Strange New Worlds: At last the real Star Trek is back

 

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the latest series in the long running franchise is seriously refreshing after all the angsty, boring  star trudges of recent years. 

It's arguably closer to the original series than any other version of the show, and does away with the season long arcs that were getting tiresome in favour of episodic storytelling and genuine chemistry between the cast members.

Beam me up.....

Is Picard to die in new Star Trek

Rumors are that CBS have committed to a second season of its latest Star Trek spin-off series, Picard but without Patrick Stewert whose character is to die at the climax of the first season. Claims, made by  YouTuber Doomcock, who boasts about having a source within CBS,  suggests that a ship would then be named the USS Picard allowing the show to continue.

Doomcock said on You Tube - “Oh hell yes they are going to kill Picard Picard is the only reason anyone would ever watch this s***. But here comes the part that will make fans heads explode. The worst part you can imagine. Are you ready gang? Get this. There will be a Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard.They do that because Patrick Stewart costs too much money, dude. They are bleeding money at CBS. And there is no way with the anemic ratings and the subscriber money they are getting on CBS All Access that they can afford Sir Patrick for another season.They are going to kill Picard. And his ragtag crew of attractive and marketable ragamuffins will miss him b******* about his daggum lombego so much, they will name their stolen star ship U.S.S. Picard. And they will have more adventures aboard the U.S.S. Picard in Season 2. Boldly going where lots of fashion models have gone before.”

Picard Boldy on his way back

The executive producer behind CBS All Access' Star Trek: Discovery has renewed his overall deal with CBS Television Studios, signing a massive five-year extension with the studio behind the latest entry in the long-running sci-fi franchise. The new agreement keeps Kurtzman, whose pact was up this year, with the studio through 2023. Sources say the deal is estimated at $5 million per year as Kurtzman receives a sizable backend on his programming.

Under the new pact, Kurtzman will serve as the Star Trek: Discovery's lone showrunner after taking over from Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg, who were recently fired from the series. Kurtzman will also expand the Star Trek franchise for the small screen, developing new series, miniseries and other content, including animation.

The new deal comes as rumblings about another Star Trek series, featuring Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Star Trek: The Next Generation's Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, have been getting louder. Sources say Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman, who left Discovery after season one, are attached to the Stewart-led reboot. CBS TV Studios declined to confirm the Stewart project as sources say a deal is far from completed and may not happen, despite the fact that the actor recently teased his potential return to the franchise.

Re - Discovering Star Trek

I've enjoyed the three episodes I've seen thus far of the new Star Trek series on Netflix - Discovery is set a decade before the events of the original Star Trek, and explores the Klingon/Federation war. The show seems to have been well recieved, though there is debate in the fan community over the appearance of the Klingons. Still, I'm very much enjoying the show...much more than I liked Star Trek Beyond which I finally got around to watching recently.

To celebrate the new show, Netflix have released a list of the most rewatched episodes across all of the show's many incarnations, and what is interesting is how highly Voyager features in the list of rewatched Trek. In fact the Original Series, DS9 and Enterprise don't even get a look in amongst the top ten most rewatched episodes.

Netflix define a 'rewatch' as someone going back and checking out 6+ minutes of a single episode they've previously consumed in full.

Magazine Watch: The Star Trek Graphic Novel Collection

Star Trek fans will be interested in the new part work from Eaglemoss Publications - each issue is a hardcover graphic novel reprinting stories from 50 years of Star Trek comics. The first issue - Countdown,  features the prequel story to  J. J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek reboot as well as the first ever Star Trek comic strip with 1967's Planet of No Return which was originally published by the iconic, Gold Key Comics.

Each hardcover is well put together - they really are handsome editions - you can pick up a bargain with the first issue, currently available, at the low price of £1.99 - the regular price will be £9.99 which is pretty good value given the quality of these hardback editions.

When the series is complete it will have collected strips from Gold Key Comics, DC, TV21, Malibu Comics, Paramount Comics, Wildstorm Comics, Tokyopop and IDW and will have featured sequels to original stories, movie adaptations, and  lost tales (scripts that were never filmed). Many superstars of comic writing will have credits as well as familair names from the writing staff of all iterations of the TV series.


