alternatehistory.com

Following a post in another thread, let's see how far we can take this ...


c. 12th September 1986



Gene Rodenberry had been invited to the studio for an informal chat. Also present was Greg Strangis who had been writing a pitch for a new Star Trek series, tentatively titled Star Trek: The Next Generation.

After the troubled development of Star Trek: Planet of the Titans, the aborted Star Trek: Phase II and the relative box office failure of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Rodenberry had been encouraged to step away from the production of the franchise and watch as money from royalties and convention appearances rolled in.

But the studio was more than aware that a series without Rodenberry involved would be subject to the wrath of the fans. Bjo Trimble had led a campaign to get the original series renewed for its third and ultimately final season, and had been part of the campaign to get the first space shuttle named Enterprise, after all. So with Strangis and his series pitch in hand, the studio invited Rodenberry in.

Later studio rumour would be that the show pitched by Strangis had been a fake out, a pitch intended to convince Rodenberry that any Trek produced without him would be awful, so that he would come back in and get involved with the development of the show.

If that were the case, it backfired.

Rodenberry listened for the duration of the pitch, nodded, and wished the production crew good luck and left the room. He would have no more involvement in the production of the show other than the occasional memo that the studio usually ignored. Star Trek: The Next Generation as it was still known that September afternoon, began casting a month later ...

Top