Vic
-
Content Count
22,158 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Vic
-
-
Which ship had the best bridge? That's the question we at StarTrek.com asked for our latest poll, and wow, did it get a reaction from fans. Thousands of you voted, choosing from the Defiant NCC-1764, Discovery NCC-1031, Enterprise NCC-1701, Enterprise NCC-1701-A, Enterprise NCC-1701-D, Enterprise NCC-1701 (Kelvin), Enterprise NX-01 and Voyager NCC-74656, and here are the results.
Enterprise NCC-1701-D (32%)
Voyager NCC-74656 (24%)
Enterprise NCC-1701-A (9%)
Enterprise NCC-1701 (8%, 1,012 votes )
Defiant NCC-1764 (8%, 1,005 votes)
Discovery NCC-1031 (7%)
Enterprise NCC-1701 (Kelvin) (6%)
Enterprise NX-01 (5%)
Be sure to vote in this week's poll...
-
Star Trek fans will remember Day Four of Star Trek Las Vegas as one of those great, incredibly rare “Where were you when…?” moments. That’s because Saturday, August 3, 2018, will go down in history as the day Patrick Stewart announced to frenzied fans that he would be reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard in a new Star Trek series for CBS All Access. That was the ultimate highlight from another jam-packed day of Trek fun that featured stage appearances by William Shatner, Kate Mulgrew, George Takei, a trio of Trek composers, and more than a half-dozen members of the Discovery cast. StarTrek.com checked it all out and is pleased to share highlights…
Sir Patrick Stewart Returning to Iconic Role as Picard
The STLV crowd couldn’t believe their eyes and ears. Alex Kurtzman took to the main stage, spoke for a few moments and then joined Sir Patrick Stewart in announcing that the actor would return to his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard in a new Star Trek series that tells the story of the next chapter in Picard’s life. Watch the announcement on StarTrek.com.
Captains Take the Stage
Kate Mulgrew, Voyager’s Captain Janeway, was – as always, frank and forceful – during her time on the stage. Topics included motherhood, Janeway, Red on Orange Is the New Black, her own mother, and her upcoming next memoir, “How to Forget.”
The actress recalled that every day when she walked onto the set to shoot Voyager she used to “walk up to the camera and ask, ‘Are we going to be friends today? Are you going to be good to me?”
Later in the day, the man, the legend, William Shatner who never disappoints, took the stage and quickly introduced Jonathan Scott from the tv show, "Property Brothers," dressed in an...interesting uniform.
During his time on the stage he talked Star Trek, touring with his one-man show, upcoming projects and more.
Shatner told fans to "Say Yes. to adventure, say yes to love, say yes to things that might be interesting that you’re afraid of."
Behind the Music
It was a Star Trek first, as Trek composers Dennis McCarthy, Michael Giacchino and Jeff Russo participated in a joint panel to discuss composing music for their respective Star Trek shows and movies. Their work spans from The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, the J.J. Abrams films and Discovery.
That evening, each composer took the stage with the Nevada Pops orchestra as special guest conductors.
Dennis McCarthy conduced the Deep Space Nine Suite.
Michael Giacchino, led the orchestra performing his Star Trek Suite.
Jeff Russo, conducted the world premiere orchestral performance of his Discovery Suite.
Famous Star Trek Costume Contest
Twenty-four finalists took the stage in the annual Star Trek Las Vegas costume contest hosted by Jordan Hoffman. We saw Emperor Georgiou’s, Borg, Mirror Tilly’s, Ferengi and even a tardigrade.
Judging the contestants’ efforts were Terry Farrell, Sam Vartholomeos, Gersha Phillips, Glenn Hetrick and Michael Westmore who chose the winners.
Mahogany Severia, dressed as Mirror Universe Burnham, won best Discovery Costume.
Bill Arucan and Jennifer Rough, dressed as Tosk and Hunter, won best Deep Space Nine Costume.
Jason and Jacob Winnigham, dressed as Discovery's Ripper the Tardigrade and his trainer, won best in Ensign Class.
Anthony Polito, dressed as Tholian, won best in Lieutenant Class.
Chad Buffett, who was a great as Discovery's Kol, won best in Captain Class.
And the best in show was… Clint Wilder, who wowed the crowd as Firewolf from Discovery's Mirror Universe.
NASA & JPL
Lyle Tavernier and Brandon Rodriguez of NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory spoke with fans about the science of Star Trek, Trek’s influence on scientists and vice versa.
Fans were able to participate through NASA/JPL’s STEM activities, which are meant to spark an interest in science among kids and families.
As with Days One, Two and Three, there was tons more to see, hear and experience, and StarTrek.com documented it with some of our favorite photos from the day…
The Art of John Eaves
Eaves has worked as a production designer, illustrator and model maker across the franchise, spanning from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier to Discovery.
His career is worthy of a book, and that book, The Art of John Eaves, is coming this fall. John Van Citters led an illuminating panel conversation with Eaves.
Damar Again
Damar is back. Casey Biggs slipped back into character as Damar, with John Paladin applying the Cardassian makeup and the legendary Michael Westmore narrating the proceedings. Check out the process below:
Cosplay Gatherings
Check out Click Day One, Day Two and Day Three highlights and keep an eye on StarTrek.com for our ongoing coverage of STLV 2018. -
Star Trek: Discovery was in the house in a big way on Day Four of Star Trek Las Vegas. More than a dozen actors from the show participated in panels, signed autographs and did photos ops, and costume designer Gersha Phillips got in on the action, too, serving as a judge during the Costume Contest. StarTrek.com checked it all out and is here with some of our favorite moments and photos…
Discovery Panel #1
The day’s first panel brought together Emily Coutts, Sarah Mitich, Oyin Oladejo, Rekha Sharma and Sam Vartholomeos. They shared a sweet camaraderie that played really well with very appreciative fans.
“On some level, you’re forced to be a better human being because the show demands that of you,” Oladejo noted. “Star Trek does that to you.”
“It moved a lot of people,” Coutts said of Saru’s big “We are Starfleet” speech. Added Mitich, “It really brought us together as a crew.”
“As a kid, I used to watch reruns of The Original Series, and for a little brown girl in a super-white neighborhood in Canada,” Sharma explained, “it was the first thing that gave me hope for a future where everything could be equal.”
Vartholomeos talked about Mirror Danby’s demise at the hands of Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham. He joked that he’d not yet forgiven Martin-Green.
Discovery Panel #2
Mary Chieffo, Jayne Brook, Clint Howard and Kenneth Mitchell gathered on the main stage for the afternoon’s second panel. There were screams, loud ones, and laughs, and some major news, too.
“I said, scream!!” And with that Chieffo and Brook gave fans a makeup-free and costume-less reenactment of the great screaming match between L’Rell and Cornwell.
Howard elicited a laugh when the conversation circled around to the reality that Discovery can be watched on CBS All Access… with subtitles. “So,” he asked, “if you don’t speak English, but you do speak Klingon, you can understand the episode (and dialogue)?”
“It’s not a panel,” Chieffo insisted, “unless Ken (Mitchell) performs some of his Klingon lines.” And, of course, he did.
Speaking of Mitchell, he shared some stellar intel: He announced that he will be back on Discovery in season two.
Gersha Phillips & Glenn Hetrick Judge Costume Contest
What an opportunity for cosplayers, to have no less than Discovery’s Glenn Hetrick and Gersha Phillips, along with Michael Westmore and Terry Farrell, judge their costumes during the annual costume contest. Some fun moments were when Mitchell and Chieffo both took photos with some contestants.
Mitchell jumped up on stage and fora photo with cosplayer Chad Buffett as "Kol."
Chieffo got on stage with cosplayer Clint Wilder as "Firewolf" for a photo.
Pike Meets Pike
Anson Mount, soon to be seen as Captain Pike on Discovery, enjoyed a close encounter with one of predecessors, Sean Kenney. It was the first time the two met, and it was fun to watch them chat and exchange contact information.
