Race To The Bottom - The State of Star Trek

 Race To The Bottom - The State of Star Trek

As the Trek train gathered speed in the last few years to the extent we had five series' being produced at the same time (though still with less actual hours of content per year compared with the 90s), for a while at least it seemed like anything was possible - any character could return, any time period could be the setting of a new series and who knew how long Trek might continue, despite its creatively challenged outlook and style. Back in March 2023 I summed up my views on where Trek was, and now, over a year later, so much has changed it seemed a good moment to reflect. Not least because I've now seen examples of all the Trek series' to be created, I've first seen the end of a Kurtzman-era show and the start of two others. What has happened in the real world has clearly affected production, with strikes from actors and writers putting the brakes on the content freight train and the merging of Paramount with CBS, the company's money worries and position in the streaming wars all coming together to affect the state of Trek.

Modern Trek really has been like a train, starting slowly with 'DSC,' gaining a little steam with 'Short Treks,' gradually speeding up with 'Picard' and 'Lower Decks' and finally going full steam ahead with those plus 'Prodigy' and 'Strange New Worlds.' But it took a number of years to get to that level of output, and it appears that that period of reaching maximum momentum was short-lived. Very short-lived. With 'DSC' being unceremoniously concluded (albeit with the caveat of being 'generously' allowed to film extra scenes in order to make the season finale into a series finale), 'Picard' ending within its originally expected three seasons (despite the potential for the success of its third season's reception meaning it could very well have continued or had an immediate spinoff), 'Lower Decks' announced to be ending with its fifth season, 'Prodigy' kicked off the parent service over to Netflix (where this whole train started, outside of America anyway), with no guarantee its second season won't be its last, it's left for only 'SNW' to carry the role of flagship. And while we've had 'very Short Treks,' an historic first TV film (if you discount the feature-length episodes of past Trek series'), due this year in 'Section 31,' and the promise of another series, 'Starfleet Academy,' in the future, suddenly all the optimism that seemed to be accruing despite so many missteps in the management of the franchise in recent history, is dissipating, and we're seeing the brakes put on, only the huge buildup of steam that saw so much content previously, providing inertia before the juggernaut comes to rest, or at best slow to a trundle.

As I said last year, that may not be a bad thing. If this is as much Trek as we're likely to get maybe it was enough. Easy to say from my perspective since none of the new stuff to come (leaving out the near future - I'm still very much interested to see Seasons 4 and 5 of 'LD,' for example), gives me any anticipation for new Trek, and in fact looks set to remove most, if not all, of the kind of Trek that I actually garnered a relative increase in enjoyment from: 'Picard' Season 3, though with many of the same problems this era suffers from, was generally the best live action they've done, certainly an improvement on the series' first two horrible seasons, mainly because it's those actors playing those characters and they were all better than Patrick Stewart (who himself seemed more at ease in his performance, having the benefit of his old crew and friends around him). 'LD' continued its trend of appealing in its minutiae, to the extent you never knew who might show up, or what race (Breen!), putting to shame the live action series' being made for its attention to detail and solid work in many areas (though not all - even this still has its issues). Even 'Prodigy' went from being a 'Star Wars' kiddie cartoon to something that ended reasonably well (though I must admit it was the USS Dauntless and crew that interested me far more than the Protostar and her temporary crew).

'SNW' proved itself to be even worse than 'DSC' in some ways, subverting the characters, ruining some of them entirely (Nurse Chapel), wasting others (Number One), and only winning back some respect from me by redoing a classic 'TOS' episode via time travel and an alternate future, weirdly also subverting the Kurtzman-era's law that the season finale must be among the worst episodes, by being the best of Season 1! I continue to read positive comments from so many people about the series' qualities, and I can only assume these people don't care a jot about 'TOS' and that perhaps the pendulum swing of the original going from loved (in the reruns of the 70s), to mocked and considered ridiculous (in the 90s), to being revered (00s), and finally remade (2009-10s), and used as a launching point for Trek's return to 'TV' - I know 'DSC' was a prequel, but it was so close in time relative to every other Trek made, and the connections were drawn so quickly that it was clear the Kirk/Spock/Enterprise era was the main lure to try and capture as wide a demographic as possible. Now they're almost at the point of remaking 'TOS' and still calling it the Prime Universe, going against canon willy-nilly with T'Pring and the Gorn, the technology and the look... Just too many things to go into, including Pike being the weakest Captain we've had.

I should say I have yet to view Season 2 (soon...), but I already know about even more wholesale canon destruction which saddens me, to the extent I don't even watch it believing it's part of the same galaxy as 'TOS,' find it about as much a chore to get through a season as 'DSC,' and watch more as a fascination with seeing what more parts of history or character they'll destroy next! The same could be said for 'DSC,' except that was less personal, not taking place on the original Enterprise with some of the original Enterprise's crew. If the stories, acting style and dedication to preserving and exploring canon were strong, most things could be forgiven, but like 'DSC' I've found most episodes jarring and uncomfortable. The same can be said for all this modern era, but in the parts I do like it's been tamped down to some degree, with things I like, emphasised. But now, with 'Section 31,' a film I'd prefer never to have been made (the only saving grace being it isn't a series as it was originally planned to be - let's hope it's not turned into one!), and with the same being said for 'Starfleet Academy' (except that is a series!), there's nothing definite on the horizon that has any appeal to me at all! It's entirely possible they have other productions in the works, most likely more TV films since these would be relatively cheap to make compared to a full new series or season, and of course I'd like to see more from the era of 'Picard' if they were bringing back as many 'legacy' characters as they could before it's too late, but these are one-offs, and the overriding impression is of a studio that is spacing things out to the extent it'll probably be more like 2017-2019 where you were practically only getting one main Trek release a year, the train taking its time towards a gradually increasing pace.

With the state of the world being more unstable, both in the industry and in the wider geopolitics, it may be that such minor considerations as whether Trek continues or not won't be that much of a priority, and who knows, perhaps we'll be looking back on these last few years as idyllic that we could enjoy/be irritated by/argue about new Trek (even with the Covid virus which was another factor in the slow buildup to peak content production). That being said I still have a few seasons to go through and from what I've heard I actually do have minor anticipation for the final season of 'DSC,' even though I suspect it won't be much better than what they've done before, but I preferred Season 4 slightly, so maybe they have learned from so much bad writing and plotting, though the flaws are baked into the style, characters and choices of the whole production so even then I'm not expecting to go as far as to say I like it! Two more seasons of 'LD' (assuming they keep releasing the DVDs - haven't heard anything about Season 4 yet...), Season 2 of 'Prodigy,' and however many of 'SNW,' so there's certainly enough content I have at least some interest in for the near future, but no longer that sense of anything being possible, which strips any minor gloss that might have covered parts of the train right off.

A good time to slot in my recent seasons with the hierarchy I created last year:

- 'LD' S2 (remains my favourite from memory, largely thanks to the finale being the best thing modern Trek has produced, close to being a classic, though this is all from memory, I may change my view on second viewing when I come to review it later in the year)

- 'LD' S3 (close to the top spot with about as many good episodes as S2 and another strong finale, but also some lower points, such as the return of Peanut Hamper, which didn't favour it)

- 'Picard' S3 (better, in that it's an actual space mission set on a starship with an actual Starfleet crew, the return of all the main cast that finished 'TNG' and a better conclusion than 'Nemesis' allowed them. I'll certainly be rewatching to write reviews, and I look forward to it, though the villain was absolutely terrible!)

- 'LD' S1 (I might be a bit preemptive as I'm only halfway through reviewing it, but I generally like it a little more than I used to thanks to acclimatising to its style, and for the fact it does less damage to the late-24th Century than 'Picard')

- 'Picard' S1 (superseded by Season 3, although there are still good moments, though as a whole it's not good, not good at all, in fact quite distressingly bad)

- 'Short Treks' (no change, I can't say I want to revisit them, other than the remake of 'Coming of Age,' and with 'SNW' taking up the characters these are mostly footnotes in modern Trek history now)

- 'DSC' S4 (a slightly more thoughtful story, a pace that is far less frenetic, even though they still did nothing interesting with any of the characters, but the keys to its success are mainly the absence of evil Georgiou, and the partial absence of Tilly)

- 'DSC' S3 (as I've said before, the least obnoxious season, but little else to recommend it)

- 'Prodigy' S1 (difficult to know quite where to put this as it was pretty innocuous and inoffensive, yet also bland, occasionally irritating and a bit pointless from an adult perspective. It had none of the charm of 'TAS,' but it did improve towards the end. It also has a massive twenty episodes, vast compared with all other current Treks, but that made it a bit of a chore to get through since most were basic, simplistic introductions to the concepts of Trek, so it's like going back to a children's book when you've long since graduated to classic novels. I can see how the series could improve, however)

- 'DSC' S1 (switching places with S2 as I rewatched the first episode and it remains watchable, and although there were so many bad things about the season, from memory and even more exposure to Pike and his crew, I actually think I prefer this one, though both are among the most egregious, badly written messes that created such a weak base upon which to launch the current Trek boom)

- 'DSC' S2 (just too many bad things to go into)

- 'SNW' S1 (it's almost worth going up a few places for the good finale, but then that's only one episode and it's really only good because it feels more like an actual Trek episode... because it's a remake of an actual Trek episode!)

