Why STAR TREK is struggling in the modern TV era...

It’s soon going to be something we only talk about in wistful, reminiscing tones, echoing the good old days of a bygone era. I’m talking about the golden era of TV streaming. We’ll soon be saying things like:

“Once upon a time, TV-watchers could pay a single monthly fee and get a variety of shows from a variety of networks. That’s all over now of course. Now we have to pay a monthly fee to Netflix, to Apple, to Amazon, to Disney, to CBS, to NBC, to HBO, and on and on it goes. Anyway, here’s a story about the onion I keep on my belt…”

Why are all of these streaming services popping up? Why has the Netflix era, if not ended, then at least started its death throes? By the way, I’m not predicting Netflix’s end, since they too are heavily concentrating on exclusive content in order to avoid being reliant on material from other sources. But still, the days when you could subscribe to Netflix and get content from a variety of sources is a dying era. Why?

Simply put: Greed.

Studios know they only need a small number of subscribers to turn a profit. It doesn’t matter that the folks who want to watch TV now have a dozen $6-$10 a month subscriptions to pay for. All that matters is if they get your money, and to ensure they do, they’re willing to spend a lot of money upfront producing new content to entice you. Make no mistake, this is a bubble that is soon to burst. Too much money is being spent from too many networks and there simply are not enough subscriptions to go around from the average consumer.

To combat this, studios like Disney, CBS, and Amazon are releasing their big shows piecemeal. Instead of a Netflix-style “dump” where the whole season is released to great (though brief) social media buzz and hours of binge-watching, the viewer gets a single episode, then must wait a week for the next. This is nothing new, of course; TV has had a weekly schedule from the inception of the format, but it’s different for a premium, monthly-paid subscription network.

As said, this strategy is unsustainable because enough viewers are eventually going to realize you can just subscribe to one or two networks for a month, watch what you need, then unsubscribe and switch to another couple services for a few months, and so on. Since these networks rely on monthly subs, they’re soon going to hit a moment in time when they drop hundreds of millions on content and only reap dozens of millions in subscription money. When that happens, shareholders are going to freak, and mass cuts will be implemented.

When that happens, what’s not going to happen will be a return to the “all in one” (old Netflix) model. No, these networks will instead just cut their shows and let them lie dormant, intending to bring them back when the demand has returned, starting the cycle back all over again.

A lot of good shows are going to die because Hollywood’s most consistent quality is its ability to take a good thing and run it into the ground.

Speaking of, let’s talk Star Trek, which is soon to debut the third season of Discovery.

I am so excited.

It’s ironic; CBS is the biggest network of the “big three,” with ratings that regularly blow away NBC or ABC’s nightly offerings, but their shows don’t easily translate to streaming network subs since their audience skews older and their shows lack the style suitable for repeat viewing. Star Trek is the only serious genre show that has a fanbase loyal enough to subscribe and has enough episodes in its back catalog to keep fans coming back.

CBS, therefore, has two options: They can appeal to the fans they have, offering a niche product that accommodates a smaller but very loyal fanbase, or ignore those fans and try to grow the fanbase in the hopes (hopes!) of bringing in more subscribers. In other words, they could settle for a small but loyal number of subscribers, or be greedy and bet the farm on trying to win over a large number of subscribers at the risk of turning away the loyalists. Guess which one they chose? Go on and guess!

Star Trek is suffering. I’ll even say it’s dying. Shoot, I’ll even say it’s being killed.

Here are a few things CBSAA is (badly) doing to it…

DUMB ACTION INSTEAD OF CEREBRAL ALLEGORIES

For many years Paramount, the studio that owned the rights to the Star Trek movie brand, and CBS, the network that owned the rights to the Star Trek TV brand, were at odds with one another. When the time came to reboot Star Trek, Paramount turned to noted “beginner of things but don’t ask him to finish them” director, JJ Abrams. Abrams jettisoned established Star Trek history, spun the story off into a different “timeline” and created a different universe, separate from that which was established in the old TV shows and movies. This created the undesired debate amongst fans about future properties and which “timeline” they would belong to.

