Star Trek: Enterprise was the second series in the franchise to get cancelled, but there is a chance for a new show that will bring back some, if not all, of the characters.
What Is It?
This Star Trek prequel is set in the mid-22nd century before the formation of the United Federation of Planets, and it follows Captain Jonathan Archer and the crew of Earth’s first Warp 5 starship, the NX-01 Enterprise, as they venture into deep space and encounter new species, including early interactions with the Vulcans, Andorians, and Klingons.
Aired: 2001-05, 4 Seasons Totaling 98 Episodes
Starring: Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park
Created By: Rick Berman, Brannon Braga
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Why Was It Cancelled?
When Star Trek: Enterprise arrived on the UPN schedule in 2001 (then known just as Enterprise), it picked up the franchise baton from Voyager and appeared to be off to a promising start. It was the first prequel among the Trek shows and offered the chance to go back and explore the origins of the Federation and also return to the feel of the original series. The premiere episode drew 12.5 million viewers, and overall the first season enjoyed similar ratings to what Voyager had been seeing. Reviews of the show were somewhat mixed, with some fans unhappy with what they saw as changes to canon, such as the Vulcans appearing more sinister and manipulative. But the show did get the greenlight for a second season.
Sadly, Enterprise went through a creative slump in its second year, and the ratings dropped off notably, averaging only 4 million viewers per episode versus 5.9 million in the first season. There were talks of cancelling the show at that point, but a letter-writing campaign by fans convinced the network to keep it going. Changes were demanded, though, resulting in the season-long Xindi storyline, which some fans liked while others were not too happy with the new direction.
The show appeared to be facing cancellation again after its third season, but the network did greenlight a fourth year, in part because Paramount reduced the license fee for the series. However, all indications were that it was headed into its last season as it was moved to the Friday night death slot (the same one that killed TOS in its third year), and the budget per episode was dropped by over half, from $1.7 million to $800,000. Despite this, Enterprise soared creatively, delivering its best season since its first. But the ratings were at series lows, and UPN decided not to keep the show going.
The fans made the call to action once again, writing letters and even trying such crazy stunts as attempting to raise the money to finance a fifth season and also appealing to Congress to step in and save the show (as if they really thought politicians could get something done). But UPN was unwilling to greenlight a fifth season, and the show ended with what is considered by many to be the worst finale of all the Star Trek sequel/prequel shows.
Had Enterprise continued, there were plans to cover events that preceded the original series, such as the buildup to the Romulan War. Showrunner Manny Coto had also mapped out a “miniseries within a series” that would have covered multiple episodes and acted as a follow-up to the Mirror Universe episode “In a Mirror, Darkly.” We also would have learned more about the Kzinti race, which originated in Larry Niven’s Known Space novels and appeared in the animated series episode “The Slaver Weapon.” But sadly, none of those stories were realized, as Star Trek: Enterprise became the second series in the franchise to be officially cancelled. It had a decent run at four seasons and 98 episodes, surpassing TOS, but it met with a disappointing ending.
Read more about cancelled sci fi TV shows and the decisions that drive those cancellations in Why Were They Cancelled? 2nd Ed.
Can It Be Revived?
So far, Nu Trek has given us prequels with ties to The Original Series along with a continuation of The Next Generation (Star Trek: Picard and, to an extent, Star Trek: Lower Decks) and a link to Voyager (Star Trek: Prodigy), but neither Deep Space Nine nor Enterprise have had much coverage in the shows streaming on Paramount+. There is no reason that either of them could not go through some sort of revival, though, and something is currently in the works relating to Enterprise.
Trek veteran Michael Sussman has proposed a series titled Star Trek: United, which 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 (you can read more about the proposal at this link). The idea has been floating around for a while, and word is that Sussman recently met with Paramount execs, allegedly to discuss this series. It would not be a direct continuation of Enterprise, taking place many years later and no longer on a starship, but it could still pull from the series and bring in various members of the crew, possibly giving a better resolution than the series finale did. Sussman has supposedly mapped out five seasons, though it is unclear if Paramount is willing to make that much of a commitment.
This “political thriller” in space could be an interesting way to carry on the story of Enterprise, and fans do seem receptive to the idea (although many would prefer a Star Trek: Legacy continuation from Picard). And if there is a general interest in seeing Star Trek: United go forward, now is the perfect time for a Call to Action. Sussman appears to be talking with Paramount about the show, so a push from the fans could certainly give it a boost. An online petition would be a good way to show support, along with plenty of related activity on social media. Fans could also start staging watch parties for Star Trek: Enterprise to get it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings. Execs at Paramount are currently considering what direction to take the franchise at this point, and Star Trek: United has plenty of promise. If fans show their support, perhaps that series will be next on the Trek production list.
Where Can You Watch It?
As with most of the Star Trek shows, Enterprise is currently available for streaming on Paramount+. You can also catch episodes streaming for free (with ads) on the Pluto TV live-streaming Sci Fi channel, and you can purchase it VOD from sellers like Amazon.com.
Are you a fan of Enterprise, and would you support the Star: Trek United series? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments below.
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