WI: The Enterprise completes its five year mission (Star Trek survives for 5 seasons)
Chapter 40: Shatner Goes Public
THE SHATNER PRESS CONFERENCE: February 6, 1970
Shatner reads a prepared statement...
Shatner: We, the cast of Star Trek, are pleased to gather with you at this press conference this afternoon. We are speaking out for a variety of reasons. First, we want to show the world that the Star Trek family is a close-knit, and like any family, fights happen. We have patched up the differences between ourselves and are ready to move on. Our reason for calling this press conference today is to discuss the mistreatment the cast has faced during our four years of creating the show. On a shoestring budget, we have produced one of the greatest hits on television. In a recent TV Guide poll, American audiences voted Star Trek as the top television series of the 1960s. We have done so despite major obstacles at boardroom level, such as the mistreatment of our longtime producer, Robert Justman, who was recently let go from our series. We deserve higher salaries, a better budget, and more support from Paramount, otherwise we will move our separate ways relatively soon and work on other projects. We, the cast of Star Trek, have even been asked to give back our hard earned money this season to make budget. Leonard, DeForest and I will not take comments on that issue, as we will leave that with our lawyers and the Screen Actors Guild for arbitration purposes. We will take questions now.
--Why are you upset with Paramount? Paramount produces your show and can remove you from the air at any time.
Shatner: Paramount is traditionally a great company and when we were taken over by them from Desilu, we expected more support. Instead, our support from Paramount has been uneven, while NBC was glad to continue taking a chance on us. NBC's instincts have proven to be better than Paramount's in this case.
--Is Leonard Nimoy OK?
Shatner: I will not comment on Leonard's situation. Leonard is doing his best to handle it, and if he wants to comment, the podium is his. (Nimoy says nothing).
--Did you, James Doohan and Nichelle Nichols mend fences?
Doohan interrupts: Yeah, after I thumped him a few times (everyone laughs).
Nichols: I got a shot in too (everyone laughs).
Shatner: I realized that I had to treat my co-workers better, and I am doing everything in my power to do so.
--Why are you going public with these complaints? Usually this is handled privately.
Shatner: Our wonderful producer, Robert Justman, got a really raw deal from Paramount. He was our ace in the hole on Star Trek and we are at a huge loss without him. He was as important as Gene Roddenberry himself for the show's success. We saved Justman's job once in Doug Cramer's office, and we considered his treatment unfair. Bob became a friend to all of us and it was horrible what he was put through, and I need to expose how Paramount treated him.
--Did Gene Roddenberry approve of you going public?
Shatner: No. We felt that this was a decision for the cast to make.
--Are you angling for a higher salary for you and your castmates?
Shatner: Yes. We have produced NBC's biggest hit other than possibly Bonanza, and we deserve to be treated as such. We have done our bit for NBC and Paramount, putting NBC back on top of the ratings, and we feel they should back us up. NBC gave us a chance after season 2 to shine, and we came through for them with shining colors. We trust Mort Werner at the network to do right by us. We are less trusting of Doug Cramer at Paramount.
--Are you looking at other roles, besides Captain Kirk?
Shatner: I'll play Captain Kirk as long as Star Trek is made, as long as NBC wants to broadcast us, and as long as Paramount wants to produce us. However, if we are not treated like the top show that we have become, I will look for other opportunities after a possible fifth season of Star Trek.
--Do you fear retaliation from Paramount for calling this press conference?
Shatner: Of course! Nobody has spoken out against a studio in public before, aside from maybe Cary Grant. However, we've not been treated fairly despite being part of Paramount's revival as a studio. Doug Cramer called us one of the "jewels in Paramount's crown" in a Variety article, but he's not treating us like one of the jewels in Paramount's crown. No further questions.
Kelley:
I told Bill, none of us will ever work in Hollywood again after this. But Bill played some of his cards correctly. He realized that the fans had a lot of leverage and there would be huge backlash if Paramount decided to dispose with us. Unfortunately, this led to the decision by NBC to move us to Friday nights at 9 PM, because we rebelled against the suits. We won our ratings every week in the fifth season, but by that point, we all had enough and wanted to do other things.
Shatner reads a prepared statement...
