STV: Happy 50th from Star Trek crews past

YES! Finally, new Trekland video—and a brand-new intro! But the 50th celebration has only just begun ... for a whole year, yes?
 
So here's some faces and voices I've been holding back for the Happy 50th party—just the kind of behind-the-scenes insight that I love recording and revealing... from the TNG Companion where I met many of them, to our deep-diving Portal 47 today. Some you know; most you will not. (A few have been P47 guests; many others will be, too.)

For all or part of 18+ years, various teams of skilled show-biz folk brought us 737 hours of TV and films from Gene Roddenberry's universe...and could not help but form their own bonds of workaday friendship as well as professional pride.

With social media to help, the group held its third reunion in six years on May 22 in LA's Griffin Park—and it seemed natural to record for posterity some shoutouts for the 50th. I only regret that this was the smallest turnout of the three, and I did not get more folks on camera—to represent even more of the older series, or more of the various departments that go into getting an episode made.

Of course they have all gone on to other shows, other projects or even other careers now... but you can tell how most would agree that their working Star Trek years were something special, if not the highlights of their resume.

And that they are all fans, too.

STV: David Goodman edits Kirk's bio! —Part 1

Didn't get all the best Trek goodies on your list for the holidays?

If you didn't already grab a copy of David Goodman's The Autobiography of James T. Kirk from Titan Books, maybe now's the time! Available everywhere live and online, it's David's second foray into non-fiction gap-filling, after FEDERATION: The First 150 Years in 2012. (And you know how I am about Trek gap-filling.)

In fact, I grabbed David once again in the off-hours at his office as Family Guy writer-producer to talk about the tome in a new vidchat: his choices, the process, and even fan feedback after Federation. 

WARNING: Loaded with all kinds of sidelong and unexplained Trek references, of course.

SECOND WARNING: Watch for the remainder of this chat in follow-ups in coming days!


FYI: Portal 47 members got to view this video up to 72 hours early before it went public—one feature of their deep-dive Trekland access.

STV: Mike McMahan, author of TNG's Season 8 'WARPED'

So many great book ideas for Trek fans this holiday, and with the 50th just around the corner next year.

Here's a great fun read I hope you heard about—WARPED,

the Lost Eighth Season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the latest creation born wholly of a Twitter account!—and my chat with the tweeter/author (and TV comedy writer!) who accidentally stumbled across me at San Diego Comic-Con, Mike McMahan!  What I wasn't expecting was the, uh, iconic praise for the TNG Companion…



FYI: Portal 47 members got to view this video up to 72 hours early before it went public—one feature of their deep-dive Trekland access. 

STV: Kevin Dilmore with Hallmark's 2015 Trek ornaments —and 2016's!

Quick! 


If you haven't run out yet to get one of the 2015 Trek variety of Keepsake Ornaments from Hallmark, there's still time! Here's the inimitable writer Kevin Dilmore from Hallmark, in our annual visit from Comic-Con to tell you all you need to know.

Or if you are all stocked up and just want a sneak peek ahead to 2016—we gotcha covered.  As always, right?

Stay tuned to the end for a Pocket Books Trek novel update on Kevin's titles, and those of his oft-partner Dayton Ward, too.

And this year we even got it all in one take…





FYI: Portal 47 members got to view this video up to 72 hours early before it went public—as one feature of their deep-dive Trekland backstage access. 

STV: Mimi Craven tells tales of the Voyager Vaadwaur

After 18 years, you bet that a lot of faces have appeared across the "modern" Star Trek TV incarnation, not to mention the whole 50+ year saga. By now, even those with a one-off guest role, especially with a long credit list elsewhere behind it, get sought out by fans. It's all part of the sparkling Trek tapestry. 

One of those gems is Mimi Craven—she of many fan-favorite roles over the years even outside of Trek. At a recent signing show in Burbank, I chatted with her about her unusual turn on Voyager as the ill-fated female Vaadwaur, Jisa, in "Dragon's Teeth."

