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John Billingsley Agrees With Paramount; Fan Money Won't Save ENTERPRISE

By TRexx / 10:36, 9 March 2005 / Enterprise

John Billingsley (Phlox) joined Chase Masterson (Leeta) for her live Web radio show at TheFandom, on Monday (March 7), for almost an hour of lively listening. Billingsley answered questions sent in by fans, and shared tall tales and anecdotes from his life and loves. The final few moments grew sober, however, when the discussion broached circumstances surrounding ENTERPRISE.

The following is an excerpt with Billingsley's response to the question, "Would you be interested in returning to ENTERPRISE if we succeed in saving the show?"

JB: Sure, but, um -- and no disrespect at all to the fans, and their passion, and their appreciation for the show -- I have to say, in all honesty, I don't think it's a function so much of the Network having canceled the show as it is a function of Paramount having decided that they do not want to make this show anymore. I do think STAR TREK will return, in another incarnation, at some point; but, I think it's like one of the great principles of horticulture, you know, the ground has to be fallow for a while, before you can replant.

CM: So true.

JB: I think the time has come for the franchise to take a break. I wish that we had gotten out of the gate with, um, with more of a bang. I do think that the show has really hit its peak; but, unfortunately, that old bromide, "You don't get a second chance to make a first impression," is true; and we sort of lost the opportunity to build on the STAR TREK audience, and it is necessary now to build on that audience, to bring some new folks to the table. This show didn't do that, you know, and you could argue the reasons why it didn't do that, but it didn't do that.

CM: Right.

JB: And, um, I don't really, honestly, disagree with Paramount's thinking. I am sorry to see it go; I'm sorry to see my relationships end. But, if I worked for Paramount, I probably would, um, be inclined to agree with them, that it needs to take a little bit of a break, and it'll return.

CM: Well, there you go. You've spoken honestly, I guess that's all you can say. I want to ask you -- you and the cast are aware of all the TrekUnited efforts, right?

JB: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

CM: Three million dollars, I have heard, that they have raised.

JB: And, again, I realize that I may be, you know, um... I don't mean to be throwing water on anybody -- I do think it's not a function of the money. It's not a question of the fact that Paramount could certainly afford to continue doing this show, and they could probably find a channel somewhere to pick it up. Their economic argument is essentially based on this: There aren't, right now, enough fans watching the show for them to have a healthy enough profit. Their feeling is, I'm guessing, that if the show goes away, if the franchise goes away for a while, when it returns people will be hungry for it again, and more than just the people who are watching it now might be curious enough to take a look at it and give it another shot. I'm afraid I don't think even if the fans were able to raise enough money to actually put a whole season on, that it would change Paramount's thinking about this; and I say that only because I, for my own money, I think the posture at this point should be, um, an appreciation of what has happened, and enjoyment of the ride that everybody's had a chance to go on.

CM: Hmm. That's a good point.

JB: And, you know, it will come again.

CM: That's a very good point.

JB: All things have an end.

Billingsley goes on to speak about his upcoming acting gigs and immediate plans.

You may download an audio recording (MP3) of the entire interview from TheFandom, which includes a telephone Q&A with STAR TREK makeup guru Michael Westmore.

ENTERPRISE Mission Schedule \| Logs by Season: 1 2 3 4
Episode Number	Title	Airdate

4 comments Post New | Help

Cancellation during season 3 plus Manny Coto for Season 4 | Report this post to moderator
By: Whitewulf (Odo's file, contact) @ 20:47:49 on Mar 10, 2005

From what Billingsley had to say, and if you look back at during the time frame when Paramount was thinking of pulling the plug back during Season three, you can tell what may have been going on in Paramounts thought pattern. It would be safe to assume that the cancellation was still on but they wanted to try an experiment and of course we all know the outcome. Paramount decided to bring in Manny Coto, but because of the damage already done it was just to late to save the show. I personally wish Paramount had brought him in before the 4th season, and had him take control maybe during the 2nd or 3rd season and turn things around. It is easy to say that Rick did not have hand in the bring Coto in.

