Enterprise Fans Buy Full-Page Ad In LA Times 440
jangobongo writes "SciFiWire.com reports that fans of Star Trek Enterprise have succeeded in placing a full-page ad in the LA Times. The ad will urge someone to pick up the show for a fifth season. According to the official fan site, a Star Trek Enterprise fan working for the LA Times has arranged a special deal for a discounted ad. Donations collected to date have covered the cost of the ad which will be located in the "A" section of the paper on Feb. 21."
Come on (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Come on (Score:2)
Seriously!
Re:Come on (Score:5, Insightful)
I wouldn't consider myself a fan at the level of doing anything to save the series, but
Anyway, to the point...is it worth saving? Yes, I think so. I think I can safely say without a doubt that Season 4 gets better as each episode passes (Minus the time-traveling space nazi aliens)
From the preview of upcoming episodes it seems they're finally going to mix things up and add some actual drama to the show rather than psuedo-drama that seems almost forced from Bakula.
Re:Come on (Score:2)
Re:Come on (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Come on (Score:2)
Re:Come on (Score:3, Insightful)
Enterprise is also lacking, IMHO, a "freak" character... what I mean is the totally non-human character through whom we all learn more about ourselves... TOS had Spock (which means the vulcan thing was already done, as much as I like T'pol, she's not a freak)... TNG had Dat
Re:Come on (Score:3, Insightful)
Quark and the rest of the Ferengi provided comic relief and poked fun at capitalism - clearly in the Rodenberry tradition.
Odo and his struggles with individuation vs. his "natural" collectivism.
Dukat and Kira - explorations of nationalism and how personal identity can be bogged down in it.
DS9 had characters that served a purpose, and they were generally better written than the Enterprise characters.
Re:Come on (Score:4, Insightful)
For example, I don't care that Stargate plays. Personally, I think I could create a better show based off of the contents of my toilet. Do I constantly complain about it and say that Stargate should die? No. Live and let live.
Re:Come on (Score:4, Insightful)
1. Endure watching Enterprise for sake of completeness?
-or-
2. Don't watch Enterprise cause it stinks, but miss out on this corner of the Star Trek universe?
The easiest way to get around this delimma is to have Enterprise canceled. That way they won't have to endure any more episodes if they chose option 1, or if they chose option 2 - they can stop worrying about what they might of missed.
I also must note that a simular problem exists for Star Wars fans, and the upcoming Episode III.
Re:Come on (Score:2, Interesting)
I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I'd hate to see a Star Trek series die like this, especially when there is no alternative (in the Star Trek universe) to take its place. I am one of the few who enjoy Enterprise; it has something that most of the others have lost out on: contiguous storylines. The 'Brady Bunch' syndrome of Voyager really got annoying.
Still, I'm afraid of what would happen if someone takes pity on the series. I am reminded of Stargate SG-1, the MGM masterpiece that turned quick-and-dirty
That suggests something (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:That suggests something (Score:4, Funny)
Re:That suggests something (Score:2)
Accidental -1, Redundant to me.
Fan made episodes (Score:4, Informative)
Re:That suggests something (Score:4, Insightful)
Unless the geniuses behind this idea can come up with ((($13 * 3MilViewers) + n) * 22) where 'n' is an obscene amount of money equal to the maximum amount UPN can expect to make in advertising for the time slot then there's no chance whatsoever that UPN would re-up the show. Of course, if the fans did come up with the per-show costs + advertising revenue for a full 22 episode season then they'd want a full 60 minutes of show per week (since they paid for the advertising slots). That ups the per show costs and then their lump sum falls short.
Enterprise got cancelled because it can't draw advertising revenue due to its low viewer numbers. UPN can slot something else on Friday nights with a much higher profit margin owed to advertising.
Re:That suggests something (Score:3, Informative)
I've heard $60-$80 million for an entire SEASON of Enterprise, which gives us $4 million an ep or so.
Re:That suggests something (Score:3, Funny)
Re:That suggests something (Score:3, Funny)
* with the corporate-media telepathic-remote-viewing-clairvoiance hat on*
Err... executive salaries?
Huh? (Score:5, Funny)
Is this story an ad for an ad?
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
In the upper-righthand corner of your browser, you'll see an 'X'. Click on the 'X' to block these ads.
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
Yes, and this is a comment of a comment of an ad for an ad. :)
Add (Score:5, Interesting)
omfg.
