From Whence It Boldly Came

IN COMMON with football clubs and religious orders, Star Trek gets them young.

29 years after the original series, the new movie, Generations, continues the pattern of relentless hype. Recent pinnacles have included the cover of Time, an entire issue of Entertainment Weekly and the announcement that the Bank of Scotland is launching a Star Trek credit card. Yet for those who never got to grips with Star Trek: The Next Generation television series, Generations provides both a curious link with and departure point from Captain James T. Kirk and his crew, prior to an onslaught in which Paramount Pictures plans to release a Star Trek movie every two years in tandem with two television series running simultaneously, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager.

To understand the popularity of Star Trek, one needs to comprehend its context. Launched in 1966 against a background of some unintentionally hilarious and farcical movies of the science fiction genre, creator Gene Roddenberry injected the medium with a breath of fresh air by drawing on his experiences as an army and commercial pilot and a writer for series such as Dr. Kildare and Have Gun, Will Travel.

Outlining his vision for a new television series as early as 1964, Roddenberry presented his case to MGM. “The time is somewhere in the future. It could be 1995 or maybe even 2995. In other words, close enough to our own time for our continuing characters to be fully identifiable as people like us, but far enough into the future for galaxy travel to be thoroughly established, happily eliminating the need to encumber our stories with tiresome scientific explanation . . . The ‘parallel worlds’ concept is the key to the ‘Star Trek’ format . . . It makes production practical by permitting action-adventure science fiction at a practical budget figure via the use of available ‘Earth’ casting, sets, locations, costuming and so on.”

Although the first draft characterisations and the show’s format were quite different – and indeed were rejected by both MGM and CBS – Roddenberry’s concept of a space ship patrolling the galaxy with definite aims was evident at this embryonic stage. Earth security, scientific investigation and assistance to Earth colonies were at the crux of these voyages. Roddenberry’s specifications for this space ship are cited in The Star Trek Compendium (Titan) as: “Consistent with the equipment and limitations of your cruiser class vessel, you will confine your landings and contacts to planets approximating Earth-Mars conditions, life, and social orders’.

Via Desilu Studios (Paramount), who successfully approached NBC with his idea, Roddenberry set to work on a pilot show, ‘The Cage’, featuring one Captain Pike played by Jeffrey Hunter. Although they rejected the pilot, they were anxious to see more, but with alterations and refinements. Captain Pike became Captain Kirk, Hunter rejected the role, and Canadian William Shatner secured a part for which he was and will forever be typecast. Who else could utter those immortal words: “Space . . . the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilisations, to boldly go where no man has gone before . . .”

With its first aired programme, ‘The Man Trap’, Star Trek was up and running yet it was to have the axe hovering over its head for a long time due to negative press and low ratings. Its survival depended on its cult status as the fans wrote incessantly to NBC and prominent science fiction writers backed the show. Once it grabbed an audience, it seemed to possess addictive and even obsessive qualities.

With both burgeoning and established writers such as D.C. Fontana, Gene L. Coon, Robert ‘Psycho’ Bloch and Theodore Sturgeon being drafted in to script the actual episodes, the critical tide quickly turned. But although the first season was nominated for five Emmy awards, NBC bosses inexplicably placed its second series in 1967 in a Friday night slot, precisely the time at which its target audience would be kissing in the back row of the movies rather than staying in watching television. The all-important Nielsen rating, covering a broad cross-section of the television audience rather than attempting precise market segmentation, seemed to reinforce NBC’s stance and it stood firm for Star Trek’s third series by placing it, in Mr. Spock parlance, “illogically” at 10pm on Friday nights. And domestic video machines weren’t exactly plentiful in 1968.

