TV Guide Looks At Franchise's Future

The March 1 issue of TV Guide will examine the state of the Star Trek franchise, with frank comments from Enterprise co-creators Rick Berman and Brannon Braga.

In the article, Braga is candid about the lacklustre ratings for Enterprise's sophomore season. "What can you say?" he told the magazine. "We're bummed."

But this doesn't mean the end of the NX-01's adventures, according to UPN entertainment president Dawn Ostroff, who said Enterprise is not going anywhere. "Hit shows often take years."

Enterprise's guiding lights promised there will be plenty to keep viewers hooked in future outings. According to Braga, Archer and company will face "epic challenges...that better exploit the sense of awe and danger," while Berman said the show has undergone a minor change in direction. "Let's just say there will be a slight revision in our mission, and a slight revision in the part of space that Enterprise is heading into."

The feature franchise has also strayed into troubled waters, with the box office failure of 'Star Trek Nemesis.' Despite the film's poor reception, Berman is optimistic there will be more movies. "I doubt because our box office fell off on 'Nemesis' that it's going to be the end of Star Trek films," he said. "I can't imagine numerous other movies won't occur." Although nothing is certain at this early stage, Berman did indicate to TV Guide magazine that the next film may feature characters from more than one series. "There are a lot of interesting possibilities."

TV Guide's complete article includes suggestions from the editors about how to breathe life into Enterprise and the feature franchise. Popular Trek reviewer Jamahl Epsicokhan of Star Trek: Hypertext was among those asked for their thoughts on Enterprise for the story. Readers can also have their say on "how to fix the Star Trek franchise" from next week at TV Guide's Trek section.

The issue will hit newsstands on Monday, February 24.

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