-
Star Trek and Let’s Make a Deal are teaming up for a special episode of the popular CBS game show. The Trek-themed special episode will shoot on September 8th in Los Angeles. As one of Let’s Make a Deal’s biggest specials of the year, it’ll feature huge cash prizes and other exciting items, including some unique Star Trek experiences and very special surprises.
Fans are urged to dress in their favorite Trek gear and come out for their chance to win big. For tickets go to CBS.com/Tickets or check out Let’s Make a Deal’s Facebook page for more info. Tickets are limited.
Out of town and want to get in on the fun? Then enter a sweeps for a chance to win a trip for two to Los Angeles to attend the taping of Let's Make A Deal's Star Trek tribute episode.
Visit @cbsallaccess or @startrekcbs on Instagram and tag a friend in the sweepstakes post.
Eligibility: Open to US residents only; 18 or older.
Promotion Period: Now through Monday, August 13, 2018.
-
They’re making it so. Sir Patrick Stewart will be returning to his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard in a new CBS All Access Star Trek series that tells the story of the next chapter in Picard’s life.
Stewart and executive producer Alex Kurtzman teamed up today to surprise fans at Star Trek Las Vegas with the exciting news.
-
The Star Trek Film Academy is set to boldly launch in 2019, Academy founder James Cawley announced on Saturday morning during a panel at Star Trek Las Vegas. Cawley, creator of the popular Star Trek The Original Series Set Tour, revealed that applications will be accepted starting today for its first session of The Star Trek Film Academy, to be held on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 through Sunday, May 5, 2019 in Ticonderoga, New York.
“The Star Trek Film Academy will provide a unique, immersive overview of the art and craft of filmmaking,” James Cawley said. “Our faculty includes Star Trek professionals from both in front and behind the camera. They will not only share their insight on the art of production, but will relate it to their personal experiences working on Star Trek episodes and movies.”
The highlight of the Academy will be the production of a short Star Trek film, which will be shot on an exact replica of the classic Enterprise interior sets of Star Trek: The Original Series.
The Star Trek Film Academy will offer three tiers:First Tier (includes lectures): Students may choose to take the lectures only. Lectures will be open to the largest number of students. You can also audit up to three lectures.
Second Tier (includes lectures and workshops): This level will have a limited number of availability, to comfortably participate in the hands-on workshops. This mid-range price point choice includes all the lectures and workshops.
Exclusive Third Tier (includes lectures, workshops and full scene filming): This tier offers students the entire program of lectures, workshops and a full day of filming and a day of post-production. With the least number of students in the sessions, participants can get fully involved in the exciting film shoot.
Also offered is a Cadet Ticket Short Scene Fun Film, open to all students and to the public. Any student can add the Fun Film on to any of the tiers if desired. The short scene fun film is your chance to get into uniform and take on a Star Trek role on camera, including having a line of dialogue.
There are a wide range of tickets available at multiple price points. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.startrektour.com.
-
Star Trek Las Vegas brought out the big guns on Friday, as Day Three of the mega-event featured Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Rainn Wilson and more, as well as a memorable Smithsonian panel and a cool auction. And let’s not forget the Klingons. StarTrek.com soaked it all in and is here with highlights…
DS9 Tribute
Ira Steven Behr, James Darren, Nicole de Boer, Chase Masterson and Andy Robinson participated in a nostalgic panel that continued STLV’s celebration of DS9’s 25th anniversary.
“My first definite defining moment was my very first scene that I had to do,” de Boer recalled. “I was nervous, but not as nervous as you would think. I was very prepared and excited for it. I remember thinking, ‘I’m going to remember this moment.”
Andrew Robinson had one complaint about his DS9 experience. Looking right at Behr, he said, “Why wasn’t I in the baseball episode? That’s my beef!”
“I would have liked to have had a love interest,” Darren noted. “Just a little fling. Anything.”
Explaining the process of wring DS9, Behr explained, “We wrote the episodes for ourselves. We had to like them. We had to believe in them.”
Masterson revealed that she wished Leeta exhibited more guts and a bit more of an edge, but she loved Leeta’s passion and her love for Rom.”
Later in the day, fans were treated to a sneak peek of What We Left Behind, the upcoming documentary from Ira Steven Behr and David Zappone. The sneak peek was followed by detailed panel conversation with Q&A from fans.
Avery Brooks has not participated in it, at least not on camera, nor will he. “Avery is done,” Behr noted. “He’s said what he had to say about Deep Space Nine.”
The TNG Crew Takes the Stage
The first TNG panel of the day brought together Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn and Denise Crosby, who came out on stage dancing and in great spirits.
McFadden had a message for Trek fans: “Every year it’s amazing that you guys come out. And you all say thank you to us. And every year I meet more people that went into the medical field. So, thank you.”
Dorn arrived at TNG a little late in the game. “They had been working for almost two weeks,” he recounted. “And then I just showed up on set.”
“I went to school for journalism,” Crosby shared. “I really wanted to be a broadcast journalist.”
A special moment occurred when Beth Toussaint, who’d played Yar’s younger sister, Ishara, and was at STLV as a guest, joined Crosby on stage. Applause reverberated in the main room as the two ladies shared a hug.
The second TNG panel of the day was all about the Imzadi. Marina Sirtis and Jonathan Frakes still retain the chemistry they shared for years as Troi and Riker. It was apparent from the moment Frakes walked through the audience screaming, I love you, Imzadi!” as he trekked to the stage.
“My favorite director of all-time,” Sirtis declared Frakes. “He’s a force of nature and he gets it.”
“I didn’t know (early on),” Frakes admitted, “that Star Trek was the cultural phenomenon that it is.”
Fans went just a little bonkers when Jason Isaacs ran onto the stage to surprise Frakes. The two men shared a warm embrace, prompting Isaacs to joke, “This is a private moment. Look away!”
Rainn Wilson's First Star Trek Convention
Star Trek’s new Harry Mudd, Rainn Wilson made his STLV debut. The son of a sci-fi writer, a huge genre fan and a guy who asked to be on Discovery, the actor was in his element.
“This is like Galaxy Quest come to life!” Wilson exclaimed. “Galaxy Quest was my first movie.”
Wilson shared his eagerness to work on the upcoming Star Trek: Short Treks installment that he’ll direct and star in as Mudd. “It’s fantastic,” he enthused. “The script they sent me, this writer from Rick & Morty wrote it. It’s really funny, but in a twisted way. I get to direct it, too.”
Walter Koenig
Star Trek’s original Chekov, Walter Koenig, looked and sounded great as he paced the stage and answered questions. He talked about his career, Chekov’s accent, the character’s jokey “chauvinism,” and more.
“My mail was, and I say this without hyperbole, was exclusively positive, and it was from kids,” Koenig noted. “Kids were writing to me on lined paper, with pencil. That was the group I was supposed to appeal to, and we succeeded in accomplishing that.”
Klingons!
Robert O’Reilly, J.G. Hertzler and Gwynyth Walsh joined forces, but not as themselves… or not quite themselves. Instead, they stomped the stage as Gowron, Martok and B’Etor, rousing the crowd and having a good ol’ time.
To the fan who questioned who’s the better fighter, males or females, B’Etor bellowed, “Do you even have to ask… HUMAN!”
Martok had a question of his own… “Have you ever tried to catch a frog with a bat’leth?”
And then came a “You should have been here” moment. Mary Chieffo, the new Klingon in town as L’Rell on Discovery, surprised the Klingons and the audience, and joined in on the panel. Though she was in human form this day, she did sport a bat’leth necklace.
Star Trek composer Michael Giacchino took the stage in the DeForest Kelley Theater to kick off an auction of a MyCherryTree Borg Cube PC signed by him, J.J. Abrams, LeVar Burton and several other Trek celebrities. Contributions will be donated to Education Through Music-Los Angeles, whose mission is to promote and provide music in disadvantaged schools as part of the core curriculum in order to enhance students’ academic achievement and creative and overall development. The auction is still going, visit MyCherryTree.com to place your bid or stop by the MyCherryTree booth in the vendor's room.