Shatner: We, the cast of Star Trek, are pleased to gather with you at this press conference this afternoon. We are speaking out for a variety of reasons. First, we want to show the world that the Star Trek family is a close-knit, and like any family, fights happen. We have patched up the differences between ourselves and are ready to move on. Our reason for calling this press conference today is to discuss the mistreatment the cast has faced during our four years of creating the show. On a shoestring budget, we have produced one of the greatest hits on television. In a recent TV Guide poll, American audiences voted Star Trek as the top television series of the 1960s. We have done so despite major obstacles at boardroom level, such as the mistreatment of our longtime producer, Robert Justman, who was recently let go from our series. We deserve higher salaries, a better budget, and more support from Paramount, otherwise we will move our separate ways relatively soon and work on other projects. We, the cast of Star Trek, have even been asked to give back our hard earned money this season to make budget. Leonard, DeForest and I will not take comments on that issue, as we will leave that with our lawyers and the Screen Actors Guild for arbitration purposes. We will take questions now.
--Why are you upset with Paramount? Paramount produces your show and can remove you from the air at any time.
Shatner: Paramount is traditionally a great company and when we were taken over by them from Desilu, we expected more support. Instead, our support from Paramount has been uneven, while NBC was glad to continue taking a chance on us. NBC's instincts have proven to be better than Paramount's in this case.
--Is Leonard Nimoy OK?
Shatner: I will not comment on Leonard's situation. Leonard is doing his best to handle it, and if he wants to comment, the podium is his. (Nimoy says nothing).
--Did you, James Doohan and Nichelle Nichols mend fences?
Doohan interrupts: Yeah, after I thumped him a few times (everyone laughs).
Nichols: I got a shot in too (everyone laughs).
Shatner: I realized that I had to treat my co-workers better, and I am doing everything in my power to do so.
--Why are you going public with these complaints? Usually this is handled privately.
Shatner: Our wonderful producer, Robert Justman, got a really raw deal from Paramount. He was our ace in the hole on Star Trek and we are at a huge loss without him. He was as important as Gene Roddenberry himself for the show's success. We saved Justman's job once in Doug Cramer's office, and we considered his treatment unfair. Bob became a friend to all of us and it was horrible what he was put through, and I need to expose how Paramount treated him.
--Did Gene Roddenberry approve of you going public?
Shatner: No. We felt that this was a decision for the cast to make.
--Are you angling for a higher salary for you and your castmates?
Shatner: Yes. We have produced NBC's biggest hit other than possibly Bonanza, and we deserve to be treated as such. We have done our bit for NBC and Paramount, putting NBC back on top of the ratings, and we feel they should back us up. NBC gave us a chance after season 2 to shine, and we came through for them with shining colors. We trust Mort Werner at the network to do right by us. We are less trusting of Doug Cramer at Paramount.
--Are you looking at other roles, besides Captain Kirk?
Shatner: I'll play Captain Kirk as long as Star Trek is made, as long as NBC wants to broadcast us, and as long as Paramount wants to produce us. However, if we are not treated like the top show that we have become, I will look for other opportunities after a possible fifth season of Star Trek.
--Do you fear retaliation from Paramount for calling this press conference?
Shatner: Of course! Nobody has spoken out against a studio in public before, aside from maybe Cary Grant. However, we've not been treated fairly despite being part of Paramount's revival as a studio. Doug Cramer called us one of the "jewels in Paramount's crown" in a Variety article, but he's not treating us like one of the jewels in Paramount's crown. No further questions.
Kelley:
I told Bill, none of us will ever work in Hollywood again after this. But Bill played some of his cards correctly. He realized that the fans had a lot of leverage and there would be huge backlash if Paramount decided to dispose with us. Unfortunately, this led to the decision by NBC to move us to Friday nights at 9 PM, because we rebelled against the suits. We won our ratings every week in the fifth season, but by that point, we all had enough and wanted to do other things.
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They almost fire Doohan but Roddenberry saves his job. A couple of security guards bite the bullet though. Shatner is seen as the guy who started the fight and nobody is firing him
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Also, the future repercussions Doohan and Nichols face are pretty severe. Doohan is forced to voice cartoons for a living for most of the 1970s because he gets blacklisted from actual live roles, and Nichols aside from a very minor role in Shaft gets no Hollywood work and has to go back to Broadway to make a living...
