While I have some quibbles about some of the recent offerings the simple fact is there has never been as much Star Wars/Trek content out there as there is today. And a good 70%-80% is watchable!
But insatiability is part of the human condition so it's worth asking what do we really want to see?
For me my dream Star Trek show would be an Expanse style political drama set soon after the invention of warp drive/first contact. The world devastated by WWIII, nations competing to see who will command FTL travel, Luddites and isolationists opposing it, Khan's genetic upgrades running around, idealists trying to launch Earth first interstellar ship (oh let's call it Enterprise, why not), and Vulcans trying to make sense of this madness.
For Star Wars, I would love to see the Legacy Era. Luke Skywalker's grandson is a drug addicted bounty hunter, the Empire, Sith, Jedi and New Republic are all fighting for the top slot... It was a great comic and would make a great setting with all 4 factions you want to see.
Id like to see a decent Rogue Squadron series. The books were very much in the vein of Space Above and beyond, and if they had made SAAB in the star wars setting and with their ships, I could watch that for days!
I know there is a film coming along on this topic, but a series would allow a much nicer exploration of the trials, victories and losses of a front line combat squadron.
Thinking of the various other genres out there, have they done a Star Wars crime procedural?
For me I want a naval drama Star Trek in the vein of Hornblower or Aubrey-Maturin.
i.e. a drama set in the midshipman's berth on a patched up old Excelsior-class starship in the blocade squadron of space-Brest.
The ship would definetily not be the cream of starfleet; the ship would have a few gripes and be heavy around the left nacelle, the first lieutenant would be a disciplinarian with a chip on his shoulder from being passed over for promotion so many times and the doctor an old soak who can barely be relied upon to laser the right leg off!
Kroem wrote: For me I want a naval drama Star Trek in the vein of Hornblower or Aubrey-Maturin.
i.e. a drama set in the midshipman's berth on a patched up old Excelsior-class starship in the blocade squadron of space-Brest.
The ship would definetily not be the cream of starfleet; the ship would have a few gripes and be heavy around the left nacelle, the first lieutenant would be a disciplinarian with a chip on his shoulder from being passed over for promotion so many times and the doctor an old soak who can barely be relied upon to laser the right leg off!
I think you just described the pitch meeting for Lower Decks
Kroem wrote: For me I want a naval drama Star Trek in the vein of Hornblower or Aubrey-Maturin.
i.e. a drama set in the midshipman's berth on a patched up old Excelsior-class starship in the blocade squadron of space-Brest.
The ship would definetily not be the cream of starfleet; the ship would have a few gripes and be heavy around the left nacelle, the first lieutenant would be a disciplinarian with a chip on his shoulder from being passed over for promotion so many times and the doctor an old soak who can barely be relied upon to laser the right leg off!
I think you just described the pitch meeting for Lower Decks
Yeah but now imagine it as a drama. Add in a 'anyone can die' rule ala Game of Thrones and I am on board.
I want a true sequel to DS9 that actually deals with the ramifications and aftermath of the Dominion War in a dramatic fashion. Much as I love Lower Decks, it's a comedy first and a drama second. Picard makes me want to stab someone's fingers off because the writing is everything wrong with modern film.
Just someone do what was done with Strange New Worlds and do it with the post-TNG period. It doesn't have to be bloody perfect but I don't believe for a second anyone really wants to just keep writing pre-TOS (for what reason even?) and a very long and very bad rendition of Insurrection.
And how about a Star Wars show that's actually completely unconnected in every way shape and form from the Galactic Civil War Saga? Take a damn risk for once in your lives. You know how these franchises made their mark on the cultural landscape? They took fething risks. Just look at Prey right over there *points* Want to know why Prey doesn't suck but practically everything else in the Predator franchise does? Because it took risks.
Alternately, just stop writing TV shows and movies in the boardroom. CEO's can barely make money without cutting costs. They're by definition the opposite of creative. Stop letting them run the creative industry from the boardroom.
For Star Trek, I just want the post-nemesis novelverse back again. It felt like real Star Trek, the setting, characters and mindset I want from Star Trek. No more movies or TV shows. No modern bleak dramas. No reimagining for “modern audiences”. Just hope, exploration, professionalism, camaraderie, and wonder.
Star Wars works well enough on TV, especially when it doesn’t have any movie characters involved. Movie Saga Star Wars is dead.
I want a Trek show that rotates 4-6 episodes on a specific ship, then moves on to a different one. I find it laughable that the Enterprise is literally the only ship dealing with anything substantive...
I'd like a Star Wars show (or movie<s> set during the Galactic Civil War, with NONE of the established characters involved. Nor should any planet (especially Tatoonine!) Already shown/visited be used.
100% new characters, be they good guys or bad guys. 100% new places.
At the most those established characters/places/events should be referenced in conversation. But never seen. Not even a cameo.
Why? Because it's a GALACTIC CIVIL WAR. There's fighting & stories happening all over the place.
The Mandolorian was doing this. And then they had to go & actually bring in Luke, Fett, Ahsoka, Tatoonine... ("sigh")
As for Star Trek?
● NO TIME TRAVEL! None.
● I'd also like to see a show where the usual bridge crew/major important personal all go on the typical dangerous Away Mission (you know, the ones where those in charge of a ship full of trained underlings should say "I've got people for this....") - AND GET KILLED.
Killed dead & not coming back dead.
Keep it a secret during production & hit the viewers with this change about 5 episodes in....
Surprise! These people are NOT the stars if the series.
I doubt I'll ever see either of these. Not in SW/ST.
Tatooine - This series explores the scarcely seen or explored world of Tatooine, birth place of Darth Vader. The show would feature a lot of characters from the Original Trilogy in cameos and full roles, but everyone who was bad would be good now, as main characters can't be bad in Disney shows.
Reva: A Skywalker Story - Set after her heel-turn to the light side, ex-Inquisitor Reva begins to learn more about the old Jedi order, and models herself on what Anakin once was, rather than what he became, eventually taking the name Reva Skywalker.
Skywalker: A Skywalker Story - Set after the events of Rise of Skywalker, we see Rey Skywalker joining up with a now-older Reva Skywalker to start the Skywalker Academy of Skywalkers (a new name for Jedi). A running gag will be Finn trying to tell Rey something really important each episode, but somehow never getting around to it. Baby Yoda will be in this for some reason.
I'm like to see an anthology show, for either franchise, I really liked the "From a certain point of view" books, so something like a live action Visions would be fun, short stories connected to the setting but without all the baggage of the past 40 or 50 years
ccs wrote: I'd like a Star Wars show (or movie<s> set during the Galactic Civil War, with NONE of the established characters involved. Nor should any planet (especially Tatoonine!) Already shown/visited be used.
100% new characters, be they good guys or bad guys. 100% new places.
At the most those established characters/places/events should be referenced in conversation. But never seen. Not even a cameo.
Why? Because it's a GALACTIC CIVIL WAR. There's fighting & stories happening all over the place.
The Mandolorian was doing this. And then they had to go & actually bring in Luke, Fett, Ahsoka, Tatoonine... ("sigh")
As for Star Trek?
● NO TIME TRAVEL! None.
