Thanks to incessant reruns and the growth of the "Star Trek" convention industry, interest in Gene Roddenberry's egalitarian TV space opera -- which ran from 1966 to 1969 -- was running high in the years after its cancellation. More and more fans were flocking to the once-moribund series, and Roddenberry himself went on speaking tours, deeply dissecting why audiences were drawn to it. By 1977, Roddenberry felt that his show had accrued enough cultural clout to warrant a reboot, and he put "Star Trek: Phase II" into production.
The idea for "Star Trek: Phase II" was to make a bigger, slicker version of the original series, but with a few new characters. The original cast, including William Shatner, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, and Walter Koenig were all set to return, and they would be joined by a Vulcan named Xon (David Gautreaux), the helm officer Ilia (Persis Khambatta), and an...
The idea for "Star Trek: Phase II" was to make a bigger, slicker version of the original series, but with a few new characters. The original cast, including William Shatner, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, and Walter Koenig were all set to return, and they would be joined by a Vulcan named Xon (David Gautreaux), the helm officer Ilia (Persis Khambatta), and an...
- 9/22/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
It's time for another edition of Star Trek Explorer Magazine, and issue #12 will be on sale September 24th. For all of you who subscribe, you should have it in your mailboxes or email inboxes by now. Each quarter the magazine brings you a compelling variety of interviews with the actors, the behind-the-scenes team like the artists and creators, exclusive fiction, and so much more.
On top of that, the creative talents of the writing team are put to the test to bring fans the best news, reports, updates, and opinion pieces, and they never disappoint. In this issue, for example, Jay Strobie, a prolific writer for Startrek.com and Star Trek Explorer, delves into the Top Ten Star Trek Moments. You might be surprised at some of the ones chosen to be highlighted.
Titan Comics, the publisher of Star Trek Explorer, was, as always kind enough to provide us with...
On top of that, the creative talents of the writing team are put to the test to bring fans the best news, reports, updates, and opinion pieces, and they never disappoint. In this issue, for example, Jay Strobie, a prolific writer for Startrek.com and Star Trek Explorer, delves into the Top Ten Star Trek Moments. You might be surprised at some of the ones chosen to be highlighted.
Titan Comics, the publisher of Star Trek Explorer, was, as always kind enough to provide us with...
- 9/20/2024
- by Rachel Carrington
- Red Shirts Always Die
Walter Koenig made his first appearance on Star Trek: The Original Series in season two's "Amok Time." Over the next two seasons, he would appear in a total of thirty-six episodes, and though there was never a lot of focus on his character, Ensign Pavlov Chekov, Koenig did have a couple of episodes that were more Chekov-heavy. And the actor was okay with that.
In an interview with IGN, Koenig explained how he understood how the system worked back in the 1960s when the series was filming. There were the stars, which were William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley, and then there were the supporting characters, which included himself, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, and George Takei.
Though there wasn't as much recognition for Koenig during the filming of the series, he was happy to have a paycheck every week. He didn't expect more than what his part called for...
In an interview with IGN, Koenig explained how he understood how the system worked back in the 1960s when the series was filming. There were the stars, which were William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley, and then there were the supporting characters, which included himself, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, and George Takei.
Though there wasn't as much recognition for Koenig during the filming of the series, he was happy to have a paycheck every week. He didn't expect more than what his part called for...
- 9/18/2024
- by Rachel Carrington
- Red Shirts Always Die
For some of us, there are few things in this world more comforting than classic television. Back before "prestige TV" was really a thing and getting people to tune in was sometimes just a matter of hiring the biggest guest stars possible, things were a little different. There's just something about turning on the TV and settling in for a an episode of "Star Trek: The Original Series" or "Columbo" and knowing that matters will be resolved by the end of the show's runtime and that Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk) and Captain Kirk (William Shatner) always get the bad guy. Both are also pretty progressive; Columbo (an idealized lawman) routinely takes down the rich and powerful of Los Angeles, while "Star Trek" has always been socially conscious, aiming for a utopian society.
Columbo ran for a long time and then extended its life through a series of TV movies, meaning it filmed throughout the 1970s,...
Columbo ran for a long time and then extended its life through a series of TV movies, meaning it filmed throughout the 1970s,...
- 9/9/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
"Star Trek," as many may know, wasn't a huge hit during its initial 1966 to 1969 run. The series always struggled with low ratings, and only received a third season after a passionate letter-writing campaign kept it on the air. The third season, luckily, pushed "Star Trek" up to 76 episodes, which was just enough for syndication deals. "Star Trek" began airing in reruns in the early 1970s, and only then did the series find a wider -- and widely obsessive -- audience. Reruns allowed Trekkies to watch episodes multiple times, and develop their own theories about the Enterprise, about the show's technical devices, and about the characters' backstories.
The first official "Star Trek" convention was held in September 1972, and show creator Gene Roddenberry began showing up at subsequent cons to discuss his show and hear from fans about what they liked. I am convinced that it was during the convention circuit years...
The first official "Star Trek" convention was held in September 1972, and show creator Gene Roddenberry began showing up at subsequent cons to discuss his show and hear from fans about what they liked. I am convinced that it was during the convention circuit years...
- 9/8/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Leonard Nimoy became known to the world as Spock when he played the role in the original Star Trek. The actor became a household name as the popularity of the show and the character gradually increased. He was one of the three actors to get top billing in the show’s opening credits.
While Nimoy and co-star William Shatner were known for hogging the spotlight, Nimoy was reportedly more receptive to his co-stars’ grievances. The star reportedly made sure actors like Nichelle Nichols and George Takei were hired back for Star Trek: The Animated Series.
Leonard Nimoy Championed The Hiring Of Two Minority Star Trek Actors Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek | Credits: Paramount
Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek has always had a positive outlook towards the future. According to the creator, the future would have humans who were dedicated to their work and would be more accommodating of people of other cultures,...
While Nimoy and co-star William Shatner were known for hogging the spotlight, Nimoy was reportedly more receptive to his co-stars’ grievances. The star reportedly made sure actors like Nichelle Nichols and George Takei were hired back for Star Trek: The Animated Series.
Leonard Nimoy Championed The Hiring Of Two Minority Star Trek Actors Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek | Credits: Paramount
Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek has always had a positive outlook towards the future. According to the creator, the future would have humans who were dedicated to their work and would be more accommodating of people of other cultures,...
