The end of 'Star Trek: Enterprise'?

[Sci-Fi]

From the Ventura County Star:

The end of 'Star Trek: Enterprise'?

By Dave Mason dmason@VenturaCountyStar.com
January 26, 2005

"Star Trek: Enterprise" star John Billingsley says he expects the series won't be renewed, even if the cast doesn't get official word until May.

"I have a fairly pragmatic attitude," he said. "I look at the economics."

Billingsley, who plays the alien Dr. Phlox, said he's "betting on the black" because of the low ratings plus the fact Paramount will have the 100 episodes needed for syndication.

Filming wraps in March, and the story lines should show some indication of whether "Enterprise" will return, Billingsley said. A season cliffhanger, if one's written, would give some hope.

Moving "Enterprise" to Friday nights boosted UPN's ratings for that day, but viewership fell for the series. Paramount Pictures already had agreed to budget cuts to convince sister network UPN (and CBS chairman Leslie Moonves, who oversees UPN) to renew the show for the 2004-05 season.

CBS and UPN haven't announced whether "Enterprise" will be renewed.

Billingsley doesn't expect viewership to suddenly rise.

"My feeling is that after all these years, the people who are not watching 'Star Trek' won't start watching," he said.

"Star Trek" fans have praised "Enterprise" for doing a better job this season of connecting the stories with the original series. But Billingsley said he doesn't think that approach would have built a larger viewership over the years.

"You know, I'm not sure it would have done much better," he said.

"Yes, the plots are more complex and more action-packed," Billingsley said. But "Trek" needs to appeal to non-fans to boost ratings, he said.

Billingsley said he thinks that if "Enterprise" is canceled, Paramount would be wise to wait awhile and produce movies, as opposed to another TV series.

"We're not going to be the movie franchise," Billingsley said about "Enterprise."

Executive producer Rick Berman has said he has hoped to set the next "Star Trek" film sometime between "Enterprise" and the time of Capt. Kirk.

Billingsley recommended that the "Star Trek" franchise become darker and be more honest about human flaws such as bigotry.

There are plot spoilers ahead for upcoming episodes ...

"Dr. Phlox is abducted by Klingons to reverse the effects of genetic experiments on Klingons," Billingsley said.

Another "Enterprise" episode will visit the alternate dimension of "The Mirror, Mirror Universe" of the original series. The parallel universe also was featured in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."

"I was thinking about wearing a goatee," Billingsley said with a grin. In the original series episode, the Spock of the parallel universe has a goatee.

[Senmut]

Enterprise was getting better. Sadly, the bean-counters can't see beyond their calculators.

[Jubal]

Definately agreed. It was awesome in 4th season.

[Benedict]

Season 3 started to turn things round than Season 4 started to rocket. From what notes there are, Season 5 could've been quite something.

[gmd3d]

I only watched the first 2 seasons ..been honest here.. and found it yawn yawn .. I found Scott Bakula a little dull as the Captain .. .. there was a lot I did not like . how the Vulcan's where treated in the show seemed un-Vulcan-like. more manipulative. in fact acting in a non-logical way.

I will have to watch the following seasons to see how it finish ..

But I was disappointed in Scott Bakula Captain .. an actor I like in other things esp Quantum leap..

[Darrell Lawrence]

After seeing the new Star Trek movie, and the alternate timeline story it presented, with the ship in the very beginning more advanced than the classic Enterprise, I am now placing the "Enterprise" series into the new Star Trek's timeline. Seems to fit better there.

[Jubal]

Originally Posted by Benedict

Season 3 started to turn things round than Season 4 started to rocket. From what notes there are, Season 5 could've been quite something.

You mean there are notes on a possible season 5? What were they thinking of doing?

Originally Posted by Warrior

After seeing the new Star Trek movie, and the alternate timeline story it presented, with the ship in the very beginning more advanced than the classic Enterprise, I am now placing the "Enterprise" series into the new Star Trek's timeline. Seems to fit better there.

Nah Enterprise is fine in the regular universe.

Originally Posted by Taranis

I only watched the first 2 seasons ..... I did not like . how the Vulcan's where treated in the show seemed un-Vulcan-like. more manipulative. in fact acting in a non-logical way.

I will have to watch the following seasons to see how it finish ..