Just like Days One and Two, there was tons more to see, hear and experience, and StarTrek.com documented it with some of our favorite photos of the day…
And the Keepsakes Shall Lead
Hallmark’s Christine Taylor and Kevin Dilmore gave fans a guided tour through Hallmark’s Trek products for 2018.
They even teased 2019 Trek products.
Smithsonian
Margaret Weitekamp is not only Curator at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, but she’s created the Smithsonian’s new online course, “Star Trek: Inspiring Culture & Technology."
Weitekamp talked about the course in detail during her panel with the help of some of fans' favorite members of the Star Trek family: Denise and Mike Okuda, Michael Dorn, Adam Nimoy and Terry Farrell.
Star Trek: The Cruise III
The first two Star Trek cruises were at-sea hits and JT Watters and Joey Fairchild of Entertainment Cruise Productions were on hand to preview Star Trek: The Cruise III, which will set sail in 2019. Fans got a treat when Michael Dorn, Denise Crosby, Gates McFadden, Jonathan Frakes and Ethan Phillips popped in to talk about The Cruise III.
Shakespeare and the Trek-verse
Was the Bard a Shakespeare fans? What Shakespearean play was most Trek-like?
Mary Chief team-eth up with Amy Imhoff, Anika Dave, Brooke Wilkins and Grace Moore in a fun-filled panel trying to answer those questions and more.
Cosplay Highlights
Four of fandom’s best cosplayers – Joanie Brosas, Darrell Phillips, Michael Rough and Brooke Wilkins – revealed how they discovered cosplay, described some of their best creations, and shared advice for aspiring cosplayers. Check out some of our favorite cosplays of the day below:
Click HERE for our Day One highlights recap and HERE for our Day Two recap, and keep an eye on StarTrek.com for our ongoing coverage of STLV 2018.
-
Attention, Captains… the Elachi are pouring into the Alpha Quadrant from previously undiscovered Iconian space gates in order to abduct helpless people. We need every Captain at the ready to help stop their forces.
For a limited time only, the Elachi Alert queued event will return to Star Trek Online. From Thursday, August 2nd at 8am PST until Monday, August 6th at 10am PST, close these doors to subspace and receive bonus mark rewards.
A joint fleet has gathered here to stop them. The fleet consists of science ships that have disabled their weaponry in order to divert all available resources to disabling the gate. We’ll need to protect them from the Elachi until they finish their work. Remember that the science vessels efficiency will drop as they lose crew members to the Elachi. Defend the joint fleet from the Elachi in order to ensure their success. Be careful of Elachi harvesters who'll abduct everyone who can disable the space gate.
The Elachi Alert queue will offer a 50% bonus to mark rewards during this event.
Quick, Captains. You’re needed on the frontlines to stop the invading forces before we lose more Captains!
Star Trek Online is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game where players can pioneer their own destiny as Captain of a Federation starship, become a Klingon Warrior and champion the Empire through the far reaches of the galaxy, rebuild the Romulan legacy as the commander of a Romulan Republic Warbird, or serve the Founders in a new era as the perfect soldiers, the Jem’Hadar. In Star Trek Online, players have the opportunity to visit iconic locations from the popular Star Trek universe, reach out to unexplored star systems, and make contact with new alien species. Star Trek Online is currently available on PC, PlayStation4 and Xbox One. To download and play Star Trek Online today for free, visit www.playstartrekonline.com.
-
The stars were out at Star Trek Las Vegas on Thursday, day two of the mega-event, as Jason Isaacs made his Trek convention debut, much of the Voyager and Enterprise casts reunited, and Marina Sirtis and Mary Chieffo teamed up for a powerful Women of Trek panel. StarTrek.com checked it all, we’re pleased to share just a few of the exciting highlights.
Voyager Panel
Though, as always, Ethan Phillips had his old co-stars and the audience cracking up, the Voyager panel – which included Phillips, Robert Beltran, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang and Jeri Ryan, with Chase Masterson moderating – was a more serious affair than usual. The conversation covered love, acceptance, tolerance and, yes, politics.
“We really had everybody on the show,” Wang said. “We had a nice mixture of ethnicities.”
Russ concurred, saying “And a female captain.”
“We have to learn to embrace each other,” Ryan said, “and not be afraid of people who are different.”
Beltran has never been shy about his frustrations over the lack of character development for Chakotay. Asked what he took away from the experience, he replied, “You had to learn to modify any angst or you had. It taught me to be more patient, even though I wasn’t always. And how to negotiate with your fellow human beings.”
Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs exploded onto the stage for his panel and never for a second did his energy flag. He was funny, profane, blunt and entertaining as could be, even opening fortune cookies and reading (or making up) their fortunes.
“I understand Lorca,” he explained. “I try never to take a part that’s a villain – in quotes, with a capital V. They’re always people who think they’re doing the right thing. And the worst people in history thought they were doing the right thing. If I can justify what the character is doing, then I think I can play it in a way that we recognize. We all think we’re doing the right thing, every single day.”
“There are no pockets in space,” he observed of Discovery’s tight uniforms. “What am I supposed to do with my hands?!”
“I think, in the Mirror Universe, frankly, Lorca’s approach is perfectly valid,” the actor said. “And I’m terrified that we’re drifting towards the Mirror Universe in the world. And that’s why I support these cautionary tales on the screen.”
Inside Trek: Discovery Storytelling
The minds behind some of Trek’s most-popular comic books, novels and video games shared a stage to discuss how they’ve developed Discovery-based content. On hand were Mike Johnson of IDW Publishing, Al Rivera of Star Trek Online, Ed Schlesinger of Simon & Schuster and Erin Prince of Star Trek: Timelines with John Van Citters of CBS Consumer Products serving as moderator.
“They all take place prior to the Battle of the Binary Stars,” Schlesinger noted of Simon & Schuster’s Discovery novels. “They are an extension of the characters.”
Prince elicited a knowing chuckle from the crowd with this comment about Timelines: “When in doubt, we blame Q, actually.”
"With Discovery, it's like laying down the tracks as the train is coming, but it's exciting to us," Al Rivera of Star Trek Online commented.
Mike Johnson of IDW Publishing told the audience that he really enjoyed collaborating with everybody, particularly author Kirsten Beyer.
Ferengi Family
Rom, Nog and Leeta – or Max Grodenchik, Aron Eisenberg and Chase Masterson in costume and makeup --reunited, which thrilled the crowd on the main stage. And their natural rapport remains as strong as ever, years after DS9 faded to black.
Masterson’s favorite moment was an easy one: “I loved when Leeta wanted to stay with Rom,” she shared. “To be so in love and see so clearly the beauty in Rom. To see how you became the man that you are… that was worth everything to me. You were going to be my man forever.”
“Rom’s heart is open,” Grodenchik noted. “And I hope some of that openness comes from me.”
“We were so fortunate to have what we had,” an emotional Eisenberg said. “And so blessed.”
Women of Trek
The female characters of Star Trek – and the women who played them – have inspired countless young ladies over the past 52 years. Three of those young ladies -- (Amy Imhoff, Shoes & Starships), Sue Kisenwether (Women at Warp podcast) and Sarah Guide (Nerd Camp) – joined formidable Trek stars Marina Sirtis and Mary Chieffo for an illuminating, thoughtful, empowering conversation about women in Trek.
Sirtis discussed what it was like growing up in a strict Greek household, her mom attempting to set up an arranged marriage and how she quickly made it known that it was not happening.
Chieffo stated that "There were no boundaries to what I was capable of. They were always encouraging” on how her parents helped mold her into the woman she is today.
Of course, there was tons more to see, hear and experience, and StarTrek.com documented it with some of our favorite photos of the day...The Big KHAAAAAAAAAAAN-Test
May they live long and prosper.
In a moment they'll never forget, David Wendelburg and Teresa Pitts got engaged at STLV 2018.
Fans summoned their inner Shatner and let ‘er rip during this fun-filled, high-decibel challenge.
