Commentary: Trek Stars: The Work of Star Trek Creators Outside of Star Trek: Recent Episodes
Trek.fm
Commentary: Trek Stars is a show from Trek.fm that explores the work of Star Trek creatives beyond the Star Trek franchise. Join Mike Schindler, Max Hegel, and John Mills each week for a trek through the wider world of movies, television, and literature.
Series Finale.
Running Time: 1 hours 32 minutes 33 seconds
For the past three and a half years, Mike, John and Max have examined the work of Star Trek creators outside of Star Trek. From the series creator Gene Roddenberry to the director of Star Trek Beyond, Justin Lin, we have covered television shows, films, novels, and more from writers, directors and actors who have worked throughout the franchise. But all good things...
In the final episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John reflect on 182 episodes of podcasting. We discuss how the show came about, what our favorite works by Trek creators are, and what we regret not covering. We also reveal our plans for the future.
Chapters
Secret Origins (00:01:45)
Favorite Works (00:29:48)
Favorite Creators (00:50:42)
What We Missed (01:01:26)
Final Thoughts (01:10:13)
Stage Nine (01:14:27)
Thanks (01:25:58)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
ProductionMike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Lin, Part 8: Recap.
Running Time: 1 hour 3 minutes 21 seconds
Throughout the course of Commentary: Trek Stars, we have covered thirty eight different people who have helped to create Star Trek. We began with the very first Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, and we end with the current leader of the franchise, Justin Lin.
In our penultimate episode, Mike and John recap their series on Lin's career as a film director. We look at all seven of his movies, including Better Luck Tomorrow, Annapolis, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Finishing the Game, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Furious 6. We also discuss the news of J.J. Abrams' latest production, Kolma, and what the rumors of the new Trek series' format could mean for future creators.
Chapters
Lin's Early Films (00:01:11)
Fast & Furious (00:18:35)
News (00:41:55)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
ProductionMike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Lin, Part 7: Furious 6.
Running Time: 1 hour 21 minutes 34 seconds
In 2013, Justin Lin directed his fourth and final installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, Furious 6. The film continues the franchise's trend of creating movies that are bigger and better than what has come before. This time around, the crew needs to stop an international criminal who is trying to steal a technology which could allow him to take over the world.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by Megan of Educating Geeks to look at Lin's most recent movie. We discuss how the film achieves its large scale, how it fits into the overall continuity of the franchise, and of course, the title.
Chapters
Furious 6 (00:08:33)
Hand-To-Hand Combat (00:27:34)
The Return of Letty (00:42:10)
Final Thoughts (00:59:40)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Guest
Megan Calcote
ProductionMike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Lin, Part 6: Fast Five.
Running Time: 59 minutes 33 seconds
After reinvigorating the franchise with Fast & Furious, Star Trek Beyond director Justin Lin returned to helm the fifth film in the series, Fast Five. This installment acted as a reunion of sorts, as series regulars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker were joined by stars of the previous films, including Tyrese Gibson, Gal Gadot and Sung Kang for an Ocean's Eleven-style heist movie.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John continue their series on Lin's work as a director by looking at his sixth picture. We discuss how Fast Five builds on what has come before, Lin's continued collaboration with his crew, and what this film tells us about his ability to handle the large cast of Star Trek Beyond. We also discuss the trailer for Star Wars: Rogue One, because why not?
Chapters
Fast Five (00:00:45)
Lin's Style (00:17:47)
Sung Kang in Beyond? (00:29:07)
Wrap-up (00:45:07)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
ProductionMike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Lin, Part 5: Fast & Furious.
Running Time: 1 hour 9 minutes 17 seconds
In 2009, Justin Lin returned to what would become his marquee franchise with Fast & Furious. The fourth film in the series was a return to basics, featuring a reunion of the original cast, including both Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, in an effort to revitalize the franchise.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by Zach Moore of Always Hold On To Smallville to look at Lin's fifth film. We discuss the decision to bring Lin back after Tokyo Drift, the stylistic differences between the two films, and of course, the title. We also take a look at the career of Star Trek 2017's newest writer, Jesse Alexander.
Chapters
Fast & Furious (00:05:40)
Lin's Return (00:21:57)
Final Thoughts (00:38:17)
Jesse Alexander (00:45:15)
Wrap-up (01:00:30)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Guest
Zach Moore
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Lin, Part 4: Finishing the Game.
Running Time: 48 minutes 22 seconds
After two consecutive Hollywood blockbuster, Justin Lin returned to the world of independent filmmaking with Finishing the Game. The film is unlike any other in Lin's filmography, a "mockumentary" about finding an actor to replace Bruce Lee in his final movie, The Game of Death.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at Lin's fourth film. We discuss how it differs from the rest of his movies, what it says about Lin as an artist, and the impact which Bruce Lee had on the culture. We also touch on the upcoming Star Trek: 50 Artists, 50 Years exhibition.
Chapters
Finishing the Game (00:01:39)
The Style (00:18:24)
50 Artists, 50 Years (00:33:45)
Wrap-up (00:36:43)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Lin, Part 3: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
Running Time: 1 hour 24 seconds
Less than five months after the release of Annapolis, Justin Lin was handed the keys to the Fast and the Furious franchise. His first of four consecutive sequels was The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The film offers and interesting take on the franchise, expanding the mythology by focusing on entirely new characters instead of continuing the story established in the first two. Written by Chris Morgan, the movie features Lucas Black, Nathalie Kelley, Bow Wow, and Sung Kang.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by Brandon of Melodic Treks to discuss Lin's third movie. We look at how it differs from the other films in the franchise thus far, the members of the crew who are joining Lin for Star Trek Beyond, and the return of Han from Better Luck Tomorrow. We also discuss news, including the release of J.J. Abrams' latest production, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and the casting of Shohreh Aghdashloo in Star Trek Beyond.
Chapters
Tokyo Drift (00:02:54)
Its Place in the Franchise (00:22:01)
News (00:41:41)
Wrap-up (00:52:14)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Guest
Brandon-Shea Mutala
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Lin, Part 2: Annapolis.
Running Time: 1 hour 27 seconds
After the success of Better Luck Tomorrow, Justin Lin was given the opportunity to work on big studio productions with substantially larger budgets. The first of these was Annapolis in 2006. The film, starring James Franco, Tyrese Gibson and Jordan Brewster, looks at a cadet's first year at the U.S. Naval Academy.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at Lin's second film. We discuss how it effectively uses cliches, the similarities to J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, and how accurately it portrays the Academy. In news, we remember TNG and DS9 visual effects supervisor Gary Hutzel, discuss the hiring of Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth as executive producers on the new Star Trek series, and touch on the order of Doug Jung's new pilot, Scalped.
Chapters
Annapolis (00:00:44)
Accuracy (00:20:05)
News (00:50:26)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Lin, Part 1: Better Luck Tomorrow.
Running Time: 1 hour 29 minutes 57 seconds
Over the course of its history, many artists have left their mark on the Star Trek franchise. Back in 1966, Gene Roddenberry was the first. 50 years later, Star Trek is in the hands of The Fast and the Furious director, Justin Lin.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike begin their final series, looking at Justin Lin’s career as a feature film director. In Part 1, we are joined by Dennis Castello of Continuing Mission to examine Lin’s first film, Better Luck Tomorrow. We discuss the themes of the film, Lin’s distinctive style, and how the film is similar to George Lucas’ American Graffiti. Then, in a special news segment, we are joined by John Tenuto to discuss addition of Nicholas Meyer to the writing staff of Star Trek 2017.
Chapters
Better Luck Tomorrow (00:06:00)
John Cho (00:25:34)
Final Thoughts (00:35:17)
Nicholas Meyer (00:38:25)
Star Trek VI (00:55:47)
Wrap-up (01:16:10)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Guests
Dennis Castello and John Tenuto
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Abrams II, Part 7: Recap.
Running Time: 51 minutes 50 seconds
J.J. Abrams may not be returning as the director of Star Trek Beyond, but that should not suggest that his presence will not be felt as a producer. What do his past producing efforts suggest about his contribution to the upcoming movie?
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John recap their series looking at all of the films which Abrams has produced for other filmmakers. We discuss his work on The Pallbearer, The Suburbans, Joy Ride, Morning Glory, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. We also hold a tournament to determine which picture in his impressive filmography is the crappiest.
Chapters
The Early Years (00:02:08)
Bad Robot (00:10:02)
The Bracket (00:26:42)
Wrap-up (00:36:40)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Abrams II, Part 7: Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation.
Running Time: 1 hour 19 minutes 54 seconds
After the unexpected success of Brad Bird's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Bad Robot and J.J. Abrams were asked to return to produce a third installment of the Tom Cruise franchise. This time, Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie was hired to write and direct Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by Krissy of Educating Geeks to look at the most recent film that Abrams has produced for another filmmaker. We discuss how it compares to the other films in the franchise, what McQuarrie brings to the film, and how Rogue Nation is intrinsically linked to Star Trek Beyond. We also discuss the news that Bryan Fuller has been hired as the showrunner of Star Trek 17.
Chapters
Rogue Nation (00:08:47)
Christoper McQuarrie (00:27:24)
The Star Trek Beyond Connection (00:46:36)
Bryan Fuller (00:53:06)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Guests
Krissy Lenz
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Abrams II, Part 6: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.