● I'd also like to see a show where the usual bridge crew/major important personal all go on the typical dangerous Away Mission (you know, the ones where those in charge of a ship full of trained underlings should say "I've got people for this....") - AND GET KILLED.
Killed dead & not coming back dead.
Keep it a secret during production & hit the viewers with this change about 5 episodes in....
Surprise! These people are NOT the stars if the series.
I doubt I'll ever see either of these. Not in SW/ST.
I really like that Star Trek idea; it’s a bit like a combination of the original Lower Decks episode / what Voyager should have been. Throwing a bunch of inexperienced, ill prepared misfits into command of a starship a long way from home is a great way to explore the ideals of the Federation, moral quandaries, the grey areas between the rules and what’s right etc. (you know, like Star Trek should!). You can’t really do that on the fully armed and operational Federation flagship!
SW? So far it’s only Book of Boba Fett that was a bit ropey, and to be honest the ropeiness has become a trope and thus somewhat overstated.
Andor is looking pretty good, and we’ve still got Ahsoka to come.
But what I hope for those shows are More Locations. Tattooine is gonna Tattooine, and always was from The Phantom Menace onwards. Show us greater variety of planets.
Do this. Either Law and Order, Coruscant, or Troops pretty much anywhere. How much fun could be had with the mooks, or getting a sense of Imperial justice when there aren't any Jedi involved?
Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote: SW? So far it’s only Book of Boba Fett that was a bit ropey, and to be honest the ropeiness has become a trope and thus somewhat overstated.
Obi-wan was awful. Boba Fett was a bit more than 'ropey'.
I enjoyed Obi-Wan. Could’ve done with some trimming, but overall I was well entertained.
Book of Boba Fett just had weird pacing, and didn’t really match what I think most of us expected from a series focussing on the Galaxy’s most feared and notorious Bounty Hunter.
Star Trek: Platoon - Based on that one episode of DS9 where they meet up with a Star Fleet team fighting the ground war against the Dominion. Follows a team of Federation Troops as they go from battle to battle trying to fight a humane and ethical war. Based obviously on America (and other countries') experiences of trying to fight wars, but in a good way, in everywhere from Vietnam to Afghanistan to Ukraine.
It would also highlight the hypocrisy of Star Fleet constantly saying they're not a military organization, but a scientific and diplomatic one that occasionally needs to defend itself. Similar to post-war Japan and Germany committing to peace but having rather large armies. Japan more than Germany I think, they don't have a military, they have a Defense Force. They don't have an aircraft carrier, it's a Destroyer that happens to have some aircraft on board.
The platoon would be defined as Forward Security Officers (or some similar euphemism) rather than soldiers. They'd make full use of Federation technology/magic, stun weapons, transporters, replicators, medical care where everything short of disintegration is an outpatient procedure, that make it possible to wage war where no one has to be killed. And what does that do to you? Especially when the other guys are not playing by those rules.
Base them on a Federation Assault Ship (sorry, Federation Forward Security Transport) with fighters (sorry Heavy Security Shuttles) and such so you can still have space battles and other typical Trek scenes. And of course Anyone Can Die Anytime.
Honestly? Nothing for Trek. Just let it stop for a bit or if they have to do something, for god's sake make it actually new. Lower Decks brought in a new crew with connections to previous events played up for jokes rather than being vital to the plot. Discovery did the new crew but then Burnham was tied to Spock and Sarik was there, and by S2 the Enterprise was involved.
If Discovery had started in the future I think I would have liked it more. The Spore Drive would have been a new test as a replacement for Warp Drives after The Burn, Saru could have been one of the new species added to the Federation during its reconstruction efforts after the secession of most of the OG members post-Burn. You could still have those past connections like maybe making Bajor the new home of the Federation but it would be a truly clean slate.
Wars? The Old Republic. I want to see some proper Sith action.
For Star Wars I'd like a more starfighter based show about non force sensitive pilots going against the empire, trying to keep supplied maybe play a part in the 2nd Death Star battle. Pretty much distance away from the Jedi/Sith stuff and feature more fighters/bombers and other craft that's in games, books, and the x-wing minis game. Like start the heroes off in Z-95 Headhunters instead of X-wings and have them play a part in helping get the Incom people put of the Empire so they can make the prototypes of the X-wing.
I would like to see a droid uprising story where they finally deal with the status of droids in the SW Galaxy. Maybe Droid Spartacus with a heavy dose of Droid Roots.
“Your name is 2B!”
*beepbleepbobloopbeep*
“I said 2B!” *buzzzzzz*
*Droid falls over, makes comical noises*
…on second thought that’s a terrible idea. Almost as bad as the sequel trilogy.
BobtheInquisitor wrote: I would like to see a droid uprising story where they finally deal with the status of droids in the SW Galaxy. Maybe Droid Spartacus with a heavy dose of Droid Roots.
“Your name is 2B!”
*beepbleepbobloopbeep*
“I said 2B!” *buzzzzzz*
*Droid falls over, makes comical noises*
…on second thought that’s a terrible idea. Almost as bad as the sequel trilogy.
There’s even a route into it. Not necessarily a good route….but a route.
We know Lando’s Droid L3-37 was all about Droid Liberation, and at least part of her programming was uploaded into the Falcon.
Only takes an Astromech hooked in to discover whatever of L3-37 is in there, and be persuaded. Boom, her Droid Uprising begins afresh.
The first movie, Star Wars, introduces us to the universe through two droids presented as characters. The film expects us to care about their fates. They have thoughts and feelings and even a bit of an arc. The movie only works if we accept them as people. Property, yes, but also people.
PS: it’s a common confusion, but “sapient” is the more accurate term.
A Star Wars war story tv show, following a unit though their battles
but it's a realistic war series so characters can and will die, and sometimes they'll die with their story threads unresolved
Film it UK soap opera fashion with scripts revealed week to week so none of the actors really know whats going on
and randomly check whether they live or die or are seriously injured each week, higher chance if they're new and inexperienced, lower if they're veterans, and even lower (but not nil) if they're away on leave
maybe give the writers one or two sacrifice cards where they can shift a death from one main cast member to another (but it would need to be another major cast member, not space dave who only showed up last week)
and no existing members of star wars street except by occasional mention
I'd welcome a Starwars series that doesn't follow someone in the rebellion, the Imperium nor any combatant.
Perhaps a political series set on a world that we've perhaps not seen with a rich tapestry of alien races, both native and those visiting (yay huge CGI and make-up budget).
What I'd love to see is the transitional period from Republic through the steady slide into the Empire and how it actually changes lives for those involved. Both from the perspective of those in office who perhaps lose their jobs and lives through the political and structural upheaval; through to those who perhaps grow up with the new order of rule.
Seeing a generational and social change that the Empire brings. A way to show its more subtle evils and dark side. Without guns or lightsabres or battles.
I feel its an area that is underdeveloped. We all know the Empire and Rebels fight each other constantly; we all know they take casualties and that the Empire is really nasty against their enemies. However I want to see the other side; how life under the Emperor's rule changes life for others.
Star Wars: I would love a gritty serialized story in the vein of RDM's Battlestar Galactica. Something with a lot of character building, the occasional setpiece and an oppressive atmosphere. Alphabet Squadron would be my first choice, but you could really have it follow anybody during the rebellion era - and I imagine Andor is going to at least have some shades of what I'm looking for - but it'd be nice if it ran a story across like five or six seasons.