And the winner was…Doug Glen.
Fun with Kirk and Spock
The very funny Robb Pearlman, author of the several lighthearted Trek books, guided the crowd on the CBS All Access stage in creating their very own Fun with Kirk and Spock tale.
Starfleet Academy Spelling Bee
Jordan Hoffman led the proceedings as fan after fan stepped up to the mic to spell Trek words of increasing difficulty.
Our favorite was Gilligan – yes, that Gilligan – spelling Bat’leth.
Cosplayers back in action
Click HERE for our Day One highlights recap, and keep an eye on StarTrek.com for our ongoing coverage of STLV 2018.
-
Star Trek Las Vegas is officially underway, with thousands of fans beaming in from all over the world and ready for five days of nonstop, wall-to-wall Trek activities spanning from star-studded panels to parties, and from cosplaying and photo ops to autograph sessions. StarTrek.com will be in the house all five days, live tweeting and providing daily recaps. And we start right now with Wednesday’s highlights.
Deep Space Nine Celebration Kickoff
It’s the 25th anniversary of DS9, and STLV will mark the occasion the entire weekend, with most of the cast joining in on the fun and Ira Steven Behr heading up a panel devoted to the upcoming documentary, What We Left Behind. But it started today with Colm Meaney, making a rare convention appearance, during which he was joined by Hana Hatae, his DS9 daughter, Molly, and moderator Ian Spelling.
The two played off each other charmingly, with Meaney laughing and shaking his head in amazement when Hatae noted that she started on the show at age 4, and she’s now 30. Of her time on DS9, she recalled that “everyone treated me like a princess,” but especially Meaney and Rosalind Chao. “Colm and Rosalind were my second parents; honestly, they really were. They both treated me like their daughter.”
A fan posed a great question to Meaney. Why did TNG even need a chief engineer? Shouldn’t they have had voice-activated transporters? “Because I’d have been out of work!” Meaney replied. “Have you created a voice controller that works with a transporter, or are you still working on that?” He paused for effect and added, “If there was a real one, I guess I would have spent more time in the holodeck playing games with Julian.”
The Guest Stars of Trek
It was a guestapalooza for part 1 of "Guest Stars of TOS" on the main stage as Chase Masterson, in her STLV moderating debut, welcomed Celeste Yarnall, Michael Forest, Nathan Jung, Phil Adams, Kellie Flanagan, Iona Morris and Phil Morris.
Another unique guest panel, "Guest Stars of the Trek Universe, Part 1" brought together six guests from across the Trek spectrum: Catherine Hicks, Martha Hackett, Dina Meyer, Steve Rankin, Kate Vernon and Michael Welch.
Hackett had auditioned for the role of Jadzia Dax. She wasn’t sure how close she’d come to winning it, but feels “Dax is Terry, and Terry is Dax.” Clearly, the producers and casting directors were impressed, as Hackett later landed the “super-delicious” recurring role of Seska on Deep Space Nine.
Ready to feel old? Welch played Artim, the little boy who befriended Data in Star Trek: Insurrection. That little boy is married now and is the father of a seven-month-old infant daughter.
Deja Q
It was QvQ when, for the very first time ever, John de Lancie and Corbin Bernsen shared a stage to recount their experience shooting the TNG episode “Q2” nearly 30 years ago. The two veteran actors traded memories and quips, much to their amusement and that of everyone in the house.
Bernsen, speaking of his role as Q2, said, “It gets philosophical… How can I be smarter than pure truth?
De Lancie shared his view on acting: “Turn the sound off. If you’re getting a lot of the character without sound… that’s acting. Acting adds that third dimension.”
Inside Trek: Star Trek Ship Design
Fans heard informative anecdotes from the Treksperts who bring to life their favorite Trek games, collectibles and more. On the panel were Joe Beaudoin of ANOVOS, Kevin Dilmore of Hallmark, Thomas Marrone of Perfect World, Erin Prince of Disruptor Beam and Ben Robinson of Eaglemoss, with John Van Citters of CBS Consumer Products moderating.
Marrone described how he knows a ship is ready, "I know a design is ready when I look at it and I can hear theme music."
Dilmore, discussing Hallmark’s Trek ornaments, explained, “Our goal is to use starships to capture memories.”
Still Outrageous
The lights went down in the main theater at 5 p.m. and on came “The Outrageous Okona.” Following the screening, fans were treated to a panel featuring Brent Spiner and that episode’s guest star, Joe Piscopo. The two swapped stories about making the episode, their careers and more, but the highlight was all the amusing conversation about Frank Sinatra.
Spiner recounted a long, amusing anecdote about seeing Sinatra in Vegas with Michael Dorn and Jonathan Frakes.
Piscopo, of course, was famous for his Sinatra-approved Sinatra imitation on Saturday Night Live and in his standup act. Piscopo then entertained the crowd with his still-spot-on Sinatra imitation and even broke into song a la Ol’ Blue Eyes.
Of course, there was tons more to see, hear and experience, and StarTrek.com documented it with some of our favorite photos of the day.
Cosplayers strutted their stuff and showed off their ingenuity and creativity.
Over on the CBS All Access Stage, Voyager cosplayers gathered for a photo op.
The Star Trek: Discovery Mirror Universe Museum, not surprisingly, is a hit with fans who checked out all the cool Terran items and posed for pics on Emperor Georgiou’s throne.
One Trek Mind Live: Top 10 Space Animals
Jordan Hoffman was back where he belonged, gleefully leading the frenzied debate as fans picked Trek’s 10 Best Space Animals. A few dozen options were considered, and we wonder if you’ll have any Tribble at all with the results...
Exclusives & SigningsJohn Eaves, author of Titan Books’ upcoming The Art of John Eaves, will be signing U.S.S. Shenzhou concept art on a complimentary basis, on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Away Mission Booth (located directly across from Titan’s booth in the dealers’ room).
FanSets
FanSets will have Sisko 2018 STLV Poker Chip Pins ($15), To Boldly Go Black and White (limited to 200 pieces; $20), DS9 25th Anniversary Set (limited to 176; $225); and William Shatner Autograph Pin #1 (limited to 100 pieces; $150).
Titan
Titan has at their booth a very fun STLV 2018 Exclusive: a 3” Michael Burnham Titan Figure (with her own phaser accessory), as well as a 4.5” U.S.S. Discovery NCC-1031. Fans can also pick up a copy of an Exclusive Show Cover edition of Star Trek: Discovery – The Official Companion Magazine, filled with great photos, detailed episode breakdowns, interviews and articles exploring elements including scripts, production design and visual effects.
Eaglemoss
Eaglemoss has beamed into STLV with new Discovery ships, busts and a limited-edition debut.
Visit their booth to check out a U.S.S. Glenn NCC-1030 variant, the U.S.S. Europa NCC-1648, the Vulcan Cruiser, and all-new line of busts featuring Kirk, Spock, Worf and Data. And, everyone who visits the Eaglemoss booth can enter to win one of 500 prizes. The grand prize? An ultimate Voyage for two aboard Star Trek: The Cruise III.
Keep an eye on StarTrek.com for our coverage of STLV 2018.
-
New Star Trek novels -- including a Tilly-centric Discovery adventure -- are on the way in 2019 from Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books, it was announced today by Simon & Schuster's Star Trek editor, Ed Schlesinger, during the Inside Trek: Star Trek Authors & Their Books panel at Star Trek Las Vegas. Schlesinger -- who was joined on stage by authors Dayton Ward and Robb Pearlman, as well as moderator John Van Citters of CBS -- revealed the first three titles in the S&S slate of Trek novels for 2019, and StarTrek.com is pleased to share the details with readers.
The January 2019 title will be Star Trek: Discovery: The Way to the Stars, by Una McCormack. Here's the official synopsis:
Despite being an inexperienced Starfleet cadet, Sylvia Tilly became essential to the U.S.S. Discovery finding its way back home from the Mirror Universe. But how did she find that courage? From where did she get that steel? Who nurtured that spark of brilliance? The Way to the Stars recounts for fans everywhere the untold story of Tilly’s past.
