Star Trek was at its best when exploring current day issues in the futurist setting and Star Trek: Enterprise was no exception. “…the AIDS-metaphor episode with T’Pol was very strong,” said Braga. “It had to do with Vulcan mind melds, at that point in Vulcan history, being something that was considered taboo. To me, that’s an interesting exploration of Star Trek and also tells us something about people who are ostracized.”

Another favorite Enterprise episode of Braga’s was Dear Doctor. “…Another early one that I really loved, that I thought was a classic was called Dear Doctor, where the framing device was Dr. Phlox writing to a human counterpart on his alien world,” said Braga. “It had to do with the co-evolution of two humanoid species on a planet and which would survive. It was just a great episode of Star Trek. That’s one I look at fondly.”

But an early episode of Enterprise wasn’t as fondly remembered. “Ironically enough, my least favorite episode was a very, very early one called Terra Nova,” said Braga. “There happens to be an irony there. It was about finding a lost colony of humans, but it was boring and it was unfortunate that it was such an early episode.”

Enterprise ended after only four seasons and while Braga is willing to take the blame for various bad episodes, he does not believe that either Rick Berman or himself are to blame for the early demise of the series. “I will take full responsibility for any flawed or downright bad storytelling or creative decisions that hurt the franchise,” he said. “I don’t think, looking back, that that’s the main reason it went away. So I don’t think Rick and I killed the franchise. That’s absurd. Did I stay on the franchise too long? Was the storytelling feeling feeble and familiar? I’m going to say no.

“I look at season three of Enterprise and say the whole Xindi species concept was really cool. That’s a science fiction concept I’d never seen before. You had insects and aquatics with intelligence and culture. I thought that was a fascinating idea and we turned it into a season-long arc that I thought was super-fresh. I thought Manny Coto came in and breathed fresh air into season four. So I thought, creatively, the show was not on life support in season four, very far from it.”

Given time, any show will wind down, according to Braga. “But I do think there comes a point, whether it’s Star Trek, Gunsmoke, I Love Lucy, when a show has run its course,” he said. “One day, even Law & Order will be off the air. Whether you want to call it franchise fatigue or whatever, it’s not always just about the show.”

Braga spent fifteen years working on various Trek shows, caring deeply about his work. “Do you think I would have spent fifteen years on something if it wasn’t in my blood and wasn’t the most passionate thing in my life?” he said in response to fans who have been critical of his efforts.

While fan criticism is an inevitable part of the job, Braga remains grateful to those fans who backed him over the years. “There are also fans who are really kind and supportive, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate those people. Those are the fans that kept me going for fifteen years.”

Braga is currently working on Terra Nova, which debuts Monday, September 26 at 8:00 PM on Fox with a two-hour premiere.

Star Trek: The Next Generation ended with All Good Things…, an episode of which Braga is proud and one which fans enjoyed as well. “I’m proud of that for a lot of reasons,” he said. “Top of the list, it was just a really great two-hour episode of TNG that fully explored the characters and the sentimentality of where they started, where they are and where they’re going. It had a great science-fiction premise. And it kind of achieved the impossible. I have no recollection of how Ron Moore and I did it, but it was a great ending to a great series. It didn’t disappoint.”

However, there were episodes that weren’t as stellar, such as Star Trek: Voyager‘s Threshold. “Of course, the one I’d just as soon forget is called Threshold,” said Braga. “That’s the one in which Janeway and Paris turn into lizards. That’s a real low point. I was trying something. I don’t want to get into what I was trying  to do, but it didn’t quite work. It was my homage, I guess, to David Cronenberg‘s The Fly, but it really backfired on me. It was poorly executed by me.”

Braga enjoyed his time working on Star Trek: Voyager, and he believes that some of the best Trek stories were told on that show. “When you go back, around seasons four, five and six of Voyager, I think we were doing some of our best Star Trek storytelling ever,” he said. “I think Voyager came under some criticism from some fans, but I think if you look back on it, it was an excellent show.”

In Voyager‘s fourth season, Seven of Nine replaced Kes, a decision that angered some fans and pleased others. “The show needed a kick in the ass,” Braga explained. “Creatively, we needed something. A Star Trek series, in my opinion, is only as good as its captain, and Captain Janeway was a great captain, but she didn’t have her Spock or Data, really. We just didn’t have that special science-fiction character like Spock or Data, the striving-to-be-human character. The idea of putting a Borg on board gave us a chance to have a wild child there. That was the metaphor, a wild child, and Janeway would be her mother and try to tame her and help make her human again. That was a new take on that kind of character.

“To me, Seven of Nine added a nice touch of magic that the show needed at the time. The fact that she was a beautiful woman was just, to me, a benefit.”

Fans weren’t the only ones either sad or happy about the change but Braga felt that his decision was necessary and good for the show. “I thought the character was a great addition to the show,” he said.” And it kind of lit a fire under the cast, too. It was very controversial. We got rid of Kes and brought in Seven of Nine, and some people in the cast were upset about it and some thought it was cool, but at the end of the day I think it did all the right things creatively to the show, in my opinion.”