Re:Add (Score:2)
"A Few," eh? (Score:2)
Ad (Score:2)
Re:Add (Score:3, Informative)
Paaaa-thetic (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Paaaa-thetic (Score:2)
Alpo? When did you win the lottery?
Re:Paaaa-thetic (Score:4, Insightful)
Think about it, the three incarnations that have aired as part of a network lineup have either sucked, been cancelled early, or both. The ultimate reason is ratings. Network suits care only about ratings, because they are in a brutal competition to be the first to the bottom of the barrel. The two incarnations that aired in syndication, though, were actually quite good (or at least respectable). Because it's airing as filler for a station (yes it sounds bad, but bear with me) they aren't as worried about ratings, so there's less meddling by suits in order to get a short-term ratings boost.
To illustrate, TOS was simply killed because it wasn't getting enough ratings. NBC had other stuff to work with, so no stupid stunts (and it was the '60s, we were much closer to the top of the barrel). Voyager wasn't too bad, but it was UPN's only show that was worth anything at the time, so they wanted to boost it's ratings (and cross-promote its other shows) any way they could to make the network look good. Unfortunately that led to the travesty of an episode guest starring the Rock and the "hey, CBS is doing a miniseries about an asteroid hitting earth this week, how quickly can we air an asteroid episode too?" insult that was the episode "Rise". Then, with Enterprise, they continued the ratings boost shenanigans from the beginning, alienating fans and leading to a horrible show. This time, because of the WWE deal, UPN can afford to abandon the ST franchise. Anyone else notice that when they put it in the Friday night deathwatch slot, the show got a far sight better?
The difference between Enterprise and other shows (Score:2, Interesting)
This is different, though. No one has been more vocal about the problems with B&B than the fans. Why support them? Why raise money for them to make another season? Let them take the fall on
ENOUGH! (Score:2, Interesting)
Enterprise has been a rather poor series from the start. It didn't follow the Star Trek theme at all, it didn't feel like Star Trek. It seemed more of a parody which could of been named "Hicks in space".
I'm not a HUGE Trekkie, but I'll happily watch anything EXCEPT Enterprise. Where as I can't even stand to watch a full episode of the "new" series. I understand f
Re:ENOUGH! (Score:2)
They managed to meet an alien race with holodeck technology (damn you Berman), and one of the hicks got pregnant in it.
Boy was he surprised.
I'm not a HUGE Trekkie, but I'll happily watch anything EXCEPT Enterprise.
I don't even consider Enterprise to be Trek.
As far as I'm concerned, continuity ended in Generations: Picard never made it out of the Nexus a
Re:ENOUGH! (Score:2)
Re:ENOUGH! (Score:2)
Re:ENOUGH! (Score:2)
You know, when I watched it for the first time and that inappropriately folky Rod Stewart opening music started, I had a premonition that the whole series was going to be bad. I watched the first couple seasons anyway, just in case I was wrong. I wasn't. Somebody tell that shitbag Rick Berman I want those
Re:ENOUGH! (Score:5, Funny)
Captain: Cletus, engage that warp thangy.
Cletus: I caint! Thar's possums in the warp drive!
Re:ENOUGH! (Score:4, Insightful)
This won't succeed (Score:5, Funny)
Emmanuel Lewis, one day, you'll be back if it's the last thing I do.
Re:This won't succeed (Score:2)
Already done.
I hear that Emmanuel Lewis and Gary Coleman are staring in the Enterprise series finale. They get stuck in a time warp or something...
Re:This won't succeed (Score:2)
Whoops! (Score:2)
PDF of advert (Score:5, Informative)
Re:PDF of advert (Score:5, Funny)
Re:PDF of advert (Score:3, Funny)
Our people call it a xerox copier.
If Enterprise is to be killed off... (Score:5, Funny)
At least save T'Pol.
There are "logical" reasons for this.
No, really. Honest...
How can Star Trek Succeed? (Score:2, Insightful)
I like Star Wars because it has excellent acting and dealt with good versus evil. Star Wars is essentially a medieval tale (of knights and a princess) shrouded in sci-fi props: lasers, spaceships, etc.
The problem with Enterprise is the bad acting. and bad
Re:How can Star Trek Succeed? (Score:4, Insightful)
The problem with Trek, in two words: Rick Berman.