It’s not easy being sixteen, especially when everyone expects great things from Tilly. It’s even harder when her mother and father are Federation luminaries, not to mention pressing her to attend one of the best schools that the Federation has to offer. Tilly wants to achieve great things — even though she hasn’t quite worked out how to do that or what it is she wants to do. But this year, everything will change for Tilly, as she about to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime — an adventure that will take her ever closer to the stars…
Up next, and due for release as the March 2019 title will be Star Trek: The Original Series: The Antares Maelstrom, by Greg Cox. The synopsis reads as follows: Baldur-3 is an obscure planet just beyond the outer fringes of Federation space, until a group of struggling colonists discover vast quantities of the energy source pergium beneath the planet’s surface. An old-fashioned “gold rush” is now underway—a chaotic situation, as neighboring planets and space stations are vastly ill-equipped to deal with the flood of vessels and aliens competing to get to the planet in time to stake their claims. Although Baldur-3 isn’t technically under Federation jurisdiction, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise are soon diverted to deal with the crisis . . . one which lies on the other side of the dangerous area of space known as the Antares Maelstrom.
And, in April 2019, fans will be treated to Star Trek: The Next Generation: Available Light, by Dayton Ward. Per the publisher: As fallout from the exposure of the “Control” AI security program and the unchecked crimes of Section 31 spans the entire Alpha Quadrant and ultimately reaches the halls of Starfleet Command, the admiralty must decide what the consequences will be for their own… including Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who helped bring down a Federation president and violated the principles of his oath. Meanwhile, deep in the unexplored section of space known as the Odyssean Pass, Picard and the Enterprise crew must put aside personal feelings on the matter and distant political concerns as they investigate the mystery a centuries-old massive spacecraft adrift in the void and under attack from marauders looking to claim the ship for themselves—and armed with weapons that are evenly matched with Starfleet’s finest…
Keep an eye on StarTrek.com for additional details about Simon & Schuster's upcoming Star Trek books for 2019.
-
NetDragon and the Smithsonian Institution have unveiled Learning for a Small World, the first Star Trek online learning platform. Putting a fresh spin on adult lifelong learning, the new, interactive, community-based learning platform will launch with “Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology,” a six-week program that celebrates at Star Trek’s cultural and technological impact.
“Star Trek: Inspiring Culture and Technology” shines a light on the social issues and futuristic technology issues that remain top of mind today, among them runaway artificial intelligence, eugenics, discrimination and racial tensions, and even examinations of the nature of perception and what it means to be human. The course takes a deep look at how the show, and its fans, both reflected the times and foreshadowed scientific achievements we take for granted and the cultural challenges we face today.
Dr. Margaret Weitekamp, a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, and Scott Mantz, formerly of Access Hollywood, are co-teaching the online course. It features artifacts on display in Washington DC, behind-the-scenes looks at Smithsonian collections, and a range of experts from the Smithsonian Institution, academia, and the scientific community.
“This online course offers a great way to experience the National Air and Space Museum’s approach to artifacts and history from the comfort of your own home,” said Weitekamp. “It’s a wonderful example of the Smithsonian Institution’s commitment to reaching beyond the walls of our museums to educate and inspire.”
Dejian Liu, founder of NetDragon and chairman of the board, makes an appearance in the course describing the impact Star Trek had on him personally, inspiring him to have a successful career in technology. As living, dramatic evidence of the impact Star Trek can have, part of the NetDragon headquarters in China’s Fujian Province was built as a life-size replica of the Starship Enterprise.
LearningforaSmallWorld.com will deliver learning experiences in a non-traditional manner. Courses will allow users to experience learning variety of ways, from video and audio to text and live interviews: learning on demand, any time, any place. Later this fall, Learning for a Small World will offer additional courses that will tackle difficult subjects, such as fake news, genomics, and the phenomenon of eSports.
For additional details about “Star Trek: Influencing Science and Culture” and Learning for a Small World, visit www.LearningforaSmallWorld.com.
-
Star Trek Las Vegas 2018 is sure to generate its share of indelible moments. The event has done so every year, of course. So, as StarTrek.com prepares to cover this year’s unforgettable highlights, we thought we’d share a look back at a few previous iconic STLV moments. Enjoy…
Mae and Nichelle
Mae Jemison, the dynamic scientist, astronaut and TNG guest star – who grew up loving Star Trek and idolizing Nichelle Nichols – shared the stage with Nichols during the very first main stage panel at Star Trek Las Vegas 2017.Neville and Glenn… and the Klingons
Also, during STLV 2017, fans got their first-ever deep dive into Star Trek: Discovery with four solid hours of Discovery panels. Among the sessions was a talk with Neville Page and Glenn Hetrick about designing the creatures of Discovery, including Saru and the Klingons.
Whoopi and the Guinans
Trek fans, for years and years, hoped Whoopi Goldberg would make a STLV appearance. She finally did at STLV 2016 and did not disappoint. She embraced the moment, was funny and blunt during her panel, was surprised on stage by her dear friend and inspiration, Nichelle Nichols, and she met a whole lot of Guinans.MAC in the Box
MAC celebrated Trek’s 50th anniversary with a line of Trek-themed makeups, and they invaded STLV 2016 with an awesome, massive Enterprise-style cosmetics station. Fans enjoyed makeovers and cosplay fine-tuning, as well as a cosplay panel, and a couple of Trek celebs, including Denise Crosby, stopped by for a visit.The Big 5-0
STLV 2016 toasted Trek’s landmark 50th anniversary with five days of nonstop fun, and the fans got into the spirit of the occasion accordingly, going cosplay-crazy, and welcoming many of their favorite actors to the stage, including Kirstie Alley, who, like Whoopi Goldberg, made her long-awaited STLV debut. 
Fans also showed love for the late Anton Yelchin by signing a massive memorial for the actor.
TNG Cast Reunion
STLV 2017 celebrated the 30th anniversary of TNG with an extended reunion panel featuring nearly the entire TNG cast. On hand were Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby and John de Lancie.Voyager Cast Reunites
STLV 2015 was the place to be for Voyager fans, as Creation Entertainment welcomed to the stage for a revealing, laugh-filled 20th anniversary panel nearly the entire cast: Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Roxann Dawson, Tim Russ, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, Garrett Wang, Robert Duncan McNeill and Robert Beltran.Thank You, Trimbles
You might not be reading StarTrek.com and there might not be any modern Trek were it not for the efforts and Bjo and John Trimble, revered as the Fans Who Saved Star Trek by spearheading the letter-writing campaign that secured Trek’s future. During STLV 2016, the Trimbles were tricked into being honored on stage by John Van Citters of CBS, who thanked them and presented the couple with a painting of them by JK Woodward.The Sulus
It was Sulu and Sulu together for the very first time ever at STLV 2011. That’s when George Takei, Trek’s original Sulu, and John Cho, our current Sulu, joined forces for an important, informative and entertaining joint appearance.Keep an eye on StarTrek.com for our coverage of STLV 2018.
-
IDW Publishing’s latest Star Trek: Discovery installment, Succession #4, arrives in stores on Wednesday. Written by the combination of Mike Johnson and Kirsten Beyer, with the cover and art by Angel Hernandez, Succession #4 unfolds in the Mirror Universe, where the heroic characters you thought you knew care only for power and glory. And in this, the final issue of Succession, read on as Michael Burnham engages in the fight of her life. StarTrek.com has a First Look at the cover as well as preview pages.
Star Trek: Discovery: Succession #4 will run 32 pages and cost $3.99.
Fans should also be on the lookout for these photo cover and variant covers by Nick Roche, and Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire:
For additional details, contact your local comic book retailer or visit www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you. And keep an eye on StarTrek.com for additional details about the IDW's upcoming Star Trek adventures, as well as exclusive First Looks at covers and preview pages.
