Rick Berman
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| Name: | Rick Berman |
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| Fan Website(s): | Memory Alpha |
| On Fanlore: | Related pages |
Rick Berman is an American television producer and screenwriter.
from A Difficult Concept, some 1995 fan commentary
He was the executive producer of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise, as well as several of the Star Trek films, and was seen as Gene Roddenberry's successor until 2005.
Berman is a controversial figure in fandom for many reasons. At least one fan referred to him as "arguably the most reviled figure in Trek fandom." [1]
Some fans disliked the direction that Berman took the shows. Others felt that he rode in on the coattails of Gene Roddenberry.
Another controversy was Blood and Fire, the jettisoned script by David Gerrold, and Berman's refusal to include gay characters.[2][3]
Fan Comments: Positive
[need comments]
Fan Comments: Negative
2005
I, too, am infuriated over the lack of gays, but it's because Rick Berman is a homophobe -- it's not even a Paramount decision so much as it is that Rick Berman is unwilling to make the slightest compromise, even so much as admitting that a redshirt who's gonna die later on in the movie was created to be gay. Pocket Books tries to get away with what it can (including establishing that Andorians have four sexes, which obviously Berman, Braga et al are not interested in running with), but Berman has final veto power (despite the fact that the books aren't canon and Berman isn't bound to do what they have established). And if the agenda is not humanistic, then ta-ta, liberal left, I'm not with you. I'm against you.[4]
... I say the franchise is *better off* in the hands of the fans. I'vebeen saying so since the last season of Voyager. As long as B&B have anything to do with it, I'd just as soon they not do anything at all.
The Star Trek universes belong to all of us, for they have passed into the realm of mythology. Nobody owns the myths. They're Ours! [5]
I don't like Rick Berman. He's a coat-tails operator, only rich and (famous?) because he's traded in on GR's legacy. If Star Trek is leaving the air because of lowered ratings, it's because of him and his terrible-- shall I call it 'vision'? I never watch his shows. Berman disrespects TOS. Case in point, his remarks made in one interview I read in the local paper: Berman said the decline in ratings....began gradually with Deep Space Nine. "We've reached the point with 624 hours of Star Trek, 700 if you count the original series, that perhaps it's time to take a rest," he said... What's with him?? You can't not count TOS! Blah! It's depressing. [6]
2007
When “Enterprise”, the latest series in the Star Trek anthology, first came on the air, I did manage to watch the first few episodes until I got disgusted with the way Rick Berman, et al, began destroying the canon of the original series and vowed never to watch it again. [7]
After Gene’s death, with Rick Berman taking over completely, we felt that Trek was heading in a direction we didn’t like. [8]
I'm really looking forward to this movie, for a number of reasons. 1) A new, fresh look at Star Trek from someone other that Rick (Antichrist) Berman! Anything has got to be better. [9]
Sorry the pathetic hackwork of Voyager and Enterprise (and may I say how glad I am that Rick Berman's contract is up, so I can finally say how much they sucked?) ruined it for you. [10]
2008
If Rick Berman and Brannon Braga are ever allowed to touch the franchise again, it'll be too soon. [11]
2010
I too blame Rick Berman for not having the guts to do anything “edgy” on the tv series. Lame corporate cowardice. [12]
References
- ^ The Wrath of Berman: how 90's Trek succeeded in spite of one poisonous executive (2023)
- ^ comments by David Gerrold at Trek Writer David Gerrold Looks Back (2011)
- ^ "...Rick Berman who, along with being completely sexist to many of the female actors on multiple series, blocked the idea of having major male characters in both Voyager AND Enterprise come out." -- from Lizardfuckers are Nazis (2020)
- ^ comments by Alara Rogers at Trek goes back to the fans
- ^ comments by Taylor Dancinghands at Trek goes back to the fans
- ^ from The K/S Press #105 (June 2005)
- ^ from The K/S Press #131
- ^ comments by Sheila Clark in Legacy Interview with Sheila Clark
- ^ from The K/S Press #134 (November 2007)
- ^ from The difference between fanfic and profic (2007 post)
- ^ by Merlin Missy in These Are the Keys, This Is the Kingdom
- ^ from Gay Me Up, Scotty: How Star Trek Failed To Boldly Go There a 2010 essay by Boylio
Meta
- Scenes We'd Like To See On Voyager: A Series of Scenes We Might Have Seen On Star Trek: Voyager If Paramount Lived Up To Gene Roddenberry's Vision Of A Future Without Bigotry And Rick Berman's 1991 Statements to the Press (June 1, 1995. Updated August 27, 1995)
- Braga, Berman Still Don't Get It (April 2003)
- The Wrath of Berman: how 90's Trek succeeded in spite of one poisonous executive (2023)