CBS All Access | At Home with Tech

October 1, 2017

Why “Star Trek: Discovery” and “The Orville” are Tearing a Hole in My Mind and Wallet

I’ve been a Trekkie all of my life. Here’s a photo of me as a teenager sitting in a replica U.S.S. Enterprise captain’s chair at the 1976 New York City Star Trek Convention. Does this demonstration of core-level nerdiness qualify me decades later to offer my first impressions of “Star Trek: Discovery” and “The Orville?” You bet it does!

I feel like I’ve entered a sci-fi nexus. A place where I can clearly see a warped “Star Trek” from my past and a newly phased, slightly alternate-reality version for the future.

A little confused? So am I.
(Though not entirely displeased)

All right everyone… go find your Spock ears and put them on. This is going to get a little geeky…

Two New Versions of “Star Trek”
It may feel like blasphemy to tinker with the old “Star Trek” some of us grew up with. But as I’m sure you’re aware, two new “Star Trek” based sci-fi series have almost simultaneously arrived after twelve years without new Star Trek episodes on television.

After what seems like an eternity of preproduction, “Star Trek: Discovery” has finally premiered. But it doesn’t entirely own the new-Trek conversation, because Seth MacFarlane’s irreverent “The Orville,” actually beat “Discovery” to the premiere punch by a couple of weeks.

“The Orville” isn’t technically a “Star Trek” series, but it’s clearly paying homage to the original show and “The Next Generation” while also trying to have a lot of fun with the format.

“Star Trek: Discovery” has chosen a darker and grittier path than any of its predecessors, one seemingly inspired by the “Battlestar Galactica” reboot. Starring Sonequa Martin-Green, “Discovery” works hard to remind us it’s “Star Trek.” In the pilot episode, you’ll see a front-and-center shot of what looks like Kirk’s original phaser. Starship doors slide open with the familiar swish. And the gurgles and chirps on the U.S.S. Shenzhou’s bridge come from the same infrastructure as the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Yet, it’s clear that as a series, “Discovery” is a new version of “Star Trek.”

And while “The Orville” isn’t “Star Trek,” in so many ways… it is.
The ship. The bridge. The uniforms. Everything.
The special effects are even good.

Science Fiction for 2017
Both new series are intentionally being disruptive. One is dark.
The other is trying to be funny.

And it is that so bad?
Who said a “Star Trek” series had to be exactly like earlier versions? If you believe that, you can be sure you’d never see another “Star Trek” series ever again.

Hey, Trekkies… Grow up!
Life changes. Entertainment changes. “Star Trek” changes.

Unless you simultaneously resurrect and spoof the old format as Seth MacFarlane has done. As a life-long Trekkie, I’ve been wincing at some of the bits in the first two episodes of “The Orville.” Whether MacFarlane can successfully tap into “Star Trek” nostalgia and then skewer it in the same script will be determined as his series gets a few more episodes in under its belt.

One Trekkie’s Opinion
So, do I like “Star Trek: Discovery?”

It’s really too early to tell. It’s clearly got some big ambitions. The sets and special effects are beautiful, but I haven’t yet been drawn in emotionally, other than to mourn the loss of what I was hoping would be a long-time character.

Sure, I could quibble over how accurately the producers have inserted this series into the official Trek timeline. Should there be force fields that protect destroyed hull plating on a ship that predates the NCC-1701? That kind of tech didn’t start to show up until the Enterprise-D.
Right?
(The new “Star Trek” movies displayed advanced levels of tech… but that’s from an alternate timeline… so anything goes.)

But I know if I get stuck babbling like this, I’m missing the big picture.

Sticker Shock
The big question is whether I am going to start paying for my Trek moving forward.
(Except for the pilot, you can only watch the rest of the series by streaming it on CBS All Access for a monthly cost of $5.99. New episodes are available Sundays at 8:30pm)

As much as I hate the idea of it, yes… I’m in.
Of course, I am.

