Enterprise fund raising troubled

[Updated] From the New York Times:

Tim Brazeal has a dream: to raise enough money from fans to subsidize a fifth season of “Star Trek: Enterprise” (with Scott Bakula), currently scheduled to end on May 13. Mr. Brazeal, who lives in Marysville, Tenn., also has a number: $3,139,035.50. That’s the amount that he said had been donated or pledged to his campaign, by more than 8,500 donors, by early last week. And he hinted that by this weekend, if a few anticipated pledges came through, “that figure will look small.”

It’s worth remembering that $3 million of the amount raised so far came in a single contribution. But that leaves $139,035.50 from others, an impressive amount for what can best still be described as a long shot.

SaveEnterprise.com and TrekUnited.com have, so far, raised less than 10% of what they think they need. The goal is to raise $32 million, enough to “buy network air time for 23 new episodes at $1.6 million each.” And Paramount denies that it would even be willing to accept the money. According to Sci Fi Wire:

A high-ranking executive at Paramount Television, which produces Star Trek: Enterprise, not only denied to SCI FI Wire that the studio is in talks with Trek United, the fan group that is raising money to revive the show, but also sent a letter to Trek United chief Tim Brazeal last month saying that the studio would not accept fan money for such a purpose. “There are no talks going on with anybody at Paramount,” John Wentworth, executive vice president for communications at Paramount TV, said in an interview. “And the decision to end the show is final.”

The fund raising effort may also have rubbed some people the wrong way, as Sci Fi Wire also reported that “the message boards on the official Star Trek Web site had removed Trek United’s prominently displayed solicitations for funds as of April 11. Last week, the message boards for Trek Nation/TrekToday did the same, citing in part Trek United’s aggressive fund-raising tactics and the resulting rancorous debate surrounding them.”

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