- 'Picard' S2 (hard to imagine a worse season of Trek - very boring, very stupid, a money-saving waste of time and possibly talent, although there wasn't much in evidence here. An so-so opportunity vastly squandered)

- 'very Short Treks' (yes, there is a Trek production worse than 'Shades of Grey,' 'The Children Shall Lead' and 'Picard' S2. While it had one episode that was actually quite good, most of them were offensive, disgusting or very stupid and were far from a fitting tribute to 'The Animated Series.' Just sad)

Anticipation Ratings:

SNW S2: **
LD S4: ***
DSC S5: **
Prodigy S2: **
Section 31: -
Starfleet Academy: -
25th Century, post-Picard: ***

Compare this with my list from 2023:

LD S3: ***
Picard S3: ***
DSC S4: **
Prodigy S1: ***
SNW S1: ***
Section 31: -
Starfleet Academy: -
25th Century TNNG: **

All this suggests I do still have some hopes of reasonably enjoyable Trek in the immediate to near future, but after that, certainly out of what's been confirmed as coming, not so much... I should say I really would not want the 'Legacy' series, post-'Picard' if it was about Captain Seven of Nine, as she's one of the most ruined characters of old and I'd be happy if I never saw her again in new adventures, so disappointed was I by Jeri Ryan and the writers' choices and interpretation of a wonderful character, nor would I be interested in Jack Crusher or any of the Titan, sorry, the Enterprise crew, unless bolstered by a return of 'TNG,' 'DS9' and 'Voyager' cast members as the chance to catch up with them would be my main interest. Though there's always the danger they could forever change or damage them as was done to some who have already been brought back.

As for the film series we've continued to hear rumours or announcements (I think they currently claim at least two films are in development, another Kelvin Timeline film, and a prequel film, neither of which I care about), but whether it will turn into anything substantial is only one minor question. The real question is whether a Trek film, now that the melodramatic, galactic-stakes style of all-action, little sense or reverence for continuity and future history has turned so much of the TV series' into mini-versions of the modern films, would be any good at all, other than a visual spectacle and little more. I doubt it, and my view on both TV and film sides is pessimistic. I always wondered what Trek would be like if it was made 'now,' after 'Enterprise' brought to a close the golden years, and we unequivocally know: stupider, brasher, in every way inferior, other than natural development of visual effects, the least important part of story. And yet there's still a small part of me that thinks it could be possible that someone could come along who actually understands Trek and could make the kind of quality output that was achieved for so long, to retcon the many issues and problems that now plague it. A Manny Coto figure who came in and tidied up many of the flaws of 'Enterprise.' I always hoped he'd return to Trek and get his own spinoff, maybe a continuation of 'Enterprise,' but that can never be. I say RIP to him, and also to Trek.

Discovery Ends - The State of Star Trek

Discovery Ends - The State of Star Trek

It's been a while since I wrote anything about modern Trek, but the news of cost-cutting and belt-tightening at Paramount, culminating in the surprise cancellation of 'DSC' with its fifth season, it seemed like the right time to comment on where this 'third generation' of Trek is up to in my estimation. I stopped writing reviews when 'Picard' Season 1 broke me of that desire, it was just too painful and a chore to write about something I found so negative, badly written and twisting so much of what Trek always was to me. But things have changed slightly since then: the key thing is that I've come around to 'Lower Decks,' something that a few years ago had dropped to zero on my anticipation meter. Seeing Season 1 didn't really do anything to disabuse me of that notion, and while I could say the final episode showed some promise, I was in two minds about whether to buy Season 2 or not. In the end a price drop gave me the incentive and I must say I was surprised to find that some (still only a handful), of episodes were genuinely good Trek, and with the season finale it was quite impressive. I found myself warming to the characters and their situations, the stories and the setting, even the ship (I love that it doesn't have shiny floors, for example!), to the point the Season 3 DVD is now actively anticipated in a way I haven't experienced since either Season 1 of 'Picard' or Season 1 of 'DSC,' both of which gravely disappointed.

I'm currently struggling through Season 2 of 'Picard' and finding it about as bad as I could have expected from general comments I'd read, but I also hear almost nothing but good things about Season 3, which sounds like they're finally exploring the time period, characters we care about, and what made the 24th Century so compelling. I still have my doubts that they'll pull it off, but from what I hear it is the kind of Trek I want to see. In other words: good. I've also yet to hear anything negative about 'Prodigy' the other animated series, and though I'm very sceptical about 'Strange New Worlds' that also sounds as if it has been far more easily accepted than either of the previous live action Treks. To be in a position where I actually care about seeing new Trek again is a pleasant surprise, if only a tentatively cautious one. There's still plenty of concern over bending or breaking canon and characters, but at least if the writing is an improvement then there is some hope.

That 'DSC' should be cut all of a sudden, especially as they'd already filmed it all last year and had no expectation of it being the final season, is quite a shock turn of events given that recent years have been nothing but announcements of series' continuing or rumours about the many new Treks that may be coming down the pipeline. I can't say it affected me at all negatively (and I was somewhat glad to hear they were doing additional shooting to mitigate the lack of a series finale), other than giving pause for thought that the gravy train might be coming to an end, that this steady throwing of anything and everything at the wall to see what sticks is not going to continue. I did expect 'DSC' to make it to at least seven seasons just because that's a kind of measure for success in the Trek world, but obviously that was in a different age and most streaming series' don't make it further than five. It's just that it is the series that started it all, the base upon which CBS All Access, which became the better named Paramount+, was built, for better or worse: the golden child, the flagship of its generation. Does this mean that with more traditional Treks now in prominence its brand of overly emotional melodrama isn't as popular, or is it simply the issue of higher costs for retaining actors, the usual way a series outlives its cost/benefit ratio to the studio, is the cause?

As in the past there have been plenty of rumours or mentions of potential new Treks, but I have to say none of them have sparked any interest in me. There's the Section 31 idea which has been kicking around since the early 'DSC' days, and which I've always felt extremely tepid about just because the organisation hasn't worked since 'DS9' and requires writers of that stature to pull off. It didn't help that it's meant to be built around possibly the worst character of modern Trek, Georgiou, this unrepentant, genocidal, sarcastic evocation of evil that we were somehow supposed to root for, despite the fact she never faced any backlash for her crimes and was simply accepted by the Discovery crew for looking like Captain Georgiou! But enough about the many mistakes of the past... The Starfleet Academy cadet series was also a terrible idea that has only got worse since the suggestion Tilly might lead it (probably the second worst character to come out of modern Trek, though she's close with Burnham!), so not keen on that either, and never was as far back as I first heard about Harve Bennett's idea in the 90s (and which was basically done in the first Kelvin film). That leaves Seven of Nine/Raffi, a potential Janeway vehicle, and a Next Next Generation series using characters created for 'Picard' Season 3. Not interested in Seven or Raffi even remotely after they ruined the former and the latter was always irritating (the fourth worst in modern Trek? I don't know, Jurati gives her a run for her money!), and I have yet to see 'Prodigy' so don't know how well Kate Mulgrew comes across nowadays (Patrick Stewart being a total disappointment in the role of Picard, means nothing is certain any more), and a 25th Century series could work, but again, I have yet to see 'Picard' S3, so can't speculate on well it would work.

The truth is if they are cutting down then it's more likely they'd just keep existing series' going and I'm open to that if they are of the quality of 'Lower Decks' S2. I should rank all the seasons I've watched to give some idea of how I feel Trek has fared since 2017:

- Lower Decks S2 (the best I've seen of current Trek, and while I still hate the swearing and gross comedy, it doesn't seem as distracting as S1, with story and character coming to the fore aided by no unnecessary and non-relatable galaxy-saving stupidity)

- Picard S1 (everything from here on down is pretty poor and could be interchangeable, but I have to say there were a couple of episodes I enjoyed and it was lovely to see Data, Riker and Troi again, but it's a low bar and as with all live action Kurtzman Trek, the ending stunk)

- Short Treks (they're short, which when it comes to modern Trek is probably for the best, and the lows were low, but 'Ask Not' was about the only modern era episode I've felt was good on multiple viewings, and there are one or two others that aren't bad. The format showed promise, even though I don't like the idea of stories being quite that short, but it doesn't look set to return)

- Lower Decks S1 (more for the fact I actively want to go back and rewatch this after coming to enjoy S2, though really only the finale was something I quite liked)

- DSC S3 (it's not great, but there's less to annoy when it comes to canon thanks to the distancing of a 32nd Century setting. Shame that hasn't meant improved writing, though, the potential was squandered and ended with the same ludicrous fantasy rubbish we've come to expect, meaning its position is more for being less offensive than being anywhere close to good)

- DSC S2 (shameless insertion of Pike, Spock and the Enterprise to try and cover up the inconsistencies of tone, story and character, but it had some promise early on, even if, as with every modern Trek season except 'LD,' it messes it up in the second half)

- DSC S1 (started somewhat well, then set the tone by killing off the Picard-like Georgiou only to bring her back as the evil Mirror version in the second half, creating many of the problems of the series in the process. More miserable and nasty, but at least there was less crying!)

- Picard S2 (only halfway through, so it may suddenly wake up and become something special, but rock bottom. There's a reason Trek is set in space. Boring, stupid, badly done, the worst of Trek)

All of these seasons, with the exception of 'LD' S2 are practically on a par of badness, but I had to differentiate them somehow. It shows that at least 'DSC' has improved, even though the improvements are infinitesimal (and they've added whole new ways to fail each season!). The first season unfortunately hamstrung the whole Trek genre with its decisions about continuity, aesthetics, the technology and the writing, and things have been trying to recover on life support ever since.

