Star Trek: Federation

[Trekscaper]

EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT "Star Trek: Federation"

On Thursday TrekMovie reported the true story of the supposed pitch of a Star Trek TV series from director Bryan Singer. We revealed that there was indeed a "Star Trek: Federation" series proposal written at the behest of Bryan Singer as a possible pitch for his Bad Hat Harry production company. However, while Singer and screenwriter Chris McQuarrie were at the inception of the project at a Sushi dinner in late 2005, the actual 25-page long document was written by Robert Meyer Burnett (also at that dinner) along with Geoffrey Thorne. And after JJ Abrams signed on to produce a new Star Trek movie in early 2006, the “Federation” project was shelved along with the first (and only) draft of the series proposal.

While it never was actually pitched to CBS or Paramount, the "Star Trek: Federation" series proposal still makes an interesting read. Today TrekMovie reveals (and analyzes) "Star Trek: Federation" another Trek not taken.

The approach — Something old and something new

The 2006 "Star Trek: Federation" series proposal starts with a forward outlining how the creative team of Bryan Singer, Ralph McQuarrie and Robert Meyer Burnett planned to make Star Trek on TV competitive again. Their solution was two pronged: Firstly acknowledge that "television storytelling had evolved" away from the five-act story structure of Star Trek with shows like The West Wing, Lost, The X-Files, Desperate Housewives and Battlestar Galactica taking on "more complex serialized stories." Secondly they planned to return Star Trek to its roots of telling "compelling stories about our world today" instead of just telling stories more about the Trek universe itself. The "Federation" solution was laid out thusly:

Let STAR TREK breathe. Let it return to the marketplace in the hands of people willing to write the sort of stories that confront and entertain today’s audiences. Let’s grapple again with the issues of the day- issues of diversity, government power, gender frictions, a controversial war on foreign soil, and a host of other things. Embrace modern television storytelling techniques. Most importantly, as with the original STAR TREK and THE NEXT GENERATION audiences must recognize the world they live in today in the far-flung future, then take the show’s concepts and lessons with them back into their everyday lives.

However, unlike the 2004 "re-boot the Star Trek universe" pitch from Bryce Zabel (Dark Skies) and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5), The "Star Trek" Federation" team proposes to "not start from scratch", as noted in the forward:

The great strength of STAR TREK is the very Universe in which it’s set. The Characters. The Starships. The Aliens. The stories.

Gene Roddenberry himself provided the perfect example how to create a wildly successfully new STAR TREK series…

Acknowledge what’s come before, but then set your stage far enough in the STAR TREK future when everything old is new again.

Turn the STAR TREK Universe upside down. Shake vigorously.

The Universe — A Federation in trouble

The way the team proposed shaking up that universe was to move the action to the year 3000 with a different United Federation of Planets. In "Federation" the UFP is still espoused to be the a civilization of alien races united in respect living in a "Golden Age of Peace", but not all is well, as noted in the proposal document:

Utopia as a goal is like the fire in a nuclear engine. Utopia in practice is stagnation; it’s dry rot; eventually it’s death. Which is precisely where we find the United Federation of Planets a few centuries after the last Age of Discovery.

Here are some key changes in the Star Trek universe six centuries after Picard.
- Earth’s Humans have become "fat and happy" but this has led to complacency where humans are "giving up exploration for incremental colonization and focusing more on the rightness of their own cultural view over all others"
- Many younger members of the UFP have left, eschewing this "human-centric" Federation
Vulcans have been disengaging from the Federation and have reunified with the Romulans, spending most of the last 3 centuries focused on creating a new "joined society" overseen by two "quasi-religious clerics who rule according to logic and what is best for their unified peoples, combining Romulan Machiavellian politics with Vulcan logic.
- Bajorans have withdrawn from the Federation to become insular in order to focus on their religion and communing with the Prophets. Bajor is now "like a planet sized Tibet", handing over all temporal concerns to the Ferengi
- The Klingons have undergone a "massive reformation" moving away from their Viking-like brawling to become a "civilization of warrior mystics" akin to the Tang Dynasty), now flying "sleek" and "serene" ships and while they maintain diplomacy with the Federation they have returned to expanding the Empire via conquest
- The Cardassians have transformed into a "society of artists and philosophers" who now "walk the path" and are now dedicated to a philosophy with "the view of the galaxy as a place created solely to test the faithful."
- The Ferengi are no longer a "joke" but have become "quite powerful". Equality for females (including a female Nagus) is "the only concession they have made to progress" and with "the Greater Federation’s cashless society as a restriction, the Ferengi Alliance is now able to shine in its full capitalist glory." The Ferengi are also making big bucks marketing the Bajoran religion around the galaxy, including pilgrimages to the Bajoran Wormhole.
- Starfleet has been reduced to a "mere peace-keeping force" protecting fringe worlds from aliens and from fighting each other, with starships are old and spread out too thin