- 8/31/2024
- by Nishanth A
- FandomWire
Some Trekkies might be able to tell you that filming "Star Trek: The Original Series" wasn't always a pleasant experience for the cast. Indeed, stars William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were both notorious spotlight hogs and Shatner was known to reassign other actors' dialogue to himself, usually badgering directors until they agreed. Nimoy, meanwhile, knew that his character, Spock, was the most recognizable element of the show, and was happy to promote himself as the star of the series. The clash of egos reportedly got so bad that show creator Gene Roddenberry had to write an angry letter to the two lead actors (also DeForest Kelley) admonishing them for their bratty behavior. "You've pretty well divided up the market on selfishness and egocentricity," Roddenberry wrote.
Trekkies will hasten to point out that, while Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley were the only three cast members listed in the show's opening credits, "Star Trek...
Trekkies will hasten to point out that, while Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley were the only three cast members listed in the show's opening credits, "Star Trek...
- 8/25/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Trekkies know by now that William Shatner had a hostile relationship with the rest of the cast during the years of filming Star Trek: The Original Series. Some actors like George Takei still hold resentment toward Shatner for his behavior years ago. But even Shatner’s haters would need to bow down to him for the commitment he showed towards Star Trek in the face of a personal tragedy.
Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in Star Trek: The Original Series | Credits: NBC/Paramount
Shatner’s father Joe Shatner died in Miami in 1967 when the actor was filming episodes of the first season of Star Trek. He never told anyone about his loss and left quietly after the day’s shoot to attend the memorial. He returned the next week to film the rest of the series.
William Shatner Did Not Let His Personal Tragedy Interfere With Star Trek Filming William...
Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in Star Trek: The Original Series | Credits: NBC/Paramount
Shatner’s father Joe Shatner died in Miami in 1967 when the actor was filming episodes of the first season of Star Trek. He never told anyone about his loss and left quietly after the day’s shoot to attend the memorial. He returned the next week to film the rest of the series.
William Shatner Did Not Let His Personal Tragedy Interfere With Star Trek Filming William...
- 8/25/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
It's no secret that William Shatner's co-stars from the original "Star Trek" weren't very fond of him. Because he was at the top of the call-sheet, Shatner often considered himself the star of the show ... and he behaved accordingly. There were instances of him reassigning other characters' lines to himself, and he would often butt heads with "Star Trek" directors when he wasn't in the center of the frame.
When Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock proved to be a hit among viewers, leading to a notable TV Guide photo spread, a rivalry began among the two leads. Each one assumed they were the singular star of "Star Trek," and each one tried to hog as much of the spotlight as they could. The pair's rivalry led to outrage from show creator Gene Roddenberry, who infamously penned an angry letter demanding that the two prima donnas rein in their cattiness.
When Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock proved to be a hit among viewers, leading to a notable TV Guide photo spread, a rivalry began among the two leads. Each one assumed they were the singular star of "Star Trek," and each one tried to hog as much of the spotlight as they could. The pair's rivalry led to outrage from show creator Gene Roddenberry, who infamously penned an angry letter demanding that the two prima donnas rein in their cattiness.
- 8/19/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Actress Patti Yasutake, best known to Trekkies as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, died on August 5, 2024, of a rare type of T-cell lymphoma. She was 70 years old.
Nurse Ogawa first appeared on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in the episode "Future Imperfect" more or less as a background character. She was one of Dr. Crusher's retinue of medical staff, there to give viewers the impression that the ship's sickbay was constantly bustling. She went on to star in 14 additional episodes of the show, and was usually merely standing next to Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden), passing her tools or saying "Yes, Doctor." She had a good bedside manner, and her repeated appearances had viewers wondering who she was and what her story might be. As the series progressed, Nurse Ogawa's role expanded incrementally, eventually leading to her becoming a legitimate supporting player.
Indeed, by the show's seventh season, Nurse Ogawa began to...
Nurse Ogawa first appeared on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in the episode "Future Imperfect" more or less as a background character. She was one of Dr. Crusher's retinue of medical staff, there to give viewers the impression that the ship's sickbay was constantly bustling. She went on to star in 14 additional episodes of the show, and was usually merely standing next to Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden), passing her tools or saying "Yes, Doctor." She had a good bedside manner, and her repeated appearances had viewers wondering who she was and what her story might be. As the series progressed, Nurse Ogawa's role expanded incrementally, eventually leading to her becoming a legitimate supporting player.
Indeed, by the show's seventh season, Nurse Ogawa began to...
- 8/7/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
After spending the greater part of one’s career playing a certain role, it comes as an insult if the actor is treated as expendable and viewed with disrespect. Leonard Nimoy must have felt the exact same way after one Star Trek film’s script didn’t quite fit the bill on Spock’s behalf.
Leonard Nimoy as Spock in the Star Trek franchise [Credit: Paramount Pictures]
The late actor’s contribution to portraying Spock on screen was so invaluable that his Vulcan alter-ego almost became synonymous with him over time. In hindsight, however, the mutual relationship of respect and understanding that Leonard Nimoy and Spock held for each other shaped the future of both these characters — in real life and in fiction, respectively.
It is no wonder then that Nimoy felt it pertinent to protect his Star Trek legacy by whatever means necessary after he felt his rank within the franchise was being threatened.
Leonard Nimoy as Spock in the Star Trek franchise [Credit: Paramount Pictures]
The late actor’s contribution to portraying Spock on screen was so invaluable that his Vulcan alter-ego almost became synonymous with him over time. In hindsight, however, the mutual relationship of respect and understanding that Leonard Nimoy and Spock held for each other shaped the future of both these characters — in real life and in fiction, respectively.
It is no wonder then that Nimoy felt it pertinent to protect his Star Trek legacy by whatever means necessary after he felt his rank within the franchise was being threatened.
- 7/22/2024
- by Diya Majumdar
- FandomWire
At the end of Nicholas Meyer's 1991 film "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," the U.S.S. Enterprise-a is ordered back to Starfleet headquarters ... to be decommissioned. This was, the crew finally realized, their final, final adventure as a crew, and the road had come to an end. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), however, gave the perfect response "If I were human," he said, "I believe my response would be: 'Go to Hell.'" He then added, hastily, "If I were human."
I can only hear Nimoy's reading of "Go to Hell" when thinking about his non-participation in "Star Trek: Generations" in 1994. "Generations," as most Trekkies might tell you, is a notably weak film, presenting a rushed jumble of ideas without much drama or profundity. The plot follows a free-floating space ribbon called the Nexus, which blows up starships but also sucks survivors essentially into Heaven, a parallel dimension of pure...
I can only hear Nimoy's reading of "Go to Hell" when thinking about his non-participation in "Star Trek: Generations" in 1994. "Generations," as most Trekkies might tell you, is a notably weak film, presenting a rushed jumble of ideas without much drama or profundity. The plot follows a free-floating space ribbon called the Nexus, which blows up starships but also sucks survivors essentially into Heaven, a parallel dimension of pure...
