Listen: I deep-dive the Trek 2017 news on NPR & Trek.fm

For those of you who prefer your Trek 2017 info and discussion audio-style as well as deep,
I took part in two great discussions this week that are now downloadable for a listen at your leisure.

Many are familiar with The Ready Room, the flagship program of Chris Jones' Trek.fm network of podcasts—and for the third time this year he invited me on for a breaking-news special edition. This time, rather than the deaths of Leonard Nimoy and Harve Bennett, we had a much more upbeat time talking about the future: the news, business angle and still many questions surrounding "Star Trek 2017"—as well as the stupifying and varied fan reaction to the CBS All Access streaming platform it would pioneer. It's 90 minutes and quite a deep dive, by the times we plumb the angles and implications...and as usual I hope I brought some historical and production context many fans might not have thought of yet.

Also this week, NPR radio host Tom Ashbrook in Boston invited me on his On Point call-in talk show Friday to join two TV critics and bring the hot-news Trek perspective to the topic—the current so-called TV  "reboot" wave. Of course I made the point that Star Trek has already passed through its initial "regeneration" not once but twice, 1986 and 2009—and that to fans this represents not a TV fad but just the latest volume in the series FINALLY coming out, dammit. I had the last half-hour of the hour-long show, but it's all great fun with X-Files and Gilmore Girls getting the secondary attention from the other guests, as well as Trek. You can listen or download it as well at the link.

And if you are not in the download audio habit—that's simply what a podcast is!—they make a great on-demand companion for your long commute, your long jog or workout, or whenever meaningful (and specialized) audio can come in handy. 

Here's as good a time as any to try them out!  I've been a guest on 30+ shows all across Chris's Trek.fm network for years now and he even has a special page made up for them in Trek.fm's coveted "featured iTunes" status section...although you can get to them in a zillion ways—including just direct audio play off the website.

Of course, this was also the topic of this month's "Ask Dr. Trek" Roundtable telebriefing in my Portal 47 group of backstage deep-divers (that's the session where they pepper me, instead of a wonderful guest Trek voice you've likely never heard from—which is the second one of the month). And true to my archive opening feature in P47, I shared both Bob Justman's 1986 memos and Interstat fan letters that year to show how much things are still the same between 1986 and 2015.
 If you're diggin' these type of second-level info, past or future, you really should come through the Portal with us each month for the whole package!

10 years and counting: the last trek of a Prime Enterprise

It's been 10 years since the world last traveled aboard an Enterprise of the Prime Universe .... May 13, 2005. My, where's a decade gone?

Well, it's gone to many places where no one had gone before ... the dimensions have been ever-evolving and ever-surprising, and one might say ever-alternate ... but for now, let's take a moment and recall that day.

Actually, 5/13/05 was the main date the world will remember for this media creature's memorial. For many of us closer to the patient, the final day had actually been March 8, when first-unit filming famously wrapped on the Enterprise series—ending with a guest-laden, DS9-style "last day" for cast, crew and guest celebrities—including a very grateful yours truly.

I shared that day back in my old Endgame column in official Star Trek Magazine  (the pre-US's UK version)... and I have "reprinted" that column here, below the fold. But first, a couple of visual bookmarks for you from that finale, "These Are The Voyages..."—a regretted episode that is hardly beloved for its TNG envelope concept and death of Trip, and yet at the same time can't help but be bittersweet for so many reasons—as the end of a series, and the end of an era.

In that spirit, here's two never-published shots from my archive: the "final day" of guest extras as seen through the eyes of, yes, the guest extras' shoes....(can you spot the extras who did not make it on camera?) ....

LARRY NEMECEK PHOTO

... and, as taken on April 1, 2005 (no foolin'), outside Stages 8-9 on old "Star Trek row"...the glimmers of a starship already going in mothballs:

LARRY NEMECEK PHOTO

If you catch me at a con this summer, I may well be sharing more of these memories as we mark 10 years without Trek on TV.