Entering into this troubled Federation is a new "powerful" and "ruthless" enemy called "The Scourge" who confronted the Federation ship USS Sojourner at what became a key pivot point. The ship along with two colonies are lost and the sole survivor will become a key player in the future of the Federation. From the document:

Lieutenant Commander Alexander Kirk is the only survivor of the “Sojourner Incident,” as it’s come to be known in the press. And he has no clear memory of the events themselves. Attempts to “help” him remember cause him to become irrational and violent. All he has is images of carnage and death and a hidden malevolent presence lurking behind it all. When called before his superiors, he paints a picture of the enemy that is scarcely believed and which, if true, might tip the already fracturing Federation Alliance into true collapse.

This incident leads Vulcan, Bajor, Betazed and other members to pull out of the Federation leaving it with just twenty systems and surrounded by the Klingons, Ferengi, Cardassians, etc. Kirk is also drummed out of the service.

The Mission — A New Enterprise & Crew

All of this turmoil is just the backdrop to the series itself. A motivated admiral commissions a new USS Enterprise to be built, the first "Enterprise" in over 300 years. Publically the mission is a traditional return to the era of exploration and discovery, but the true mission is to find the truth behind "The Scourge" and to save the Federation (hence the title of the proposed series).

The document includes a partial list of the crew (of around 400) of the new Enterprise, giving the show its main characters:

- Captain Alden Montgomery: Human and the "perfect Starfleet officer" who is "The Captain America of the Federation" but who unfortunately gets killed off early on, leaving room for…
- Commander Alexander Kirk: (X-O and 3rd in command) Reinstated for the new mission Kirk is described as having a "checked past" with an "aggressive manner" who is thrust into leading the mission after Montgomery and first officer get killed and is able to deal with it well, but is "total crap at PR aspects of job." He alone (even though he doesn’t understand it) "possesses information vital to Enterprise’s true mission."
- Lt. Cmdr. Chel Forlaan (Security Chief): A female Ektosi (a feline species) who has "cat-like" grace, temper and insight with natural hand-to-hand combat capabilities akin to Jem Hadar or Klingon. Joined Starfleet for the "fun", posesses a "mercurial nature" which initially makes her ill-suited to security chief. Biggest flaw is "intense curiosity which sometimes overpowers her." (get it? she’s a cat!)
- Lt. Cmdr. Sergei Kenyatta (Com & Political Officer): A genetically enhanced human "Alpha" from Proxima Centauri, with a perfect physique along with mental enhancements. Described as gifted in math, linguistics, technology, and diplomacy, yet struggles with personal relationships.
- The 76th Distillation of Blue (aka Diz) (Chief Engineer) a member of a gaseous species from the gas giant Penumbra who use "motion suits" to interact with the rest of the "solid" universe. For the show Diz would look like "a slender male humanoid" in the suit, but he can also appear in his gasous state or even change to a solid or a liquid, but he is "not a shape shifter." Described as a fantastic engineer who is more at home with machines than with other people.
- Dr. Felicity Chen: A cybernetically enhanced physician based on (now safely evolved) Borg technology. Many medical instruments are built into her, so no need for tricorder. She can use her "nanospines" to heal injuries, but there is a personal cost to her. She still has to wrestle with her own humanity
- M.A.J.E.L.: The sentient Enterprise computer (Multitronic Architecture Junction/Interactive Energetic Library) that runs the ship and his a personality of her own, including emotions.
- Admiral Nelscott: Female Starfleet admiral who saw the threat of The Scourge and bucked the system to get the Enterprise project launched. Not on board the ship, but issuing orders from Starfleet HQ.

The character descriptions also describe various tensions, loyalties and connections between the main characters, so this series does not need to always look externally to see conflict and drama.

