"It All Started With a Big... Borg?"

Did today's Geek Revolution really all stem from Locutus and "Fire!"?



This was my most recent guest blog over at startrek.com, on June 20 — (with new mashup art!) and I just wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to see it. It elaborates on a thread I got into on a podcast brainstorm recently... and really stuck with me.

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All right— I have a theory to propose. See what you think. It’s pretty deep, so hang with me:

Ahem.

For the current “geek revolution” that permeates our culture and brought all things “genre” to the mainstream of America ….

... we can thank Next Generation showrunner Michael Piller. And his insecurities.

Yep, I think it was the late, great executive producer of TNG (left) who set in motion events that led to all the fan-love that’s sweeping the country (and a lot of corporate board rooms to boot).  After the last round of CBS’s incredible TNG Blu-ray remasters and their Fathom Events theater showcase, well… my mind started to put 2 and 2 together one night while I was yakking away as a guest on a Trek podcast.

And it hit me like a ton of thermoconcrete. Here, just follow along:

It’s obvious that we live amidst a “Geeks Rule the World” vibe these days, right? For a lot of us over a certain age, it’s incredible that Star Trek fans and every other nerd nirvanist of all ages are allowed—nay, encouraged—to wear their con badge of honor openly, their heart on their sleeve, as it were…in full uncloseted view of everyone! The “geek girl” explosion, the cool-kids cosplay club… football Trekkies... the designers of cell phones, iPads, even a Vulcan-loving President —yep, it’s an amazing time, when you think about it.

What lit the fuse on such an explosion? Well, network TV can play a big role in changing the culture, reaching millions easily and putting new memes and ideas into play almost overnight —and there’s the clue. We have more than anecdotal evidence of this, of course: What better old-guard metric to check than your friendly A.C. Nielsens, the same TV audience ratings that ironically once doomed the original Star Trek (using, by the way, only raw numbers, not targeted demographics). Yes, check out the runaway No. 1 comedy on the list for forever, and—duh— you’ll come up with The Big Bang Theory. (For that matter, you could also check out the top syndicated-rerun package in every local TV market, and just about get the same answer. TBBT rules.)

Sheldon and Leonard’s excellent adventures (with constant Trek references and guest stars in the mix) have been a hit ever since their debut, and come from the great comedy bloodline of creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. But there are never guarantees in show biz, and TV series are an expensive gamble for a network —which is why few survive the process to be written, green-lit, filmed as a pilot episode, and then picked up to be risked in a high-pressure prime-time slot to deliver ratings and pay back the investment, with dividends. Now, what might have helped convinced CBS to take such a chance on an offbeat premise back in the spring of 2007?

(Okay, stay with me— it’s about to get thick and fast:)

I remember it well: 2007 was the year that everything melted down at San Diego Comic-Con, the granddaddy of what we now know as the new generation of megacons . This and every other “comic con” are hardly about just comics, writers and artists anymore, right?  It’s the stars who have the magnetism, and those tens of thousands of fans who swelled attendance numbers in the Aughts were there because of stars brought in by Hollywood—the Hollywood  that had begun to put those blockbusters on the big screens in a big way never seen before. The “day trip” vibe down to San Diego, for one thing, and the fertile audience of hard-core fantasy, sci-fi and comics fans just ripe to test-market: it was too much for studios to resist, and the mutual love affair bloomed big-time. That shockwave of numbers and the pop-culture headlines couldn’t help but put an obvious “new” hot audience on the radar of any network savvy enough to jump on it in a smart way.

But what had happened to Hollywood in the first place, going all-out on summer blockbusters and epic franchise flicks? I mean, comics-borne movies and fantasy epics have always been around, but this many? And with this attitude? And with this much respect—usually!—for the source material? (Oh, and cue the return of even the Star Wars saga by the late 1990s.) And—why the merger of studios and comics lines landing front-page in the Wall Street Journal as well as Variety?

Probably, in turn, because the small screen just couldn’t hold it all anymore. Yes, in many ways those big genre movies of the Nineties and Aughts were a no-brainer after all the sci-fi, swords and superheroes making inroads on network TV—like Buffy, Angel, Firefly… Lois and Clark, that begat Smallville … not to mention X-Files and the new quirk of humorous paranoia, plus Voyager and Enterprise, of course. It was also a time when, with the coming of CSI and all it inspired, a typical police procedural drama suddenly had more CGI “real science” visual effects each week than any ol’ space opera ever dreamed of.

The Big 4 networks, in turn, were just passing along the spillover from the genre explosion they saw on lower-risk cable nets, and even non-network syndication—like Babylon 5, Hercules, Xena, Farscape, Andromeda: Where did they and the wanna-bes suddenly come from? In fact, where the heck did syndication come up with anything but talk shows and game shows, anyway ?

You got it—you can “blame” it all on the riskiest gamble of all, The Next Generation (with Deep Space Nine the original second-wave series). As executive producer Rick Berman has noted, the TV world of 1986 gave TNG little chance to survive its triple knock as sci-fi, as a sequel and as a syndicated show.  The first two seasons were rocky—but eventually the show not only settled, but skyrocketed in quality and viewers ... and did, indeed, set off that sci-fi boom of the Nineties. All of which, of course, became competition for the Trek franchise itself.

