XPost: alt.startrek, alt.tv.star-trek, alt.tv.star-trek.enterprise   
   From: spam@wonderful.Spam   
      
   Trek Bosses Defend Franchise   
      
   Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, the executive producers of UPN's   
   Enterprise and de facto keepers of the Star Trek flame, found   
   themselves on the defensive in a discussion with reporters about the   
   franchise's health. Signs of trouble include the recent box-office   
   failure of the 10th Star Trek movie, Nemesis; the declining ratings of   
   Enterprise; and the recent lawsuit by game publisher Activision   
   against Viacom, claiming that the company and Paramount have allowed   
   the franchise to "stagnate." The future of Trek has been the subject   
   of magazine stories in TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly, among   
   others.   
      
   So the two producers found themselves defending their work and the new   
   direction Enterprise is slated to take as it begins its third season   
   in the fall. "I don't think the franchise is in trouble," Berman told   
   reporters at UPN's fall press preview in Hollywood. He added, "Viacom   
   and Paramount have been very supportive of what we do, both in terms   
   of the television shows that we produce and the movies that we   
   produce."   
      
   As for Enterprise, which is taking a bold new direction, Leslie   
   Moonves - chairman and chief executive of UPN's parent, CBS - denied   
   to reporters that the company was close to a drastic change such as   
   taking it off the air and coming back later with an entirely new Trek   
   series. "I don't think we were close to it," he said. "Everything is   
   talked about. And obviously, we looked at all permutations. And as   
   [UPN president] Dawn [Ostroff] said, we looked at our research, we   
   talked to the producers, we talked to the studio, and we felt this was   
   the best plan."   
      
   For his part, Braga told reporters, "I don't think creatively we were   
   doing anything wrong. It can be debated from many different angles   
   whether there are problems with the show. There are many people that   
   love the show. We're very proud of the show, but we did feel that   
   after a couple of seasons, it was time to do something differently."   
   So why did viewers bail last year? "Don't know," Braga said   
   matter-of-factly. "Don't know."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)