I think the biggest problem with the newer ST (TV shows and movies) is, that they try to be different. In a way, they try to fix something that isn't broken.
Roddenberry's concept of the ST universe was fine as it was. Of course you can make a scifi series with a different angle - but why call it Star Trek then?
I think that is compatible with what I was trying to say, at least to some extent. I am talking less about improving upon an idea and more about mining it to its absolute depths.