I know you all agree with me: It's been way too long without. The mnid-2005 meme of Trek being too "old and tired" and even dying, has since been blown out of the sky. So what gives?

Well, while we wait— here as promised: the full column I penned for Star Trek Magazine for the November 2005 issue (my manuscript version), about that last day:

ENDGAME #3

There’s been a lot of critical brickbats tossed about regarding “These Are the Voyages…,” the finale for Enterprise—and I can’t say as how I’d even toss a few myself. But the episode will always carry a bittersweet memory, personally, since it was the show where, after 13 years of working around the Paramount lot, I finally broke down and asked to be a guest extra.

I just missed the chance to be a Tellarite in the “Demons”/”Terra Prime” two-parter, but then won a reprieve for this all-human scene—and the cream-colored suit I’d be wearing had been donned by Avery “Sisko” Brooks as 1950s writer Benny Russell in DS9’s “Far Beyond the Stars”!

Writer and fellow “human VIP” Judith-Reeves Stevens had the same experience: she wound up in the dark-green affair that Gates “Beverly Crusher” McFadden had worn to the funeral in TNG’s “Sub Rosa.” The NX-01’s uniforms, spruced up to reflect six years of age, now bore MACO-like name tags, most after staffers; Judith’s husband, fellow writer Gar Reeves-Stevens, was actually “Crewman Brad Yacobian,” the veteran line producer.

Everyone looked so fine in their duds— legendary Star Trek fan, Oscar winner and staff illustrator Doug Drexler in updated Starfleet togs, as was assistant editor (and former Brannon Braga assistant) Mike O’Halloran, my seatmate. For the civilians, there was associate producer Dave Rossi and his then still-fiance, Lili; first assistant director Dave Trotti and his wife and longtime extra/stand-in Amy Kate (in matching maroon accents!), writer Andre Bormanis, script coordinator Juan Fernandes, Donna Rooney, assistant to Manny Coto—and of course, Admiral Coto himself, enjoying what would be his climax to 18 months in professional Star Trek. (Check out the photo here to see who’s who in the main scene). Mike Sussman was the only writer staffer not in costume, aside from Brannon; he was down to watch and rib us, but Mike had already taken a turn as a dead Defiant “redshirt” for “In a Mirror, Darkly” Part 2—and in turn for that had worn David Gerrold’s guest-cameo uniform from DS9’s “Trials and Tribble-ations!”

So it was, outside the old Stage 8-9 entrance, as all these bodies—no strangers to Star Trek, but not in an on-camera role—snapped pics and reminisced, along with many of the “regular” Enterprise regulars as well. Star Trek’s familiar ban on cameras had long gone out the window as the final weeks and days wound down.

According to my call sheet—now covered with signatures, like a senior’s yearbook—we finally trooped onstage at 11 a.m. after a 9:45 makeup call. You never saw 90% of it, but we spent much time blocking, rehearsing and shooting an elaborate walk-in sequence for the “VIPs” as Reed, Hoshi and Travis chat from their front-row balcony seats. In my own subtext, I was a civilian military contractor pleased that Starfleet would be staffing up—and thus the reason for my sitting just two down from “Admiral” Coto!

I had wondered for some time how this day would feel—not as to be truly “playing” on camera, but just the air of the wrap. With memories still fresh from Deep Space Nine’s storied last day of guest extras on the Vic’s set, it was much the same—although a lot less time-consuming. A “surprise” guest was Majel Roddenberry, accompanied by son Rod, who made a thank-you to cast and crew as she had on the final day of every series since Gene’s death in 1991.

Still, the big scene was only half a day and we were done by 3 p.m.—though I hung on far into the night, like many others, determined to see it through to final wrap. Even so, I gave up at 1 a.m., after the T’Pol-Trip shuttlepod scene and during the run-up to Archer’s speech. The evening bore moment after moment of private little farewells among actors and crew alike, and just like fans everywhere they too all speculated on how long Star Trek’s hibernation would last.

