February 02, 2005

UPN/Paramount finally kills off Star Trek Enterprise

The low-rated fifth series in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek Enterprise will come to an end in May.

UPN and Viacom announced the decision today.

A number of changes had been made in the series ahead of this, the fourth season of the series, but the one thing that didn't change was the low ratings the series earned.

"Star Trek has been an important part of UPN's history, and Enterprise has carried on the tradition of its predecessors with great distinction," UPN Entertainment president Dawn Ostroff said. "We'd like to thank Rick Berman, Brannon Braga and an incredibly talented cast for creating an engaging, new dimension to the Star Trek universe on UPN, and we look forward to working with them, and our partners at Paramount Network Television, on a send-off that salutes its contributions to The Network and satisfies its loyal viewers."

Paramount Network Television president David Stapf added, "The creators, stars and crew of Star Trek: Enterprise ambitiously and proudly upheld the fine traditions of the Star Trek franchise. We are grateful for their contributions to the legacy of Trek and commend them on completing nearly 100 exciting, dramatic and visually stunning episodes. All of us at Paramount warmly bid goodbye to Enterprise, and we all look forward to a new chapter of this enduring franchise in the future."

TrekToday sources report that CBS president Les Moonves himself yesterday reached the decision to pull the plug on Enterprise. Most Enterprise crew members only found out about their show's cancellation this morning.

The as-yet-untitled series finale (to be written by series killers creators Rick Berman and Brannon Braga) will air on May 13.

Posted by mhking at February 2, 2005 03:56 PM
Comments

As another good sci-fi show said about the Original Series of Star Trek,
"Another classic science fiction show cancelled before its time."


My only thought on this is, that they royally pissed off all the Star Trek fans with how this series was done. UPN promissed a full run, but even THEY have to follow the ratings.

Posted by: TheRoyalFamily at February 2, 2005 07:00 PM

Shoulda left it on Wednesday night.

Posted by: Samantha at February 2, 2005 08:07 PM

Those idiots set themselves up for a fall. They knew full well that they were going to be cometing with the top show the genre has ever seen, and they had the whole fall run of the first half of the season before they decided to use the numbers for the spring, when it was competing with Stargate, to decide to cancel the show.

It's too bad that there's not likely to be even a possibility of another network picking it up, since Paramount owns the network and the show. They really did fix every problem in the show which I never considered to be major problems anyway, thereby making a good show absolutely great. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season, knowing that it will be some of the best Trek ever. It's too bad they won't be able to continue it any further.

Posted by: Jeremy Pierce at February 2, 2005 08:23 PM

Hey I guess the freak show is at the top of Paramount Television chain of command when it comes to grading a television. The premature ending of Enterprise will send stocks to Paramount to an all time low thus probably making UPN Entertainment president Dawn Ostroff looking for a new job like in advertising for toddler shoes.

This person who decided to kill Enterprise sounds like a low brow geek that haven't been properly potty trained and lacks the necessary skills to judge a caricature or a series like Enterprise.

I hope a syndication like the Science Fiction Network or SI FI network take up syndication for Enterprise and make UPN Entertainment president Dawn Ostroff look like a tree swinging buffoon who doesn't deserve a seat on the board to tell the general public what to watch.

Well to me if this program ends I hope the Board of Directors at UPN can over rule the person Dawn Ostroff and send this person into making commercials for the toddler shoe industry because to me this is were this person belongs.

Posted by: nitemere at February 3, 2005 05:53 AM

I wish I felt worse about this. The fact is I've only got real loyalty for the show because it's part of the franchise. As much as I despise bashers who complained about it (unlike DS9 and Voyager before it), I didn't find much I could use to defend this one against their harangue.

The time-travel follies and the failure to fill in the gaps in canon hurt bad; network mismanagement was as awful as we've seen since TOS was canceled. Just about the only thing it had going for it was exploration of the old TOS races like the Andorians and Tellarites. The possibility we'd see the Romulan War and the foundation of the Federation played out was only just coming back into range of my hopes.

C'est la vie. Trash it - along with the morons who've run the franchise into the ground - and start again with something else, something new.

Posted by: Chris at February 4, 2005 12:58 AM

Hey, Maurice:

Two things. I'm a fan (as are most of my visitors; some more rabid than others). There's no need to insult fans.

Secondly, it's only a TV show. Get over it and go read a book. If the concepts of ST & SW bother you that much, go write your own books or make your own TV show.

Posted by: mhking at February 7, 2005 02:49 PM

I am not sorry to see this series go.