So where did TNG’s turnaround occur? Remember—the show was budgeted to last seven years, yes, but a full yet mediocre run would never have sparked a revolution in anyone’s entertainment universe. In the long run, we can all pretty much agree it was that amazing, rags-to-riches third season when Piller came aboard —with “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” “Sins of the Father,” “The Offspring,” “The Defector,” “The Price,” “Hollow Pursuits,” “Captain’s Holiday”… But even with that list, we know what really put TNG on the map with the masses in one fell swoop.

That amazing cliffhanger, “The Best of Both Worlds,” the Borgification of Picard… Riker’s one word, “Fire!”… and then a blackout, a slamming music cue, and the simple but excruciating words “To Be Continued."

That epic moment, borne of head writer Piller’s angst about returning to the series or not, was his way of painting the conclusion writer into a horrible corner—before he knew that writer would be himself, after all.  

Of course, you could argue there’d be no TNG at all without the original Star Trek… and no Star Trek without Gene Roddenberry’s inspiration from The Twilight Zone, Have Gun Will Travel and Forbidden Planet, for starters. Yes, you could take this back even further, if you wanted.

But for now, I like this cause and effect. Without Michael, Locutus and “The Best of Both Worlds”… there’d be no Evil Wil Wheaton,  snark, and the verbification of “cosplay.”  We owe today’s sweeping freedom of geek pride to a Borg wash-out and a last-minute red laser unit.

I mean, isn’t it obvious to you?

TNG S3 movie night is here! Share your pics and stories

Are you one of the Treklanders heading to theaters tomorrow night in drones... er, droves... to catch TNG's "The Best of Both Worlds" in HD and an all-new cinematic-length edit?

Well, you're not alone! It's become a huge night for CBS Home Entertainment and its sparkling TNG Blu-ray remastered series —with Season 3 next out on April 30, and up for pre-order now. There's also a single disc on sale of what you'll see Thursday, the specially-edited "film" of BOBW and a documentary.

Here at Trekland, do you remember what we did for the inaugural S1 movie night and the  S2 followup? Fans took pics of the evening and shared them—so let's do that again. And drop me a note about the night as well. Just use larry@larrynemecek.com, even if you post them elsewhere—and don't forget a note about your experience.

For instance, many of the theaters are sold out! So what does your crowd look like? Much less your own party group? Share, and we'll run as many as we can—along with the stories of our five Trekland ticket winners for two passes in Phoenix, Kansas City, Cleveland, Philly and Boston.

Tell me what you think of not only the night, but the feature edit—and the documentary that will be shown. Roger Lay and Rob Burnett have done another great and unvarnished job on the docs, and I just watched Season 3's full-season set where Michael Piller's stabilizing of the scripts and the upset writing staff is a highlight—and the subject of a special tribute. Any reader of my TNG Companion knows I long ago called him "the man who saved TNG," and thus perhaps all future Star Trek—and Ira Steven Behr is particularly honest about painting a complete picture of Michael. You'll want to watch ALL FOUR of the new docs when you get the S3 set right off the bat—and yes, all the DVD-era features are here as well. Plus, an all-new assembled blooper reel, too... or "gag reel," as they say in the biz.

TrekRadio has planned to have 12 movie sites nationwide covered by popular podcasters with live reports Thursday, so be listening there if you can't make it ... As for me, I'll be at the Tinseltown Theatre in El Paso with fans there, on the eve of Sun City SciFi con this weekend—and of course sharing a shot or two.

And an FYI: CBS is being modest about it, but each of these TNG movie nights truly is a promotion for each new Blu-ray set. In order to keep it that way and avoid higher costs from add-on fees to original actors and crew, any actual profit CBS makes is being donated once again to the American Red Cross. So you can even feel even better while you're rescuing Picard... and TV history.

And getting in training for that OTHER movie next month ...

Our winners and pics! TNG's movie night is Thursday

So, here they are!

For the second time, I'm excited to be able to partner with Fathom Events, CBS and Allied-THA marketing to get 10 winning fans to the next TNG Blu-ray movie event night this Thursday, April 25. It's all to mark another remastered TNG season set release in Blu-ray, of course—this time, a special re-edited "movie" version of "The Best of Both Worlds" —and that solo disc plus the regular S3 set are coming April 30.

After our first group of winners last fall, I went with an all-new group of cities—except for Boston, where I wanted to bring a little smile to the fandom end of that hard-pressed area liast week. Our other cities for the free pair of passes this round were Phoenix, Kansas City, Cleveland and Philadelphia.

All of them promise to send along pics and a note from Thursday night—as I hope all y'all will do, so we have a great round-up of costumes and crowds at Trekland as we've done in the past.

So congrats to our Treklanders who knew the answer "Admiral Hansen," with actor George Murdock having played Galactica's Dr. Salik on the original BSG, and then were lucky enough to get drawn out of the pile (with help from another TNG vet, at left)

Nathaniel Bennett, Boston 
     Roger H. Scritchfield, Cleveland
          Travis Pflanz, Kansas City
               Loretta Painter,  Philadelphia
                     and David Williams, Phoenix.