Finally, my anticipation ratings for the coming Treks:

Lower Decks S3: ***
Picard S3: ***
DSC S4: **
Prodigy S1: ***
Strange New Worlds S1: ***
Section 31: -
Starfleet Academy: -
25th Century TNNG: **

Compare this with my list from 2019:

another cartoon series [Prodigy]: -
Section 31: *
Lower Decks: -
Picard: ***
Khan: *
Starfleet Academy: -
more Discovery: **

It shows that things have at least brightened relative to what they were and I have an incrementally more optimistic view of modern Trek, almost entirely on the back of 'LD' S2, so it remains to be seen how accurate that will be. I remain in two minds about whether it would be better for Trek to simply end for good and then we can debate all these existing series' merits or not as the case may be, and not be concerned about further violations to canon and content. Yet the legacy actors are growing old so this is realistically the only chance we have to see them again one more time. I can't help but wish Patrick Stewart had had this opportunity fifteen years ago before he got too old to carry Picard off as he used to, it's very sad to see, so in that sense I want as much Trek bringing back characters as I can. But again, they've ruined some of these characters so maybe it's better to let them end gracefully in whatever their final appearance was in previous iterations, much like Shatner's Kirk in 'Generations,' dying before he could become truly old. Regardless of what I want it seems Trek is continuing for the foreseeable future and they keep releasing them on DVD, and while they do that I'll keep watching. I'm even contemplating whether to review 'Lower Decks' since I actually have some positive things to say for a change.

The only other aspect of Trek yet to be touched on is the glaring absence of a film since 2016. I've lost count of the number of failed attempts to make a fourteenth film in the series, the fourth in the so-called Kelvin Timeline, and from my perspective I'd be happy they never made one since I was as underwhelmed with those films as I've been with the vast majority of the Kurtzman-era (funny how he was involved in two out of those three films, too...), and I also like the idea that 'TNG' made four to their three. Could they do a new film series? Of course. Will it appeal to me? Doubtful. I haven't even been to the cinema since 'The Rise of Skywalker' in December 2019, so I'm not sure even a potentially good Trek film would get me back there these days, especially if DVDs continue to be produced.

To conclude, things haven't changed that much, it's still up in the air how much improvement has actually happened. I'll need to see more of the new series' to be able to make a judgement on that, but at least I'm not questioning whether I'm going to buy the DVDs as I was when 'Picard' S2 came out or 'LD' S2. Constraint breeds creativity, so if the writers are forced to come up with better stories to cover a shortfall in budget that can only be a good thing. Effects may sell TV shows, but they don't create lasting and beloved content - that's what matters and what will ultimately decide if this era has been a significant part in the grand history of Trek, or merely a footnote.

Paul Merton in China (Episode 4)

DVD, Paul Merton in China (Episode 4)

In Paul's final days in China he packs just as much in as in the other instalments, and also seems to lose some of the inhibitions or avoidance of things he's not used to. Perhaps it was the welcome prospect of going home, or maybe he'd gotten used to the travelling and the strangeness, but either way he continues the quality of documenting and enjoyment of this alien culture without flagging. Rather, he tries out a number of experiences from golf, which he's never played before (you can tell), to cutting loose on a ballroom dance floor, and even dressing up in traditional garb at the request of his dance instructor who confides to the camera that he's 'a very gentleman' in an endearingly shy way. Along the way he continues to explore the differences in generation and finance that speak volumes of the society the Chinese people were living in during the late 2000s. For a start there's Shanghai, described as a city on steroids, and full of 'raw capitalism' that you'd think would stand at odds with traditional Communism, but it has somehow subsumed these values into itself, including the vast numbers of Western brands and ideals. His golf partner believes it will be the number one city in all of Asia in ten years and makes me wonder if it did indeed come true. It's interesting to hear things like that because although it's only eleven years since the series came out, the pace of change was already demonstrably excessive so you have to question what life must be like since even that time.

For example, it's interesting to note that the Chinese consumption of newspapers was suggested as a potential problem - if they all read as many newspapers as the English there wouldn't be enough trees in the world! Okay, so the golf guy was probably being flippant, but it sheds a light on the vast quantities of material the sheer size of their population consumes, although considering the state of the print world today in the UK, you suspect there are as few readers of newspapers in China, especially as they love their technology. And with the law on only having one child that came into effect in 1979 since repealed in the years after the series, you can imagine the population growth would have skyrocketed. But if the pressure placed on that one child are anything to go by, it was probably a good law to relax: as Paul said, many children are pampered into becoming 'little Buddhas,' their term for it, so allowing them to relax a little and parents not put all their eggs in one basket could ease some potential tension in society. But at this time the law was in full effect and we see a side effect of that being parents going to special dating areas to try and find a prospective husband or wife for their child. The young woman Paul agrees to meet shows she has high standards and a mindset that is more open than her parents, willing to wait and not rush into such things, which also demonstrates the growing divide between generations of younger people that want to embrace the freedoms then appearing.

Not everyone is free, with the gap between rich and poor widening, millionaires created on a regular basis, and while you get the impression Paul could have been a bit more hard-hitting and journalistic when eating with the high society women, he was rather outnumbered and probably didn't want to seem impolite. But it's fascinating to see their views of free speech, believing they have it, yet also saying they have no political prisoners. This suggests they were either blind to reality or making sure they didn't speak out of turn, but I think it most likely that the rich and privileged are comfortable enough that they don't have any radical views, as Paul said, and are very happy with how life has progressed there. In their own way, the poor are also quietly comfortable with the status quo, it seems, as when they visit a huge rubbish dump where they can make a tidy business scavenging material for recycling if they're willing to live in squalor, and have the freedom they wouldn't have in state-controlled occupations. Neither side wants a Westerner blundering in and causing an upset, and it's too late for Paul to really delve into the issues at hand, though he's already done a good job across the series of showing both sides: the glamour and money, and the poverty.

As ever I wonder who was in the know during the filming, as Paul clearly has no clue when it comes to golf, yet they've obviously arranged it purposefully to be a humorous moment. On the other hand, he'll occasionally meet some eccentric Chinese person that puts him to shame, as Tailor Lee does, a most enthusiastic and expressive man that makes him a suit and is very far from the usual reserved or unfriendly stereotype. But stereotypes are still popular, as shown by the strange evocation of an English village that is Thames Town - like the massive hotel and building works in the first episode, this place is more for show than reality, a location for couples to take their fairytale wedding photos, even if they're already married or are yet to be! As Paul says, no one under five hundred will ever have seen a style of church like that looking so new, but there is something pleasing about the Chinese appreciating old English style so much that they want to recreate it for themselves, although the facade of it all once again reminds us of the vast emptiness the country has away from the packed-out cities.

I sensed that Emma, the Chinese translator and guide, had also relaxed somewhat by the end, just as Paul had, so that she could be frank about considering English people to be more 'delicate' than their Chinese counterparts. Although it seems insulting, she probably has a point, because we haven't had the tough and aggressive life that many there were forced into amid so many other people. My presiding memory is of the best line Paul gives us: 'No hurt, no shirt,' which has always stuck in my memory ever since! As I said before, I'd love to see Paul revisit the country now, a decade on, to see all the changes that will have taken place, long after the Olympics, the end of the one child policy and the continued increase of capitalism. His other travelogues weren't anywhere near as engaging, but maybe it was the choice of place, because China just holds a fascination for its pace of change, as fast as the 430kmh bullet train that Paul travels on. He's been a delightful companion and a good sport, even if he would rather close the curtains on a colossally high hotel view than look out, and the many other instances of backing away or disapproving. He's just quintessentially English and the perfect host for such an offbeat, slightly comical approach to what is a serious country, and his irreverence and politeness went hand in hand with the mix of people going about their lives, and the authorities overseeing them.

***

Paul Merton in China (Episode 3)

DVD, Paul Merton in China (Episode 3)

Another eclectic mix of journeying and exploring the far reaches of Chinese culture for the Englishman abroad. It begins in less than happy fashion with Paul experiencing the discomfort of illness and indignity of having to describe it to a white-coated medicine dispenser on camera, but it's clear the impression of being such an acute outsider in a country that hasn't traditionally welcomed them, is deserved and becoming increasingly unwelcome in his strained condition. Handler Emma stitching him up with Chinese opera didn't help the situation, provoking the closest we've seen to an outburst, digging in on the spitting behind his back and the constant staring, but then every travel series has its moment of extreme culture clash when homesickness rears its head in the face of the impenetrable foreign culture all around. A group massage of multiple masseurs operating at once seems to calm the waters a little in time for more waters to be explored, by boat, and the balm of the incredible views of the natural sights of the Chinese countryside proves a welcome tonic, as much for the viewer as for Paul. But even deep in the natural world the growing attraction of tourism, with many Chinese visiting the sights for themselves, is a reminder of the crowded nature of this massive country.

He manages to find some eloquent native guides, even in the furthest rural town (as well as meeting 'Basil Fawlty' of Fawlty Towers Hotel!), that speak good English and have thriving businesses and hobbies, and there's also the usual Westerners he manages to root out for a chat to discover the outsider's insider point of view on things. Sometimes this is great, with the English lawyer giving plenty of useful information on the growing export of branded products (some of which provide entertainment, with market stalls selling everything from Chairman Mao memorabilia and paraphernalia, as well as t-shirts of the world's dictators and a watch featuring a waving Queen Elizabeth II, which Paul promptly snaps up for its kitsch value!), but there's also a rather distasteful sequence, ironically featuring ex-pats from various countries going through some juvenile antics as part of a running group designed to find partners. It's easy to point fingers at alien cultures as unpleasant and bizarre, but such things can be found just as easily in Western culture it seems.

To counterbalance this there's a little exploration of the fastest growing religion of the country: Christianity. It's encouraging to hear about it when it was oppressed for so long, although as Paul says, the main churches were still under strict observance from the government and he had to find the underground churches to see how much it's really growing. There's one that gives new meaning to the term 'house church' with every room full to the brim with the congregation, hidden down a backstreet, the preaching beamed into every room via monitor for those that can't be in the main one! Free from the constraints of government propaganda they can preach the true Gospel and are unafraid in the face of the potential danger they could face were they to be discovered, and there's a slight frisson of danger to Paul's undercover work, even though he admits to being wary of the faith, much like the Chinese government, so it's good to see the programme allowing time for it, answering such important questions as what the purpose of life is (watch it to find out!).

