Star Trek: Enterprise... What was wrong with it?

[captainhomer]

I fail to see why Enterprise did so poorly. It has decent acting, good stories, and many other things that make Star Trek great. Why was it canceled?

 

[hansolo0]

It's ratings had been steadily declining..voyager at times had been as well. Archer was kind of a wimp at times.. the writing was a bit weak most of the time and .they did one irritating episode with the Ferengi which contradicted future history...only convieniently allowing for it by saying basically that the aliens never gave their names....Anyhow..ratings did improve with the Xindi story arc and then they 'cleverly' moved it to friday nights for the fifth season when everyone is out partying so that didn't help any, and further people had kind of gotten worn out on star trek (not me though) in general after years of next gen, ds9 and voyager. I think they also never developed mayweather or hoshi much at all..but that is mostly everything in a nutshell.

 

[mcbethcg]

I don't think Archer was a wimp compared to Picard and Janeway, personally.<br /><br />I thought it was a better than average show for Star Trek.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I think a certain segment of Star Trek followers WANTED to see the same old story lines.<br /><br />In addition, one frequent complaint I read about was that some people are extremely irritated by time-travel story lines. I love them myself, but thats how it is.

 

[vogon13]

In our area, the series never ran 'over the air' until after it was canceled. Our Neilson market size is in the top 100 nationwide. So part of the low ratings were unrelated to the quality of the show.<br /><br />Now that the series is canceled, our local WB affiliate is showing the series, but running the episodes out of order. Also, it is unclear if they will continue to air Enterprise after the switch to CW.<br /><br />{one other annoyance, the WB channel is carried on Directv as a local channel, but the picture quality on that channel is marred by ghosting}<br /><br /><br />As for the show itself, having only seen the fifth season (with many episodes repeated, and several shown out of order) I am quite confused about about so many things. The episode immediately following the Xindi crises has aired, but all the references they made to that are confusing to me because the Xindi thing hasn't aired yet.<br /><br />Additionally, to me, the Enterprise that Archer has seems too advanced for a 'first attempt' at a starship. Were all the teething pains worked out of the ship in the first 4 seasons?<br /><br />Too many aliens are also portrayed that we have never seen in subsequent ST series. Why do the Andorrians act so differently in this series than in ST:TOS?<br /><br />There also was a 2 part episode that took place in the 'mirror universe'. Interesting to watch, there was no tie in to Enterprise, but the episode did tie into ST:TOS. This was confusing, and gave me the idea the well was dry for plot outlines for the crew of <i>our</i> Enterprise NX-01.<br /><br />I can't say about season's 1 through 4, but season 5 (btw, I don't know how many episodes I missed since they ran out of order) didn't really have anything about earth colonies. This time period (it would seem to me) in earth's 'future history' would have been extremely active in establishing colonies. This can't be an easy thing to do. So where are the episodes of Enterprise NX-01 involved in defending new <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[mamakos]

...not a bad program, but a bit unbelievable at times. The aliens always seem to be of biped form with a few alterations. They even seem to be able to speak our language.

 

[rogers_buck]

Two things off the top. Star Trek TOS, NG and to lesser extent DS9 and V were able to wow us with new technology. We had expectations that Enterprise couldn't live up to because it was ancestral. I watched Enterprise as if it were going to show me a steam locomotive. I think it was safe to say that the techno-wow factor was impossible given the scenario. Star Wars, Dr. Who, whatever can jump back in forth in time with no consequences because the tech isn't so REAL. The success Star Trek series has had in rationalizing its tech is part of what doomed Enterprise.<br /><br />Second, it was space opera. To me the purpose of a show like Star Trek is to say here is the ship, here are the toys, here is the crew - you know them, now let's get down to the Science Fiction plot. That's how TOS was, to a lesser extent NG, I can only think of one Voyager episode (the Dinosaurs) that was a science fiction plot (maybe the time dialated world too). DS9 was shoot-em-up. Enterprise was space opera.<br /><br /><br />

 

[avidgamer]

Market over-saturation I think. How many Star Treck spinoffs can there be untill people want to see fresh Sci-Fi. <br /><br />It's too bad. . . personally I thought it was a good show, but sometimes even fresh good shows die young.<br />(RIP Firefly)

 

[lsbd]

Market over-saturation I think. How many Star Treck spinoffs can there be untill people want to see fresh Sci-Fi.<br /><br />GOD! Someone should tell the bozos at SCIFI channel this in regards to Stargate.

 

[mattblack]

Should have taken even more chances than it did. I liked it better than 'Voyager'. But the technology was too slick for the perceived era. And as for someones assertion that Archer was a wimp: in the 3rd and 4th seasons his character was toughened up by circumstances: He started off as an explorer, but ended up as a warrior, diplomat and empire-builder. In other words -- a prototype Starfleet Starship Captain. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[elguapoguano]

I quite enjoyed Enterprise. There were many factors that sealed it's doom. The biggest one is that the "network" it was on was unavailable to a good portion of Star Trek's fan base. Then putting it on Friday nights finally killed it. I guess they thought all the fans were geeks who live in their parents basement wearing spock ears. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#ff0000"><u><em>Don't let your sig line incite a gay thread ;>)</em></u></font> </div>

 

[Aetius]

I agree completely.<br /><br />Besides, in a 500 channel universe, the female body holds zero mystery for most Western adult males. I enjoy seeing beautiful women in skin-tight outfits as much as the next guy, but when I see it in a sci-fi show or movie it reeks of desperation. Tastefully dressed women can be just as hot. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />I always think it's cool when the people who make TV or movie sci-fi go ahead and actually defy the conventions of the genre.<br /><br />I really enjoyed "ST: Enterprise", for the most part. Much more than I ever liked "ST: Next Generation".