Rogue Squadron would also be interesting, but it has so many fighter pilot set pieces I think the adaptation would have to be animated to have any hope of keeping on budget. You could change a few locations here and there and basically have it fit into cannon no problem - or you could swap out Wedge for Poe and have it be a post-RoS story without changing much else at all.
Trek: My ideal show is one they can't possibly do because of Picard, but RedLetterMedia made a video pitch for a fantastic sounding show called Star Trek: Galaxy that I would have loved to see.
I do love the idea of a show with a handful of episodes dedicated to different ships - it'd be an interesting way to have stakes in your story, where anyone could die becuase they'd otherwise only be around for two or three episodes, sometimes the ship blows up at the end but serves a greater purpose, maybe the last set of episodes the ship is destroyed early and the narrative shifts to the Romulans or something. I dunno, it sounds kinda experimental but I'd be on board for at least a season.
Kroem wrote: For me I want a naval drama Star Trek in the vein of Hornblower or Aubrey-Maturin.
i.e. a drama set in the midshipman's berth on a patched up old Excelsior-class starship in the blocade squadron of space-Brest.
The ship would definetily not be the cream of starfleet; the ship would have a few gripes and be heavy around the left nacelle, the first lieutenant would be a disciplinarian with a chip on his shoulder from being passed over for promotion so many times and the doctor an old soak who can barely be relied upon to laser the right leg off!
I think you just described the pitch meeting for Lower Decks
On paper Lower Decks sounds great, but then someone mentioned how kids these days love that Rick and Morty and look what we got instead of Hornblower in space
I wonder how many more bad Star Treks we can have before Gene Roddenberry's corpse reaches a rotational velocity of warp 10 and destroys the whole galaxy
People keep comparing Rick and Morty to Lower Decks and all I can think of is all those people who just kept comparing Babylon Five to Deep Space Nine because of their superficial similarities.
It's an animated adult-aimed comedy made by a guy who worked on R&M so yeah the resemblance is there.
That being said, it's consistently funny IMO and the characters are actually good. It makes references to other ST shows but holds its own as well. I do understand the reluctance to get started watching it (I myself used to be in this camp) but it's really good.
Kroem wrote: Maybe I'm just being a grumpy old man shaking my fist at a cloud then
To be fair, the show doesn't really hit its stride until halfway into the first season and doesn't become truly good until the second (IMO). I'd still point at Wej Duj as one of the greatest episodes of Star Trek ever made.
I think a lot of people saw the first 1-2 episodes and decided it wasn't for them when those episodes are by far among the weakest in the show. The first one especially actually gets worse on subsequent viewings I think :/
For Star Wars, I had an idea but realized it was essentially Arcane, but set on Nar Shadda under the Hutts.
Then I realized that was better than pretty much any idea they've tried so far, so... yeah. Sticking with that.
Star Trek... eh. Exploration vessel does smart, science-y exploration things. Basically Seven of Nine's parents, but with a larger crew complement and a sense of responsibility.
Star Wars the EU books top on that list-The thrawn trilogy.... although it isn't official darthangelus's YT channel is CG animating the entire book series with a lot of love. the first 2 hour movie is out
Star Trek- I was hoping enterprise would lead into the war with the romulans of the klingon federation war..then they went all alt timeline with it.
the closest thing we have to that era in the right setting is the AXANAR fan project, but after the court settlement and the new IP rules it will never happen beyond the 3 fantastic episodes they are making.
the closest thing trek wise that was great was the new voyages series and movies that included cameos of the original crew taking the 60s look of the show with updated graphics.
Currently i am rather surprised after STD that "star trek strange new worlds" is actually pretty good.
There's a bar. It's close to SFHQ, but not too close. It isn't fancy, but it isn't a dive either. It's the exact kind of place where higher up admirals and Picard-esque characters can go to get away from the politics of it all.
The best part is, the bartender is wise beyond his/her years. Perhaps they were once world beating, shooting star officers like Picard and Janeway and Kirk. For whatever reason, they are bartending.
There's also an assortment of other regular characters who frequent this bar who may offer less-than-sage advice to an MC officer, but it sounds good when the booze is flowing.
Star Trek: The Reanimated Series - So my opinion of Star Trek TAS is unwatchable drek. Terrible, cheap reused animation and plots that might have been mildly interesting 40 years ago but offer little today.
BUT, with extensive involvement from Roddenberry and voice acting from the original cast it's the closest thing to S4 there ever will be.
SO reanimate it. Modern computer animation (maybe in the Filmation style, but y'know, good). Re-edit, add dialogue where you can, make it... y'know good.
I'd actually watch it.
Or failing that give Star Trek Continues a license for like a dollar and let them go do it.
Star Trek: The Reanimated Series - So my opinion of Star Trek TAS is unwatchable drek. Terrible, cheap reused animation and plots that might have been mildly interesting 40 years ago but offer little today.
BUT, with extensive involvement from Roddenberry and voice acting from the original cast it's the closest thing to S4 there ever will be.
SO reanimate it. Modern computer animation (maybe in the Filmation style, but y'know, good). Re-edit, add dialogue where you can, make it... y'know good.
I'd actually watch it.
Or failing that give Star Trek Continues a license for like a dollar and let them go do it.
Sounds like you want a She-ra reboot of it, and for much the same reasons.
Could be good, as long as it doesn't follow the path of Masters of the Universe Revelation instead.
Star Trek just needs someone writing that knows something about STAR TREK. I consider myself pretty superficial as a fan, but damn, have I seen some nonsense in these shows by that clownshoe they keep giving this to.
Hell, back in the day- RICK BERMAN was the wholesale antichrist, in taking the shows where he did. You know something, his stuff is Shakespeare, copared to what they are pushing now. ?This stuff now is just mean, and ill mannered. Like they are giving you the two finger salute, just to rub it in your face.
I'd like to have seen a Star Trek: Renegades show that they filmed a pilot of. That show really had some promise. too bad they didn't pull the trigger on it.
Second show I'd go for would be a new Star Trek. New ship, new crew, new stories- in the same tone as the original series. No yelling and cursing, No goody two shoes, and no Mary Sues allowed. Crew starts out, green as gills, then evolves with different shows with different adventures, depending on the assignments. Captain and half the crew gets wasted first run out after the ship goes out on its first or second mission, and everyone has to step up, according to their postings. Exploration, adventure, and the human condition... it's not hard.
Grot 6 wrote: Star Trek just needs someone writing that knows something about STAR TREK. I consider myself pretty superficial as a fan, but damn, have I seen some nonsense in these shows by that clownshoe they keep giving this to.
Hell, back in the day- RICK BERMAN was the wholesale antichrist, in taking the shows where he did. You know something, his stuff is Shakespeare, copared to what they are pushing now. ?This stuff now is just mean, and ill mannered. Like they are giving you the two finger salute, just to rub it in your face.
