Why Hasn't Ronald D. Moore Enjoyed The Same Success He Enjoyed on "Star Trek: The Next Generation?"

http://www.amazon.com/Whistling-Dark-Attempt-Battlestar-Galactica/dp/144994079X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302803996&sr=1-2

Ronald D. Moore's gig with the SyFy Channel can only be categorized as hopping from one unsuccessful project to the next without hitting a financial or genuinely critic proof home run. He now has his butt planted at Sony, and the projects he continues to send NBC / SyFy Channel's way carry all of the unmistakable vintage characteristics of classic Ronald D. Moore. Projects not terribly interesting to begin with (Precinct 13, Blood & Chrome)...with these projects continuing to carry all of the vintage faults of Ronald D. Moore from years gone by....fragmented and poorly defined premises with severe errors in production design and casting.

Why hasn't Ronald D. Moore been able to duplicate the success he enjoyed on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" all of this time while being on his own? The obvious answer is....the success of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was a committee effort achieved by "above the line" producing personnel higher in rank than Ronald D. Moore. Rick Berman....Brannon Braga....Michael Pillar. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" also benefited from cast members who turned out to be talented directors and scriptwriters in their own right. Patrick Stewart.....Jonathon Frakes....LeVar Burton....and Gates McFadden.

What has repeatedly been proven in the creation of science fiction television is that the "committee effort" in the creation process is always the best route to go. That way....if there is one producer (such as Ronald D. Moore or David Eick) who have really stupid ass ideas for the television series....their stupid ass ideas will either get vetoed.....diluted.....or balanced with level headed common sense....by the vast majority of the committee. What happened to Ronald D. Moore at the SyFy Channel.....is that none of his stupid ass ideas for "GINO"....."Caprica"....and the upcoming "Blood & Chrome" were vetoed....diluted...or balanced by professional colleagues more talented than he is. (And believe me...this world is filled with people more talented and imaginative than Ronald D. Moore.) So....because of this...the annoying "frowning aspect of melodramatic acting" took effect in "GINO" and "Caprica"....business suits became the preferred choice of a wardrobe.....location shooting in contemporary locations took place.....and alien planets all looked like beautiful downtown (and low budget)...."Vancouver." And everyone looked like gangsters carrying tommy-guns.

Why didn't the SyFy Channel hire Rick Berman to helm their rendition of "Battlestar Galactica?" That would have gone straight to the source of success of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"....wouldn't it? Why didn't they hire Brannon Braga or Michael Pillar? More sources of that success. They even could have hired Patrick Stewart, Jonathon Frakes, Gates McFadden and LeVar Burton to direct some episodes. I guarantee you that between these men (and woman)...they would have come up with things for "Battlestar Galactica" alot more imaginative....innovative...and trailblazing than Ronald D. Moore and David Eick ever could. Instead....for some inexplicable reason.....SyFy Channel hired "25th man down on the totem pole" from the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" production staff (Ronald D. Moore.....mainly a scriptwriter) who never proved to anyone (during his "Star Trek" days) that he could achieve versatile success going solo....whether it be directing episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"....or taking Rick Berman's place as executive producer while he was away on vacation.

"GINO" and "Caprica" (and no doubt "Blood & Chrome" will be....) have been the ultimate examples of what can happen when the ego of a moderately competent staff writer from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (Ronald D. Moore) is endlessly fueled and stroked by guerrilla style stealth marketing....and blind fanatacism at the SyFy Channel. And the consequences this can take in the forms of "GINO" and "Caprica" turning out to be the crap television programs they turned out to be.