The Vaadwaur were designed to be a new culture with much backstory, intended to be a leading face in the last year of the show and launched with a two-parter—but those plans went for naught. 

Mimi wore it proudly, though, and has some great moments to share as she was the test case for the makeup, even before shooting her scenes. Find her at a con and she can add insider stories from the original Nightmare on Elm Street, and many more. Good stuff! 

Admiral on the bridge!: TNG's Clyde 'Nakamura' Kusatsu

It's amazing the number of creative folks—chiefly actors, but also writers, producers, designers, and crew—who can call themselves part of the Trek family...or Treklanders, as we call them around these parts.

As every year passes, I try to make it a point to meet and hopefully interview many of them, especially the recurring guest stars whose faces are a tad more familiar. That said, I am still struck by how many of even they we have yet to see at some of the larger conventions—I'm lookin' at you, Creation Vegas!

...Such as Clyde Kusatsu, whose long career has included several stints as the first real "recurring admiral" on TNG, a spot in its finale, and a bit of distinction vis a vis none other than Jean-Luc Picard—as we discuss, amid tales from his other work of note, in this vidchat from a recent Courts Signing Show in Burbank.

I mean, he was a finalist for WHAT on Deep Space Nine? And in a sitcom pilot with Brent and WHO?

STV: It's FarragutFest! Celebrate with two REAL and local crew of the Farragut & Enterprise

If it's the first weekend of December, it must be FARRAGUT FEST down in Kingsland, GA, home to the Farragut Studios that boasts the rebuild of Desilu's storied Stage 9...i.e., the original Star Trek sets of the 1960s whose amazing recreations are used here now for both the Starship Farragut and Star Trek Continues indie fan film series, of which I've come to be quite familiar.

If you are lucky enough to be in the region—I hope to go one year, but families already come from several states away to get to walk those hallowed corridors in these incredible lookalikes—I hope you tell Royal Weaver and Sam Rooks hi, if you meet them (video below the fold). Those two, and many more, are part of the local crew who build and maintain those stages year-round in-between times the rest of us are away.  In between the tours, panels and even vendors of FarragutFest, they are among the many who can tell you all the history and backstage detail you'd ever want to know.

And that's why I took time during the "Mirror" shoot for STC's "Fairest of Them All" last spring—our own chat cut short by the needs of the shoot, as you'll see—to get both of these guys on camera and get them their due. The photo (left) just happens to be them atop and steadying a ladder to be able to run the Tantalus Field cover during that filming.

Also during shoots, Sam spends a lot of time with lights, while Royal is everyone's number one door man—and I don't mean the taxi-hailing kind, I mean the sliding Starfleet kind. It's a special art, as anyone who's seen the original bloopers knows all too well!

So—in honor of another FarragutFest this weekend, here's my chat with the locals, to celebrate! If you can't be there, try for 2015—I know I will—and meanwhile check out the Farragut Films Facebook page where I'm sure there'll be pics a-plenty. Go "Like" their page—and of course, go "Like" the Star Trek Continues page as well— if somehow *gasp* you haven't already!

What a jam-packed weekend of good news in Trekland!

Well. THIS has been some weekend. Look what ALL just happened:

—"Fairest of Them All," the third episode of Star Trek Continues, just debuted online Sunday (and before a cast-fronted live con crowd in Sydney, Australia) to thunderous fan approval, from all I've read initially, as of tonight. I'm proud to not only remain in the think-tank for STC but to promote and cover its talented family and the "making of" each show as well. That includes both new and catch-up STC videos out now on "Trekland STV", and those still to come—you ain't seen nothing yet! Not to mention future episodes of STC itself.

So stay tuned and subscribe to Trekland as well as my YouTube Channel to know when they go up even ahead of their posting on the STC Facebook (and have you Liked there yet?)