-
Hello, StarTrek.com readers:
Boldly see what no one has seen before! In this month’s Planetary Post, be among the first to check out a brand-new image of Saturn. Join me as I visit the Space Telescope Science Institute to find out how those spectacular Hubble images are created and why satellite data is a treasure trove for future generations.
So, please watch the video -- and just tell them The Doctor sent you. And to learn more about the Planetary Society, go to planetary.org.
Robert Picardo
-
Which captain is the most intimidating? That's the question we posed for our latest StarTrek.com poll, and we apparently intimidated thousands of fans into replying, choosing from Archer, Janeway, Kirk, Lorca, Picard and Sisko. Here are the results:
Sisko (37%)
Picard (22%)
Lorca (18%)
Janeway (12%)
Kirk (9%)
Archer (2%)
Be sure to vote in this week's poll...
-
It may be hard to believe, but young Ensign Wesley Crusher is 46 years old today. Well, truth be told it’s his earthly alter-ego Wil Wheaton who is 46. Who’s to say how old Wesley is as he travels time and space with the Traveler? We watched him develop from a young Ensign, unsure of his place on the bridge and the U.S.S. Enterprise-D to a determined young man eager to make his mark in the galaxy. Here, to celebrate Wheaton’s birthday and the fact that he’ll be setting sail next year on Star Trek: The Cruise III, are the 6 Best Wesley Crusher Moments.
1 - Saving The Captain
Season Four: “Final Mission”We step forward almost half a decade to season four and “Final Mission,” where we find Picard, Wesley and shuttle Captain Dirgo lost on the desert moon of Lambda Paz. His captain injured and Dirgo ignoring any of his suggestions, Wesley is forced to grow up fast while the bond between his captain and the cadet grew ever stronger. With Dirgo dead at the hands of a strange force field that protected a water spring – water they desperately needed to survive – Wesley used his famous ingenuity to side-step the field, get the water and give it to his captain before the Enterprise swooped in to save the day and Wesley continued on to Starfleet Academy in search of a new path.
2 - Resistance Is Fertile
Season One: “When the Bough Breaks”The season-one episode “When The Bough Breaks” saw a young Wesley lead an unlikely revolution of sorts. After being kidnapped by the desperate and infertile Aldean society, he persuaded his fellow captives to go on hunger strike, a passive but effective display of resistance that was most certainly not futile. Despite being snatched from his mother and his friends aboard the Enterprise, he felt sympathy and compassion for their plight, a problem which his mother Beverley Crusher identified as being caused by their planetary cloaking device, which affected the ozone layer. The eldest of the children held captive, Wesley displayed early command potential as he played big brother to this captive kindergarten.
3 - Bursting the Bubble
Season Four: “Remember Me”While his youthful enthusiasm caused him issues at times, Wesley was a problem solver at heart, and that was never better displayed than in the season-four episode “Remember Me.” Innocently causing the initial circumstances that created a shrinking static warp shell around the Enterprise-D, Wesley worked like a Trojan to figure out a solution while his mother was trapped within the shell as it shrank the known universe down and down, erasing people from its pocket history. With impeccable timing, the mysterious Traveler returned, helping Wesley to craft a solution and by “looking beyond the numbers” figured out a way to rescue Beverley before the static warp shell collapsed, taking her with it. If there was a moment where Wesley’s future destiny as a Traveler was sealed, this was it.
4 - Kiss Chase
Season Five: “The Game”With Wesley away from his regular duties aboard the Enterprise-D and away at the Academy, you could have been forgiven for thinking we would see far less of young Mister Crusher, but his welcome returns to the ship and the show always allowed room for growth. Season five’s “The Game” – the one where Riker brought back an addictive game from the love planet of Risa – saw Wesley and many of the crew become enthralled by this eye-popping pastime, but not before Wes and Ensign Robin Lefler figured out that the game had psychotropic addictive properties. Evading the now-brainwashed crew, Wesley saved the day and even got a kiss for his troubles from Robin as his vacation ended and he returned to Starfleet Academy.
5 – Taking the Stand
Season Five: “The First Duty”Still young, still impressionable, Wesley bowed to peer pressure, and the result of that was the death of a young cadet in a flight training accident. Or was it an accident? Leaned upon by an older cadet, Wesley is complicit in the cover-up to keep the truth from leaking out – that five Starfleet cadets attempted a banned maneuver that led to the death of one of the five. Torn between loyalty to his peers and the responsibility of telling the truth that his uniform and prior experience required of him, Wesley learned a harsh lesson about the dangers of misplaced loyalty.
6 – Time Traveler
Season One: “Where No One Has Gone Before”
Season Seven: “Journey’s End”If nothing else showed just how special Wesley was, it was the appearance and return of the mysterious Traveler. Clearly seeing a different destiny for the young Starfleet ensign, the Traveler pushed and encouraged his growth, to see beyond the veil of reality into different corners of the cosmos. From their first meeting in season one’s “Where No One Has Gone Before” - when Wesley came to the conclusion that time, space and thought were all connected - to his life-changing decision to leave with the Traveler in season seven’s “Journey's End” to visit different planes of existence, we saw the development of Wesley through the seven seasons of the show. His wide-eyed love of science, his ability to see the kernel of the problem at hand, his willingness to take chances and take responsibility for them when they went wrong, all as his amazing skills bubbled under the surface, as special as Mozart with his own unique destiny.
Mark Newbold has been an avid Trek fan since the 1970's, when TOS was shown on UK TV, but it was the original cast movie series and TNG era that sealed the deal. Mark is a writer for Star Trek The Official Magazine, is editor-in-Chief of Star Trek: The Neutral Zone and was a stage host at Destination Star Trek Germany in 2018. At heart, he's a Niner. Follow him on Twitter.
-
Young Star Trek fans and longtime fans who are young at heart will surely want to add a pair of upcoming books to their collection. I Am Mr. Spock and I Am Captain Kirk, both due out in January, 2019, will kick off a series of Star Trek Little Golden Books. StarTrek.com is pleased to give fans First Looks at the books and share details about their contents.
The official synopsis of I Am Mr. Spock reads, "A logical, brave, and brainy science officer, Spock is the pointy-eared Vulcan who completes the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise on its five-year mission. Star Trek fans of all ages will love this action-packed Little Golden Book based on the classic TV series.This book will tell them everything they need to know about one of the most famous aliens of all time -- with its fun, lighthearted text and unique retro art style."
I Am Mr. Spock will join fellow Star Trek Little Golden Book, I Am Captain Kirk.
The official I Am Captain Kirk synopsis reads: "Whether making strange new discoveries at the farthest reaches of the galaxy or facing off against Klingons and other alien races, find out what makes Captain James T. Kirk the most famous starship captain ever. Star Trek fans of all ages will love this action-packed Little Golden Book featuring Captain Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise from the classic TV series in a unique retro art style."
Fans can pre-order I Am Mr. Spock" and I Am Captain Kirk on www.Amazon.com.
-
CherryTree, the team behind the popular Borg Cube VR virtual reality-capable gaming system and an upcoming new Borg electronics line, and Star Trek composer Michael Giacchino are joining forces with Education Through Music-Los Angeles for a charity auction -- to be held on Friday evening at Star Trek Las Vegas -- that will benefit ETM-LA, whose mission is to promote and provide music in disadvantaged schools as part of the core curriculum in order to enhance students' academic achievement and creative and overall development. ETM-LA partners with low-income area elementary and middle schools across Los Angeles County that lack the resources for school-wide music programs.
Up for auction is a Borg Cube PC -- featuring an Intel Core i3-8350k, GeForce GTX 1080Ti, 18 GB RAM and 128 GB M.2 SSD -- signed by several Star Trek notables, with additional signatures to be added during Star Trek Las Vegas.