As ever, there's a mixture of the vast and impressive cityscapes and the counterbalance of the vast and impressive natural wonders China can boast of, and there's something pleasing and comforting about seeing a stereotypical Englishman cycling through the beautiful rural landscape that could almost be Medieval England with its stone bridges and carts. There's also the astounding age-old practice of the Chinese fishermen that use cormorants to catch their fish. The role of tourism is an important theme of the episode, with Paul musing that it could diminish the reality of these old practices and ways of life at the same time as keeping them going as attractions to be seen, the old fisherman interviewed, admitting he makes a lot more money than he used to from turning it into a whole event for the tourists to come and see rather than just catching the fish to sell. Finally, there's the thorny issue of more Western influence: rich Americans paying up to $25,000 to basically come and 'buy' a cute little Chinese baby. It looks a little bit indulgent and suspect, but when you realise these were abandoned babies because they were female, a less desirable offspring, it's a sad state of affairs, and you come to see the parents that have the means to do this as angels of mercy rather than rich showoffs that come across the world to get an exotic baby to add to their collection of stuff back home. As usual, a thoughtful episode, but as with the others, you wish he could linger on a subject for longer, an hour's running time would have been beneficial.

***

Paul Merton in China (Episode 2)

DVD, Paul Merton in China (Episode 2)

Livelier than the first episode, this effortlessly glides between the busy, built-up cities and meditative country, with Paul clearly enjoying himself and getting into the spirit of things (aside from wimping out on Kung Fu or eating dog meat), so you can see he'd relaxed into his role of eccentric English tourist and continues his penchant for exhibitionism, whether that's joining in with an outdoor line dancing group to the embarrassment of his guide, letting loose some fighting crickets on a train journey, bemused travellers watching as he crawls along the carriage trying to find them, or dancing again in the middle of a dirt road. In the last case it's fully understandable as he's on a ten hour car journey out into the country to visit nomads and Tibetan monks (could have been the same place Michael Palin visited in 'Himalaya' for all I can remember!). The strange and extreme contrasts between the traditional and the modern are further explored, as is a touch of religion, as these sorts of programmes tend to do: I suppose the spiritual side of other cultures is somewhat exotic to a Western world that has allowed our own to become submerged or ignored. I found it interesting that Paul doesn't believe in going to Heaven, but does have the belief that we become something else. Sadly he doesn't explain where he lost one view or gained another, but so much is packed in that the forty-five minutes fly by.

It's interesting to be reminded how much of a labour Buddhism is, the people having to prostrate themselves on the floor, or turn prayer wheels ten thousand times in their lifetime to help them on their way to a better 'next chance.' It's not for people afraid of hard work, nor is it an easy thing, but then the lives of the nomads, too, is much the same in that regard. It's touching to see that laughter breaks down barriers of culture and taste as Paul's clowning tendencies find free rein, whether his wild jigging on the road or blowing up balloons for nomadic children, he's in his element as an entertainer. He draws the line at being walloped in the stomach at the Kung Fu school, understandably, and his outgoing nature and silliness contrasted with his traditional British reserve at certain things is fascinating to see, like a mirror of Chinese culture's two sides, perhaps one reason why the series works so well. He keeps finding non-Chinese to touch base with for an outsider's insider perspective: one young Westerner who's come to practice the martial art, describes it as a purely physical pursuit that relieves the stress of day to day life by focusing on fighting rather than the minutiae of living. That's in the city, and it's no surprise that the country life is shown to be far from hectic or stressful, though with China's insistence on industrial advance the usual fears of progress encroaching like an unstoppable wave on the simple, traditional ways of life through economic change is ever present and real.

A memorable image is seeing a child's balloon blowing off, with the young boy chasing it, ever just out of reach as Paul is told about plans for an airport over this beautiful green land, poetic in its symbolism. But though people are more reluctant to talk openly than ever thanks to extra government minders who have made warnings about what to say in advance, there's still plenty of opportunity for Paul to get behind the scenes. He's even a little mischievous in his exploits, searching out 'Dog Street,' famed for its restaurants selling dog meat, and after a day of finding out about the new Chinese status symbol of dog ownership, petting neon-coloured poodles, he's reluctant to indulge, though the colour and liveliness of the area at night makes you almost smell the sizzling food and feel the rush of passersby hurrying along - on that occasion they'd given the minders the slip, so there's an element of danger and impropriety that adds to Merton's gung-ho exploring, even when he earns the ire of a resident by filming in front of a shuttered area that looks like a sleeping place for the homeless. Food experiences continue to be mixed for his unadventurous palate, and while dodging dog, he does eat from 'The Pot of Hades' as he names it, a rather hot selection, as well as the ingenious all-in-one use of a sheep as both meal, pot, and oven, hot stones placed in with the meat inside the sheep's own stomach for a traditional cooking experience with the nomads.

The city of Chongqing, said to be the 'fastest growing metropolis on the planet' has always been a name I've remembered, probably because its very name sounds rich (ching-ching!). He may have been mistaken for the Canadian Prime Minister, but the fact that Emma, his Chinese assistant and guide, lets him think the staff of a hotel are pleased to see him, adds some humour between them, and she definitely seems to be hitting it off with him, indulgently treating him like an overzealous son or younger brother, perhaps. But then she has the air of a more Westernised Chinese about her anyway, so is a good fit for his japes. References to Tony and Gordon, as well as David Beckham's mohican, date it somewhat, but this episode is full to the brim of the speed and scale of life and social change in this country, and my only complaint might be that sometimes it would be nice if they slowed down and concentrated on one area or stayed with a person or group a bit longer, but I suspect that had more to with keeping the minders on their toes. Just think if this had been a six- or seven-part series, how much more detail we could have gone into. It's fast and fun food for thought, not much time for digestion, but spicy and enjoyable entertainment all the same.

***

Paul Merton in China (Episode 1)

DVD, Paul Merton in China (Episode 1)

Michael Palin has a lot to answer for, I have to feel, and in the positive sense, because his brand of Englishman abroad proved very successful over the years. Perhaps there have been many imitators, but I've never seen anyone quite like him and his open, adventurous style. And Paul Merton didn't change that. What he did was the same, but different: a very English Englishman, but one who, unlike Palin, was naturally unadventurous, and so his brand of travel documenting is almost the anti-Palin in terms of how he approaches the daily challenges and differences of the people he meets. But he's also a born performer and seems to enjoy the weird and the wonderful, and if he shows a lack of desire to get involved sometimes, that only adds to the charm of the series. He stands out even more than Palin, being larger than most Chinese people, but quite gregarious and game until he has to step outside what is comfortable, despite being "contractually obliged to be brave." So you can sense there's going to be a little friction along the way, which fits perfectly into the Chinese dichotomy, such a different culture to the British, yet both sharing a common ground of eccentricity. While the Chinese variety can sometimes be slightly chilling or creepy, it throws up all kinds of characters for Paul to bounce off, leading to some fascinating encounters, the most enduring in this first episode being the sight of a robot rickshaw from a man that invents robots of all sizes, though whether it's a career or a hobby is unexplained.

The vast differences between traditional and modern China in both values and expression is another draw. The series came out in 2007 on Channel 5, so a year before the Beijing Olympics, the perfect time to explore what makes this vast nation tick. It would be fascinating if he went back there now, ten years later, to see what the effects of all that construction and planning had had on the communities. It was a very interesting time in the country's history and its attitudes say a lot about it. The extremes are what a TV series is going to highlight, that's just good TV, but you don't get much more opposite than the shanty-like dwellings Paul visits to see where an American called Mike (who teaches English), lives, and the epic scale of a new hotel built in the style of a 17th Century grand palace! On the one hand you have the maze-like, close-knit conglomeration of one- or two-room houses the poorer folk call home, then the huge, but largely empty and cavernous spaces of the hotel, where cupboards are about the same size as the poor's rooms, and cupboards lead to smaller cupboards within!

The cuisine is something you need to be daring to attempt, and understandably, Paul is less than enthusiastic about the delicacies he's shown, and in some cases, tries. It seems to be that old China is less about wrapping things up nice and shiny, while modern China is exactly that, appearance more important, readying for the world stage. I suppose you can't really compare food to architecture, but it does point up the uneasy pull between two attitudes. Or perhaps it's just the uneasiness engendered by the government, in which officials are made uncomfortable by a Western film crew's presence, refusing to answer questions, even finding alternative transport rather than share the same tour bus. The inability for Chinese people to say whatever they want, held back probably by both a desire for their home to be recognised as a great place, but also by the uncertainty over how the authorities will react, reminds us that Paul is not in a traditionally free country in the way we understand it, but that only makes his encounters with all kinds of people more fascinating. He remains very polite, though, like Palin, doesn't mind making up silliness as he goes to get him through, and it is delightful. I do wonder how much was staged and how much planned, both by the government and by the production, as it doesn't seem quite as off the cuff as the Palin docs did, but at least his interpreter, Chinese girl Emma, is more moderate and Westernised in her approach, I sense.

Merton went on to make two or three other travel series' in this line as I recall ('Paul Merton in India,' 'Paul Merton in Europe,' I think, and some one-off visits to places), but none of them were as well-observed, or as engaging, as this one. It must have been the ideal time to examine a country that was in such a state of flux as it prepared for the world stage like never before, at a time when Western culture had been admitted (we witness Chinese youths performing hip hop on the streets, though it never gets more controversial than the subject of food!), capitalism becoming rampant, and the economic giant stirring into the superpower it is still becoming. Modern history has always held an interest, but it's strange to think we're living through such monumental times, and a documentary such as this one only amplifies that impression. Paul's genial bumbling and unwillingness to go too far, but just enough to be uncomfortable for him, makes for good viewing, and this is just the start to make you want to see more.