—The second Kickstarter for the Hollywood Sci-Fi Museum, whose non-profit board I sit on that grew from the "Save the Bridge" New Starship project, raised over 50% of its goal just these last two weeks and finally BUSTED right through to success Sunday with 12 hours to go—and ended up with over $11,000 extra in the pot by the time its midnight deadline arrived. Yes, I was nervous a couple weeks ago, and even knew that a lapse here was not fatal—with so many industry and corporate donors and supporters lining up. 

But this was a solid sign of the basic support for such a new Hollywood tourist landmark and museum, much less its planned educational mission. This drive helps fund some of the major bridging pieces of the puzzle to make this thing really work—the budget is on the KS site. It was also a nice affirmation of the hours of professional yet volunteer planning that's going in, and faith that this is not a gaudy pipe dream. Don't forget our Facebook, too! And get the latest at Comic-Con San Diego too—the Bridge is back for free photo ops, of course, at Booth 3631!

—And THEN, on a bit less lofty but every bit as fun level, we were madly making fans aware that this was the last weekend to register for the 2014 edition of the "LA2Vegas" Trek Film Site Tour that I lead for Geek Nation Tours and Terrace Cassidy. Quick! Jump aboard now if you'd like! 

—Plus, I was honored to talk about De Kelley Saturday for the 15th anniversary of his passing June 11 in another new online media "thing," a recorded Google+ Hangout sponsored by In Memory and Honor of Deforest Kelley Facebook group. 

—And THEN…there's the other nonprofit I'm honored to sit on the board for, Enterprise in Space—and its amazing, public-oriented mission that we will SOON be telling the world about, even as there's details and deadlines to chase down now. IT just became "official" and is jumping into gear—much more later!

—Oh, and also... hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day—both those of the fatherly persuasion, and those who enjoy their love!

(Oh, yeah—and thanks for that whole "stand by me while the overblown misquoting monster made-up story" thing blew over. Whether on Facebook, Twitter or comment threads, the Trekland Army was awesome the way you all knocked down the bizarre report every time other unaware—or lazy—news websites picked up the story to run it, without editing it first.

Whew. I'll just pack for BayouCon, now…!

A debut eve two-fer: Fresh from stage, Todd Haberkorn reflects on Spock's "Lolani" mind-meld

Yes, this is a look back, but hey:

A chat with Todd Haberkorn is always a fun visit—even when it was shot back during the filming of Star Trek Continues' "Lolani" last fall—and portends what may be in store for Todd's process of Spockifying himself as the mirror universe-based "Fairest of Them All" debuts online at noon Eastern on June 15.

We filmed this just after he shot the pivotal mind-meld scene in Episode 2, and yes the makeup and the uniform undershirt are still in place, as Todd graciously delayed the end of his final day of shooting for a few minutes for our chat. You can also see makeup supervisor Tim Vittetoe prepping removal in the background.

I still have more vidchats and "B-roll" background video from both "Lolani" and the new "Ep3" mirror show to share; stay tuned as I unspool more. And don't forget to catch up on the  "Official Star Trek Continues" Facebook page for ongoing news and more STC BTS, as well...

What do think about Todd's, er, thoughts about the mind meld?

Wyatt is back! Star Trek Continues' Ep. 3 debuts Sunday

Here you go! Aside from the great new WiredTV series and all our usual site videos, I do have some sneak-peeks of my own for Star Trek Continues' Episode 3, the mirror-tale "Fairest Of Them All"—filmed in mid-March and getting its world premiere tonight at SupanovaCon in Sydney, Australia...online Sunday, June 15 at noon Eastern!

And what better way to start off "safely"—a spoiler-free tease, natch—than with a chat with Wyatt Lenhart, who took one episode's leave offship from playing Chekov, but is back now in all his mirror-snarly glory here for "Ep3." I ask him all your pent-up questions!

As I promised, leaving the on-camera world of STC for now did not mean an exit from the production family, and part of my world now is continued documenting of STC in the Trekland style... like this quick chat with Wyatt on a pivotal day of shooting. It's just the first of many more to come:

It's birthday boy Grant "Sulu" Imahara during "Lolani," the 2013 Star Trek Continues shoot for Episode 2!