 

[ordinary_guy]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>That may have killed the original series, but in this age of VCRs and DVD recorders, that explanation doesn't fly.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />Problem: Nielsen Ratings (last I checked) are still based off of how many sets are tuned in live (TiVo ratings come a distant second and VCRs/other DVRs don't register).<br /><br />Personally, I think a lot of the ST traditionalists were offended by the ST:ENT theme song. Every episode opened with Russell Watson crooning a cover of the "Faith of the Heart" ballad -- a far cry some grandiose orchestral score to get the old fanbase in the mood. There was a <i>lot</i> of noise about this in the beginning. It even bugged me a little, though it grew on me over the course of the first season. Unfortunately, I don't think the rest of the fanbase was so open-minded.<br /><br />Heck, for the first seasons, it was just "Enterprise" -- not "<i>Star Trek:</i> Enterprise" (and the omission doesn't jones the average red-shirted, costume-wearing ST conventioneer). Combine that with limited UPN distribution, market saturation, the fact that no matter how bad any bad guys might be (or how much time travel might be used), they won't kill the rest of the franchise for the sake of drama... <i>so you know, basically, how it's going to turn out</i>.<br /><br />Oh yeah -- and I say this lovingly -- since it's the moralizing, pontificating, holier-than-thou Federation-prequel ST series, they won't be able to be "edgy" enough to overcome these handicaps. T&A help but eyecandy (Blalock) simply isn't enough (as eddie mentions). While they did dabble in multi-episode story arcs, by the time they got comfortable with it, the negative momentum was already rolling. They needed real plotting to distinguish themselves from the ST saturated market.<br /><br />They were fighting a pitched battle. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p style="font:normalnormalnormal12px/normalTimes;margin:0px"><strong>Mere precedent is a dangerous source of authority.</strong></p> <p style="font:normalnormalnormal12px/normalTimes;margin:0px">-Andrew Jackson (1767-1845)</p> </div>

 

[dragon04]

Although being a Star Trek fan in general, and admittedly having only watched a dozen or so episodes, I found it lacking in the respect that the first generation of warped space people would have had a difficult road to just "be out there" let alone be interacting with alien races.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[captainhomer]

Anyone think they'll eventually make a movie with this crew and rejuvinate it like how they did TOS?

 

[vogon13]

VCRs are useless to Neilson;<br /><br />guide plus only encodes time and channel, not show titles<br /><br />the VCRs cannot call Neilson with their data (no phone jack on the back)<br /><br />if there was a phone jack on the back, you would not have to connect it<br /><br />you do not have to input your zip code to the VCR to make it work, so your VCR doesn't know what market it is in<br /><br />if you did have to input your zip code to your VCR to make it work, your could enter the wrong one if you wanted<br /><br />(btw, the majority of folks can't set the clock on their VCR, how in the blue blazes are they suddenly mentally gifted enough to input their zip code?)<br /><br /><br /><br /> therefore, the VCRs cannot be monitiored by Neilson. <br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

As I recall, there were 16 years worth of Voyager flight time unepisoded when the series concluded . . . <br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

I was obviously discussing an off the shelf 49.95 costco VCR. That you willingly submitted to this ordeal suggests a mental disturbance far greater than can be addressed here.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[mooware]

They should do a show on 27th century Star Trek. Something way out in the future, new and bizaare technology.<br /><br />

 

[darth_elmo]

Don't see how they can do that. It'd be too much like Buck Rogers.

 

[vagueship]

Jolene Blalock blamed it on the writing. If the writing was that good they wouldn't have needed Troi and Riker in the last episode. I agree.<br /> <br />I think Bacula was a poor choice for captain. The other captains had a flair for drama while Bacula did come across as a dweeb. He's not much of an actor.<br />

 

[mattblack]

>>He's not much of an actor<<<br /><br />What rubbish!! Then you obviously haven't seen the best episodes of "Quantum Leap" or the movie "Lord Of Illusions".<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[silylene old]

The problem was that enterprise lacked compelling characters.<br /><br />The characters were dull and boring and lacked a certain uniqueness and repartee between each other that the better Start trek serials had possessed. And, the captain was wimpy.<br /><br />Sometimes I would hope that the main characters would get killed, so they could get better replacements. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[mattblack]

>>And, the captain was wimpy<<<br /><br />Then you didn't watch Season 4 of Enterprise where he was anything but. Besides; wimpy compared to what?<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[dragon04]

I like Scott Bakula as an actor. Archer was not his role.<br /><br />I'm thinking Denis Leary. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[mattblack]

Dennis Leary: very good actor but no "box office" appeal to SF fans. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>