***

Return To Jupiter

YouTube, Return To Jupiter (1996) TV series, 13 episodes

After enjoying 'Escape From Jupiter' I was glad to know there was a sequel I could revisit to stay in that world, though I had hardly any memories of this one beyond some young Professor type riding a bicycle around a command centre in order to work something out at top speed, as well as the vague impression of things happening around a rocky cliff face. It turned out to be no wonder I didn't recall much from the series because it wasn't nearly as entertaining as its forebear. The big draw is that it continues the story of some of the characters who escaped from Jupiter, though it was slightly disappointing to find it was only three and a half of them: Gerard, Michael and Kumiko are the main ones, and we have Gerard's younger sister Anna along for about half the series. I wonder why they wrote her out, maybe she had other commitments, because there was no particular reason for losing her (she goes off to a medical facility to stay with their injured older sister Sam), replaced by the 'feral' Zac and her robot companion Quadro. Things have moved on, this coming out in 1996, so the children or teens are a couple of years older now and we're seeing them take their first steps into careers, with Gerard taking the lowest role aboard the Icarus, a new ship designed by Dr. Ghrobak, with a mission to take much-needed supplies to Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter.

I'd always thought they were going back to the same place they escaped from, perhaps to fix the base and start up that mission again, but the two series' aren't really connected aside from the returning characters and the general Jupiter direction. In fact I was thinking through much of it that it may as well have been called 'Return To Mars' for the amount of time they spent on and around the red planet! They had the same issues as the first series with finding things to do in space when it's really just supposed to be an uneventful journey, captained once again by an uptight adult, this time Commander Dent. As was the case with Duffy on the first mission, she's not fond of the children and the little escapades they go on, though there is less of this since they're older now, so it's left to a new character called Abe to cause the problems and misbehave. He takes Kingston's role - Kingston does get a couple of mentions, but Abe is even more extreme in his imaginings of worst case scenarios, and Anna didn't really fit with him so much, maybe another reason they brought on the obnoxious Zac to be his buddy. She's a bit of a tomboy from Mars, having run off from her colony with Quadro who's very much influenced by C-3PO in his polite pessimism, but does eventually turn into his own person and a fun character.

One issue with the series is that the adults aren't as well sketched out or as sympathetic. There's really only Dent and Ghrobak on the ship, and while they aren't bad(Dent comes to appreciate the youngsters before the end, as well as getting the chance to have a bit of a heart to heart with the promising Gerard, revealing some backstory about the loss of her first command), they aren't close like the children/parent situation previously. This time there are actual villains, a couple of thuggish scrap merchants on Mars that want to capture the Icarus to make themselves rich, but as fun as Selby and Glovic can sometimes be, they are very cartoonish, and the series, despite being a little more mature in the average age of the teens, feels more childish because of them. Selby's the moustache-twirling type, Glovic the violent heavy (nowadays I'm not sure they'd allow her torture of him - twisting his injured foot repeatedly!), and though there is some threat at first, by the time they're aboard Icarus towards the end of the series, and being kept out of a room by Abe and Zac throwing mouldy cake out the door, it's just a little ridiculous when much of the series is quite realistic. The realism is helped by the good work on space models, the CGI has really come on in the two years since the original, and it's fascinating to see more technology from this world. The station they launch from is called ES-2, in keeping with the designation of KL-5, the vehicle for their escape from Jupiter, so you can see some care has gone into keeping the terminology and setting part of the same world.

Technology continues to play a part, from pads that can x-ray a patient in real-time, to bracelets that allow you to pass through forcefields for good security, and even showers that clean both body and clothing at the same time in a blast of light, or can neatly fold garments. Even Sega get a credit again for providing some holographic computer games, though not as elaborate as the three-dimensional versions from before. So the credentials are all there, and that goes for the casting, too. It's great to see the old characters a bit older, and Abe isn't too annoying, but I was amazed to realise that David Wenham was a part of the series, years before he made his name as Faramir in 'The Lord of The Rings' - it took me a couple of episodes to work out who he was playing because the cast for every episode gave the whole series' list with only one word names. I assumed it was 'the' Wenham since it was an Australian series and he was from that part of the world, but it was still a surprise to realise he was the buck-toothed boffin, Dr. Ghrobak, the only new character I had any memory of from original viewing! So I was impressed by his performance, so vastly different from Faramir (that's acting, folks). He wasn't the only name from 'The Lord of The Rings' as Bruce Spence (The Mouth of Sauron, as well as roles in 'The Matrix' and 'Star Wars'), played the disembodied head of the 'Ed Unit,' a holographic, floating tutor that was Abe's nemesis in the first episode.

It's great fun spotting familiar names or faces, but apart from that I found the early episodes to be a touch dry. There isn't the danger and imminent destruction bubbling just under the surface thanks to the deep drilling that created a tension in the original series, and the sets of this brand-spanking new ship are a bit ugly compared with the 'Star Wars' approach of battered old technology they made do with before. Once the series gets going, with some good sequences on Mars and a bit of tension over the barely concealed contempt Glovic displays towards the crew, with Selby constantly having to smooth over her inability to control herself, it's better, but it still doesn't have the family atmosphere and camaraderie the group had originally. Once Dent has been impressed with them it's a bit more inspirational, but it then degenerates into running around dealing with the villains again and it ends merely functionally without the rush of good feeling 'Escape' concluded with, though the same formula of the minors solving the problems and the adults having to depend on them, is followed quite closely. It just didn't work quite as well this time. I was hoping for a big reunion where they met up with their parents, but maybe that was too much to expect for a children's TV series, and rounding up the old cast, two years after the original, just for a cameo, was too much to ask?

The series was simply a lot less memorable than its predecessor, though it still made me wish that there could be more within that universe - even now, more than twenty years later I think it would be terrific if they could round up those original actors and show them deep in their space careers. Call it 'Beyond Jupiter' or something. Space drama is still very much in demand, and the series' links to other sci-fi was quite apparent, whether it was the C-3PO influence, or the desert locales that recall 'Star Wars,' or the shiny technology of 'Star Trek.' One thing we still don't know about this world is whether there are aliens or not - Zac tells tall tales about them, but that turns out to be only a robot guardian programmed by the villains to keep out ferals, so we never find out if humans of this time are alone in space, or not. Given the realistic approach I would suggest that it's probably not the case, but that's what's so interesting about both series': we know so little about this world, unlike the big sci-fi franchises which had time to grow and explore over many years, this is just twenty-six episodes spread across two series which came out two years apart, so there are many questions.

The series is at its best when it's about the two boys' friendship, with a great cliffhanger following Michael going down to rescue Gerard from a brave, but rash course of action to save the ship, then we don't know what's happened to Michael, so that was the high point of the series, and they seemed like they were finally getting a handle on it, then it turns into a comedy runaround with Selby and Glovic. Would I recommend the series as I did the first one? I would have to say, on balance, I wouldn't, unless you're a child, because in some ways it's more adult in that the young characters are growing up, but also more juvenile in the choices it makes to prolong the drama, but if the first series has been enjoyed and you want more, then I would watch it, but with the caveat not to expect much. I'm just glad some kind person on YouTube saw to it to get this stuff up there as it's never been available and has always been one of those series I thought well of, even though I didn't remember the details, and like I said, if they'd made more I'd have been queuing up to watch that, too, so while it's pretty average, it is watchable and completes the set.

**

Escape From Jupiter

YouTube, Escape From Jupiter (1994) TV series, 13 episodes

I remember this series from childhood and I think at the time I liked it even better than Trek, probably my favourite series back then because it seemed to have all the ingredients that made Trek great, but the added identifiability that it was from the perspective of children and teens. I've wanted to see it again for years, but it was never released in its entirety on DVD and was never available fully in any form, but thanks to YouTube I finally found it, with its own official channel and good quality picture and sound (with the caveat of a slight issue with the dialogue coming only through the left channel, while all other music and sound came through both channels as normal). A very minor gripe when compared with being able to see a series that had such an impact that it's remained with me to this day. I didn't have many strong memories about it, though the music was very familiar as I recorded it onto cassette tape back then, and I was curious to view it again through older eyes. The impressive thing about it is how well it holds up, both in the acting, the stories, and even the CGI, which is something special for a 25-minute children's TV show that came out in 1994! The computer models are beautiful and have their own distinct style, as good as 'Babylon 5,' an adult space series of that same period that used CGI and which must have had a huge budget compared with this.

I don't know what it was about Australian children's dramas in the nineties, but they produced a number of great series' like this: there was the sequel, 'Return To Jupiter,' 'The Girl From Tomorrow,' 'Ocean Odyssey,' even non-genre examples like 'Glad Rags' stuck with me, and probably a few more I'm forgetting. But this and its sequel were the best, with my predilection for space drama drawing me to it. It concerns the crew of a mining station on Io, one of the moons of Jupiter, and their emergency evacuation back to Earth when deep drilling causes lava eruptions that destroy the base. The characters are well defined, with Duffy, the commander of the mission, an especially stressed, hot-tempered leader who hates children and is constantly trying to curb their explorations of childhood and clamp down on them so they can't keep causing trouble. Of course boredom, something every child knows too well, is the cause of most of their escapades, but if they were all good and quiet there wouldn't have been much of a series since space travel is basically a long, drawn-out journey through nothingness in a straight line! The main adult crew are made up of a couple of miners, one of whose wife is in charge of operations from what I can tell (some have coloured plastic collars as if to denote rank or designation, Duffy with blue, this lady with yellow), an Asian couple as tech experts, Professor Ingersoll as the brains of the operation, and a female doctor. We rarely see any other crew, but there's the impression of a larger complement.