It’s worth mentioning that “The Orville” on Fox is free to watch with regular commercials. Or you can stream it on Fox.com with only one commercial up front.
(As long as you ‘interact’ with the sponsor’s ad)

A Federation Universe without Commercials
So, I signed up to join the CBS Borg collective using the downloaded app on my Apple TV.
(Make it so!)

Now here comes the illogical part…
I’ve actually decided to pay CBS more than I have to for my “Star Trek: Discovery.”
(What?!)

There’s a second plan offered when you sign up online.
It’s the ‘commercial-free’ plan.

Yep, there’s a four-dollar monthly surcharge to lose the commercials.
So that gooses the price tag up to ten bucks a month.

And why exactly did I decide to throw away money every month?
Well, I figured I’m already paying for my “Star Trek.” I just know how I’d feel being forced to also watch commercials as well.
(There really shouldn’t be commercials in the $5.99 plan either, but I’m not ready to argue economics with CBS.)

So, all in… the price tag comes to $2.50 per “Discovery” episode.
(That’s assuming I don’t take advantage of any other programming on CBS All Access… which is substantial.)

Value Add
There’s actually one possible game changer available on CBS All Access that would help to soften the sticker shock for me.
You get your live, local CBS feed.
(In over 150 U.S. markets)

Now, that’s interesting…

Because as I continue to consider how to cut the cable cord without losing programming that I want, having access to live CBS news, sports and special events is a huge benefit.

Hmmm… Let me think a bit more about that.

Discovery Vs. Orville
If you’ve been expecting me to choose one of these series over the other, spoiler alert… I’m not. As much as they’re both based on the same origin material, they’re entirely different.

Yes, while it’s odd to see two “Star Trek” shows running simultaneously, that’s not unprecedented.
(“Next Generation” and “Deep Space Nine”)

And while it’s early for both series, I do think “Discovery” has a better chance of ongoing success if it can convince enough viewers to pay for the privilege.

“The Orville” relies on a simplicity in television storytelling that’s rather retro these days. And I don’t know if the occasional humor shtick is going to work out.
(Though “Galaxy Quest” and “Spaceballs” did just fine going for the funny bone.)
But at the end of the day, the series will have to decide if it’s a sit-com, a dramedy or just more relaxed sci-fi.

But one thing’s for sure… “The Orville” has heart. Lots of heart.

It reminds me of that sense of optimism and awe that flooded me when I was a young boy watching my first “Star Trek” episodes. I clearly remember that feeling.

Engage!
Even though I’m all grown up now, I yearn for a “Star Trek” to do that again for me, whether the branded name is in the title or not.

Because I’m still a kid at heart…

…I’ll be watching.

2 Comments

August 7, 2016

This Trekie Not Impressed with First Look at New Star Trek Series

There’s a new teaser trailer online for the upcoming “Star Trek: Discovery” series. Over a million fans have already checked it out. Is the show ready for prime time? Uhhhh….

I’m a Star Trek fan, and I have been since I was seven years old. So it really pains me to say this…

But as a ‘Trekie,’ I think the first trailer for the new Star Trek series, “Star Trek: Discovery” is simply…well…

It’s terrible.
(You hadn’t heard there’s a new series in the works?)

Granted, this first teaser trailer doesn’t reveal much except the new starship itself. So what could be so bad?

Here… take a look…

Where’s Scotty When You Need Him?
Yes… my problem is with the U.S.S. Discovery.
The new starship.

It looks like an ambitious fifth grader designed it on a Mac. All of the right parts are there, but the design is… well, kind of odd.
(I know… geek alert!!)

