BMUG PD-ROM B4/PD-ROM B4.iso/Entertainment/Space/Star Trek/Datelines/Dateline 15

Text File | 1991-09-12 | 26KB | 488 lines

9109.15                 DATELINE:  STARFLEET                      #15


                         Reporting for Duty!
                         -------------------
          The 25th Anniversary!  And we try to pay proper tribute
herein.


             News from Over the Hailing Frequencies....
             ------------------------------------------
     TNG's opening schedule: (all dates should be read as "the week
of" whatever)
     9/22 - Redemption part 2
     9/29 - Darmok (guest-stars Paul Winfield as Darmok, an alien
            Picard finds himself entangled with)
     10/6  - Ensign Ro (introduces new recurring character)
     10/13 - Silicon Avatar (features the return of the Crystal
             Entity from "Datalore")
     10/20 - Disaster (possible plot - Picard is trapped in a
             turbolift with several children)
     10/27 - Unknown - possibly this will be Wesley's guest
             appearance episode
     11/3  - Unification part 1 (Spock guest-stars)
     11/10 - Unification part 2

     Other TNG notes: the Q episode for the year is in the planning
stages; Vash is not expected to return in this story.  Guinan has
been scheduled for 8 appearances this season.  Another returnee to
TNG will be Sarek's wife Perrin, who will be in "Unification".

     TNG won 2 Emmys out of 10 nominations: sound editing, series and
sound mixing, series (both for "The Best of Both Worlds part 2").
     Other Emmy winners on August 25th included Star Trek veterans
Kirstie Alley (Best Lead Actress in a Comedy - "Cheers") and Bebe
Neuwirth (Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy - "Cheers").

     ST VI news: contrary to what I've said previously, Majel Barrett
is NOT in this film as Chapel, according to Eric Stillwell at
Paramount.  Also noteworthy is that Kirstie Alley was asked to return
as Saavik in this film but she was not interested in doing so.  Robin
Curtis was not asked at all about it.  Bibi Besch (Carol Marcus) was
also going to be in the film briefly.  But when Paramount cut $6
million from the budget just before filming began, her scene was
dropped during the rewrite to get back under budget.

     Star Trek V continues to hold at #10 on Billboard's Video Sales
chart.


                       Editorial: Emmy Griping
                      by Bill Mason (Data1701D)
                      -------------------------
     I'm griping again.  Once more, TNG was ignored in all the
creative Emmy categories (acting, writing, directing).  And we can't
even win one for Special Visual Effects.  (The Academy didn't award
this Emmy to anyone this year, because they felt none of the nominees
deserved it.)
     Write to this person and POLITELY protest: Leo Chaloukian,
President, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, 5220 Lankershim
Blvd., North Hollywood CA, 91601-3109.
     And during the year, if you see a great acting, writing, or
directing performance, write to Mr. Chaloukian again.  And write to
the great person you saw on TNG, c/o Paramount Pictures, 5555 Melrose
Avenue, Hollywood CA, 90038.  Encourage them to have themselves
considered for Emmy nomination (no one can win an Emmy unless they
declare themselves available for nomination).
     When TNG loses in Best Costume Design to "Murphy Brown," (it
really did) it's time to act.