More info HERE

The best and worse Star Trek Movies

Spock does his William Shatner impersonation - Khhhaaaannnn!

I've just watched Star Trek: Into Darkness for the second time - the first time was at the cinema on opening night and now that it's out on DVD I was able to settle back in the comfort of my home cinema and whilst I've not really revised my opinion on the movie, its shortcomings did become more apparent away from the excitement of the big screen opening. Into Darkness is a fine SF adventure film but it's not really Star Trek...not real Star Trek.

The cast are mostly excellent and Karl Urban is remarkable as Bones McCoy and even Chris Pine's Kirk contains the essence of the Kirk we grew up with. Much as been made of Zachary Quinto's Spock but the character must have been the easiest to recreate given that there is so much make up - you can put the pointy ears on anyone and have them stand around like a robot to bring Spock to life. Simon Pegg's turn as Scotty this time out is far broader in comedy terms than in the first Trek reboot and to be honest it gets tiresome. And what the fuck is the point of his little alien buddie who seems to have wandered over from Star Wars?

Still it's an enjoyable enough SF film and if you don't mind a plot that hinges on magic blood and really makes no sense at all then you'll enjoy it, but if you're a die hard Trekkie then you'll likely hate it - in fact Star Trek: Into Darkness was recently voted the worse Trek film of all by the attendees of a Star Trek convention held in Las Vegas. The odd thing is that in the poll the spoof movie Galaxy Quest (not a Star Trek movie at all) came in at No 7 ahead of all of the Next Generation Star Trek movies with the obvious exception of First Contact which came in at No 2. Below are the Trek movies rated from best to worse by Fans at the Star Trek 2013 Convention in Las Vegas

Fans at the Star Trek 2013 Convention in Las Vegas were asked to rank thirteen movies: the twelve official Star Trek movies and 1999′s Galaxy Quest, an underrated parody of the fandom. Attendees at Jordan Hoffman’s “One Trek Mind Live” panel ranked the thirteen movies, with the results being about what we expected:

1. BEST: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
2. Star Trek: First Contact
3. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
4. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
5. Star Trek III: The Search For Spock
6. Star Trek (2009)
7. Galaxy Quest
8. Star Trek Generations
9. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
10. Star Trek Nemesis
11. Star Trek Insurrection
12. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
13. WORST: Star Trek Into Darkness

Am I a Trekkie Now

I've always been something of a casual Star Trek fan - I've seen most of both the original series and The Next Generation at one time or another. And I always get around to watching the movies, once or twice at the cinema but mostly on DVD. I quite enjoy the show but certainly don't follow it religiously - Deep Space 9, the third Star Trek series, was another I quite liked but to this day I have not seen the entire run. Voyager and Enterprise, I've seen very little of.

Which leads me to - a week or so ago I saw a box set of the entire seven seasons of DS9 that had been discounted to a crazy low price. I had to snap it up and I've started watching the series from scratch, intending to eventually get all seven seasons under my belt. At the moment I'm a quarter of the way through season 2 and have just watched the episode in which Sisko is lusting after the elusive sexy alien bird. I'm told that the DS9 was at its best from season three onwards, but I've quite enjoyed what I've seen thus far and at the rate I'm watching the discs I'll likely get through the entire thing in a month or two.

On the strength of what I've seen thus far the strongest characters seem to be Odo and Quark, though Doctor Bashir is coming into his own. I've seen some episodes from later seasons and I know that character becomes something of a double act with O'Brian but there not much sense of that in these early episodes. I also find that Sisko, supposedly the lead character, is very underdeveloped and isn't at all as interesting as others in the cast. This would of course change as the series went on.

However from what I've seen so far I think the second season was an improvement on the first - the season started with an excellent three part story that saw the space station itself at peril, and since then there's been some great episodes. Rules of Acquisition was a firm favourite for me but then it would be given that it is a Ferengi storyline and I do so enjoy the Ferengi.