Sure the ship has the familiar saucer and two nacell warp-engine design. But it looks… rather boxy. Not sleek or elegant the way all of the ships in the Federation’s Starfleet have always looked.
(Both in the original ‘Prime’ universe as well as in J.J. Abram’s alternate timeline)

If this is a pre-Kirk era starship, (note the NCC-1031 on the saucer) that doesn’t mean the ship has to look like an old Volvo. The NX-01 starship of the doomed “Enterprise” UPN series (2001-2005) still looked pretty cool…

A Teaser is Supposed to Generate Excitement
Also, the footage looks like something out of a Star Trek fan film you can find on YouTube. It approximates the quality of a Hollywood-created starship, but the ship doesn’t feel ‘real’ at all. It’s clearly stuck in an animated universe.

Which isn’t so good considering the best-in-class special effects we’ve just been exposed to in Justin Lin’s “Star Trek Beyond.”

Granted, “Beyond” is a big budget movie, and we’re comparing it to something out of a TV series.

But for one minute, the special effects department can’t do a little better?!
(You only get one chance to make a first impression.)

Look… I get that the producers can’t give too much away, with “Beyond” being front and center right now.

But if you’re going to give up anything, please make it great!

Live Long and Prosper
I really don’t mean to bash “Star Trek: Discovery.” I want Star Trek in all its forms to succeed, and the truth is I’ve stuck with all of the incarnations my entire life.

Perhaps I’m smarting a little bit, because “Star Trek Beyond” isn’t doing that well at the box office. And I have to admit that (Spoiler Alert) there’s so much frenetic and confusing action, the film sometimes forgets it’s a Star Trek movie. Even with all the great special effects and Simon Pegg’s witty lines, you leave the theater feeling hungry for more.

So now that “Beyond” is behind us, the attention turns to “Discovery,” which premieres in January.

The Band’s Back Together
I’m thinking, “Guys, you’d better get this right!”
(The failure of “Enterprise” over ten years ago is still fresh in my mind.)

That said, I’m excited to see so many Star Trek A-List production alumni attached to the project….
Alex Kurtzman (co-writer of 2009’s “Star Trek” and “Into Darkness”), Bryan Fuller (“Deep Space Nine” and “Voyager” writer), and Nicholas Meyer
(“The Wrath of Khan” writer and director)

That’s pretty exciting, right?

So why am I so cranky?
Because of a silly teaser trailer?

Exactly.

Discovery Will Not Be Free
Plus, I’m going to have to pay for the pleasure of watching this new series, as it will only be available on CBS All Access streaming at $5.99/month.
(Except for the series premiere, which will be distributed old school.)

So now if I’ve got to pay to watch your Star Trek series… then you’ve also got to show me the money!

This is Just a Test?!
All we really know about “Star Trek: Discovery” so far is that a poorly-designed starship likes to hang out in the middle of an asteroid space station. I’m hoping that it was just a concept piece to get the fans excited at Comic-Con.

There is one other little detail to pay attention to…
The title of the trailer
It’s “First Look – Test Flight of Star Trek’s U.S.S. Discovery.”

Test flight?

Huh.

Does that mean these are just test shots. Not the real deal?

Huh.

Does that mean I set my phaser to ‘severely angry’ for nothing?

I hope so.

Okay.
Red alert cancelled.

Deep down, I’m a believer.
Always have been.

I’ll try to be more patient as I wait again to “boldly go….”

1 Comment

November 8, 2015

Star Trek is Returning to Television?

Incoming message from Starfleet: Cancel all of your plans for the beginning of 2017. There’s a new starship traveling at warp speed to a TV near you.

I’m not really sure how to react… I stumbled across the news last week that
a new “Star Trek” series is coming to television in January 2017.

Well, actually only the first episode is coming to conventional television. The rest of the series will only be available on CBS All Access, CBS’s digital video-on-demand streaming platform.

You’ll have to pay $5.99/month to be able to access to this new Trek.
(Unless you’re a personal friend of the “Q”)

The series will not be connected to the current movie universe, though the new show will be executive produced by Alex Kurtzman, who co-wrote and produced both of the current generation “Star Trek” films directed by J.J. Abrams.