Running Time: 1 hour 10 minutes 10 seconds
Happy with the results of Mission: Impossible III, Tom Cruise and Paramount chose to continue their collaboration with J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot for the fourth film in the franchise, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. While Abrams would not direct the film himself, he would oversee it as producer. This production should be especially to fans of Star Trek, as it closely mirrors the relationship which Abrams has with the 50th anniversary movie, Star Trek Beyond.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John are joined by Adam of The Red Shirt Diaries to look at Brad Bird's Ghost Protocol. We discuss how our thoughts have changed since its initial release, what Bird brought to the project as a director, and what this film tells us about Star Trek Beyond. We also profess our love for Robert Elswit.
Chapters
Ghost Protocol (00:08:22)
Abrams as Producer (00:36:41)
Wrap-up (00:58:30)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Guest
Adam Drosin
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Abrams II, Part 5: Morning Glory.
Running Time: 47 minutes 35 seconds
After a successful reboot of the Star Trek franchise in 2009, J.J. Abrams put his producer hat back on the following year for Roger Michell's Morning Glory. The film stars Rachel McAdams as the producer of a daily morning news/talk show. In an effort to boost ratings, she hires a legendary reporter played by Harrison Ford to anchor the show, against his better judgment.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike take a look at Morning Glory. We discuss how the movie differs from other Bad Robot productions, the filmmakers involved behind the scenes, and long-time collaboration between Abrams and Ford.
Chapters
Morning Glory (01:09)
A Bad Robot Production (22:28)
Wrap-up (38:06)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Abrams II, Part 4: Cloverfield.
Running Time: 1 hour 9 minutes 6 seconds
After successfully launching his directing career with Mission: Impossible III, J.J. Abrams' name had become a brand. The first movie to be heavily marketed as a "J.J. Abrams Production" was Matt Reeves' Cloverfield.
Cloverfield, is a giant monster film in the vein of Godzilla, but with a twist: The entire film is seem through the camcorder of our unexacting protagonists.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at the fourth picture in our series. We discuss the movie's marketing, the found-footage aesthetic, and what Abrams brought to the production. We also preview the upcoming sequel, 10 Cloverfield Lane.
Chapters
The Marketing (00:02:15)
Thoughts on the Movie (00:17:07)
Abrams' Contribution (00:35:11)
Wrap-up (00:58:17)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Abrams II, Part 3.
Running Time: 52 minutes 46 seconds
In 2001, the first Bad Robot production was released. Joy Ride tells the story of two brothers on a cross-country road trip who prank the wrong truck driver, with deadly results. The film stars Paul Walker, Steve Zahn and Leelee Sobieski. It was directed by John Dahl and co-written and co-produced by JJ Abrams himself.
I this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike look at Abrams' third production. We discuss the film's tried and true horror cliches, Abrams' range as a filmmaker, and why Joy Ride is important to Abrams' history. We also look at this year's Oscar-nominated Star Trek vets, and touch on the trailer for the next Abrams production, 10 Cloverfield Lane.
Chapters
Oscars (00:55)
Joy RIde (16:25)
John Dahl (31:50)
Wrap-up (44:42)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Abrams II, Part 2: The Suburbans.
Running Time: 54 minutes 21 seconds
In 1999, J.J. Abrams produced his second feature film, The Suburbans. The movie, directed by Donal Lardner Ward, looks at a one-hit wonder from the 80s which is attempting to stage a comeback in the 90s. The cast features Ward, Abrams favorite Tony Guma (who co-wrote the script with Ward), up-and-coming star Will Ferrell, and 90s icon Jennifer Love Hewitt.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John look at this lost film from Abrams' pre-Bad Robot career. We discuss the historical context of the film, Abrams' motivations for making it, and how slang has changed over the years.
Chapters
The Suburbans (00:01:55)
Abrams' Contribution (00:21:25)
Wrap-up (00:45:45)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Abrams II, Part 1: The Pallbearer.
Running Time: 48 minutes 14 seconds
As the trailer proudly states, Star Trek Beyond is produced by J.J. Abrams. We all know that Abrams directed the last two Star Trek films, and we all know that he is not directing this one. So what does it mean when we see that Abrams is producing the new movie?
We try to answer that question in this new series on Commentary: Trek Stars, where we will be looking at each of the films which Abrams produced for other filmmakers. In Part 1 of this series, John and Mike cover The Pallbearer, a film starring David Schwimmer and Gwyneth Paltrow which was directed by Cloverfield director Matt Reeves, and co-written by Reeves and Friday Night Lights creator Jason Katims.
We discuss the heavy influence of The Graduate on this film, its place in the history of Miramax, and the contribution of cinematographer Robert Elswit.
Chapters
The Pallbearer (00:06:35)
Miramax (00:20:55)
Wrap-up (00:37:27)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Doug Jung: Confidence.
Running Time: 46 minutes 9 seconds
Much has been made of Simon Pegg's contribution to the screenplay for Star Trek Beyond. So much so, that people tend to forget that Pegg has a partner on the project, co-writer Doug Jung.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at Jung's first movie, Confidence. We discuss the film's intricate structure, its similarity to other films from the time period, and what it tells us about Jung's contribution to Beyond. We also remember TOS writer George Clayton Johnson.
Chapters
Doug Jung (00:01:39)
Confidence (00:03:59)
Ocean's Twelve (00:19:33)
George Clayton Johnson (00:35:33)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Abrams, Part 5: Star Wars: Episode VII--The Force Awakens
Running Time: 1 hour 27 minutes 5 seconds
Many have criticized J.J. Abrams for turning Star Trek into Star Wars with his 2009 film. But what happens when Abrams make a Star Wars movie for real?
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike add a postscript to their series on J.J. Abrams with a look at his latest directorial effort, Star Wars: Episode VII--The Force Awakens. We discuss the movie on the whole, Abrams' direction in particular, and the work of other Trek veterans on the crew. We also give our thoughts on the first trailer for Star Trek Beyond.
Chapters
The Force Awakens (00:01:12)
Crying in Movies (00:19:57)
Spoilers (00:48:29)
Trek Collaborators (01:04:51)
Wrap-up (01:17:31)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Pegg, Part 7: Recap.
Running Time: 1 hour 4 minutes 52 seconds
Over the course of the last decade, Simon Pegg has come to prove himself not only as a fine, but also as one of the best writers in the movie business.
This week on Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at each of the five films which Pegg has co-written, including Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Run Fatboy Run, Paul, and The World's End. We also discuss Bad Robot's restoration of Phantasm.
Chapters
Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Run Fatboy Run (00:01:10)
Paul and The World's End (00:14:10)
Conclusion (00:33:12)
Wrap-up (00:48:24)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Pegg, Part 6: The World's End
Running Time: 43 minutes 4 seconds
Six years after the release of Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg finally reteamed with Edgar Wright on the screenplay for the final film in the Cornetto Trilogy, The World's End.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike take a look at the film, which is last script to be penned by Pegg prior to the release of Star Trek Beyond. We discuss how Pegg has grown as both a writer and an actor, how this film fits in with the other two films in the Cornetto Trilogy, and how the Cubs haven't won a World Series in 107 years.
Chapters
The World's End (00:00:48)
The Coda (00:14:54)
Wrap-up (00:30:47)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Pegg, Part 5: Paul.
Running Time: 47 minutes 13 seconds
In 2011, Simon Pegg teamed with his on-screen partner, Nick Frost, to write his fourth screenplay, Paul. The film, directed by Greg Mottola, stars Pegg and Frost as two British sci-fi geeks who take a road trip across America to visit UFO hotspots. Along the way, they meet Paul, an alien played by Seth Rogen, who is on the run from government agents.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look Paul. We discuss why the humor did or did not work for us, whether or not the character of Paul is likable, and how well Pegg fares without Edgar Wright.
Chapters
Paul (00:00:44)
Worlds Collide (00:14:52)
Wrap-up (00:35:26)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Charlynn Schmiedt, Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Pegg, Part 4: Run Fatboy Run.
Running Time: 56 minutes 33 seconds
After the success of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg became a sought-after commodity for both his acting and writing. David Schwimmer's Run Fatboy Run featured both of those talents.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike take a look at Pegg's third screenplay, which was co-written with Michael Ian Black. We discuss how accurately the film portrays a marathon, the changes that Pegg made to Black's original script, and why it's ultimately not very good.
Chapters
Run Fatboy Run (00:00:43)
John's Marathon (00:19:19)
Wrap-up (00:41:38)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Pegg, Part 3: Hot Fuzz.
Running Time: 39 minutes 56 seconds
In 2007, Simon Pegg re-teamed with Edgar Wright to create the second film in the Cornetto Trilogy, Hot Fuzz. Much like its predecessor, Shaun of the Dead, is to Zombie movies, Hot Fuzz is an homage to Cop movies, in all their forms.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John look at Pegg's second screenplay, which he co-wrote with Wright. We discuss how the film compares to Shaun of the Dead, how it utilizes sub genres, and how it was promoted with Hot Fuzztivals. We also debate the merits of Nicolas Cage movies.