Thank you winners, and everyone who pitched in from those five markets, for taking part.

It's a festive week as the TNG event kicks off with the overwhelming favorite TNG episode seen in an all-new refined light ...  and the ramp-up for Star Trek Into Darkness bombards us with trailers, leaks, and sneekpeaks daily until its US debut May 17 ... while going up down-under already.

So send us your group shots and even the movie house, if things get Fleet Festive where you are—feel free to send us a note too—to larry@larrynemecek.com, and we'll run them as we did for S1 and S2. That goes for you too, Canada!

And if you need a reason to think about getting the new season ...

Win tickets to TNG's "Best of Both Worlds Movie" night from Trekland !

UPDATE: The contest is officially closed, but it will be 3-4 hours until I start sorting entries. If you want to take the chance, I will consider entries that come in during that time, until 10 pm EDT/ 7 pm PDT.

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So here we go again!

Are you ready to shoot for a pair of free tickets to see TNG's remastered "The Best of Both Worlds—The Movie" next Thursday, April 25? At a Fathom Events theater near you?

Near you, that is, IF you live in or near Phoenix, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Cleveland ... or Boston. Those are our Big Five this time around.

Once again, I'm thrilled that Fathom and Allied-THA have been gracious enough to let TREKLAND sponsor 10 lucky winners to this event in five cities around the country. The night, of course, is to promote the sale of the much-anticipated 3rd season set of the ongoing TNG Blu-ray remastered project by CBS that has been such a hot seller and godsend to Prime-starved Trekfen the past year. And this special "movie" version of BOBW will be available as well! More on that below the fold, but first:

Entering Trekland's "Best of Both Worlds Movie" ticket contest, as with our Season 2  theater event last winter, is simple—but do it fast!

The only caveat is you have to be situated and able to attend the screening in one of those cities, of course: all are new this time around except for Boston—I just couldn't resist a little nod to their city this week.  You need only send your email, your mailing address for the ticket delivery from Fathom, and your answer to this question:

In "The Best of Both Worlds" (parts 1 and/or 2), what is the character name of the actor/actress who also played a senior member of the crew of the original Battlestar Galactica?

HOW TO ENTER:

Once again, we're doing this simply—so pay attention to this quickie entry process and its quirks:


—Go to my website, larrynemecek.com, and click on the yellow Newsletter box at left.

— In the "First Name" box, ignore that label and write your FULL NAME and complete mailing address: street, city, state, zip code.

— In the "Last Name" box, ignore that label as well and type one of the five "TICKET CITY" listed that is proximate to you—Phoenix, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Cleveland, or Boston ... followed by the two-word answer to the above question. (Example:  "Boston — Wil Wheaton". (Sample only:Wil was many things but he was NOT Boxey. Or even Muffet.)

Again, fair warning: Unless you want to spring for a plane/train ticket or long-haul it, please do not enter unless you are in or near one of the five metro areas listed. Sorry, Rest of America (including my native and adopted homes)—We went into new cities, and we'll get even more of you next time.)

That's it!

ONE entry per person—thanks!

ENTRY DEADLINE is 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time/ 3 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, April 21!


Five winners will be announced by Monday night, April 22—after I draw from among all those submitting both the correct answer AND a complete, useable email and mailing address; both are required in order to win. Fathom Events will be provided the five winners' addresses, and will supply the prize tickets directly to them. Also, Fathom will award the specific theater passes as close as possible based on geography.

NOTE: Aside from the five winners, all email and address data is seen and retained only by me and does not go on to Fathom or any other corporate entity.  If you wish to opt-out of my list, write "opt-out" after your trivia answer. Otherwise, I hope you stay in for my low-key monthly contact through the year of rare goodies, sneak peeks, front-row insights, con travels and project updates from all over Trekland.

Meanwhile, if you want a sure thing for "TNG 'Best of Both Worlds' Movie Night" tickets next Thursday, April 25, go here to go ahead and order yours. Ever since the Fathom/CBS hookup began for TNG, people have been looking forward to THIS one—and some theaters are already a sellout. But just call first: tickets are still available in dozens of sceening theaters across the country that will actually be beamed the program as part of the exclusive National CineMedia Digital Broadcast Network —check out the theater list HERE.  And if you do come across a sell-out, let us know ASAP here, or on Trekland Facebook or Twitter, will you?

Last DVD generation (above); remastered clip (below)

Of course, the movie hoopla calls attention to the latest amazing season of Blu-ray return-to-film HD remastering (see at right), added footage, and all-new bonus documentaries from CBS (plus all those  released before) that goes on sale everywhere Tuesday, April 30 —or in advance now.  The movie night this time spotlights a special special "polish" version of the classic cliffhanger and conclusion that changed Star Trek forever—and even U.S. television!



For truly, if you are a Trek fan, you should indeed know how "The Best of Both Worlds" changed Star Trek—and not just TNG ("Cliffhangers and sweeps-event two-parters for everyone!") ... AND that the astronomic reaction to the summer-long wait for the conclusion to "Mr. Worf—fire!" generated so much heat across the industry that season-finale cliffhangers came back into vogue across all genres, including network shows. "Who Shot J.R?" may have been the question of the summer in 1980, but it took Locutus of Borg to make it stick 10 years later. I'm just sayin.'

