News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by s5edvvddd on Monday November 02, 2015 @04:53PM (#10495567)
Produced by Alex Kurtzman who was also the producer of Michael Bay's Transformers , Star Trek remakes which are basically the lowest common denominator action movies, and Scorpion the series about incredibly incorrect portrayal of hacking and hackers.

This is going to be action schlock, a series like TNG will never be made again.

I don't want too sound too depressing, just letting you know to adjust your expectations.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by Inthenameofmine on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:05PM (#10495654)
Yeah this isn't going to be about the core of what Star Trek is about: Humanistic ideas, science, and exploration.

> a series like TNG will never be made again

I have higher hopes than ever actually. With Netflix creating their own TV shows, crowdfunding booming, as well as cheap alternative movie and CGI studios popping up worldwide, we might some day see something even better than TNG.

Edit: I mean, look at Stargate Universe, that how had incredible potential, and fit pretty much with the above "new economy / new audience" description.

I wouldn't be surprised that once the equity crowdfunding JOBS act passes properly, we'll see independent Netflix style TV series be funded, at higher per-episode funding than current TV.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by Touche on Monday November 02, 2015 @06:16PM (#10496101)
> we might some day see something even better than TNG.

We already saw that. http://www.startrek.com/page/star-trek-deep-space-nine

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by pyrophane on Monday November 02, 2015 @06:24PM (#10496143)
Oh really? I haven't watched much of DS9. Perhaps I should give it another look.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by peatmoss on Monday November 02, 2015 @07:31PM (#10496511)
DS9 has longer plot arcs than TNG. In TNG, something nearly cataclysmic could happen in one episode, and everything would be back to normal in the next episode. Picard is my captain, and TNG is what I think of when I think of Trek. But, DS9's writing was in a different league.

The way the characters and the plot developed together was great. Some of the episodes were uncharacteristically dark for the Star Trek universe (introduction of Dukat's daughter, Garak and Odo, etc.)

In TNG, the only credible existential threat was the Borg, and you really only felt that for a couple of back-to-back episodes. The Borg were awesome, but DS9 had greater sustained dramatic tension.

And the camp episodes! When DS9 did silly, they did it up right--with frickin' evil mirror universe characters and tribbles!

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by noir_lord on Monday November 02, 2015 @06:53PM (#10496325)
DS9 is different in tone to TNG but every bit as good, it explores what happens when the idealism of the Federation runs smack into an equivalently advanced technologically civilisation that has a horrible social structure.

It's very good.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by bane on Monday November 02, 2015 @07:07PM (#10496401)
I think it also delves deep into belief systems of different kinds and how that motivates people. It even asks questions around "if you have no choice but belief, is it still belief?"

It takes a little while to get going, but the story is probably one of the finest arcs on TV.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by noir_lord on Monday November 02, 2015 @07:11PM (#10496423)
Absolutely, its a slow burner but so many stand out episodes in stand out seasons, it also benefit from been able to jump into the world of TNG which definitely had its teething pains at certain points (and Wesley Bloody Crusher).
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by tauchunfall on Monday November 02, 2015 @07:07PM (#10496398)
I didn't like DS9 when I was a kid. Same for Babylon 5. However gave it a try three years ago and watched all seven seasons. Enjoyed it much. Especially the last seasons are very good. There are also single episodes with very unique stories.

Also don't forget star trek: voyager, my personal favorite.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by ethbro on Monday November 02, 2015 @07:08PM (#10496409)
Just stop before the last season, for the love of god.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by ajtaylor on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:25PM (#10495795)
I loved Stargate Universe! It was just getting really good when the series was cancelled. :(
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by infectoid on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:40PM (#10495883)
Did you ever read the virtual third season?

https://empeopled.com/p/31640

Was a fairly descent wrap up if you're looking for some closure.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by loceng on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:50PM (#10495958)
Ah - thanks for sharing this. Some fiction I may actually read..
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by serge2k on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:49PM (#10495948)
I thought it was a god awful wannabe BSG.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by agumonkey on Monday November 02, 2015 @06:11PM (#10496067)
Interesting, as a kid, all I saw in ST was ... bureaucracy. It looked like my father's office, except post modern.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by Keyframe on Monday November 02, 2015 @06:37PM (#10496206)
Movies and TV shows will not get (much) cheaper. It's not equipment that's expensive. It's people. I mean, equipment is expensive, but that can be mitigated. People can't. You need highly skilled labour in-front and behind cameras as well as material and (again, skilled) labour to build sets. Lots of people for lots of hours. Skilled people. Hours. Lots!
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by untog on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:03PM (#10495641)
I'll be the contrarian optimist: Star Trek movies are, on average, bad. Compare Star Trek: Nemesis to an episode of TNG - it's guilty of everything you attribute to the new Star Trek movies. The only reason it got a pass was because of the goodwill that the TNG show garnered for its characters.

