Behind the Trek: Updates and Thoughts

Two new stories about Trek movie productions in as many weeks and now the History Channel looking to delve deep into franchise lore with a Centre Seat documentary series. 

Set for an eight part series, Centre Seat will be deep diving into the franchise's extensive 55 year story - and hopefully we can learn a thing or two from this new angle.

What’s really exciting is that these are all bona fide projects taking place away from the Kurtzman series spotlight at a time where the fourth and fifth incarnations of the televised universe are soon to be revealed.

The news of Kalinda Vasquez’s movie proposal with Paramount was a wonderful piece to hear especially given that it was offered without even a script proposal and would include the most recent production company of Trek movies, Bad Robot and therefore under the wing of rebooted JJ Abrams. Vasquez has previous with Star Trek having written Terra Firma, Part II and also the Short Trek, Ask Not.

No confirmation whether this is a fourth instalment of the Kelvin Universe or something completely different however the note that Michelle Paradise, exec producer on Discovery, commented on a tweet relating to the matter seems to cement this as happening.

Even more sensational perhaps is the news that Nicholas Meyer, the man who saved The Wrath of Khan in six days, has also dropped a proposal for a new movie to Paramount. Now if memory serves, the last we heard of Meyer was that he was working on a Khan mini series. 

This was after he’d worked on season one of Discovery but nothing has even been rumoured since. Given that we bow know that only five series are being produced at one time, that Khan show could be way off - even further away than Section 31. This may in turn be part of the reason Meyer has shifted his focus away from the small screen.

But finally and most recently, let’s indeed lock on to TV. Strange New Worlds is now in production in Toronto as confirmed by a new video from the cast. But not just Mount, Romjin  and Peck. Five new faces have now been added to the line up.

Babs Olusanmokun (Black Mirror), Christina Chong (Line of Duty, Doctor Who), Celia Rose Gooding (Broadway production Jagged Little Pill), Jess Bush (Australia's Next Top Model, Playing for Keeps pictured left) and Melissa Navia (Billions, Homeland) have all now been confirmed to take their stations aboard the USS Enterprise although who they will be playing is still a cast iron secret.

Along with the established Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks and upcoming Prodigy, this looks to be the Trek lineup for at least the next 18/24 months although there’s probably a fair wait until we see something back on screen...

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Mey-er Be Khan Again?

When I think I've seen the most stupid thing the internet has to offer around Star Trek and then it pumps out another.   

Seems there's some thought out there that Nicholas Meyer might be working on a Khan Noonien Singh series that would take place following on from the Space Seed story from season one of The Original Series detailing his survival on Ceti Alpha V. The other strand to this rumour was that this was being prepped should Discovery bomb as an immediate replacement.   

Now I think we can eject that latter consideration faster than a critical warp core but the former might hold some stead. Meyer and Khan are intrinsically linked thanks to his directorial and six-day rewriting skills that turned out the Star Trek masterpiece which is The Wrath of Khan. Thanks to him a one episode villain from The Original Series is as well known as Kirk, Klingons and the USS Enterprise, so much so that he was rebooted for Into Darkness.   

Here's my beef with this idea and there are a few slices to work at. One; is it too soon to be thinking of another Star Trek series when Discovery has yet to air and gauge audience reaction. Two; Won't a Khan series be a little restrictive? Thirdly; Khan - again?   Latter day Star Trek always took a few years to introduce a new show with Deep Space Nine coming six years after The Next Generation debuted, Voyager two years after Deep Space Nine and six months after The Next Generation ended and Enterprise went solo the TV season after Voyager came to an end. 

There's always been spacing, a good spread but two running almost simultaneously might not be a great move. We do know that Meyer is working on a new Star Trek project but it needs to give Discovery time to gestate before launching to the audience. It might work as a one off six or ten episode mini series and that could be a further way for the franchise to expand. 

We know Fuller had an anthology concept for Discovery originally but this might be the evolution of that.   Over the next few years Meyer might be developing an anthology of series based on Star Trek guest characters exploring their stories further (cant you just see that Garth of Izar story happening....?!). 

A Khan one would definitely be a popular choice to kick off such a series but its the content which is then the issue. After six months Ceti Alpha VI exploded and "...everything on this planet was laid waste..." to quote Khan himself. This would mean that should the story be taken beyond that point its going to be focusing a lot of time on a group of people sitting in cargo carriers from a DY-100 sleeper ship.   

Khan will always be a fascinating character in the franchise, even when messed about with for Into Darkness - as a side line i have a friend who watched this for the first time with only exposure to the 2009 film previously and absolutely loved every minute of it. Perhaps proof that Khan is a villain for all times.   