Kurtzman gets a lot of personal flack for the way the current Star Trek shows are, but I don't really know enough about him or the function of his job to be able to say you can really lay it down on him or the million other EPs the show has. That said, Discovery's transition into a not-terrible Andromeda style rebuilding the far-future story and SNW's quality first outing tells me his team's at least willing to try to steer the franchise in the direction fans want which is more than can be say for Berman, whos tendency to pull the good-idea/episodic schlock bait and switch ultimately sank the franchsie in the early aughts. That he's able to do it without harassing the actresses, bullying the crew, or infurating his writing staff also seems to be a leg-up he has over Berman (though we'll see what they say about him 20 years from now.)
Anyway, that's better served in the Star Trek thread rather than here.
And oh yeah, I completely forgot about this - but I've always said they should have done an Excelsior show with George Takei as captain.
Use it as a kind of ultra soft reset. Let us follow a class of cadets through to graduation. Show us them learning the lessons of Trek, via lectures and action based on TNG and DS9.
Not only will that help Starfleet feel more cohesive? But it might just encourage writers who have properly understood things. Stuff beyond the Kobayashi Maru test.
Even go for a kind of “what if?” type scenario. Big up Picard and Sisko (not you, Janeway. Mrs Inconsistent*). Show us how classic situations might’ve turned out with less learned and/or determined hands at that particular wheel.
Hell do it as a series of TV Movie type things. No need to cover an entire academical year in full.
Get it right. Get us to love and respect the Cadets as they are, and biggedy biggedy bong you’ve got shake’n’bake characters to drop into other shows, where we see them put their education and talents to the test.
I’ve been Mad Doc Grotsnik. I’ve been right, absolutely 100% spot on here.
Paramount that’ll be £500 per episode for my pitch.
*as ever, the character not the actress. Give even Gordon Ramsey varying turds and demand a cake, and you’re still going to get a cake made from turds.
I suspect they burnt themselves on the wretched Top Gun-style academy episodes during TNG.
Figured it would be a hard sell to go back to the well they poisoned with not-actually-Wesley-Crusher (who I know was a different actor, but was just as annoying) and also actual Wesley Crusher.
I think it's hard to pitch a show set in a school, even a futuristic space school. It would need some kind of hook, something more than just 'oh they graduate the academy' or 'got posted to the same ship and carry on'.
Prodigy does something like this, by having the Janeway hologram run training simulations for the kids who stole the crew and are on the run with it. She also had the main kid do the Kobyashi Maru with past trek characters at the different consoles, all played entirely by archival voice lines.
Following an entire semester might be too much, let alone an academic year.
But keep it to mini-series, maybe 3 hours tops? We can see the Cadets focus on a historical situation, and learn from inevitable mistakes/deal with the fallout.
Then, when they’re done? Whomever chimed the most with the audience can be Worfed into a spin off show. The rest of the cast can do cameos, or turn up in other shows.
It’s a new thing for Trek, and not something I can really think anyone else has done.
Then, when they’re done? Whomever chimed the most with the audience can be Worfed into a spin off show. The rest of the cast can do cameos, or turn up in other shows.
It’s a new thing for Trek, and not something I can really think anyone else has done.
With good reason. You just made it sound like turning screen tests into completely forgettable churn'n'burn reality shows.
It'd be a detriment to any actor to sign on and hope they don't get relegated to cameo status.
Star Wars… bearing in mind these need to be done well… and when I say well, I mean lean into the pulp space opera atmosphere of the original movie and the Mandalorian, with a pulpy dash of Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Rogue Squadron? Yes please!
Something exploring Droid rights would be brilliant but done in a pulp space opera vibe rather than a Star Trek sci-fi vibe. Do not get me wrong, TNG Data plots were great for this but I would like a different tone… and not one where folks start calling an AI a SJW.
A New Republic “Elliot Ness” trying to clean up all the organized crime that has flourished during the rebellion. Non-Jedi buddy cop peacekeepers trying to do the job that the Jedi used to do. Dragnet with blasters. Again, lean into the pulp aspect. Maybe give equal time to the other side, perhaps focusing on the Hutt Cartel Godfather tropes. What Boba Fett could have done given the way the Mandalorian skillfully leaned into Wild West tropes. In the background explore lots of regular folks doing every day things to make the galaxy come alive. Obi-Wan could have done that better than it did but it gave a glimpse of the possibilities.
Star Trek… please avoid the bitter, too on the nose, mean spirited, canon ignoring Discovery, Picard, & Kelvinverse Trek.
Captain Sulu and the USS Excelsior? Yes please!
A show about Starfleet security trying to fight a war without becoming “ends justify the means, 20th Century Earth soldiers” could be interesting… and I say that as a former US Army Infantry NCO. A show that admits war is unavoidably ugly but combatants can try to avoid becoming the same as the enemies they are fighting against. Roddenberry optimism cranked way up. Not necessarily people how they are now so much as how they could be. An example of this is in the characters in the TV series the Rookie with Nathan Fillion. But make it clear Starfleet Security has to transition from peacekeeping and law enforcement to war. Show how that transition would need to work to retain the ideals of Starfleet rather than just make Starfleet the hypocritical sham it is in season 1 of Picard. (I admit I have not been willing to subject myself to season 2 yet) Perhaps explore how Andorian military culture might influence Starfleet doctrine, ie use of fighters and deadly melee skills rather than restraints. No need to turn to the Klingons for this.
Captain Worf… interesting either as a Starfleet Captain or Klingon Defense Force Captain. Both have their own appeal. Probably best to have this series be a bridge between the Federation and the Empire, allowing fans of both to be satisfied.
Speaking of Klingons… a Klingon centric show but rebooted to TNG/DS9 Klingon look & culture. Perhaps something exploring Martok's political reforms of the Empire. Or a show about a Starfleet officer on exchange with the KDF and the audience learns about Klingons with this character. Think of it as an extended version of the Riker TNG exchange episode.
I think a Starfleet Academy show is a magnificent idea! Get input from real military and law enforcement academies. It could be a brilliant recruiting tool. And it could educate the audience on Star Trek lore. There could be all kinds of interesting episodes covering science of all sorts as well as the usual student/teacher/family drama. Xeno…Ethics. Philosophy. Biology as well as the Human Earthcentric stuff. Illustrate how the Federation takes the best of each member culture and creates a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. Holographic projection technology at first leading to real missions later. Explain how a post-scarcity society might work… and how it would look to a new Ferengi Cadet who wants to argue the advantages of extreme capitalism. A great tester for spin-off series based on the most popular students and guest stars. The trick is, this all needs great writing so that it avoids being too preachy. It needs to show more than tell. If it can teach more folks to do real world critical thinking even better.
I'd like to see a Next Generation era dead serious comedy about the misadventures of a third rate crew of Klingon idealists trying to live the Klingon dream. They start out disgruntled with the empire's politics and its habit of rolling over whenever the Federation enters the picture, and when commanded to do just that during an assignment, they decide to go rogue and live as Klingons should. They take their rusty Bird of Prey to raid Federation border worlds to impose Klingon dominion and collect tributes, but simply can't provoke armed resistance from Federation citizens who don't much mind giving up things they can easily replenish. Without willing opposition there is no honor in killing anyone and the crew is left with posturing and big speeches. After several episodes and planets of establishing themselves as a local curiosity rather than a terrifying band of warriors out for blood, they finally catch a lucky break by happening on a group of terrorists who have plans to plunge the Federation into chaos. Finally faced with adversaries that are willing to fight, they get to do what they've been working towards and get their first glorious battle.
