Why isn't there a new Trek TV series?

[NAHTMMM]

In today's NaNuPoMo post, Zeke says:

I still can't believe they didn't capitalize on the success of Abrams' Trek reboot with a TV show -- that should've been a no-brainer.

I'm no expert, but here's how I see it:

TV is a different animal from film. With a movie franchise, you only have to come up with a story once every few years. With a TV series, you still have to come up with over a dozen stories a year. (And what do you write about? The last two series, Voyager and Enterprise, had a habit of rehashing stuff from TNG, and fans noticed and complained.)

There's also the notion that TPTB may already have a general story arc sketched out and don't want a TV series to come in and mess it up. Star Trek fans are notorious for being picky about continuity.

Well, but they could do a mini-series, then. Here's the problem: in geek culture, right now, all the money seems to be in movies. How many sci-fi/fantasy/comic book TV series have really taken off within the past few years, versus the number that have failed? From the V remake bombing to Terra Nova getting canceled to Wonder Woman fizzling out before it started, TV does not seem to be a very welcoming place for niche programming these days. Now contrast that with the huge numbers that Marvel or DC rack up with each movie. If you're just looking to make lots of money, why would you bother with TV?

There's also the question of who would be on TV. An entirely new crew? With zero name recognition? Or the nuTOS crew, who may have already said they would prefer to focus on their movie career rather than get tied down to a TV series.


So there's my view. I don't think there's a TV series coming any time soon. What's everyone else's opinion?

[Nate the Great]

To me it's simple. Creating a show in the reboot universe would be too expensive, and creating a show in the old universe would be confusing to the brand-new fans. "Hey, where's Zachary Quinto?"