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A hybrid format for Star Trek: Academy sounds truly awful

BBG News

As a lifelong Trekker who’s been beaming through the galaxy since the original series premiered, I must say that the announcement of Starfleet Academy has me all aflutter! The stellar cast and the return of beloved veterans like Robert Picardo promise an adventure beyond the final frontier. Yet, I can’t help but feel a sense of trepidation, as Alex Kurtzman continues to test the loyalty of this fanbase with his unconventional ideas.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has sparked great enthusiasm among fans due to its impressive cast and a return of notable actors from the original series like Robert Picardo. The show seems to hold significant promise, potentially surpassing anything else the franchise is currently developing, such as Star Trek 4 or Section 31.

It seems hard to not have more hype than Section 31 at this point, but I digress.

Despite previous hopes that Alex Kurtzman was capable with Star Trek, his recent work continues to raise concerns among fans. Shows like Prodigy and Strange New Worlds initially suggested a promising future, but the disappointing Section 31 trailer has left many questioning the upcoming content.

In simpler terms, Kurtzman’s latest announcement about the forthcoming show has only added to our apprehension. At Comic-Con, he disclosed (through TrekMovie) that the upcoming series will adopt a “combined style,” which, for now, leaves us puzzled as to what exactly it entails.

“It’s a really exciting show for us, because, well I won’t give away too much about the show, but I do think that we’re kind of finding a new format which is interesting… Kind of a hybrid format, which I’m very excited about.”

Star Trek consistently demonstrates its versatility across various genres, but when attempts are made to create dark and grim series such as Discovery and Picard, they struggle to resonate with fans. Conversely, while Lower Decks has garnered more approval than disapproval, it hasn’t received the same level of fan support as shows like Strange New Worlds or even Picard.

Essentially, Strange New Worlds remains true to its core as a Star Trek series, avoiding attempts to be something it isn’t. While not every episode may hit the mark perfectly, overall, the show is well-received. The idea of blending different styles within the Star Trek universe seems unpromising and repetitive, given past attempts with similar results – generally, failure.

You can be mad at the fans who don’t like content that isn’t distinctly Star Trek, but you can’t deny that it’s harder to have a franchise that is ignoring its core fanbase than embracing it. If the fans of the more “hybrid’ shows like Lower Decks and Discovery like that, then it’s fair to say they’d like more Strange New Worlds. If that’s the case, why not just make more shows like Strange New Worlds?

Instead, consider extending Strange New Worlds to a full 20-episode season. With so many viewers expressing fatigue towards this type of content, perhaps it’s now appropriate to introduce fresh guidance for the franchise, should this be the path that Kurtzman chooses to follow.

Ignoring the loyal fanbase, they’re striving to attract new fans by potentially alienating the old ones. It’s acceptable to aim for a younger demographic and broaden your audience, but it’s important to stay true to the classic Star Trek feel instead of frequently changing the format based on current trends. Section 31 serves as an example of this approach.

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2024-08-01 00:23

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