On June 3rd 1969, American viewers saw the last aired original Star Trek episode, ‘Turnabout Intruder’, as NBC finally terminated the show. But Paramount, its production company, had other ideas. Spurred on by fan letters, conventions and fanzines, the show attracted a world market through massive syndication. This, it is worth remembering, against the background of real-life Apollo launches and Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon. Real people in the real world were curious about space and Star Trek was ideally placed to capitalise,

Merchandising of everything from badges to t-shirts blossomed and, although production of the series had long ceased, animation company Filmation Associates managed to convince Roddenberry, D.C. Fontana and the key cast members to continue the dream by producing 22 animated shows targeted at younger viewers and aired, ironically, by NBC.

During the screening of the animated series, lobbying continued in an attempt to reactivate the live-action series and, had Paramount Pictures not cancelled its plans to start its own television network, this would most certainly have happened. Instead, ten years after its television denouement, Paramount commissioned Star Trek – The Motion Picture. Released in 1979, this was the first of the silver screen adventures that continues with the current Generations, and which in the interim has seen Star Trek II – The Wrath Of Khan (1982), Star Trek III – The Search For Spock (1984), Star Trek IV – The Voyage Home (1986), Star Trek V – The Final Frontier (1989) and Star Trek VI – The Undiscovered Country (1991). These vary wildly in quality, with The Final Frontier (directed by William Shatner) an abysmal piece of work when set against the creative achievement and intensity of The Wrath Of Khan.

With Roddenberry no longer involved in the films after the first movie, it was clear that by The Undiscovered Country the whole Star Trek affair was becoming a charade, its cast and its very concept haggard and jaded. Thus, the current release, Generations, successfully and finally says goodbye to the old crew and introduces the characters and technology of ‘The Next Generation’.

“It was a hard time for me,” Gene Roddenberry admitted in 1988 of life after the original Star Trek series. “I was perceived as the guy who made the show that was an expensive flop, and I couldn’t get work. Thank God college kids discovered the show, because I made enough money lecturing to pay the mortgage.”

The momentum for a new television series was activated in 1986 by a 20th Anniversary reunion of the original Trek. Paramount got behind the idea, approached Roddenberry, and the concept was formed: new characters placed one hundred years on in the 24th century, and a new, larger model of the Enterprise. Again, this version, Star Trek: The Next Generation, was conceived against a background of a new world of technology, VCRs, fibre optic cabling, personal computers and science fiction epics such as Star Wars and Bladerunner.

While there was some resistance from hard-core fans fearing an attempt to replicate the original series, these concerns proved unfounded once the new series got underway in September 1987, with slick introductory visuals and a voiceover by the new Captain, Jean-Luc Picard, that was politically correct, inserting the line “where no-one has gone before” for the old “where no man has gone before.” With a nod to the show’s new potential, he also spoke of a “continuing mission” rather than a “five-year mission.”

It was clear from that two-hour pilot, ‘Encounter At Farpoint’, that what the new show lacked in the humour of the old series, it more than compensated for with quality acting, a slimline uncluttered look, high production values and a whole new generation of writers and directors raised on the spirit of the original but intent on making their own imprint on television history.

The ongoing war of words between ‘Bones’ McCoy and Mr. Spock had been dispensed in favour of a more subtle approach to characterisation. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and William ‘Number One’ Riker proved a smooth, rational double act in contrast to the often high comic antics and gestures of Mr. Worf and the android, Lt. Commander Data, whose desire to be more human has lead the poor chap on many a misadventure. His recitation of his attempt at poetry ‘Ode To Spot (the cat)’ is one of the finest moments in the 29 years of Star Trek. True, there was no more Kirk saying things like “Are you trying to be funny, Mr. Spock?”, but only the most die-hard original Trekkies failed to be won over.

After Roddenberry’s death in 1991 and during the fifth season of The Next Generation, producers Rick Berman and Michael Piller took up the gauntlet, continuing apace with the show and announcing a spin-off series in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This paved the way for the Next Generation cast to concentrate on movie-making and in 1994, the final TV episode was broadcast with “almost 40% of the televisions in America tuned in,” according to Paramount. Commanding a regular audience of 20 million per episode, it won 18 Emmy Awards and a respectability that the original series never received.

