Getting mainstream publications to question anything entertainment wise usually doesn't mean much. But when a trade paper takes the time on the morning of a major premiere to wonder if there is still some staying power in a particular genre or franchise, then it's definitely time to sweat a little bit.

"Enterprise" premieres Wednesday night in the United States, and this morning, The Hollywood Reporter published some comments by author Mark A. Altman on Star Trek's health.

"Clearly, the Star Trek franchise has been ailing for some time now," Altman said. "There's no question that interest in the show has waned. Certainly, the challenge for the new show is to re-spark the fervor for Star Trek that characterized its following in the early '80s through the mid-'90s.

According to the story, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in its syndicated market typically drew more than double the audience "Star Trek: Voyager" did during its run as the flagship drama of UPN. And the movie industry is suffering as well with "Star Trek: Insurrection" in 1998 grossing just $70.2 million in the United States, less than each of 1994's "Star Trek Generation" and 1996's "Star Trek: First Contact."

It was those figures that served as somewhat of a driving force for "Enterprise" co-creator Rick Berman to rethink where to take Star Trek.

"My feelings were strong that we played out the 24th century," Berman said. "We'd done over 500 episodes [in that era] on Next Generation and ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine") and Voyager, and it just seemed that if we were going to embark on a new series, it would have to be dramatically different."

The opening credits will be the first indication that something has changed with a rock anthem song and in widescreen format. Also, for the first time, the series will have a known science fiction television star at the helm in the form of Scott Bakula, of NBC's "Quantum Leap" fame.