While clear to the audience, no one initially realizes the Klingons save the Federation from a terrorist plot and instead Starfleet is called on to hunt the murderers of innocent citizens down. With their reputation established, the Klingons can finally rely on other border planets to put up a fight and they get to live as true Klingon warriors for a while. In the meantime, Starfleet tries to catch up with them but investigation of the first massacre shows just who they killed and word is spread to not resist the Klingons anymore while a small fleet of ships searches for the cloaked Klingon vessel. Frustrated with their inability to find new battles and with Starfleet closing in, they decide it's time to take on the enemy ships since they at least seem to come for a fight.
When they finally meet, of course the Starfleet commander would prefer negotiation and talking the Klingon down over military confrontation, but the Klingons won't have it. After suitably Klingon verbal escalation paves the way, they try to take on the Federation ships, die gloriously in battle and go to Sto-Vo-Kor.
Also there'd be a lot of drinking and singing. Like, a downright unhealthy amount. Because Klingons are cultured individuals like that.
For Star Wars, I think it would be neat to follow the career of a smuggler galactic entrepreneur who starts his career in the waning years of the Republic, works through the Clone Wars, through the Imperial era and ends in the New Republic. It could be an interesting way of showing life in lower social circles under different regimes, along with everyday on and off the books bureaucracy and lower level security instead of Jedi, Inquisitors and various militaries.
H.B.M.C. wrote: Tatooine - This series explores the scarcely seen or explored world of Tatooine, birth place of Darth Vader. The show would feature a lot of characters from the Original Trilogy in cameos and full roles, but everyone who was bad would be good now, as main characters can't be bad in Disney shows.
Reva: A Skywalker Story - Set after her heel-turn to the light side, ex-Inquisitor Reva begins to learn more about the old Jedi order, and models herself on what Anakin once was, rather than what he became, eventually taking the name Reva Skywalker.
Skywalker: A Skywalker Story - Set after the events of Rise of Skywalker, we see Rey Skywalker joining up with a now-older Reva Skywalker to start the Skywalker Academy of Skywalkers (a new name for Jedi). A running gag will be Finn trying to tell Rey something really important each episode, but somehow never getting around to it. Baby Yoda will be in this for some reason.
I'd like to have seen a Star Trek: Renegades show that they filmed a pilot of.
You had me in the beginning but then you got to this and my response is 'but literally every plot point from Renegades has shown up in Kurtzman's Star Trek, to the point I question if they're just stealing ideas from this awful fan film.' You're actually the first person I've ever seen have anything remotely positive to say about the project where Tim Russ nailed his integrity into its own grave XD
Geifer wrote: I'd like to see a Next Generation era dead serious comedy about the misadventures of a third rate crew of Klingon idealists trying to live the Klingon dream. They start out disgruntled with the empire's politics and its habit of rolling over whenever the Federation enters the picture, and when commanded to do just that during an assignment, they decide to go rogue and live as Klingons should. They take their rusty Bird of Prey to raid Federation border worlds to impose Klingon dominion and collect tributes, but simply can't provoke armed resistance from Federation citizens who don't much mind giving up things they can easily replenish. Without willing opposition there is no honor in killing anyone and the crew is left with posturing and big speeches. After several episodes and planets of establishing themselves as a local curiosity rather than a terrifying band of warriors out for blood, they finally catch a lucky break by happening on a group of terrorists who have plans to plunge the Federation into chaos. Finally faced with adversaries that are willing to fight, they get to do what they've been working towards and get their first glorious battle.
While clear to the audience, no one initially realizes the Klingons save the Federation from a terrorist plot and instead Starfleet is called on to hunt the murderers of innocent citizens down. With their reputation established, the Klingons can finally rely on other border planets to put up a fight and they get to live as true Klingon warriors for a while. In the meantime, Starfleet tries to catch up with them but investigation of the first massacre shows just who they killed and word is spread to not resist the Klingons anymore while a small fleet of ships searches for the cloaked Klingon vessel. Frustrated with their inability to find new battles and with Starfleet closing in, they decide it's time to take on the enemy ships since they at least seem to come for a fight.
When they finally meet, of course the Starfleet commander would prefer negotiation and talking the Klingon down over military confrontation, but the Klingons won't have it. After suitably Klingon verbal escalation paves the way, they try to take on the Federation ships, die gloriously in battle and go to Sto-Vo-Kor.
Also there'd be a lot of drinking and singing. Like, a downright unhealthy amount. Because Klingons are cultured individuals like that.
For Star Wars, I think it would be neat to follow the career of a smuggler galactic entrepreneur who starts his career in the waning years of the Republic, works through the Clone Wars, through the Imperial era and ends in the New Republic. It could be an interesting way of showing life in lower social circles under different regimes, along with everyday on and off the books bureaucracy and lower level security instead of Jedi, Inquisitors and various militaries.
The idea of a trek show on board a klingon ship is appealing, as in many ways the Klingons are a bit more relatable than the idealistic federation. Watching a crew do some shady stuff to barter for better equipment for their ship etc, have some crew members that are questionable at their jobs. And absolutely no time travel.
for star wars a live action clone wars series, but with a focused narative. Lead characters are a Jedi with some milita + clones fighting on one world against an antagonist with a droid army. Give them equal screen time and show the planets inhabits trapped in the middle of the fighting. Then set up an explosive ending when order 66 is declared and the Jedi and their milita have to join up with the almost defeated separatist forces to escape.
There's a whole universe and thousands of years of history in both directions where interesting things can happen. Can't we finally leave the "Skywalker is the Center of Everything" behind yet?
Right now, even when they're doing Mandolorian or Rebels or Clone Wars, we have to constantly be reminded that Luke is More Important than the protagonists of the story we're actually watching.
The idea of a trek show on board a klingon ship is appealing, as in many ways the Klingons are a bit more relatable than the idealistic federation. Watching a crew do some shady stuff to barter for better equipment for their ship etc, have some crew members that are questionable at their jobs. And absolutely no time travel.
One of the things I've like to see more of is characters who aren't really part of the Federation. Klingon Warship is a way to go.
But I also would like to see characters who aren't closely associated with one of the military powers of the setting. Like people with fewer resources who don't always know where their next meal is coming from. Those kinds of people show up in the setting from time to time, but we never really get into it much.
Something exploring Droid rights would be brilliant but done in a pulp space opera vibe rather than a Star Trek sci-fi vibe. Do not get me wrong, TNG Data plots were great for this but I would like a different tone… and not one where folks start calling an AI a SJW.
Well those folks usually aren't of the kind of people that have an opinion worth listening too, as the moment they start crying about SJW this, or feminist/lgbtq/insert whatever hot button word of the day is. It usually means that show or movie is really damn good.
Until Hollywood remembers how to write decent stories, I don't want ANY old franchise to be touched. Make them write all-new material and re-learn how to write again, not keep relying on nostalgia for old franchises to stay afloat.
