What made ST Work

[newt]

What made Star Trek work? Star Trek is the measuring stick of a successful science fiction franchise. But what made Star Trek work was not spaceships, transporters, phasers, or aliens...it was the human element.

Space...the final frontier....these four words set the stage for a "space show" never before imagined. The drive for exploration is, and will continue to be, strong within mankind. The west was won, the sound barrier was broken, and where did mankind turn to? Off the planet. Star Trek came along at a time when humanity was engaging in the next great step in exploration, and adopted that theme.

Star Trek was never about space. It was about humanity.

Much has been written about how Star Trek was a mirror of human society at the time. Themes of racial integration (the diverse crew, the left/right black white face war), of political struggles (Klingons), of espionage (the Romulans)...intertwined against what is viewed as our greatest gift...to explore!

Star Trek told this story using believable characters and actors, not so bigger than life that you couldn't imagine listening to a lecture by Kirk, or, later in life, imagining sharing a drink with Scotty.

It wasn't the numerous romantic liasons of Kirk that made Star Trek an icon. It wasn't the fights. And it wasn't space. It was how the human story was told.

Star Trek gave HOPE to a world about to kill itself.

The Human Adventure is Just Beginning. When Star Trek returned as a continuation, this was the tag line for the movie. The first movie was not as good as it could have been, but mainly due to endless scenes of special effects. The HUMAN nature..Spock's emotioanl struggles, Kirk desiring command, and still, exploring what ius out there (and realizing, in a way, humanity almost killed itself by its simplistic "V'Ger" programming!) made the movie a success. ST II continued the realm of exploration of the Genesis project but needed a fail safe method to ensure a hit, and therefore the continuation of the franchise. The producers dug into the original series, came up with Khan, and the rest is history.

What does this have to do with Galactica? Everything!

I loved Star Trek as a kid. I became interested in Engineering because of Star Trek; I marveled how Scotty applied technology to solve problems (not using technology for the sake of it). While degreed in Engineering, I ebtered the compuetr field, with the same drive: to use technology to help US achieve our goals. And I do that today.

While Star Trek spoke of the future, Galactica spoke of our PAST. Galactica strove to present reasons as to why we are as we are. Galactica told the story of humanity (and I don't mean cheap sex) in a way never done before so well (or since).

Star Trek got me to HOPE. Galactica got me to THINK.

Galactica is not about space. It is not about sexual relations. And it is not about conspiracies. It is about ORIGINS AND SURVIVAL.

In this forum, we alll generally "preach to the choir". That is unfortunate, because it is often blindingly obvious that those who hold this wonderful, UNIQUE method of storytelling do not see what has made it unique.

Technology cannot get our message across. CGI glitz cannot get our message across. Fan fiction cannot get our message across. And a PROOF OF CONCEPT (Hatch's trailer) cannot get our message across.

But the message is there, and we will continue to keep that message alive.

Galactica is not a show...it is not about dollars and cents. Those who see it that way could possibly gain a profit, albiet a small one, from bastardizing Galactica by applying its name to a work that fails miserably at capturing the REASON why the FANS have kept it alive all these years.

Lorne Greene understood. John Colicos understood. Richard Hatch understood. Their ACTIONS above ACTING prove that they understood what Galactica was about. But when someone or someones choose to be blind, how do you open their eyes?

Wow...a single season show, with such a NAME RECOGNITION that it is coming back IN NAME...why has the NAME lasted?

The Cylons are not the "dumb asses" here.

Greg

[Micheleh]

"While Star Trek spoke of the future, Galactica spoke of our PAST. Galactica strove to present reasons as to why we are as we are. Galactica told the story of humanity (and I don't mean cheap sex) in a way never done before so well (or since)."

That's perfect. I've never heard it said so well.

[michaelfaries]

Greg,

You're on a major roll today! Bravo!

Michael
:colwar:

[Thomas P]

Long time reader - first time commenter

I don't wish to be a wet towel here and I REALLY applaud you all in your loyalty, devotion and desire to see a first rate show come back. I empathize with the concern for what it appears to be shaping into and cringe at the prospect of what SciFi is proposing - I for one will not watch what appears to be coming our way.

Greg, you hit the ole nail on the head! I agree with you and have never seen it so well put. But....