- 7/21/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
All "Deadpool" movies thus far have teamed Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) up with another Marvel superhero. In the first film, that was the steel-skinned Russian X-Man Piotr Rasputin/Colossus (Stefan Kapičić). "Deadpool" writer Rhett Rheese said the filmmakers settled on Colossus because he was effective as a foil for Deadpool; "very self-serious and goody-two-shoes" unlike the violent and flippant Merc with a Mouth. During the movie, Colossus tries to recruit Deadpool onto the X-Men and gives him an inspirational speech on why he shouldn't execute the author of his pain, Ajax (Ed Skrein) — Wade ignores the speech and Piotr vomits once Ajax's brains exit his skull.
"Deadpool 2" brought back Colossus, but he was now competing as Wade's partner with time-traveling cyborg mutant Cable (Josh Brolin). The upcoming third film, "Deadpool and Wolverine," is bringing in the face of the "X-Men" movie franchise — Logan as played by Hugh Jackman,...
"Deadpool 2" brought back Colossus, but he was now competing as Wade's partner with time-traveling cyborg mutant Cable (Josh Brolin). The upcoming third film, "Deadpool and Wolverine," is bringing in the face of the "X-Men" movie franchise — Logan as played by Hugh Jackman,...
- 7/15/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
The busiest time in "Star Trek" history was likely the two-year stretch from 1993 to 1995. In January 1993, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" debuted, running alongside the sixth and seventh seasons of the already-popular "Star Trek: The Next Generation." In May 1994, "Next Generation" came to an end with a two-part finale, perhaps one of the best episodes of the series. As soon as that was done, shooting almost immediately began on "Star Trek: Generations," and production was so quick that it hit theaters in November of that same year. And, because resting appears to be anathema, the new series "Star Trek: Voyager" debuted in January 1995.
In two years, the franchise churned out 98 episodes and a feature film.
When making "Generations," however, everyone was in the thick of it. The writers, actors, and all the rest were working overtime to shift from the finale of "NextGen" into a large-scale movie. If that wasn't enough hard work,...
In two years, the franchise churned out 98 episodes and a feature film.
When making "Generations," however, everyone was in the thick of it. The writers, actors, and all the rest were working overtime to shift from the finale of "NextGen" into a large-scale movie. If that wasn't enough hard work,...
- 7/15/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
At the beginning of Nicholas Meyer's "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) is in command of the USS Excelsior, a prototype spacecraft with a newfangled transwarp drive allowing it to travel faster than any ship yet built. The Excelsior was first glimpsed in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," and Sulu, still serving on board the USS Enterprise at the time, stared at new the ship in utter awe. He couldn't have guessed at that moment that he would one day be its captain.
Sulu's captaincy gave the character a satisfying arc. When audiences first saw him in the original "Star Trek," he was a helmsman bearing the rank of lieutenant. In "Star Trek VI," made 25 years later, he was finally in command. If one accepts expanded universe lore culled from ancillary books and the like, Sulu would eventually become an Admiral and...
Sulu's captaincy gave the character a satisfying arc. When audiences first saw him in the original "Star Trek," he was a helmsman bearing the rank of lieutenant. In "Star Trek VI," made 25 years later, he was finally in command. If one accepts expanded universe lore culled from ancillary books and the like, Sulu would eventually become an Admiral and...
- 6/25/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
There are four credited screenwriters on Leonard Nimoy's 1986 time travel comedy "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes were hired together to write the film and they followed all the appropriate studio mandates, careful to write a role specifically for Eddie Murphy -- he had expressed interest in appearing -- and to beef up Admiral Kirk's role to appease a snippy William Shatner. Meerson and Krikes met with Nimoy and producer Harve Bennett early in production to bang out a story, and the quartet ultimately invented the plot: the Enterprise crew would travel back in time to the present day to retrieve a pair of humpback whale, a species that is extinct in the 23rd century. They must do this to appease a mysterious space probe that is draining the Earth's oceans.
Bennett and Nicholas Meyer are also credited as screenwriters, as they reworked a...
Bennett and Nicholas Meyer are also credited as screenwriters, as they reworked a...
- 6/16/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Perhaps the most overlooked series in the "Star Trek" canon ("Short Treks" and "Very Short Treks" notwithstanding), "Star Trek: The Animated Series" may be accepted as the final two years in the U.S.S. Enterprise's five-year mission. "Star Trek: Tas" debuted on September 8, 1973, four years after the cancelation of "Star Trek," to reunite the original cast and writers to explore Starlfeet's adventures in a 30-minute, animated format. The animation was provided by Filmation, the studio that had previously overseen multiple Batman and Superman cartoons, Archie cartoons, "Gilligan's Island" spinoffs, and which would go on to produce the ultra-popular "Fat Albert," "The Groovy Goolies," "BraveStarr," and "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe." Filmation shows were popular among kids, but their animations tended to be stiff and inexpressive. The most prominent feature of "Star Trek: Tas" is how static it looks.
However, the shortened runtime forced the writers of "Tas...
However, the shortened runtime forced the writers of "Tas...
- 6/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Because "Star Trek" is set in a presumably idyllic future -- when war is at an end, money has been removed from the equation, and diplomatic togetherness rules the day -- one will see few open displays of tribalism or jingoism. No one in "Star Trek" can yell about how much they love their country because, functionally, there are no countries. At least not on Earth. Occasionally, Chekov (Walter Koenig) will express pride, or even smugness, about his Russian heritage, but his attitude couldn't be read as "patriotism." Instead, he has become a smaller part of a large human tapestry, now united and working together to explore the galaxy, expand knowledge, and share ideas.
Perhaps ironically, the widespread multiculturalism of the United Federation of Planets is dressed in military uniforms and sails about the heavens in starships armed with phasers and photon torpedoes. "Star Trek" has all the visual trappings...
Perhaps ironically, the widespread multiculturalism of the United Federation of Planets is dressed in military uniforms and sails about the heavens in starships armed with phasers and photon torpedoes. "Star Trek" has all the visual trappings...
- 6/3/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
There were multiple crossovers between the original "Star Trek" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation." This first happened in the 1987 pilot episode of the latter, wherein DeForest Kelley appeared as a very elderly — 137! — Dr. McCoy. Then in 1991's "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Dr. McCoy were put on trial in a Klingon court, and their Klingon defense lawyer was played by "Next Generation" Worf actor Michael Dorn. There is some debate as to whether or not Dorn was playing an ancestor of Worf's in that film. What's more, Sarek (Mark Lenard) appeared on "Next Generation" in an episode devoted to him.
