Published on: May 22, 2017
by Kevin Coupe
This Eye-Opener has little, if anything, to do with business.
It does, however, have everything to do with a subject that MNB often has focused on during the past 15+ years.
Star Trek.
The first trailer is out for the new "Star Trek: Discovery" TV series, which will be unveiled in the fall. And it looks spectacular, with production values that seem more typical of a great sci-fi movie than a television series. It tells you how far technology has come and TV series budgets have grown since the original "Star Trek" series was filmed in the late sixties on Paramount's backlot. (Actually, the studio where those early "Star Trek" episodes were filmed was the Desilu lot founded by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, which was sold to Paramount midway through the "Star Trek" run. Two other series were filmed on the same lot at the same time - "Mission: Impossible" and "Mannix." But I digress...)
Those of us who love Star Trek in all its iterations are excited about "Star Trek: Discovery," not least because one of the producers and writers is Nicholas Meyer, who co-wrote and directed two of the best movies in the series, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and also co-wrote Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, which may have been the best movie in the series. (It is right up there with Star Trek: First Contact. But again, I digress...)
In addition to being a testament to how far technology has come over the past half-century - advances that also have affected pretty much every facet of business - "Star Trek: Discovery" also reflect two other changes worth noting.
For one thing, while the series pilot will debut on CBS, the rest of the episodes will only be available on CBS All Access, which is the network's pay channel. In other words, not on traditional free television ... which tells you something about how that business model is changing.
And finally, there's something else about the trailer that is remarkable - that, consistent with the values that "Star Trek" always has represented and promoted, there are very few white men to be seen. In fact, the two leading characters seen in the trailer are played by women, Sonequa Martin-Green and Michelle Yeoh. (The captain of the Discovery will be played by white male Jason Isaacs, but he isn't seen in the trailer and in the series he reportedly will be part of the ensemble, not the lead.)
In all, a trailer for a series that could be Eye-Opening and groundbreaking on a variety of levels. You can watch it above. (And yes, I know I'm a total geek about this stuff.)
Live long and prosper.
Great way to start the week.
- KC's View: