From: jverho80@ursa.calvin.edu (Jeff Verhoef)
Subject: Re: Whining
Keywords: [quality], [writing]
Organization: Calvin College
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 16:27:08 GMT

rawdon@colby.cs.wisc.edu (Michael Rawdon) writes:



>Except that TNG isn't threatened with cancellation.  In fact, it's highly
>rated.  Also, one of the letter-writing campaigns back in the "golden age" of
>Classic Star Trek resulted in the less-than-classic third season (which was
>about on par with your average TNG season).  Not too successful, that.

>>		(You get a few million letters coming to you with the same
>>complaint, see if it doesn't affect your future decisions).

>But Paramount has no reason to change; people watch the show in the millions,
>and r.a.s is only a very, very small fraction of that population.  Never mind
>that there's no way we can get millions of letters fired off to Paramount,
>with the ratings as they are, Paramount can regard the show as nothing but a
>success.  Remember, they don't care about "art".

>Not really.  If I have to say to watch any but the best Star Trek episodes,
>then I don't really care to watch.  And I honestly don't believe that a "we'd
>like some better stories, please" letter-writing campaign is going to make any
>difference.

>Maybe I should send Paramount copies of my reviews? :-)

That would be a good idea...but I'd like to disagree with you a little bit.
When George Takei was in Grand Rapids, he talked about writing letters too.
Only that time he was advocating a Star Trek VII about the adventures of 
Captain Sulu and the Excelsior.  He was kinda tongue-in-cheek about it,
but he did mention that when Paramount gets one Trek fan letter, they count
it as 200 fans that didn't write but wanted to.  Whether that's truth or not, 
I don't know, but I thought I'd pass that along if anyone does want to write.

BTW, I really don't mean to whine but I also feel that the quality of the 
scripts have gone down a little bit.  I think they're still focusing on 
character development and not paying a lot of attention to science fiction.
Also, I have a feeling that they're devoting a lot of attention to the new
series, wanting it to get off on the right foot.  Face it, Berman's got a 
really tough job, juggling a very successful series while launching a 
series idea that's never been tried in the Trek realm.  

While the lack of quality as compared to past seasons is very noticeable to
we serious followers, it is not so noticeable to casual watchers.  I've seen
all the episodes so far this season with a two serious fans (me included) and
three casual watchers.   The casual watchers liked every episode thus far.  
That's where the popularity comes from, the casual watchers.  If it wasn't for
them, there would be no Trek.  The serious group, I think, are a small 
percentage of the viewers per week.  I don't mean to be hard on us Trekkers
or anything like that, I just think we should cut them a little slack. I'm 
sure the producers and writers and working just as hard as past years to make
a successful season, and in addition to that, some of them have to launch 
a new series that will have a competing series (Babylon 5), live up to the
standards of quality of Trek, and also live up to the fans' expectations and
beat the skepticism.

Anyway, I believe the quality of the shows will go up again once the new series
is underway.  At least I'm hoping.  

Just my humble opinions.
--
Jeff Verhoef                "Having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting;
jverho80@Calvin.edu          it is not logical but it is often true."
Grand Rapids, MI USA 49546   *All I Need to Know About Life I Learned from ST*

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