise should be just as important to Stargate fans and Battlestar Galactica fans and Wing Commander fans as it is to Trekkers.

You can find mailing addresses, phone numbers and the like for who you can contact to plead the show's case at SaveEnterprise.com. Do it if you love Star Trek, do it if you hate cheap reality TV or do it if you just love Wing Commander.


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Original update published on May 11, 2004
 
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I pretty much lost enthusiasm for Enterprise during the 1st season, I mean come on, only five days to the Klingon homeworld at warp-5? Who's writing this stuff? Granted, it's lightyears better than Voyager, but there really was no place to go but up. Ah, the good old days of DS9 and The Next Generation. I would love to see the Star Trek franchise live long and prosper, but if it was simply a better show, it would have better ratings and would not be in danger of being cancelled.

If it really has significantly improved this season, I'll try tuning in tonight.
 
The problem with Enterprise is not the genre, it's the people behind it. Berman/Braga (who I've seen referred to as Beavis and Butthead, though I think that's putting down two cartoon characters) are more or less solely responsible for the slow deterioration of Star Trek (and the genre in general). More concerned with lining their pockets than writing good episodes (ratings drop - throw a sexy woman there to get the teen demographic up). Heck, there's gotta be reason why the Star Trek DVD sets cost 2x+ as much as other DVD sets.

Season 3 is better, but the damage is already done. And good shows got cancelled for less (remember Firefly?).
 
I don't know... I mean, "these specific two people are idiots" is certainly the internet consensus -- but I don't really see any indication of that anywhere else. Other than the fact that it's essentially the job of a producer to take the blame for anything unfavorable, I've never really seen anything specifically wrong with Mr. Berman et al. It's certainly possible that he's an awful person, but Star Trek has also accomplished lots of great things under his credit (which dates back to some of the best TNG episodes)... and the internet excuse of "Oh, he was trying hard enough to kill Star Trek during /good TNG episode/entire run of DS9/various good Voyagers" strikes me as kind of out there.

(As for the DVDs, their pricing almost certainly has nothing to do with the people putting together the weekly show... it's all up to Paramount Home Video, who have clearly based their MSRP on Fox's succesful X-Files season sets.)
 
Unfortunately, the great stuff that was done under Trek (both to TNG and DS9) happened while they walked away to let others deal with it for a little while. It's how you get the oddball series of great episodes in an otherwise crappy season. I don't know exactly what happened, but there were periods when someone else was definitely in charge.

And they're producers/writers - they direct all the story arcs and the individual episodes.

As for Fox's pricing on DVDs, well, I'm almost certain B&B get a good cut of that - I've purchased many a Fox DVD and Fox box sets at far more reasonable prices (1/4th what the ST box sets were selling at - on sale. 1/5th or more off regular price).

But that's just me. Honestly, I think the networks can the wrong shows and let the bad ones still go on (most of them, anyhow).
 
Companies make certain DVDs more expensive because

1.) They know/assume people will buy them at that price
2.) They want to make a profit

No elaborate conspiracy, no "fan hate" nonsense.
 
Like I said, Trek DVDs are more expensive because B&B know they can line their pockets with money that way, and that Trek fans would practically pay any price for them.

Heck, 2 X-Files box sets could be had for the cost of 1 Trek DVD set. At least the good news is that Trek DVDs are easy to find heavily discounted (25+% off regular retail). (Though, it makes me wonder who really buys them full price...).

As for profit - DVDs are cheap to stamp out in mass quantities, and since all the work's pretty much done, it's almost pure profit. (Small runs of a thousand DVDs probably cost close to $1/DVD (with sleeve and case, and the mastering can run a few tens of thousands, but runs of 100,000+, materials are but a small fraction.). And I've seen numerous people ask why bother buying the DVD sets, when they might as well just catch it on SpikeTV or something. So the pricing's obviously not for everyone.

I will have to give B&B credit on one thing though - how to take a sure bet and wring every last penny out of it. A+ in the field of business economics.
 
See, this is an example of the weird internet reverse-cult-of-personality that goes on. If something isn't good, it must be Rick Berman's fault... if something is good, he wasn't involved.

'B&B' are TV producers - save for the occasional (unpaid) interviews they perform for the DVDs, they almost certainly have nothing to do with the release (which is done by Paramount Home Video, far and away separate from the Star Trek office). Both men are salaried by Paramount, and won't gain anything from DVD sales (actors occasionally have home video profit percentages in their contracts - individual writers do not).

