TrekUnited.com today announced that three anonymous contributors have stepped forward with a $3 million pledge toward the campaign to ensure a fifth season for the recently cancelled Star Trek: Enterprise.
Paramount Network Television and the United Paramount Network (UPN) jointly announced on Feb. 3 that this would be the last season of Enterprise on UPN. Fans pooled their skills, time and finances to form TrekUnited.com in an effort to fight the decision by raising money themselves to pay for a fifth season of the on-going space adventure.
The benefactors also added a statement explaining why they believe this campaign deserves such a substantial contribution:
"We think Star Trek and especially its latest incarnation, "Enterprise" is the kind of TV that should be aired more often. The people responsible at Paramount think this is just a show and we want to tell them, it is not. We are in the commercial space flight industry and would like to testify that at least one out of two of all the actual entrepreneurs involved in this industry has been inspired by Star Trek; and we are not only good at watching TV sci-fi , we are also good at writing checks, big checks. The people airing this kind of TV have a responsibility; inspiration. Star Trek has inspired us, and particularly Enterprise, with its superb theme song that tells so much about our struggle to move space travel forward and closer to the public, this inspiration is so self evident, that Virgin Galactic has ordered a 5-sub orbital ship fleet from Scaled Composites, a 100 million dollar investment, and the first one being built is going to be christened ‘VSS Enterprise.’ Now doesn’t that ring a bell in Paramount’s ears? Now, canceling the series so bluntly, for the sake of just ratings, tells very much about the kind of thinking going on inside Paramount. If we thought the same way, Paul Allen would have never funded the SpaceShipOne program. Sir Richard Branson would never have funded Virgin Galactic and Space Adventures would never have put two space tourists aboard the International Space Station. Instead, we would all be at home watching Survivor or some other reality TV show. Enterprise needs to be renewed, for the sake of fan loyalty, for being quality TV, for bringing imagination and hope for a better future to our homes, but over all that, for inspiring us so strongly that we have fought all our adult lives to bring that future closer to our children and to us."
TrekUnited Director Tim Brazeal also stated contributions like this one brings the campaign much closer to its goal. "We are overwhelmed at the generosity of these fellow Star Trek fans," Brazeal said. "We believe that Enterprise deserves a future. With contributions like the one from these generous individuals and those of millions of other Star Trek fans worldwide, we will succeed."
Under the terms of the TrekUnited charter, the campaign will be able to give the money to anything that will guarantee a fifth season of Star Trek: Enterprise.
This is indeed a time to remember the truth of the words -- "there are always possibilities". We are making history here folks, having reached something no fan campaign has achieved before!
I wanna propose a toast to all the great people who I have the pleasure to work with in this campaign, from different age groups, professions, even parts of the world. We're not quite there yet, but i think we're making an impression right now... not just about chalking up some big money, but the idea that we can make a dream come true, despite all problems, despite all naysayers and sceptics - TOGETHER. This is Star Trek, in 2005
Keep up the great work!
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