                         "To Baldly Go...."
                            by Sky Walkr
                         -------------------
     It's no secret among my friends, both of them, that I am an
ardent, die hard, cast-in-stone space cadet.  As such, one of the
things I most cherish in life outside of naked photos of Cheryl Tiegs
and blueberry yogurt -- the kind with the fruit in the bottom and not
that pre-mixed artificial stuff -- is Star Trek.
     Not many adults will admit they are "Trekkers", being those who
have not only been following the exploits of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock,
Dr. McCoy, et al, since the first airing of the program in 1966 but
were also old enough to remember the sixties.  "Trekkies", on the
other hand, are people like my daughter who have been absorbed into
the Trek culture through osmosis and having to live with USS
Enterprise posters in the house all of her life.
     Rule of thumb: at my age, never date anyone who wasn't yet born
when Star Trek began its first season or anyone who thinks the Dave
Clark Five was a western movie starring Yul Brenner.
     Star Trek, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this very
month, is not only a culture in and of itself but it's somewhat of a
phenomenon in that at no point in modern history has fiction
influenced life and lives as much as have the exploits of the
Enterprise crew with the exception of that story about myself and Ms.
Wallace, my senior biology teacher which was published in the high
school newspaper, but that's ancient history and she has since been
placed in the witness relocation program.
     Trekkers and Trekkies come in all shapes and sizes.  In our
community I know of two Sheriffs, both avowed fans of Star Trek as
are other "respected" and revered citizens, including at least one
bank president and a state legislator.
     In 1965, after seeing the first pilot episode of Trek, NBC
executives, in their infinite wisdom, told producer Gene Roddenberry
to "...get rid of the guy with the pointed ears".  In the 25 years
hence, Mr. Spock has become the embodiment of the "change" that to
many "was" the essence of Star Trek and an icon of American fiction.
Spock is the most recognized figure in modern fiction today.
     NBC rued the day it first thought about canceling Star Trek
after a two-year run.  The viewers, threatening to riot a la Chicago
during the Democratic National Convention, forced the network to
reconsider and give the Enterprise and her gallant crew one more year
of romping through the cosmos.
     While Spock became an American folk hero, Captain James Tiberius
Kirk (played to a macho hilt by William Shatner) set out to
personally increase the population of the galaxy by seducing every
humanoid female encountered on the show.  While Sulu, Uhura and
Chekov were battling the deadly Venusian Spandex Babes from Hell,
Kirk was trying to get into the leotards of their leader, a
three-breasted, two-headed, bearded woman with a name that sounded
more like an ingredient found primarily in deodorant.  Still, Kirk
embodied all that sixties American men wanted to be albeit somewhat
chauvinistic.
     Today we have the dauntless Capt. Jean-Luc Picard.  Portrayed by
Shakespearean actor Patrick Stewart, Picard lends a finesse to Trek
that embodies the advancement of civilization as well as reflects the
changing times between the 60's and 90's.  Picard, not a
stereotypical character, also brings new meaning to the phrase "bald
is beautiful" and, coming from someone who has been closely
monitoring his hairline for the past few years, is a welcome change
from the curly-locked he-men of the former era.
     McCoy, on the other hand, was the sympathetic corner of the
Kirk-Spock-McCoy triangle and his most common phrase, "...he's dead,
Jim..." was spoken in every home with television.
     Spock, the emotionless Vulcan science officer, became one of the
most human characters of all.  When Spock died at the end of the
second Star Trek film, in this writer's opinion the "best" of the
five (soon to be six) film series, audiences cried across the nation
and around the world.  Leonard Nimoy, in Spock ears and Starfleet
tunic, adorned the covers of Time and Newsweek.
     Two years later, Spock returned and so did the fans, making the
Star Trek series the most popular, and profitable series of sequels
outside the 15 episode James Bond saga and far in excess of Star
Wars.
     Trek influenced the government as well.  When NASA announced the
building of a space shuttle fleet, the first experimental orbiter was
named Enterprise in response to a flood of letters from fans and due
pressure from then-President Gerald Ford, an admitted Star Trek fan
himself.
     Star Trek broke the mold in mass media entertainment.  The first
starring role for a black American, Lt. Uhura who also shared the
first interracial kiss with Kirk on a later episode.  The first
depiction of aliens, previously considered as "repulsive" as those
fast food pickle-chips, as "benevolent" to humans.  This lesson
taught us to look upon others different from ourselves with respect
and compassion.
     Star Trek also pioneered equality of the sexes in the media
although the women for the most part still wore tantalizingly brief
uniform dresses, an idea prompted by those wizards at NBC who also
brought us "My Mother The Car."
     Star Trek said something about the world back in the 60's.
Through imaginative scripts and equally endearing characters, we
learned a little bit about ourselves, our prejudices and our faults.
Through Kirk, Spock and McCoy we discovered the true value of
friendship and brotherhood, and their interactions with the rest of
the crew redefined "teamwork".
     We also learned that mankind has a destiny that transcends the
bounds of this tiny planet, a destiny that would later mean sacrifice
as millions of Americans witnessed on that cold, January morning when
the space ship Challenger made its final leap into the heavens.
     Star Trek today is reexamining the human condition.  The
exploits of a new generation of explorers as shown in Star Trek: The
Next Generation bring a 90's look at the same problems that we have
always dealt with.  The special effects and music far exceed
Roddenberry's 1960's Trek  and the characters have been given more
exposure to where each week we are exploring the unknown universe
alongside the crew of the new Starship Enterprise.
     Most important of all, Star Trek, through 25 years, continues to
give us all hope for the future.  Trek's vision of 23rd and 24th
Century Earth and beyond is not one of apocalyptic devastation but of
peace and harmony and a thirst for knowledge that cannot be quenched
sitting home and reveling in our past exploits on videocassette.
     Star Trek producers say that the new film, set for a December
release in celebration of 25 years of Trekdom, will be the final
voyage of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura and the
venerable 23rd Century USS Enterprise.  The "old" generation will
make way for the "new".
     In the hearts and minds of millions who have grown-up with their
daring and exploits and their promise for hope in the future, the
mission of the Starship Enterprise, begun in September of 1966, will
last forever.  The inspiration will carry on through the next century
and hopefully into the 23rd and 24th Centuries when exploration of
the galaxy will be a reality and not simply the hopes of us dreamers,
inspired by those golden words, "...to explore new worlds and new
civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before..."
     For myself, the dream remains alive as do the hopes for a bright
tomorrow and, as well, maybe a date with one of those Venusian
Spandex Babes from Hell.
     "Live long and prosper..."
                              --Jim Rubino