The crisp March night air greeted me as, for the last time for whoknows how long, I left a Star Trek soundstage and headed home. As with us all, the past of Enterprise and its run cut short came back to me, knowing this “last day” would be just as much a tangle of emotions and memories as the series itself.

STV: Why Doug Drexler backs that petition for a Netflix ENTERPRISE

Amid all the hoopla over that movie that came out May 17, or even our little Star Trek Continues ...

You might have choked on your gagh a few weeks back to read about a campaign to get Netflix to fund a "fifth season" of none other than... Star Trek: Enterprise?

It may have even popped up on your Facebook. That's how I first dropped my jaw over the topic. But I find out all about in this vidchat--just below. But first, consider this:

Netflix funding of original series and now the return of "old" series, of course, is a done deal already: new eps of cult classic Arrested Development are a movie lead-in, Kevin Spacey's original House of Cards aired there too—and now a Veronica Mars comeback movie, of all things, is green-lit after zillions of Kickstarter backers.

So look at where we are in 2013!

For the first time, a "dead" show could actually be brought back to life with non-network backing .... even an online streaming service. And the show's still-pissed-off fanbase would actually have a hand in resurrecting it by demand, and continued streaming.

And so that leads us to Jen DeSalle and Robert Bolivar, who decided to launch their own Facebook et al petition campaign to convince Netflix to do the same thing for Enterprise. After all, if zillions got a 20-something mystery drama back in production, surely many times more would stand up for the disrespected and increasingly missed final incarnation of TV Trek?

Then what to my wondering eye should appear than the respected name of Doug Drexler among the "backers" of the petition drive. No fan-flak he, make-up and CGI pro Doug went on to the Battlestar franchise of course and works all over now—but Trek is still his heart and soul. He wouldn't attach his name to this Facebook petition to Netflix lightly—so I had to track him down and ask, given all we know about Trek TV these days...



So the Facebook campaign HQ is here—and I wrote the founders to get more about it.

Jen told me that she was for the campaign to convince Netflix even with the Paramount/CBS "moratorium" on Trek TV. "Trek on TV has consistently done better than any of the movies by far. Now, CBS may not see this in the short term but over time, one of the things we hope to show them, is that the TV side is not only profitable, but, in the case of a series like Enterprise, also cost-effective." And, she adds, the "selfish" chance for a lifelong fan to create a page, CGI mockups and promo banners on such a campaign with Doug and other sites was "too much to pass up".

It was a comment by exec producer Brannon Braga, of all people, about using Netlfix to revive Enterprise as a renewed series or even TV movie that nudged Bolivar to jump ahead with the campaign for fans who feel "cheated" at the early departure of the NX-01. "Network interference, declining ratings and other studio red tape are something that every show has faced," Rob says. "Enterprise was just hitting its stride when it was cancelled. With our Facebook campaign, we are doing something that has never really been done with Trek before. We have gathered the fans, actors, production staff, etc.— all of them in basically the same place to support each other and the cause. Are there hurdles? Absolutely, but we have the ability of hindsight this time around. We know what works and what doesn’t. We know how to keep costs down and with the advances in digital sets; we can film just about anything. I think that Netflix is the perfect medium for this type of endeavor. Enterprise fans deserve this. We just want to see the series played out the way it was supposed to be.

" It's a worthwhile cause, and I hope, and pray that it is noticed, that we are heard, and we get our dream, at least one more season of Enterprise, to see some of what we can do now, and of course maybe the Romulan War wouldn't hurt.," Jen adds. As does Rob: "Streaming media is the future of television, and so is Star Trek."

What do YOU think? Does this really have a chance of appealing to Netlfix, much less persuading CBS to let it be done in the first place?

Or do we truly live in an "all bets are off" media world of change today, and who knows?

Trek/politics mash-up: Fonts and Figures!

Just a couple quick notes:

One, the obvious—unless you've been under a rock this week:

Whatever your politics, you have to admit that the Pomona Number Starfleet Legend will never be the same, even with all its other apperarances:

But, more obscurely:

Someone (all of them?) on The Daily Show's graphics art staff are big Trek fans... as in, note the top line on this "future" calendar*:

*Yes, analist fans—it actually IS the wrong millenium....