Michael Giacchino
J. J. Abrams
LeVar Burton
James Cromwell
John Cho
Michael Horton
Trek composer Giacchino began working with ETM-LA ten years ago and has become an active member of their advisory board. “What some people seem to forget about child development is that while math and science are essential components of early education, so are the arts," Giacchino said. "In fact, I would argue that without a proper education in music and art, your math and science skills are harder to attain. Music and art are not just frivolous playtime for the kids, they are essential to a well-rounded education and intrinsic to the life experience; teaching us to relate to our world in invaluable ways. I fully support the work of Executive Director Victoria Lanier, her tireless commitment has served countless number of students, giving them an opportunity to express themselves through music. I was fortunate to always have music education as a part of my life growing up, it is so satisfying that we can provide music programs for those who would otherwise not have them.”
For more information about Education Through Music-Los Angeles, visit etmla.org.The auction will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 3, in the DeForest Kelley Theater (Brasilia Ballroom) at the Rio Suites Hotel, with Giacchino on hand for the event. Fans can bid on the one-of-a-kind autographed Borg Cube both in person and online, and those in Vegas will also be among the first to see the new Borg electronics line from CherryTree. Go to mycherrytree.com for additional details about the auction and click the Sign Up button to register for the live and online versions of the auction; fans in Vegas can also register at the CherryTree booth.
-
Star Trek Online will follow Star Trek: Discovery into the binary star system this fall with the multi-part adventure, Age of Discovery, it’s been announced by Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of free-to-play MMORPGs, and Cryptic Studios. The PC version of the Star Trek-based free-to-play MMORPG’s first Discovery installment will allow Star Trek Online players to create a Federation Captain from Star Trek: Discovery and join forces with Starfleet Academy Cadet Sylvia Tilly, voiced by Mary Wiseman.
Further, Age of Discovery’s first installment will introduce a new Discovery-era tutorial, two episodes, new Reputation Tiers, an added Task Force Operation and several other new gameplay features.
Age of Discovery opens in the year 2256, just after the Battle at the Binary Stars. In the wake of a brutal war against the Klingons, Starfleet Captains now face J’Ula, matriarch of the House of Mo’Kai and sister of T’Kuvma, who seeks to alter the destiny of the Alpha Quadrant. Players must rely on the help of fellow Starfleet Academy Cadet Sylvia Tilly (voiced by Mary Wiseman), who has come home to assist with training and see them off on their first assignment. From there, they will journey to iconic locations from Star Trek: Discovery, like the Dilithium Mines of Corvan II, explore the new experimental Crossfield class Starship, the U.S.S. Glenn, and defend Starbase 1 from a fearsome attack by the Klingon House of D’Ghor.
Additional details – including the release date for Age of Discovery’s first installment on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation4 – will be announced later this year.
Star Trek Online is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game that allows players to explore the Star Trek universe from within. Players can forge their own destiny as Captain of a Federation starship, champion the Empire through the far reaches of the galaxy as a Klingon Warrior, rebuild the Romulan legacy as the commander of a Romulan Republic Warbird or carry out daring missions on behalf of the Dominion as a Jem’Hadar soldier. Captains can also explore iconic locations from the Star Trek universe, make contact with new alien species and battle alongside other players in customizable starships. Star Trek Online is currently available on PC, PlayStation4 and Xbox One. To download and play Star Trek Online today for free, visit www.playstartrekonline.com.Star Trek: Discovery's first season is available on CBS All Access in the U.S. and Space Channel in Canada. It's available on Netflix in the rest of the world.
-
StarTrek.com is saddened to report the passing of Douglas Grindstaff, an Emmy Award-winning sound editor and designer whose many credits included Star Trek: The Original Series. Grindstaff died of natural causes on Monday, July 23, at the age of 87, his family confirmed to StarTrek.com.
Grindstaff teamed with Joseph Sorokin and Jack Finlay to deliver all of the memorable, often quirky, background sounds and effects viewers heard throughout the run of Star Trek: The Original Series. He did not win an Emmy for his Trek work, but earned a 1967 nomination in the Individual Achievements in Film and Sound Editing category for his efforts. The iconic sounds in which he had a hand included the red alert klaxon, bridge doors opening/closing, heartbeats, sickbay scanners, communicator beeps, phasers firing, transporter materialization/dematerialization, Tribble coos, boatswain whistles, etc.
Over the course of more than half a century, Grindstaff amassed 50-plus film and television credits. Among them were Mission: Impossible, The Brady Bunch, Cross Creek, Max Headroom, Dallas, and Knot’s Landing.
“It’s difficult to overestimate the importance of Doug Grindstaff and his colleagues to the world of Star Trek,” Mike Okuda told StarTrek.com. “Grindstaff was among the first to use imaginative sound effects to create virtual environments, not only for each area of the Enterprise, but for the alien planets visited by Kirk and company.”
“Whenever I hear those multifarious hums and beeps of the Enterprise bridge,” Denise Okuda commented to StarTrek.com, “I’m instantly immersed in the world of the 23rd century, thanks to the genius of Doug Grindstaff.”
Please join StarTrek.com in offering our condolences to Grindstaff’s family, friends, colleagues and fans.
-
And now it can be revealed. Alex Kurtzman announced at San Diego Comic-Con that four Star Trek: Short Treks would herald season two of Star Trek: Discovery, one each focusing on Saru, Tilly and Harry Mudd, with Rainn Wilson reprising his role as Mudd and directing that episode. It's since been confirmed that Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon has written the fourth installment, "Calypso."
Chabon broke the news on Instagram, noting that he was on the set in Toronto for the three-day-long filming of the episode, which stars "the blazingly talented" Aldis Hodge and was directed by "the brilliant" Olatunde Osunsanmi, who helmed the season-one Discovery episode, "Butcher's Knife Cares Not For The Lamb's Cry, The." Hodge, whose credits include Leverage, Straight Outta Compton and Underground, will play a character named Craft, who will be new to the world of Discovery.
Star Trek: Discovery's first season is available on CBS All Access in the U.S. and Space Channel in Canada. It's available on Netflix in the rest of the world.
-
Michael Dorn spent countless hours in a makeup chair in order to play Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation and on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. But he also spent quite a bit of time directing Trek episodes. He called the shots on DS9's “In the Cards,” “Inquisition” and “When It Rains...,” as well as the Star Trek: Enterprise installment, “Two Days and Two Nights.” Dorn, like a number of his fellow Trek actors turned directors, prepped for his helming stints by going through Trek’s unofficial directors’ school. StarTrek.com recently chatted with him about his initial interest in directing, experiencing the directors’ school, bringing his four episodes to the screen and his hope of directing again soon. Here’s what he had to say…
At what point did you realize you wanted to direct? Was it while you were still on TNG?
Actually, that's a very good question and there's a very long-winded story about it. When I got in the business, which was when I moved back from San Francisco – had to be 1976 or so -- that's what I wanted to do, direct. I was trying to get in the business and a good friend of mine from high school, his dad was assistant director on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. They said, "Hey Michael, there's a little position opening. Would you like to come and work on the show?" I said, "Yeah, but I really want to direct." They said, "Well do this and then you can see what the business is like. You can get behind the scenes and shadow and do all that stuff." I said, "Great." I had no intention of acting.
In the middle of working on the show, they wanted me to stand in for a guest actor who had to go to the hospital. I did it. We did a run-through, and since I’d worked with the people for a year, I was comfortable. It wasn't a big deal. I did the lines and did the action. For two weeks after that, everybody was saying, "Michael, you've got to forget about directing, you’ve got to act. You really are good." What made me change my mind is they said, "Look, it's going to take you a long time to direct. It’s just the way it is. And in the meantime, you could act and make some money." Being a middle-class kid from Pasadena, I said, "OK, that sounds logical.”
You assumed you’d act for a couple of years, make some money and then devote yourself to acting, but the acting never went away, right?
Right. I was very fortunate because I always got great jobs, so I never had that moment where I went, “OK, now's the time to direct.” What happened next was, after my first year on Next Generation, the show was definitely going to go on and they were fairly happy with everybody. One of the producers says, "Oh, well, Michael, I guess you'll be wanting more money now.” He was just joking, but I said, "Well, actually, I want to direct." But it just didn’t work out that way because, in order to direct Next Generation, you had to go to the directing school we had, where, when you're not working, you spend time with the directors and editors and all that. But I was in makeup the whole time, five days a week, 15 hours a day. I just didn't have any time.