And once again—send us your pics of the April 25 crowd and/or cosplayers from TNG movie night wherever you see it (to larry@larrynemecek.com), and we'll share them with everyone!

See the entire press release for the night below...but first:


CANADIAN FANS: No ticket giveaway for you here, but you do have the chance to also catch the movie version of this classic on a big screen. As my onetime ST Communicator writer James Careless tells Trekland:

Fortunately for Canadian Star Trek fans, April 25 is springtime in the Great White North. This is why Canadian Trekkies will flock to theaters to see the one-day-only showing of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation: Best of Both Worlds ’ at any of 50 movie houses nationwide. It is being hosted by Cineplex Entertainment as part of the company’s Front Row Centre Events (FRPC) package.

“FRPC is designed to really utilize our theatres on quiet days with unique events,” explains Brad LaDoucer, Cineplex’s VP of alternative programming. “We did a 25th anniversary event last year to mark the original launch of Star Trek: The Next Generation, featuring some of the series’ most-loved episodes, and it was very well received.” Cineplex also enjoyed similar success when it screened Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

As for fans wearing costumes on the big night? “We encourage our guests to come in their favorite Star Trek regalia,” says Mike Langdon, Cineplex’s director of communications. However, phasers and Klingon bat’leths should be kept at home – and fans are asked to turn off their communicators for the duration of the movie.

Tickets for the Canadian April 25 screening of "Best of Both Worlds" can be bought online now at www.cineplex.com.

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And meanwhile back in the States, here's the full press release on the event—where profits, by the way, as a promotional event, will be donated to the American Red Cross:

“Star Trek: The Next Generation® – The Best of Both Worlds” Event Transports into Cinemas on April 25 

NCM® Fathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and IGN Present a One-Night Event Featuring the Classic Series’ Third Season Finale and Fourth Season Premiere Remastered into a Feature-Length Presentation

Special Event Will Precede “Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds” Blu-ray Releases on April 30

Centennial, Colo. – Feb. 27, 2013 – “You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.” Trekkers nationwide will soon heed those commands as NCM® Fathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and IGN present “Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds,” which beams into select cinemas on Thursday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. local time. The fan-favorite two-part episode – "The Best of Both Worlds" – is comprised of the third season finale and the fourth season premiere, with Part 1 making TV Guide's list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time.” The episodes have been remastered into a feature-length presentation and will be presented on the big screen.

Tickets for “Star Trek: The Next Generation® – The Best of Both Worlds” are available at presenting theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. The event will be broadcast to more than 550 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Fans will enjoy this digitally restored and gloriously remastered presentation in high definition. The fascinating storyline follows the cybernetic alien race, the Borg, as they abduct and transform Capt. Picard into a half-Borg, half-human called Locutus.  Meanwhile, the Enterprise crew must race against time to intercept the nefarious Borg cube before it reaches Earth to enslave humanity.

“Fans have been discussing these historic episodes since they first aired, and we’re excited to present them like never before, newly improved and on the big screen,” said Ken Ross, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Home Entertainment.  “This special event will ensure that ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ will remain a classic throughout the 21st Century — and beyond.”

Created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the “Star Trek” franchise, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” premiered 21 years after the debut of the original “Star Trek” series. Featuring one of the most endearing ensemble casts in television history, with seven seasons and 176 episodes, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” took fans on the remarkable continuing voyages of the Starship Enterprise, set in the 24th century.

“After the success of the first two ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ events, we couldn’t wait to bring additional seasons back to the big screen for fans to enjoy,” said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. “Fans will be absolutely thrilled with the presentation of these ‘Next Generation’ classics.”

“Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3” and “The Best of Both Worlds” will be released on Blu-ray on April 30.

CBS is a proud and long-standing supporter of the American Red Cross and will continue to show its support through this event. CBS will make a financial donation to support the Red Cross which shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families.


About National CineMedia (NCM)
National CineMedia (NCM) operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom Events present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater advertising network covers 183 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes over 19,300 screens (approximately 18,500 digital). During 2012, approximately 710 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place.  The NCM Fathom Events live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is comprised of over 740 locations in 172 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 41 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications.  National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 48.6% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com. (NCMI-E)

About CBS Home Entertainment
CBS Home Entertainment manages the worldwide DVD and Blu-ray businesses for the CBS Corporation across all lines of content including current hits and classic series from the vast CBS library, as well as new releases from Showtime Networks. CBS Home Entertainment products are released on the CBS DVD and CBS Blu-ray labels.  

About IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment is the leading Internet media and services provider focused on the video game and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reach more than 57 million unique users worldwide, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore.  IGN's network of video game-related properties (IGN.com, 1UP.com, GameSpy and others) is the Web's #1 video game information destination. IGN also owns the world's largest men's lifestyle website, AskMen.com, and men's entertainment site UGO.com. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices across North America, Europe and Australia.