Even though CBS and Paramount are now back together, the damage done to Star Trek continues to be felt. Star Trek: Discovery—easily CBSAA’s flagship show—takes place in a time before the splitting of the timeline and tries to straddle the fence between the more action-oriented (i.e. “don’t think just watch”) flair of the Abrams movies and the more cerebral stylings of the older shows and films. I say “tries to straddle the fence” but really it’s more like “really wants to be on one side of the fence but has to at least gesture apathetically toward the other side.” Discovery is a “dumb action show” that talks about being cerebral and heady, while having no intention of actually being those things. It pays lip service to that side of Trek, and strings franchise fans along year after year, only to pull the rug out from under us every time. Sometimes it seems like the show actually wants to have something to say, but lacks the patience or the brains to say it.

TOO MANY COOKS IN THE KITCHEN

Let’s be real: A studio that has invested in a property as much as CBS/Paramount has in Star Trek is always going to care if their show is struggling. A complete “hands-off” approach is simply not practical. On the other hand, when there’s as much riding on the success of CBSAA as there is, the network isn’t going to sit back and “wait and see” if the show is a success. Star Trek Discovery has to buoy a whole network and that level of corporate pressure has hindered the show behind the scenes. In just two seasons the show has gone through three sets of show-runners, nixed story arcs, and completely re-written the central idea for the show not once, or twice, or even thrice, but four(ce)-over…

Discovery is a show about a mid-ranked officer, thrust into the middle of both a political upheaval and a war. Fans get to see a major storyline play out through the eyes of someone NOT at the top of the food chain.

No, wait. Discovery is actually about the mirror universe. Forget the Klingon War. That’s done with.

No, wait. No. The mirror universe is done. Forget that. It’s actually about Michael and Spock trying to save the universe thanks to Michael being “the chosen one,” and the most important person in the history of ever.

No. Lol. Sorry. I’m silly. No. Discovery is actually about going to the far, far future, and helping the remnants of the Federation pick up the pieces after it was nearly wiped out.

What even is this show?

A serialized show like Disco thrives on two critical components: Character development and story cohesion. The ball has been totally dropped on both fronts, with characters who have changed allegiance at the drop of a hat and without any foreshadowing, and plotlines that have been torpedoed without warning, sometimes even midway through a season. There’s no rhyme or reason to the show and a large part of the blame falls to bad leadership and the knee-jerk reactions by CBS management, desperate to see All Access succeed.

Instead, they’re smothering it to death.

SUBSCRIPTIONS OVER STORIES

I said this multiple times in my reviews of Discovery, but it’s a slap in the face to subscribers when we’re asked to pay for a premium channel only to sit through commercials. Worse than that, the commercials clearly weren’t planned when the scripts were written, meaning that—unlike in, say, The Next Generation or Deep Space Nine—there’s no build-up of drama or a plot twist within a certain timeframe, coinciding with a commercial break. Instead, ad breaks happen in the middle of scenes, stopping them cold.

Along the same lines is the insistence on trying to create a show that works both as a stand-alone series of episodes and as a multi-episodic story. This is done to satisfy those who expect a Game of Thrones style “season-long arc” and a “classic-Trek” style adventure of the week. The former is the modern trend but the latter works better as a weekly show. And since CBS is desperate for viewers to keep their subscriptions in place for more than twenty-four hours, they are releasing Discovery in weekly installments, making for a show written by modern, “story-arc” writers that have no idea how to write classic “episodic” television.

The result is a mess.

GROW THE BRAND = WATER DOWN THE PRODUCT

Star Trek Discovery prioritizes action over thought, space adventure nonsense over science fiction parables, loud noises over introspection. It’s a total betrayal of what Star Trek was supposed to be. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a place for space adventure. My problem isn’t with a fantasy action story set in space, it’s with Star Trek turning into that. And, again, don’t misunderstand: There are a lot of action-heavy Star Trek episodes and movies in the franchise’s past (First Contact, Arena, Year of Hell, etc), but those were always exceptions, not rules. Those were garnishes on a meal that was heavy in classic sci-fi explorations of the human condition. And even those old action-heavy episodes devoted lots of time to the humanity of the characters in the middle of the action.

