Idea for a [mini]series

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-09-17 08:20pm

I think it would be interesting to see the developement of Zephram Cochranes ideas from pre-WWIII all through the war, done in a realistic fashion. It would be cool to see the origin of all Trek as we know it, from the personal perspective. Plus, we'd get to see Lilly, and she just ROCKED. \,,/

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2003-09-17 08:57pm

Hope this doesn't count as me tooing, but, koj, again I LIKE the way you think! That WOULD be cool! but when would the series end? After the first warp flight? You should develop this idea into a fanfic or something....excellent, again, koj!

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-09-17 09:05pm

Chardok wrote:Hope this doesn't count as me tooing, but, koj, again I LIKE the way you think! That WOULD be cool! but when would the series end? After the first warp flight? You should develop this idea into a fanfic or something....excellent, again, koj!

Perhaps with first contact. That could be the series finale or something. And much as I'd love to have it in a fanfic, im no good at writing. Especially not technical stuff, I'd suck so much at it. But maybe.. maybe..

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-17 10:30pm

Basically we watch seven seasons of Zephram's workshop? I don't know, I don't see it working as a show or a miniseries. A fanfic or a novel maybe but not a show.

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-09-17 10:46pm

What would be the point of the show? Would it simply be watching Zephram gathering materials of would it be expanded to also include the post WW3 setting.

If it is the latter then it seems to be a post disaster show set in Trek land and not in and of itself Star trek, that of course isn't a bad idea with many ideas being put forward at the moment, Law and Order Trek, West Wing Trek etc have all been put forth by fans at one point and could possibly work but they wouldn't be star trek, I would still watch though just to gain more information on the universe and even possibly for some merit the show has.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-09-17 11:47pm

Stormbringer wrote:Basically we watch seven seasons of Zephram's workshop? I don't know, I don't see it working as a show or a miniseries. A fanfic or a novel maybe but not a show.

No not at all. It would be a about Zephram and the work he did, but not JUST about it. Theres so much history in the Trek universe that could be told.

TheDarkling wrote:What would be the point of the show? Would it simply be watching Zephram gathering materials or would it be expanded to also include the post WW3 setting.

It would be about the entire time period, but focused around Zephram. And hopefully made in a more semi-documentary fashion. It would be a radical departure from the typical Trek thing. Say.. have Zephram and Lilly stressed out over a shipment from Boeing not arriving on time then getting in a fight with the Boeing sales reps over vid phone then Zephram turning to the camera and tell the crew to turn it off, then you cut to him and Lil going to a bar later that night. Iunno, maybe I'm just a real-life junkie.

If it is the latter then it seems to be a post disaster show set in Trek land and not in and of itself Star trek,

Well, it would be pre-mid-post disaster chronicalling Zephrams efforts before during and after the third world war.

that of course isn't a bad idea with many ideas being put forward at the moment, Law and Order Trek, West Wing Trek etc have all been put forth by fans at one point and could possibly work but they wouldn't be star trek,

Well, thats why I said focus around Zephram. It WOULD be Trek because its essentially ST First Contact only expanded out into a series.

I would still watch though just to gain more information on the universe and even possibly for some merit the show has.

Hah, well, it would break alot of "canon" movie rules. Mainly about that little camp in minnesotta or whatever. Especially because its a pitifully impossible facility. Where are the hundreds of launch crew etc? How can you launch a fucking ICBM a few hundred metres from people without frying them with the exhaust? Lots would be realified. But since we don't know how Zephram STARTED his developement of warp technology, he could be.. iunno, university funded or private with the minnesotta facility being the launch complex not the developement and assembly facility.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2003-09-18 12:18am

Koj, This may count as spam. but I have to let you know that your sigpic...the rainbow lines appear to curve inward due to the color patterns...it's really wigging me out...