Problem is with the writer's guild and so much old money in Hollywood, it's REALLY hard for new people with new ideas to get a foothold. And investors with all that old money are really afraid of 'new' things that might fail. So tried and true things that can draw on nostalgia or Oscar bait stuff gets made.
The only exception is when something truly independent comes by and sideswipes the status quo. And even then, Hollywood will try and copy that lightning in the bottle and try, and try, and try, till it's old hat and done to death.
Another problem I've heard about is the ongoing problem that effects and large show-stopper scenes are expensive and take time. But writing is cheap and quick.
So you get directors who plan around the part where the space ship crashes into San Francisco or the massive battle on an alien world, and then the writers have to find a way to join these bits together. And don't always succeed.
that's not the best explanation, but I read an article on this problem a few years ago and I could see the issue.
There are certainly more than a few films where you can clearly see the last 30mins defined the film as everything races to hit that event. I think its a problem when you've a director or producer that wants a super mega event at the end, but you also want it to be an origin story and start at "the beginning".
Man of Steel suffered a lot from that; they wanted the origin story, but they also wanted the galactic battle at the end. So suddenly you've got 2-3 films worth of content and plot smashed into 1 film.
KingmanHighborn wrote: Problem is with the writer's guild and so much old money in Hollywood, it's REALLY hard for new people with new ideas to get a foothold. And investors with all that old money are really afraid of 'new' things that might fail. So tried and true things that can draw on nostalgia or Oscar bait stuff gets made.
The only exception is when something truly independent comes by and sideswipes the status quo. And even then, Hollywood will try and copy that lightning in the bottle and try, and try, and try, till it's old hat and done to death.
I’d point folk to the Horror Genre as the best example of this.
Horror is of course a pretty wide genre. Slasher, psychological, creature feature, zombie, vampire. Lots and lots of different and often freely mixed sub-genres.
Saw, as in the first one, is solid. Cheaply, but well made. An intriguing premise never really seen or realised before. Being cheap, it turned a decent profit. Now. It’s own diminishing returns sequels aside? Everyone wanted a slice of that gory pie, hence emergence of the Torture Prawn sub genre. Some were interesting (Hostel), but most entirely missed that it still needs an interesting, if not necessarily interesting, premise.
Blair Witch Project. Granted I didn’t enjoy that one at all, but it birthed Found Footage as a sub-genre. Again, like many horror genres, they’re cheaply made, so don’t take much of a push to turn a respectable profit.
Paranormal Activity. Basically a new take on found footage, but with Fixed Camera, and some clever special effects. I love it. It’s sequels….less so. It’s impostors? Depends. I’ve a soft spot for the Conjuring Universe, but freely admit that’s despite them Not Being Very Good.
Going back further? Friday the 13th defined the Slasher genre. And has been oft imitated.
Indeed, one of the reasons horror keeps on coming back around is….they’re cheap and nasty to make. With just a relative modicum of competence and skill, you can churn out a multi-million dollar profit movie for not a massive cost sink.
Now, when it comes to Blockbusters. Those high budget, high marketing? We tend to get fewer, because they’re expensive to make. But much like Horror imitators often entirely miss what made a breakout good, and just go for buckets of gore? The DCEU kind of missed what made the MCU the MCU. Not just a steady hand at the tiller (hi, Mr Feige!), but the films having humanity at the core. You can have a flawed hero without that meaning They’re A Richard.
The MCU usually introduces us to Good Guy vs Naughty Version of Good Guy, because it helps paint the protagonist as someone of moral virtue, as well as incredible power. Because straight away we usually see what happens when a knobber gets the same powers. The fact our heroes are rarely corrupted by their powers keeps them relatable to some degree.
Compare to Supes and Zod demolishing a city because neither one thought “there is another way, can we at least try talking about this”, and you get the audience reaction of “what did you do that for, you Richard”. I know Batfleck has his fans, but I fear he was too deep a dive away from “Bruce and Bats is a good man at heart, just….a bit nutty”.
I think Batman in particular needs to lean into the Good Bruce Tries To Do. Because my opinion “Batman is addicted to beating up the poor” stems from pop culture Batman (not comic culture) never being seen to do anything other than beating the snot out of henchmen then the Big Bad, whilst doing nothing to address the core root of almost all crime (poverty and the exploitation of the desperate), or finding the GCPD to ensure more officers survive their time on that thin blue line.
This is where I feel Gotham got it right, and really should’ve spun off into a proper proper Young Batman series (and still could, I suppose?), as it at least answered the question of which came first. Batman or his Villains. Who caused who.
Show us that. Go for a proper dichotomy show. Or if you’ve really got the balls for it, and fancy finding out if the relatively casual viewer has similar balls? Run two shows. One of Batman Batmanning. The other of Bruce Wayne trying to solve the root causes of Gotham’s problems. But show both sides.
It's hard to top Star Trek Continues, but man I would love a Star Trek TOS seasons 4 and 5. Recast everyone (obviously) but go with period appropriate sets, direction and plots.
Heck give the ST Continues folks a license and let them make 2 more 26 episode seasons. It would cost about $5 and I'd watch it.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Kroem wrote: By Reanimated series I thought you meant a ship crewed by zombie versions of the original cast?
Well it would still use their 70s era voice acting so there's a bit of zombieness in there.
We got SNW Season 2, Piccard S3, and um, did we get a Star Wars show in there, it feels like we got a Star Wars show, but I can't remember it...
Are we getting what we want? Do we have new ideas?
What I mostly want is some degree of quality. ST has generally done a decent job of that. SW on the other hand has not .... :(
For ST specifically? I want NO TIME TRAVEL. Stop doing that. Find a new plot hook.
For SW? I'd like to see them tell a SW story that does not involve Tatooine. In any way, shape, or form.
I doubt I'll get either one of these.
We’ve had Andor, and Ahsoka is releasing in just a couple of days.
Also Bad Batch S2. But we don’t talk about that because it was disappointingly bobbins.
I quite enjoyed Picard S3, and whilst SNW S2 had one too many “quirky” episodes, it’s still nice to have proper Trek back. That’s not to trash the quirky episodes. Just having two of your ten episodes being so felt a bit wasteful.
Also Bad Batch S2. But we don’t talk about that because it was disappointingly bobbins.
I quite enjoyed Picard S3, and whilst SNW S2 had one too many “quirky” episodes, it’s still nice to have proper Trek back. That’s not to trash the quirky episodes. Just having two of your ten episodes being so felt a bit wasteful.
I don’t think SNW S2 had too many quirky episodes, rather it had too few “normal” episodes, and too few episodes in general. If it was a full season of 20-24 episodes instead of the streaming norm of half seasons then the number of quirky episodes would be fine.
As for what I want from SW and ST shows, it would be full seasons of them. I’ve had enough of the habit of 6/8/10 episode seasons on streaming services. With the number of platforms and the cost of them, we should be getting full lengths seasons. At the moment there’s a whole lot of waiting around for something to watch and then it’s over far too soon IMHO.
Least of all, because every story about the fight against the Empire is the same. Every Empire villain is more or less the same. Reva from Kenobi was maybe the biggest breath of fresh air there having a unique motivation for her actions, but the general quality of the writing in Kenobi was not good so... Still boring Empire fight gak.