The main characters are really the group of children, so you have the two main teens, Michael and Gerard, the first being more of an intelligent, thoughtful type, the other being the cool dude, hair all slicked up in spikes, and always up for a fight. Kumiko rounds out this group, newly arrived from Earth, and initially sceptical of being in some dump, she soon becomes firm friends with the boys, the group complemented with the two younger children, Kingston, the 'genius'/tunnel rat, and Anna, Gerard's younger sister. It's a really good mix of personalities and where too many child actors are obnoxious or unsympathetic, that's not the case here, making you care about them and wanting to be part of their adventures. The group dynamic holds a fascination as we see the various ups and downs that bring them all together, ultimately into a team that the adults depend upon for their survival in the final episode. There's a lot of "drop dead" and squabbling to begin with as they respond to the only lives they've ever known collapsing, but far from being a series where the children mope and moan, they take every opportunity for fun and adventures to the extreme detriment of senior adult Duffy, the headmaster figure in the drama. Without his rigid, uncompromising shadow looming over everything it's hard to see where much of the conflict would have come from, but they all at least have a common enemy to band them together, and the most delightful part of the series is seeing those moments where differences are overcome.

That two such different young lads as Michael and Gerard end up as fast friends through the challenges they face, is something that adds a deeper dimension to what could have been a simple escape story. They both show their growing age by the responsibilities handed to them by their parents, but at the same time they're still young enough to drop everything and have fun. Similarly, it's great to see Duffy go from child-hating bureaucrat to a man that has enough sensitivity to be able to persuade young Anna to go on the final escape aboard the tug that only has room for the five children, and really takes his character to a new plateau. As an adult you can appreciate the position of the adults as much as you can remember the viewpoints of the children. The adults don't contribute a huge amount to the ongoing story, but they're always there to reassure or to remind the main characters what they should be doing, or show concern for their safety. But as befits a series aimed at children, it is they whom are often the heroes, solving problems and arriving at solutions the adults haven't foreseen. Professor Ingersoll is the closest in mind to them, existing outside the command structure and the pressures of parents, he is open to their thoughts and shows himself to be an unconventional intelligence.

There are a lot of aspects to the series and the children's lives that would appeal to a young audience without putting off an adult one: gadgets of all kinds, from Zit, Kingston's characterful robot that can zip about on its tank tracks, Kumi's amazing computer which can shape-shift into something much smaller, Kingston enjoys Sega games in 3D holographic form (which shows what a powerhouse brand this particular games company was in the early nineties, though in the real world has since been eclipsed by Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft), and even Gerard has his multi-mate that acts as a tool for most eventualities. The technology even now looks impressive, with transparent flat-screens for communication, but also a pleasingly chunky, working impression to everything. Like 'Star Wars' it has a heavily lived-in feel, from the worn clothing to the battered consoles and the industrial nature of station KL-5's interior. It's a world that is worth exploring and I found myself only wishing there was more to see of the state of human technology and development in this undated era. What draws me to it is the way they solve each problem, the ridiculous pranks they get up to, and a really good sense of what real people do. We get some touching moments as the parents say goodbye to their offspring when they have to leave as the point of no return for the station is reached, and that, as much as those times when they're furious with the hi-jinks, spreads a strong feeling of the reality, stakes, and gravity of the situation.

As if the graphics, the humour and drama, and the look of the production weren't all top-notch, we're also treated to sly little in-jokes about other sci-fi. The most obvious one is Ingersoll's wishing "May the Force be with you," to Michael as he takes control of the escape tug, which all the children have no idea what he's talking about. 'Star Wars' is also referenced in the occasional 'I have a bad feeling about this.' They also mention they need to 'phone home' ('ET'), there's talk of xenomorphs and 'in space no one can hear you scream' ('Alien'), and possibly even 'Total Recall' when Kingston is talking about having your eyes melt and stuff when you go out into space. None of these things take away from what is a very grounded series, despite its location of spinning off into space, and that's probably thanks to the Antipodean attitudes we see, and those accents which when serious seem very serious. We see the children grow and learn, with Kumi giving up her prized possession, her beloved computer, for the sake of their survival, and Michael having to take the pilot's seat as the ultimate test of courage. Maybe Kingston doesn't change, but we get to know him better through his sense of injustice at being one of the youngest, and his desperate fear of being parted from his Mother. There are side quests into future tech, such as the holographic chamber that beams worlds into your head, though it's the exploration of the inner workings of the air ducts that provides the best diversion for them.

Being a children's series it has a happy ending, and all the better, with a beautiful final shot of all five children running about on the beach by the sea, playing with new dog, Duffy, as the camera whirls up and away above them. It's a terrific way to finish the thirteen episodes that were made with a deft touch. It's not rocket science or great art, but it very much succeeds at what it sets out to do, and I would say does more than you'd expect of it. I don't know why it should have worked so well, why they spent so much effort on making something right (that Consulting Script Editor, Peter Jackson, he wasn't the… nah, probably a common enough name… but if it was…), or whether it simply happened to be one of those productions that clicked together, but it certainly did, and that's not nostalgia talking because as I said I really didn't have that many specific memories of the series, I don't even know if I saw the final episode, but it was charming to see it the full journey, my only regret being that it had to end after only thirteen episodes. But then there was the sequel, 'Return To Jupiter' which I await with glee. If it's as good as this one it'll be well worth the return journey!

****

Star Trek 2017 TV Series - 13 Episode Arc, etc

Star Trek 2017 TV Series - 13 Episode Arc, etc

A lot has happened since I last put thought to digital column space, partly because I was waiting for something more substantial to grip onto, and partly because Fuller and company have remained fairly tightlipped on the details, probably waiting until the fourteenth film has had its time in the spotlight (unless they're hoping to upstage their filmic contemporary in its moment of attention?). Instead, a flurry of fascinating snippets have fluttered down the internet's wind tunnel, and since it's getting hard to keep track of, it's time to recap for my satisfaction, and to gauge where the series currently resides sitting in my estimation.

We've had an actual teaser trailer, further announcements on the writing team, and some actual comments from Bryan Fuller, though more confirming what the internet got wrong than positive facts. Let's start with the trailer: it's only a teaser, some effects thrown together which apparently hold clues to the series' content, but it could just as easily be an early indication of what the opening credits might look like. I can't say it dismayed me, dooming the series to the fast-paced, brain-empty experience I associate with both the Abramsverse films and the mainstream success of modern 'Dr. Who,' both of which fall flat in general, for me (the effects very much in the vein of those productions' effects). At the same time, neither did it fill me with fresh hope and renewed excitement for the potential of this still-untitled sixth TV 'Star Trek.' It wasn't the kind of fascinating propaganda that had me poring over each frame, but it did suggest the destruction of Praxis, though following more recent comments from Fuller, perhaps that wasn't the intention. Most notable was the slogan about new heroes, villains, crews… So it appears this will be much more about the Starfleet as opposed to one ship, or one lonely station, that was the tradition of every other series. Again, this could be a good thing if it means more recurring characters and a wider scope - I had wondered if being out exploring in a ship, episode to episode, was likely to provide the depth and detail a modern audience demands, perhaps one reason 'Enterprise' failed: lack of momentum and strong purpose.

A word must be said about the logo. I really hope upon hope that this is merely a placeholder for the eventual art, because it sure is ugly! I have some training in graphic design, and I find it hard to believe that shoving some textures on a futuristic, but aesthetically unappealing font, with a 3D effect that apes the current films, and sticking a cloven chevron behind (is that a clue as to the nature of the Federation at this time: split?), is anything more than something to get people talking, because I don't see any other merits! I also hope that the series will have its own identity, with a unique title (preferably with 'Star Trek' part of it), and logo to match, and I'm sure it will. It just seems strange in this modern day of fast, reliable design, and the relative ease of crafting the most apposite identity for your marketing, that such a monstrosity was considered a wise choice to herald the biggest futuristic franchise ever created. Perhaps it's just my artistic hackles that have been raised, and it's far from the worst logo I've ever seen, and indeed, I'm sure I could learn to live with such a style, but hopefully I won't have to.

The hope is that the quality of the writing will override all possible concerns: clearly they'd gone all out to appeal to the loyal viewers with Nicholas Meyer, Bryan Fuller and the Roddenberry name, and now we've heard Trek author Kirsten Beyer, and 24th Century Trek veteran, Joe Menosky have been added to the roster in a pleasing display that continues to garnish the writers' room. I have to admit that I've only read one of Beyer's books ('Unworthy'), and found it perfectly acceptable - I planned to get into the 'Voyager' continuation novels after that, but never got round to it, but although I wasn't enthusiastically excited by her literary contribution, it's amazing that someone who is clearly so well invested in Trek history, style and all related ephemera, should have been drafted for the series, and again, shows a pleasing understanding of the kind of people we want to see involved. Even more in Menosky's case, since he's written so many great 'TNG,' 'DS9' and 'Voyager' episodes in his time - most famous for pairing with Brannon Braga on many of the classic 'Voyager' two-parters (such as 'Scorpion,' 'Year of Hell' and 'Dark Frontier'), but also smaller episodes more notable for their inventiveness and imagination ('Darmok,' 'Dramatis Personae,' 'Distant Voices' and 'Time's Orphan'). Maybe he wasn't the first name that sprang to mind when the possibility of hiring previous contributors became a reality, but he'd certainly have been among the second in mind, so that can only be a good thing. Also, it adds grist to the belief this is going to be recognisable as Trek, both Prime, and, potentially, 24th Century Trek.

The setting and time of the series remains the biggest question, and it doesn't necessarily follow that the writer's were chosen because of that - if you look at it we have creatives from almost every era of Trek, from the previous two Abramsverse films, the 24th Century, and the 'TOS'-era films of the eighties and early nineties. One thing that we won't be seeing is an anthology, as Fuller has come right out and pronounced that rumour inaccurate. Which is a shame, as it led to much imagining of the possible return to previous times and locations, as well as filling in eras we know little about. On the other hand, he also denied that the setting was to be between 'Star Trek VI' and 'TNG,' which had been sounding pretty much a done deal. An anthology was hard to believe, if only for the costs of creating whole new standing sets for each new season, and finding it hard to retain momentum if characters or setting won an audience over. It would have been great to have seen something in the Dominion War, or post-'Nemesis,' but who knows, maybe the series will be set in one of these periods anyway? And there's always time travel. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a Temporal Investigators or Temporal Cold War element somewhere in the mix.