Any incarnation of Star Trek – and the upcoming new series Star Trek: Voyager will be no exception – commands a massive audience. But now, Gene Roddenberry’s concept can draw even the respect of scientists. “They have a respect for the way science and engineering work,” Louis Friedman, a former programs director at Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion laboratory told Time magazine. “For example, when you make measurements of a planet and try to determine its atmosphere, then get into the transporter . . . well, if you had a transporter that’s probably how you’d do it. They make it believable because they do through a reasonable process.”

Star Trek’s final frontier still looks light years away.

BOOKS, SOUNDTRACKS & VIDEOS

sifting through the myriad Star Trek publications can indeed take you “where no-one has gone before.” According to Time magazine: “More than 63 million Star Trek books are in print and new titles, from tell-alls by former cast members to novelisations of Trek episodes, are appearing at the rate of more than 30 a year.” From this seeming bottomless pit of publications, the following provide a broad, representative and informative sweep through 29 years of broadcasting history.

‘The Star Trek Compendium’ by Allan Asherman (Titan Books) provides episode-by-episode summaries for each of the three classic Trek seasons with behind the scenes anecdotes and tit-bits. Movies also included.

‘The Star Trek The Next Generation Companion’ by Larry Nemecek (Pocket Books) may have an unwieldy title but successfully makes the link from classic Trek to the young pretenders of The Next Generation and offers a similarly styled episodic run-down as the Asherman Compendium. As the Next Generation series is now finished, it may be worth checking if the most recent edition includes all seven seasons.

‘The Star Trek Encyclopedia’ by Okuda, Okuda and Mirek (Simon and Schuster) is for the intermediate and advanced fan and an indispensable A-Z if, that is, you can overcome a listing under I for Ireland which reads: “One of the British islands on Planet Earth, Ireland was reunified in 2024, an example of political change successfully initiated by violence.”

‘The Nitpicker’s Guide For Classic Trekkers’ and ‘The Nitpicker’s Guide For The Next Generation Trekkers’ by Phil Farrand (Tital Books) provide useful episodic summaries combined with an often hilarious amount of nit-picking, blooper-spotting, and quizzes to test your Trekability.

The theme music for the original Star Trek series was written by one Alexander Courage who later teamed up with leading movie soundtrack specialist, Jerry Goldsmith, to compose the title music for The Next Generation. Dennis McCarthy, who composed the music for Generations, inauspiciously began his career as a conductor-arranger for Glen Campbell before receiving two Emmy Awards for his work on The Next Generation and the haunting main title for Deep Space Nine. The vast majority of the above soundtracks are available on GNP Crescendo Records via Silva Screen in Ireland and the UK.

Soundtracks and special effects aside, and with Star Trek: The Next Generation coming near the end of its run on available television channels, it may be comforting to know that CIC Video will be releasing all The Next Generation programmes in this country, and will also be releasing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from April. There’s also the mouth-watering prospect of Star Trek: Voyager being available on sell-through from the end of June. Effectively, by the end of May, CIC Video will have all The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine episodes made to date on sale, in addition to highly collectable boxed-sets featuring The Borg and Q. As the standard single video releases feature two episodes each for around £10.00, you may never need to go outdoors again! (CIC Video is distributed on sell-through via Sony, and Star Trek releases should be available in all good stores.)

AGONY AND TREKSTASY

Paul O’Mahony on Star Trek’s Irish colony

At the last Star Trek Convention in Ireland in 1993, over 1,300 people turned up making it “the largest in Europe at the time,” according to Robert Kavanagh of the organisers, Timewarp. This coming March 11 and 12 in the Grand Hotel in Malahide an attendance of 1,500 is expected for a bonanza of videos, talks, guest stars (Gene Roddenberry’s wife, Majel Barrett, has been confirmed) and a host of merchandisers from Ireland and the UK. Tickets are £30.00 for the weekend, £20.00 for under-16s. So what kind of people will be there?