"Poll: Obama's Trekkieness not extend to Klingon love?"

Well, that's the idea behind these graphic titles for an interview regarding this amazing National Geographic piece of journalism ...

Obama Better Suited To Fight Aliens, According To Poll

... titles put up for the story, and interview with a comedy writer, on the normally straight-laced Lawrence O'Donnell's The Last Word news show on MSNBC:

Do you think the Klingons are the most-mainstream Trek aliens a news show should use here for the mundanes? The Borg still have a ways to go?

Colbert knows his Trek protection! ... Or DOES he?

Kudos to Stephen Colbert for my birthday present last night: his hedge against the Wikipedia all-day blackout protest of the SOPA/PIPA bills (and check that out if you don't know. Scary stuff; get involved).

Yes, it seems Stephen keeps the entire Wikipedia printed out on hard copy, twice a month in toto, fo' jus' such occaysions.  Why, the chunk you see him holding below is just Volume 5470—the section of Wikipedia re: (only) "Star Trek, from 'Yeomen, Rand' through 'Yeomen, Smith. B.' "... (video below the fold):

Nice gag: he scales WikiP's size (all that for three TOS yeomen) AND tweaks Trekfans in the same breath. Weeell...that's why he gets the big cable bucks (and that's all, now that his SuperPAC is remotely controlled).

But just think—THIS wasn't even Memory-Alpha!

(And yes, only a Trek analist would point out that in actual aired canon, there WAS never a "Yeoman B. Smith."  So I won't. The second pilot's yeoman's name was only listed as "Smith," without an initial or first name.)

(But .... maybe that "B" was actually just denoting PART "B"... OF the Rand-Smith (inclusive) Volume 5470, and Stephen hasn't given us yet another canon screw-up to fix ...!? Oh, surely that's the reason. He'd hate to lose the South Carolina Trek canonista vote.)

Full embed here: The Trek bit starts at 0:55, but the whole segment catches you up on the SOPA/PIPA blackout:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
SOPA & PIPA
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

TREK NATION: First Thoughts

Wow. Didn't see that comin'.

I mean, I had not asked for a press screener for Rod Roddenberry's TrekNation, premiering Wednesday night on SCIENCE Channel. I wanted to wait and see it "live." I'd read critical positive acclaim by mainstream reviewers, though, and knew it would be pretty good.

That I knew.

I'd also known how Rod has struggled to get this project just done... to find the right voice, even as director Scott Colthrop and crew went through many iterations—originally with an eye to being a theatrical documentary. They kicked off filming back in 2002, and as the Aughts unfolded I'd hear once a year or so from Rod about the new angle or tone, until he just wanted to stop talking about it with the time lag.... which was all about finding what he wanted. Of course, in hindsight we can see how that delay allowed the doc the scope to take in the post-2005 earthquake in Trekland—from the downer of cancellation, to the vaccum of the Trek future's void, to the questions and then triumph of "JJ Trek" in 2009.

(Spoilers below. Really.)

So making the deal with Science Channel and getting a deadline and a format, albeit for TV with commercial breaks, at last provided some structure and a solid floor to get TrekNation over the finish line. As you could see in any of his recent comments, including our chat for TREKLAND, Rod was visibly relieved to be able to give birth to this baby at last.

What I didn't know ... was that a couple thoughts of my own 2002 interview, done in the first wave of filming at Creation's first Vegas convention, was actually in this. No one tipped me off... so I had an all-too-rare attack of jaw drop, right there Wednesday night on the couch: Gobsmacked, as Marina would say. I just know that I was not only in good company, but—thinking of where I thought I was—I was happy being in equally good company with all those you didn't see, in that great unused pile of footage. I know for a fact that widely different versions, and lists of speakers, have been in play over the years. I can see the time compromises made, too—including the "seated Rod" narration

But, even apart from those 45 mighty seconds, it was a grabber work. In fact, I felt TrekNation actually grew deeper as it went along. In this format there was a lot of TV exposition to get through, a lot of it handled by the "seated Rod" direct-to-camera bits which thankfully subside as it progresses. There's so much of past Trekland tales that fans know—the common history of the show, the fandom and of Gene—but this was on a mainstream channel, even among science geeksters, so a rehash with attitude is a needed, okay thing. The doc got a lot of mainstream media play as well, and I know gave a lot of varied context to the newer JJ-era fans, as well as lay viewers.