Chapter 41: Reaction to Shatner Going Public
One more bonus update:
SHATNER ACCUSES PARAMOUNT OF MISTREATMENT, STIFFING CAST; BLACK EYE FOR PARAMOUNT
February 7, 1970
William Shatner's press conference, which turned into a screed against Paramount, was more explosive than previously thought. Shatner accused Paramount executive Douglas S. Cramer of withholding wages from himself, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley for the reason of Star Trek exceeding its budget. The Captain Kirk star refused to take questions about the wage issue, as he and the other stars are leaving that issue open to litigation and Screen Actors Guild arbitration. Additionally, Shatner praised NBC for making a brave move two years ago by placing them in a Monday primetime time slot. He applauded NBC's executive of programming Mort Werner, who he trusts to "do right by them" because Star Trek became a big hit for NBC. Shatner also accused Cramer of poor treatment against Robert Justman, a co-producer for the first two seasons, and showrunner for the last two seasons. Shatner said that Justman was constantly tortured by Cramer and fired earlier in the fourth season's production, before the cast stormed Cramer's office to save him. Paramount's reaction to Shatner's press conference is unknown at this time, but Cramer is planning a meeting with NBC's Werner to discuss the future of the series.
In the press conference, it is reported that fissions among the cast, specifically between Shatner, James Doohan (Mr. Scott) and Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) have been healed, although the costars joked that it took them taking physical shots at Shatner to cause him to rethink his position about how he treats the cast. It is unknown how Leonard Nimoy is feeling after he collapsed in his home last month; Shatner refused to take questions regarding Nimoy's situation, feeling that it was not his place to discuss the problems of other cast members, especially his closest co-star.
CRAMER DECLARES STAR TREK CAST IN "OPEN REBELLION"
February 8, 1970
The William Shatner press conference was aimed largely at one man: Douglas S. Cramer, chief executive of production at Paramount. Cramer did not take well to it one bit. Cramer says that the Star Trek cast is "in open rebellion" and is planning to deconstruct all the Star Trek sets permanently, despite it being a big money spinner for the studio. Cramer wants to travel to New York to meet Mort Werner, NBC chief of programming, to declare that Star Trek is finished as a series and the actors on the show to be blacklisted, to never work in Hollywood again. Werner, who considers Star Trek a prize property on Monday nights, is reportedly upset with Cramer's handling of the series and believes that Star Trek is a series that could anchor NBC's lineup for at least five more seasons. Whatever compromise is reached between Paramount and NBC is unknown at this time until the two executives meet at Rockefeller Center in the Big Apple. Cramer is also facing pressure from Gulf and Western, the industrial conglomerate that owns Paramount. The G+W executive, Charlie Bluhdorn, vacationing in the Dominican Republic, is displeased with Cramer because he is allowing his emotions to blind him to the prospects of more money for Paramount, in the name of Star Trek as a top property for the studio. Star Trek is a science fiction drama, but at times it seems to be a soap opera behind the scenes, and unfortunately, it casts a pall on what is great entertainment on the small screen.
Shatner:
Cramer was going to make sure none of us ever got a job in Hollywood again. But Mort Werner stepped in at NBC and persuaded Cramer to give Star Trek one more season. By that point, NBC was completely sold on us and they were furious that Paramount was handling us in such a disgraceful way. NBC thought we were going to be the series that carried them through the 1970s as well as the last couple of years of the 1960s. They thought we could be like Bonanza and we could lead the network for an extended period of time. However, it was not to be and the deal between NBC and Paramount got us one more season. We got a nice budget though, and the cast was paid handsomely, both from NBC and Paramount's pockets. I got the rest of the cast two years of salary to live off of after the series was cancelled.
Roddenberry:
Cramer hated us from the start and his mission was to kill us, but we were too good for him for three years. Eventually, he got his way, but I wanted to protect my actors. Jimmy Doohan was going to be fired and blacklisted, but I made sure he got consistent work as a voice actor throughout the 70s, before we got back together to make the movies under better leadership at Paramount. Cramer's fiasco with Star Trek is a reason why he had to become an independent producer. I'll be damned if he wasn't successful though, that guy knew how to make other series and he made almost $100 million with Aaron Spelling as his running mate. The Gulf and Western execs who only saw dollar signs lost money when Star Trek was cancelled, and NBC lost a lot of money, because we went from an afterthought to one of their flagship franchises in only 3 years. I think Cramer learned his lesson from how he mishandled us and became a much better producer for other shows, which was unfortunate for us. If Cramer did it again, he wouldn't have been so rough on us, in my opinion. Our success on NBC eventually made me go back to them when I wanted to start The Next Generation. (However, the Paramount Television Network is created in 1980, so ITTL,TNG and its spinoffs are broadcast on Paramount Television Network, and not in syndication).