                       Star Trek: Its History
                      by Bill Mason (Data1701D)
                      -------------------------
     As we celebrate Star Trek's 25th birthday this month, "Dateline"
presents this review of the evolution of the legend:
     March 11, 1964 - Gene Roddenberry writes the first Star Trek
format proposal
     September 8, 1964 - 1st draft of "The Cage"
     February 1965 - NBC rejects "The Cage" as "too cerebral", but
breaks precedent and commissions a second pilot
     May 27, 1965 - 1st draft of "Where No Man Has Gone Before"
     February 1966 - NBC accepts the Star Trek series
     September 6, 1966 - Star Trek debuts on Canadian television
     September 8, 1966 - On this Thursday, at 8:30pm EST, Star Trek
debuts on NBC with "Man Trap"
     September 29, 1966 - Nurse Chapel (Majel Barrett) debuts on Star
Trek in "The Naked Time"
     December 1966 - Harlan Ellison starts the 1st "Save Star Trek"
letter campaign
     December 8, 1966 - Yeoman Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) makes her
final appearance in Classic Trek in "The Conscience of the King"
     December 15, 1966 - Mark Lenard and the Romulans debut on Star
Trek in "Balance of Terror"
     February 16, 1967 - Ricardo Montalban plays Khan Noonian Singh
in "Space Seed"
     March 14, 1967 - NBC announces that Star Trek will be renewed
and will move to Fridays at 8:30pm EST in the 2nd season
     March 23, 1967 - first appearance of the Klingons in "Errand of
Mercy"
     summer 1967 - the first Star Trek comic book is released by Gold
Key
     June 1967 - the Smithsonian Institution requests a copy of
"Where No Man Has Gone Before" for its archives; Star Trek is the
first TV show to be so honored
     September 15, 1967 - the 2nd season begins with "Amok Time"; new
crewmember Chekov (Walter Koenig) debuts in this episode
     November 17, 1967 - "Journey to Babel" introduces Sarek (Mark
Lenard) and Amanda (Jane Wyatt)
     December 11, 1967 - Bjo and John Trimble start the 2nd "Save
Star Trek" letter campaign
     February 9, 1968 - Diana Muldaur appears in "Return to Tomorrow"
as Dr. Anne Mulhall
     March 1, 1968 - breaking all precedent, NBC announces on the air
(during the closing credits of "The Omega Glory") that Star Trek has
been renewed; the series will air Mondays at 7:30pm EST
     March 15, 1968 - NBC moves Star Trek to Fridays at 10pm EST for
the 3rd season
     September 20, 1968 - the 3rd season opens with "Spock's Brain"
     October 18, 1968 - Diana Muldaur appears again on Star Trek, as
Miranda Jones, in "Is There in Truth no Beauty?"
     November 22, 1968 - Star Trek presents the first interracial
kiss on television (between Kirk and Uhura) in "Plato's Stepchildren"
     June 3, 1969 - the 3rd season ends with "Turnabout Intruder"
     July 15, 1969 - while in summer reruns, Star Trek is preempted
for the Apollo moon launch
     February 1970 - the first original Star Trek novel is released
by Bantam Books: "Spock Must Die!" by James Blish
     1972 - the first Star Trek convention is held; expecting several
hundred, the convention draws several thousand fans
     September 1973 - Star Trek returns to television in animation,
minus Mr. Chekov
     September 22, 1973 - Arex debuts on Animated Trek in "One of Our
Planets is Missing"
     October 13, 1973 - M'Ress first appears in Animated Trek in "The
Survivor"
     late 1974 - after cosmetic restoration, the USS Enterprise model
from the original series is put on display in the Smithsonian
     October 5, 1974 - the last original Star Trek Animated episode
is aired: "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth"