Ahh well I'll be back with another batch of DS9 thoughts after I've gotten through a couple of more seasons. Who knows by then I may be wearing a Star Trek shirt and speaking Klingon.

Live long and prosper

Boldly going somewhere else next time

What is it with these youngster who work in stores like Cash Generator? The store known locally as Smack Generator - I'm sure you can figure out why.

Today I was in Pontypridd and popped into the local store and browsed through the DVD's. I saw disc 36 of the TNG collection which contains the episodes The Game and Unification Parts one and 2. Pleased with my find I took the disc to the counter where an uninterested looking girl located the disc, popped it in the case and sent me on my way.

I just slipped it into the player and the bloody girl's given me the wrong disc - can't she bloody read? Maybe she should have concentrated on serving me rather than multi tasking with her nail polish. It plainly says The Perfect Mate on this disc. Yes I know it also says The Next Generation in big writing but there was more than one episode, you know.


I was looking forward to watching Spock's appearance in the Next Generation, which I've not seen for some time- I now know how Sheldon felt when he was sent the wrong Spock in that Big Bang Theory episode - well like the Zachary Quinto  standee this  disc is going back.

 Mind you, I think I'll watch it first. After all it does contain the I Borg episode. And to the staff of Pontypridd's Smack, er sorry...Cash Generator this is what happens when you anger a geek with a blog.

Make it So

America get all the best events.

And after an 18-year hiatus, science fiction fans across America will have the opportunity to see their favorite “Star Trek” characters once again this July.
To celebrate the upcoming release of the series’ first season on Blu-ray, NCM Fathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution will present “Star Trek: The Next Generation 25th Anniversary Event”: a nationwide theater event bringing the popular sci-fi series to the big screen for one night only July 23.

The event will feature two of the most popular episodes from the first season: Episode 106, “Where No One Has Gone Before” and Episode 114, “Datalore.”

Fathom Events will stream the showing via satellite to nearly 500 movie theaters around the nation through National CineMedia’s (CNM) Digital Broadcast Network. The showing starts at 7 p.m. with an additional 10:15 p.m. showing in select theaters. Rave Cinemas Fallen Timbers 14 and Rave Cinemas Franklin Park 16 will participate in both available show times.

Dan Diamond, vice president of Fathom Events, said the first season of “The Next Generation” was “painstakingly retransferred” from the original format to a higher resolution for Blu-ray. For the theater event, the TV format was converted to the high-quality resolution of 2K digital projection, an industry standard for these types of events, he said.

The Shat boldly insults the UK's Prostitution Capital

We love The Shat and think that the people of Ilfracombe, prostitution capital of the UK, should lighten up after Shat's remarks on satirical news quiz, Have I got News for You sent town councilor, Paul Crab's kickers into a twist.

The Shat's comment was made on a May 28 episode of the BBC game show Have I Got News For You. The joke, regarding the town of Ilfracombe, came when the community was mentioned as an Olympic torch relay venue. After Shatner mispronounced the town’s name, fellow guest panelist Charlie Brooker noted that it sounded "deeply sexual." This led the veteran actor to remark that the town is "laced with prostitution." Shatner has never visited Ilfracombe.

 The Shat's off-color remark prompted Ilfracombe town councillor Paul Crabb to write a letter to the actor, inviting him to the seaside resort town: "If he came we could show him that there is no prostitution in Ilfracombe and that it is a lovely coastal town with spectacular scenery and a close community." Shatner replied to Crabb’s letter with a characteristically cheeky letter of apology: “I would be hard pressed to believe that sex was not being had in Ilfracombe for something of value, perhaps a lengthy marriage, children or a valuable career.

See the Shat's remark in the video clip below:

Too much time on their hands

For the first time ever, TV's beloved "Star Trek" captains James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard will go boldy into near-space for real —in action figure form.

