For another real time illustration of the idea that today's creators are not only choosing to bet on loyal nerds but choosing which particular set of loyal nerds to bet on, Mirror's Edge has stated in the video below that sources in CBS have revealed quietly that they would like to replace the existing Star Trek audience with a newer, younger, and considerably less picky one. History suggests that the death spiral for Star Trek is underway, for not only do franchises not survive otakuization, all recent attempts to change audiences mid-course have failed (such as Ghostbusters, Marvel Comics, games journalism, etc.)
The problem with this mentality is that someone is going to make money off the Star Trek fans that CBS is actively repelling. Enter "The Orville", a light parody of Star Trek that has been declared by many fans to be "more Star Trek than Star Trek". Time will tell which show, if any, will win an audience and multiple seasons.
Well, that was known already with the new Star Trek movies. Even I, someone who knowns nothing about the show, realized they were not really "Star Trek," just actions movies for the general public and some Star Trek sprinkled on top.
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