The document also has an Appendix dedicated to the technology of the new USS Enterprise. The ship is described as not being too big "something bigger than Voyager, but nowhere near the size of The Battlestar Galactica". The ship would include some new features, such as:

- The Central Core: an open shaft at the center of the saucer where all corridors intersect in an open area, which would act like a "town square" for the ship
- Mobile Mission Modules: standard habitats which can be customized for various missions about the size of a bus
- Landing Envelope: Force-field projector that can shoot down to a planet giving landing parties an atmosphere even on hostile planets (apparently originally conceived for TNG).
- Singularity Engine: Enterprise powered by microscopic black hole (like TNG Romulan ships)
- Cloaking Device: Document suggests this might be a possibility and could help with covert mission stories, but makes telling combat stories difficult

The document also suggests that the production could use "virtual sets" or CGI to create some of the larger environments such as the Hanger Deck, Shuttle Launch Control, Central Core, Botanical Gardens, etc.

The Pilot(s) — Four episode arc to start "Federation"

The "Star Trek: Federation" series proposal concludes with 1-2 page descriptions of the first four action-packed episodes, which constitute a sort of pilot for the series.

1. The Widening Gyre: Alden Montgomery encounters another planet where the inhabitants have destroyed themselves in an ‘orgy of violence’. Admiral Nelscott orders him to put together his crew for the fast-tracked Enterprise project, leading Montgomery on an origin story recruiting mission picking up various staff, including Kirk who is no longer in Starfleet and doesn’t want to join, but is the only person who has dealt with The Scourge (forcing Montgomery to "Shanghai" Kirk).

2. The Blood-Dimmed Tide: Kirk and Dr. Chen explore a found small alien obelisk and deal with the crew of the Enterprise who have become victims of the violent "Scourge", including the Captain.

3. Mere Anarchy: The Enterprise chases a larger alien obelisk through space, eventually leading them into hostile Klingon space.

4. The Ceremony of Innocence: Kirk, now trapped in the obelisk with some Klingons, gets to the bottom of the mystery only to find out the Obelisks are tied to the Preservers (from TNG) who had seeded the galaxy with the building blocks of humanoid DNA.

The document concludes with this:

So, the riddle of the Sojourner Incident is solved and the threat of the obelisks is removed (apparently) but at great cost. Frictions between the Federation and the Klingons have never been worse. The internal fissures are growing wider based largely on Enterprise’s secret mission and Admiral Nelscott’s lies to cover up that mission with the council. And, of course, lots and lots of people died.

What’s next for the survivors of these events? Tune in next week, folks.

Bron: http://trekmovie.com/2011/04/16/exclusi ... -proposal/

Ik moet zeggen dat er vele interessante aspecten benoemd zijn in dit voorstel voor een nieuwe Star Trek serie. Het idee van een donkere Federation en Starfleet staat me wel aan. De personages zijn interessant en een doorlopende verhaallijn vind ik een goed idee. Aan de andere kant zijn de bekende rassen zoals the Klingons en Cardassians zo verandert dat ze bijna niet herkenbaar zijn tenopzichte van de eerdere series. Dit vind ik jammer, want het lijkt zo net alsof de krijgerrassen met hun cultuur verandert zijn in watjes. Ook vind ik dat de setting van de serie iets wat te ver in de toekomst ligt. Kan gerust wat paar eeuwen eerder. De beschrijvingen van de eerste 4 afleveringen stemmen me positief en stiekem hoop ik dat de heren van Paramount en CBS een serieuze blik werven op dit concept en na wat kleine aanpassingen zal dit een prima concept zijn voor een toekomstige Star Trek serie

[Miriam]

Als ik dit zo lees, lijkt het concept en setting mij wel het kijken waard. Alleen jammer van die nieuwe vijand en fanboy achtige rassen.

[Blind Guardian]

een vijand genaamd 'the scourge' .... mmm

voor de rest klinkt wel aardig

[X-File]

Mwoah, in het licht van de technologische vooruitgangen van voorgaande series, waarop Federation zou voort borduren, lijkt deze serie een flinke stap terug te doen. Probleem met het TNG tijdperk Trek is dat sterrenschepen schijnbaar oppermachtig zijn, met fabeltastische techniek. Hoe dit alles overtroffen dient te worden (of verwijdert) in een serie die 600 jaar verder ligt, lijkt mij nogal een moeilijke opgave.

Een reboot zoals door JMS voorgesteld, of zoals te zien in ST 2k9 lijkt een betere oplossing.