The biggest waste in the franchise is the binning of the entire Old Republic Era and turning the High Republic somehow into something even more boring than the Empire. I'd take Legacy at this point. Legacy wasn't bad. A damn Yuuzhong Vong invasion wasn't bad compared to this endless repetition of the exact same conflict on repeat.
2) Star Wars doesn't know how to make an interesting hero who isn't a disinterested vagabond/orphan who has to be convinced to fight evil.
Where the feth is Wedge Antilles, who just signed up because the Empire is obviously evil and he didn't need any melodramatic convincing?
Even when it manages to find an interesting and engaging hero who breaks this mold, it only takes 1 season or less for them to end up fighting the Empire again (Mando). Or they're just plain fething boring and Boba Fett shouldn't have been boring.
Disney should just go ahead and Greenlight half the Star Wars: Visions shorts for full series. Mearly all of them propose more interesting characters, settings, and plots. Or at least find ways to cast the Empire with more character and flair than rehashing evil Imperial Paperpushers.
I get the feeling that within Disney especially right now is a hotbed of executives/creatives/managers/something who are die hard believers in the "just copy what worked before" mantra.
It can explain why we keep seeing the same kind of story structure - it worked before and they keep trying to remake the same magic and are afraid to change the magic. Even though the lack of change can result in a total mess or a "bleh" release.
The other issue is when they do change things it feels like they just ham them in. Or they are political pressure things off a checklist rather than taking something from the franchise lore and evolving that
I would really love a Battle of Britain/Piece of Cake/Flyboys style movie/series about Rebel pilots. I mean, that script practically writes itself so what is it taking so fething long? Take Piece of Cake's script, erase every time they say Germans and put in Empire, erase Spitfire and put in X-wing, change a few characters to be aliens, and you are done! You could even *ahem* wedge Wedge in there too!
It kind of reminds me about how they couldn't figure out a good spy-genre themed movie for Black Widow. I mean how hard can it be to make a spy movie and put Black Widow in it? It is not hard at all. Yet, a decade+ later, they still have not really managed it.
It just seems like either incompetence or trying too hard; or something......
I’d like none.
The problem right now is the complete lack of anything new. I’d Ike to see something fresh, new and different. A new IP. New worlds. New stories. And not in the same old tired IP worlds/universes Hollywood has been beating to death to get stories out of.
But I’m probably one of four people that actually would like to see someone try something new. I’ve had enough SW and Trek to last several lifetimes.
Ghool wrote: I’d like none.
The problem right now is the complete lack of anything new. I’d Ike to see something fresh, new and different. A new IP. New worlds. New stories. And not in the same old tired IP worlds/universes Hollywood has been beating to death to get stories out of.
But I’m probably one of four people that actually would like to see someone try something new. I’ve had enough SW and Trek to last several lifetimes.
Vulcan wrote: Until Hollywood remembers how to write decent stories, I don't want ANY old franchise to be touched. Make them write all-new material and re-learn how to write again, not keep relying on nostalgia for old franchises to stay afloat.
Pretty sure you mean that "until the investment groups that hold the pocketbook strings of studios and distributors remember how to take a chance".
Franchises and nostalgia sell, even just to hatewatchers.
If some of them annoy the gatekeeping nerds, so much the better - but those selfsame nerds have been in fandom since time immemorial and shall persist beyond the heat death of the universe.
I don’t think SNW S2 had too many quirky episodes, rather it had too few “normal” episodes, and too few episodes in general. If it was a full season of 20-24 episodes instead of the streaming norm of half seasons then the number of quirky episodes would be fine.
As for what I want from SW and ST shows, it would be full seasons of them. I’ve had enough of the habit of 6/8/10 episode seasons on streaming services. With the number of platforms and the cost of them, we should be getting full lengths seasons. At the moment there’s a whole lot of waiting around for something to watch and then it’s over far too soon IMHO.
SNW s2 definitely had some quirky episodes and when they went quirky, they went hard quirky.
Spoiler:
the episode that was a musical?? I mean, I cannot recall a single trek episode that ever went full musical before
The one major time travel episode in S2, the famous "crossover" episode was handled quite well, IMHO. . . if that was kind of how time travel was handled, I wouldn't be so against it, but we usually get horrible time travel.
Ghool wrote: I’d like none.
The problem right now is the complete lack of anything new. I’d Ike to see something fresh, new and different. A new IP. New worlds. New stories. And not in the same old tired IP worlds/universes Hollywood has been beating to death to get stories out of.
But I’m probably one of four people that actually would like to see someone try something new. I’ve had enough SW and Trek to last several lifetimes.
You had the Expanse, don't get greedy.
I consider the Expanse to be the modern reboot (that didn't suck!) of B5. It hit the same notes and scratched the same itches B5 did for me in the 90s. YMMV.
Automatically Appended Next Post: As for Star Trek, I'd like a show where Starfleet crew and officers (always too many chiefs and not enough braves!) act like the professionals they're supposed to be and not snarky space baristas on their lunchbreak. Something toned down in scope where every season isn't a Federation/quadrant/galaxy/universe ending emergency bigger than the previous season. Something set on a much smaller ship (without roller coaster turbolifts that are bigger on the inside) like the Archer class scout that can't deploy a swarm of attack ships dwarfing that of a Tyrannid hive fleet and without the backup of endlessly copy pasted pew pews and/or ships. Where they have to actually rely on their wits and usually are the underdog in the situation on a personal scale (though the Federation is still the big dog on a galactic scale).
Automatically Appended Next Post: If you had asked me about Star Wars in years past I'd have said a live action Clone Commando series but that's been sort of done with Bad Batch (that I have no interest in along with the other cartoons). The other option would have been in the EU Legacy era 130ish years ABY with a resurgent Sith and a split Imperial remnant with opposing Imperial Knights but I don't see that as likely given the sequel trilogy.
As for Star Trek, I'd like a show where Starfleet crew and officers (always too many chiefs and not enough braves!) act like the professionals they're supposed to be and not snarky space baristas on their lunchbreak. Something toned down in scope where every season isn't a Federation/quadrant/galaxy/universe ending emergency bigger than the previous season. Something set on a much smaller ship (without roller coaster turbolifts that are bigger on the inside) like the Archer class scout that can't deploy a swarm of attack ships dwarfing that of a Tyrannid hive fleet and without the backup of endlessly copy pasted pew pews and/or ships. Where they have to actually rely on their wits and usually are the underdog in the situation on a personal scale (though the Federation is still the big dog on a galactic scale).
Seems to me like a lot of Trek ends up being a bit Down Periscope. A lot of us want Trek to be Hunt for Red October.
Speaking of, that's something I'd love. . . Even if they recycle a set time period. Whether it's klingon war, or whatever, I don't care. . . but make the ship feel appropriately small. with some "give them one ping on sonar, one ping only" levels of in close. The ship should not have as many windows as a carnival cruise ship. The view screens should feel exactly like that.
I'm tired of SW at this point with all the misses Disney has been throwing between the D+ shows and the terrible sequel trilogy. The fact that they're doubling down on Rey shows me they haven't learned anything so really I would prefer nothing and wait like 3-5 years before scrapping/rebooting the post-Disney creations, but if we HAD to have new content, what Bobthehero mentioned would be great since we really only get the perspective of the Empire from a very caricaturized or limited perspective and often not from people who fight from the front lines (one of the few things I liked from Solo was the very beginning when he was forced into being a Mudtrooper.