From the very start Enterprise has not followed the long established timelines and protocols (as STNG series & movies did not)set down by Stan & Fred Goldstein and approved by Gene Roddeenberry so long ago. The whole concept of Enterprise is wrong and too advanced compared to Kirk's Enterprise.

Why would a relatively primative race (humans)manage to solve problems that longer lived more intelligent and advanced species are not able to solve?
Intelligence is always better than brute force.

Personally I would have thought that the next logical series even before two other bad ones (DS9 & Voyager), should have been the adventures of Captain Sulu.

What was needed, was a new set of writers ones who did not rehash the worst original series scripts (and I can spot them as easily as any good TREKER can)

Let's just hope that Berman and Braga can get it right next time?

Not all blame should be heaped upon B&B, what bright spark at the network pits two science Fiction programmews against each other???

And why oh why put the series on on a friday evening, real people go out on the town on Friday and Sturday nights. Why do you think that Football and Hockey are on on Mondays?

So use some of the stuffing between your ears
programmes are best seen on Sunday's, Tuesdays, Wednesday's & Thursdays, and choose a time when other good series are not on so as not to compete,
and dont change the time and date from week to week, it's hard to follow a series when you dont know when it's going to be on, and dont show any repeates until all programmes in the series have been run once, There is nothing more annoying than having to watch repeats evey 6 weeks.

From what is read about network exec's you get the sense that programming is not that important.
Just the persuit of money at all costs.

Well am I right? if not say something, in fact voice your opinion loud and clear otherwise you will be stuck with "Reality" shows, Stupid Sit Coms, and Idol (IDLE) programmes for the rest of your viewing eternity

Posted by: bob budd at February 24, 2005 02:45 PM

As even the Great Bird of the Galaxy would tell
you, from these ashes, a great new series will
emerge. "IDIC"...such is the diversity of life;
a fire will forever burn with the beliefs Gene
R. espoused. Thus, fans keep faith...and
keep watch. Even now there are new fires
burning! How could there not be???
Please advise.
thanks, so much, for allowing me to give
expression herein.
As in "TIN MAN" (STTNG), I have such a great
EMPATHY that not only could I relate to
The Star Trek Experience...I could work there!
So...my understanding is as follows...

No matter what 'kind' of series is on...
wherever (cable, satellite, et al) the
Truth of what Star Trek shares with all its
fans is this: Exploration. The more space/science
fiction teaches us about the Universe, it
teaches all of us about the universal potential
in each of us!
WE can grow, explore...learn..and thus
fulfill our lives, our dreams..for ourselves
and those around us.
Maybe this is a test of character for the
fans. If they see it so, then growth will
surely come.
And in the Industry of Paramount Television,
well,
all I can say is,
if they can't see all their inherent
possibilities...I'd be happy to Enlighten
them.
yours,

Dave S. (and 'Freya', the wonderful, black,
smart, lovie girl cat, 4.5 years and
very, very Empathic as well. Boy, does
that ever help. She always tells me the
Truth...sooooooooooooo good!).

Posted by: dave at May 3, 2005 01:53 AM

I just watched the final episode of Enterprise. What a disappointment! Was this an episode about the NX-01 Enterprise or about William Ryker and Deanna Troi?

It did very little to bring closure to the series, and to the characters within the series. What of Archer's distiny? Why didn't Trip and T'Pol get [or stay] together? Did Hoshi return to Brazil? What of the Federation Charter.

I suppose we will be subjected to a slew of dime store novels speculating on the final outcome for each of the characters.

As for this sereies, Good Riddence! In my opinion, Rick Berman and Brandon Braga have sullied Gene Roddenberry's original vision. Majel Barrett and the Roddenberry family should disassociate the Roddenberry name from anything connected to the Enterprise series.

Bob V.
St. Catharines, ON. Canada

Posted by: Bob at May 13, 2005 10:28 PM

Hmmm. I am completely saddened by the fact that Star Trek is gone for what appears to be good..
I sit here wondering when the next realistic portrayal of Science Faction will be aired. Roddenberry was a thoughtful visionary, and while the ENTERPRISE show may not have been as good as the original or Voyager it was still better than one hundred percent of all other SciFi pretenders.
I suppose I can go back to carousing and cavorting on friday nights again..
But it will not be the same as the rare nights I sacrificed a show I truly loves to do it..
Please if anyone reads this that has any say in anything hurry up with whatever is next.

Posted by: James Woody at May 15, 2005 02:28 PM
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