Star Trek Inc.

With a crackling new action film and a sexier TV series, the Trek brand gets a new look — again

It's easy to think that Star Trek inspires either adoration or loathing — that you love it so much you say your wedding vows in Klingon, or you pity those who do. But most who have read even this far know there's another class of Trekker — the closeted ones. These are people who aren't telling co-workers they plan to see Star Trek: Nemesis, the 10th Trek film, which opens Friday. They won't admit they watch UPN's Enterprise, the sixth — sixth — TV series in the franchise. They tell buddies they are going to Vegas for blackjack and bourbon but instead dwell in the celestial sanctuary of Star Trek: The Experience, an indoor theme park that has drawn 2.3 million visitors since opening in 1998.

We know these closet nerds exist, because — improbable as it sounds to those who wish someone would shove a photon torpedo up the Enterprise exhaust — the enterprise still thrives. Though showing its age after 664 TV shows and a 35th birthday last year, the franchise still generates perhaps $200 million a year in revenues when you add up movie grosses, TV ad sales and what's spent on books (500 have been published), DVDs and tchotchkes (Trek ornaments are always among Hallmark's top holiday sellers). Paramount claims merchandise sales have exceeded $4 billion over Trek's lifetime; 470 people have actually paid $5,000 apiece for a life-size replica of the villain Locutus. The newer series haven't done as well as Star Trek: The Next Generation, but last year TNN reportedly paid $364 million for the rights to show reruns of various Trek episodes, even though they have already been aired dozens of times.

With their built-in audience, the nine previous Trek films grossed an average of $181 million in inflation-adjusted terms and earned a collective profit of $1.2 billion. And Nemesis is better — darker, more surprising — than the average Trek. Of course, it won't make as much as, say, Spider-Man. Yet Star Trek has outlasted other brands over the years. (Suck a phaser, Batman.)

How does Trek survive? The oft-cited answer is that freakish Trekkies — fans who saved the original series with passionate letters and today maintain an eBay market of 25,000 Trek items — still sustain the franchise. Wrong. Trek hasn't been a cult enterprise in years. It is, instead, a humming mainstream business that responds quickly to changes in mass culture. That's why the new film and TV show depart from the softer story lines of the '90s. Since Sept. 11, Star Trek has basically become an action franchise again. It's even trying to be sexier. But Trek's creators must constantly ask themselves how to draw new consumers without alienating old ones. It's the Cher problem: How many times can you reinvent yourself?

For nearly a decade after creator Gene Roddenberry died in 1991, Trek producers — particularly new honcho Rick Berman, a TV veteran who had overseen Cheers and Family Ties — furiously tried to freshen the brand. Though he denies it, Berman seemed to be courting those exotic creatures rarely associated with sci-fi: women. On the small screen, his team launched the spiritual Deep Space Nine in 1993 and the political Voyager (helmed by a female captain) in 1995. The films Generations (1994) and Insurrection (1998) seemed more concerned with the captains' emotional lives than their ability to outsmart Romulans.

Many serious fans were pleased that Trek was striving to be more than a shoot-'em-up western in space, which is how Roddenberry had first sold the idea. "Many fans really want something radically different every few years," says Steve Krutzler, founder of TrekWeb.com. Trouble is, the franchise left more casual viewers stranded in space dock. Many folks had liked the simplicity of the original characters — explorers who were peaceful at heart but willing to make a point with a phaser. By contrast, the Deep Space Nine captain turned out to be a religious emissary for an alien race, and Voyager's Captain Janeway spent most of her trip fretting over human (and other species') rights at the expense of her crew. She was a Democratic Senator, not a captain.

Ratings plummeted, and by 2001, probably the most financially successful Trek product made since Roddenberry's death turned out to be a throwback action film, Star Trek: First Contact (1996). It cleared a profit of $122 million and provided further evidence that Trek needed another makeover. Nemesis and Enterprise are the result, and the lads will love them. Star Trek, it seems, will now hang its future on a reliable formula: explosions and breasts.