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Note: This story's initial post did include one difference in the cities covered, but now reflects the final list of those involved.

STV: Dan Curry on TNG's Season 2 Blu-ray—and the baby poop planet

As promised, here's the next segment of our recent extended chat with Star Trek's longtime master of visual effects, Dan Curry—this one targeted at his consulting work on the new remastered TNG Season 2 Blu-ray set.

As with Season 1, this CBS Home Entertainment set got a big nationwide boost from the Fathom Events screenings nationwide, including documentaries about how the remastering work was located, assembled and just done. Not to mention the big roundtable cast reunion. In all, it's 120 minutes  of NEW bonus footage—including Robert Burnett and Roger Lay's ongoing massive new TNG doc, an ALL NEW BLOOPER REEL of newly assembled outtakes put together fresh from the re-opened "dailies" of raw footage ... plus all the prior DVD-era  docs carried over as well.

This new 5-disc set (left) includes an incredible and rare longer version of the Data-Picard classic "The Measure of a Man" with footage filmed but originally cut for timing—preserved by then-writer Melinda Snodgrass, off the courtesy rough-edit VHS given her as a private gift!

But back to Dan—and yes, I finally do get the "baby poop planet" story on the record.   But that's not all—we'll have even more Trek tales with Dan in Part 3. And after that, Dan's very own "Trek2Chuck", whatever that might be. I never thought we'd have another installment in our Chuck series ... but you just never know, do you? Just like "remastering" TNG—who'da thunk it?  

Theater TNG-2: Your pics, posts—and the Burbank Saga!

Thanks for chiming in and sending pics from all over Sector America for Fathom's high-def "TNG Celebration of Season 2" in theaters Thursday night. Here's the results...

Bur first, my own story—though you guys who catch my Facebook and Twitter feeds probably already heard about our "Debacle in Burbank."

No, it wasn't quite The Con of Wrath. But it was amazing that, while the rest of the West Coast was getting its 7 p.m. curtain for the Fathom Events' "TNG Celebration of Season 2," marking the Tuesday release of the Season 2 Remastered Blu-ray TNG set, we were sitting at the ol' AMC 16 staring at .. a gray screen. For an hour. And 10 minutes.

See, video we had... audio we did not.

I had to tweet to make sure (with hope) that it was only us, not the whole Pacific Time Zone. And, it was, thankfully. To their credit, the Burbank AMC handed out free future passes to everyone who stuck it out— at least 90% of the 125 or so who first set up shop for the show. (Above: Our crowd, still 20 minutes before the so-called start time)

And a second free pass later, after the 10:18 p.m. programmed cutoff "cut off" all right—halfway through "The Measure of a Man." Oops. (Talk about, "Where's the OVERRIDE?") This time, only a 10-minute delay and a 10-minute back-up repeated in the episode—which, thankfully, let us see that amazing restored cut footage of the Ten-Forward party scene.)

But most of our audience, just as everyone did nationwide, hung on for the whole amazing big-screen experience—the docs, the powerful punch of "Measure" and the Q antics, Guinan mystique, and first hint of mindless Borg relentlessness, all in "Q Who."

Just as with Remastered Season 1's Fathom Event for the new Blu-Ray sets, lots of you sent in pics and comments, per our invite—including most of our five Trekland trivia ticket giveaway winners and guests, from around the country:


Charles Wagner, Chicago WINNER:  Had a fun evening watch some #StarTrek #TNG in the theater with my mom. Thanks to @larrynemecek and @fathomevents for the tickets.

 

Our Boston WINNER, too:

Lauree Little, @ismetoo, Orlando WINNER: Had a great time @ the #StarTrek #TNG S2 event! Thanks so much @larrynemecek! #GreatShow

John Williams, SEATTLE winner:  

I  thank you for having the contest. Inside the theater the crowd was about 30 people. They were pretty subdued. Oh well, I've been a fan of Star Trek since re-runs of the original series so I was excited to see what was in store. "Q-Who was great for the theater for the action and adventure aspects.

All in all, I had a great time. It doesn't seem like 25 years have passed. Showing these episodes highlights the quality of the Star Trek production and writing.

This illustrates the fact that having another series is highly desirable in continuing the fan support of Trek; movies are nice, but a weekly series would be great. [Stop stealing my soapbox, John!

But not all could be rosy:
Deborah P., NYC WINNER:  Thanks for the passes. Unfortunately, between work and traffic getting home, I wasn't able to make the show. I was watching the time tick away while I was in my car. Really disappointed. Ah well, so goes life.  

And here's more from the outposts:

Eric Hall , and Russell Boltz, USS Retributor, Salt Lake City: 

 






















Erika Yvette Figueroa, Charleston, SC area: Our little group down here had an event celebrating ST:TNG Season 2 on Blu-ray. We were sponsored by Fathom Events, Regal Theaters and Soundwave Music, Movies & Comics. Fathom came through with free passes which we gave away as door prizes. We also held a costume contest and gave away loads of Star Trek tchotchkes.

We did this for Season 1, and I hope Fathom and CBS Home Videos will continue to do so for the subsequent seasons.