SHATNER ACCUSES PARAMOUNT OF MISTREATMENT, STIFFING CAST; BLACK EYE FOR PARAMOUNT
February 7, 1970
William Shatner's press conference, which turned into a screed against Paramount, was more explosive than previously thought. Shatner accused Paramount executive Douglas S. Cramer of withholding wages from himself, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley for the reason of Star Trek exceeding its budget. The Captain Kirk star refused to take questions about the wage issue, as he and the other stars are leaving that issue open to litigation and Screen Actors Guild arbitration. Additionally, Shatner praised NBC for making a brave move two years ago by placing them in a Monday primetime time slot. He applauded NBC's executive of programming Mort Werner, who he trusts to "do right by them" because Star Trek became a big hit for NBC. Shatner also accused Cramer of poor treatment against Robert Justman, a co-producer for the first two seasons, and showrunner for the last two seasons. Shatner said that Justman was constantly tortured by Cramer and fired earlier in the fourth season's production, before the cast stormed Cramer's office to save him. Paramount's reaction to Shatner's press conference is unknown at this time, but Cramer is planning a meeting with NBC's Werner to discuss the future of the series.
In the press conference, it is reported that fissions among the cast, specifically between Shatner, James Doohan (Mr. Scott) and Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) have been healed, although the costars joked that it took them taking physical shots at Shatner to cause him to rethink his position about how he treats the cast. It is unknown how Leonard Nimoy is feeling after he collapsed in his home last month; Shatner refused to take questions regarding Nimoy's situation, feeling that it was not his place to discuss the problems of other cast members, especially his closest co-star.
CRAMER DECLARES STAR TREK CAST IN "OPEN REBELLION"
February 8, 1970
The William Shatner press conference was aimed largely at one man: Douglas S. Cramer, chief executive of production at Paramount. Cramer did not take well to it one bit. Cramer says that the Star Trek cast is "in open rebellion" and is planning to deconstruct all the Star Trek sets permanently, despite it being a big money spinner for the studio. Cramer wants to travel to New York to meet Mort Werner, NBC chief of programming, to declare that Star Trek is finished as a series and the actors on the show to be blacklisted, to never work in Hollywood again. Werner, who considers Star Trek a prize property on Monday nights, is reportedly upset with Cramer's handling of the series and believes that Star Trek is a series that could anchor NBC's lineup for at least five more seasons. Whatever compromise is reached between Paramount and NBC is unknown at this time until the two executives meet at Rockefeller Center in the Big Apple. Cramer is also facing pressure from Gulf and Western, the industrial conglomerate that owns Paramount. The G+W executive, Charlie Bluhdorn, vacationing in the Dominican Republic, is displeased with Cramer because he is allowing his emotions to blind him to the prospects of more money for Paramount, in the name of Star Trek as a top property for the studio. Star Trek is a science fiction drama, but at times it seems to be a soap opera behind the scenes, and unfortunately, it casts a pall on what is great entertainment on the small screen.
Shatner:
Cramer was going to make sure none of us ever got a job in Hollywood again. But Mort Werner stepped in at NBC and persuaded Cramer to give Star Trek one more season. By that point, NBC was completely sold on us and they were furious that Paramount was handling us in such a disgraceful way. NBC thought we were going to be the series that carried them through the 1970s as well as the last couple of years of the 1960s. They thought we could be like Bonanza and we could lead the network for an extended period of time. However, it was not to be and the deal between NBC and Paramount got us one more season. We got a nice budget though, and the cast was paid handsomely, both from NBC and Paramount's pockets. I got the rest of the cast two years of salary to live off of after the series was cancelled.
Roddenberry:
Cramer hated us from the start and his mission was to kill us, but we were too good for him for three years. Eventually, he got his way, but I wanted to protect my actors. Jimmy Doohan was going to be fired and blacklisted, but I made sure he got consistent work as a voice actor throughout the 70s, before we got back together to make the movies under better leadership at Paramount. Cramer's fiasco with Star Trek is a reason why he had to become an independent producer. I'll be damned if he wasn't successful though, that guy knew how to make other series and he made almost $100 million with Aaron Spelling as his running mate. The Gulf and Western execs who only saw dollar signs lost money when Star Trek was cancelled, and NBC lost a lot of money, because we went from an afterthought to one of their flagship franchises in only 3 years. I think Cramer learned his lesson from how he mishandled us and became a much better producer for other shows, which was unfortunate for us. If Cramer did it again, he wouldn't have been so rough on us, in my opinion. Our success on NBC eventually made me go back to them when I wanted to start The Next Generation. (However, the Paramount Television Network is created in 1980, so ITTL,TNG and its spinoffs are broadcast on Paramount Television Network, and not in syndication).