Getting to see a unit of Stormtroopers go through missions, encounter rebel cells unrelated to the main cast of Rebels or the main trilogy, lose people and witness events like the Battle of Hoth from the perspective of Imperials would be nice, especially if these guys don't just do a 180 and become Rebels within the first 2 episodes of their show. Ideally, they never turn into Rebels, and learn to survive as one of the Imperial remnants that contest the eventual development of the First Order.
Other than that, do a small scale series with new characters that is far enough into the future from the Rey Trilogy and in a region of space that hasn't been explored yet. Would love to see more about the Chiss Ascendancy rather the usual Empire vs Rebels paradigm.
I find it difficult to see how someone could make an Imperial perspective show…tastefully, without the main characters defecting to the rebels.
I do think there could be mileage in the corporate security guys; rather than the petty extortionist bureaucrats from Andor, make them “honest joes”, just trying to keep the peace in their little corner of the galaxy, stuck between an increasingly authoritarian and disturbing Empire and the rebels who see them as nothing more than Imperial collaborators. That could have mileage, particularly if you made the rebels one of the militant factions.
In an Imperial focused show, you really do have to have a.... "Maybe we are the baddies moment", highlight the absurdity/satire ala Brazil, or focus on the anti-war aspect ala All Quiet on the Western Front.
If you do not you are basically just writing Totalitarian Authoritarianism fan-service and apologetics. No one should really want to do that.
If you want a more "Military" style show, you could also create a show that focuses on the Rebel Commandoes. Something like SWAT, Combat!, Tour of Duty, or that Navy Seal TV show.
I find it difficult to see how someone could make an Imperial perspective show…tastefully, without the main characters defecting to the rebels.
I do think there could be mileage in the corporate security guys; rather than the petty extortionist bureaucrats from Andor, make them “honest joes”, just trying to keep the peace in their little corner of the galaxy, stuck between an increasingly authoritarian and disturbing Empire and the rebels who see them as nothing more than Imperial collaborators. That could have mileage, particularly if you made the rebels one of the militant factions.
I quite agree. That is why I find that there is so much interest in the idea so fascinating.
Years ago I read some great detective novels about a Soviet criminal police detective tangling with the political secret police and various government agencies…
Easy E wrote: In an Imperial focused show, you really do have to have a.... "Maybe we are the baddies moment", highlight the absurdity/satire ala Brazil, or focus on the anti-war aspect ala All Quiet on the Western Front.
If you do not you are basically just writing Totalitarian Authoritarianism fan-service and apologetics. No one should really want to do that.
No? You don't have to endorse the actions of the characters you write about and just because you don't make them act like rabid idiots or make them go ''Huh, we're bad'' doesn't mean you approve of what they do, either.
Well the thread's title just about what I want, not what I expect will happen, or is possible I wouldn't be expecting anything better than the modern Battlefront 2 story to happen if there was an Imperial centric show. Though there was a nice surprise in Squadrons, even if there were perspective shifts .
Easy E wrote: In an Imperial focused show, you really do have to have a.... "Maybe we are the baddies moment", highlight the absurdity/satire ala Brazil, or focus on the anti-war aspect ala All Quiet on the Western Front.
If you do not you are basically just writing Totalitarian Authoritarianism fan-service and apologetics. No one should really want to do that.
If you want a more "Military" style show, you could also create a show that focuses on the Rebel Commandoes. Something like SWAT, Combat!, Tour of Duty, or that Navy Seal TV show.
Bad guys being the protagonists isn't a novel idea, it's basically what we wanted from Book of Boba Fett to be the rise of a new head in the criminal underworld of Tatooine, where Boba develops his ambition from the being one taking orders to becoming someone who gives the orders. Instead we got "I'm a bad guy, trust me bro" even though he doesn't really do any meaningful criminal activity. Breaking Bad is a great show of the transformation of man trying to leave a legacy behind/provide for his family to becoming a power hungry egomaniacal monster but I would say it doesn't glorify doing drugs or being a cartel mobster in any real meaningful way. Same goes for other shoes like the Sopranos, Sons of Anarchy, Hannibal, lots of anime like Monster/Death Note, etc. They all act more as cautionary tales about human nature more than anything else without sacrificing the integrity of the main character fundamentally being a villain/bad guy.
I think there may be a difference in scale. The shows you list are bad organisations that exist in the grey zone of an existing larger society. The conflict is that they do stuff that is deemed against the rules (including murder and suchlike) but their impact (while unpleasant) is broadly limited in scope.
The Empire is the overall authority and actively undertakes genocide and oppression of innocents with a "Humanity First" standpoint (this may be going a bit far, but I think its pretty close to the mark).
Flinty wrote: I think there may be a difference in scale. The shows you list are bad organisations that exist in the grey zone of an existing larger society. The conflict is that they do stuff that is deemed against the rules (including murder and suchlike) but their impact (while unpleasant) is broadly limited in scope.
The Empire is the overall authority and actively undertakes genocide and oppression of innocents with a "Humanity First" standpoint (this may be going a bit far, but I think its pretty close to the mark).
Right, but we're not taking the perspective of a Grand Moff or Palpatine himself, people who are doing the top-down decisions of committing atrocities. The show BobtheHero and I suggested is more of a front-line Imperial soldier perspective carrying out the orders. You know, the whole banality of evil and all that we learned from people who lived in Nazi Germany that ran the trains and other mundane aspects of the final solution.
It also doesn't change the fact it's a perspective that was heavily underutilized and gives us more insight on the Imperial side of the story on major events like the First Death Star blowing up. We had chances to have nuanced takes from Battlefront 2 (wasted when Inferno squad, who should be amongst the most indoctrinated being special forces, just goes 180 to rebels that quickly), and opportunities from Finn being a child soldier that could have had an entire arc of becoming humanized after being raised as a weapon both being completely fumbled, so I feel like this isn't a hard ask except for people who can't separate fiction from reality and are worried this is somehow going to promote fascism in some ridiculous way (I guess you guys would try and cancel the 501st legion then, the guys who dress up as clones/stormtroopers at fan events?).
In a different time, and a different place I would have been into a stormtrooper/Imperial focused show.
In this modern day, where people unironically claim "The Empire was Right!". With that level of media analysis going on, this is not the time or place for an Imperial centric show.
Star Wars at its core is about Good triumphing over Evil. That must be held sacrosanct, or Star Wars stops being Star Wars. Instead, we get Authoritarian apologetics as "The Empire was Right!"
If you want military sci-fi shown on screen, then Rebel forces can do it just as well as Imperial ones.
And it wouldn't change anything with a Rebel centric show, and we have tons of those, so bring forth Band of Stormtroopers.
Also, EP3 and EP5 disagree about Good triumphing over Evil, ultimately Good would win, but an interlude showing Evil triumphant is very much in the spirit of Star Wars.
set during the Galactic Civil War, with NONE of the established characters involved. Nor should any planet (especially Tatoonine!) Already shown/visited be used.
