Good Idea or Bad? A Star Trek Series Focusing on President Jonathan Archer

Good Idea or Bad? Looking at various sci fi and fantasy television projects currently in the works and pondering whether they will fly or crash.

What Is It?

To be titled Star Trek: United, this proposed series would focus on Jonathan Archer’s tenure as one of the earliest presidents of the Federation of Planets—something hinted at in Star Trek: Enterprise and later made canon. According to Trek veteran Michael Sussman, it will be a sci-fi version of shows like The West Wing, Homeland, and The Diplomat. “It’s a political thriller and a family drama set in those chaotic, formative years of the Federation.” Scott Bakula is onboard with the plan, and while Paramount passed on the initial pitch several years ago, there is hope that Skydance will take interest now that the merger is moving forward.

Good Idea or Bad?

Since Star Trek returned to television starting with 2017’s Discovery, the franchise has gone through both highs and lows. That series started with promise but went in a direction many longtime fans were unhappy with (though it trekked on for five seasons). Star Trek: Picard had very good moments and very bad moments—sometimes in the same episode—but its third season was received favorably for its TNG reunion. Star Trek: Lower Decks was a ton of fun and enjoyed a successful run of five seasons. Many were dubious about Star Trek: Prodigy, which skewed to a younger audience, but it managed to capture the spirit of the franchise and became a sleeper entry, though it was cancelled far too soon. Currently, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is earning high marks, and the upcoming Starfleet Academy series seems to have some promise.

Many fans were hoping for a Star Trek: Legacy series spinning out of the events of Picard’s final season, but that does not appear to be moving forward. So would they be receptive to a very different series set further back in the Federation timeline, one that focuses more heavily on politics and world-building rather than exploration and new cosmic adventures? Enterprise remains one of the less popular entries in the Trek franchise, though Jonathan Archer is regarded as a good starship captain and Scott Bakula’s portrayal has generally been well-received.

Personally, I like the idea. I always enjoyed Enterprise—despite its share of weak episodes—and I thought Bakula made an excellent Captain Archer. I also like the potential for political intrigue and world-building this concept offers. The formative years of the Federation provide plenty of opportunities for moral quandaries and storylines to explore. It could even bring back characters from Enterprise in recurring or ongoing roles, perhaps resolving arcs that were cut short by the show’s cancellation. (And maybe, just maybe, they could retcon that series finale into nothing but a bad dream!)

I believe Enterprise fans would be onboard with this, but I’m not sure the broader Trek fandom would be as enthusiastic. Star Trek: Legacy is what they’re clamoring for (Hey, Skydance execs, are you listening?), and now is the time to deliver it. United could be an interesting addition, but nobody is demanding a return to that era. And if Skydance takes this path, fans may simply choose not to tune in. I also like the idea for the Legacy series and believe that is where the franchise should go next. The Jonathan Archer series does have potential, but I don’t know that it will be well-received at this time.

Notable Facts

Star Trek: Enterprise premiered on UPN in the Fall of 2001 and ran for four seasons. It was the first prequel series in the franchise and did some minor revisions to canon, though nothing along the lines that we would later see with Discovery and Strange New Worlds. It developed a notable fan following, but not as much as TNG, DS9, or Voyager, and many Trek fans were not onboard with the direction the prequel was going.  The show’s first season was considered its strongest, then it seemed to meander in its second year.  Network execs demanded changes, and that led to the Xindi storyline in the third season that proved rather polarizing.  The fourth season represented a return to form, but the audience had dwindled by that point.

Star Trek: Enterprise was the second show in the franchise to be cancelled up to that time, following TOS which was cancelled after three seasons (The Animated Series only ran two seasons, but it was never officially cancelled and Saturday morning shows tended to have shorter runs). Enterprise was almost cancelled after its second season, but a letter-writing campaign helped keep it going (similar to what happened with TOS after its second year). When the show was officially cancelled after its fourth season, fans started another letter-writing campaign and even lobbied Congress to step in and save the show. If Paramount had changed their minds about the cancellation, though, the show might have only run one more season because UPN stopped broadcasting the next year (when it merged with The WB to become The CW).

Do you consider Star Trek: United to be a good idea or is it the wrong direction for the franchise at this time? Chime in with your comments below.

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