There's even the possibility of existing characters returning, as Fuller has definitively stated that will happen eventually. Mind you, they were talking about bringing in Q and Picard when 'Enterprise' was about to arrive ('some time in Season 2, and maybe we'll get Patrick Stewart to direct an episode…'), neither of which came close to happening, so we should take things with that little bit of seasoning. I'm feeling more cautious now, however, after the anthology and a first season post-Trek VI seemed so certain to be confirmed. Also, once bitten: with the practically sacrilegious recasting of the 'TOS' characters for the new films, something that had been almost unheard of, well against the rules of how Trek operated, and one big reason why it had always been so fantastic to see a character again since it meant seeing the actor again, too, we don't know if he means character and actor, or just character - this could still turn out to be the Abramsverse, or a third, unwanted, universe, but I hope not, and I still think it will be Prime.

So not really enough to move my anticipation strongly up or down, although the news that only thirteen episodes will make up the first season, does concern me a little. I've always loved the fact that you could immerse yourself in the universe, that you had set character-based episodes between what arcs there were, and the mythology. Instead, we're getting one story, a thirteen-part arc, and I've never felt the completely serialised Treks have worked as well as semi-serialised, with experiments such as 'Enterprise' Season 3, and (to a lesser extent), 'DS9' Season 6's six-parter, or 7's ten-parter, which had some truly great stuff, but weren't always served best by the nature of complete focus on continuous plots. I'd hoped from the announcement of it being a weekly series rather than dropping all episodes simultaneously, that it meant a greater likelihood of the traditional twenty-plus episodes, but we must remember that the series is debuting in January, the same as 'DS9' and 'Voyager' did back in 1993 and 1995, respectively, with shorter seasons as a consequence (twenty episodes, and sixteen), so we could still see longer seasons in future.

Until we get the real juicy facts that will reveal what we want to hear most of all: setting, casting, the time period, we remain in the dark, and a delicious time of speculation remains for a little while longer. Does multiple crews mean we will see Captain Worf after all? And Captain Riker (or should that be Troi?), on the Titan? The Enterprise-J? Captain Nog? At the moment the possibilities are endless, and in fact, unless they decide Prime is past its prime, anything is possible in the long run. I don't want January to come quickly, I'm enjoying the guessing and theorising, the conjecture and supposition!

Anticipation Rating: ****

Star Trek 2017 TV Series - Based in Canada & Weekly

Star Trek 2017 TV Series - Based in Canada & Weekly

A couple of new developments to comment on: when I first heard the series was going to be based in Canada (Toronto specifically), it didn't really register. I just thought 'Oh, okay, filmed in Canada,' but after thinking about it for a few days it dawned on me that this was quite a major step. The first 'Star Trek' not to be based at Paramount. Now, of course Paramount doesn't make the TV shows any more, it's CBS, and I'd never considered the logistics of this split in geographical terms, but it makes sense that they weren't going to be using the old soundstages where every modern Trek series was homed, maybe even where 'TOS' was shot, though I can't remember the exact details of that (I think those soundstages from the 60s would have been replaced). It hit me that a large slice of the history of Trek had been permanently sealed off, and that's quite sad in and of itself, though more for sentimental reasons. However, there are also practical issues with the new location, which is what I'm really curious to see the results of, and that is the distancing from the old pool of talented writers, production staff and guest stars that we took for granted for so many years of their tenure on modern Trek.

I'm wondering if people such as Michael and Denise Okuda, the backbones of Trek continuity, Doug Drexler, designer supreme, and other big names that were so essential to the smooth running of the machine that was Trek in the 90s, and even into the early 2000s, would be willing to up sticks and move to Toronto to ensure they were part of this new Trek into the unknown. Part of me thinks that of course they'd be willing, but time moves on, people get older, and it may be that Fuller, Meyer and the new gang in charge wanted it that way so they aren't tied to those from the old system who could well still be willing and able to jump in if it was closer to its original location. I hope this isn't the case, because I'd love those guiding hands there to keep things on track, and as much as it's a pleasure to see such a team of creatives from Trek's past heading up its future, the production side is almost as important in that regard. There's also the issue of the familiar troupe of Trek guest actors that developed across the four modern series', people such as Jeffrey Combs, Marc Alaimo, Andrew Robinson, Vaughn Armstrong and so many others that made their mark, in many cases in multiple roles. Again, I can see the desire to break free from the past, but I was hoping some familiar names would be guesting, even if not part of the main cast (though Tony Todd's supposed to be a part of it, so that gives me hope that the old names won't be forgotten).

If you're fascinated and drawn to every detail of something, then it's likely you'll also get concerned about those details. I'm not trying to blow this development out of proportion, it's really only a minor change to the way Trek was run before, so I'm certainly not worried about it. It's just that it does make me wonder. One thing that appears to be marking this series out as being more traditional than some might have been expecting is the news that, contrary to some opinion, it will be a weekly series. This means that it won't be a fling-it-all-out-there for people to binge on in as quick a time as they like, but will be released in the same way 'TOS' was back in the 60s: one episode per week. This may seem a backward step for a service that is supposed to be taking on the challenge of the modern era of viewing habits, since CBS All Access, the service Americans will have to use to watch it, is in earnest at becoming a competitor for the established streaming services. But I rather like that - there's still no word on how we in the UK will see our favourite franchise continue, whether it will be via the BBC (who became the go-to home of Trek throughout the 90s if you didn't have Sky), or Channel 4 (who hosted 'Enterprise,' though not, eventually, in a very good time slot, squashed into Sunday afternoons), or even Channel 5 (who sometimes pay out for big US shows such as 'Marvel Agents of SHIELD').

However it's broadcast, the weekly rollout leads me to suspect this will be in the upper region of total episodes, in line with 'SHIELD' and others, rather than going all out for super high production values a la 'Game of Thrones,' but fewer episodes. I prefer the former model, not just because it gives greater coverage year-round, but also because, though some complain about so-called 'filler' episodes, I've always enjoyed these as an alternative to the big episodes. If 'TNG' had been putting out only 10-13 episodes a season, would we have had 'Family' after 'Best of Both Worlds'? How many episodes of 'DS9' in which we learnt so much about the characters through their personal experiences as the focus of a story, would have been cut out if they were constricted by low episode numbers? I also feel that even if you condense a season to halve the old Trek's output (26, which sounds massive now), you'd probably still get some weaker episodes. But surely, if you love a series, a situation and its characters, you want to spend as much time there as possible? Whatever happens, we still know almost nothing about the premise (though early announcements pointed to a traditional ship-based exploration series), but little details like it being weekly lead me to suspect it will be fairly familiar, and I hope this is the case.

Anticipation Rating: ****

Star Trek 2017 TV Series - Set After 'Star Trek VI'

Star Trek 2017 TV Series - Set After 'Star Trek VI'

The latest educated rumours claim the series will not be set in the Abramsverse. Thumbs up from me. What is nowhere close to being confirmed is whether this will be in the Prime Universe of all previous Treks, or a third timeline, which would be a thumbs down from me! The chosen period appears to have been confirmed as The Lost Era (as the novel series coined it), three quarters of a century between the final 'TOS' film, 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,' and the first TV spinoff, 'The Next Generation.' I can't deny that this no man's land of largely unexplored and unexplained chunk of time is one area of the timeline that has always intrigued me, though I'm much more interested in the latter years (when the Enterprise-C roamed the stars), than the former (the Enterprise-B's stomping ground), although at the same time I'd be wary of leading in to 'TNG' as I don't want to see young versions of famous 24th Century characters, just as I was far from keen to see new actors play the roles in the current film series: give us new characters or bring back the occasional old face in their role (I read a suggestion of Michael Dorn as Colonel Worf again, the Grandfather of his more famous Klingon of the same name, first seen in 'Star Trek VI'). I wouldn't be that interested in a USS Excelsior series, either, although it might be fun to have George Takei do a James Kirk in 'Generations,' boarding her for a cameo to send her off under a new Captain. While none of this is officially confirmed we may as well be talking about a completely unknown starship and crew, which I think is more likely, given the greater creative freedoms.

At the same time, the last Trek series, 'Enterprise,' was a prequel, and that was the first series that failed to run for its full expected length. And as much as I enjoy it, it remains the weakest entry in the canon, and I'm not even coming from the point of view that concerned many: complaints that they changed the timeline by introducing familiar concepts, characters or races before they were supposed to be known, because in every case there were extenuating circumstances that may have bent canon, but never broke it (the fantastic Borg episode might be the best example). But putting it after the original film series, yet before the TV spinoffs could be a mire of complex canon conundrums the like of which could make 'Enterprise' seem like a walk in the park. Would they keep to the technology of the time or do what the Abramsverse films did to 'modernise' and update the look for people that didn't know or care what the old look looked like? 'Enterprise,' 'DS9' and 'TNG' all showed that the original sets of the first 'Star Trek' could still look good and were a real historical era. The film series, with its bigger budget made them more detailed, but if they were to make it appeal to today's audiences could they use the same level of tech that that time period is supposed to have?