A group of Trekkies has banded together to launch dolls of the two starship captains, as well as other key Trek characters and models of Star Trek spacecraft, to the edge of space using a high-altitude balloon.
"Picard and Kirk are the greatest starship captains ever to exist and they've never been to space in reality, so I think it's about time we bring them there," said Logan Kugler, an entrepreneur and space enthusiast who launched a campaign on the crowd-funding site Kickstarter to raise money for the project.

Kugler and his collaborators raised $6,193 through Kickstarter. They plan to use the money to loft six action figures, two starship models and five cameras to about 120,000 feet (37,000 meters) inside a balloon lifting off from Champaign, Ill.

Star Trek - All together now

Trekkies will be in their oils this October when all five of the actors to have played the Captain in the long running TV franchise will appear for the first time on stage together. Organizers for "Destination Star Trek London" said on Monday that their fan convention would be the first official "Star Trek" live event in the UK for 10 years.To mark the occasion, actors William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Sir Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Avery Brooks (Commander Sisko), Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway) and Scott Bakula (Captain Archer), who have commanded operations in each of their respective series based on the iconic TV franchise that began in 1966, will appear on stage together.

"The 'Star Trek' fan base in the UK is one of the biggest in the world, and it has waited a long time for the convention to return, so we wanted to make sure we did it right," said Liz Kalodner, general manger of CBS Consumer Products, which owns the TV franchise.Shatner, 81, the first captain of the starship Enterprise, has been a fan favorite at conventions, mostly in the United States, that attract thousands of trekkie

The Trekkie Files

Home sweet home

Divorce can be a messy business as  Star Trek fan Tony Alleyne has found out - Tony spent ten years and a small fortune transforming his one-bedroom flat to look like the famous flight deck — with a computer console, flashing lights and even "transporters".


He built it himself — and says it would cost at least £100,000 to do it again from scratch.

Tony, 58, is getting a divorce from wife Georgina who owns the flat in Hinckley, Leics, and wants to sell.

Tony said: "To say I'm gutted is an understatement. It is my life's work — and it looks like it's going into a skip. I admit there were tears."

Georgina, 52 — who has paid the mortgage since they split in 1994 — said: "I want to sell it as conventional property." She denied that she was actually part of the Borg collective and claimed that she was acting reasonably.

A death in Doctor Who and Robocop on the Enterprise

The original Kirk now works for Ann Summers

It’s is now official that Dr Who companions Amy and Rory will leave the series during the next season and hints given by the actors are that the departure will be final – Showrunner Stephen Moffat hinted that their ext will be heartbreaking suggesting that both characters are to be killed off. Actress Karan Gillan has hinted, during an interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper, that her character is to be killed off in a gory fashion.

Pual Weller, best known as the original Robocop is confirmed for a part in Star Trek II which is currently shooting. The latest news is that Benicio Del Toro will not be appearing as Khan after dropping out of the film over what are reported as financial issues. The official date for the movie is now 17th May 2013. Set phasers on stun for this one. Also Star Trek related is the news that original Kirk, the Shat is now working for Ann Summers (see pic)

Walking Dead has been confirmed for a third season. The third series is expected to follow the third volume of the comic book and be set in a prison


Filming is currently underway in Iceland for the second season of Game of Thrones and a third season has also been confirmed.

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

They say this is the best of all the Stark Trek movies, and although it's never been my favourite it was the first one I slipped into the DVD player from the handsome box set I received for Christmas - thank you very much. I've always liked Star Trek and of course I've seen all the movies, even the boring ones, and my favourite's always been The Search for Spock, with The Voyage Home coming a close second because it's fun and it's the Star Trek movie most easily enjoyed by non Star Trek fans.

Inspired by the "Space Seed" episode of the original TV series, Wrath of Khan  reunites newly promoted Admiral Kirk with his nemesis from the earlier episode--the genetically superior Khan (a sweaty and buff Ricardo Montalban)--who is now seeking revenge upon Kirk for having been imprisoned on a desolated planet. Their battle ensues over control of the Genesis device, a top-secret Starfleet project enabling entire planets to be transformed into life-supporting worlds, pioneered by the mother (Bibi Besch) of Kirk's estranged and now-adult son. While Mr. Spock mentors the young Vulcan Lt. Saavik (then-newcomer Kirstie Alley), Kirk must battle Khan to the bitter end, through a climactic starship chase and an unexpected crisis that will cost the life of Kirk's closest friend.

