Star Trek: Enterprise cancelled

Perhaps not the greatest surprise, but certainly a shame, is the news that Star Trek: Enterprise will not continue beyond the end of this (fourth) season. Sadly, it never really took off, and scheduled against Stargate SG-1 in the US this season, it didn't really stand much of a chance to fight for another season anyway.

Oh well.

I'll reply in here since it was the first thread published.

Its a real shame. The first series-and-a-half sucked, but it got much better as it went along. This series has been terrific so far, with only one bad egg out of 12.

But, if its up against Stargate, then what do you expect? Perhaps not a bigger audience, but an erosion of audience.

The show wasn't really given the same playing field as Next Gen and DS9 either, both of which aired on first-run syndication. Enterprise is on some pokey channel that isn't even available to the whole of the States.

Any wonder last weeks show was only watched by 2.5m?

Oh well, another good show bites the dust.

Gutted.

The 4th series has been absolutely excellent - check out the 4-part "augments" in the first part of the season.

Like each of the franchises since (and including) TNG, the first couple of seasons have been pretty ropey, but what Star Trek has that other shows don't is millions of loyal fans who will stick with it until it finds it's feet.

I'm not sure about the argument about UPN being the first run channel - it didn't cause Voyager the same problem. I'm also surpised that Stargate has eroded the audience share, as it really was the poor cousin to the Trek shows.

ST is a billion dollar property for Paramount so I woudn't be shocked to see a new incarnation evolve after a one or two year rest.

How about this Riker and Troi show I heard bout on the rumour mill?

Does Russell Watson still sing the theme music?

Yeah, every week he comes in and sings it live over the opening title sequence.

*YUMMY ALERT*

This is upseting news, especialy when the series was just statrting to find it's legs.
(Bearring in mind Voyager got seven series and was well below the fourth series of ent)

Manny Coto was dong a great job bringing Star Trek: Enterprise up to TNG standards
(something Voyager could never achieve).

It has been speculated that the reason ENT was canceled is because UPN didn't want it.
(they are trying to change their demographic to young black women)

Everyone (On TrekBBS) is trying to blame Les Moonves but honestly, I doubt the decision was his.

I just hope that when Paramount decide to do another Movie / series Manny Coto is given cotrol of the franchise over B&B. (Yes i am one of those people that believe B&B are slowly killing the franchise).


Well at least Gene Roddenberry's other show (GR's Andromeda) is still a great show.

I think Enterprise suffered from pitching itself to an audience which was allready somewhat 'overtrekked'. Star Trek has been constantly in production since TNG started way back in 1987 - that's an 18 year production run.

I think Rick Berman realised even before Enterprise started that he was going to have an uphill battle to make the show work - that he wanted it 'debranded' with the Star Trek name mentioned as little as possible rather than it being proudly carried on the front of the title sequence as it had been before I think shows a recognition that he was dealing with what was fast becoming a tired franchise (reportedly he also didn't want it to be used in Nemesis, but lost that battle).

Star Trek projects of some kind have been constantly in the pipeline since 1979, and adding to that the fact that the original series dates back to 1966, we are now dealing with a very mature franchise. If it is going to survive, it needs resting.

It looks like the next Star Trek film is a long way off (I don't think there are even any concrete plans for a new film at present) and I think any possible new TV series needs to be a long way off too.

There are more than enough episodes of the 5 series produced, as well as the 10 films to get Star Trek on screen, but I really believe that it's time to admit that you can't keep producing something at such a prolific rate and expect it to continue to prosper; the days of the 1990's when the franchise was able to support two continuing TV series and a movie series, each with their own separate cast, are long gone.

Can another network not take it though? Isn't that what happened with Buffy?

Another network can take it on, as you say like what happened with Buffy, but I would say that there is probably only one possible network, Sci-Fi Network. The first paragraph of the press release issued yesterday would leave this possiblity open



It could be well suited on Sci-Fi, but then again they already have three flagship shows: Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Battlestar Galatica, so they may not have any room to show it, even if they want it, and then again, Paramount for whatever reason may decide not to accept any offers for it.

Part of the problem wtih SciFi taking is that there UPN is part of the Viacom empire; SciFi is owned by NBC Universal. Not only that, but SciFi's budget for new dramatic programming has been virtually wiped by BSG, and the Stargate shows. They've got more reality-based (i.e., cheaper) shows on the horizon ("Scare Tactics", "Proof Positive", "Ghost Hunters"), along with a ton of movies in the can (and a couple of possible pilots), but no plans to do anything with Trek.

A list of what they've got/had/looking at can be found at http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/gofuton.cgi?action=showatch&network=sci_fi&sort=status

The general concensus regarding Trek in general and Enterprise in particular is that it's probably a good thing that it's being given a rest, and at the same time, there may be some movement on the motion picture front (i.e., a possible Star Trek XI ) within the next couple of years.

Looks like we're stuck with the novels (though the writing on the novels has been vastly superior to the television writing the past few years) for now. Many of the Trek novel authors participate regularly on the Trek Literature forum on TrekBBS.com

At last.. I hated that program.