Re:How can Star Trek Succeed? (Score:4, Interesting)
Watch it Pink Skin.
Re:How can Star Trek Succeed? (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm not sure that The Tiresome, Preachy Metaphor Show would be any more successful than The Tired Premise Sci-Fi Western Show.
Re:How can Star Trek Succeed? (Score:2)
I liked Babylon 5's Purple/Green [midwinter.com] better.
Re:How can Star Trek Succeed? (Score:3, Interesting)
And that is why we have to be really careful about Trek. I do NOT want it to deteriorate into a we-are-good-because-we-are-good story. ST is about people with ideals. SW is more about, well, people.
In addition to the acting, what I couldn't find in Enterprise were those ideals. Sure, Archer talks about t
Re:How can Star Trek Succeed? (Score:2)
Are you saying we need a ship cast from Janet Jackson's boob that goes to fight the evil terra on Iraqi Prime?
Re:How can Star Trek Succeed? (Score:2, Insightful)
This is intended to be read as sarcasm, right? I mean... honestly Star Trek was often a good show, but whenever it (or ST:TNG which often did the same thing) went to absurb lengths to create an episode that only served to be a heavy-handed lesson it was rarely good.
Worse than shutting the barn door when the horses (Score:5, Insightful)
Paramount owns Star Trek, and will not let the show continue on anything but UPN, and they've probably already filled Enterprise's time slot with some crud on Friday nights at UPN.
What does the ad say? (Score:2, Funny)
New writers needed.
I have an idea (Score:5, Funny)
Seeing a big Viagra ad splayed across the top of the saucer section would be worth watching the show again...
Re:I have an idea (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I have an idea (Score:3, Funny)
No, those are where the Beano ads go.
Re:I have an idea (Score:5, Funny)
That would be too obvious. Instead they could have product placement by having products mysteriously warp into the future and appear on Archer's desk.
Bizarre Priorities (Score:2)
Face it: it's network television. Its fundamental purpose is to keep your attention between commercials. It wasn't doing a very good job of that, so they canned it. It has nothing to do with art. It has everything to do with commerce.
If they could show nothing but TV commercials and keep an audience that way, they
Re:Bizarre Priorities (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't care what the "horrible disaster of the day" is, it doesn't make spending money on anything but charity an evil selfish act.
Apparently some people believe that Enterprise is a good enough TV show that it is worth their money to try to save it. I'm not sure that a newspaper ad is the correct way to spend that money, but supporting something you enjoy is a perfectly reasonable and appropriate thing to do.
I have a question (non-troll) (Score:2)
With the Internet becoming a place where news are instant and commentary is a little deeper, why are Newspapers still around? How are they remaining profitable?
Re:I have a question (non-troll) (Score:2)
Newspapers are somewhat cheaper than laptops and usually require no batteries to read. And when you are done they make wonderful packing material, bird cage lining, masking paper, origami, pirate hats, or can be used as a fire starter.
The show doesn't get ratings. (Score:2)
An idea to spice up the show would be new uniforms . Have ALL the women including the hot vulcan in tight miniskirts just like in the original series. Remember the Vulcan in the StarTrek movie ? Hell make them even smaller skirts. Why not add some eroticism instead of staying stale and puritan.
I WOULD DEFINITELY WATCH THEN.
Jumping (Score:4, Funny)
Shouldn't this read... (Score:3, Insightful)
While I respect the fact that some want it to continue, it's a truly futile effort which is not going to go anywhere. Save your money to pay for the service to watch whatever Star Trek incarnation comes along next.
PLEASE Don't repeat history (Score:2)
enterprise's problem (Score:5, Insightful)
Anyway, getting back to my point, the problem is that its shown on UPN. who watches UPN? nobody, look at their ratings on every show. If enterprise was on Fox the ratings would be through the roof. Heck where I live, there is no local UPN station (so I can't get with with my satalite subscriber or on a antenna) so I have to download the copy from usenet the morning after the new episode airs.
but here we do have local fox, abc, cbs, nbc, and wb (bleh) affiliates. for gods sake, show enterprise on anything other then UPN and you'd have great ratings. The problem isn't enterprise, the problem is that nobody watches UPN, no matter what UPN has on tv.