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I haven’t really been keeping up with the series (Just a writerly thing, I feel weird reading someone else doing such a similar series, I’m sure it’s good.) But I do have to admire your consistent updates and high output. It’s way better than I can do. I'm lucky to publish a few thousand words a fortnight lol.
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Thanks. The main twist ITTL is that NBC sees what they have in Star Trek and gives it a chance, and Paramount kills the series due to cost overruns because they don't want to increase the budget to make it commensurate to the hit the series becomes...As for me, I'll be a lot busier in the next three months so the updates will probably be fewer and shorter, mostly of the news blurb variety
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There is an interesting future butterfly that comes from the Star Trek-Cramer feud. When Roddenberry creates TNG, he goes to NBC because ITTL he has a good working relationship with the Peacock Network, and TNG is broadcast there. TNG is pitted against Dynasty, Cramer's top TV show in the 80s. TNG crushes Dynasty in the ratings in its first season, as Star Trek fans want revenge on Cramer, and they get it, causing Dynasty's cancellation in 1988, a year earlier than IRL.
Roddenberry makes amends with Justman and brings him back to be the showrunner for TNG. Justman stays on TNG for 3 years instead of 1 IRL as an ailing Roddenberry gives Justman the keys to the castle. Justman tutors a young executive producer named Rick Berman to take control of the franchise after he leaves, and Berman becomes a better showrunner than he is IRL...
Roddenberry makes amends with Justman and brings him back to be the showrunner for TNG. Justman stays on TNG for 3 years instead of 1 IRL as an ailing Roddenberry gives Justman the keys to the castle. Justman tutors a young executive producer named Rick Berman to take control of the franchise after he leaves, and Berman becomes a better showrunner than he is IRL...
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Another interesting change in production ITTL is the popularity of Star Trek TV movies. Rick Berman realizes that Star Trek is at heart a small screen show more than it is a big movie blockbuster. They have a few blockbusters on the silver screen, but the big screen stories are more formulaic (beat the big baddie) than the TV shows, which had a lot more room for creativity. So when TNG's regular TV run ends in 1993 (one year earlier than IRL), Berman goes the 1970s Columbo route and makes a few made for TV movies each year with the TNG cast. So NBC (the Star Trek network ITTL) features these TV movies, which run for almost another decade, because the TNG cast are BFFs and love working with each other. So TNG becomes a TV movie franchise after 1993 and they make about 25 TV movies from 1994 to 2002, in addition to 3 major films (instead of 4 IRL, Nemesis is not made). DS9, which is fully syndicated, goes a similar route and the cast (led by Nana Visitor) makes TV movies which revolve around the Cardassia-Bajor relationship post Dominion War. So those are my big changes to the franchise after TOS ITTL.
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The worrying thing is with Roddenberry given even more control of TNG, we could see no Enterprise D, with the planet to planet beaming concept, and a Deanna with four breasts.
That said, we may have ended up having an LGBT lead much earlier than IOTL as Roddenberry was happy to explore that (it was reportedly Berman who vetoed any LGBT elements in TNG and DS9 with the exception of the Mirror Universe).
That said, we may have ended up having an LGBT lead much earlier than IOTL as Roddenberry was happy to explore that (it was reportedly Berman who vetoed any LGBT elements in TNG and DS9 with the exception of the Mirror Universe).
Roddenberry's health declines around 1987 ITTL so Justman is running TNG for the most part. So no Troi with multiple breasts, and the transporter remains the same. LGBT issues are explored earlier ITTL's TNG with Justman running the show for a longer period of time. It was always something they wanted to do in TOS but they don't go there IRL or ITTL.
