CHAOS ON THE BRIDGE (Documentary 2014 – Netflix Streaming)
Wow, what a (fascinating) horror! This documentary presented and hosted by Captain Kirk himself, WILLIAM SHATNER, exposes the colossal nightmare that creating, getting to pilot, writing & re-writing, and sustaining STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION (1987-1994) was during its first 3 years. Financially backed by Paramount Television's Syndication Department, and creatively by original STAR TREK creator –– a then 20 year has-been –– GENE RODDENBERRY, THE NEXT GENERATION was an explosive collision of massive egos and mania from the word go. No one much liked or trusted anyone else, from the lowliest writer to the Paramount studio heads –– and plenty of heads did roll. Within the first two seasons as many as 30 writers came and went for various reasons; plenty were fired and some just walked out pulling their own hair out.
STAR TREK fan or not, I recommend this doc (a taut 59 minutes) to anyone with an interest in behind-the-scenes film and television drama creation...or even just plain crazy, real life drama. Sometimes I really don't understand how any film or television survives the over-complicated quagmire of creative egos and corporate idiocy that constantly threatens to undermine the final product. Makes me think –– terrified –– that any future films I've dreamed to make will be impossible.
Enjoy the trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSg3wj3KbVg
Wow, what a (fascinating) horror! This documentary presented and hosted by Captain Kirk himself, WILLIAM SHATNER, exposes the colossal nightmare that creating, getting to pilot, writing & re-writing, and sustaining STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION (1987-1994) was during its first 3 years. Financially backed by Paramount Television's Syndication Department, and creatively by original STAR TREK creator –– a then 20 year has-been –– GENE RODDENBERRY, THE NEXT GENERATION was an explosive collision of massive egos and mania from the word go. No one much liked or trusted anyone else, from the lowliest writer to the Paramount studio heads –– and plenty of heads did roll. Within the first two seasons as many as 30 writers came and went for various reasons; plenty were fired and some just walked out pulling their own hair out.
STAR TREK fan or not, I recommend this doc (a taut 59 minutes) to anyone with an interest in behind-the-scenes film and television drama creation...or even just plain crazy, real life drama. Sometimes I really don't understand how any film or television survives the over-complicated quagmire of creative egos and corporate idiocy that constantly threatens to undermine the final product. Makes me think –– terrified –– that any future films I've dreamed to make will be impossible.
Enjoy the trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSg3wj3KbVg
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