Roddenberry and Larson were writing to an intelligent audience, an audience that had a complex and ever changing world that they wanted to understand. Shows like these could broach subjects and material that otherwise would have been censored, either by review boards or sponsors. Today? What does the mass audience care about today? Hundreds of channels on TV, practically no censorship or sponsorship concern and what do we get? Joe - F#$ing - Millionaire! The DREAM TEAM! Survivor (place location here that the audience couldn’t find on a map)!

Today's audience, for the most part, could care less. They are jaded by instant access and media voyeurism. The 'demographics' networks want don't have the attention span to watch anything that does not have near bare boobs, swollen pec's, or ludicrous A-Team violence in it.

Why watch a show that makes me use my brain? I can watch one that the participants have to have a D-cup or better to be on and the only thing between their ears is about 50psi of air!

This diatribe is only in response to your very well written look at why those respective shows worked. The sad truth, IMHO, is that there are so few of us around to drive a network to spend the money on quality programming. JM total production cost is likely less than 1 episode of any quality show out there, with or without the need for FX. They get idiots that want their 15 minutes for next to zip. ROI baby - that's all it is about. The schmucks that run the networks were weaned on that mantra and that's all they are gonna deliver.

Okay - I'm going back under my rock now.

[Micheleh]

I respect your opinion, Thomas. I cannot, however, subscribe to the notion that it isn't worth the effort to insist on quality standards in programming because of the assumption that since there has been an increasing amount of brainless fodder, that this is what people really want. This is the rationale the networks use to produce such tripe. If no one speaks out against it, it is exactly what we will continue to get.

Never, NEVER fail to speak your true mind and feeling because it doen't fit with popular opinion. C'mon out from under that rock and grab a banner, and join the party. 8D

[jewels]

Thomas P,
Your opinion is highly valued!

We know we are venturing into bleak darkness trying to be heard by TPTB. But there are still intelligent shows that are well done and get good ratings and ROI (ER, CSI, Law & Order et all, West Wing come to mind). (aside: This conservative watches West Wing just because the dialogue has actual intellect behind it).

And with a sci-fi series the ROI can be more diversified with toys, comics & other licensing opportunities: IF TPTB direct the focus so that parents will watch with their kids. Not if TPTB replace a well-written story with explicit sex that only appeals to unsupervised teen males who are mostly penniless. (Ahem). Stepping off my soapbox. I too, despise "reality" television.

BTW, Greg, this and the other post at scifi were beautiful bits of writing. You said everything so well.

[Thomas P]

Pokes rock up one more time

Don't get me wrong - I support what you are all trying to do and sign those petitions and write those letters too. It's just that there seems to be more crap than ever before. My major frustration is with the huge degradation of the SciFi channel (not that it could seemingly get worse!). They have killed Farscape and used contradictory logic at ever discussion. They are corrupting BSG in the most horrific, apparently, way. And, they too have introduced gray matter pabulum to their line-up (i.e. Crossing Over, Dream Team). They should rename themselves to the horror and voyeur channel.

Hey, CSI was okay - for two episodes - and then I dropped it. Only in Vegas can you get DNA matches, toxicology reports and complete autopsies in 24 hours to solve your crime . I just can't take that show serious.

My concern is still on the future focus of the networks. Look at their own statements, they concede that they get better ROI on these crap reality shows than on other programming. TV just seems to be failing as a medium of any interest.

I was not trying to diminish the point Greg made but was venting my frustration on network apathy to quality programming. Nothing more exemplifies the 'dumbing down' of America then the network boardrooms.

But... I still hope that it blows up in their faces when no one watches these shows because it gets old and tiresome. Then they'll realize they can retain people with quality, like ER (was) L&O, West Wing and the few others out there.

The other (gawd I'm such a downer) issue I see down the road is this latest 'sponsor' subsidy we are going to seeing soon. I don't know if anyone else saw this, one network will be introducing a show or two that has commercials written into the script! This goes back to the 50's when shows would have certain sponsors and their products would be worked in. I just don't see many SciFi programs being able to support this if it were to take off.

See why I sit under rocks

[Micheleh]

Bwahahaha!!!

"Commander, the Cylons are closing in! What can we do?"

"Why, we can open channels and invite them in to talk, of course."

"WHAT! These are the evil bloodthirsty destroyers of mankind! They will never negotiate!"

"Oh, they will, when they see we managed to save an entire crate of Krispee Kreemes and a tanker of refreshing Foldgers!"

"We're saved!"

(cut to convivial cofee klatch)

VOICEOVER

***Foldgers and krispy cremes... don't flee across the galaxy without them.***