Chapter 42: More Reaction To Shatner Going Public
One news article for today:
HOLLYWOOD REACTION TO SHATNER PRESS CONFERENCE: BRAVE BUT CRAZY
February 9, 1970
William Shatner's press conference, an airing of grievances with Paramount, has made waves in Hollywood. Many Hollywood insiders compared Shatner's power play to the machinations Cary Grant pulled in the 1950s, when he went independent of the studio system to negotiate his own contracts. Grant is reportedly in approval of Shatner's action, because he believes actors should have independent bargaining power and not be confined to the whims of television and movie studios. Other actors were afraid for Shatner's future. Clint Eastwood commented that "Bill, a friend of mine, is either out of his mind or crazy as a fox. Either he'll give actors more power to fight for contracts and salary with studios or they'll blackball him right out of Hollywood. It is absolutely mind-boggling what he did." Burt Reynolds, who starred on Gunsmoke before becoming a big star in the movies, said he "prays for Shatner, because he could become a huge star or commit career suicide with the move he pulled." Teri Garr, a younger actress still making her way in television, saw Shatner's press conference as self-serving. "I worked with Bill for one episode on Star Trek," Garr said, and "Bill is out for Bill. He did that for the benefit of himself, and himself only, and dragged the rest of his co-stars into his personal escapade." Dick Sargent, who plays Darrin Stephens on Bewitched, called Shatner "brave but crazy." Sargent continued, "If more actors did that, we'd be better paid, but there would be fewer actors because the studios would put a gag and chain in our mouths."
HOLLYWOOD REACTION TO SHATNER PRESS CONFERENCE: BRAVE BUT CRAZY
February 9, 1970
William Shatner's press conference, an airing of grievances with Paramount, has made waves in Hollywood. Many Hollywood insiders compared Shatner's power play to the machinations Cary Grant pulled in the 1950s, when he went independent of the studio system to negotiate his own contracts. Grant is reportedly in approval of Shatner's action, because he believes actors should have independent bargaining power and not be confined to the whims of television and movie studios. Other actors were afraid for Shatner's future. Clint Eastwood commented that "Bill, a friend of mine, is either out of his mind or crazy as a fox. Either he'll give actors more power to fight for contracts and salary with studios or they'll blackball him right out of Hollywood. It is absolutely mind-boggling what he did." Burt Reynolds, who starred on Gunsmoke before becoming a big star in the movies, said he "prays for Shatner, because he could become a huge star or commit career suicide with the move he pulled." Teri Garr, a younger actress still making her way in television, saw Shatner's press conference as self-serving. "I worked with Bill for one episode on Star Trek," Garr said, and "Bill is out for Bill. He did that for the benefit of himself, and himself only, and dragged the rest of his co-stars into his personal escapade." Dick Sargent, who plays Darrin Stephens on Bewitched, called Shatner "brave but crazy." Sargent continued, "If more actors did that, we'd be better paid, but there would be fewer actors because the studios would put a gag and chain in our mouths."
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It's your timeline and you can write it as you please, but isn't it a bit of a butterfly massacre to have a PoD in the 60s not completely change a show made in the 80s? For instance, Phase II would be completely different if TOS lasted longer. That show was specifically produced from a decade of the rising popularity of Star Trek, shakeups and Paramount, and the rising mainstreamness of science-fiction, and a desire to 'cut-out-the-middleman' by Paramount and to produce their own network. But many of those circumstances would be changed ITTL. It may not exist, it may be made earlier, it may instead be a series of telefilms, what have you. But with those butterflies, it's successor in TMP would be very different.
And If TMP is completely different, the exact circumstances that lead to Star Trek falling into the hands of Harvey Bennet and Nicholas Meyer would likely be butterflied away. That specifically required TMP be an over-budgeted flop, which seems unlikely in a timeline with Star Trek being so much more popular. (Seriously. Meyer's two biggest claims to fame was a Sherlock fan-fiction book, and directing a single movie. He wasn't chosen to direct II for his skill, he was just the best Paramount could find. We just lucked out that he actually was actually a good director.) And even if they do receive control, at the very least the TOS films would be highly different.
And at that point, things would be so heavily altered I struggle to imagine TNG, let alone DS9 and beyond being made at all.