So you are suggesting a Baseball style documentary? That would be cool...12 hours of zephram done Ken burns style...like that one documentary at atomfilms about the battle of hoth...all with still pictures and moving pics of the places as they are "Today" (i.e. today when the documentary was made, the 25th century and whatnot)

Or are you suggesting an Osbourne style reality show, complete with bleeping? [/i][/u]

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-09-18 12:56am

Chardok wrote:Koj, This may count as spam. but I have to let you know that your sigpic...the rainbow lines appear to curve inward due to the color patterns...it's really wigging me out...

Tough noogies.

So you are suggesting a Baseball style documentary? That would be cool...12 hours of zephram done Ken burns style...like that one documentary at atomfilms about the battle of hoth...all with still pictures and moving pics of the places as they are "Today" (i.e. today when the documentary was made, the 25th century and whatnot)

Uhm.. never seen "Baseball", can't say.

Or are you suggesting an Osbourne style reality show, complete with bleeping? [/i][/u]

I'm thinking just following Zeph and Lil around with a camera, but very little camera crew-character interaction. Zeph and Lil would just go about their lives revolutionizing the world and shit, occasionally talking to the viewers and stuff. I know it sounds kind of boring, but for me atleast I get off on stuff like this. Hyperrealism. Not just realistic sciences and scenarios but treating the universe as if it IS real, like the E:FC and SW HyperspaceNews websites. I want the viewer to watch this thing and think that they're watching a REAL documentary. If the viewers aren't convinced that its real people in real situations then its pointless to make. I don't want any fancy post production, any film doctoring. It has to look imperfect, like someone went out with a Canon DV cam and shot the footage then put it on TV with some cuts for time. A feeling of genuine-ness is critical.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2003-09-18 02:37am

Unfortunately, I think that getting James Cromwell back as Cochrane would be a pointless exercise. He isn't exactly "A" list Hollywood material, but he has certainly moved beyond his Star Trek days.

Definitely a cool idea though--I would like to see more about Earth's history BEFORE the peace movement on Earth started. If it was a success, they could even go on to the events AFTER the movie and the building of the first mass produced warp engine. One problem though as I see it: this would be a show that concentrates on engineers and seeing as Star Trek seems to be firmly stuck in their "Treknobable" I think most of the people on this board might find it an insult to their intelligence.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-09-18 01:19pm

The Kernel wrote:Unfortunately, I think that getting James Cromwell back as Cochrane would be a pointless exercise. He isn't exactly "A" list Hollywood material, but he has certainly moved beyond his Star Trek days.

True true. Going over trek chronology, having Cromwell as Cochrane was stupid to begin with. First Contact was 60 years from now, Cochrane was born 27 years from now. He would have been a mere 33 years old. Cromwell was too old to be Cochrane.

One problem though as I see it: this would be a show that concentrates on engineers and seeing as Star Trek seems to be firmly stuck in their "Treknobable" I think most of the people on this board might find it an insult to their intelligence.

Which is why treknobabble would be banned except when relating to purely theoretical things. My little outline of how Warp was developed actually involves altering local values for c (which is relatively consistant with how Warp looks and works (subspace my ass). The equations proper would be ignored. The show would INVOLVE the developement of working warp engines but wouldn't focus on it. It would be about Cochrane and Lilly.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2003-09-18 02:26pm

True true. Going over trek chronology, having Cromwell as Cochrane was stupid to begin with. First Contact was 60 years from now, Cochrane was born 27 years from now. He would have been a mere 33 years old. Cromwell was too old to be Cochrane.

Forget continuity for a sec; I think Cromwell was AWESOME as Cochrane. Do you really think that anyone could capture this role without totally reinventing it? Seems like it would be tough.

Which is why treknobabble would be banned except when relating to purely theoretical things. My little outline of how Warp was developed actually involves altering local values for c (which is relatively consistant with how Warp looks and works (subspace my ass). The equations proper would be ignored. The show would INVOLVE the developement of working warp engines but wouldn't focus on it. It would be about Cochrane and Lilly

So you would focus the show on the personal relationship between Cochrane and Lily? Or perhaps the struggle they had to go through to build the prototype? Hmmm...yeah I like this idea. Only problem is that realistically, the Star Trek franchise control is very centralized, and until Paramount rips the authority from Wingus and Dingus (Berman and Bragga), no one will ever be able to pitch an outside story idea. However, with the impending demise of Enterprise (you know its going to happen) hopefully Paramount will wise up and open up the franchise to new talent. If you had a proposal and a first script ready for them when they did this, you might have a decent shot of actually getting it accepted.