Re:enterprise's problem (Score:3, Insightful)
That's why I actually ended up watching it, though. Sure, you had to figure out who's who and such, but episodes like Thine Own Self, The Inner Light or Emergence didn't require you to know much about Star Trek politics, alliances, factions, wars. They just used the ST universe as a vehicle for a couple quite original stories (by TV standards) that didn't have much of an effect on futur
Re:enterprise's problem (Score:3, Insightful)
CBS could let UPN have a CSI in exchange for ST:E. Yay! Alphabet soup!
What does this mean? (Score:5, Insightful)
Let's look at this story another way. Enterprise fans (who are among the most rabid bit torrent users, many because of UPN's limited audience) don't believe they're spending enough money on the show through eyeballs (commercials) and uploading. They feel the need to tell the studios that they're willing to pay more, so they took out an ad.
Do we need more evidence that current copyright law is hindering the progress of science and useful arts?
Studios, the Internet is there for more than just commercials served as web pages. We're willing to pay for content. We're ready for you. You will lose money if you stand in the way of progress, just like the US Constitution foretold 200 years ago. You can either help with something like iTunes or sue dead grandmothers until teenagers teach their parents how to take care of this themselves.
We have the technology to allow the market to directly tell you what they want. We want Firefly (just count those DVD sales). We want Family guy. Yet the studios count the millions who watch the Superbowl just for the commercials the same as a rabid fan base who will pay through the nose for a series on commercial free DVD. (Here's a tip, I don't like menus or "special features", I just want to use my DVD player like a CD player hooked up to the TV.)
[karma whore]Wait, this is Slashdot. Nobody likes Enterprise. How much did both Enterprise fans have to contribute for the full page ad?[/karma whore]
Enterprise's Problem (Score:2)
What is ON UPN? Can you name ANYTHING besides Enterprise? I never watch the channel. It is full of shows no-one has ever heard of. If it wasn't for Enterprise it wouldn't matter to me if the channel disappeared from the face of the Earth. Advertising is only as effective as the people who watch it. You can advertize 24/7, but if yo
Alluring Theme Tune (Score:4, Interesting)
It could be the worst theme on television. Ever.
What enterprise did well.. (Score:4, Insightful)
What is WITH Slashdotters? (Score:5, Insightful)
Slashdot commentators seem to combine the arrogance and incivility of your average adolescent with the cantankerous anger of a bitter old man. Most of you don't seem to love anything, and if you do stumble across someone expressing appreciation or admiration for anything, you just DUMP ALL OVER IT.
That's my general statement. Now about this topic in particular:
I LIKE Enterprise. Yes, it has taken a few years to hit its stride. This seems to be the pattern for these Berman-produced Trek vehicles. They get better as they go along. I thought this one would be particularly challenging for them to pull off, because writing a past history for any established storyline is just hard. You have to work within the strictures of what has already been plotted, not violate any rules already laid down, but still keep things fresh and unpredictable. Furthermore, since they are working in a reality that is lacking quite a few of the standard Star Trek devices (meaning both technology and plot devices), they can't just fall back on old storylines like holodecks (not invented yet), Q continuum (won't meet them for centuries), the Borg (likewise), or even original Trek conventions like the Klingon War or the Romulan Neutral Zone (yet to happen/be established.)
I wasn't wild about the Temporal Cold War plotlines, but there is an ongoing theme, well established during Voyager, that Temporal violations are possible and certain organizations work hard to prevent that from happening. The TCW plots at least establish some of the "history" (slippery word when you're talking about time travel) that led to that sort of management.
And this season, I think they are really getting to the meat of the plots, the establishment of much of what we first came to like about Star Trek: The Federation (and Humans central role in bringing it about), the battles with the Romulans that will lead to the Zone, the roots of the Klingon/Terran conflict, the moral dilemmas that necessitate the Prime Directive, reliable Transporter technology, and so on. Between the First Contact movie and Enterprise, the Zefram Cochrane/Warp Drive/Vulcan first contact plot line has really been fleshed out, and now seems like a genuine part of Trek history.
Those are reasons why I like it. I don't demand that YOU do. But why do so many people around here WANT it to die? This isn't 1975, with just three big TV networks and very limited programming space. It's 2005, there are dozens of networks and hundreds of channels. There's plenty of room for both Trek and Battlestar Galactica, and whatever else. If you don't like Trek, don't watch it. I'll admit that plenty of people have made that choice, and that's why the show is in peril. But ferchrisakes, don't demand that it be taken off just because it doesn't appeal to YOU. And if those of us who do enjoy it make some effort to keep it on, please try not to savage us, or disparage the attempt. I'm much more turned off by apathy than by people earnestly trying to do something, even something a little silly.