So I choose to believe/hope that a TV show isn't doomed to have the same outlook as the movie. I expect I may well be wrong, but...

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by amalcon on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:37PM (#10495868)
Nemesis was rather poorly received among fans of the series. Though honestly, so were most of the other Star Trek films.

Out of the pre-Abrams Star Trek films, four were generally well received (2, 4, 6, 8). The first and third films have a few people who like them, but are broadly disliked. The fifth, seventh, ninth, and tenth are almost universally disliked.

Even among the four generally well received films, only #2 (The Wrath of Khan) and #4 (The Voyage Home) are generally considered as good as the best television episodes from the first two series. Maybe #6 fits in there -- that one's actually my favorite, though I might be biased because it's the only TOS one I've seen in theaters.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by dasboth on Monday November 02, 2015 @06:12PM (#10496074)
Not the first time I've heard this odd vs even thing. Was The Voyage Home the one with the whales? That premise was a bit silly although the film had its moments. Which number was First Contact? I always thought that was way better than the others.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by amalcon on Monday November 02, 2015 @06:37PM (#10496209)
Since it was apparently a little confusing:

  1) The Motion Picture: The one with V'Ger
  2) The Wrath of Khan: The one with Khan
  3) The Search For Spock: The one that fixed the problem caused by #2
  4) The Voyage Home: The one with the whales
  5) The Final Frontier: The one of which will not be spoken
  6) The Undiscovered Country: The one with the Khitomer Accords
  7) Generations: The one with both Kirk and Picard
  8) First Contact: The one with the Borg
  9) Insurrection: The one where Picard openly rebels against the exact thing he did in that one episode
 10) Nemesis: The Wrath of Khan with TNG characters, by someone who didn't understand why The Wrath of Khan was good
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by s5edvvddd on Monday November 02, 2015 @07:02PM (#10496378)

  11) Star Trek: Kirk gets promoted from Cadet to Captain in one day
  12) Star Trek <missing colon> Into Darkness: Spock is angry
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by ElComradio on Monday November 02, 2015 @07:13PM (#10496436)
Insurrection is underrated. It's by far the best TNG movie as far as pacing goes. First Contact feels like it is stuttering and I think people like it mostly because the Borg are always a hot topic for Trekkies.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by amalcon on Monday November 02, 2015 @07:39PM (#10496543)
I don't hate Insurrection. It's totally watchable, which is more than I can say for Generations or Nemesis. It definitely has its positives. It has by far the best writing of Data in any of the movies. Picard's love story is pretty well done. I just don't find it quite rises to the level of the four "actually good" movies. The plot only makes sense if you squint really hard.

First Contact did have its fair share of stupid (Borg queen, UGH). I just thought the plot made way more sense than any of the other TNG movies.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by ethbro on Monday November 02, 2015 @07:12PM (#10496426)
8) First Contact: the one withNO! IT ENDS HERE!! NOW!!
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by dasboth on Tuesday November 03, 2015 @02:25AM (#10498083)
Thanks, makes sense now, although those subtitles all sound like unaired episodes of Friends (which I'd definitely watch).
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by InclinedPlane on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:30PM (#10495832)
Star Trek movies are, for the most part, action focused instead of story or plot focused. But there have still been some movies that exemplified Star Trek fairly well. The Motion Picture, though much maligned, is a good example, as is Star Trek IV, though it's a bit campy. In Star Trek VI the values of Star Trek come through pretty well.

The movies were different than the TV show but there was still a shadow of the values and intellectualism from the show in the movies. For the modern remakes that's simply completely absent. And imagining that a show made by people who don't understand Star Trek will somehow begin to embody its values and qualities is, frankly, magical thinking.

