A Brand New "Enterprise"
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"We've never done this before." That is what Scott Bakula says is the mantra on the set of the new Star Trek series, Enterprise. Bakula's character, Captain Jonathan Archer, heads up the seven-member main cast of what may be the most exciting Trek series since the original, at least coming out of the gates. Set in the 22nd century-100 years before Kirk, Spock, and McCoy-Enterprise promises to truly take the Star Trek franchise where it has never gone before.
I must say that I was nervous about how the fifth TV series in the 34-year-old franchise would shape up. I've written several articles on the subject over the past year or so. (See "Can Star Trek be Saved by the Bell?" and "Why the Next Star Trek Series Won't Feature Sulu.") After watching Voyager flounder through the Delta Quadrant for seven years, it at times seemed that Gene's creation was running out of steam. I liked Voyager, but it was weak compared to the concurrent Deep Space Nine. Voyager's Borg onslaught and all the rumors about George Takei, the Excelsior, and an Academy series had me watching the future with uncertain eyes.
Thankfully, Brannon Braga and Rick Berman reached into the heart of Trek and pulled out a brilliant solution that is certain to reinvigorate the franchise. We've already discussed the new series a bit in the article "Enterprise-A Preliminary View." At that point, however, details were extremely sketchy. Now that information is flowing out of Paramount, we can better assess what this new show means. And I think it's safe to say that with the birth of Enterprise, we should see the death of periodical TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly cover blurbs asking "Is Star Trek Dead?" I can assure you that it
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