Discovery and Picard fail to do that.

There’s no drama with the new shows; there’s melodrama. They don’t explore the human condition, they wade in the shallow end of the emotional pool, substituting genuine moments of feeling that arrive after solid writing builds to that point…for shots of Michael making a cry-face as she struggles to spit out the nonsense-dialogue Sonequa Martin-Green has been given by the show’s writers.

The tragic fact is—and I say this as a Trek fan for thirty years—classic Star Trek is not a franchise that can be a major, mainstream tentpole. It’s too niche. I’m okay with that. CBS, however, is not. CBS needs Star Trek to be bigger than it is. Even at its peak Star Trek was always ever a niche product, appealing to a niche audience. We’re a very vocal niche, but still a niche we are. Making Star Trek the anchor of a whole network didn’t help UPN in 1995. Instead of learning the right lesson from that (which is: Don’t try to make Star Trek your mass-populace media anchor), CBS learned the wrong lesson (which is: Change what Star Trek is to make it more accessible to mass audiences).

The problem is you can’t outfox a fox. Star Trek will never be Star Wars. At its best, it could only ever be a knock-off and no one’s going to pay a premium to watch a weekly, commercial-filled, knock-off of Star Wars…not when they can just subscribe to Disney+ and watch The Mandalorian, which is an actual weekly Star Wars show…with NO commercials!

People prefer genuine things. Star Trek, when presented as it is supposed to be, appeals to a genuine audience who will turn out for it and pay for it, too. By watering it down, dumbing it down, cheapening it, and diminishing it, CBS is only killing it. They’re still not going to attract as many non-fans as they will lose by turning off the only fans who really care.

That’s CBS’ mentality right now, though, and it’s killing Star Trek.

COMMENTS

Please read our Commenting Policy before you join in with the discussion.

Note: If you have email notifications enabled, please check your email spam folders to ensure emails are not missed.

1 Comment

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Jordaina

1 month ago

Interesting thoughts. I really believe that soon TV will be just as you stated. I do watch a lot of shows on CBS. I never really thought about that. I have not really enjoyed Star Trek in years.

Cookie	Description
_pxvid	This cookie is used for detection of the browser and distinguishing whether it is a real user or malicious bot.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	This cookies is set by GDPR Cookie Consent WordPress Plugin. The cookie is used to remember the user consent for the cookies under the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Non Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	This cookie is used to keep track of which cookies the user have approved for this site.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-preferences	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Preferences".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-uncategorized	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Uncategorized".
CraftSessionId	This cookie name is associated with the Craft web content management system, where is functions as an anonymous session identifier.
csrftoken	This cookie is associated with Django web development platform for python. Used to help protect the website against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks
DSID	To note specific user identity. Contains hashed/encrypted unique ID.
JSESSIONID	Used by sites written in JSP. General purpose platform session cookies that are used to maintain users' state across page requests.
PHPSESSID	This cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
viewed_cookie_policy	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Cookie	Description
b30msc
btc
CMST
cref
d
gpl
i
icts
ig_did
mdata
na_rn
na_sc_e
na_sr
na_srp
session_depth
visitor-id

Cookie	Description
__gads	This cookie is set by Google and stored under the name dounleclick.com. This cookie is used to track how many times users see a particular advert which helps in measuring the success of the campaign and calculate the revenue generated by the campaign. These cookies can only be read from the domain that it is set on so it will not track any data while browsing through another sites.
__stid	The cookie is set by ShareThis. The cookie is used for site analytics to determine the pages visited, the amount of time spent, etc.
_ga	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, camapign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assigns a randoly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_60765351_1	Google uses this cookie to distinguish users.
_gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
ad-id	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content
demdex	This cookie is set under the domain demdex.net and is used by Adobe Audience Manager to help identify a unique visitor across domains.
DigiTrust.v1.identity	Registers data on visitors’ website-behaviour. This is used for internal analysis and website optimization.
dmvk	This cookie is set by DailyMotion who display videos, it registers statistical data of visitors' behaviour on the website.
gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
GPS	This cookie is set by Youtube and registers a unique ID for tracking users based on their geographical location
is_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
sc_is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
v1st	This is set by DailyMotion to display videos.

Cookie	Description
__asc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__auc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__qca	This cookie is associated with Quantcast and is used for collecting anonymized data to analyze log data from different websites to create reports that enables the website owners and advertisers provide ads for the appropriate audience segments.
_cc_aud	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_cc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_dc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_id	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_kuid_	The cookie is set by Krux Digital under the domain krxd.net. The cookie stores a unique ID to identify a returning user for the purpose of targeted advertising.
_px2	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxff_tm	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxhd	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
ab	This cookie is generally provided by agkn.com and is used for advertising purposes.
ad-privacy	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content to the users.
ayl_visitor	This cookie registers data on the visitor. The information is used to optimize advertisement relevance.
bafp	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bafp_t	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_pl	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rf_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rt_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_t_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_td_2d31c94105a0aa6d1ceaea0c86c6b656	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bito	This cookie is generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bitoIsSecure	This cookies are generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bsc	The cookies is set by ownerIQ for the purpose of providing relevant advertisement
CMID	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPRO	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPS	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
dc_id	This cookie is used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator's permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers.
did	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
didts	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
dpm	The cookie is set by demdex.net. This cookie assigns a unique ID to each visiting user that allows third-party advertisers target that users with relevant ads.
eud	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
euds	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
everest_g_v2	The cookie is set under eversttech.net domain. The purpose of the cookie is to map clicks to other events on the client's website.
evo5_popin_instance	Prevents an interaction from reoccurring for visitors not accepting 3rd party cookies.
id	This cookie is set by DoubleClick (which is owned by Google) to build a profile of the website visitor's interests and show relevant ads on other sites.
IDE	Used by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
io.narrative.guid.v2	This cookie is generally provided by io.narrative.io and is used for advertising purposes.
KADUSERCOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
KTPCACOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
matchliveramp	This cookie is provided by w55c.net and is used for advertising purposes.
mc	This cookie is associated with Quantserve to track anonymously how a user interact with the website.
mxpim	This cookie is generally provided by mxptint.net for advertising purposes.
na_tc	This is a Social Media sharing tracking cookie.
NID	This cookie is used to a profile based on user's interest and display personalized ads to the users.
nnls	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxrc	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxvid	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
rlas3	The cookie is set by rlcdn.com. The cookie is used to serve relevant ads to the visitor as well as limit the time the visitor sees an and also measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

Cookie	Description
__jid	Cookies set on the website by the third-party commenting platform Disqus.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
disqus_unique	These cookies are set by Disqus so that users can comment on website/platform.
G_ENABLED_IDPS	The cookie is used by Google and is used for Google Single Sign On.
mid	The cookie is set by Instagram. The cookie is used to distinguish users and to show relevant content, for better user experience and security.
na_id	This cookie is set by Addthis.com to enable sharing of links on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter
ouid	The cookie is set by Addthis which enables the content of the website to be shared across different networking and social sharing websites.
ov	This is a generic functional cookie that provides enhanced functionality and personalisation.
ts	This cookie is generally provided by PayPal and supports payment services in the website.
vuid	These cookies are used by the Vimeo video player on websites.

Why STAR TREK is struggling in the modern TV era…

DUMB ACTION INSTEAD OF CEREBRAL ALLEGORIES

TOO MANY COOKS IN THE KITCHEN

SUBSCRIPTIONS OVER STORIES

GROW THE BRAND = WATER DOWN THE PRODUCT

You might also like

FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

Recommended for you