Braga, involved with three of the televised series and two Star Trek movies, explained why even though there were discussions on the matter, no gay character was included in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Voyager or Enterprise. “It was a shame for a lot of us that … I’m talking about the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and there was a constant back and forth about well how do we portray the spectrum of sexuality. There were people who felt very strongly that we should be showing casually, you know, just two guys together in the background in Ten Forward.”

“At the time the decision was made not to do that and I think those same people would make a different decision now because I think, you know, that was 1989, well yeah about ’89, ’90, ’91,” said Braga. “I have no doubt that those same creative players wouldn’t feel so hesitant to have, you know, have been squeamish about a decision like that.”

But Star Trek did occasionally deal with the topic “metaphorically” according to Braga, “Next Generation did a couple episodes you could say … I worked on one for Deep Space Nine with Dax [Rejoined],” said Braga. “I don’t know if I can speak to the whole genre of science fiction, certainly the Star Trek franchise as it existed at the time.”

Braga does not think that a future Star Trek movie needs a gay character, although it would be a different story if a Star Trek television series went into production again. “Well, I mean, the movie is such a different bird,” he said. “If there were a TV series, I would agree with you. But for a movie, I personally wouldn’t. With a TV series you’re creating a whole world, you’re creating a whole. You were saying, ‘if this is going to last for five years, and if you don’t go there, then yes you got some questions.’ A two-hour movie and you’re sitting there and you’re eating your popcorn, if doesn’t fit … if it’s not part of the story, it’s not part of the story. There are many things that aren’t part of the story, you know? That’s my personal opinion.”

Brannon Braga is an executive producer on the show which features a family traveling back in time to prehistoric Earth, in hopes of saving the human race.

The series will star Stephen Lang (Avatar) as Commander Nathaniel Taylor. The Shannon family will be portrayed by Jason O’Mara (Life on Mars) and Shelley Conn (Mistresses) as the parents and Landon Liboiron, Naomi Scott and Alana Mansour as their children.

Although the series is set in a lush paradise, life in Terra Nova is hardly tranquil. “The Shannons have brought with them a familial secret that may threaten their citizenship in this utopia,” and “Not everyone on this mission has the same idea of how to best save mankind; in fact, there may be forces intent on destroying this new world before it even begins.” If the human issues were not enough, Terra Nova itself should prove to be a dangerous place, with man-eating dinosaurs roaming about the place.

To see the thirteen photos taken from the show, head to the link located here.

David Fury (24, Lost) is leaving the series, due to “creative differences.” According to a source, Fury was “beloved by the producers on the show, but it just didn’t work out.”

Fury’s departure leaves Brannon Braga (Star Trek: The Next Enterprise, Voyager, Enterprise) as the sole writing executive producer for the series. Steven Spielberg and Peter Chernin are the show’s other executive producers.

Terra Nova will “follow a family from one hundred years in the future who travel back in time one hundred and fifty million years to prehistoric Earth ruled by dinosaurs.” Jason O’Mara will be playing Jim Shannon, the head of a family who has traveled back in time to these prehistoric times. Stephen Lang (Avatar) is in talks for the role of Frank Taylor, the “charismatic and ruthless leader” of the Terra Nova settlement.

Filming for the Terra Nova pilot will begin in Australia next month. The series is expected to launch in October 2011, with a preview to air in May of the same year. Fox has ordered thirteen episodes of the drama.

Had Berman and Braga had their way, fans would have seen some Earth-bound shows for Enterprise, especially in the beginning. “Rick Berman and I had a little bit more of a raw conception of Enterprise than maybe the studio was comfortable with,” explained Braga. “It was actually set on Earth for a while – the building of the first starship, kind of like J.J.’s. We wanted to do the launch of the first starship and take it maybe a little bit more retro, and we initially didn’t have the futuristic temporal cold war aspect of it.”

But their plans had to change when it became apparent that their bosses weren’t on board with this version of Enterprise. “The studio was a little nervous about the prequel concept and they felt that Star Trek should be going forward, not backward,” said Braga. “So we introduced this recurring element of a Star Trek far beyond Kirk’s time, or even Picard’s time, to satisfy their concerns, which I thought was interesting. But initially our concept of Enterprise was really raw and basic and ‘prequelly.’  I’m not saying it would’ve been better but it would’ve been a little bit different. It’s a collaboration; it’s a collaboration, it’s their franchise, it’s their money. We did the best we could to accommodate their notes.”

When it comes to Star Trek: Voyager, Braga can now say that he would do something different if he had the chance to redo the Voyager finale. “It was my feeling that Seven Of Nine should have died,” he said. “If you watch the episode Human Error, written by Andre Bormanis, it was not only a heart-breaking episode in that Seven Of Nine learns, as she begins to explore her human emotions, that she can’t experience them. There’s a Borg chip inside her that will kill her if she tries to do so. First of all, that’s kind of an interesting ‘rape victim’ analogy or whatever you want to call it, about a damaged woman who can’t get past what happened to her, but I also always saw it as a crucial episode that would set up the finale.