Having Khan as a replacement series ready to go if Discovery flops just cant be right. I cant think of a worse idea nut it does work as a side line one off although fans of the expanded literary universe will probably grumble when it goes against the series of books which documented that whole period. Just be thankful (for now at least) that Discovery isn't obliterating the whole universe developed by writers since the end of Nemesis.   

I just don't see how a Khan series would work long term. There can only be so many episodes of him brooding, reading Moby Dick, brooding some more, feeding his Ceti eels and dealing with soap-opera level issues amongst his superhuman collective that we could deal with i think. For me it just doesn't work unless its got a restricted time frame and number of episodes as a companion series to Discovery. 

Hey, Meyer might not even be working on a Khan series - he might be looking at a show that parallels events in Discovery for example in another part of the quadrant. Then there's that third point. Khan - again. Yes, he is superb and highly regarded character in Star Trek lore who is often referenced in every frame of the franchise but a fourth appearance may further dilute the power of the character.

For example, take a look at the Borg. The more that we saw of them the more I believe they were neutered and their power and impact with the audience was reduced. They were overused and the same might now be turned to Khan. Space Seed and The Wrath of Khan are excellent. The former establishes a fantastic villain and one who is a clear match for Kirk while the movie sequel is without question the pinnacle of the Star Trek movies and one of the greatest stories ever told in the whole of the franchise. It is probably my go-to comfort movie and has been watched more times than anything else in my collection.   

Khan is, you could say, a safe bet, a security blanket but isn't Discovery using enough of those already with the inclusion of Sarek, the Klingons and Harry Mudd? Isn't Meyer better going in a totally new direction and, dare i say it, somewhere no one has gone before? We know the mixed success that reboots can bring given how well 2009 was received and performed versus the dire reaction to the re-imagining of Khan's story for Into Darkness. Cumberbatch is a fine actor but sadly he ain't Ricardo Montalban...he hasn't got the pecs for it at the least.  

Using Khan again suggests that the franchise would rather play it safe and retreat to familiar ground than go out there and explore. Need I note that Discovery is itself exploring an event previously mentioned in The Original Series and in an area of the franchise's 23rd Century history that is already well packed with material. We all know what happened to Khan so do we need to revisit it? Probably not but what other characters might benefit from a mini-series? 

If we keep it focused to those around The Original Series there are a few that jump to mind. First there's the obvious Harry Mudd option and given his nine episode inclusion in Discovery this could well be set up for Mudd to go put on his own (perish the thought...although I have some more on this shortly). What about that Gary Seven series that was backdoor piloted with Assignment: Earth? How about a series looking at the story of Cestus III and the Gorn pre-Arena?    

I think that might make an interesting spread but it might change perceptions of the original show and retread already established lore. I would hope Meyer is working on something totally new - maybe something from the 'lost era' after the launch of the Enterprise-B and before Encounter at Farpoint. Surely there are a few flashpoints in those intervening years that could do with some more exploration? I'm convinced that whatever this project of Meyer's that is confirmed as being Star Trek related but not linked to Discovery will be of the greatest quality given his (limited) track record. Ok it might only be three entries now but we will get to see more of his input during season one of Discovery which we know now is up to completing the script for episode 13 of the planned 15.   

Ultimately would another turn on Khan be an error? I strongly say yes. Time to loosen the reins and let this new team take the franchise forward on TV truely into new territory?

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Discovery: Yeoh Kicks Us Off

I said yesterday morning that I wouldn't get on-board with the whole Michelle Yeoh thing.

However reading only a little more into it I think we can solidly say that Yeoh is going to be in Discovery. 

Writer and former Star Trek movie director Nicholas Meyer all but confirmed her involvement saying that she was in it but managed to stop short of actually stating what role she would be playing in the much anticipated CBS show. 

Yeoh is most famous for her role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and in Tomorrow Never Dies. For Formula One fans she's also known as FIA President Jean Tote's wife. 

Certainly a massive name with a big cinematic history, Yeoh herself has "neither confirmed or denied" her involvement in Discovery which in itself seems to be a massive admission that she will be starring in the series. I'm actually amazed that CBS have secured such a massive name to top their show and she will definitely be a big draw for franchise fans and also to her followers.

I think we were convinced that such a big name would surely be cast as the lead lieutenant commander "with caveats" that Fuller toted a few months back but now multiple sites are indicating that she will actually be Captain Han Bo of the USS Shenzhou. Couple of things to note in that case.