The only thing that might put a damper on this is that it isn't really 'Star Trek' in the literal sense of the word. But then, neither was DS9.

Raoul Duke, Jr. · Post by **Raoul Duke, Jr.** » 2003-09-18 02:39pm

Kojikun wrote:Hah, well, it would break alot of "canon" movie rules. Mainly about that little camp in minnesotta or whatever. Especially because its a pitifully impossible facility.

Indeed it is, which makes for great dramatic possibilities in the final season when they're forced to relocate there to avoid E-COM raids. Could also explain Cochrane's severe alcoholism -- it might only have gotten that bad in the months just prior to the events of FC. (He still drank to get drunk, instead of drinking to stay functional, which suggests that his alcoholism, while severe, was still in its early stages.)

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-09-18 06:58pm

The Kernel wrote:Forget continuity for a sec; I think Cromwell was AWESOME as Cochrane. Do you really think that anyone could capture this role without totally reinventing it? Seems like it would be tough.

It might be tough, but a good actor could pull it off.

So you would focus the show on the personal relationship between Cochrane and Lily? Or perhaps the struggle they had to go through to build the prototype? Hmmm...yeah I like this idea. Only problem is that realistically, the Star Trek franchise control is very centralized, and until Paramount rips the authority from Wingus and Dingus (Berman and Bragga), no one will ever be able to pitch an outside story idea.

I believe we would be able to parody the show legally.

However, with the impending demise of Enterprise (you know its going to happen) hopefully Paramount will wise up and open up the franchise to new talent. If you had a proposal and a first script ready for them when they did this, you might have a decent shot of actually getting it accepted.

I'm no script writer tho. I couldn't do this on my own, imnot that inventive when it comes to social situations.

The only thing that might put a damper on this is that it isn't really 'Star Trek' in the literal sense of the word. But then, neither was DS9.

It's still Star Trek, its just .. "The Tech of a Star Trek" kinda. Or even better, "Secret, Strange, and True: To The Stars" or sommat.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-09-19 05:11pm

Somone contribute some ideas. Cmon.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2003-09-19 05:29pm

Sorry koj, I love writing stories and whatnot, but i'm not trekkie.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-09-19 05:31pm

Oh, Koji, I think what Chardok meant when he asked if you were planning it as either a Baseball style of documentary is whether it was going to be like a Ken Burns PBS documentary (like The Civil War, to provide another example).

Personally, I think it could work better as a serialised novel, from the point of veiw of Cochrane's and Lilly's notes and journals.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-09-19 05:36pm

Chardok wrote:Sorry koj, I love writing stories and whatnot, but i'm not trekkie.

Neither am I, but I'm interested in this idea because it breaks the rules of what Star Trek is and isn't. It happens before the stupidity, before the inane shit that has come to embody Trek.

Spanky love wrote:Oh, Koji, I think what Chardok meant when he asked if you were planning it as either a Baseball style of documentary is whether it was going to be like a Ken Burns PBS documentary (like The Civil War, to provide another example).

Eh.. probably not. I want it to be more like Secret, Strange, and True on TechTV. They do some really good documentaries. The idea for the miniseries would be to pretend the universe is real, from a production point of view, to act as tho we are an actual crew walking around with the characters being filmed, not just depicting it like we're there.

Personally, I think it could work better as a serialised novel, from the point of veiw of Cochrane's and Lilly's notes and journals.

Eh.. but thats no fun. Part of the feel of the story comes from believing your watching actual people. You can write things like my idea fine, and that wouldn't be entirely uncharacteristic for scifi, but the whole point is to make people feel like they are in the world it takes place in.