Grant Imahara has a been a real hoot to know and work with amid my ongoing connection with Star Trek Continues ever since the pilot episode, and during the shoot for Episode 2 "Lolani" in 2013 his one day on set actually fell on his Oct. 23 birthday. (Note that this is just a couple days before my infamous "Cure" moment, and my voice is already suffering from Travel Crud.)

But Grant is in fine form, as you can tell by our quick vidgab (below the fold), filmed between takes and amidst the chaos. Watch for my shot of the moment when Sulu turned back into Mythbuster Grant and he tried to troubleshoot a stuck Suluscope (I always called it the "Viewmaster") ...along with a peek at the creatively-"sculpted" Enterprise birthday cake Grant was presented later that night.

As the world will see, Grant has a notable moment in Episode 3 of Star Trek Continues, coming in summer 2013. I missed seeing him during that shoot, so I guess it was a good thing I "saved" him back in Episode 1, eh?

And if all this "Continues" talk is new to you, what are you waiting for? Go here to see STC prior episodes on YouTube or Vimeo... and "like" the Facebook page as well to keep up with news of the latest stuff. And, yes, our Kirkstarter is indeed over with success.

STV—L.A. ALERT! Catch Armin by Feb. 16 in witty, thoughtful DISCORD on stage at NoHo Arts Center

Our vidchat is below the fold....

But if you are in SoCal over the next week, HURRY and catch Armin Shimerman as Leo Tolstoy (yes, Mr. War and Peace himself) in this witty, thoughtful and world-premiere meetup of the Count, Thomas Jefferson and Charles Dickens staged at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia at Lankershim, 91601.

Real Time with Bill Maher exec producer Scott Carter realized that this historical trio each rewrote their own version of the Christian gospel at one point in their life, and he's thrown them together in an unlikely and friction-filled limbo while they and we sort out the reason why—and enjoy the era and worldview each evokes. The show runs Thursdays through Sundays through Feb. 23, although Armin leaves the cast after Feb. 16.

We had the chance to catch the last preview and, as Armin says in our chat below, the bare stage is betrayed by a few simple yet clever visual tricks and projections that keep you guessing until the main thrust of their mutual bedevilment kicks in. You also learn surprises about all three men, and Armin shares those he was most intrigued to find out: the same was true with three-time Trek vet Larry Cedar as Jefferson, and the animated David Melville as an equally animated Dickens. In the script, all three famous but unrelated men of different eras are thrown into debate while holding to their value and view of theology or morality—and. in turn, offer up a deep dark secret of their own, as well.

The show's had great reviews from the LA Times, among others around town, and you can read much more about Carter's journey with the script here and at JDTProject.com. But hurry: get tickets for the last shows at nohoace.com or call 818-508-7101 (ext 6). Tell'em Larry's Trekland sentya!

And get a head start here with Armin, fresh from that last preview and full of Tolstoy surprises.... (Gandhi? Who KNEW!?)

STV—From beard to Bones: I "face up" to the STC online premiere of 'Lolani'!

UPDATE: The doctor saves his own throat.
More coming…

It's premiere day! How 'bout we celebrate with a shave?!

"Lolani," episode 2 of Star Trek Continues, will have its world premiere tonight at Dallas Sci-Fi Expo and online at midnight Central thereatfer (10 p.m. Pacific, 1 am Eastern). It's a guest-centric episode this time, with some marvelous guests led by Lee Ferrigno—with Erin Gray, to boot.

So, of course, here's a spoiler-free video first: one that was requested by my Fanpage crew—after they scolded me for failing to have the momentous first go-round's shave event  on camera. I've gone ahead and let the scintillating video play out here with no time-lapse or cuts... only to get crashed at the end, as you see above, by Todd "Spock" Haberkorn and Steve "Chief Drake" Dengler.

This dates back to the eve of the shoot in October at Farragut Studios in Georgia, and a big thanks to "Ceker" and handygal 2nd AD Hannah Barucky for directing the Sony so patiently. Hang on for the whole thing, and who knows what you might learn.