Chapters
Hot Fuzz (00:00:45)
Sub Genres (00:19:03)
Wrap-up (00:30:44)
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Pegg, Part 2: Shaun of the Dead.
Running Time: 52 minutes 25 seconds
In 2004, the movie world was formally introduced to Simon Pegg. Not only did star as the title character in Edgar Wright's beloved film, Shaun of the Dead, he also co-wrote the screenplay.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike examine the first picture in the Cornetto Trilogy, and Pegg's career. We remember our first impressions of Pegg, discuss what we think about the film today, and try to determine why Pegg has become a geek icon.
Chapters
Shaun of the Dead (00:00:48)
Impressions Today (00:23:06)
Wrap-up (00:38:31)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Production
Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
Pegg, Part 1: Trek.
Over the past few days, many of us here at Trek.fm have been discussing the news of a new Star Trek TV series, coming in January of 2017. But who is it that's making this show?
In the final season premiere of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John discuss the series, specifically looking at executive producer Alex Kurtzman and his career in television and film. We discuss his previous work, what his role on the show may be, and speculate on who may write the series.
In this episode, we also begin a new series on Simon Pegg in which we look at his work as a writer. In Part 1, we discuss his portrayal of Scotty in the JJverse films.
We also remember TOS visual effects artist, Howard A. Anderson, Jr.
Running Time: 1 hour 3 minutes 38 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Charlynn Schmiedt, Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Howard A. Anderson, Jr. (00:01:04)
New Trek Series (00:08:04)
Our Thoughts (00:25:47)
Simon Pegg (00:43:42)
Wrap-up (00:56:49)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Eric A. Stillwell.
Every fan has dreamed of working on Star Trek. Few have made that a reality. Eric A. Stillwell is one of those few.
In the sixth season finale of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by Eric to look at his career working in Star Trek. We discuss how he got a job as a production assistant on The Next Generation, the work he did as a script coordinator on the series, and how that led him co-writing one the best episodes of the franchise, Yesterday's Enterprise.
In this episode, We are also joined by Voyager writer/producer James Kahn, who gives us glimpse at his new movie, Wrongside Bob.
Running Time: 1 hour 38 minutes 23 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Guests
Eric A. Stillwell
James Kahn
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Charlynn Schmiedt, Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Eric Stillwell (00:01:36)
The Writing Process (00:17:07)
Yesterday's Enterprise (00:42:57)
Prime Factors (00:59:03)
James Kahn & Wrongside Bob (01:13:32)
Wrap-up (01:25:51)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Bloch & Stefano, Part 4: Psycho Comparison.
You never know what might happen while recording a podcast. Your cat might run by and rip setup and rip your external hard drive out of your laptop. You might crack a tooth on a Nutri-Grain Bar. Or you might have to drive across town to purchase Star Wars tickets. If you're lucky, you will capture the unexpected on mic.
Such is the case on this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars. Mike and John try to recap their look at Psycho by comparing Robert Bloch's novel to Joseph Stefano's screenplay. But in the process, tickets for Star Wars: Episode VII--The Force Awakens went on sale. This podcast is the result.
Running Time: 59 minutes 19 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Charlynn Schmiedt, Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Psycho (00:01:15)
Star Wars (00:07:02)
The Trailer (00:34:45)
Psycho Again (00:43:22)
Wrap-up (00:50:29)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Bloch & Stefano, Part 2: Psycho (Film).
One year after the release of Robert Bloch's novel, Alfred Hitchcock adapted Psycho for the big screen. To complete this task, he enlisted the help of Joseph Stefano to write the screenplay. The result is one of the best movies ever made.
In this episode Commentaty: Trek Stars, John and Mike take a look at Stefano's movie. we discuss the impact the film had on the culture, the similarities between the movie and Stefano's Star Trek work, and the validity of Gus van Sant's remake.
Running Time: 1 hour 7 minutes 19 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Charlynn Schmiedt, Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
The Movie (00:02:07)
Gearshifting (00:18:42)
Star Trek Comparison (00:38:30)
The Gus Van Sant Film (00:45:10)
Wrap-up (00:57:49)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Bloch & Stefano, Part 2: Psycho (Novel).
Everyone thinks of Psycho as a film by Alfred Hitchcock. But in fact, the story originated as a novel by future Star Trek writer, Robert Bloch. The book tells the story of a man who runs a secluded motel, and his relationship with his very controlling, and sometimes murderous, mother.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike is joined by Grace Moore from Women at Warp to look at Bloch's novel. We discuss point of view, character motivations, and connections between the novel and Bloch's Trek work. We also take a look at James Kahn's upcoming feature film, Wrongside Bob.
Running Time: 49 minutes 19 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler
Guest
Grace Moore
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Charlynn Schmiedt, Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
The Novel (00:02:40)
Comparisons to Trek (00:22:15)
Wrap-up (00:35:37)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Bloch & Stefano, Part 1: Trek.
In 1959, Robert Bloch wrote his most famous novel, Psycho. One year later, Joseph Stefano adapted that novel into a screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock. The rest is history. Years later, both Bloch and Stefano would go on to write for Star Trek.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John are joined by Grace Moore from Women at Warp to begin a new series looking at both Bloch and Stefano, and their work on Psycho. In Part 1, we examine their contributions to Trek, including Bloch's original series episodes, What Are Little Girls Made Of?, Catspaw, and Wolf in the Fold, and Stefano's Next Generation episode, Skin of Evil.
Running Time: 1 hour 5 minutes 31 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Guest
Grace Moore
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Charlynn Schmiedt, Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Bloch & Stefano (00:02:08)
What Are Little Girls Made Of? (00:08:22)
Catspaw (00:16:03)
Wolf in the Fold (00:23:58)
Skin of Evil (00:34:12)
Final Thoughts (00:43:06)
Wrap-up (00:46:44)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Piller, Part 5: Recap.
Michael Piller was a master of many things. But one particular area in which he excelled was as a writer of pilots.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike recap their look at Michael Piller's pilots. We discuss the first episodes of all five of his creations, including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Legend, The Dead Zone, and Wildfire. We also discuss the merits of young adult fiction.
Running Time: 47 minutes 20 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Charlynn Schmiedt, Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekf
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Star Trek Pilots (00:00:49)
Non-Trek Pilots (00:11:09)
Final Thoughts (00:32:45)
Wrap-up (00:35:58)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Piller, Part 4: Wildfire.
Michael Piller may be known best for his science fiction work, but that by no means was the extent of his talent. His final television series, Wildfire, is about an eighteen year-old girl who is released from juvenile detention to work on a horse ranch.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John are joined once again by Star Trek writer and Wildfire associate producer Eric A. Stillwell to discuss Piller's work on the show. Eric tells us how the show came about, Piller's dedication to research, the challenges of shooting outside of California, and the impressive cast, which includes Nana Visitor. Eric also shares some more details of Michael Piller projects that went un-produced.
Running Time: 1 hour 1 minute 2 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Guest
Eric A. Stillwelll
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Research (00:01:48)
The Premise (00:15:45)
Collaborators (00:31:36)
Final Thoughts (00:39:33)
Wrap-up (00:49:22)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Piller, Part 3: The Dead Zone.
In 2002, Michael Piller created his fourth television series, The Dead Zone. The show, which starred Anthony Michael Hall and Nicole de Boer, was adapted from Stephen King's novel about a man who develops the ability to see events in the future.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by The Dead Zone associate producer and Star Trek writer Eric A. Stillwell to look at Piller's work on the series. We discuss other projects that he was developing, his writing process, and the impact the he had on other writers.
Running Time: 1 hour 7 minutes 57 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Guests
Eric A. Stillwell
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Other Projects (00:03:00)
The Dead Zone (00:10:20)
Promoting the Show (00:28:25)
Final Thoughts (00:43:43)
Wrap-up (00:48:22)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Piller, Part 2: Legend.
A mere three months after creating the show which launched the network, UPN debuted Michael Piller's third television show, Legend. The series featured Richard Dean Anderson as a writer in the Old West whose fictional hero comes to life with the help of an inventor played by John de Lancie.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at Piller's first non-Trek show. We discuss the fun tone, de Lancie's under-utilized talent, and the fact that this show actually existed, despite what Max says.
Running Time: 46 minutes 23 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Legend (00:00:50)
Piller's Pilots (00:11:34)
Westerns (00:30:26)
Wrap-up (00:36:10)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Piller, Part 1: Trek
Few people have had a greater impact on the history of Star Trek than Michael Piller. In addition to turning The Next Generation around in Season 3, Piller also created both Deep Space Nine and Voyager.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by Larry Nemecek, author of The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, to begin a new series on Michael Piller which will look at each of his television pilots. In Part 1, we cover Piller's work in Trek. We discuss how he impacted Season 3 of The Next Generation, what he brought to the creation of Deep Space Nine and Voyager, and challenges he faced writing the third TNG movie, Insurrection. We also give our thoughts on the new Starfleet uniforms debuting in Star Trek Beyond.
Running Time: 1 hour 15 minutes 38 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Guest
Larry Nemecek
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
The Next Generation (00:02:37)
DS9 and Voyager (00:23:55)
Insurrection (00:39:15)
Wrap-up (00:51:02)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Goldsmith, Part 2: The Omen.