Better to tilt at windmills than to just sit home in your underwear and type snide comments at people you haven't (and probably never will) meet.
Re:What is WITH Slashdotters? (Score:5, Interesting)
1) Aired Trek becomes canon, that is, it becomes part of the mythos that needs to be factored in by, e.g., Trek novels -- those who dislike Enterprise also dislike the fact that future series and books will need to take its presence into account, and spend at least some energy addressing the (in their opinion) contradictions and dubious elements it introduces into the mythos.
2) The resources being used on Enterprise (squandered, according to those who dislike it) could be put to better use on better Trek if Enterprise was off the air.
Please realize that at least some of those who advocate the cancellation of Enterprise are not mean-spirited folk who want to take away your enjoyment, but rather equally earnest people trying to ensure the future of Trek they enjoy, in the same way that Enterprise supporters believe themselves to be acting.
Good luck (Score:3, Interesting)
This is obviously just my humble personal opinion, but from what ive seen, ST:E has absolutly -nothing- on BSG.
Re:Good luck (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:NYT? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:NYT? (Score:2)
I imagine they could, but they're trying to target big TV media companies with this ad, so it makes sense to put it in the LA Times.
Re:NYT? (Score:2)
Re:NYT? (Score:2)
Re: Why? (Score:5, Funny)
> Enterprise is by far the worst Star Trek series of all time, why save it?
They want to postpone the start of the next series, which will be even worse.
Re:The ship should self destruct at the season end (Score:2)
Orginal ending? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The ship should self destruct at the season end (Score:2, Funny)
A darkened cabin aboard this vessel [att.net].. Two figures lie in bed.
Zoom in on the perspiring figure of Captain Robert April, tossing and turning in a fitful sleep. Having consumed entirely too much Arcturian rarebit at dinner the night before, April suddenly sits bolt upright in bed, screaming "YAAAAHHHHH!!! in sheer terror, the result of a particularly long and horrible nightmare. Wife Sarah, rubbing the sleep from her own eyes, rolls over looking at him with concer
Re:La Times?????? (Score:2)
It's an ad aimed at Hollywood producers. Not at people in general.
Re:La Times?????? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:La Times?????? (Score:2)
I was wondering if your statement was true. I would have thought the Wall Street Journal was tops. I don't know anyone personaly who subscribes to USA today and I personaly don't take it very seriously. But looks like you are correct in terms of raw readership according to the Audit Bereau of Circulations.
Top 10 Newspapers listed by the ABC [accessabc.com]
Re:Put in something better.... (Score:3, Funny)
Like what, Sibling Swap? Survivor 32? American Idol: Reloaded Ad Nauseum? CSI: Buffalo?
I can't possibly see what would be a better use of a timeslot. Enterprise may not be all that great, but rest assured they'll replace it with something worse and redundant.
Re:Put in something better.... (Score:3, Insightful)
However--BSG isn't looking for a timeslot, it already has one. My point was that no matter what new show they come up with it's probably just going to be something that already has 10 variations currently airing on other networks. If they fill it with reruns of some other show...same deal.
A crappy Trek series is a better use of the timeslot it was in because I seriously doubt anything truly unique and creative will take i
Re:But enterprise sucks! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Move on! (Score:2)
I tried to watch Battlestar Galactica.. I set my MythTV box to tape it and I got about 5 or 6 hours of them during the day on Friday on Sci-Fi. I didn't even think Lorne Greene was still alive for Christ's sake.. I can't believe they dragged him out of retirement for this shithole of a show. And Dirk Benedict!? WTF has he done since the A-Team? All in all, BSG su
Re:Good Luck (Score:3, Informative)
I doubt UPN will uncancel it.
Enterprise lacks sex appeal (Score:3, Funny)
An idea to spice up the show would be new uniforms . Have ALL the women including the hot vulcan in tight miniskirts just like in the original series. Remember the Vulcan in the StarTrek movie ? Hell make them even smaller skirts. Why not add some eroticism instead of staying stale and puritan.
I WOULD DEFINITELY WATCH THEN.
SpreadFirefox ad got... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Priorities (Score:3, Insightful)
Oh, wait, you sometimes spend your time and money in ways that benefit you and not others? Hypocrite.