As for today, only Vic "Kirk" Mignogna, Todd, and director Chris White are on scene in Dallas with some crew for the live hoopla for "Lolani"—but the rest of us will enjoy your reaction as we all watch the Interwebs at the STC site on Vimeo or YouTube. Sequels are tricky, so I'm anxious to see what you think!

Think, that is, of either the episode... OR this goofy moment in the tonsorial arts ....

Voyager/BSG's Michael Taylor talks SyFy's DEFIANCE debut tonight—Pt. 1

Writer-producer Michael Taylor, who I've known since the later Voyager days, sat down with me last summer for an EXCLUSIVE early chat about the unique and potentially historic TV/game crossover project called DEFIANCE—whose TV incarnation on SyFy debuts tonight at 9 ET/PT.

Here's just Part I of our chat—where we're just getting started on the idea... and how the heck a busy TV staff can interface enough with a game staff to make the revolutionary concept work. Coming in future TREKLAND segments: details on the development of the characters and setting—a future Earth where eco-damage from an aliens/human war on Earth has repaired by terraforming where they all must now work together.

Mike, of course, also wrote some great episodes on Ron Moore's Battlestar Galactica and was involved with both Caprica and Blood and Chrome (as well as the late Michael Piller's breakout Dead Zone on USA). Later on, we'll reminisce about those years as well—and there's more below the video fold here, too:


Yes, there's more—like this FYI: In case any of you are out there grousing about getting invested in an expensive and risky genre series only to see it cancelled after one year—apparently, series exec producer Kevin Murphy is letting on that the series' second season is already into production. We'll try to update with Mike on that as well.

Meanwhile, in case you haven't seen it, here's the extended trailer for the TV series:



AND the first 14 minutes of Monday's pilot (sorry for the embedded ad)...

Happy birthday, Marina—what a great (NCIS) present!

Yes, it's been a great week for Marina Sirtis—and not just for a HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout-out today:

Congrats to her on the news this week that she's signed on to play the new fictional head of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, on CBS's venerable top-draw show NCIS.

Her first episodes are set to air in April, so she should be safely full of tales too tell by the time we next cross paths with fans at Sun City Sci-Fi in El Paso April 26-28.

Marina answered my brief congrats this week with a quick email: "I'm stoked!" And for her it's not about just any new role:  Playing the head of the infamous spy agency is a far cry from Deanna Troi—and that's exactly the campaign that the beautiful Marina has been on with casting dfirectors lately: excising the memory of the iconic but soft, sensitive Starfleet counselor we all love, which can be maddening to expand an acting resume.

In fact, the news brought to mind a discussion she and I had on TREKLAND video back in 2009—ironically also filmed around her birthday, in Italy—where she recalls how thrilled she was to pay a bitchy prison matron, a role won only after her campaign to let the director know she was way more than Troi. Here's the fun little pre-HD clip (especially at 3:30), for all you newbies since then:

STV: Gap-filling Star Trek with David Goodman and "Federation: The First 150 Years," Pt. 2

I'm rushing this into print because I hope you late shoppers still needing a cool Trek gift might see this and still do something about it!

That, and I just want to get more of this interview out, after our Part 1—because David Goodman and I had such a hoot. My very first reaction to Star Trek*, after posters and model kits, was the urge to fill up those annoying background gaps when it seemed we might not get any more on film--but to do it in a smart and agreeable way.

And with our fallow period of new Trek now in the Prime 'verse, and a return to Star Trek non-fiction looking better than ever, finally, David was the first true background fan to get a big chance again. I'm STILL jealous—and it has nothing to do with his time writing on Enterprise, or Futurama, or the MacFarlane Empire like Family Guy and American Dad—or just selling a new animated series to FOX, Murder Police.

So just hit that play button, because while I may even get an interviewee to cry, I rarely get them to curse at me. And rip me off on camera!

