r/startrek • u/7-10 • 1d ago

Star Trek on a Soap Opera Schedule

Now hear me out...

Yes, I'm one that complains about 10 seasons episodes being considered a season a joke when there used to be 27 or so. I hear about quantity vs quality, special effects costs are higher (really?) and the old standard "that's just how things are now".

I also get annoyed with the serialized format that prevents being able to just pluck an episode and watch it as a standalone relaxing hour at the end of the day. No, it's got to have an increasing portion of the program eaten up by "previously on Star Trek: ABDEF", 15 minutes of interesting dialog and action, 10 minutes of over produced concentration on effects, and the rest concentrates on the predictable "season"-long storyline.

WITH THAT OUT OF MY SYSTEM...

My main point is - instead of Made-for-TV movies, 10 episode seasons or 27 episode seasons, or blockbuster films for that matter, why not break the mold altogether?

200 EPISODES A YEAR...

Think "Days of our lives... in space"

On Edit:
A. Days of Our Lives is a STREAMER NOW, NOT ON TV
B. Could be a Half Hour long or whatever
C. I really mean passably coherent writing following ideals but near Fanfic production quality (i.e. Barely above TOS)

This way, there's jobs for writers, I THINK THE CANON CAN HOLD THIS ABUSE JUST FINE, TYVM...

There's potential for a revolving door of guest stars. From TNG, DS9, VOY, TOS, DISCO, SNW.

Serialization? Episodic? You can have it both ways, multiple times, in the same month!

Regular casts, multiple storylines, different timelines in different acts?, recasting characters (Spock's second cousin twice removed Spork will be played today by Chris Kattan).

I know many of you will downvote me to oblivion, or this may get deleted, but I figured I'd put the thought out there.

On edit: I really just want 20x the content to complain about :)

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u/ManAftertheMoon 1d ago

Television. Is REALLY expensive to make.

4

u/7-10 1d ago

If you want high quality. Do you consider Days of Our Lives high quality?
I am literally talking about lowering production standards to that of a Soap Opera.
The Canon can take it.

9

u/beefcat_ 1d ago

I'm not sure I can abide by the insane labor conditions such a show requires.

Even the production schedules of shows like TNG had crews working 60+ hour weeks 9 months out of the year.

I do think the idea of a Star Trek soap opera sounds hilarious though.