Boldly Going On

[sea trooper 0]

When UPN was putting together it's 2004-2005 fall scedual last month, it looked like Star Trek: Enterprise was heading out of the prime-time galaxy. The network finally had a hit show with America's Next Top Model, which executives wanted to move to wednesday to pair with Kevin Hill,the upcoming drama staring Taye Diggs.

 

That left no room for Enterprise- which had seen its raiting drop for the second straight year -until Paramount, the studio that produces the series, made UPN an offer it couldn't refuse. Sources tell TV Guide that Paramount reduced the amount it charges UPN for Enterprise from $1.7 million an episode to about $800,000 in return for renewing it for another season. At that price, UPN could afford to air the series on Fridays at 9 pm, where the network was drawing virtually no viewers with what one executive calls "eigth runs of slasher movies."

 

Why would Paramount agree to take such a financial hit? Studios typically need four seasons' worth of episodes for their syndication deals, and Enterprise was one short. And while only Trekkers would care if the show were canceled, Paramount knows it plays to keep them happy because Trekkers buy a lot of merchandise. Star Trek video games, books, dolls and other collectables ring up about $200 million a year in retail sales, bringing in royalties of $20 million to Paramount. When Adams Media Research ranked the 50 all-time best-selling TV-show box sets last year, nine were collections of Star Trek seasons-selling at $129 and $139 a pop and each putting more then $4 million in the studio's coffers.

 

Enterprise will help keep those revenue streams flowing. "It's important to have fresh Trek products out there," says Marty Brochstein of The Licensing Letter. "There are still a lot of die-hard fans. And they want more."

 

 

From my TV guide. I thought it might be something important to share with you all.

[Trinneergirl 0]

I like the way there was so much sympathy for Angel fans when their show was cancelled, but, when it's Enterprise....

 

only Trekkers would care if the show were canceled

 

Charming. The idea that TV Guide, of all poor quality publications, feels it can look down it's nose at us is laughable. Is someone on their staff being paid to write anti Enterprise stuff every couple of months?

 

I've heard that near a hundred of UPN's affiliates threatened to dump them if they didn't renew Enterprise. I've heard that Coto wasn't interested in UPN until thousands of letters started getting piled on his desk about Enterprise and how poorly it was being treated by the netlet.

 

I think we all knew UPN and Paramount had 'done a deal' to keep Enterprise on the air. But hey, just diss the fans and call it like it isn't TV Guide.

[MoulinRouge 0]

This is the article I was referring to in the "Is ent safe?" thread. Yes, it's quite in to bash Trek and Trekkers in the mainstream. I keep hoping against hope that it will somehow catch fire and pick up a few viewers on Fridays. The X-Files did. JAG did. It would be quite wonderful. I can't help but feel that Manny and Michael Sussman (who will join in producer's duties) are of the mindset that if they're writing under the gun they damn well are going to go out on a creative high while Rick and Brannon are all too willing to coast out and well as they coasted in. They'll write the best scripts possible. Heck, I would if I were in their shoes. I'd throw in twists, take risks, piss a few people off. Hell, why not? What are they going to do? Threaten to cancel my show? They've been doing that for over a year. That infamous report from the "unidentified source" at tiny little syfy portal that said Rick and Brannon were ordered to "wrap up" storylines? What about it? While I doubt it was real and was majorly irritated by the brouhaha it caused, I also doubt that UPN gives a flip one way or the other what storylines are "wrapped up." They don't care, period. Such is part of the problem. Mike and Manny have style and they're better writers period. They seem the type who'll say, "By God if you trash me I"ll write the best, most exciting stories out there." Rick and Brannon do not seem like that type. They were too willing to coast and play it safe.

 

Before anybody starts to think our letters didn't do any good, they did. Like I said, though, it was Paramount who needed to know we exist--not UPN. I said that a hundred times. I wish I had a ten spot for every time I typed it.

Edited June 16, 2004 by MoulinRouge