Thanks for all you do Larry to keep Star Trek and its fandom alive! [No—thank YOU!]
 

Via Carl Stark from the USS Ticonderoga, Ogden, UT:

And then: No pics, but still more reports:


Think Geek's John Frazier, Fairfax, VA: The entire audience was debating the finer points of Picard's argument, and talked about how great the additional footage was. It was a great time, and I hope that there will be more of these showings!

Joe Daniele, Boston: The theater was packed and the crowd was brilliantly raucous and enthusiastic. I only hope Fathom continues this trend. I had never seen TNG or any syndicated Star Trek on the big screen and was pleasantly surprised and actually floored by the experience.

Paul Cannon, Hysham, MT: Only place showing #TNGS2 is 3.5 hrs away, but saw TNGS1 there. Life gets in the way. :-)

David Taylor, @SciFiCommons, Seattle:  I was a little surprised how much I enjoyed those episodes. I hadn’t seen either for a long, long, time.

Jonx, @delphinus44, "Jersey":  It was a great night !

Erika Clippinger @bassoongoddess , Silver Spring, FL :  I had tickets to go! But I had a dress rehearsal for orchestra. I cried.

David Williams, Phoenix: Kim and I were out for a showing last night. Great to see MOAM with additional footage! Theater was just about half full, but everybody enjoyed it!

Josh Hale, @expatminister, Lufkin, TX: Sadly, no pics. Only 5 folks in the theater. It is deep east Texas though.

Linda Webb Cleveland:  Jim Lowe and Chris are watching it in Albany, NY

Thomas Brown, Phoenix: @ Awatukee AMC 24. I wanted to take a picture of us next to the movie poster. The guy working the ticket counter told us that they dont put any up for special events. :(


And finally, to show that Treklanders are everywhere, EVEN right here with me:

Ted Thompson, Burbank, CA: "We went, and endured AMC's ineptitude, but loved the show - esp Measure - love that episode."


The Season 2 night cleverly ended with a Season THREE trailer for the CBS Blu-Ray set-to-come, as was tweeted too:NIck MInecci,@gettysburg7, Frederick, MD: The #TNG S3 trailer gave me goosebumps, seeing BoBW* on big screen, even in clips.  [*"The Best of Both Worlds," of course]

Does that mean that there's another Fathom theater night coming for Season 3, with  "BOTW" and the S3 trailer's similarly spotlighted "Yesterday's Enterprise" already pre-selected for the big-screen program?  No word yet, so we'll just have to wait—and keep up those long-range scans.

TONIGHT: See the show, share your pics!

I hope you can join us and our five TREKLAND ticket winners, and thousands more across  the country (Sorry, Rest of World), at the big Next Generation Blu-ray HD "Celebration of Season 2" tonight at a theater near you, produced by Fathom Events. Tickets still available at the dozens of theaters nationwide!

As with the Fathom screening event last July, Thursday night is all to preview the next release of a season of TNG on the remeastered Blu-ray level—Season 2 of course—next Tuesday—though you can pre-order now.  On the menu tonight: "The Measure of The Man" with RESTORED deleted scenes cut for time, the Borg debut in "Q Who!", and 20 minutes of the brand-new running TNG documentary commissioned for the Blu-ray remastered project.

And just like last July, I'm asking everyone who intends to party tonight the Starfleet way (or Klingon, or Borg, or whatever flies your shuttle)  to send us your pics from tonight to share with everyone in Trekland!  Whether it;s just your group, or  the whole theatre.... Just email to larry@larrynemecek.com, and I'll make sure my peeps get them to me.

For you locals in SoCal, I'll be screening TNGS2 at the big Burbank AMC downtown along with longtime Star Trek stand-in, on-camera extra, and startrek.com pioneer Guy Vardaman —if you are around, let's try for a group pic around 6:30?  Mike & Denise Okuda, who again worked on this remastered project, have tweeted to join them over at the Century City (LA); rumor has it that doc producer RObert KMeyter Burnett will be there too.

I still can't believe that Fathom and CBS Home Entertainment have launched a theater event for the second season release, so get out and make an impact tonight! You do want to see "Yesterday's Enterprise," "Sins of the Father," "The Offspring" or of course "The Best of Both Worlds" as incfredible Season 3 explodes for TNG all back on big-screen too, right?

 

Winners and pics!: TNG HD's Theatre show Thursday

Here they are!

The winners of our pair o' tickets in five major cities to Thursday's big nationwide theater event, "TNG: A Celebration of Season 2," marking the release of another season of remastered Next Generation on HD Blu-ray, on sale the very next day.

A big hat-tip to everyone—especially Michelle Portillo at NCM/Fathom Events and Nick Tarnowski at Allied Integrated Marketing—who helped Trekland play Santa in these five cities to these smart and lucky fans plus a guest:

—Joseph Daniele, Cambridge/Boston
—Deborah Pesa, New York City;
—Charles Wagner, Skokie/Chicago;
—Lauren Little, Orlando
—John Williams, Kent/Seattle

Thanks to everyone who entered—and for those who lived everywhere else in the U.S., hopefully we'll do this again sometime and set up your city for the giveaway.