     May 1975 - Gene Roddenberry begins work on a script for a Star
Trek movie
     September 1975 - Star Trek Animated, by now in reruns, is taken
off the air
     September 17, 1976 - the space shuttle Enterprise is rolled out
     September 21, 1976 - Paramount Pictures announces that the Star
Trek movie will begin filming next year
     March 1, 1977 - first draft script for Star Trek: The Motion
Picture is completed
     March 17, 1977 - Paramount rejects the entire script
     June 17, 1977 - Paramount announces that Star Trek will return
to television as "Star Trek II", the flagship series of a whole new
network, but minus Mr. Spock
     October 22, 1977 - a press release goes out to 450 Star Trek fan
clubs to explain Leonard Nimoy's absence from "Star Trek II"
     November 11, 1977 - Paramount cancels the "Star Trek II" series
and announces (again) Star Trek: The Motion Picture
     March 28, 1978 - a press release and news conference confirm
that Leonard Nimoy/Spock will be part of the cast of ST:TMP
     August 7, 1978 - 1st day of shooting on ST:TMP
     December 6, 1979 - debut of ST:TMP, featuring the entire Classic
cast; it opens to the general public the next day
     December 1980 - the first outline for Star Trek II is written;
it includes the death of Spock early in the film
     October 30, 1981 - the rumors on the upcoming death of Spock in
Star Trek II are reported in the Los Angeles Times
     November 9, 1981 - Star Trek II begins filming
     January 7, 1982 - in the San Diego Union, Leonard Nimoy says he
is "looking forward" to doing Star Trek III
     June 4, 1982 - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is released and
Spock is killed
     June 1, 1984 - Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is released;
Spock is resurrected but the Enterprise is destroyed; Saavik has been
recast: Robin Curtis replaces Kirstie Alley
     Thanksgiving 1986 - Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is released;
the Enterprise-A is commissioned
     June 1, 1987 - production begins on Star Trek: The Next
Generation
     September 28, 1987 - during this week, TNG debuts with
"Encounter at Farpoint"
     April 25, 1988 - Tasha Yar is killed in "Skin of Evil"
     November 21, 1988 - "The Child" airs as 2nd season TNG opener;
newcomers Diana Muldaur (Dr. Pulaski) and Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan)
join the cast, while Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher) is off the show
     March 1989 - Merritt Butrick (David Marcus) dies
     June 9, 1989 - Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is released
     September 25, 1989 - 3nd season of TNG debuts with "Evolution";
Gates McFadden returns and Diana Muldaur leaves the show
     February 2, 1990 - Denise Crosby returns as Tasha in
"Yesterday's Enterprise"
     May 14, 1990 - Mark Lenard returns as Sarek in TNG's "Sarek"
     June 18, 1990 - Star Trek has its 1st cliffhanger, "The Best of
Both Worlds"
     September 24, 1990 - The 4th season opener, "The Best of Both
Worlds part 2", becomes TNG's highest rated episode
     fall 1990 - TNG becomes the first TV series to be offered on
video while still in production
     November 18, 1990 - Wil Wheaton (Wesley) leaves TNG in "Final
Mission"
     February 1991 - after reports from Leonard Nimoy that Star Trek
VI may never be made, Paramount confirms that the movie will in fact
be done
     April 15, 1991 - Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country goes
into production
     May 1991 - TNG ties for 1st place in the syndicated TV ratings
     September 8, 1991 - the 25th Anniversary of Star Trek
     ...and the adventure continues....