The main point is that it can't possibly be some kind of conspiracy by *Rick Berman* personally to scam you out of money. Star Trek producer is an office job, not the stock market - Rick Berman doesn't make more or less money depending on how many people buy the DVDs (though I'm sure figures like that will affect future raises and such).
 
I just buy the Chinese versions of the DVD sets for $10 a piece with $20 shipping. They all have the Paramount logo and copyright. They are also the same as the US versions. Just optional Chinese subtitles. I love ebay. On the more relevent topic, I really enjoy this continuation of the Star Trek franchise and hope it continues. After all I don't think there will be any more movies. :(

jim
 
Have a look ...

The antithesis to the saveEnterprise site is the unintentionally hilarious killenterprise.org. The Forum is great. Its like watching Timmy and Jimmy go at it all over again (Cripple fight!). My personal favorite is the excitement over 222 signatures on a cancel Enterprise petition. :rolleyes: :D

C-ya
 
Erkle said:
I just buy the Chinese versions of the DVD sets for $10 a piece with $20 shipping. They all have the Paramount logo and copyright. They are also the same as the US versions. Just optional Chinese subtitles.
Click to expand...

Buyer beware when getting those damned things. I was a shit and a shake from buying Millennium Season 1 on a chinese 'promo DVD set' before I found out it was missing two episodes - one of which being the conclusion episode in a two-part arc.

I really don't trust that crap and wish they'd stop selling it on Amazon.

Viper61 said:
My personal favorite is the excitement over 222 signatures on a cancel Enterprise petition.
Click to expand...

To quote the eminent Doctor Of Journalism, "You people voted for Hubert Humphrey, and you killed Jesus!"
 
The biggest problem with bootleg DVDs is that they're always single-layer... so you lose a lot of picture quality and various features with them.
 
One of those guys, Braga I think is creepy looking. He never takes off his sunglasses, and that is what is co-workers say.

I don't get to watch Enterprise to much but it is a good show, I like Andromeda better for some reason. B & B aren't really Roddenberry, but his kind of Trek wouldn't sell now, TNG still had a huge ST fanbase that wanted more Trek. Enterprise reminds me of DS9 in a way, had weak early seasons. Enterpise needs to find a nitch that makes it sell, like DS9 did with the Dominion and war, a darker show with pain and suffering. I hope it survives, it is an alright show.

The Vulcan chick Jolene Blalock (??) is one hot Vulcan though.

Do you guys realize how much Trek there is, like 27 total seasons or something!!
 
One of those guys, Braga I think is creepy looking. He never takes off his sunglasses, and that is what is co-workers say.
Click to expand...

You just described every man in Los Angeles... :)
 
Well, it's been renewed. Too bad they didn't cancel B&B... Enterprise would really rock after that.
 
I agree with TC. How many people are involved in the making of a television show? yeah, some of them are more important than others, and carry more weight as to the success of the show, but how can one man (or two) bring down an entire series, especially one as popular as a Trek?

Enterprise is the only reason I keep my pizza parlor open until 9 on wednesdays. (TV only gets two channels- Fox 41 and UPN58) I must say that it's getting better and better. The Zindi are a much better antagonist race than the Sulaban.
 
B&B have created the last 3 franchises. They have their little grubby fingers in everything that is Trek. It is a successful franchise and I watch when I can, hopefully for a long time coming too.

Hell my life long dream is to play a captain of a starship lol.
Captain William Cornelius Winston or.
Captain Alexander Jamison Sharpe

Hehe, I am a geek and I love it!!
 
Trek fans are loyal, for starters. It's a limited market, but that hasn't stopped companies from making profits over it (e.g., Apple Computers - less than 5% marketshare, dying for 20 years now). And there's no need to prove it either - it's plainly obvious (sorta like the Mac crowd, as well...). Heck, I still watch it (and my nick makes it obvious how I liked it...). (Personally, I really don't care. It's just something to turn the TV to on Wednesdays, otherwise I wouldn't really watch TV.)

B&B, while not terribly great writers, are great businessmen, like Bill Gates (there's a very good economic reason why every ST series is wound up after 7 seasons, unlike other TV series that have gone on longer - and most contracts were renewed during the 5th and 6th seasons for 5 years). Profits never imply something is good - there are often other factors at work. I wouldn't worry too much about Enterprise - it'll last the 7 seasons like it always has.
 
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