In a press release dated July 4 obtained exclusively by CapCov news, Rick Berman apparently is stepping down from his helm at Star Trek.
Berman, who has been Executive Producer since the death of Gene Roddenberry in 1991, states that it is time to "declare" his "independence for Paramount," and go into a wider market of showbiz productions.
Berman stated that he is currently in talks with MGM, leading some to speculate that he may be brought into the loop for *Stargate SG-1* or *The Outer Limits.*
Brannon Braga will succeed Rick Berman as the sole Executive Producer. Detested by fans for not watching the original series of Star Trek before beginning his writing work for TNG, Braga's accomplishments over the years include writing that show's 2-hour-finale, which left a bad taste in many a fan's mouth, and selfishly setting the site of mankind's first contact with aliens as his hometown of Bozeman, Montana.
However Paramount's executives are demanding results, in the face of the disappointing box office numbers for Nemesis and the slumping ratings of *Enterprise.* This has led many to speculate that others may be brought in soon.
Paramount insiders tell CapCov news that Robert Justman, who helped develop TOS and TNG, is being seriously considered to lead the production team for a new Star Trek series to air on CBS, and that Enterprise is likely to be scuttled soon after that project takes off because of financial and regulatory concerns.
Fans anxiously await the resolution to the greatest Star Trek crisis since the original series was cancelled in 1969.
Posted on Jul 3, 2003, 10:28 PM from IP address 216.221.112.134