Later still, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) appeared in a two-part episode of "Next Generation" as a rogue diplomat trying to reunify the Romulans and the Vulcans. Luckily, Vulcans are very long-lived. And finally, Scotty (James Doohan) appeared on an episode of "Next Generation," having...
Later still, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) appeared in a two-part episode of "Next Generation" as a rogue diplomat trying to reunify the Romulans and the Vulcans. Luckily, Vulcans are very long-lived. And finally, Scotty (James Doohan) appeared on an episode of "Next Generation," having...
- 5/13/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
In the original "Star Trek," only three actors were credited at the start of the show: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley. For many watching the series -- and for the actors especially -- those three were the leads, while the rest of the recurring ensemble were mere supporting players. Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley certainly had the most screen time on "Star Trek," yet they often advocated for more. Eventually, Shatner and Nimoy became such whiny spotlight hogs that show creator Gene Roddenberry had to write an angry letter, demanding the actors stop whining and get back to work.
Trekkies, however, knew better than Shatner and Nimoy. "Star Trek" was always an ensemble piece about a core cast of multiple characters. In addition to the three "leads," the show also regularly featured chief engineer Scott/Scotty (James Doohan), communications officer Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Ensign Chekov (Walter Koenig), Yeoman Rand...
Trekkies, however, knew better than Shatner and Nimoy. "Star Trek" was always an ensemble piece about a core cast of multiple characters. In addition to the three "leads," the show also regularly featured chief engineer Scott/Scotty (James Doohan), communications officer Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Ensign Chekov (Walter Koenig), Yeoman Rand...
- 5/12/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Director J.J. Abrams' philosophy toward making his 2009 reboot of "Star Trek" likely involved a lot of uses of the words "high octane" and "kicked into overdrive." The characters in Abrams' "Star Trek" resemble the ones we all remember from the 1966 TV series, but electrified for a modern, action-hungry audience. Kirk (Chris Pine) is not just a captain who rules by instinct and occasionally snogs alien women (as William Shatner did), but a rash, skirt-chasing, destructive young punk who gets into bar brawls. Spock (Zachary Quinto) is not merely a logical scientist who, under rare circumstances, lets his human emotions slip through his stony visage (as Leonard Nimoy was), but a perpetually annoyed pill who, more regularly, is given to flights of rage and/or romance.
In the case of Sulu (John Cho), he is not merely a capable pilot with unusual hobbies, a great sense of humor, and a...
In the case of Sulu (John Cho), he is not merely a capable pilot with unusual hobbies, a great sense of humor, and a...
- 5/4/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
J. Michael Straczynski's "Babylon 5" began its life as a two-hour TV movie called "Babylon 5: The Gathering" which aired on February 22, 1993. There was some controversy about the series, however, as Straczynski pitched his space station series to Paramount as early as 1989. Paramount turned Straczynski down, and he took his series to Warner Bros., who approved. Suspiciously, only two months after Warner announced "Babylon 5," Paramount announced their own space station series, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." In a Tweet from 2018, Straczynski claimed that Paramount "put their show into high gear, spending four times what we did so they'd make it to air first." Indeed, "Deep Space Nine" first aired on January 3, 1999, beating "Babylon 5" by a month and a half. No legal action was taken against Paramount, but there has been a certain amount of bitterness ever since.
Additionally, the "Babylon 5" TV series didn't begin airing in...
Additionally, the "Babylon 5" TV series didn't begin airing in...
- 4/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
J.J. Abrams' 2009 "Star Trek" feature film wasn't so much an adaptation of the 1966 TV series as it was a film version of how non-Trekkies view the franchise. To explain: on the TV series, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) is typically depicted as being judicious, stern, and decisive. Because of the few times Kirk solved problems with his fists, however, he has gained a (perhaps unfair) reputation for being a reckless cowboy, an insufferable lothario, and a flippant charmer. Abrams' version of Kirk (Chris Pine) rolled with those misconceptions, making a "high-octane" version of the character. Indeed, all the characters are now broader, more passionate versions of themselves. This is in addition to each of them being secret super-geniuses, deeply expert in at least one field of science, language, medicine, or engineering.
Case in point, Chekov (Anton Yelchin) knows how to operate a transporter in such a way that he can...
Case in point, Chekov (Anton Yelchin) knows how to operate a transporter in such a way that he can...
- 4/28/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Viacom, the parent company of Paramount, underwent a dramatic split in 2005, causing the TV rights to "Star Trek" and the movie rights to "Star Trek" to be divided among two separate companies. This meant that if the movie-owners wanted to make a new feature film, they would have to license "Star Trek" iconography from the TV-owners. Under the conditions of such a liscense, a movie had to look legally distinct from the old TV show. What a headache.
This situation led to the creation of the Kelvin-verse, a "Star Trek" continuity that took place in a parallel timeline. The 2009 "Star Trek" movie featured the same ships and characters as the 1966 "Star Trek," but altered into something similar-yet-different. New actors played younger versions of the 1966 originals, and the U.S.S. Enterprise was now twice as big. Director J.J. Abrams also made the new movie more dramatic, action-packed, and full of explosions.
This situation led to the creation of the Kelvin-verse, a "Star Trek" continuity that took place in a parallel timeline. The 2009 "Star Trek" movie featured the same ships and characters as the 1966 "Star Trek," but altered into something similar-yet-different. New actors played younger versions of the 1966 originals, and the U.S.S. Enterprise was now twice as big. Director J.J. Abrams also made the new movie more dramatic, action-packed, and full of explosions.
- 4/22/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Ensign Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) first appeared in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Ensign Ro", and she introduced an interesting character dynamic to the series. Whereas most of the characters on "Next Generation" were wholly devoted to Starfleet principals and unwaveringly loyal to Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), Ensign Ro felt that Starfleet frequently let suffering go unacknowledged. She was combative and disobedient as a result, often openly defying her captain and responding to diplomatic solutions with belligerence.
Forbes' performance was so assured and defiant, however, that Ro's disobedience never felt impulsive or immature. Her reactions were organic and principled, revealing a hardened but understandable heart. Ro only appeared in eight episodes of "Next Generation," but she was always welcome to shake up the system and offer metaphorical headbutts to her commanding officers.
Ro's final "Next Generation" episode was "Preemptive Strike" wherein she found herself sympathizing with a group...
Forbes' performance was so assured and defiant, however, that Ro's disobedience never felt impulsive or immature. Her reactions were organic and principled, revealing a hardened but understandable heart. Ro only appeared in eight episodes of "Next Generation," but she was always welcome to shake up the system and offer metaphorical headbutts to her commanding officers.