Yeoh is clearly a sign of the multicultural nature of Discovery and also suggests that there could be several high profile names linked to the project since she's not even on the lead ship (let alone the lead character). It also means that the show is going to have multiple locations and not just be set on the Discovery - you wouldn't get Yeoh just for an occasional guest role now would you?! Also having this USS Shenzhou means we are getting at least two new Federation Starship designs which will keep lots of people even happier.

This is all still unconfirmed and could just be a little rumour that's got completely out of control. Heck, we don't really know if this will be her character name and I'd certainly have some salt to hand...

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Correcting the Errors of the Past? The Official Starships Collection Issues 72 and 73

Flashback.

It's August 2013. Issue one of the collection releases and we all go pretty damn mental over the stunning beauty of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D model. With almost uncontainable excitement we descended on our local newsagents for issue two and the movie refit USS Enterprise. 

What a disappointment. A poor paint job, bad joins...it was not what we hoped for and, after I spoke to Ben Robinson I appreciated it wasn't what he had hoped for either. Some of the errors were corrected on the USS Reliant from issue 11 but we've had to wait 71 issues from that original refit to get the collection's revised and updated version in the form of NCC-1701-A featured in The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country. On a technicality you could say this is the first time the main stream collection has repeated a model seeing as the movie version with or without the "A" is effectively the same ship.

The first let down has to be that subscribers had to wait until the Saturday after the retail release to get their hands on the model. Grumble grumble....

Let's pull no punches here. In the same way that the movie ship was the same model as the one used for the first three films, this is exactly the same mould as the one from the issue two refit hence making it the first true duplicate of the whole run.  But surely Eaglemoss are not such underhanded players so what's the game with this one?

Well it is a completist model meaning you now have everything from the NX-01 through to the Enterprise-E available in the collection which will certainly get fans digging in their pockets for a few quid. Secondly this is a Quantum Leap ship and here's what I mean by that - it means that Ben Robinson has been able to go into the past and right what once went wrong. As we know the by-word for poor ships was the refit movie Enterprise and if ever there was a bad model it would be immediately compared to that craft.

Here they have gone to extra lengths to rectify the problems. Gone is the godawful battleship grey one tone paint scheme now replaced with an azteced two tone white on both hulls. That paint scheme alone makes a massive difference to what is one of the most iconic designs in 50 years of the franchise. The phaser banks on the saucer are a more subtle grey and the bridge module has been relinquished of its golden touch. Improvement - yes, but this is for me the definitive Enterprise design and since that second issue is this the solution I've been waiting for?

Yes (but bear with me) the paint scheme - which was originally tried and tested on the issue 11 USS Reliant - works perfectly, but it's the mould itself which houses the core problem here. The nacelles are still nicely aligned but the joints on the engineering section especially around the connecting neck section and forward torpedo bays is just horrendous. Smooth it ain't people and every time I look at her my eyes are immediately drawn to this screaming join line and accompanying gaps. Stand positioning is fairly "stand"-ard too with the clear grip sliding over the saucer and around the secondary hull exactly the same as the refit and the original USS Enterprise from issue 50. Would I also be right in suggesting that the odd fixture on the port side of the saucer would be for the filming mount and if so, why is this on the finished starship?

Equal to that is the scrappy joining of the warp engines to the secondary hull. It's marginally better than on the refit and the white does blend it in better than the monotone grey. Also what's with the big red blob on the shuttlebay doors? I have zero recollection of that being there or the thrusters being that shade. OK, it breaks up the white but so do the hull details on the underside of the engineering section and the updated pennants along either side of the same piece. The bottom of the metal saucer (secondary hull and nacelles are plastic) is just as well detailed but could have done with a bit more colour on that central lower sensor dome. 

Why are the RCS thrusters on the saucer now grey? On the refit they were yellow and even in the mag they are yellow? Erm...this just doesn't seem right somehow. The translucent sections on the ends of the warp engines are now a more reassuring black with just the longer grilles in the glowing blue just as they should be. But once again there's a question - shouldn't the pylons have some distinct coloured sections in a dark grey/black - again as with the refit?

However on the positive side, the panelling, phaser banks and decalling is all really crisp in fact it's a much better result than the finished Enterprise-E decals which were all over the place and had far too much packed in way too small a space. But talking of registry, the one behind the bridge module is far bigger than it should be nor is the large registry on either side of the saucer edged in red as it is in the films or in the magazine - or even as it was on the refit from issue two. What is going on?

To the magazine then and issue 72 trips over the events of The Voyage Home's closing moments and the events of The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country in a couple of pages before jumping into the details of how the original model used from The Motion Picture was revamped for its appearances with the "A" suffix.  Note too that the reverse angle CG pic used in the overview also doesn't have that glaring red blip on the shuttlebay doors.

