The Star Trek franchise is looking to the future, income-wise, and will tailor its works to appeal to the sensibilities of the younger generation opening its wallet.
What made ST special for me was that it was totally relevant to the times, which were a-changing, yet futuristic at the same time. Imo, the generation that watched it after the show's syndication saw it (maybe even see it) as campy. I have to admit that I stopped watching the original episodes because they started to seem old-fashioned. The new shows/movies certainly bring the effects and look of the show up to date. But, they may have made ST too escapist for it to be relevant in the same way the old show was. After all, none of the actors on the first series were superstars; none of the characters they played (with the exception of Spock) was unconventional (for any WW2 bomber movie, for ex). The differences were the composition of the crew and the perception of "aliens" and other worlds. That's why there are even Trekkies in Russia and other parts of the old CCCP.
Anyway, if there were a show that did what ST did in terms of originality and relevance, it'd probably be popular across generations. I guess it takes more imagination (or insight) than special effects. "In the old days", the picture (that we could see) was in black and white --but was great for the imagination. I can't believe that I took the alligator-head warrior seriously ... ah, those were the days.