“It appeals to everyone who likes the series, whether they admit it or not!” says Kavanagh. “There are very few people who will say they do not like Star Trek. The people there will be from all backgrounds and strata of society, binmen to lawyers, if you like. They meet, talk, enjoy the conventions, and there’ve even been a few marriages! But first-timers will not feel out of place and can enjoy the various events.”

Further details of the convention can be had from Timewarp, P.O. Box 4183, Dublin 16.

In the meantime, here are the thoughts of a few Irish Trekkies – closet or otherwise – as well as a couple of dissenting voices.

Dermot Lambert, Blink: “I think it’s brilliant. I liked the old one but the Next Generation I watch whenever I can. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to watch it every night on Sky One because we’ve been on tour. I suppose Star Trek can be a bit utopian whereas something like Bladerunner is earth-based. I’m amazed the aliens have such a great grasp of English! The holodeck is the most imaginative part of it, a great concept. I also love The Borg, nasty bastards!”

Dave Pennefather, MCA Records: “I’ve a mild passing interest in it, but I haven’t gotten into it. I tend toward British productions, big drama of a high standard when I get the chance to watch television. I was never really into sci-fi.”

Karen Fitzpatrick, Warner Music: “I think it’s really cool. I like Next Generation, but you just laugh at the old series and William Shatner overacting. The story lines and special effects in Next Generation are good and I quite like Worf, Picard and Colm Meaney on the console. I guess women are portrayed well; Picard’s boss from Starfleet is, after all, a woman! I’m not a Trekkie, though, I just watch it. I do have a life!”

James, Pet Lamb: “The original was unbelievable! The effects were so tacky that it was nearly unbearable to watch, but it was still excellent! The Next Generation series is nowhere near as good, it’s more like a soap opera in space. Even so, I’m very attracted to the sci-fi aspect.”

Aidan Lonergan, Video Retailers’ Association: “I don’t like Next Generation. I was raised on Kirk, Spock and cheap special effects! It’s probably a psychological block I have about Next Generation. I don’t feel the same empathy with Picard as Kirk. He’s bald, for God’s sake!”

Ruth Simpson, Windmill Lane Pictures: “I guess it took a while to adjust to the marked differences between the old series and Next Generation, but I like both for their own qualities. Deep Space Nine hasn’t really taken off, if you’ll forgive the pun! It does seem odd that people seem to think that just because you admit to watching Star Trek that you’re automatically a Trekkie and dress up in all the gear. I watch it purely as a highly entertaining piece of television. You take it for what it is: escapism, well acted, well produced and with good story lines and characterisations. I wouldn’t mind a go on the holodeck, though!”

Eoin Holmes, Sony Music: “I watched the old series and enjoyed it. Fabulous. It had a naive charm and Kirk was the only role that Shatner played convincingly. He hammed it up, but it worked. The Next Generation is too self-conscious. It’s Star Trek for the thirty-something era. Where are the monsters?!”

John McMahon, Planet X, FM104: “Star Trek gives great box. I’ve loved each character, each new world, each square millimetre of Uhura, Troi, Spock, Scotty, Data and everyone else. But Deep Space Nine? It may be Star Trek, Jim, but not as we know it!”

Joe O’Reilly, Dara Records: “I was never interested. I’ve seen snippets of it, but I’m not into sci-fi. I’ve never seen any of the movies either and don’t intend doing so!”

STAR TREK FOR BEGINNERS

“IF THEY did make a mistake with the movie,” Brent Spiner (Commander Data) suggested at the recent London Star Trek Convention, “it was that they presumed that everyone in the world had watched every episode for the last seven years.” Bearing this in mind, we herewith present a navigation guide for the uninitiated through the world of Star Trek. Close attention, please, especially if the new movie, Generations, will be your first close encounter.