Red Alert!
I am a life-long “Star Trek” fan.

I started watching the first reruns on WPIX TV in my parents’ bedroom when I was seven years old while my parents ate dinner. My father wasn’t too happy about that arrangement, but my mother allowed it, I think because she saw how connected I was to the series.

I know I should be jumping up and down for joy at this week’s revelation. My inner nerd entirely sated. What could be better than the return to a weekly “Star Trek” experience?

It’s been a decade since the last “Star Trek” series (“Enterprise”) limped off the air. And the last “Next Gen” movie “Nemesis” crashed and imploded back in 2002.

The entire franchise withered, because not enough humanoids on this planet simply cared to watch anymore.

“Star Trek” was in trouble.

Two Mr. Spocks Were Better than One
Then, J.J. Abrams revived the Federation in 2009 with his early-days version of “Star Trek.” And though his two movies were relatively faithful to the original… in so many ways, it’s totally an alternate universe.

Amazingly, he successfully created another “Star Trek” without alienating the old fan base. He made it his own and yet kept all the important foundational elements. In fact, he brazenly stole iconic moments and old plot points, smartly reengineered them and then placed them front and center.

Those are insane risks… and he pulled them off flawlessly.
He boldly made “Star Trek” his own.

Which is why the known universe is nervously wondering what he’s done with Luke Skywalker, who is noticeably absent from any of the new trailers for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

But I digress…

Fresh Dilithium Crystals
Make no mistake; the “Star Trek” you grew up with is long gone.

That said, I’m quite satisfied with the current iteration of “Star Trek.”
The third movie installment, “Star Trek Beyond” comes out next summer.

It’s been something of a journey for Trekkies but that’s where we’ve happily landed.
(If I may speak for all of us…)

Now, there’s yet another disturbance in the Force.
(I know… mixing movie metaphors)

And I’m not sure I’m ready for it…

I am Expressing Multiple Attitudes Simultaneously
A new TV Star Trek is coming out six months after the hopeful positive glow of “Star Trek Beyond?”

I’ve got so many unanswered questions:

Which timeline does this series live in…?
(The original, the one Abrams reengineered or perhaps a new one?)
When in the future is this one set?
(Circa Kirk? Pre Archer? Post Picard?)
Why isn’t this one ‘related’ to the current movie series?

So this Trek lives on its own without the benefit of being a part of the overall whole? That could be a huge limitation. “Star Trek” has always benefited from its own mythology that’s developed through almost fifty years of storytelling.

But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself.

I’m just a little nervous trying to process this sudden news with practically no details other than ‘January 2017’ and ‘Alex Kurtzman.’

And the idea of having to pay to watch the new series…. that’s also a little unsettling.
(Of course you wouldn’t think twice if HBO picked the show up.)

And CBS will point to the thousands of hours of other programming you can also watch with your monthly subscription, including all of the other “Star Trek” series.

Okay… so what’s my problem?

Live Long and Prosper
Successful science fiction television has proven hard to do. For every hit like the newer “Battlestar Galactica,” “Babylon 5” and “Farscape,” there were also plenty of big duds like “The Starlost,” and “seaQuest DSV.”

Both “Voyager” and “Enterprise” were weaker Trek efforts, though I must admit I stuck with both of them.

Creating yet another “Star Trek” reboot is not going to be a slam dunk…
And not to be attempted just to cash in on the success of the current Abrams’ movies.

I’m just saying…
This new series had better be good!
(I’m not going to rummage through my attic to unbox my toy phaser, tricorder and old model starship collection for nothing.)

Yes, I’m a little anxious, like doting parents watching their child perform in the school play. As a Trekkie (or Trekker), that’s the level of connection I irrationally feel.

Of course, I want this new “Star Trek” to be great!

So Mr. Kurtzman… Let’s get to it!

Tag: CBS All Access

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: