"When did the Star Trek Franchise Jump the Shark?" Topic

I think Voyager or maybe late Babylon 5 (err, I mean Deep Space Nine).

Star Trek IV The Voyage Home… It had its moments, but certainly the beginning of the end for Trek in my mind.

The Cage

Star trek the motion picture was the end

Back in the original series.
Specifically when they roamed around the back lot where the Lone Ranger used to roam around, and the Klingon kept stabbing people in the back for no particular reason other than that was what Klingons did.
Was that the Yangs and Combs one? With the E Plegnista?
Whatever. It just showed me how bad and dumb the show could be, making the good ones so much better.
Mudd and Tribbles were silly too.

But any time any show features time travel, it has jumped the shark.

So…Doctor Who jumped the shark immediately?

Hasn't yet. Entertaining flicks and ideas. just as ST was meant to be.

Never!!!!

> Mudd and Tribbles were silly too.

Which is good since that is exactly what they were supposed to be.

It jumped and jumped back a few times.

I'm with Dynaman8789 it's jumped back and forth a few times. Don't care for the current reboot with the change in the time line. Now they have become typical action films dependent on fast pace and special effects. They have lost what made Star Trek different from Star Wars.

Didn't Star Trek 4 jump the whale?

It hasn't!

Star Trek III, what with Spock regrowing, the recasting of Saavik, the killing of David, blowing up the Enterprise… it swung back with Star Trek IV, and every movie from that point until the Abrams reboot has suffered similarly.

In my opinion, of vourse.

For the sake of others not having to look it up, as I did, it means the time when tv shows or film franchises have stories that are out of place, just for the entertainment value.

With US tv this tends to happen around season 6-7. Luckily Star Trek ends at 7, so is not affected as badly as, say The X Files or SG1.

It usually occurs as a result of the shows writers beginning to draw inspiration from the show itself and its popularity, as opposed to outside influences. This is why you end up with a fan of the shows characters as a character, reflecting the real audience. You also get your musical/totally weird eps around this time. There is usually a lot of goofing off in the later seasons.

This may be why shows like SeaQuest, Time Trax, Battlestar Galactica and the like (small number of seasons) seem so straight in comparison, they were just getting in to their formula and were not popular enough mainstream or were still new enough not to want to change it.

Another reason for this is that by season 6 contracts are ending and cast and crew are moving on. The show may also be on the chopping block, or there is a fear that it will soon be and everyone is trying to have fun as they are getting tired or board with the formula.

So Trek never really gets there in any particular season.

That said I feel the latest 3 films were a joke (I assume the last followed the first two, as I still have not suffered it).

Voyager was the last nail in the coffin. TNG was getting sillier as the series went on. For my money the original series was & still is the best.

Enterpise/Fake star trek movies.

When they had a child on the bridge driving the ship.

Given that Star Trek has remained popular throughout its run and it didn't become mostly irrelevant and had to resort to a dumb stunt to emphasize it, I wouldn't say it didn't jump the shark as per the definition.

It did however suffer from overexposure and was sideslipped by other SF shows.

When I had to get a special subscription to watch it …

+1 Legion 4

When I enjoyed its spoof 'The Orville' more than itself.

The first re-boot movie. Thanks for nothing JJ.

It never did, or at least, unless there's an agreed "shark" for Star Trek to jump, which hasn't been stated.

TNG, Episode 1: "Hi, I'm Counselor Troi."

Looking back, I think I'm going to have to go with TNG for TV and probably ST:TMP (really?, you can't come up with a better script than a rehash of The Changeling?) for the movies. TNG was just boring for the most part (of course not as boring as DS9). I do think Enterprise actually wasn't too bad (kept expecting Al to pop in), except for the final episode that was just agonizing weak-sauce. The new stuff just doesn't feel like Trek. It's trying to be the Galactica reboot with the now overused. silly Hollwoodism, "grittiness".

Almost forgot, not Trek, but Paramount/Viacom has jumped it in regards to distribution when they chose to distribute the "Original" series to TV stations with modern CGI sequences from the bluray release replacing the original filming models, both the Enterprise and others.

Channel 10 (OZ) got one phone call at least, I assure you. I urge fans to contact their local stations or Viacom/Paramount directly in this regard. They showed no disclaimer prior to the show to inform viewers of the change. And, of course, why not just air the ORIGINAL version???

The Enterprise filming model hangs in the Smithsonian national air and space museum, if I remember correctly and was the ship the first space shuttle was named after. I would have expected a little more respect from all parties in regards to the shows re-runs.

Hate to say that your phone call was negated by mine. The new effects are excellent.

Actually the CGI is quite poor, compared to other examples. Which, while off the point, only adds to the question of why?

This change to the broadcast version appears to have occurred in 2006.

I also forgot to mention the model makers and crew who's work on Star Trek has been ignored by the change. The work of these people deserves to live long and prosper.

Why is simple – they had to update the film for HD, perhaps bluray and decided to update the FX where possible to go along with it. The CGI takes nothing away from the original model makers.

Actually they are no longer airing their work. They are clearly taking that away from them.

They also take a lot away from fans who may have been drawn into model building or non-cg special effects if given the chance to see their work.

35mm film is not "updated" for HD, it is scanned and perhaps cleaned up (I simplify the true task a lot here, of course).

Effects shots are usually dirtier than regular shots due to the multiple handling and developings. This may be to what you refer, but still does not answer the question of why, as it is a 60s show and that is what they look like.

What's next a Justin Bieber hair do for Agent 86???

I call it the Lucas effect. (That shark was mid 90s, if not the late 80s renamings)

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> Actually they are no longer airing their work. They are clearly taking that away from them.

Station decision. I've seen both versions showing in my area this past year. AMAZON video has both versions available, AND the blu-rays have the option to watch either version. So clearly not taking anything away. Unless station's should be told they HAVE to show the old one.

Of course stations should be told what to show. By the viewers. You do not have to suffer in silence. Pick up the phone or write or email, let them know what's what, after all, if the viewers wont, who will? They appreciate the feedback.

As for having to show the "old one", for 60s Star Trek, that is the only one.

I also see flashy effects stuck on an old show turning off more people than it is likely to generate in new fans. If they aren't into it with the original effects I don't see the new effects making much difference.

Good to hear the original is still airing. I do appreciate you letting me know. Cheers for that.

For me, ST:TNG first show, the first ST movie, and Voyager.

When they turned the bridge into a lounge, complete with all the comforts of a green room, a lounge-lizard, (Riker) a psychiatrist to explain how the other characters were feeling, as if you couldn't tell by the script or acting, (Deanna Troy) and a whining, know-it-all kid (Shut up, Wesley!)

I feel TOS already covered that. They had the lounge lizard in Kirk, the psychiatrist in Spock and the kid in Checkov.

TNG simply broke up the characters in to even more characters to flesh out the crew:

Kirk became Picard (captain) and Ricker (swash buckler).
Spock became Diana (alien/inquiring mind)) and Worf (alien trying to conform) and Data (logical mind and often misunderstood).
Bones became crusher (doctor) and Riker (captains friend)
Checov/ Sulu became wesley and geordi (Youthful, ensigns on the bridge).
Uhura became more women?? A bit of her may be in Data or Worf? By way of them being different to the rest of the crew? As much as Worf's aggression is kept in check, she was (from memory) treated as fragile and protected, more than TNG's women.
Scotty became geordi (engineer) and Riker (fun loving) and O'Brian (Scot?, engineer)

Something along those lines at least.

At least to say all the originals are in there if you look.