It had a rather varied life and was certainly well travelled before being sold off as part of the 40th Anniversary auction, selling for a stunning $248,800. Following that we have a brilliant piece on Nicholas Meyer (very topical) and his work on The Voyage Home and The Undiscovered Country. Meyer was certainly prolific when it came to the classic crew movies and its good to read about the elements he used and the influences that helped shape two of the finest instalments of Star Trek cinematic history.

I feel that I have actually been very harsh with the "A" because of the standards it had to beat and honestly, I think it's made some improvements but then dipped in others. The full body repaint, aztecing and sprucing up have worked a treat but here it's those little details that have slipped such as registry edging and random blobbing that have almost made it equal to that long-ago issue. I still love the "A" but these blips mean I can't stick it into a top ten anytime soon.- there are just too many ships which are of a much higher standard.

The 73rd instalment brings us Borg. In fact it brings collectors their third Borg starship after issue 10's Sphere and issue 58's Tactical Cube with the Renegade Ship from The Next Generation's Descent two-parter. 

Going against all Borg constraints of geometric design and thereby emulating the renegade Borg and their individuality it still strikes me as one of the most bizarre creations that ever graced the screen. Totally asymetrical from every single angle its nice to finally get a close up look at what was a massive craft in the show.

While we didn't get to see the interior, the outside here gives us a lot to pour over. The paint scheme might not be awe-inspiring with one shade of grey all over but I'd hold back on launching a verbal offensive until you've looked more closely at the detail on the surface of this vessel.

First of all look out for the Borg "fist" emblem that adorns the hull in a couple of spots and matches the one on the floor in Lore's hall from the episode. I honestly can't recall seeing these in the episode but we didn't get up close to it and when we did it was at quite a pace. The brickwork effect isn't as tiny as the magazine makes out but it gives a very close approximation given the scale. The real beauty here lies in the grey/blue hued sections that are carved out of the hull representing live equipment and cooling vents. Also look out for the distinctly un-Borg windows (yellow) which are mainly to the rear of the central, metal block. Certainly a different looking ship in relation to its tones and shape.

As ships go she isn't the prettiest model we've been graced with over the years but I think the end result is better than the preview images. The two outlying pods on the uneven pylons are the only plastic sections of the ship but also contain some impressive tech detailing. There are some clear join lines but definitely no gaps (on mine) to complain of. The construction is spot on and she does feel very solid.

The final thing that will make you give a nod of approval with this one has to be the unique stand design that cups the lower section of the ship above the stand. Great idea to do it that way and the ship is very well balanced - oh and the black base sits sideways which should be fun to fit on the shelf.

I'm loathe to say it but at this point the Borg Renegade Ship is looking like this month's stronger entry and that's saying something because it is just a big grey lump at the end of the day. Eaglemoss have done a good job in transferring it from screen to diecast. It's just a shame that there are no coloured warp engines or translucent sections to help lift it a little. The trouble is that black and grey does make it a tad non-descript and does detract from the fact it's a solid model if a bit plain. Mind, it is the Borg and to them this must have been fairly racy.

The magazine is just as vague about its origins as the episode was. Did the Borg construct it or steal it? Did they modify it? We just don't know and the initial pages are left to recount the two-part season cliffhanger alongside episode screenshots. There are a couple of good CG images of the unusual Borg craft but two of them are from the back (including the cover) and one is from below. Only the plan view gives a good glimpse of the top.

The "Designing" pages total just two with very big pictures and very little text. Covering its evolution from styrofoam idea to finished model is interesting if brief and how it came to look the way it did will make you look at it very differently from now on.

An unexpected treat here is the six pages donated to an interview with Hugh actor Jonathan Del Arco. Only appearing in two episodes, Hugh still carved a lasting impression on The Next Generation and here we can look back at Del Arco's memories of his time working on both the second part of Descent for the seventh season and I, Borg for the fifth year of the show. It uses a lot of shots from both episodes to back up the narrative from the actor but this is a nicely written piece that details everything from his initial contact for the show through to his continued fanmail and convention interest 24 years after he appeared in the show.

Finally the episodic appearances are limited to both parts of Descent unsurprisingly but there are a couple of footnotes here that might spark your interest although one of them is extremely well known.

Issues 72 and 73 have a lot to offer this month, perhaps more so in their magazines than in the ships themselves. Both craft are pretty plain but will definitely garner a lot of buyers given they are an Enterprise and a Borg ship. I'm not wholly disappointed but more frustrated particularly with the "A" and the fact that while it's corrected errors it has also created a few more to replace them. I utterly love the "A" and really want to have that same level of affection for the model. It's just not quite happening I'm afraid.