It's a big question, and is tied substantially to what universe we're in - if they were to continue the timeline and fill in the gaps as it sounds like they are, then they would be hard pressed to change things too much, which might prompt them to be 'freed' from canon by creating a third universe, but would push us down the road of comic book continuity, full of meaningless, empty 'history' that can be changed any time and has no solid base of reality, and what's more, getting too complicated for the average viewer that might be able to accept two timelines (if they were drawn in by the films they could go back and watch the originals), but three? And what would be the point of setting it in a recognisable era if not to deal with history and fill in a hazy time ripe for examination and exposure? I'm in two minds on the setting: I'd have preferred to go further into the future, post-'Voyager' and the 'TNG' films, where there was much more freedom in which to create, yet easily tie into any past character or race they wanted to (which is what each spinoff did to varying degrees, even 'Enterprise' - with time travel anything's possible, of course). And yet I always come back to the idea of constraint breeding creativity, and it's not like there are that many data points we know about the era, and what little there is could be fascinating, especially if they went back to doing Vulcans right!

Another issue that I haven't even mentioned yet is the suggestion that this may not be the typical Trek series: that we may not follow one cast of characters over multiple seasons across an overarching setup on one ship. Instead, it could be an anthology, which is both mindbogglingly exciting, and a little worrying. Because it's wonderful to dive into Trek's universe and wallow in familiarity, whether that be characters we like or a ship we want to examine in minute detail, that's one of the main draws to watch week after week, to have time to get to know the characters and how they react to each new problem or situation, where a serialised format tends to be less rewatchable and satisfying. At the same time, the potential rewards are almost too exciting to contemplate: a chance to revisit any favourite era of Trek! Imagine returning to Deep Space Nine for a Season, or following the USS Defiant during the Dominion War (or even the Enterprise-E!). It means we could have a season set in the post-'TNG' galaxy, we could have the chance to see what ramifications Romulus' destruction in the 24th Century had on the Federation and other major powers, or we could dip back to the just-missed-out-on Earth/Romulan War. The possibilities are tremendous, not to mention the ability to bring back old actors as their characters. But it would also mean that if you loved one setting and group of characters you'd be disappointed you weren't getting more of them, warping off to some other time and crew.

However, these are all mere speculations, and they don't really change my anticipation either positively or negatively because nothing is tied down (that's why this period of waiting is probably the most enjoyable time for a new Trek production, anticipation and imagination allowed to run riot, despite it probably having very little chance of living up to that), but it's hard not to comment on even the suggestion of such things. The best news I take from it is the avoidance of the Abramsverse, but I still wait for confirmation that Trek's chronology will be treated with respect. They've won me over by the list of those involved (even the Roddenberry name lives on with his son Rod's involvement, even if the name is likely all he'll be supplying), but I still await full disclosure on the big questions. But so far, things continue to look bright! One last thing to say: while it's such fun to speculate about old characters and settings, we should remember that one of the earliest press releases stated this would be about new characters exploring strange new worlds, so we're unlikely to see the familiar cultures or planets we care about so much. My excitement is tempered by this back to basics approach, but not extinguished.

Anticipation Rating: ****

Star Trek 2017 TV Series - Bryan Fuller & Nicholas Meyer

Star Trek 2017 TV Series - Bryan Fuller & Nicholas Meyer

I'm starting to get excited again at the prospect of the new series. At first announcement it was purely the anticipation of possibilities, but with the caveat that a prominent member of the Abrams films was in charge, it was a bit of a blow to hopes that the original universe, its history and characters would be respected and expanded upon. While we still don't know if it will be 'Prime,' Abramsverse, or some third strand (things could get really confusing, and we don't need that), maybe a combination of time- and universe-hopping that would be completely different to everything that's gone before, hopes have been restored somewhat by recent pronouncements that Bryan Fuller, Trek expert and former 'DS9' and 'Voyager' writer has been made the show-runner. In itself that wasn't enough to get me posting my thoughts, but while that wasn't the most unexpected development (since he was one of the names in the hat that have been kicking around with ideas for a new series, or the avowed wish to get involved, for a few years), another addition to the producing and writing staff has been a total out-of-the-blue shock: Nicholas Meyer!

The man on the street won't know the name, but they'll have felt the impact since he was responsible (not single-handedly, but in large part), of keeping Trek profitable thanks to the small budget and big success of 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,' then again with 'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,' and 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,' three of the most critically and popularly acclaimed of all current twelve films in existence (soon to be thirteen when 'Star Trek Beyond' is released this year). It's crazy, it's mad, and it's happening, and unless there's a case of creative differences, we could be seeing Meyer's name on a TV episode of Trek next year! This isn't the first time his name has been bandied about - he may have been in the running at one time to direct what became 'Generations,' perhaps 'Nemesis,' and even projects beyond that, though those were all rumour: this is fact. It seems ridiculous to be living in a world where such things are possible, but it's not April, so it isn't an April Fool. Where do I stand on all this? I'm broadly in favour, although my favourite of 'The Original Series' Trek films are actually not the 'expected' ones - I like 'Star Trek V: The Final Frontier' for its character work, 'Star Trek III: The Search For Spock' for its wonder, and yes, 'VI' for its intrigue, though in general I prefer the 24th Century Treks, both the films and TV. I can see what he did to improve the formula after a slow start with 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture,' which I admire, is impressive, but is also not that thrilling. He added a dash of colour, verve and reality to the characters that had existed in 'TOS,' but had been drained away for the first feature film.

On the other hand I do feel some concern. Because Meyer notoriously didn't care too much for the canon, changing a lot of things that had existed for Trek's entirety, making it much more militaristic, adding anachronisms such as Kirk's reading glasses. But the ageing of the characters also added so much to the flavour of the film, and is something Trek needs in order to appeal to a wide age group, something that all the series' had, bar 'Enterprise' which stripped things back to basics and became a much-simplified entry in the ongoing lore. The canon and the history is very important to those of us who have followed every series and film, and I for one hope that such things are not ignored (or bypassed as was done with the Abrams films), but incorporated and built upon. That's where Fuller could be an asset as he's on record as nominating 'DS9' his favourite series, which also happens to be mine. The fact that he wrote for both that and my other favourite, 'Voyager,' could bode well that the style and content of those two pinnacles of Trek entertainment might be adhered to. But again, there are reservations as he's said he wants to go back to a colourful, more 'TOS' type of series which could also mean more simplistic planet of the week exploration. This may be in the spirit of how the concept was originally conceived, but I prefer more depth, exploring select cultures and expanding upon what has been already laid down. The new premise sounds like it may ditch past races and characters, which while creatively easier for new writers, wouldn't be as satisfying for me.

Yet Fuller has written some great episodes of Trek, both his 'DS9' stories are particular favourites of mine ('The Darkness and The Light' and 'Empok Nor'), emphasising the eeriness and danger in the shadows, the lack of control characters experience and the way they react to such situations, which would appear to be at odds with the bright, sunny outlook I get the impression is what they want for this new series. It's also unfortunate that he rose to his most prominent position during the latter years of 'Voyager,' which I think of as the declining years after the boom of the mid-nineties, when the series was not reaching its full potential, happy to trundle along as it had before, rather than taking the reins as 'DS9' went off the air. Even so, I count 'The Raven,' 'Mortal Coil,' 'Bride of Chaotica!,' 'Course: Oblivion,' 'Juggernaut,' 'Relativity,' 'Fury,' and 'Flesh and Blood' as some of the top episodes from their respective seasons, so his style of writing must appeal to my tastes. But again, Trek in those days was in control of those above, so how much was his own voice, and how much were the constraints placed upon him responsible for the quality of the output, and would having free rein to create whatever he wanted actually undermine his creativity rather than support it? It's a difficult question to answer and one that is impossible to know until we experience the new series.

On the whole my hope for the new series has risen a good few notches, and I like the idea that someone from the nineties TV shows that I like best, someone from the successful eighties (and early nineties), film series, and someone from the contemporary film series (but not so much!), have come together to craft the sixth 'Star Trek' TV series, because it shows that those in control of the money, unlike Paramount with the new films, are showing a shrewd understanding of those concerned about the small print, who've followed the various productions over the years and want creatives that have a history with the franchise, not completely new unknowns that just want their vision turned into reality with the Trek name slapped on top (à la Abramsverse). Either that or they're throwing whatever popular names they can think of at a wall and hoping something will stick! But I prefer to take the more optimistic view (as the Trek universe tends to do), that this will be a good thing, and that Meyer's character skill and life experience will temper Fuller's knowledge of wider Trek and ambition to return to its roots. Still, for me, the most important questions are yet to be answered: the time period and the universe it will be set in, as the history and chronology are very important to me (I don't have 'The Star Trek Chronology' book sitting on my shelf for nothing!), and while it wouldn't end all possibility of the new series fitting into the rest of the canon, it would be a sour note to begin proceedings. But so far, so tentatively good.

One last thing: Meyer has mentioned that his own 'Star Trek VI' is "…a real sort of taking off point, or touchstone for how I guess he’s thinking about the direction of the new show." This makes me wonder in exactly what way?
- It could be a direct continuation following on from the events of that film (unlikely),
- He may be referring to the style of political intrigue at the heart of it (very likely),
- Or it could be that the situation of a once great enemy of the Federation experiences a major crippling event that forces them to seek peace with their longtime enemy (possible…). My hope is in option three, as this could mean that the events of 'Star Trek XI' will be addressed. Ever since that film threw in the comment about Romulus being destroyed I was intensely frustrated, thinking we'd never get to see the fallout of such a major shift in the balance of power in the Alpha Quadrant. Could it be that this is the central idea that will form the backdrop? Think about it: they have Alex Kurtzman who cowrote that apocalyptic change into the Prime universe, and when Meyer talks of 'VI' being an influence it could well be in the same vein as Praxis' destruction, and what would be a better way to please longterm viewers and new film followers alike than to explore an event that both camps have a common interest in? On the other hand it could be about a completely new race with the same kind of situation, but I'd be very interested to see the buildup and aftermath to Romulus' annihilation.

Anticipation Rating: ****