And know too: There is a Part 3 coming—one last entry about Trek canon and his gap-filling choices—plus a Part 4: apart from "FEDERATION: 150," David's prognostications on Trek now and future and my reaction to them. Keep staying tuned ... and for starters, listen to David's answer to the Eugenics War Conundrum ... the Cloaking Dilemma ... and Trill vs. Vulcan Parallelism...





*And I don't mean in 2009 ...

STV: Still time to get a Trek ornament—right, Kevin Dilmore?

Are you a fan of the Hallmark Star Trek holiday ornaments?

This may have been shot at ComicCon last summer, but it's a reminder that a) the Hallmark line has been a part of tree-trimming for fans since 1991 (!!) and b) with two weekends to go, it's still not too late to grab your ornament of choice—ship, figure, or scene?

Plus—you get: A sneak peak at the real 2013 ornament prototypes (as at right). And our nerdness over Scotty's prop, Kirk's hair... etc... etc...

Kevin Dilmore, of course, is not only a noted Star Trek fiction scribe with Pocket Books, —usually with writing partner Dayton Ward—but a writer (and Trek think-tanker) for Hallmark greetings in Kansas City. He also gets to show off a couple of his new franchise greeting cards, too. And a Batman?

Enjoy the madcap frenzy of ComicCon behind our talk... it could just as easily have been the buzz in a December department store display, right?

STV—"Federation" canon gap-filling, with David Goodman

Trek Background lovers, take note! You finally get your place back in the sun.

Star Trek Cool Week continues—as does our erstwhile focus on the new FEDERATION: The First 150 Years non-fiction book, capped now as promised by Part 1 of an extended and EXCLUSIVE vidchat with author and onetime Enterprise writer-producer David Goodman.

Oddly, it's the American Dad offices where we caught up with David to talk about his little history baby, FEDERATION: The Cool Book, and this look in brief at the beloved (by some of us) art of Trek "gap filling" that has gone on since the 1980s—and seems to blossom especially in time of "fallow production" (ie, a movies-only era, as then and now).

Listen as we hit some of the issues that fervent Trek canonistas care about—and I can say that, being one!—that he had to tackle and make choices.

And remember, this is just Part 1 with David... there is SO much more to come... in Part II!

STV: Tim "Tuvok" Russ is back for indie "Renegades"

So many great Kickstarter projects out there, as you know ... but STAR TREK: RENEGADES is not only an all-star follow-up to Tim Russ and Sky Conway's OF GODS AND MEN epic that you know, but it's on funding deadline and just went over bigtime.

"I am excited to see the fans of Trek pitching in to help us get this project off the ground," director/actor Tim told me today after the $200,000 goal was topped by $20,000 (congrats!). "We will do our best to deliver an exciting film."

I initially caught Tim for a vidchat (below) on the day he and Walter Koenig shot the trailer you can now see at the Kickstarter site ... where the toteboard as of this posting now shows three days left to get the new extra bonus goal of $250,000—by 7 A.M. Monday, Nov. 27. The extra raised will  be spent on boosting visual effects, sets, locations, or anything that had to be trimmed initially to make a do-able campaign budget.

In recent days, J.G. "Martok" Hertzler himself has signed aboard to play the main villain of the piece, and so many cast and crew veterans from "Of Gods and Men" are back, too. But wait—let's let Tim talk about it as you watch his Vulcanness dissolve right before your eyes ...

STV—Bridge restoration update: Cons & Kickstarter in gear

When we last checked in with Huston Huddleston, we weren't even saying his name until this whole crazy "restore the bridge" project actually turned out—and prop-hunting crazies didn't descend upon "Dallas's" backyard in the Valley.

But here's Huston, all visible, to give an update on the sets, the progress, their con touring itinerary coming up (where you can sit in your TNG finest and snap pics for free, or make donations if you like for "Save the Bridge" T-shirts and other rewards)... and the whole Kickstarter campaign and some donor-celeb rewards. The drive is now over 50% to goal before ENDING Dec. 18.