In 1978, Jerry Goldsmith won the only Oscar of his career for composing the score to Richard Donner's The Omen. The film stars Gregory Peck as a man whose secretly adopted son is the child of Satan. Spoilers: They all live happily ever after.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike is joined by Marcelo from The Talk Film Society Podcast to look at The Omen. We discuss the film in general and Goldsmith's score in particular. We also touch on our favorite Goldsmith scores from throughout his career.
Running Time: 54 minutes 58 seconds
Host
Mike Schindler
Guest
Marcelo Pico
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
The Omen (00:03:45)
The Score (00:15:15)
Goldsmith's Career (00:23:07)
Wrap-up (00:41:09)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Goldsmith, Part 1: Trek.
When Star Trek made the jump to the big screen in 1979, it was important to the filmmakers that Star Trek: The Motion Picture was not just a big episode of the television show. It had to be a MOVIE. In order to reinforce this concept, Oscar winner Jerry Goldsmith was hired to compose the film's music.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by John Tenuto to look at Jerry Goldsmith's work on Star Trek. We discuss his score for The Motion Picture, his return to the franchise with The Final Frontier, his theme for Voyager, and his work on the Next Generation movies. We also talk a little bit about Generations. Because why wouldn't we?
Running Time: 1 hour 16 minutes 34 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Guest
John Tenuto
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
The Motion Picture (00:01:53)
The Final Frontier (00:23:35)
Voyager (00:37:43)
The Next Generation Films (00:42:45)
Wrap-up (01:02:39)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Horner, Part 2: Titanic.
In 1997, James Cameron's Titanic was the king of the world. It shattered box office records and won eleven Oscars, including Best Picture. Two of those Oscars went to James Horner for his work on both the score and the song "My Heart Will Go On".
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at what is arguably the crowning achievement of Horner's career. We discuss our thoughts on Titanic on the whole, the score in particular, and, of course, that song. We also look at other highlights of Horner's career, including Aliens, Apollo 13, Braveheart, Willow, and his final film, Southpaw.
Running Time: 1 hour 1 minute 33 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Titanic (00:01:17)
The Music (00:20:10)
Other Work (00:33:41)
Wrap-up (00:52:47)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Horner, Part 1: Trek.
In an attempt to differentiate from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and perhaps save a little money at the same time, the producers of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan hired a new composer. James Horner was a young talent just starting to make his name in the business. No one knew that he would go on to win two Oscars, leaving his sonic stamp on the musical landscape.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by John Tenuto to discuss Horner's work in Star Trek. We look at what led him to The Wrath of Khan, why he stayed for The Search for Spock, and why he did not return for future installments. We also review the new Star Wars novel, Dark Disciple. Because why not?
Running Time: 1 hour 15 minutes 15 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Guests
John Tenuto
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
James Horner (00:03:20)
Thoughts on The Wrath of Khan (00:17:55)
The Search for Spock (00:31:20)
Final Thoughts (00:46:33)
Wrap-up (00:52:42)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Hurley, Part 4: Recap.
Very few people have had a chance to talk to Maurice Hurley about his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation. One of them is Ben Robinson, the project manager for Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John are joined by Ben to take a closer look at Hurley's work on Star Trek. We discuss How Hurley became the showrunner during Season One, what fell apart in Season Two, and his plans for the Borg were. We also recap our look at Hurley's last two movies, The Proposal and Groom Lake
Running Time: 1 hour 20 minutes 30 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Guest
Ben Robinson
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Recap (00:01:17)
Ben Robinson (00:07:15)
Season One (00:23:53)
Season Two (00:35:23)
The Borg (00:43:35)
Final Thoughts (00:58:56)
Wrap-Up (01:08:20)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Hurley, Part 3: Groom Lake.
In 2002, Maurice Hurley teamed with director William Shatner to write the alien encounter movie, Groom Lake. The picture is about a dying woman, played by Amy Acker, who travels to an area famous for UFO sightings in an attempt to assure herself that there is more to the universe than life on Earth.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike discuss Hurley's final movie. We also touch on his television career, including Miami Vice. And in news, we take a look at the production team assembled by Justin Lin to make Star Trek Beyond.
Running Time: 1 hour 6 minutes 6 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Groom Lake (00:08:42)
Miami Vice (00:25:45)
Star Trek Beyond Production Team (00:49:00)
Wrap-up (00:55:34)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Hurley, Part 2: The Proposal.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John look at our first Maurice Hurley film, The Proposal. Directed by Richard Gale, the film stars Nick Moran and Jennifer Esposito as two cops who must pose undercover as husband and wife. We discuss the budgetary restrictions, the quality of the other filmmaking elements, and how the script is representative of Hurley's other work. We also chat about the release of William Shatner's new documentary, Chaos on the Bridge, and the casting of Idris Elba in Star Trek Beyond.
Running Time: 56 minutes 40 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Chaos on the Bridge (00:01:06)
Voicemail (00:14:38)
The Proposal (00:20:07)
Star Trek Beyond (00:40:00)
Wrap-up (00:46:55)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Hurley, Part 1: Trek.
Of all the contributors to Star Trek: The Next Generation's creation, none are as overlooked as Maurice Hurley. The writer and co-executive producer served and showrunner for the first two seasons of the series, helping to shape it into the show we know and love. And along the way, he also created the Borg.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike begin a new series looking at Hurley's work as a screenwriter. For the first part of the series, they are joined by the author of The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, Larry Nemecek, to break down Hurley's work on Star Trek. We discuss the behind-the-scenes climate of Season One, Hurley's contributions to the mythology, and his unused treatment for the film that would become Star Trek Generations. We also wonder when William Shatner's documentary, Chaos on the Bridge, will finally be released (spoilers, it came out this week).
Running Time: 1 hour 15 minutes 13 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Guest
Larry Nemecek
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Maurice Hurley (00:01:56)
Season Two (00:12:25)
The Borg (00:32:19)
Hurley's Departure (00:41:52)
Star Trek VII Treatment (00:48:42)
Wrap-up (01:02:32)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Lindelof, Part 7: Tomorrowland.
Some movies are based on books. Others, on comics. One or two (or twelve) draw their inspiration from television shows. And every so often, there's a movie adaption of a theme park.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John are joined by Darren of Earl Grey to discuss Tomorrowland, the new film co-written by Damon Lindelof. We discuss the movie on the whole, the writing in particular, and how the movie fits into Lindelof filmography. We also remember James Horner.
Running Time: 1 hour 2 minutes 48 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Guest
Darren Moser
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Tomorrowland (00:06:43)
The Writing (00:20:43)
Lindelof's Filmography (00:34:01)
James Horner (00:48:30)
Wrap-up (00:53:57)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Bennett, Part 6: Recap.
Harve Bennett's career as a television series creator spanned 30 years, from 1968 to 1998. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike recap our look at five of Bennett's shows, including The Mod Squad, The Invisible Man, Time Trax, and Invasion America. We also discuss a George Takei movie we never knew existed.
Running Time: 53 minutes 37 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
The Mod Squad (00:01:30)
The Invisible Man (00:07:02)
Time Trax (00:15:11)
Invasion America (00:27:57)
The Young Divorcees (00:34:03)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Sponsor
Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.
As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!
Bennett, Part 5: Invasion America.
Thirty years after the premiere of his first television series, Harve Bennett's last television series was released. Invasion America was a primetime animated series about a high school boy who finds himself in the middle of an intergalactic civil war.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at Bennett's final series. We discuss his ability to adapt to the times, the bold nature of serialized cartoons, and his collaboration with TNG writer Michael Reaves. We also ponder the extent of Steven Spielberg's involvement with the show.
Running Time: 55 minutes 46 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Invasion America (00:00:51)
Thoughts on the Show (00:11:52)
Trek Collaborators (00:22:21)
Final Thoughts (00:39:21)
Wrap-up (00:44:55)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Bennett, Part 4: Time Trax.
In the 1980s, Harve Bennett jumped to the big screen to write and produce Star Trek. After his run had ended, Bennett returned to television to create a new science fiction series, Time Trax. The show is about a police officer from the year 2193 who travels back in time to 1993 in an effort to catch future criminals hiding in the past.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike take a look at Bennett's fourth series. We discuss the television landscape at the time, the similarities to Quantum Leap, and the questionable use of CGI. We also learn who David McCallum is.
Running Time: 54 minutes 18 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Time Trax (00:01:09)
Thoughts on the Show (00:16:29)
The Future World (00:29:47)
Listener Feedback (00:36:18)
Wrap-up (00:44:20)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Bennett, Part 3: The Invisible Man.
In 1975, Harve Bennett teamed with another future television legend, Steven Bochco, to create his second television show, The Invisible Man. Based on the book by H.G. Wells, the series was a modern retelling of the sci-fi classic, about a scientist who accidentally turns himself invisible.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at Bennett's second series. We discuss
Running Time: 44 minutes 24 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Executive Producers
Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Manager
Will Nguyen
Chapters
The Invisible Man (00:08:18)
Changes to the series (00:21:30)
Final Thoughts (00:31:44)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Bennett, Part 2: The Mod Squad.