Final point here, next month will see the Bajoran Sub-Impulse Raider and the Enterprise-E Captain's Yacht from Deep Space Nine and Insurrection respectively. Really looking forward to these two craft. Fingers crossed they top at least this month's fairly average results.

Oh - just before I go, one comment on the newly released Graphic Novels Collection - where the heck is selling it? I can't find a copy anywhere locally so if you got one please let me know where you managed to hunt it down because I'm at a loss and it seems their website has yet to list back issues. Could this be a trial run...?

What are your thoughts on this month's starship arrivals? Is the "A" a winner or just as disappointing as the refit from issue two?

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WeWantWorf? Apparently CBS might Want Kurn

Still ten months away but here's our first hint of what might be.

Veteran Star Trek actor and Candyman Tony Todd is rumoured to have made the short list for the series. What exactly the role he's up for could be is just as much a mystery as the rest of the show however just this one trickle of possible info does indicate that the wheels are in motion and this really isn't some massive 50th anniversary prank.

Todd's, who has also worked on series such as Babylon 5 and 24, has an association with Star Trek that crosses three series starting back in 1989 with his first of four episodic appearances as Worf's brother Kurn in Sins of the Father followed by the two part Redemption and later Sons of Mogh over on Deep Space Nine.  In addition Todd played a Hirogen Alpha Hunter in the Voyager story Prey and the role of Older Jake in one of Deep Space Nine's finest,  The Visitor.

It is odd that with Bryan Fuller on board we're now starting to see other 'familiar'  Star Trek names being bounced around. I'm still not thrilled with that Angela Bassett rumour that appeared the other week but I suppose the Rumour Mill is only just powering up and who is to say that Tony Todd will make it onto the show at all. Heck, if he's on the short list just imagine who else might be...

The history of Star Trek is littered with rumours and casting possibilities - remember that Wesley Snipes was on the list for The Next Generation and Nigel Havers could have been the captain of Voyager. Todd is a big name to have associated with the show even at such an early stage but my thoughts go in two directions here. One is that having such a big, recognised name is sure to draw the publicity and news lines to keep the show in the limelight. Todd would need to be one of the main characters for it to be worth his while even mentioning the fact and I can't see Fuller and co relegating him to a second player. Saying that he could just be in the pilot and we might never see him again...I'm thinking even Game of Thrones/Walking Dead kill off potential early on.

However, is having a big name associated such a good thing? Look at the reboot movies which went for fairly "unknowns" for the crew. Ditto with Deep Space Nine and Voyager - would it be better to get some fresh faces in there to kick it off as I don't think it's going to require a major player to draw attention.

Alongside that news, showrunner Bryan Fuller yesterday announced that Star Trek II director Nicholas Meyer will be joining the show as one of the writers. Simply WOW. It's another sign for me at least that there is a major concern that this new series needs to align itself with the core values. Meyer's record in Star Trek may only stretch to three movies but the impact he had with directing the second, co-writing the fourth and co-writing and directing the sixth movies is near legendary in the fan community. 

Now unbelievably 70 years old, Meyer's credentials stretch to, surprisingly, only ten directing credits but 29 writing credits for both movies and TV including three series in the last two years. I think we can say there is a wealth of experience there which Fuller, Kurtzman and Kasdan can use to the maximum. Just on that point has anyone else noticed how this news has come from Bryan Fuller with no hint of a word from the other two execs on the show? While Alex Kurtzman did announce Fuller's involvement, Heather Kasdan has been strangely quiet/absent from proceedings thus far. Will those two be deferring to Fuller's judgement on the day to day proceedings of the show?

I was genuinely excited by the news that such a huge figure from the franchise's past would be involved and it did increase my confidence that this is going to be the series that fans have wanted since 2005 (or maybe earlier if you didn't like Enterprise). Between The Wrath of Khan, The Voyage Home and The Undiscovered Country, Nicholas Meyer had a varied experience with the franchise and can diverge between serious drama to more light hearted escapades. 

So now we have three franchise alumni connected in some way with Star Trek 2017. Those fans who berated and immediately dismissed the project may well be having second thoughts as there seems a distinct desire to do this the right way giving a mix of new, JJ and classic both on screen and behind the scenes. 

It also suggests that we're going to see more recognisable names coming on board. Meyer and Fuller's attachment could be a big draw and I for one think that the future of this upcoming series is looking brighter by the second.

How happy are you that Star Trek 2017 is drawing on the rich past of the franchise? Should it be totally fresh or are the decisions to bring recognised faces onboard good moves?

All images in this article from Google Images

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