Ro's final "Next Generation" episode was "Preemptive Strike" wherein she found herself sympathizing with a group...
- 2/18/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
When a franchise has established itself as a pop culture favorite for as long as "Star Trek" has -- currently, going on 60 years -- imaginative storytellers truly have no limits when it comes to honoring such history. In 2009, J.J. Abrams went out of his way to make his prequel film "Star Trek" exist in its own alternate universe entirely, ensuring that his new franchise addition could co-exist within the timeline while never once meddling with any of what happened to Spock, Captain Kirk, and all the other heroes of the starship Enterprise. Justin Lin's "Star Trek Beyond" directly incorporated the death of Leonard Nimoy into the plot (along with an end-credits tribute to the late Anton Yelchin), paying homage to an icon in the most respectful way possible. But one of the most heartwarming examples of this tradition comes from a recurring character in "The Original Series" that most...
- 2/9/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Ensign Pavel Chekov, played by Walter Koenig, first appeared in the "Star Trek" episode "Catspaw", the first episode of the show's second season. The appearance of a forthrightly Russian character, and a hero at that, communicated to Trekkies that the Cold War of the 1960s was not only over but that Russians would now be working in harmony with American characters like Captain Kirk (born in Iowa) and Dr. McCoy. In the role, Koenig brought a great deal of energy and humor, happy to interject into formal conversations to point out that Russians actually founded most of the Earth's most important innovations. Although already 30, Koenig also communicated a youthful energy, serving as a vital counterpoint to the judicious commanding officers on the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Koenig has remained loyal to "Star Trek," having appeared in 36 episodes of the original series and in eight feature films (a picture of him...
Koenig has remained loyal to "Star Trek," having appeared in 36 episodes of the original series and in eight feature films (a picture of him...
- 2/8/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
"Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was the onscreen reunion of the Enterprise crew, premiering in 1979, a decade after "Star Trek" was canceled. What more casual Trekkies may not know is that (most of) the cast had already come together again in that interim (and I don't mean just for "Trek" conventions).
That reunion would be "Star Trek: The Animated Series," which aired for 22 episodes from 1973 to 1974. The series was made in the style of the original, but there were a few changes in the medium shift. Stories were told in a breezy 20+ minutes, not the hour-long packaging the live-action show had used. Since animation doesn't have to worry about makeup expenses, "The Animated Series" featured much more (and much weirder) aliens than "Star Trek" had.
The animation was done by Filmation, nowadays mostly remembered for their stiff animation on programs like "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe." The cast...
That reunion would be "Star Trek: The Animated Series," which aired for 22 episodes from 1973 to 1974. The series was made in the style of the original, but there were a few changes in the medium shift. Stories were told in a breezy 20+ minutes, not the hour-long packaging the live-action show had used. Since animation doesn't have to worry about makeup expenses, "The Animated Series" featured much more (and much weirder) aliens than "Star Trek" had.
The animation was done by Filmation, nowadays mostly remembered for their stiff animation on programs like "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe." The cast...
- 2/1/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
At the beginning of William Shatner's 1989 film "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-a is on shore leave, taking a much-needed breather while their ship undergoes extensive repairs and improvements. Scotty (James Doohan) and Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) are overseeing the repairs back on the ship. Chekhov (Walter Koenig) and Sulu (George Takei) are hiking together in Yosemite while Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Captain Kirk (Shatner), and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) set up their own camp nearby. This must not be a very long shore leave, otherwise I assume these people would all be at home visiting their families and not hanging out with their co-workers.
At night, McCoy, Kirk, and Spock gather around a campfire, cook beans, and enjoy marshmallows. Everything is comfortably low-tech. Kirk and McCoy attempt to introduce Spock to the Earth tradition of singing songs around the campfire, teaching him the lyrics to "Row,...
At night, McCoy, Kirk, and Spock gather around a campfire, cook beans, and enjoy marshmallows. Everything is comfortably low-tech. Kirk and McCoy attempt to introduce Spock to the Earth tradition of singing songs around the campfire, teaching him the lyrics to "Row,...
- 1/30/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The "Star Trek" episode "The Apple" contained one of show creator Gene Roddenberry's favorite tropes: a remote, agrarian species living in harmony with nature, overseen by an ineffable technological marvel. In "The Apple," the Edenic planet of Gamma Trianguli VI is the home of a sexually innocent, childlike species that is granted their every wish by an all-powerful computer called Vaal. Vaal appears to be a giant snake-like head carved into the rock, but the Enterprise discovers that it is a machine intelligence that has kept the locals in a perpetual childlike state. They are immortal, but also have never had to work, nor are they allowed to "touch" (that is: have sex). Naturally, it will be up to Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the Enterprise to destroy Vaal and teach the aliens that growing up is necessary, and that having sex is okay and super-fun.
The...
The...
- 1/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
In the "Star Trek" episode "A Private Little War," Captain Kirk (William Shatner) finds himself in the middle of an ethical conundrum. The primitive, agrarian society on the planet Neural, ordinarily peaceful and gentle, has suddenly been granted access to rifles, a technology far ahead of their capabilities. It seems that an evil Klingon named Krell (Ned Romero) has been arming half of the Neural citizens, hoping to perpetuate a vicious civil war. Kirk's initial instinct is to arm the losing side with the same weapons, although others point out that doing so would merely escalate the conflict, not end it. Kirk argues that the losing side would, with weapons, at least be given a fighting chance.
This is, of course, a heavy-handed, Roddenberrian deconstruction of the Vietnam War, which was happening contemporaneously. In "Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry's eyes, Americans were interfering in a civil war they had no vested interest in.
This is, of course, a heavy-handed, Roddenberrian deconstruction of the Vietnam War, which was happening contemporaneously. In "Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry's eyes, Americans were interfering in a civil war they had no vested interest in.
- 1/23/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
On the morning of January 23, 2024, actor Gary Graham, star of the "Alien Nation" TV series, the cult classic "Robot Jox," and multiple-time "Star Trek" supporting player, passed away at the age of 74. Graham had a prolific acting career, appearing in single episodes of many of the hottest TV shows of his day, including "Starsky & Hutch," "The Incredible Hulk," Knots Landing," "CHiPs," "T.J. Hooker," "Hunter," "M.A.N.T.I.S.," "Diagnosis Murder," "Ally McBeal," "Jag," and "Nip/Tuck." He had an easy demeanor, allowing him to play comedic affable characters just as well as intense, serious ones.