As Star Trek was entering its final season in 1968, another soon-to-be iconic series was just beginning. The Mod Squad, creator Harve Bennett's first television series, told the story of three young undercover police officers who were used to infiltrate criminal activity in an ever-changing world.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike take a look at The Mod Squad. We discuss the similarities and differences to other police shows at the time, how it reflected the changing television landscape, and the thematic parallels to Star Trek. We also try to figure out what's going on in the opening title sequence.
Running Time: 38 minutes 34 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
The Mod Squad (00:01:14)
Thoughts on the Show (00:12:53)
Social Themes (00:22:38)
Wrap-up (00:31:31)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Bennett, Part 1: Trek.
On February 25th, 2015, the Star Trek family lost one of its most significant members, Harve Bennett. Bennett is largely responsible for revitalizing the Star Trek film franchise after the creative and financial missteps of The Motion Picture. It is impossible to imagine what Star Trek would look like today, had it not been for the work of Harve Bennett.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John begin a new series on Bennett, looking the television shows he created over a career spanning three decades. In the first part of our series, we examine his work on Star Trek, looking at all of the movies he produced and wrote, including The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, and The Final Frontier. We also remember Grace Lee Whitney.
Running Time: 49 minutes 28 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
The Wrath of Khan (00:02:57)
The Search for Spock (00:08:46)
The Voyage Home (00:17:14)
The Final Frontier (00:24:03)
Starfleet Academy (00:29:04)
Grace Lee Whitney (00:38:33)
Wrap-Up (00:41:18)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
James Kahn.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by their very special guest, Star Trek: Voyager writer/producer James Kahn. We discuss Kahn's work on Voyager episodes such as "Critical Care" and "Lineage", as well as his Next Generation episode, "The Masterpiece Society".
We also discuss Kahn's non-Trek work, including books such as The New World Trilogy, novelizations of films like Poltergeist and Return of the Jedi, and television shows, including Melrose Place and All My Children. We also find out about his upcoming film, Wrongside Bob.
Running Time: 55 minutes 54 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Guest
James Kahn
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Breaking In (00:01:48)
The New World Trilogy (00:07:13)
Novelizations (00:13:08)
Star Trek (00:24:12)
The Writers' Room (00:34:34)
Wrongside Bob (00:42:14)
Wrap-up (00:45:57)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Nimoy, Part 5: Recap.
Leonard Nimoy had an extremely diverse career. He was photographer, a writer, a director, a producer, and even a singer. But of course, he was best known as an actor. Specifically, a television star.
In the fifth season finale of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John recap their series on Nimoy's work as a television actor. We look at each of the shows he starred in, including Star Trek (TOS), Mission: Impossible, Star Trek (TAS), In Search of…, and Ancient Mysteries. We also remember the writer of "Court Martial," Don Mankiewicz
Running Time: 36 minutes 58 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Fiction (00:01:12)
Non-Fiction (00:14:25)
Wrap-up (00:23:35)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Nimoy, Part 4: Ancient Mysteries.
More than a decade after the end of In Search of…, Leonard Nimoy returned to the world of television show hosting with a very similar series, Ancient Mysteries. This show also focused on topics such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and Atlantis, but with a modern-day 1990s slant.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max, John and Mike take a look at Leonard Nimoy's fifth television series. We discuss the similarities to In Search of…, the subtle differences in Nimoy's performance, and some of the reasons why Nimoy may have agreed to do such a show once again. We also read some listener mail and contemplate the supposed title of the new Star Trek movie
Running Time: 1 hour 56 seconds
Hosts
Max Hegel, John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Ancient Mysteries (00:01:25)
Nimoy's Involvement (00:15:33)
Final Thoughts (00:27:27)
Star Trek Beyond (00:40:58)
Wrap-up (00:48:44)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Nimoy, Part 3: In Search of....
In addition to his work as an actor, Leonard Nimoy has also hosted two television shows. The first of which was In Search of…. The pseudo-documentary series looked at unexplained phenomena throughout history, touching on everything from UFO cover-ups and the Loch Ness Monster to Marilyn Monroe and Lee Harvey Oswald.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike take a look Nimoy's fourth television series. We discuss our nostalgic fondness for the show, the influence that it had on the television of the 80s and 90s, and speculate on why Nimoy chose to work on it. We also look at the recent additions to the crew of STAR TR3K.
Running Time: 45 minutes 28 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
In Search of... (00:01:17)
Nimoy's Involvement (00:17:35)
STAR TR3K News (00:28:07)
Wrap-up (00:38:29)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Nimoy, Part 2: Mission: Impossible.
When Star Trek was cancelled in 1969, Leonard Nimoy wasted no time jumping onto another television series. The very next season, he joined the cast of another Desilu production, Mission: Impossible as Paris, a master of disguise.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John look at Nimoy's second starring television role. We discuss Mission: Impossible as a series, why it was a perfect fit Nimoy after Star Trek, how the movies stack up to the show, and the series' life-long connection to Star Trek. We also explain why Ant-Man should be the more anticipated than The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Running Time: 1 hour 6 minutes 16 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Mission: Impossible (00:01:47)
Nimoy's Performance (00:12:58)
The Movies (00:24:13)
The Star Trek Connection (00:34:45)
Feedback (00:44:00)
Wrap-up (01:01:26)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Nimoy, Part 1: Trek.
Few people have contributed more to Star Trek than Leonard Nimoy. As an actor, he co-created the character of Spock as we know him. And as a director, he made the first Star Trek film which crossed over into the main stream.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike begin a new series which examines Nimoy's career as a television star, in which we will look at his work on Mission: Impossible, In Search of... and Ancient Mysteries. In the first part of the series, we look at Nimoy's work on Star Trek, looking at his contribution to the series as both an actor and a director. We also piece together the 50 Cent Cinematic Universe.
Running Time: 45 minutes 37 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
The TV Shows (00:02:17)
The Movies (00:18:34)
Directing (00:30:43)
Wrap-up (00:37:37)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Shatner, Part 7: Recap.
Many people have played themselves in movies. Cecil B. DeMille in Sunset Blvd. Will Smith in Jersey Girl. 65 different people in The Player. But no one has built a fictional mythology for their on-screen alter ego quite like William Shatner.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max, John and Mike recap their series on William Shatner, looking at each film in which he plays himself, including Free Enterprise, Festival in Cannes, Showtime, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, and Fanboys. We also listen to some voicemail.
Running Time: 53 minutes 32 seconds
Hosts
Max Hegel, John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Free Enterprise (00:01:31)
Festival in Cannes (00:08:00)
Showtime (00:13:21)
Dodgeball (00:16:49)
Fanboys (00:23:44)
Final Thoughts (00:32:02)
Wrap-up (00:39:09)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Shatner, Part 6: Fanboys.
Many Trek.fm listeners may not know this, but there is another science fiction franchise which has gained a decent amount of popularity over the years. It's known as "Star Wars." The plot is insignificant. Basically, think Star Trek with magic.
Regardless, from 1977 to 1983, three films were made as part of something which is now referred to as the "Original Trilogy." Then, the franchise disappeared for 16 years, before finally returning in 1999 with the first film in the "Prequel Trilogy."
During those 16 years, a small but devoted group of fans eagerly anticipated the return of their beloved space opera. These fans are the subject of this episode's movie, Fanboys.
In the film, four lifelong Star Wars fans travel across country to break into Skywalker Ranch and steal a print of Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace before it's released. Along the way, they are helped by many people, including William Shatner.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max take a look at the final film in the Shatner Cinematic Universe. We discuss the long, complicated history of Fanboys, Shatner's role in advancing the plot of the film, and how it fits into the Shatnerverse. We also debate how excited we should be for Star Wars: Episode VII--The Force Awakens.
Running Time: 48 minutes x40 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and Max Hegel
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Fanboys (00:05:15)
Cameos (00:17:25)
Shatner (00:29:12)
Wrap-up (00:41:58)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Shatner, Part 5: Dodgeball.
In 2004, William Shatner returned to the big screen for the fourth as himself in Rawson Marshall Thurber's Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. The film stars Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller as competing gym owners who face off in the Dodgeball World Championship.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John, Mike and Max look at Shatner's portrayal of himself as the Dodgeball Chancellor. We discuss the merits of the film's comedy, Shatner's performance, and whether or not this technically counts as an entry into the Shatner Cinematic Universe. We also remember Star Trek movie producer Harve Bennett.
Running Time: 53 minutes 31 seconds
Hosts
John Mills, Mike Schindler and Max Hegel
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Dodgeball (00:01:10)
Shatner's Performance (00:16:46)
Does it Fit in the Shatnerverse? (00:27:44)
Harve Bennett (00:41:45)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Hurley and Nimoy.
Last week, the Star Trek family lost two members whose contributions to the franchise were enormous, Maurice Hurley and Leonard Nimoy.
Hurley was a writer/producer who ran Star Trek: The Next Generation through its first two seasons. Amongst his many contributions was the creation of the Borg.
Nimoy was the face of Star Trek. His portrayal of Commander Spock on the original series set the tone for everything that has come since. Behind the camera, he directed two of the most popular TOS movies, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max, John and Mike take a look at the careers of Hurley and Nimoy both inside and out of Star Trek, and discuss how their art has impacted us personally.