Take Nemesis. It's basically a war movie; writer John Logan (Gladiator) has said he was inspired by 1982's bloody hit Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Nemesis' villain, Shinzon, is fiercely played by Tom Hardy, whose two previous big films were the war flicks Band of Brothers and Black Hawk Down. Nemesis has few female characters, and the major one — Enterprise Counselor Troi — can't seem to stop weeping. Another, Romulan Commander Donatra, comes to the aid of the Enterprise only after Shinzon spurns her sexual advance.

Similarly, the new TV series, Enterprise, includes T'Pol, a Vulcan female who is shrink-wrapped in a cat suit that probably blocks circulation but beautifully accentuates the bosom that once landed actress Jolene Blalock, who plays T'Pol, on the cover of Maxim. The other woman on the bridge, Ensign Sato, has had trouble doing her subservient job — she's a translator — because she panics. Some Trekkies are annoyed. Earlier this year, feminist Donna Minkowitz argued in the Nation magazine that "[Enterprise] is the first Star Trek really interested in punishing women." That's an exaggeration, but Trek does seem to be returning to the gender roles of the original series, in which Kirk was a spectacular cad.

While the new captain, Jonathan Archer, doesn't canoodle much, he's like Kirk in another way. In 2000 conservative writer John Podhoretz noted in the Weekly Standard that while the original series "promoted an idealistic vision of the U.S. as an exporter of democracy," fluffy '90s Treks were "consumed by...multiculturalism and pacifism." Enterprise surely isn't. Archer unflinchingly charges into alien affairs. His chief foe is even called the Suliban, which Berman had named after the Taliban even before 9/11. So far, Archer is best remembered for the line, "You have no idea how much I'm restraining myself from knocking you on your ass!" (Which would be a lot more manly if he hadn't said it to a woman.)

But forget about politics. Will the new Trek sell? Star Trek: The Man Show doesn't sound promising — jocks and nerds, after all, don't commingle. Perhaps that's why Enterprise hasn't connected with people; it has one-third fewer viewers in its second season than Voyager did during its sophomore outing. Trek fans may also be a bit exhausted. "Perhaps we weren't careful enough in giving the audience some breathing room — a year or two they could have lain fallow," says Berman. Nemesis, however, may prove him wrong. In firing up one of the most riveting space battles in the history of the franchise, it just may get all those closeted Trekkies to come out for a day.

By contrast, the Deep Space Nine captain turned out to be a religious emissary for an alien race, and Voyager's Captain Janeway spent most of her trip fretting over human (and other species') rights at the expense of her crew. She was a Democratic Senator, not a captain.

Is'nt that the truth?

First Contact may be the best franchise movie and I am one of those people who loved DS9 because of the politics.

My favorite Trek shows is TNG and Enterprise. DS9 was ok, but it became more of a B5 clone. Voyager just plained sucked. TOS is ok.

I thought Nemesis was the best Trek movie ever. I did like the The Wrath of Kahn, The Undiscovered Country, and First Contact. Did not like the Whale one.

DS9 was ok, but it became more of a B5 clone.

Proof that competition works. I enjoyed DS9 after it became a bit darker and with a more continuous plot line.

I agree. Voyager was a waste.

I do think Enterprise has the look and feel of the original series. I think that episode where the Vulcans crash landed on pre-contact 1950s Earth was the show's finest episode. Its a homage to 50s values. You can actually feel the original spirit of Classic Trek live on in the new series.

I agree. In a way, it makes sense that Enterprise should be more like the original. Assuming that there was some political "continuum" from the era portrayed in Enterprise, through that portrayed in the original series, and then up through TNG, Enterprise should reflect a rougher, less refined, bumbling, nacent crew, like the original series, but more so.

