Bringing back Scott Bakula won't fix how poorly UPN treated Star Trek: Enterprise

There aren't many people who don't want to see Scott Bakula take one last turn as Jonathan Archer, the character he played on Star Trek: Enterprise. His turn as the captain of the NX-01 Enterprise was one of the most celebrated turns of any captain ever. Even if most people only now agree so 20 years after the fact. Still, Bakula's run was impressive and thanks to the advent of things like Netflix, his reputation is far improved upon as a Star Trek captain.

Still, fans would like to see one more go with Bakula in the big chair, with the idea that he could resolve some long-standing plot issues and mostly just give himself and the crew of the Enterprise a final sendoff that's actually fitting of their grand, iconic journey. As the one they got was anything but good.

But despite what some will write, bringing back Bakula won't fix the sins of the past.

Enterprise was canceled and hastily so, because the network it aired on, UPN, wanted higher rated shows that cost next to nothing. Enterprise was among its most expensive shows and while it wasn't dragging the channel down or costing them that much if any money, UPN wanted to change its focus and start getting more money back on its investments.

Shows like American Top Model became its go-to property, as well as WWE SmackDown, and more scripted, more expensive shows like Enterprise became a thing of the past. Despite the last three Star Trek shows getting seven seasons, Enterprise didn't go that long. The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager were all sold as seven-season shows, meaning the networks had to honor that deal unless they wanted to pay more just to cancel the show.

Enterprise was not and it bit them in the rear.

UPN didn't market it that well, Viacom didn't push it, and with all the magic and fanfare that the prior three shows got, Enterprise was left out. No Enterprise action figures were made. The Hallmark Christmas ornaments seemed to skip this generation. And whatever support it got in the advertising department was minimal.

The UPN really set it up for failure.

So why anyone believes that bringing back Bakula to the franchise will erase the sins of UPN is beyond us. The legacy of the characters can change but the sad legacy the show has will forever be its own. No amount of returning faces can right those wrongs.