Running Time: 1 hour 3 minutes 49 seconds
Hosts
Max Hegel, John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Hurley's Trek Work (00:02:15)
Hurley's Other Work (00:18:48)
Nimoy's Trek Work (00:23:27)
Nimoy's Other Work (00:38:12)
Final Thoughts (00:49:43)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Shatner, Part 4: Showtime.
One week after the release of Festival in Cannes, the third film in the Shatner Cinematic Universe made its way to the silver screen. Showtime features Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy as two cops are forced to work together as part of a reality television show. Along the way, they receive tips on how to become TV cops, by none other than T.J. Hooker himself, William Shatner.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike, Max and John look at William Shatner as himself in Showtime. We discuss the quality of the movie, how Shatner's performance elevates the entire picture, and what the film adds to the mythology of the Shatnerverse. We also reveal Mike and Max's unhealthy obsession with William Shatner in the workplace.
Running Time: 39 minutes 57 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler, Max Hegel and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Showtime (00:04:15)
Shatner's Performance (00:17:49)
Final Thoughts (00:30:27)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Shatner, Part 3: Festival in Cannes.
In 1999, William Shatner attended the Cannes Film Festival to promote his work in Free Enterprise. While there, he ran into his old friend Maximillian Schell, who was filming the largely improvised film, Festival in Cannes. Their reunion appears in that film, making it a part of the Shatner Cinematic Universe.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Star, John and Mike take a look Festival in Cannes. We discuss the film on the whole, Shatner's performance, and how it fits into the Shatnerverse. We also wonder why Entrapment opened the festival in 1999.
Running Time: 43 minutes 14 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Festival in Cannes (00:01:00)
Shatner's Appearance (00:18:38)
Wrap-up (00:33:44)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Shatner, Part 2: Free Enterprise.
In 1999, the "Shatnerverse" was created with the release of Free Enterprise. The film is about two Star Trek fans who are struggling to make it in Hollywood. During a time of personal crisis, they meet their idol, William Shatner (played by William Shatner), who may not be all that he appears to be.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max, John and Mike look at the first film in which Shatner plays himself. We discuss our thoughts on the film, Shatner's performance, and whether or the movie successfully launches the "Shatnerverse". We also debate whether or not the film played at the Biograph Theater in Chicago.
Running Time: 44 minutes 39 seconds
Hosts
Max Hegel, John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Free Enterprise (00:00:57)
Shatner's Performance (00:15:33)
The Shatnerverse (00:22:49)
Wrap-up (00:32:06)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Shatner, Part 1: Trek.
William Shatner is excellent at what he does, which is everything. But one thing which he is the absolute best at is playing himself.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike, Max and John begin their new series which looks at the films of the "Shatnerverse," movies in which William Shatner plays himself. These include Free Enterprise, Festival in Cannes, Showtime, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, and Fanboys. In the first part of the series, we look at Shatner's work in Star Trek, as both an actor and director. We also get Max and Mike's opinions on the hiring of Simon Pegg and Doug Jung as writers of STAR TR3K.
Running Time: 52 minutes 34 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler, Max Hegel and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
William Shatner (00:02:05)
Captain Kirk (00:12:36)
Directing Star Trek V (00:24:51)
Simon Pegg & Doug Jung (00:35:57)
Wrap-up (00:45:16)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Mulgrew, Part 2: Orange is the New Black.
Up until recently, Kate Mulgrew was best known for her portrayal of Captain Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager. But in recent years, she has gained newfound popularity and acclaim for her role as Red on the hit series Orange is the New Black.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John is joined by Charlynn of To the Journey to look at Mulgrew's Emmy-nominated performance. We discuss the female-centric nature of the show, how Mulgrew's performance differs from that on Voyager, and the sympathetic nature of Red. We also discuss the new STAR TR3K writing team of Doug Jung and Simon Pegg.
Running Time: 52 minutes 9 seconds
Host
John Mills
Guest
Charlynn Schmiedt
Editor
John Mills
Producers
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Orange is the New Black (00:02:15)
Mulgrew's Performance (00:13:58)
Sympathetic Red (00:23:21)
Trek News (00:39:30)
Wrap-Up (00:47:57)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Mulgrew, Part 1: Trek.
Twenty years ago, Star Trek: Voyager, the first (and only) Star Trek series to feature a female captain, debuted on the UPN. Captain Kathryn Janeway was brought to life on screen by Kate Mulgrew.
This week on Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John are joined by Charlynn of To the Journey! to look at Mulgrew's work on Trek. We discuss the choice to have a female captain, the character of Janeway, and Mulgrew's performance. We also listen to some voicemail!
Running Time: 59 minutes 58 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Guests
Charlynn Schmeidt
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Kate Mulgrew (00:01:03)
Kathryn Janeway (00:14:46)
Mulgrew's Performance (00:24:48)
Final Thoughts (00:41:39)
Wrap-up (00:52:14)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Burton, Part 4: Recap.
It may be surprising to some, but LeVar Burton has been nominated for more Emmys than any other actor in Star Trek. Ten of those nominations resulted in wins. But what may be even more impressive is the diversity of the work for which those nominations were earned.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike recap their look at Burton's Emmy-nominated work. We discuss his performance in Roots, his active role in Reading Rainbow, and touch on some of his other work, both in front of and behind the camera. We also wonder whether or not Community and The Big Bang Theory take place in the same continuity.
Running Time: 43 minutes 19 seconds
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Roots (00:00:50)
Reading Rainbow (00:12:50)
Other Work (00:19:30)
Wrap-up (00:35:10)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Burton, Part 3: Reading Rainbow
Years before barrel-rolling into our hearts as Geordi LaForge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, LeVar Burton was already very well established from years of work as the host and producer of Reading Rainbow. The PBS series encouraged children to read by offering book recommendations accompanied by filmed "field trips," which took a closer look at the real-world elements from the stories. Over the course of the show's sixteen seasons, Burton won twelve Emmy Awards.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike, Max and John take a look at Burton's work on Reading Rainbow. We discuss its impact on the youth of America, what it means to today's generation of kids, and how it has been relaunched as an interactive app.
Running Time: 39 minutes 34 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler, Max Hegel and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Reading Rainbow (00:00:45)
The TNG Episode (00:11:15)
The App (00:20:52)
Wrap-up (00:33:01)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Burton, Part 2: Roots.
LeVar Burton's first on-screen performance is also the first to earn him an Emmy nomination. At the age of twenty, he burst onto the scene in the television miniseries, Roots. The show looks at the history of an African American family over the span of a century, from slavery through liberation. Burton leads a huge cast of critically-acclaimed veteran actors, and received a Best Lead Actor nomination for his efforts.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John, Mike and Max look at Burton's work on Roots. We discuss the cultural impact of the series, Burton's performance, and how his portrayal of Kunta Kinte influenced people's perceptions of history. We also remember TOS director Joseph Sargent, and take a look at who's writing STAR TR3K.
Running Time: 46 minutes 17 seconds
Hosts
John Mills, Mike Schindler and Max Hegel
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Roots (00:00:53)
Joseph Sargent (00:28:25)
STAR TR3K Writers (00:30:48)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Burton, Part 1: Trek.
LeVar Burton is best known for his role as Geordi LaForge on Star Trek: The Next Generation. But his contribution to television on the whole goes well beyond that. In addition to a nomination for his performance in the acclaimed miniseries Roots, he has also won ten Emmy Awards for his work on the children's show, Reading Rainbow.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike begin a new series in which we look at Burton's Emmy-nominated work. In this introduction, we discuss his work on Star Trek as both an actor and a director. We also discuss the hiring of Justin Lin as director of STAR TR3K.
Running Time: 56 minutes 25 seconds
Hosts
Max Hegel and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
LeVar Burton (00:02:33)
Acting (00:03:32)
Directing (00:24:02)
Justin Lin (00:37:40)
Wrap-up (00:49:15)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Sponsor
Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.
As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!
Taylor, Part 6: Recap.
Over the course of 15 years, Jeri Taylor worked as a writing producer in television. In that time, a definite progression of thematic elements can be seen running through each of her shows. Timely social issues, procedural crimefighers, and strong women are present all the way back in her episodes of Quincy, M.E., and come to the forefront in her final television creation, Star Trek: Voyager.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike recap their series on Taylor's career. We look at her work on Quincy, M.E., Blue Thunder, Magnum, P.I., In the Heat of the Night, Jake and the Fat Man, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Star Trek: Voyager. We also discuss the latest candidates for the STAR TR3Kdirector's chair.
Running Time: 1 hour 4 minutes 47 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Jeri Taylor (00:01:20)
STAR TR3K Director Shortlist (00:38:58)
Warp-up (00:56:57)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Sponsor
Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.
As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!
Taylor, Part 5: In the Heat of the Night.
After the completion of Magnum, P.I., Jeri Taylor joined the writing staff for the second season of In the Heat of the Night. The show, which was based on the Oscar-winning film and novel of the same name, looks at a small town in America's deep south, where a white police chief and a black detective try to put aside their differences and work as a team.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John discuss Taylor's contribution to the show, the similarities and differences between the show and the movie, and how the show compares to its contemporary series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. We also speculate on who may or may not be directing the next Star Trek movie.