          Book Review:  "Star Wreck -- The Generation Gap"
          by Incubus7 (Friendly, Resident, Romulan Outcast)
          -------------------------------------------------
     What with all of the debate raging across the nation (in "TV
Guide") about which captain is better (Picard or Kirk), it seemed an
appropriate time to point out perhaps the only source material on the
subject -- both captains on the same bridge.  Last year St. Martins
Press boldly went "where nobody ever wanted to go before," and
released the first parody of The Next Generation (that I have run
across), in the same vain as National Lampoon's Dune parody ("Doon")
and "Bored Of The Rings."  The cover announces, however that it is a
"positively unauthorized, unendorsed, unofficial, and unintelligent"
parody.
     Leah Rewolinski, "Star Wreck's" author, put the two U.S.S
Endocrine crews together for a co-operative mission, in which they
co-operate about as much as David Gerrold and Gene Roddenberry.
Capt. Smirk and crew quickly tire of Capt. Jean-Lucy Ricardo's policy
of putting every decision to a vote, and steal the ships's cup
section (leaving the saucer section behind, of course).  While Smirk
and crew warp from one party planet to the next, the next generation
crew remain stranded in a John Deere tractor beam, in orbit around
the planet Cellulite.
     The book's main drawback is that it's so short -- it wouldn't
even make a full episode.  However, most of the character parodies
are dead-on.  Westerly Flusher, who's job is to "hang around the
bridge, piloting the ship and just generally trying to be helpful"
spends most of the mission in his cabin, grounded.  My vote for the
funniest moment goes to Smock, who gives the android Dacron the
Vulture neck pinch, after Dacron beats out Smock with the requested
information, three times running.  The book is also brimming with
hilarious illustrations by Harry Trumbore.
     While "Star Wreck" does not really answer the question of which
captain is the superior, it is a must for every ST library.  Well
worth the $3.50 cover price.  Enjoy!


