Enterprise Was Canceled After 4 Seasons

Of all the canceled sci-fi shows out there, “Star Trek: Enterprise” is one of the more unfortunate cases. Previous “Trek” shows “The Next Generation,” “Deep Space Nine,” and “Voyager” all lasted for seven seasons, but Paramount pulled the plug on “Enterprise” after the fourth, preventing it from boldly going where it could have gone. However, the Rick Berman and Brannon Braga-created series was lucky to get four seasons at the time, as Paramount and UPN wanted to cancel it sooner.

Low ratings and corporate reshuffling were the main factors behind the cancellation of “Star Trek: Enterprise” in 2005. Season 2 experienced a significant drop in viewership, which almost led to Paramount pulling the plug on it right there and then. The powers that be gave the series another chance, but demanded more action-oriented storytelling and other creative changes for it to continue. What’s more, Paramount underwent some major regime changes in 2004, so executives who previously fought to keep “Enterprise” on the air had either departed the company or had less influence.

“Because we were being canceled – and there was a good chance we would have been canceled after three [seasons] if [Paramount Television president] Garry Hart hadn’t kind of gone to the mat for us,” Scott Bakula, who played Jonathan Archer, told fans at a “Trek” convention this year, “we got an extra Season 4 to kind of complete the whole Xindi thing, which thank goodness we did, because I thought that was pretty amazing television. I loved that, and it really was great writing.”

The good news, though, is that Archer’s story might not be over yet. There have been discussions about further exploring ideas teased in “Star Trek: Enterprise,” and they haven’t been totally shut down yet.

After “Star Trek: Enterprise” ended, Scott Bakula went on to star in seven seasons of the now-canceled “NCIS: New Orleans,” so many TV buffs might associate him more with playing Dwayne Pride than Jonathan Archer. However, the actor feels that he has some unfinished business in the “Star Trek” universe, and he and “Enterprise” writer/producer Michael Sussman have talked to Paramount about continuing Archer’s story in a project tentatively known as “Star Trek: United.”

Speaking to TrekMovie, Sussman revealed that “United” chronicles Archer’s life as the President of the United Federation of Planets, comparing it to shows like “The West Wing” and “Homeland.” Describing the project, he said “it’s a political thriller and a family drama set in those chaotic, formative years of the Federation.” This was an idea the creators of “Enterprise” wanted to explore eventually, but its cancellation meant that they didn’t get that far into Archer’s journey.

“United” was rejected by Paramount in the past, but Sussman and Bakula believe that the idea has potential and have continued to refine it. “Star Trek: Picard” gave characters from the franchise’s past another adventure and enjoyed great success, so now might be a good time to do the same for the “Enterprise” crew.