Karakterisering van de rassen zoals hier boven beschreven zijn wel aardig, maar ik sluit mij aan bij de mening dat deze wel erg fanfic/fanboy over komen.

[Punisher]

Een reboot zoals door JMS voorgesteld, of zoals te zien in ST 2k9 lijkt een betere oplossing.

Gewoon iets nieuws beginnen in plaats van een hyperonwaarschijnlijke rebootkronkel lijkt me ook geen slecht idee.

Begrijp niet helemaal waarom het allemaal star trek *moet* zijn.

[X-File]

It's about the future. The... undiscovered country.

People can be very frightened of change.

[Punisher]

^ Hoe bedoel je dat?

[X-File]

Wel, voor zover het grote publiek het aangaat, er zijn twee grote spelers op de sci-fi markt: Star Trek en Star Wars.

Pogingen van Stargate, Battlestar en andere series ten spijt: iedereen kent Trek en Wars, andere series kent men haast niet. De gewone leek kent misschien Battlestar nog wel (en dan voornamelijk de Dirk Benedict periode incarnatie). Stargate zou eerder als Actie/Avontuur gezien worden, niet sci-fi -ondanks het leuke sterrenpoortje. Komt hier in Nederland mede dankzij het feit dat de serie sporadisch, warrig en op barre tijden werd uitgezonden. Helaas: het lot van vele sci-fi series. Weet iemand nog het uitzend schema van DS9? Walgelijk!

Originele sci-fi verdwijnt al snel. Babylon 5 haalde het nog maar net tot z'n geplande einde. Het daaropvolgende Crusade stierf een snelle dood. De recente Galactica werd ook nog snel afgemaakt want de stekker ging eruit. De prequel Caprica heeft een flinterdun laagje sci-fi, 'tis net iets meer dan drama-IN-SPACE! Firefly? 13 gemaakt, nog geen 7(?) op tv tijdens de run, de pilot kwam pas als laatste een keer voorbij! En dan zijn er nog wel talloze andere sci-fi series die al snel verdwenen. Je vraagt je haast af waarom er een The 4400 subforum is. Hell, zelfs Enterprise redde het niet, men moest uiteindelijk noodgedwongen Star Trek weer op de titelrol gooien om het te helpen - beter laat dan nooit.

Dus wanneer mensen weer sci-fi willen, dan gaan ze voor wat bekends. Mensen willen weer Star Trek. Of gaan rustig voor een 4e, 5e of zelfs 6e keer naar een wederom geremasterde versie van Star Wars: A New Hope.

Dus wat wil ik zeggen? Het *moet* haast wel Star Trek zijn, zodat mensen de tv-serie weten te plaatsen.

[Punisher]

Originele sci-fi verdwijnt al snel.

Wat is er mis met “slechts” 4 of 5 seizoenen? Liever 10 series met 4/5 seizoenen dan 5 series met 12 seizoenen.

Ik ben niet zo'n fanatieke TV kijker/serie volger, maar heb niet de indruk dat dit over het algemeen veel korter is dan vergelijkbare series in andere genres ...

Je moet ook denken aan de toenemende concurrentie van de games en nieuwe genres (en dan met name de realityrommel) die een rol spelen.

[Voyager]

Een nieuwe Star Trek serie zou ik persoonlijk erg gewenst vinden.

Het is zo erg gesteld, dat ik zelfs ST:ENT op dvd ben gaan herkijken. Ja dan ben je desperate...

[Miriam]

Een nieuwe Star Trek serie zou ik persoonlijk erg gewenst vinden.

Het is zo erg gesteld, dat ik zelfs ST:ENT op dvd ben gaan herkijken. Ja dan ben je desperate...

Kijk dan DS9

[SuperVlaai]

Een nieuwe Star Trek serie zou ik persoonlijk erg gewenst vinden.

Het is zo erg gesteld, dat ik zelfs ST:ENT op dvd ben gaan herkijken. Ja dan ben je desperate...

Kijk dan DS9

DS9 een goed vooorbeeld er van

[Miriam]

Waarvan?

[Voyager]

Een nieuwe Star Trek serie zou ik persoonlijk erg gewenst vinden.

Het is zo erg gesteld, dat ik zelfs ST:ENT op dvd ben gaan herkijken. Ja dan ben je desperate...

Kijk dan DS9

Heb ik al gedaan. Ik zeg het je, ik ben desperate.