Meanwhile, everybody else still has time to grab tickets and go to a theater near you—just check on the Fathom Events TNG page and theater list.  Of course, the S2 Blu-ray set itself can be pre-ordered from many sites.

AND NOW: Remember what a party the TNG Season 1 "theater night" turned into last July? Many of you were there, and on the spur of the moment when I asked everybody to share pics with us the next day, you responded! Clubs, buddy groups and anybody who dressed up or made a night of it sent in their fun pics and we posted a lot of them.

So, do the same: just email them to larry@larrynemecek.com that night or the next day, and make sure to give me a full name (or first name and initial) and mention what city you're in (and the club name, ship chapter, or whatever moniker your group might like to be ID'd as.)

Our five winners are going to send their theater pics from "TNG S2" night as well—and I will jump in with mine, too. So here's to a fun night of big-screen "The Measure of The Man," "Q Who?," and the next chapter in the amazing Remastered TNG documentary of the next Blu-ray season sets, directed by Robert Meyer Burnett amid a sea of colorful characters talkin' Trek of the Next Gen persuasion.

And stay tuned: by Thursday we'll run Part II of our chat with longtime TV Trek VFX supervisor Dan Curry and his work on Season 2—analog show then, and Blu-ray consulting now.

Win tickets to TNG Screenings Nov. 29 from TREKLAND!

I'm so excited to announce our first contest giveaway: FREE TICKETS to the Nov. 29 nationwide Fathom Events theater screening to celebrate The Next Generation's  Remastered Bluray release—this time, "A Celebration of Season 2."

That's right—you can win a pair of tickets to the event from my very own TREKLAND ... in any of FIVE major cities: Boston, New York City, Orlando, Chicago, or Seattle.

But do it fast!

The only caveat is you have to be situated and able to attend the screening in one of those cities, of course—but hey, we can't blanket the country.  You need only send your email, your mailing address for the ticket delivery from Fathom, and your answer to this question (please check its final wording):

In TNG Season 2, what major Star Trek "villain" group was introduced in what was originally going to be a "Part 2" episode to "Time Squared"?

More about the theater event Nov. 29 and the Blu-ray project below, but first:

HOW TO ENTER:

This is a quickie contest, so pay attention to this quickie entry process and its quirks:

—Go to my website, larrynemecek.com, and click on the yellow Newsletter box at left.

— In the "First Name" box, ignore that label and write your FULL NAME and complete mailing address: street, city, state, zip.

— In the "Last Name" box, ignore that label as well and type one of the five "TICKET CITY" listed that is proximate to you—Boston, NYC, Chicago, Orlando, or Seattle ... followed by the one-word answer to the above question. (Example:  "Orlando — THERMIANS*")

(Again, fair warning: Unless you want to spring for a plane/train ticket or long-haul it, please do not enter unless you are in or near one of the five metro areas listed. Sorry, Rest of America (including my native and adopted homes)—we'll get you next time.)

That's it!

ONE entry per person—thanks!

(The favorite series survey, per the regular sign-up form, is not part of this quickie contest, but is required on this widget. If you're in a hurry, just click "All.")


ENTRY DEADLINE is 6 p.m Eastern Time/ 3 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, Nov. 25!

Five winners will be announced by Monday night, Nov. 26—after I draw from among all those submitting both the correct answer AND a complete, useable email and mailing address; both are required in order to win. Fathom Events will be provided the five winners' addresses, and will supply the prize tickets directly to them. Also, Fathom will award the specific theater passes as close as possible based on geography.

NOTE: Aside from the five winners, all email and address data is seen and retained only by me and does not go on to Fathom or any other corporate entity.  If you wish to opt-out of my list, write "opt-out" after your trivia answer. Otherwise, I hope you stay in for my low-key monthly contact through the year of rare goodies, sneak peeks, con travels and project updates from all over Trekland.

Meanwhile, if you want a sure thing for "TNG: A Celebration of Season 2" tickets next Nov. 29, go here to go ahead and order yours. Tickets are still available in dozens of sceening theaters across the country that will actually be beamed the program as part of the exclusive  National CineMedia Digital Broadcast Network —check out the theater list HERE.

The big-screen event, of course, spotlights once again the remarkable HD Bluray transformation from the original film elements from all 178 hours of TNG—the hours we all initially viewed on "de-rez'ed" video so as to be able to afford compositing the pre-CGI visual effects on the ambitious TV budget of the time.  It's only been thanks to the meticulous initial archiving and storage of those original filmed elements—both live action and effects work— that the 1980s downgrade to video can now be bypassed in assembly, and the film jump to the amazing HD upgrade.

That Season 2 TNG Bluray set from CBS Home Entertainment goes on sale the next day, but you can still pre-order from Amazon and others.

We have a great follow-up STV vidchat with legendary Trek VFX supervisor Dan Curry coming next week about that very subject, after he worked on the restoration project for Season 2, which includes the Borg's debut in "Q Who?" that will be seen at the big screen event Nov. 29. It's paired along with "The Measure of a Man," complete with 12 minutes restored scenes originally cut for aired timing, and new documentaries from the season set—docs which contain even more familiar faces talking about this pivotal, strike-shortened sophomore year for the series. (That's what we call a hint.)

