Billingsley, Moore React To Cancellation

Over the past months, John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox) has possibly been the actor with the least confidence in Enterprise's chances for renewal. But speaking to TrekToday, Billingsley admitted that even he had had clung to some hope the series would get another season.

"I certainly wasn't surprised to hear that Enterprise had been canceled, although I think cast and crew all hoped for an 11th hour miracle," Billingsley told TrekToday's AntonyF. "Still, it was nice of the network to cancel us sooner rather than later, for it gives everybody connected with the show the opportunity to try and catch on with another project during pilot season."

Billingsley said he was sorry that the enthusiasm of fans united in fan campaigns such as Save Enterprise wasn't rewarded with a fifth season. "But our partisans should take some solace in the fact that their efforts on our behalf during last year's 'will-they/won't-they spring agitation-a-thon' went a long way towards guaranteeing the fourth season we're still enjoying." Billingsley added that ironically, this year was when he felt the show "really hit its stride."

For himself, Billingsley said he was going to miss his friends on the show, but also same some bright sides to the cancellation. "There's always some part of an actor that pines for new opportunities and I can't say that it's entirely unwelcome news. I'm abivalent," he admitted. "No more rubber head (good), a chance to play other roles (good) - but did I mention that I had a mortgage?" "Anyway, I do look forward to continued interaction with the fans over the next umpteen years," Billingsley concluded. "They've been nothing but kind, gracious and warm. [And] of course I want to give a big shout out to Rick [Berman] and Brannon [Braga] who gave me a great job and were never less than open, supportive and encouraging in the four years I got to work with them. It was a privilege."

Meanwhile, former TNG, DS9 and Voyager writer Ronald D. Moore spoke to the Boston Globe about Enterprise's cancellation. "''My sense of the franchise is that it needs a rest," Moore said. "The franchise is a strong idea. The character concepts are great. It just isn't being written in a fashion that is grabbing the audience anymore. In some ways, the continuity of the show is starting to work against it. There is such a complete universe with so many characters that it's a bit daunting for new audiences."

Moore did add that he felt Star Trek would return eventually, as the success of his own new show Battlestar Galactica has proven there is still a market for space-based SF shows. "You can count on Paramount's greed to bring it back."

But at least for now, Paramount is putting the franchise firmly to rest. In a new interview at the Sci-Fi Wire, executive producer Rick Berman said that while Paramount had last year considered shopping around Enterprise to other channels, they have now decided against that option. "The budget that all of our Star Trek series have demanded are the kinds of budgets that would be prohibitive on cable. So as of now the powers-that-be seem to feel it's time to give the franchise a rest, and I think it's most likely a good idea."

Thanks go out to AntonyF for this! For more from Moore and Berman, check out the full articles in the Boston Globe and the Sci-Fi Wire.

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