“This was a woman who knew she was neither here nor there. She couldn’t go back to the Borg, nor would she want to, but she could never be fully human, so she was doomed. And I wanted to have her sacrifice herself to get her shipmates home.”

The full interview can be found in issue #199 of SFX Magazine.

Jason O’Mara (Life of Mars, U.S. version) is in talks to play the lead in Terra Nova.

A detailed plot summary of Terra Nova has been released:

“In the year 2149 the world is dying. The planet is overdeveloped, overcrowded and overpolluted. With the majority of plant and animal life extinct, devotion to science has brought mankind to the brink of destruction, but has also provided its only hope for salvation. Knowing there is no way to reverse the damage to the planet, a coalition of scientists has managed to open up a fracture in the space-time continuum, creating a portal to prehistoric Earth. This doorway leads to an amazing world, one that allows for a last-ditch effort to save the human race … possibly changing the future by correcting the mistakes of the past.

“The series centers on the Shannon family as they join the tenth pilgrimage of settlers to Terra Nova, the first colony of humans in this second chance for civilization. Jim Shannon a devoted father with a checkered past, guides his family through this new land of limitless beauty, mystery and terror. Jim’s wife, Elizabeth Shannon, is a trauma surgeon chosen through a global lottery as a new addition to Terra Nova’s medical team. Josh Shannon is their son, mourning the girl he left behind, as he’s torn between two role models – his father and the charismatic Commander Frank Taylor, the leader of the settlement, and the heroic first pioneer through the time portal. Maddy Shannon, Jim and Elizabeth’s teen daughter, is as independent and adventurous as her parents, but her distrust of authority soon leads her on a dangerous path.

“In addition to blue skies, rolling rivers, and lush vegetation, Terra Nova offers new opportunities and fresh beginnings to its recent arrivals, but the Shannons have brought with them a familial secret that may threaten their citizen ship in this utopia. Additionally these adventurers soon discover that this healthy, vibrant world is not as idyllic as it initially appears. The areas surrounding Terra Nova are filled with dangerous dinosaurs, and other prehistoric threats, as well as external forces that may be intent on destroying this new world before it begins.

“But perhaps even more threatening than what lies outside the protective walls is the Shannons’ realization that something sinister may be happening inside Terra Nova as not everyone on this mission has the same intentions of how to best save mankind.”

Braga will be the executive producer/showrunner for the Spielberg/Peter Chernin show, which has been given an order to produce thirteen episodes.

Terra Nova “follow a family from one hundred years in the future who travel back in time one hundred and fifty million years to prehistoric Earth ruled by dinosaurs.”

The show was co-written by Craig Silverstein and British writer Kelly Marcel, based on an idea from Marcel.

The word is that Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights, King Kong) is in talks for the lead role of Terra Nova.

The new deal, worth seven figures to Braga, will see Braga developing projects for the studio, as well as working on either a new or an existing twentieth show next season.

Braga has spent the last two seasons with the studio, working as executive producer on 24. “Brannon quickly became integral to the success of the last couple seasons of 24,” said 20th Century Fox TV chairman Gary Newman. “We thought it was a great idea to have someone as talented as he is here to develop.

“He’s known for his ability to write genre programming, and as a studio, we love that programming,” Newman said. “It takes advantage of all the new opportunities the digital world gives you to connect with your rabid fanbase.”

Braga’s experience with 20th Century Fox execs Newman, Dana Walden and Jennifer Nicholson Salke were factors in his decision to make the commitment. “Creatively, Fox and I are very much aligned,” he said. “The kind of shows they do and the way they develop, it’s an innovative group. We get along very well.”

As reported by TrekMovie.com, a fifth season of Star Trek: Enterprise would have included a return to the Mirror Universe. Four or five episodes would have been spread through the season as a “mini-series within a series.”
Season Five would have been about tying the “origins of the Federation” and the “begin whispers of the Romulan War” together. The Romulans were to be the only major villains in the fifth season, but new minor villains within “mini-arcs” would have appeared at various points.

“Future Guy” was “probably going to be a Romulan” and would have tied into the Romulan War with a future Romulan trying to “instigate things.”

There were plans to try to make Shran the Andorian a regular character on the NX-01 in the fifth season.

Braga spoke about These Are The Voyages, the Star Trek: Enterprise finale that angered many Enterprise fans. “I will take full blame for that episode, for those that didn’t like it,” he said. “In retrospect, it was a very cool idea, that in the end was a mistake. The concept was to have Manny do a final two-part finale, but then have a final episode send a valentine to all of Star Trek over the last eighteen years. We just thought it would be a cool concept to show the Next Generation‘s crew looking back, though the holodeck, at Archer’s crew. It is a high concept, but I am not sure it came together.”

To read more, including Braga and Coto’s thoughts on how they would have rebooted Star Trek, head to the article located here.