Trekkies likely know Graham best for playing Soval on "Star Trek: Enterprise." Soval was the snippy Vulcan ambassador who oversaw Earth's very, very slow transition from post-war ruin to a thriving society ready for space exploration. In the timeline of "Star Trek," humanity discovers warp-speed flight while the world is recovering from nuclear devastation. On the very first Earth warp flight,...
Trekkies likely know Graham best for playing Soval on "Star Trek: Enterprise." Soval was the snippy Vulcan ambassador who oversaw Earth's very, very slow transition from post-war ruin to a thriving society ready for space exploration. In the timeline of "Star Trek," humanity discovers warp-speed flight while the world is recovering from nuclear devastation. On the very first Earth warp flight,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
More than 40 years ago, in 1982, director Nicholas Meyer's "The Wrath of Khan" revitalized "Star Trek," overcoming its low budget to be the shot in the arm that "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" failed to be.
This was the second time that the "Star Trek: The Original Series" cast reunited on the silver screen. With how long it has been, it's sadly unsurprising that most of the original "Star Trek" main cast is no longer with us. Spock's sacrifice and emotional last exchange with Kirk in "The Wrath of Khan" are even sadder and more poignant now with Leonard Nimoy's real-life passing in 2015.
Even most of the film's own supporting cast have passed on. Ricardo Montalbán, who delivered the performance of a lifetime as Khan Noonien Singh himself, died in 2009 at age 88. However, a select few of the movie's cast are still with us.
Read more: Celebrities You...
This was the second time that the "Star Trek: The Original Series" cast reunited on the silver screen. With how long it has been, it's sadly unsurprising that most of the original "Star Trek" main cast is no longer with us. Spock's sacrifice and emotional last exchange with Kirk in "The Wrath of Khan" are even sadder and more poignant now with Leonard Nimoy's real-life passing in 2015.
Even most of the film's own supporting cast have passed on. Ricardo Montalbán, who delivered the performance of a lifetime as Khan Noonien Singh himself, died in 2009 at age 88. However, a select few of the movie's cast are still with us.
Read more: Celebrities You...
- 1/14/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
If one visits the legendary Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California (now called the Tcl Chinese), one can see the handprints of the cast and creator of "Star Trek." On the event of the franchise's 25th anniversary in 1991, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, William Shatner, George Takei, James Doohan, and DeForest Kelley all put their handprints on the cement next to their respective signatures. According to a story Takei told at a "Star Trek" convention (that this author personally attended), the cast were instructed to sign their names but not to put their hands in the cement. Takei, hating the restriction, plopped in his handprint anyway, and his fellow cast members immediately followed suit.
Leonard Nimoy, as visiting Trekkies will see, slapped his hand into the cement with his middle and ring fingers parted and his thumb out, arranged in the traditional Vulcan salute seen so often throughout "Star Trek."
That...
Leonard Nimoy, as visiting Trekkies will see, slapped his hand into the cement with his middle and ring fingers parted and his thumb out, arranged in the traditional Vulcan salute seen so often throughout "Star Trek."
That...
- 1/6/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
When reading actor Brian Cox's memoir "Putting the Rabbit in the Hat," I was disappointed that he didn't mention his work on David Fincher's superlative "Zodiac." Throughout the book, Cox shows no reluctance to burn bridges, and given his ribbing of "Succession" co-star Jeremy Strong's method acting, I was eager to see if he'd have similar words about Fincher's infamous perfectionism. Alas, no such stories exist.
True to its title, the 2007 "Zodiac" film is about the Zodiac killer, the still unidentified murderer who left Northern California quaking with fear as the 1960s closed. The film spans the 1960s to 1980s (with an epilogue in 1991), focusing on the killings and then Robert Graysmith's (Jake Gyllenhaal) investigation years later.
One of the movie's earlier sequences recreates an episode from October 22, 1969. Someone claiming to be the Zodiac said he would dial into Jim Dunbar's Kgo-tv (local to...
True to its title, the 2007 "Zodiac" film is about the Zodiac killer, the still unidentified murderer who left Northern California quaking with fear as the 1960s closed. The film spans the 1960s to 1980s (with an epilogue in 1991), focusing on the killings and then Robert Graysmith's (Jake Gyllenhaal) investigation years later.
One of the movie's earlier sequences recreates an episode from October 22, 1969. Someone claiming to be the Zodiac said he would dial into Jim Dunbar's Kgo-tv (local to...
- 12/31/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
At a time when syndicated science fiction was just Star Trek series, it took some guts on Warner Bros’ part to try something darker and more experimental with J. Michael Straczynski’s Babylon 5, designed to tell a sprawling epic that was more political than it was space opera. The show arrived thirty years ago and was successful enough to spawn spin-off five telefilms and a short-lived spinoff, spanning 1993-2007.
The core of it, the 110 episodes from the original five-season series, have been remastered and collected on a nice Blu-ray box set from Warner Home Entertainment. Also included is the original pilot film.
Set in the 23rd century, the Earth Alliance has found its place among star-faring races, notably the Minbari and the Centauri. Some of these races are fine with humans; others wish them gone. Then there are the Vorlons, and no one knows what they want.
Babylon 5 is a gigantic,...
The core of it, the 110 episodes from the original five-season series, have been remastered and collected on a nice Blu-ray box set from Warner Home Entertainment. Also included is the original pilot film.
Set in the 23rd century, the Earth Alliance has found its place among star-faring races, notably the Minbari and the Centauri. Some of these races are fine with humans; others wish them gone. Then there are the Vorlons, and no one knows what they want.
Babylon 5 is a gigantic,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
The three-season NBC run of "Star Trek" in the late 1960s (aka "The Original Series") was not a smooth ride for anyone at any level of production. Each hour-long episode cost, in 2023 dollars, over $1 million to produce (with the classic "The City on the Edge of Forever" being particularly pricey), which, given the series' Nielsen ratings struggles, was a huge problem for the network (which pulled the plug on the show in 1969 much to its rabid fans' consternation). Also tricky, the stars' salaries. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy played chicken with NBC in pay negotiations, basically daring the execs to fire them.
According to "Star Trek" historian Marc Cushman, the network decided they'd had enough of Nimoy's hardball act; rather than bring back the hugely popular (with fans at least) Mr. Spock, they opted to write the character out of the show and bring in a brand new Vulcan. However,...
According to "Star Trek" historian Marc Cushman, the network decided they'd had enough of Nimoy's hardball act; rather than bring back the hugely popular (with fans at least) Mr. Spock, they opted to write the character out of the show and bring in a brand new Vulcan. However,...
