Star Trek producer Rick Berman recently admitted Enterprise may have premiered before the audience was ready for it.

"Perhaps we weren't careful enough in giving the audience some breathing room — a year or two they could have lain fallow," Berman told Time Magazine. The magazine drew attention to Enterprise's diminished ratings as part of a feature article exploring the entire Star Trek journey.

Meanwhile, although Nemesis had a disappointing US debut this last weekend, Rick Berman told USA Today he is unfazed and stands by the franchise. "Star Trek is a lot bigger than a TV show or a film franchise," Berman said. "Even if you're not a fan, who doesn't know what warp speed means, or hasn't heard the phrase 'Beam me up, Scotty'? It's more than entertainment. It's a part of our culture."

Critics may have savaged the film, but studio heads at Paramount feel that fan opinion has been much more positive. "The numbers fell in the range we were hoping for, and it was essentially a dead heat for No. 1," vice-chairman Rob Friedman said. "More importantly, fans liked it, and we think that will carry it through the holidays."

And it's not just the fans that have been energised by the latest outing. "I've never been prouder of a film we've done," said Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard). "It's re-invigorated my feelings about Star Trek If we have another story written that well, with that much enthusiasm and imagination, I'd consider doing another."

The full Time article can be found here, while the full USA Today article, which also contains profit figures on the various aspects of the franchise, can be found here.

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