I think we maybe agreeing, but from different directions.
What I was saying is that the mutitude of spin-off stuff that happened (like the two comic series and Richard's books) had wildly divergent ideas of where the entirety of the property's future should go. And that comes from Universal simply handing out the rights to whomever ponied up the cash without keeping an eye on what they were doing with it. If the studio thought that the property was worth it, they'd have had a "continuity cop" watching over it to make sure that the brand identity didn't get muddied. Much like Lucasfilm does (though not very well) with Star Wars.
What I perceive YOU are saying (and correct me if I'm mis-interpreting here) is that the stories could have continued infinitely (much like the Star Trek novel stories) as long as there WAS some continuity with the old show... telling many many many new stories and perhaps even advancing the plotline WITHOUT necessarily damaging the perception of the property. Thus keeping the show in the public eye and maintaining it's viability as a money-maker and continuously re-energizing it's fandom with new releases (much like the Dr.Who books and audio adventures).
And to that I agree.
-G
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Liberal, Atheist, and just as Patriotic as you. 
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