Chapter 43: Fourth Season Almost Done
Episode updates:
EPISODE 19: BANDI, written by David Gerrold, directed by Herb Wallerstein. Air date: February 9, 1970. In this episode, Kirk is tasked to take command of another ship which has lost its discipline, but the reason for that ship's mutiny is revealed; a creature named Bandi, who bends minds to his will. Bandi continues playing mind tricks on the Enterprise crew until they attempt a mutiny on Kirk, but Spock and the rest of the crew are able to subdue the creature (Spock does so with a mind meld and logical persuasion). This is a classic Spock episode where he figures out the problem and has to persuade the other members of the crew that Bandi is manipulating them. Once the crew is back together on Kirk's side, they expel Bandi from the ship. Nielsen rating: 2nd to Gunsmoke. Critical reception for this show was positive, but not as positive as The Protracted Man from Gerrold, which receives Hugo and Emmy consideration.
EPISODE 20: THE GODHEAD, written and directed by John Meredyth Lucas. Air date: February 16, 1970. In this episode, an alien species finds a messenger to place all their knowledge into, and this individual encounters the Enterprise crew. Each member of the main cast wants to learn from the Godhead, because they want to become better at their jobs. However, the Godhead had other ideas, and wanted to take over the Enterprise in an effort to conquer several neighboring star systems for his alien species. This was supposed to be the 26th episode of season 3 IRL, but it was never produced because the series was cancelled. Critical reception for this episode was mixed, with the New York Times considering this as a rehashed version of THE CHANGELING, an episode in season 2. Nielsen rating: 1st in time slot.
EPISODE 21: LORD, HOW OTHERS SEEM TO CARE, written by Morris Chapnick, directed by Jud Taylor. Air date: February 23, 1970. In this episode, the Enterprise picks up a retired admiral (Byron Morrow, who also played Admiral Komack) from a starbase who is depressed because he is aging and feels he has no more usefulness after a brilliant Starfleet career. The retired admiral wants to take over the Enterprise for one last mission, and attempts to activate his commission again to do so, but Kirk refuses him command. We see a 3 minute soliloquy from Morrow; his character threatens suicide if he does not get to perform the one final mission. During the episode, the Enterprise is trapped in something similar to the Tholian Web, and Kirk enlists the admiral's skills to help the Enterprise escape. At the end of the episode, the admiral is grateful for the Enterprise crew, saying that some of them are destined to be captains and admirals someday. Critical reception for this episode was extremely positive, with the Los Angeles Times applauding Morrow's guest performance as one of the best of the series. Nielsen rating: 1st in timeslot.
EPISODE 22: THE WEB OF DEATH, written and directed by William Shatner. Air date: March 2, 1970. In this episode, the Enterprise encounters the USS Momentous, trapped in the clutches of a giant insect. The insect secretes its web materials on the Enterprise, causing the Enterprise to be captured as well. The web materials drip through the ship's bridge and engineering section, and produce bizarre behaviors among the crew. Eventually, the Enterprise distracts the giant spider by causing it to attack the Momentous, freeing themselves from its grip. Reaction to this episode was mixed, with the New York Times saying that "Star Trek produced its Spock's Brain of season four with this installment." Nielsen rating: 2nd to Gunsmoke.
EPISODE 19: BANDI, written by David Gerrold, directed by Herb Wallerstein. Air date: February 9, 1970. In this episode, Kirk is tasked to take command of another ship which has lost its discipline, but the reason for that ship's mutiny is revealed; a creature named Bandi, who bends minds to his will. Bandi continues playing mind tricks on the Enterprise crew until they attempt a mutiny on Kirk, but Spock and the rest of the crew are able to subdue the creature (Spock does so with a mind meld and logical persuasion). This is a classic Spock episode where he figures out the problem and has to persuade the other members of the crew that Bandi is manipulating them. Once the crew is back together on Kirk's side, they expel Bandi from the ship. Nielsen rating: 2nd to Gunsmoke. Critical reception for this show was positive, but not as positive as The Protracted Man from Gerrold, which receives Hugo and Emmy consideration.
EPISODE 20: THE GODHEAD, written and directed by John Meredyth Lucas. Air date: February 16, 1970. In this episode, an alien species finds a messenger to place all their knowledge into, and this individual encounters the Enterprise crew. Each member of the main cast wants to learn from the Godhead, because they want to become better at their jobs. However, the Godhead had other ideas, and wanted to take over the Enterprise in an effort to conquer several neighboring star systems for his alien species. This was supposed to be the 26th episode of season 3 IRL, but it was never produced because the series was cancelled. Critical reception for this episode was mixed, with the New York Times considering this as a rehashed version of THE CHANGELING, an episode in season 2. Nielsen rating: 1st in time slot.