- 12/11/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Walter Koenig came to "Star Trek" in only its second season, but he is part of the series' legacy thanks to his role as Ensign Pavel Chekov (not to mention being one of the few major "The Original Series" actors still with us). An American TV show featuring a Russian character as a good guy during the height of the Cold War? That was just one of the ways that "Star Trek" pushed the envelope.
Unfortunately, as you Trekkies reading know, "Star Trek" lasted only two more years after Koenig joined the cast in 1967; NBC canceled the show due to low ratings and the last episode first aired on June 3, 1969. That cancellation wasn't the end for "Star Trek" — it's a full-blown media franchise now — but it seemed like it was at the time.
Recently interviewed by TrekMovie.com, Koenig claims he knew well ahead of time that "Star Trek" wouldn't...
Unfortunately, as you Trekkies reading know, "Star Trek" lasted only two more years after Koenig joined the cast in 1967; NBC canceled the show due to low ratings and the last episode first aired on June 3, 1969. That cancellation wasn't the end for "Star Trek" — it's a full-blown media franchise now — but it seemed like it was at the time.
Recently interviewed by TrekMovie.com, Koenig claims he knew well ahead of time that "Star Trek" wouldn't...
- 12/10/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
David Carson's 1994 film "Star Trek: Generations," set mostly in 2371, began with a flashback to 2293 when Admiral Kirk (William Shatner), Commander Chekov (Walter Koenig), and Captain Scott (James Doohan) attended the maiden voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise-b. In the original draft of the script, the Enterprise-b scenes were meant to include the entire original cast of "Star Trek," so Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley refused because their roles were insignificant and they didn't like the story. Nichelle Nichols and George Takei likewise turned down the film.
"Generations" involves a colossal negative space wedgie -- a spatial energy ribbon called the Nexus -- that scoops Kirk out of the Enterprise-b and holds him in a form of temporal stasis for 87 years until Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) can enter the same wedgie to retrieve him. Chekov and Scotty don't play a major part in the story. They are essentially there...
"Generations" involves a colossal negative space wedgie -- a spatial energy ribbon called the Nexus -- that scoops Kirk out of the Enterprise-b and holds him in a form of temporal stasis for 87 years until Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) can enter the same wedgie to retrieve him. Chekov and Scotty don't play a major part in the story. They are essentially there...
- 12/3/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Walter Koenig joined the cast of "Star Trek" in 1967 as Ensign Pavel Chekov, the feisty Russian upstart who was always quick to point out that a lot of human culture originated in his home country. He was often hot-headed and a little brash, but always capable.
By the events of the 1982 film "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," Chekov had been promoted to the rank of commander and served as the executive officer on board the U.S.S. Reliant underneath Captain Clark Terrell (Paul Winfield). In that film, Commander Chekov and Captain Terrell were captured by the revenge-bent Khan (Ricardo Montalbán), who forced miniature Ceti eels into their ears. The eels burrow into their hosts' brains and make them docile and suggestable, forcing Chekov to turn against Starfleet and aiding Khan in his evil schemes. By halfway through the film, Chekov is reunited with his old captain, James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Luckily,...
By the events of the 1982 film "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," Chekov had been promoted to the rank of commander and served as the executive officer on board the U.S.S. Reliant underneath Captain Clark Terrell (Paul Winfield). In that film, Commander Chekov and Captain Terrell were captured by the revenge-bent Khan (Ricardo Montalbán), who forced miniature Ceti eels into their ears. The eels burrow into their hosts' brains and make them docile and suggestable, forcing Chekov to turn against Starfleet and aiding Khan in his evil schemes. By halfway through the film, Chekov is reunited with his old captain, James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Luckily,...
- 12/2/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Clockwise from top left: Candy Cane Lane (Prime Video), Your Christmas Or Mine 2 (Prime Video), The Flash (Warner Bros.)Image: The A.V. Club
Prime Video—perhaps more than any other streaming provider—is really leaning into Christmas-themed movies this December. Eddie Murphy plays a family man desperate to win...
Prime Video—perhaps more than any other streaming provider—is really leaning into Christmas-themed movies this December. Eddie Murphy plays a family man desperate to win...
- 11/29/2023
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
The premise of Glen A. Larson's 1978 sci-fi series "Battlestar Galactica" was high-concept and complex. It took place far from Earth, at the end of humanity's millennium-long war with a species of robots called the Cylons. The Cylons themselves were built by a long-extinct race of humanoid reptiles, and they seem poised to offer the same fate to humankind. Feeling that the writing was on the wall, a human named Count Baltar (John Colicos) betrayed humanity and sided with the Cylons, putting the robots hot on the trail of the Battlestar Galactica, a massive starship carrying most of the galaxy's last-known humans. Their goal is to find a long-lost "thirteenth tribe," a human colony that was said to have settled on a distant planet called Earth.
The assumption for viewers was that "Battlestar Galactica" was set in the distant future, but at the end of the 24th episode of its only season,...
The assumption for viewers was that "Battlestar Galactica" was set in the distant future, but at the end of the 24th episode of its only season,...
- 11/19/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
In the world of "Futurama," no one is allowed to utter the words "Star Trek" without facing arrest and severe legal penalties. It seems that by the year 3000, Trekkies had gone from being a loose-knit group of geeks to being a full-blown religion. After years of a Trekkie religion, schisms began to form in the church, leading to inevitable and prolonged Holy Wars. To solve the problem once and for all, humanity agreed to load every episode of the original series onto a rocket and launch them into deep space where they would never darken humanity's doorstep again. The severed heads of William Shatner, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, DeForest Kelley, and George Takei -- all of them kept alive in jars -- were also loaded onto a rocket and sent into space. Leonard Nimoy's head stayed on Earth and took a job in the local Head Museum. James Doohan's fate was not shared,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
When you have a lot of episodes of a TV series, and you have a lot of TV series that all have a lot of episodes, and you also have a lot of books and comic books and video games and movies, and they're all telling stories in the same world and about the same people, there's a word that's going to come up sooner than later. And that word is "canon."
"Canon" is sometimes used synonymously with "continuity," the idea that stories should remain consistent in their depiction of events, characters, and information so as not to break the illusion of reality they collectively create. But canon goes beyond that. Canon is supposed to be official. It literally was created to describe religious texts, in reference to dogmatic and holy scriptures. So in the realm of a fictional universe, canon is supposed to be something that is definitely real to the characters,...
"Canon" is sometimes used synonymously with "continuity," the idea that stories should remain consistent in their depiction of events, characters, and information so as not to break the illusion of reality they collectively create. But canon goes beyond that. Canon is supposed to be official. It literally was created to describe religious texts, in reference to dogmatic and holy scriptures. So in the realm of a fictional universe, canon is supposed to be something that is definitely real to the characters,...