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He's most likely right | Report this post to moderator
By: Scorpius (Odo's file, contact) @ 15:29:39 on Mar 09, 2005 | (1)

Sadly he was right about the cancellation coming weeks before it did, and I feel he's in much more of an informed position to, pardon the pun, offer a prognosis as to the final decision.

It isn't coming back as we know it.

And I'm saddened to see it go.

--------

"Men don't use sex to get what they want. Sex IS what they want" - Frasier

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In other words...forget Spike | Report this post to moderator
By: Spaceman Spiff (Odo's file, contact) @ 15:09:28 on Mar 09, 2005

Quote:
Paramount could certainly afford to continue doing this show, and they could probably find a channel somewhere to pick it up. Their economic argument is essentially based on this: There aren't, right now, enough fans watching the show for them to have a healthy enough profit. Their feeling is, I'm guessing, that if the show goes away, if the franchise goes away for a while, when it returns people will be hungry for it again, and more than just the people who are watching it now might be curious enough to take a look at it and give it another shot.

Some cant understand...why wont Paramount sell Ent Season 5 to Spike if Spike wants it (supposedly).

The answer is that Paramount want Trek to come back in a big way in a few years and dont want to turn it into a cable show. Once you go to cable you cant go back and I bet their goal is a CBS show in a few years.

New Trek on CBS in 08 is better than Ent on Spike in 05

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John Billingsley... | Report this post to moderator
By: twenty-two_of _nine (Odo's file, contact) @ 14:46:18 on Mar 09, 2005

... is probably one of the finest man to have worked on Star Trek... I feel his views are better than that of either Stewart or Spiner.
I really appreciate that rather than passing the blame around he has enough courage and dignity to accept that the show really sucked in first 2 seasons, specially S2.
Rather than saying that cancellation was because of "Franchise Fatigue" he accepts that screw ups by Band B caused the demise.
Starting off as a poor imitation of Neelix and all the dismissals he got Pholox really devoloped on Enterprise... his performance during the Klingon "Divergence" and Xindi arc were really good. I will miss Pholox.
It is real ironic that when Enterprise began Mayweather's character had the biggest potential, being a space boomer and all, and it ended up as the least and worst devoloped one. While Pholox began as a "Court Jester" and a "Medical Man" and one with least potential and ended up being the top three characters in the series. I feel that Pholox was much more important character than T'Pol, who gave us nothing more than titties and ass, though I am not complaining :)

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TREY PARKER: And it comes from an honest belief we have, which is... George Bush doesn't know what's going on. Michael Moore does not know what's going on. And Alec Baldwin definitely does not know what's going on. Basically, this shit is gigantically complicated.

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Cancellation during season 3 plus Manny Coto for Season 4 | Report this post to moderator By: Whitewulf (Odo's file, contact) @ 20:47:49 on Mar 10, 2005

He's most likely right | Report this post to moderator By: Scorpius (Odo's file, contact) @ 15:29:39 on Mar 09, 2005 | (1)

In other words...forget Spike | Report this post to moderator By: Spaceman Spiff (Odo's file, contact) @ 15:09:28 on Mar 09, 2005

John Billingsley... | Report this post to moderator By: twenty-two_of _nine (Odo's file, contact) @ 14:46:18 on Mar 09, 2005

Cancellation during season 3 plus Manny Coto for Season 4 | Report this post to moderator
By: Whitewulf (Odo's file, contact) @ 20:47:49 on Mar 10, 2005

He's most likely right | Report this post to moderator
By: Scorpius (Odo's file, contact) @ 15:29:39 on Mar 09, 2005 | (1)

In other words...forget Spike | Report this post to moderator
By: Spaceman Spiff (Odo's file, contact) @ 15:09:28 on Mar 09, 2005

John Billingsley... | Report this post to moderator
By: twenty-two_of _nine (Odo's file, contact) @ 14:46:18 on Mar 09, 2005