                           Happy Birthday!
                           ---------------
     September 28: The Next Generation
     October 9: Data1701D  |)
     October 15: Mark Lenard


                           Club Happenings
                           ---------------
     To any Promenade readers out there:
     It only recently came to my attention that Promenade users
cannot access the "Ten Forward Lounge" in PEOPLE CONNECTION.  With
this discovery, it has been suggested that a Lounge session be moved
into the Club's "Bridge" conference room, which all members can
apparently access.
     If anyone is interested in such an idea, leave me a note in the
"Promenade" folder on the "Membership Requests" - "Club
News/Information" bulletin board (the name is in the process of being
changed from the 1st title to the 2nd).

     For that matter, everyone should note that the "Membership
Requests" board is becoming the "Club News/Information" Board!


                  Trek-related Products/Happenings
                  --------------------------------
     A 1000 copy-run limited autographed edition of the five "Star
Trek" films will be released by Paramount Home Video for $200. The
set will contain a personally signed letter by William Shatner, three
enamel pins and a commemorative certificate from Gene Rodenberry.
[Quoted from Quantum Hollywood Hotline News, 9/11/91.]

     From Image Publishing, who recently put out the fine book "Trek
Classic: 25 Years Later", comes a new Trek tome called "The Making of
the Trek Films."  It looks back at all the ST movies, right up to the
proposed "Starfleet Academy" plot for Star Trek VI.
     Also in books: Walter Koenig's book "Chekov's Enterprise", the
diary he kept during the making of Star Trek I, is back in print.
     Still more books: A revised version of "The Klingon Dictionary"
(with new info from TNG and ST VI) and a 25th Anniversary edition of
the "Star Fleet Technical Manual" are scheduled for December.

     Chicago Processing is offering 3 ST coins, each .999 one ounce
of pure silver.  The three coins have Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise
on 1 side, with the ST 25th anniversary logo on the reverse.

     The Hamilton Collection's next plate in their Anniversary series
will be Kirk; it is being solicited for now, with a planned November
release.

     Starlog #172 is scheduled to have stories on Star Trek VI and
The Next Generation.  Also in magazines, Blockbuster Video's in-store
"Blockbuster" magazine (the Sept. issue) has an article on ST's
anniversary.

     Comic books: In "Star Trek" #25, Kirk is part of a Starfleet
"reunion", and one of the other officers there could mean trouble....
 Worf's son Alexander, blood brother Jeremy, and the Outrageous Okona
all guest-star in "Next Generation" #25.  And "The New Crew" #2 does
its biography of Jonathan Frakes.  [All info from "The Westfield
Newsletter."]

     Whoopi Goldberg will be one of many celebrities appearing on
"Ray Charles: 50 Years in Music," an upcoming Fox special (October
6).  [From Quantum Hollywood Hotline News, 9/10/91.]

     In December, Patrick Stewart will be on Broadway doing "A
Christmas Carol."

     In a Prodigy poll that asked what TV series one missed the most,
81 of 14,823 respondees wrote in the Classic Trek series.

     William Shatner has narrated a new "Rescue: 911" style video
entitled "Ultimate Survivors: Winning Against Incredible Odds."  All
the stories involve police officers in crisis moments and the
aftermath of their experiences.

     Also new on video is "Never Forget", a former TNT TV-movie.
Leonard Nimoy stars as Mel Mermelstein, a Holocaust survivor who goes
to court to prove to a group of "history revisionists" that the
Holocaust did happen.


                    Personal Logs, Stardate Today
                    -----------------------------
     It was frightening...to know that if I touched something,
something would happen.
     [George Takei (Sulu), commenting on all the "buttons and
blinkers" at the Kennedy Space Center.  AP wire, 9/2/91]


                        And In Conclusion...
                        --------------------
     Dateline #16 will appear on newsstands everywhere on October
15th.


                    Credits where Credits are Due
                    -----------------------------
     "Dateline: Starfleet"--edited by Bill Mason (Data1701D on
Quantum, ID# WPHM91A on Prodigy)
     The Away Team of Contributors--Incubus7, Sky Walkr
     Copyright and Trademark Notice: In no case is use of any
copyrighted material and/or trademarks without identifying symbols
intended as a claim of ownership to those copyrights and/or
trademarks.  "Dateline: Starfleet" is a non-profit production
reporting and commenting on the universe of Star Trek.
     STAR TREK is a Registered Trademark of Paramount Pictures.  All
other copyrighted material, trademarks, and/or service marks cited
herein are registered to their respective owners.
     Readers are invited to reproduce this file wherever they think
there's an interest.  Just tell 'em where you got it from!
     If you read all this, why not read it again?