Running Time: 1 hour 4 minutes 27 seconds
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or plus! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
In the Heat of the Night (00:01:00)
Thoughts on the Show (00:16:15)
STAR TR3K's Director (00:34:24)
Our Picks (00:46:44)
Wrap-up (00:56:35)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Sponsor
Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.
As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!
Taylor, Part 4: Magnum, P.I..
The three years following the cancellation of Blue Thunder were rather quiet in Jeri Taylor's career. Her sole credit was for a television movie entitled A Place to Call Home. But in 1987, Taylor returned to episodic television as a writing producer on the final season of Magnum, P.I.. In the show, Tom Selleck plays a Vietnam veteran who works as a private detective in Hawaii.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike take a look at Taylor's third series. We discuss the elements which make Magnum a quintessential example of 1980s television, the ways in which Taylor brought her style into the show, and the variety which is demonstrated in her episodes.
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Production Manager
Richard Marquez
Content Coordinator
Will Nguyen
Chapters
Intro (00:01:09)
Taylor's Episodes (00:12:58)
Final Thoughts (00:30:34)
Wrap-up (00:37:23)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm/
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support The Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Commentary: Trek Stars 108: Airwolf is Stealing Our Blue Thunder!
Taylor, Part 3: Blue Thunder.
After the cancellation of Quincy, M.E., Jeri Taylor began work on the writing staff of a new television series in 1984. Blue Thunder is a spinoff of a popular action film from the previous year about a high-tech police helicopter which is used to fight crime in Los Angeles. The series stared James Farentino as the lead, American football legends Dick Butkus and Bubba Smith as, essentially, themselves, and a pre-SNL Dana Carvey as the young computer-wiz.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike is joined by Tysto to look atTaylor's second television production. We discuss the 1980s TV trend of military-grade law enforcement, the bizarre casting, and the possible similarities between Blue Thunder and Star Trek: Voyager.
Hosts
Mike Schindler
Guest
Tysto
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Associate Producers
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
The Movie (00:02:09)
The Series (00:07:02)
The Pilot (00:17:39)
The Cast (00:23:46)
Taylor's Influence (00:29:20)
Wrap-up (00:38:37)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Taylor, Part 2: Quincy, M.E.
After three years of work as a writer, Jeri Taylor was promoted to producer for the final season of Quincy, M.E.. The series, which starred Jack Klugman as a medical examiner who uses forensic medicine to solve crimes, was a precursor to shows like C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation and House, M.D..
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike discuss Taylor's work as a writer/producer on Quincy. We discuss how Taylor shaped the final season, how she was able to put her personal stamp on the show, and what her proposed spin-off, The Cutting Edge, may have been like.
Hosts
Mike Schindler and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Associate Producers
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Quincy, M.E. (00:01:29)
Baby Rattlesnakes (00:12:21)
A Cry for Help (00:21:00)
Quincy's Wedding (00:27:57)
The Cutting Edge (00:32:45)
Final Thoughts (00:43:33)
Closing (00:48:00)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Taylor, Part 1: Trek.
In 1992, Michael Piller turned his attention towards his new Star Trek series, Deep Space Nine. This left a void in the Next Generation writer's room. That void was filled by Jeri Taylor. Under her guidance, the last two season of TNG produced some the best Trek of all-time, and earned the series its only Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama. On the strength of that work, Taylor was given the task of creating the next Star Trek series, Voyager, which she also ran for the first four seasons.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, we begin a new series which looks at Taylor's work as a television writer/producer. In our first part, Mike, Max, and John are joined by Charlynn Schmiedt of To The Journey to examine Taylor's work in Trek. We discuss her first episode, her TNG highlights, her work as a showrunner on TNG, and the creation of Voyager.
Hosts
Mike Schindler, Max Hegel, and John Mills
Guest
Charlynn Schmiedt
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Associate Producers
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Jeri Taylor (1:31)
The Next Generation (9:04)
Voyager (27:12)
Final Thoughts (54:53)
Closing (58:50)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Introducing John.
The Original Series had Chekov. Deep Space Nine had Worf. Voyager had Seven of Nine. Sometimes your favorite shows need a little help. Commentary: Trek Stars is no exception.
In our fifth season premiere, Mike and Max welcome John Mills from Words with Nerds as our third crew member. In his first episode as co-host, John tells us about his relationship with Star Trek, what he thinks about some of the creators we've already covered, and who he'd like to look at in the future.
Hosts
Mike Schindler, Max Hegel, and John Mills
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Associate Producers
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
John and Trek (4:07)
What John's Missed (10:43)
What John Wants to Cover (21:06)
Closing (28:30)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Mack, Part 2: The Calling.
In 2009, prolific Star Trek author David Mack published his first original novel. The Calling is a supernatural crime drama about a man who hears people's prayers. Before long, he is caught in a war between good and evil, with a young girl's life in the balance.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike are joined by Mack to look at his novel, the origins of the story, the challenges and benefits of working outside of Trek, and the differences between writing for the page and for the screen. We also ponder the possibility of Jack Bauer existing in the Mirror Universe.
Hosts
Mike Schindler and Max Hegel
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Associate Producers
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
The Calling (00:58)
Page vs. Screen (10:40)
Similarities and Differences to Trek (19:39)
New York (31:13)
Becoming a Novelist (37:10)
Upcoming Projects (55:23)
Closing (1:03:39)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm/
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Mack, Part 1: Trek.
David Mack has written close to 30 Star Trek novels and stories over the course of his career. But before all of that, Mack had a hand in writing two Deep Space Nine adventures for the small screen. Along with his writing partner John J. Ordover, Mack wrote the fourth season episode, "Starship Down," and wrote the story upon which Ronald D. Moore's teleplay for season seven's "It's Only a Paper Moon" was based.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars , Mike and Max are joined by Matt of The Delta Quadrant and The Nerd Party to look at Mack's television work. We discuss "Starship Down," "It's Only a Paper Moon," and the original concept for that episode, "Everybody Goes to Quark's." We also preview Mack's original novel The Calling, which we will cover next week.
Hosts
Mike Schindler and Max Hegel Editor and Producer Mike Schindler Associate Producers Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm Chapters
Starship Down (3:35) It’s Only a Paper Moon (17:32) Everybody Goes to Quark's (24:40) Final Thoughts (33:24)
Closing (36:48)
Support the Network! Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Send us your feedback! Twitter: @trekfm Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm/ Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Meyer IV: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.
When the decision was made to turn his successful novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution into a movie, Nicholas Meyer took on the challenge of adapting it himself. The result was an Oscar nomination. The film, in which Sherlock Holmes meets Sigmund Freud, was as much of a critical success as the book which preceded it.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike look at Meyer's work on the film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Nicol Williamson, Robert Duvall and Alan Arkin. We discuss the unusual tone of the film, the changes which were made for the screen, and how this Sherlock Holmes compares to other screen versions of the character. We also hope for a Sherlock Holmes crossover in Meyer's upcoming Sigmund Freud television series.
Hosts
Mike Schindler and Max Hegel
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Associate Producers
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (00:52)
Adaptation (12:36)
Final Thoughts (25:34)
Closing (34:36)
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm/
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Moore, Part 8: Outlander.
In the years since Battlestar Galactica, Ronald D. Moore has struggled to find another hit on television. That search has ended with his latest series, Outlander. Based on the novel by Diana Gabaldon, the show tells the story of an English nurse from 1945 who is thrown back in time to 1743 Scotland.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max take a look at the first eight episodes of Moore's series. We discuss the strength of the characters, the use of time travel, and challenges of adapting a novel into a TV series. We also discuss the newest addition to the Star Trek family, Star Tr3k's cinematographer, Claudio Miranda.
Hosts
Mike Schindler and Max Hegel
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Associate Producers
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
The Premise (02:00)
Thoughts on the Show (09:42)
Time Travel (27:14)
Adaptation (30:38)
Final Thoughts (39:51)
Claudio Miranda (41:11)
Closing (45:46)
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm/
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Wise, Part 2: Citizen Kane.
Robert Wise is best known to movie fans as the multi Oscar-winning director of The Sound of Music and West Side Story. He's best known to sci-fi fans as the man who brought The Day the Earth Stood Still and Star Trek: The Motion Picture to the big screen. But his most important contribution to the history of cinema came 38 years prior to going where no man had gone before. In 1941, Robert Wise edited Citizen Kane.
In this, the 100th episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike examine Wise's work on Orson Welles's masterpiece. We discuss what it is that an editor does, why Citizen Kane is so important to film history, and how Wise played an integral role in the picture's creation.
Hosts Mike Schindler and Max Hegel Editor and Producer Mike Schindler Associate Producers Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm Chapters
Editing (2:36) Citizen Kane (13:25) Editing Kane (29:07) Trek Editors (45:44) Wrap-up (49:53)
Support the Network! Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Send us your feedback! Twitter: @trekfm Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm/ Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Wise, Part 1: Trek.
In 1979, ten years after the cancellation of the original series, Star Trek made the jump to the big screen. In an effort to pull out all the stops, Paramount hired Oscar-winning director Robert Wise to helm Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The rest is history.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike are joined by Larry Nemecek to look at Wise's work on the film. We discuss Wise's place in film history, the atmosphere of fan culture leading up to the picture's release, and whether or not Wise was the right choice to direct the first Star Trek movie.