It'll be fast-paced, it'll be gritty, it'll be dark, it'll be chock full of action and "intrigue" but it'll be brain-dead.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by Jtsummers on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:09PM (#10495690)
Nemesis didn't get a pass with any fans I know. It's pretty much considered the worst of the first ten movies excluding possibly 5, depending on the fan.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by ConceptJunkie on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:22PM (#10495780)
Oh, V was much worse. Much, much worse.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by Jtsummers on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:33PM (#10495849)
I've had friends put V and X on the same level, but personally I agree.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by malgb on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:30PM (#10495827)
Insurrection was the closest film to a TV episode.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by LordKano on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:49PM (#10495950)
Insurrection is my favorite of the Star Trek films and I hadn't thought of it that way before but I think you nailed it.

With the exception of Riker steering the Enterprise with that hidden Gravis Blackhawk joystick, it was very much like a feature length episode of the TV series.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by malgb on Monday November 02, 2015 @09:34PM (#10497029)
Yeah, my favourite too, even though it has low ratings.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by res0nat0r on Monday November 02, 2015 @06:37PM (#10496214)
> CBS said on Monday, in a new series that will be introduced on the network but will be shown primarily on its digital subscription video service.

I'd love a new series, but CBS showing it mainly on their streaming service and not even on network TV doesn't bode very well.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by kaonashi on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:39PM (#10495875)
The Trek movies were all bad, and I think the only ones to get a pass were the even-numbered TOS movies.
Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by WorldMaker on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:31PM (#10495837)
To be fair, some of the movie issues could be a question of the influence of the other "Bad Robot" collaborators. I've come to the decision to never pay to watch anything ever again that Damon Lindelof has been given the last writing pass on, for instance. Certainly, it seemed to be JJ Abrams pushing the heavy action "Wish-It-Were-Star-Wars" schlock of the films and on the flipside it sounded like Kurtzman was the only actual Star Trek fan and the voice of Trek reason in the first film (and too busy with the end of Fringe to do so for the second).

Fringe too is a possible reason for hope, but the science still seems out on how well Kurtzman works alone without frequent collaborator and fellow Fringe showrunner Orci.

(That said, I'm running on huge cynicism for this Star Trek project and my expectations right now are indeed rather low.)

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by ansible on Monday November 02, 2015 @05:40PM (#10495889)
I've come to the decision to never pay to watch anything ever again that Damon Lindelof has been given the last writing pass on...

After watching Prometheus, DL is right there with Uwe Boll on my list of people to avoid.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by orionblastar on Monday November 02, 2015 @06:43PM (#10496260)
It won't be your father's Star Trek of 1966 or TNG that we grew up on, or Voyager or Enterprise.

It will most likely be targeted at the youth and have a more diverse market to have more minority characters and more female ones. Remember it is not just the USA but the world they are selling the series to.

Each new Star Trek is marketed towards the young, TOS in 1966 was for my father, TNG was for me, Voyager and Enterprise was for Generation-Y, this new one is for the younger generation world wide.

It will sort of be like that Battlestar Galactica reboot Syfy did. Original fans won't like it but new fans will.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by canjobear on Monday November 02, 2015 @06:44PM (#10496267)
While I share your concerns there is cause for hope in the article. First, the third Abrams-verse Star Trek movie is "not related" to the new series---hopefully all JJ Abrams movies are unrelated to the new series. Second, the show "will focus on 'new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations'", so it won't be Kirk and Spock. If their goal were to put some Star Trek IP wallpaper over action shlock, then it would probably be Kirk & Spock.

So I'm cautiously optimistic.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by yk on Monday November 02, 2015 @07:18PM (#10496458)
Sadly I agree. In modern TV it is unthinkable to have a character like Picard who tries to pursue a diplomatic solution instead of the shoot first, might makes right attitude so prevalent in modern newspapers and other fictions.

On a somewhat related note, CBS apparently tries to get a good start for their streaming site, this means that they will try to limit risk. So they will probably go for a darker tone and something like Game of Thrones in space.

Re:A New ‘Star Trek’ TV Series Will Debut in 2017 by robotkilla on Monday November 02, 2015 @06:34PM (#10496191)
Sometimes the truth is depressing - thanks for the research