The Starship Enterprise is the flagship of Starfleet Command, a fleet primarily charged with maintaining the peaceful existence and security of the United Federation Of Planets. The UFP is an alliance of over a hundred planets and races which is, essentially, not unlike our own EU but with a broader remit to maintain and promote trade and cultural links, to ensure the security of the UFP and its members (e.g. Earth, Planet Vulcan, etc.) and to “boldly go where no-one has gone before” on a voyage of exploration and discovery. The core principle of this philosophy is the Prime Directive, a policy of non-interference in the workings and development of newly discovered life-forms, even at the expense of the loss of lives of Starfleet Personnel. Mutual learning and co-operation constitute the ultimate aim.

Unfortunately, mistakes and misunderstandings do occur in interstellar space and Starfleet finds itself in periodic conflict with life-forms who either wish to confront the UFP directly or fear that it is spreading its tentacles too far. The Starship Enterprise is at the cutting edge of these ‘adventures’. Thus, we get encounters with old enemies like Klingons, Cardasians, Ferengi and Romulans, while two of the newer, more original and popular life-forms posing a threat to Starfleet and the Enterprise itself, include The Borg and The Q.

Since 1966 there have been five Starship Enterprises used by the producers. The USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A were both led by Captain James T. Kirk in the 23rd century, the USS Enterprise-C was captained by Rachel Garrett in the 24th century and the US Enterprise-D is under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the 24th century and is seen in Generations along with an overdue appearance by the USS Enterprise-B. The Enterprise has three basic speed capabilities, Standard Orbit, Impulse Drive (slower than light) and Warp Drive (faster than light), and has a top range of Warp factor 10 although the ship is only able to go safely to a maximum of Warp Factor 9.6.

Just as the interior design and technological potential of the various incarnations of the USS Enterprises have evolved over the centuries, so too have a whole host of gadgets and items used by Enterprise officers. Phasers are weapons with both ‘stun’ and ‘kill’ settings, Tricorders are all-embracing scientific analysers, Communicators are voice-activated ‘telephones’ (original Star Trek) or badges (The Next Generation and Generations), and Transporters enable people to ‘beam’ from place to place by rearranging the body’s molecular structure.

One of the major innovations aboard the Enterprise since its inception has been the development of the Holodeck, a room every dream home should have as it responds to computer programming to construct whatever space or activity which the user inputs. Thus, one can enter the Holodeck and go mountain-climbing or play Sherlock Holmes or meet ‘people’ who are holograms and even bonk them if you like! In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine the bar owner Quark rents out ‘Holosuites’ to his customers offering a range of ‘services’. Hologram Hookers, anyone?!

Without giving away the plot of Generations, there are a few background facts which could be helpful. Captain James T. Kirk and Captain Jean-Luc Picard are like chalk and cheese when it comes to leadership style. Kirk is impulsive and reactive, Picard contemplative and not a rampant womaniser. The old joke goes that in a similar situation of ‘on the count of three I’ll shoot,’ Kirk would go “One, two” and shoot, while Picard would go “One, two, three – I really mean it!”

In Generations, Commander Data receives an ‘emotion chip’. The significance of this lies in the fact that his lack of emotion and his striving to be more human has been at the forefront of The Next Generation series for the past seven years. As an android, one may wonder why he possesses facial wrinkles, but this was explained during the series as the product of his creator Dr. Noonien Soong’s success in getting his skin texture as close to human as possible – apart from its golden-white tinge, that is.

Even if you haven’t followed the Next Generation series, you will still share some surprises with those who did. The lighting aboard the Enterprise in Generations is much darker and shadowy than the brighter illuminations of the series and the villain, Dr. Soran, makes his first appearance also. Klingons are also portrayed as baddies in the shape of the two busty females, but clarification may be needed. In the 24th century, the Klingons are actually no longer enemies of the Enterprise and Starfleet, as they were in Captain Kirk’s time. The two Klingon sisters are renegades acting independently.

So now you know. Boldly go to the cinema and enjoy.