Can we assume, though, that when you moved over to DS9 you made it part of your contract that you’d get to direct?
Oh, yeah. I had one a year, is what they said. And they worked it out logistically because, on DS9, we didn’t have the bridge like we did on Next Generation, where most of the action took place. So, I didn’t need to be in every scene of DS9. That gave me the time to do the directing school stuff.
What do you remember of the process? Who were the directors you shadowed? What caught your eye as you observed them at work?
They all were really, really good. James Conway was one I shadowed. Gabrielle Beaumont, I shadowed her for a while. And most everybody else. Gabrielle Beaumont was really good. She was very calm and knew her stuff. I really liked Rick Kolbe a lot. I took a directing class in college, actually, so I always felt I had an eye for it. My professors were like, "Wow, Michael, you're good at this. You're really good at this. This is something you can do.”
What was toughest aspect, in terms of Trek, to grasp?
The thing that I found most challenging is the politics, of the business, the politics of each show. The directing part is easy for me and I can do it. The funny thing is that I learned that the first episode on Deep Space. And then when I did Enterprise, same thing. Even though these are people I've known for 20 years, it's a lot of politics, and you just have to navigate it.
You ultimately directed four episodes of Star Trek, “In the Cards,” “Inquisition” and “When It Rains” for DS9 and “Two Days and Two Nights” for Enterprise. We’re not going to ask you to go into detail on all of them, so let’s focus on your first one, "In the Cards." How helpful was it to you that it was a pretty cool script that flipped the A and B stories, and that it was a two-hander between Jake and Nog?
I've got to say I had a lot of good ideas, but a lot of times your good ideas are not what they're looking for, you know? Television is a producer's medium. But, I liked it. I thought it was a good story, a different episode than what they were doing. We’d been in the middle of getting our asses kicked around the galaxy, and here you have this lighthearted story about a Willie Mays baseball card. It was a very interesting dichotomy, and I like doing that stuff. The second one I did (“Inquisition”), I liked that better than the first, and the other two were interesting. But that first one, everyone was very helpful and very supportive. One thing I did learn from watching the other directors we had was that you can’t come in thinking you're going to order people around. That doesn't work well, especially with crews that’ve been together a long time. You basically come in and say, "OK, guys, let's jump into this thing.’ You allow people to do their job. I said, “Everybody is equal. Everybody has a say. If you have a concern, come to me. Let's get it done.” I think that helped. Plus, a big thing for me is I love problem-solving. Whenever someone said, "Oh, Michael, look…,” I’d say, "OK. Let's go through it. What can we do? Let’s talk it through."
You directed Louise Fletcher in that first episode. What was it like to give notes to an Oscar winner your first time out?
It was fairly daunting. I mean, come on, I saw Cuckoo's Nest and was blown away by it. And here I am going, "Now, Ms. Fletcher..." So, it was pretty wild.
You went on to direct other Trek episodes, a pilot you also acted in, and more. How pleased were you that you got your opportunity to start as a director on Star Trek? And do you still want to direct more?
Yes, I'm appreciative of getting to direct on Star Trek. And, yes, I want to direct more. I love sitcoms because it’s like doing a little play every week. It’s live, and there’s an audience. I think I have a real good talent for comedy, and people seem to think so, too. But, especially outside of Star Trek, I’d do an episode and they go, "Wow, Michael, that was wonderful. We gave you a really difficult episode and you did a great job. You're going to be working with us." And the show would get canceled. Or something wouldn't work out. That happened on VIP, with Pamela Anderson. The show ended. Then, I go to According to Jim, and the producer said, "Michael you've got to come and shadow. You could do this show." He knew my comedic stuff. I did the shadowing. ABC was into diversity. And something happened. I don't know what it was. They wouldn't hire me for the show. OK.
A few of the producers from that show, they go do Hope & Faith. I go there, I shadow, and I direct an episode. It's a show with montages and stunts and people getting sprayed with water. I do it, it's funny, on time, no overtime. They said, "Michael, plan on spending six months in New York because you're going to do it." Great. The show gets canceled. But, yes, I still totally want to direct, and especially now because a lot of the networks have an edict about diversity. When I was directing, they did not have that edict. Now, they do, and I have experience directing. So, hopefully I will get back into it soon.
-
Who would you bring with you on a mission to an unexplored planet? StarTrek.com asked that very question for our weekly poll and gave fans the following to choose from: A group of red shirts, Data, Kira Nerys, Saru, Seven of Nine, Spock, T'Pol, Uhura and Worf. The data is in, and one character won by a landslide...
Data (45%)
Spock (18%)
Seven of Nine (15%)
A group of red shirts (7%)
Worf (7%)
T'Pol (4%)
Kira Nerys (3%)
Uhura (1%)
Sara (1%)
And how did your character of choice fare?
Be sure to vote in this week's poll...
Discovery Cast Closes Out STLV
in Star Trek: Discovery
Posted
And that’s a wrap. After five days packed with franchise-spanning panels, events, contests, autograph/photograph opportunities and one absolutely massive surprise – Jean-Luc Picard is back! – Star Trek Las Vegas ended on Sunday evening. StarTrek.com patrolled the sprawling convention space at the Rio and is here with our last look at part one of our last look at highlights and photos, starting with Discovery.
Main-Stage Disco
Fans were treated to several hours of Discovery-themed panels featuring the stars and creatives from the show. Up first was a panel featuring Wilson Cruz, Shazad Latif, Anthony Rapp and Mary Wiseman.
“I want Tilly to date like a ball of gas or something,” Wiseman said. “Or a ball of sound. And my parents don’t approve and I say, ‘You just don’t get gas!’”
A fan asked if there will be singing in season two, to which Rapp replied, “Are we allowed to say there’s a little bit of singing.”
Hetrick and Phillips
Discovery’s makeup and prosthetics guru, Glenn Hetrick, and the show’s costume designer, Gersha Phillips, split the hour on stage, with booth sharing cool images with fans and answering questions.
“HD presents all these challenges on how you make things look real,” explained Hetrick. Discussing the Klingons, he said, “It was Neville Page’s idea to put the Klingons in armor.”
Phillips was joined by two members of her team, Karen Lee and Carly Nicodemo. Asked by a fan what their favorite element of the show to work on was, the trio each replied, “Mirror Universe.”
Sonequa, Doug and Anson
“There were so many different species involved in that triangle,” Sonequa Martin-Green said, referring to Burnham, Tyler and L’Rell.
“I loved how complicated it was. I was painfully compelling and fulfilling to play as an actor.”
Anson Mount said, “Chris Hunter (Jeffrey Hunter’s son) came all the way to Comic-Con just to tell me that his father would have approved, and that meant so much.”
“Thank you for sharing your fears and anxiety with me during Star Trek Las Vegas and for telling me that Saru has been a beacon of hope for you,” Doug Jones offered. “I’ve been on the ride with you watching Saru overcome his fears and find a sense of courage and leadership.”
The Science of Star Trek: Discovery
Dr. Erin MacDonald took fans through the biology and physics behind Trek’s newest series, from multiverse theory and tardigrades to spore drives, mirror universes and DNA splicing. “One of the multiverses we see is a parallel universe,” Dr. MacDonald explained. “Saying it’s a mirror universe is multiplying it by minus-1.”
Discovery Snapshots
Mary Wiseman got in on the action at Star Trek Online’s panel devoted to their upcoming game, Age of Discovery. As you might imagine, Tilly will be among the featured characters.
Rekha Sharma joined Mary Wiseman on stage and confirmed she will be joining Age of Discovery early next year.
Discovery cast members, including Anthony Rapp, Sarah Mitich, Wilson Cruz, Sam Vartholomeos, Mary Wiseman, Shazad Latif, Rekha Sharma, Kenneth Mitchell and Mary Chieffo surprised cosplayers on stage during their photo op.
Click HERE to check out all our previous coverage of STLV.
View the full article