Reflecting on it now, I also think that the years-long "delay" even helped the focus—perhaps contrasted best in the highlight "icon" chats—first with George Lucas and then JJ Abrams more recently. From George to JJ you can literally see Rod grow as an interviewer, as a seeker ... especially in the comfort zone of talking about his own father/son dynamic and vibe—one which JJ picks up on, as the camera catches Rod's reaction. That fits a pattern of TrekNation's coverage of the more recent Trek years--by definition, not yet as "examined" as the older golden times past—being some of the most interesting here. Quite unintentionally, the film's personality grows even as the years go by.

Of course, there's double poignancy here for a lot of us: Too bad the mainstream TV audience isn't really informed, I believe, how many of those faces besides Gene are also gone. I wish even a tad more context could have somehow mentioned that those like Bob Justman, Michael Piller and even his own mom Majel were no longer with us—which makes their moments all the more special. Adult Rod's onscreen chat with his mom also hits home with anyone who's tried to talk to a parent as a third party about family mega-history, but can't quite get out of the "just us" family vibe. It was also an odd bird that Michael's beloved University of North Carolina "UNC" logo was CG'd off his ever-present baseball cap. (Did you notice that slightly grayer area over the bill? Legal—go figure.) Another quirk, purely in transmission: our onscreen cable TV guide had TrekNation logged as only an hour long. Don't know how widespread that was, but I hope a zillion fans didn't DVR the show and only come away with the first half!

Even with the evolving twists and turns, everyone involved with this long trek has done themselves proud, and the franchise to boot. I know there will be lots of unused bonus footage coming in the already-promised DVD, and a lot of it is already online at Colthrop's online sites. The many reels of Roddenberry home movies with young parents and little Rod was amazing, too. In fact, snapshot of the night: The original Enterprise two-footer model (now lost), snugly embracing the swaddled newborn Rod right between the nacelles like big protective arms.

I know, too, that tonight's viewing been another inspiration for my own documentary in process, The Con of Wrath, to bring along a solid layer of humanity as well as the narrative story at hand—even in a documentary. Thanks to director Scott and all of the crew for that.

Most of all, I know Rod is proud and relieved to have it out there—and I salute him for even taking on his dad's infidelities and other "warts." As long as it's taken to get here, Rod, TrekNation has been a journey of discovery worth taking. And how much more Star Trek can you get?

Thanks for sharing.

TV vs. Movie: Think about this

On the heels of my last musings about What Hath ST2009 Wrought... or will ... I thought I better get on the record with this now.

I've said it before and I'll be saying it again:

By any measure, whether this movie sinks or soars—and I'm betting on the latter!—I'm wondering when everyone will wake up and realize it is JUST a movie.

I don't mean the quality ... I mean the fact that's it just two hours of film. Taking two years to produce. And it's another two-year wait for just another two hours.

If this is the safest way back to public respect for Star Trek by the all-knowing mainstream media and the all-funding studio investors, then so be it.

But Star Trek will never again be how we now think and remember it—the fandom, the escalating excitement, the onrush of cool factor—until it returns to television. Not until we return to the days when there's one weekly adventure after another being constantly cranked out, not matter what the format or era or character set (assumig it's top-notch, of course) will we really return to the heady days of the '90s and early Aughts.

We need characters evolving, gadgets a-gleaming and canon deepening more than just two hours every two years.

Sometime around May 15 or 20, a week or two after this movie opens to roaring success, everyone will wake up and suddenly remember that fact.