- 10/10/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
Gene Roddenberry's celebrated sci-fi TV series "Star Trek" debuted on September 8, 1966, and recently celebrated its 57th anniversary. Initially, "Trek" wasn't terribly popular, and only managed to make a third season thanks to a coordinated letter-writing campaign (a campaign that Roddenberry was accused of orchestrating and encouraging himself). It wouldn't be until after "Star Trek" was canceled in 1969 that its popularity would significantly begin to grow. Thanks to a sweet infinite syndication deal, "Star Trek" reruns were common, and a cult began to form. By the early 1970s, the first "Trek" conventions began to appear. Naturally, conventions were a great place for the show's stars and creators to congregate and share production stories with a rising tide of obsessives. Fans were able to talk to and get autographs from William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, Walter Koenig, George Takei, James Doohan, and Grace Lee Whitney, as...
- 9/26/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The latest "Star Trek" animated series, "Very Short Treks," attempts to honor — or at least revisit and poke fun at — arguably the most underrated series in the nearly 60-year-old franchise. "Star Trek: The Animated Series" was a two-season Saturday morning cartoon show starring most of the original cast and written by many of the original writers, which filled in the gaps left in the historical records after the Enterprise's five-year mission got cut short by CBS.
While "Star Trek: The Animated Series" could be a little hit-and-miss (just like every other "Trek" show) it expanded on the original series in crucial ways. The animation was limited, but there was no longer any need to hold back on ambitious creatures and concepts due to budgetary concerns. So the cartoon featured an array of bizarre worlds and life forms that had never been possible on the show before and have rarely been explored since.
While "Star Trek: The Animated Series" could be a little hit-and-miss (just like every other "Trek" show) it expanded on the original series in crucial ways. The animation was limited, but there was no longer any need to hold back on ambitious creatures and concepts due to budgetary concerns. So the cartoon featured an array of bizarre worlds and life forms that had never been possible on the show before and have rarely been explored since.
- 9/12/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
The 1967 revision of the "Star Trek" writer's guide starts by asking the reader a simple question: "Can you find the major 'Star Trek' format error in the following 'teaser' from a story outline?"
"Star Trek" is a franchise that comes with many rules and dictums, many derived from its late creator, Gene Roddenberry. Other times they came from story editors and producers across the franchise's nearly-60-year history. And all of them are fiercely debated among fans in countless fanzines, convention halls, and chat boards, as well as on social media.
But rules are made to be broken, aren't they? Or, at the very least, broadly interpreted... like Starfleet's non-interference directive by some captains. And, to paraphrase Kirk, risk was "Star Trek's" business from day one. So let's look at 13 times when the makers of "Star Trek" took a risk and broke the mold.
Read more:...
"Star Trek" is a franchise that comes with many rules and dictums, many derived from its late creator, Gene Roddenberry. Other times they came from story editors and producers across the franchise's nearly-60-year history. And all of them are fiercely debated among fans in countless fanzines, convention halls, and chat boards, as well as on social media.
But rules are made to be broken, aren't they? Or, at the very least, broadly interpreted... like Starfleet's non-interference directive by some captains. And, to paraphrase Kirk, risk was "Star Trek's" business from day one. So let's look at 13 times when the makers of "Star Trek" took a risk and broke the mold.
Read more:...
- 8/28/2023
- by Maurice Molyneaux
- Slash Film
The "Futurama" episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" introduced an interesting wrinkle to the universe. It seems that in the early 31st century, all of "Star Trek" had been banned, and one could be arrested merely for saying the words "Star Trek" in public. Fry (Billy West) mentions in a video store that the first six "Star Trek" movies average out to "pretty good." Everyone in the store immediately drops to the floor and Fry is quickly bundled out by his friends.
It seems that, in the future, "Star Trek" fandom had become so intense that it mushroomed into a full-blown religion all its own. In the years after its formation, the Trekkie religion quickly became violent, with various schisms forming within the church. Imagine old-school Trekkies getting into bitter arguments with the fans of "Star Trek: Discovery," but with gunplay. Fry, a closet Trekkie this whole time, is...
It seems that, in the future, "Star Trek" fandom had become so intense that it mushroomed into a full-blown religion all its own. In the years after its formation, the Trekkie religion quickly became violent, with various schisms forming within the church. Imagine old-school Trekkies getting into bitter arguments with the fans of "Star Trek: Discovery," but with gunplay. Fry, a closet Trekkie this whole time, is...
- 8/19/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Since its debut in 1966, Star Trek has boldly gone to nearly every cultural aspect of modern life. The franchise has included 13 feature films with various crews, numerous board and video games, hundreds of action figures, commemorative plates — you name it, and there’s probably a version with a Starfleet logo on it.
But despite all this exploration into other media and fields, Star Trek remains best on television. And after a long drought, the franchise is finally thriving again in its original medium, despite the bumbling of its parent company Paramount. Even with Picard done and Discovery entering its fifth and final season, multiple series are still in production, including the acclaimed Strange New Worlds.
But as the greatest Trek theme song reminds us, it’s been a long road getting from there to here. The Original Series was canceled after a budget-strapped third season in 1969 and only built its following in syndication.
But despite all this exploration into other media and fields, Star Trek remains best on television. And after a long drought, the franchise is finally thriving again in its original medium, despite the bumbling of its parent company Paramount. Even with Picard done and Discovery entering its fifth and final season, multiple series are still in production, including the acclaimed Strange New Worlds.
But as the greatest Trek theme song reminds us, it’s been a long road getting from there to here. The Original Series was canceled after a budget-strapped third season in 1969 and only built its following in syndication.
- 8/17/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Layla Sarakalo has exactly one (1) credit on her IMDb page. In Leonard Nimoy's 1986 film "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," she played a passer-by on the street who stopped briefly to talk to Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), who sought the location of nuclear vessels parked in Alameda, California. The scene sticks out in the memory because of Keonig's notorious pronunciation of "vessels" as "wessels." Koenig, as one might predict, has been asked to say "wessels" at multiple Star Trek conventions over the years, and is quite likely very sick of it. Keonig turns 87 in September, so please stop asking.
Sarakalo, however, only ever appeared in this one scene in "Star Trek" and hasn't acted before or since. According to her IMDb page, Sarakalo landed the role as an extra through a stroke of bad luck. In order to clear the San Francisco streets for the scene in question,...
Sarakalo, however, only ever appeared in this one scene in "Star Trek" and hasn't acted before or since. According to her IMDb page, Sarakalo landed the role as an extra through a stroke of bad luck. In order to clear the San Francisco streets for the scene in question,...
- 8/6/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
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