EPISODE 21: LORD, HOW OTHERS SEEM TO CARE, written by Morris Chapnick, directed by Jud Taylor. Air date: February 23, 1970. In this episode, the Enterprise picks up a retired admiral (Byron Morrow, who also played Admiral Komack) from a starbase who is depressed because he is aging and feels he has no more usefulness after a brilliant Starfleet career. The retired admiral wants to take over the Enterprise for one last mission, and attempts to activate his commission again to do so, but Kirk refuses him command. We see a 3 minute soliloquy from Morrow; his character threatens suicide if he does not get to perform the one final mission. During the episode, the Enterprise is trapped in something similar to the Tholian Web, and Kirk enlists the admiral's skills to help the Enterprise escape. At the end of the episode, the admiral is grateful for the Enterprise crew, saying that some of them are destined to be captains and admirals someday. Critical reception for this episode was extremely positive, with the Los Angeles Times applauding Morrow's guest performance as one of the best of the series. Nielsen rating: 1st in timeslot.
EPISODE 22: THE WEB OF DEATH, written and directed by William Shatner. Air date: March 2, 1970. In this episode, the Enterprise encounters the USS Momentous, trapped in the clutches of a giant insect. The insect secretes its web materials on the Enterprise, causing the Enterprise to be captured as well. The web materials drip through the ship's bridge and engineering section, and produce bizarre behaviors among the crew. Eventually, the Enterprise distracts the giant spider by causing it to attack the Momentous, freeing themselves from its grip. Reaction to this episode was mixed, with the New York Times saying that "Star Trek produced its Spock's Brain of season four with this installment." Nielsen rating: 2nd to Gunsmoke.
A split in the fandom develops after they produce TMP ITTL, which is a Klingon space battle movie instead of the V'Ger plot. Although it makes more money, some of the fanbase is upset that Star Trek tried to be Star Wars and demands a return to traditional Trek ideals. They'll want a sequel that doesn't involve Klingons, but has a different baddie who has a more personal relationship with Kirk. Enter Khan, Nick Meyer and company. ITTL the decision to hire Meyer to direct a Star Trek movie is considered crazy by some because he has very little directorial experience, but Meyer executes well as he did IRL. I have a method to my madness...
As for the 1970s, none of the cast wants to do anymore Star Trek on the small screen after 5 seasons. They want to do other things and are experiencing fatigue, especially Nimoy. They want a good long break from Star Trek.
ITTL the Genesis Device will be looked at by the Klingons as part of an arms race where both the Federation and Klingons want to create planet destroyers as well...
I love TNG and like parts of DS9, and none of what I do ITTL is going to butterfly them away. They are safe!
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It's after DS9 where I change things...a LOT. We get a Captain Sulu series instead of Voyager. Takei always thought he should have gotten his own series on the Excelsior, and I thought he would have made a brilliant lead, so we get Captain Sulu, with Chekov, Rand, Tuvok, Kate Mulgrew playing a headstrong helmsman, Jeri Ryan playing chief of security on the Excelsior, and Robert Beltran playing the tactical officer. So some of the Excelsior cast will include a few of the Voyager actors. There is no ST: Enterprise ITTL, it becomes a spinoff of Balance of Terror, and is a season-long 22nd century Romulan War arc played out in several TV movies. So that is the Federation formation story. Instead of Discovery and Picard, fans want to see a Captain Pike series, and they get it.Fair enough then.
@Mechadogzilla Just to correct you: TMP was not a mega flop - it made the last money of any Trek film until the 09 movie surpassed it.
It was over long, but it wowed audiences at the time and only gained its rep as the ‘slow motion picture’ later on.
The studio where very unhappy about the cost, which led to Roddenbury being kicked upstairs and ST2 getting completly retooled on a much smaller budget.
Flop it was not however.
It was over long, but it wowed audiences at the time and only gained its rep as the ‘slow motion picture’ later on.
The studio where very unhappy about the cost, which led to Roddenbury being kicked upstairs and ST2 getting completly retooled on a much smaller budget.
Flop it was not however.
You are correct, and I know, I’ve read about TMP. I was using flop in a general sense that it wasn’t the smash-hit blockbuster answer to Star Wars the studio hoped it to be. It did do decently well and certainly made more money than it cost. So it wasn’t a cop in the literal sense of a film that breaks even or looses money, but I was trying to use it to succinctly say that the studio was very unimpressed.