And just like with Fathom's Season 1 theater event last July, we'll be soliciting and posting your pics of all the festive atmosphere, costumes and all, while massing outside the designated theaters. Again, you can get the theater list at Fathom's site.


Oh—and we first talked with Dan about the TNG Blu-ray effort back then as well. You can still check it out here, of course—but stay tuned: There's more to come with our Trekland STV series with Dan in Parts 3 and 4.


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Full original press release for the nationwide theater event, below:

“Star Trek: The Next Generation^® – A Celebration of Season 2” Event

 Beams into U.S. Movie Theaters

NCM® Fathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and IGN Present a
One-Night Event with Fan-Favorite Episodes Including the World Premiere of
an Extended Version of ‘The Measure of a Man’ on Nov. 29

Special Event Will Precede the Blu-rayTM Debut of “Star Trek: The Next Generation—The Second Season” on Dec. 4

Centennial, Colo. – Nov. 8, 2012 – This fall, Trekkers across the country can “make it so” with “Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Celebration of Season 2,” a one-night in-theater event on Thursday, Nov. 29, at 7:00 p.m. local time. Showcasing the series’ ongoing multimillion-dollar restoration, this special event will feature two of the most popular episodes from the second season: “The Measure of a Man” and “Q Who?”. The version of “The Measure of a Man” will be the first-ever extended cut of a “Star Trek®” episode, with the world premiere of 12 never-before-seen minutes during this special event. Additionally, fans will be treated to a sneak peek of great behind-the-scenes special features including a very special cast reunion, a documentary and an unseen outtakes/bloopers reel.

Tickets for “Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Celebration of Season 2” are available at presenting theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of presenting theater locations and prices, please visit the web site (theaters and participants may be subject to change).

“We’re excited to give fans a rare chance to see ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ on the big screen, and be the first to see portions of new, original content that will be available on the season 2 Blu-ray,” said Ken Ross, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Home Entertainment.

Presented by NCM® Fathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and IGN, this event will be broadcast to more than 550 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

In addition to the two episodes featured in this event, fans will be treated to a sneak peek of newly-produced, historic 25-year reunion footage of the main cast members of “The Next Generation,” entitled “Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Audiences will also see a specially-edited cut of “Making it So: Continuing Star Trek The Next Generation” – a first-hand perspective of the making of the second season, including the production of “The Measure of a Man” and “Q Who?”. Members of the show’s special effects team will reveal the secrets behind the creation of the villains The Borg, and writer Melissa Snodgrass shares stories about her landmark episode, “The Measure of a Man.” Additionally, fans will see a selection of outtakes and bloopers, transferred from original 35mm film for the first time. 

“After the overwhelming success from this summer’s ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation - The First Season’ event, we couldn’t wait to bring the second season of ‘The Next Generation’ back to the big screen,” said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. “This in-theater event is packed with exclusive, never-before-seen content and interviews, including a historical reunion of the cast members that no ‘Star Trek’ fan would want to miss.”

Created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the “Star Trek” franchise, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” was produced 21 years after the debut of the original “Star Trek” series. Featuring one of the most endearing ensemble casts in television history, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” took fans on the remarkable continuing voyages of the Starship Enterprise, set in the 24th century from the year 2364 through 2370. With 178 episodes spread over seven seasons, it ran longer than any other “Star Trek” series.

“Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Second Season” Blu-ray will be available as a five-disc set on Dec. 4. The collection includes all 22 episodes; the extended version of “The Measure of a Man”; the brand-new cast reunion; a two-part, in-depth documentary on the making of Season 2 entitled “Making It So: Continuing Star Trek: The Next Generation” – Strange New Worlds (Part 1), and New Life, New Civilizations (Part 2); and a gag reel that was created from newly-recovered 35mm film elements and transferred for the very first time to high-definition.

CBS is a proud and long-standing supporter of the American Red Cross and will continue to show its support through this event. CBS will make a financial donation to support the Red Cross which shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families.

About National CineMedia (NCM)
NCM operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology.  The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom Events present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater advertising network covers 183 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes over 19,300 screens (over 18,400 digital). During 2011, approximately 680 million patrons (on an annualized basis) attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place.  The NCM Fathom Events live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is comprised of over 720 locations in 170 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 41 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications.  National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 48.6% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com.

About CBS Home Entertainment
CBS Home Entertainment manages the worldwide DVD and Blu-ray businesses for the CBS Corporation across all lines of content including current hits and classic series from the vast CBS library, as well as new releases from Showtime Networks.  CBS Home Entertainment products are released on the CBS DVD and CBS Blu-ray labels.  

About IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment is the leading Internet media and services provider focused on the video game and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reach more than 57 million unique users worldwide, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore.  IGN's network of video game-related properties (IGN.com, 1UP.com, GameSpy and others) is the Web's #1 video game information destination.  IGN also owns the world's largest men's lifestyle website, AskMen.com, and men's entertainment site UGO.com.  IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices across North America, Europe and Australia.
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*And if you believe the above sample "answer" is a hint, then that's it: No trivia prize for you.