I'm not a rabid fan, but if I'm not mistaken, in the original series the Federation was either on the verge or at war with the Klingon empire. By TNG, they had reached a peace. It seems that in Enterprise, the Federation hasn't "bumped" into the Klingon's yet. It would be plausible that Archer is the newbie, reflecting as much pre-spacefaring Earth values as he does the new paradigm of a diverse universe of cultures. Kirk still has some rough edges, but then he's also the captain of a ship that often sustains battle damage. By the time we get to Picard, the Federation domain is largely peaceful, Federation officers have became rather worldly ("universely"?) and sophisticated as their mission now involves as much politics as it does couragous exploration.

It was too politically correct. On the other hand, Enterprise returns to the days when Captains did not have to worry about Starfleet and that PC "Prime Directive" nonsense Jonathan Archer just does what he wants and the fans cheer him on.

Shouldn't that be :

Jonathan Archer just does who he wants and the fans cheer him on.

;-) All kidding aside, the actors in Enterprise seem much less "wooden" for lack of a better word. than other series. I wouldn't even go so far as to blame it on the prime directive stuff, as I would on the writing and casting. Enterprise just has a different feel to it, it's more action oriented than the other series. Not to geek it, but the other series, many of their episodes had these background plot lines that arced over several episodes, and so you'd have all of this drama/build-up over several episodes and then be let down. Enterprise on the other hand, while a lot of the episodes are putting in place the pieces and background for future episodes/plot lines, the episodes stand up individually. I don't know if that made sense or not (yeah, I'm a fan, can ya tell).

STII: Wrath of Khan is still my favorite movie (and Star Trek IV: Save the Whales, my least favorite)

They won't admit they watch UPN's Enterprise, the sixth — sixth — TV series in the franchise.

Sixth?

1.Star Trek: TOS.

2.ST : NG.

3.ST : DS9

4.ST : Voyager.

5.ST : Enterprise.

That's five. What am I forgeting? Or did the author miscount?

I too am a Trekkie from way back to the original series. I also share the belief that the new Enterprise series captures more of the orginal Star Trek right down to the fast paced action and scantily clad females. Look closely at the costumes in those re-runs and remember it was the 1960's when the series was first shown.

As for STNG and particularly Voyager, the political correctness ruined the concept. DS9 wasn't as successful because it deviated from Roddenberry's concept of the characters traveling in each episode to different places giving new ideas and situations a chance to play out.

I am disappointed the new Enterprise series hasn't taken hold. I guess the MTV Generation has had their minds turned to putty by all the drivel that currently fills the airwaves.

You can actually feel the original spirit of Classic Trek live on in the new series.

As opposed to the first season of ST:TNG, in which you could actually feel the bad makeup, cheesy dialog, and sound-stage sets of Classic Trek.

Roddenberry's passing may have been the salvation of the franchise.

Yes voyager was a waste, except for 7 of 9 (Teri Garr , I believe is her name) I can't get enough of looking at her in that tight jump suit. The wardrobe on Boston Public just isn't the same. I wish I could get a UPN channel but so far, I have only seen one episode of Enterprise. I was very impressed and it looks like a good series. Oh yea, that Vulcan girl comes very close to being as hot as 7 of 9

No that's not her name. It was Jeri Ryan who got the role and she definitely set young men's tongues wagging with her catsuit. Fans liked it so much they gave Jolene Blalock a similar role on Enterprise. Its said the Internet was founded by Star Trek and sex. Well it looks like The Franchise has been able to sell both.

There was also a Saturday morning Star Trek cartoon series. Does anyone remember the ep that Larry Niven wrote with the Puppeteer?

Yes, I remember that. I was surprised that Niven, who I view as a "hard science fiction" writer, would get involved in Star Trek. I believe there was even a Kzin (not sure about that spelling - it's been quite some time since I last read the Ringworld books) in that episode. Guess I'll have to check out KaZaa to see if the animated series episodes are available for download.

Upon further consideration, Niven was not the first "big name" to pen a Trek screenplay. Harlan Ellison's City on the Edge of Forever is one of the best pieces of work ever to bear the name "Star Trek". However, Ellison would hasten to point out just how badly his original script was mangled by several re-writes. If you see the paperback book by the same title as the episode, buy it. Ellison airs his grievances most thoroughly.

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