They explain in season 4 why they were that way. Makes sense in the end, and the Vulcans become the race we are used to in the end. Also explain the Klingon ridges and lack of ridges, they have a FRACKING AWESOME Mirror Universe story.

Each of the above all all two parters.

They even have a Organian episode. Remember the Organian peace treaty?

[Benedict]

For some of what they were considering in Season 5 would have led onto the Earth-Romulan War. More Mirror Universe stuff, Manny Coto had said about doing a 'series within a series'.

There's a few bits on Memory Alpha's Enteprise page. It's mainly Romulan War but other stuff, Shran becoming an ENT crewman etc.

[Jubal]

Shran as a crew member? That would have been awesome!!

And the Earth Romulan war would have been ok too... :P

[gmd3d]

Originally Posted by Warrior

After seeing the new Star Trek movie, and the alternate timeline story it presented, with the ship in the very beginning more advanced than the classic Enterprise, I am now placing the "Enterprise" series into the new Star Trek's timeline. Seems to fit better there.

I will have to have a look ..... at the 3 4 5 seasons now

I disliked aspects of the new movie .. Casting was great for the most part .. except for Scotty .. really disappointed with the casting of him
hate the Enterprise in it too ..... its a design I could never like .. I look like 3 different designers took parts and design them separately
But this is not the place to talk about that..

[gmd3d]

Originally Posted by Jubal

They explain in season 4 why they were that way. Makes sense in the end, and the Vulcans become the race we are used to in the end. Also explain the Klingon ridges and lack of ridges, they have a FRACKING AWESOME Mirror Universe story.

Each of the above all all two parters.

They even have a Organian episode. Remember the Organian peace treaty?

I have seen images of the Mirror Universe story with the USS DEFIANT.

and it is good that the Vulcans are treated as they should be.

As for the Klingon Ridges .. I always liked the idea that the lack of Ridges was the Norm and they got the Klingon version of the Mumps .. and they are too embarrassed about it..

here is a picture of Dave Lister on the Mining ship Red Dwarf after contracting the Klingon Mumps to prove my point

[gmd3d]

Originally Posted by Benedict

For some of what they were considering in Season 5 would have led onto the Earth-Romulan War. More Mirror Universe stuff, Manny Coto had said about doing a 'series within a series'.

There's a few bits on Memory Alpha's Enteprise page. It's mainly Romulan War but other stuff, Shran becoming an ENT crewman etc.

Interesting ,,,, would have dragged me back to it.

I like the actor that plays Shran .......

but I must say again for me the biggest let down was Scotts portal of the Captain .. at least in the seasons I saw .. he was very stiff and uninteresting ... I liked the Engineer more ..... Tipp or something ... he would have made a better captain . imo

[Jubal]

There were a lot of times I did not care for Captain Archer, but honestly I think that was the way Archer was meant to be portrayed. Earth was new to exploring space. Archer was far from perfect, and I think he was written to be that way.

Another thing about Archer, he definately played favorites, had his favorites, and well, was again, not perfect.

Honestly the character considering the time frame, and watching the character grow out of his own selfishness and prejudice into someone willing to embrace more was a interesting progression to watch.

[Darrell Lawrence]

Originally Posted by Jubal

Nah Enterprise is fine in the regular universe.

Nah. With it's retcons and stuff, not to mention the tech issues, it's better off in the new Star Trek's timeline.

That'd also return certain things back into Trek lore, like the Daedalus Class, USS Bonaventure and Robot Cargo Ship.

[Benedict]

Apparently the ENT timeline is in theory part of the new Trek's timeline as the whole Kelvin thing happened after Enterprise.

Any excuse to see T'Pol again but that's probably just me.

[Darrell Lawrence]

Originally Posted by Benedict

Apparently the ENT timeline is in theory part of the new Trek's timeline as the whole Kelvin thing happened after Enterprise.

Right. The Kelvin is way more advanced than TOS Enterprise. What caused the timeline divergence was not the Kelvin destruction. Had to happen way before that, and not long before "Enterprise" fits the bill. I'd say the real timeline divergence was TNG's ST8 "First Contact".

[tnpir4001]

The timeline was disrupted about twenty-five years before the NCC-1701 launched on its first mission, which would put it still about 125 years (if my math is right) after Archer and company. Remember that the movie had a joking reference to "Admiral Archer's beagle," presumably Jonathan Archer's Porthos.