Wrath of Khan, to me, it's always felt small, more suited to a TV episode than the big screen, but of course in terms of story it holds up well and the acting is of a high quality. Maybe it's a fan fave because it uses the character of Khan first seen in the season one episode, The Space Seed - there is a goof here which was apparently explained in a Star Trek Novel - Khan says to Chekov, "Ahh, yes... Chekov, I remember". Although Chekov was not a bridge officer in the TV show that first featured Khan, it should be remembered that when Khan first took over Enterprise, he started with the engineering deck. Chekov was engineering ensign at the time, according to the movie's novelization.

Still away with all the geekery - This is a good, fast paced movie, full of action and surprisingly dark for a Stark Trek movie and of course the death of Spock at the climax is done with just the right amount of emotion. But a problem I have with Khan is that Kirk and Khan never actually meet face to face for the big show down at the climax, which really does feel like a let down, but this sentiment is not shared as Wrath of Khan is universally celebrated as the best of all the Trek movies.

"Of all the souls I've encountered in my travels, his was the most ... human" Kirk on the death of Spock.

Wrath of Khan is that it started off a story arc that would follow over the next two movies, and I enjoy the entire trilogy, though to my tastes Khan is still the weakest of the three - the next movie would feature some exciting scenes with the Klingons and the follow up would find the crew in modern day America trying to steal some Humpbacked Whales.

Wrath of Khan is a great movie with the original (and real) Star Trek crew, but I still don't think it's the best of all the Star Trek movies.

Let's hear it for the Shat!!!

It's love, Jim but not as we know it.

It's love but not as we know it

The week on Good Day New York, William Shatner speculated that the basis of his long-running feud with 'Star Trek' co-star George Takei was that Takei was secretly in love with him: "I don't know whats the matter with him ... he just won't make up. I think secretly he was in love with me, the fact that I kissed him on the lips gently on occasion seemed to inspire him."


In his new book 'Shatner Rules,' he writes that Takei couldn't handle not being the one in the 'Star Trek' spotlight.

Star Wars v Star Trek

William Shatner, the world's most famous man to have "Shat" in his name, angered Star Wars fans when he claimed in a video interview that Star Trek was far better than Star Wars and that George Lucus's space opera was too obsessed with visuals.

You know what, I think I agree with the Shatner. However Darth Vader has hit back by saying that his helmet was much better than Spock's pointy ears and that unlike the Shat he doesn't wear a corset.


Check out the Shatner's interview below.

Star Trek to warp back to the small screen - maybe!

David Foster, a writer, producer and head of the production company 1947 Entertainment, has revealed that he’s planning a new series that is designed to take Star Trek back to its “original series roots.” He’s said the new show will take in all the usual Roddenberry trappings – Klingons, Vulcans and Ferengi, for example – but will feature a much younger cast.

Star Trek can be sexy

“The series concept is fully developed, subject to change of course,” Foster told highly rated Star Trek fan site, Trek Web, “with a solid 5-7 year series plan, pilot script and a conceptualized finale that intends to define Star Trek for generations.”
Foster’s series will take place after the Voyager series of a few years back, and won’t conflict with JJ Abrams’ big-screen take on the Star Trek mythos, since it’s set in a different timeline.

DOCTOR WHO ON THE ENTERPRISE

Russel T. Davies, who ruled over Doctor Who for the first years of it's revival revealed in a recent interview with the Sunday Times that there were plans for a Who/Star Trek crossover.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, the past  Doctor Who showrunner said: "I would have loved to have done a Star Trek crossover. The very first year, we talked about it. Then Star Trek finally went off air.

"Landing the Tardis on board the Enterprise would have been magnificent. Can you imagine what their script department would have wanted, and what I would have wanted? It would have been the biggest battle."

Doctor Who returns to British TV screen this coming Easter weekend.