Re: New Star Trek TV Series in Works
Well I cant's say if it's good or bad I assume they looked at Enterprise as a failure and do not wish to repeat that.
So a new way of sustaining revenue from viewership must have been factored in.
Well, I think the problem for many will be that they are limiting it to “yet another streaming service few want or need.” Other than a backlog of older CBS shows, what does this CBS service offer (other than Trek) to people who are going to watch TV via a streaming service aren’t already getting from, say, Hulu? I don’t see a new Trek series being some sort of tipping point that will drive enough subscribers to this service to really put it on the map when there are already better, more varied sources of streaming TV already out there.
And that’s the second point- you are correct, they are likely cognizant of the failure of Enterprise. But it doesn’t seem they learned anything from it. Let’s face it - Trek is “niche”, even much moreso today than it was in the 1970s, 80s or even 90s. If Enterprise couldn’t generate the audience/ad revenue to justify keeping it on the air when it was
free (meaning some non-Trek types might stumble across it, give it a chance), why do they think there is such a fan base out there now who will put their money where their mouth is to pay $5.99 a month for a service that - again, other than Trek - seems to be duplicating a service they already pay for and which offers a lot more variety than just “CBS shows”?
I have a feeling this will be like Enterprise in another way - if not enough people pony up to subscribe to the service, CBS will just say “see? There’s no audience for Trek on TV anymore.” So it seems to be a bit of setting the show up for failure.
Not a huge deal for me - I never really followed Trek TV after TNG. But I
do feel for the people who did and who want to support new Trek on TV. I just wish CBS wasn’t offering it only with strings attached.
M