Hosts
Max Hegel and Mike Schindler
Editor and Producer
Mike Schindler
Associate Producer
Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit patreon.com/trekfm
Chapters
Robert Wise (1:55)
TMP Fan Culture (8:20)
Fan Reaction to TMP (29:06)
Was Wise the Right Choice? (40:37)
Final Thoughts (1:00:44)
Wrap-up (1:11:26)
Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm/
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
Meyer III: Houdini.
Throughout his career, Nicholas Meyer has shown a fascination for the psychology behind larger-than-life historical figures. His new television mini-series, Houdini, is no exception.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike take a look at the show, which was scripted by Meyer and stars Adrian Brody as the title character. We discuss the surprisingly high-end production value, the unusual formal qualities, and the Arthur Conan Doyle subplot. We also touch on the involvement of two Star Trek movie directors' fathers.
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Chapters
Houdini (1:11)
The Style (09:00)
Doyle (25:20)
Wrap-Up (38:49)
Lindelof, Part 6: World War Z.
Despite its enormous popularity, Damon Lindelof's television series, Lost, is often criticized for its ending. But that did not stop Marc Forster and his team from hiring Lindelof to rewrite the third act of the troubled Brad Pitt vehicle, World War Z. The movie went on to huge box office success, and much of the credit went to Lindelof and his co-writer, Drew Goddard.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by John Mills of Words with Nerds to look at Lindelof's most recent cinematic endeavor. We discuss the similarities between the movie and the novel upon which it was based, the structural issues associated with the film, and how Lindelof and Goddard wrote the best ending possible for the movie. We also marvel at the cast of the audiobook.
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Chapters
World War Z (1:45)
Thoughts on the Film (12:44)
The Ending (25:34)
Final Thoughts (37:56)
Wrap-Up (44:32)
Lindelof, Part 5: Star Trek Into Darkness.
Last year Max and Mike looked at the films that Damon Lindelof had written up to that point. Since then, Lindelof has written two more films. The first of these was Star Trek Into Darkness.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, we return to Lindelof's body of work to examine his work as a Star Trek writer. We discuss the concept of "spectacle creep" and how it applies to Into Darkness, the similarities and differences between Into Darkness and Wrath of Khan, and the challenges of telling a small story on a big scale. We also remember the work of Next Generation director Robert Wiemer.
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Chapters
The Parsec Awards (1:17)
Into Darkness (5:13)
Spock vs. Khan (15:57)
Kirk's Sacrifice (27:01)
Final Thoughts (32:29)
Robert Wiemer (39:31)
Wrap-Up (41:46)
Abrams, Part 4: Recap.
For someone held in such high regard by the film industry, J.J. Abrams has a fairly short resume when it comes to directing. As of now, he has only directed four features, including Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek, Super 8, and Star Trek Into Darkness.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max recap their look at Abrams's directorial work. We also discuss his upcoming film, Star Wars: Episode VII, and answer a listener's questions about Max's opinion of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
Abrams, Part 3: Super 8.
In between Star Trek films, J.J. Abrams took a break from the franchise to direct his passion project, Super 8. The film, about a group of kids who accidentally film the wreck of a government train transporting an alien, is Abrams's homage to Spielberg-era sci-fi blockbusters.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike are joined by John Mills of Words with Nerds to look at Abrams's most personal movie to date. We discuss the motivations of alien, what's inside the mystery box, and of course, lens flares. Max also answers a listener's question about what movies he thinks are good.
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Chapters
Super 8 (3:40)
The Alien (12:11)
The Mystery Box (20:59)
Lens Flares (30:45)
Final Thoughts (40:28)
Listener Mail (50:15)
Closing (1:03:11)
Abrams, Part 2: Mission: Impossible III.
Before relaunching Star Trek, J.J. Abrams adapted another Desilu television show for the big screen with Mission: Impossible III.
In this episode Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by Tysto to look at Abrams's first feature. We discuss why Tom Cruise gave him the job, how it differs from the other Mission: Impossible films, and how it influenced his work in Trek. We also debate the merits of the script.
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Chapters
Mission: Impossible III (4:22)
The Show (10:21)
The Movies (14:13)
Similarities to Alias (23:43)
The Writing (28:07)
Final Thoughts (38:06)
Wrap-up (39:19)
Abrams, Part 1: Trek.
In 2005, after eighteen consecutive seasons of television, Star Trek was suffering from "franchise fatigue." In an effort to revitalize the property, Paramount hired A-list filmmaker J.J. Abrams to direct a reboot of The Original Series.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike begin a new series looking at Abrams's career as a feature film director. In Part 1, we are joined by Matthew Rushing of The Orb and Literary Treks to examine Abrams's work on Star Trek. We discuss the reasons behind hiring Abrams, our initial thoughts concerning his involvement, and what exactly his contribution to the franchise has been. We also examine the similarities between the 2009 film and The Motion Picture.
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Chapters
Intro (02:00)
Initial Thoughts (10:18)
Continuity (22:18)
The Mystery Box (33:13)
Mainstream Trek (39:52)
Final Thoughts (54:37)
Closing (1:02:57)
Wheaton, Part 4: Recap.
Since his early days on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and all the way up to the present, Wil Wheaton has always been an entertainer, but he has never settled into one specific role. Instead, he has adapted to the changing media landscape and used whatever tools were best suited for the task at hand. And whether it has been acting, writing or blogging, he has always excelled. The same is true for his career as television producer/host.
In this episode, Mike and Max recap their look at Wheaton's current television work. We discuss both Tabletop and The Wil Wheaton Project, as well as touch on some of Wheaton's other projects from throughout his career. We also debate the merits of Monopoly.
Wheaton, Part 3: The Wil Wheaton Project.
Wil Wheaton's history in Star Trek and presence in online media has made him a favorite among the sci-fi/fantasy crowd. His love for the genre, as well his comedic talent, made him the ideal host for SyFy's new talk show, coincidentally named The Wil Wheaton Project.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike take a look at Wheaton's second series as a producer/host. We discuss the format of the show, the quality of the pre-produced segments, and Wheaton's talents as a comedian. We also fondly remember John Henson-era Talk Soup.
Chapters
The Wil Wheaton Project (1:24)
The pre-produced clips (10:53)
Thoughts on the show (21:35)
Wrap-up (28:15)
Wheaton, Part 2: Tabletop.
Wil Wheaton may have started his career as an actor, but he has since become a much larger creative force in the geek community. One outlet that he has used to express himself is through television production and hosting.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by Drew of Standard Orbit to look at Wheaton's first television series, Tabletop. We discuss the show's unusual premise, the importance of good chemistry between the guests, and how it shows that Wheaton is truly a geek. We also spoil "Journey's End" for Drew.
Chapters
Intro (1:09)
Tabletop (7:37)
Production Value (17:23)
Favorite Episodes (25:23)
Final Thoughts (32:46)
Wrap-up (36:38)
Wheaton, Part 1: Trek.
Few characters in Star Trek are as polarizing as Wesley Crusher. But love him or hate him, most fans are very fond of the actor behind the character, Wil Wheaton.
In this episode, Max and Mike begin a new series which look at Wheaton's career as a television show host. In the first installment, we cover Wheaton's work in Star Trek. We discuss his growth as an actor over the course of The Next Generation, the progression of the character from "Where No Man Has Gone Before" to "Journey's End," and Wheaton's work as a voice actor on the 2009 Star Trek film.
McKay & Payne.
Over the past fifty years, from Gene Roddenberry to Damon Lindelof, 369 people have written for Star Trek. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max talk to the 370th and 371st Star Trek writers, Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne.
In the interview, we discuss McKay and Payne's Trek fandom, their screenplays which led to Trek, working with Robert Orci, and responding to the criticisms fans have of the last film. We also try to convince them to watch Deep Space Nine.
Benny Russell.
In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Far Beyond the Stars," Ira Steven Behr and his team explored the possibility that the events of the series had been created by a science fiction writer in the 1950s named Benny Russell.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike are joined by Christopher Jones of The Orb to take a look at the character of Benny Russell. We discuss the quality of the episode on the whole, whether or not it's possible that Deep Space Nine was created by Russell, and what that would mean for the rest of the franchise. We also ponder whether or not the Prophets are Giants fans.
Roddenberry II: Pretty Maids All In a Row.
Despite having written dozens of hours of television, Gene Roddenberry is only responsible for writing one feature film. That film is Pretty Maids All In a Row, directed by Roger Vadim and starring Rock Hudson.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by film critic Todd Gilchrist to take a look at the film, which Roddenberry also produced. We discuss the social commentary present in an otherwise exploitational sex comedy, the simililarities between Roddenberry and Vadim as artists, and whether or not this film is the missing piece in understanding Roddenberry's personality. We also ponder why Quentin Tarantino calls it one of the best films of all time.
Black II: Wonder Woman.
Over the past 50 years, there have been many successful comic book adaptations for both the big screen and small. But for some reason, the one marquee character which has failed to break through to the mainstream is Wonder Woman. Many writers have tried, with varying results. And the very first of these was Star Trek writer and producer, John D.F. Black.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike take a look at Black's 1974 Wonder Woman pilot, which starred Cathy Lee Crosby, and directly preceded the successful 1975 series starring Lynda Carter. We discuss the origins of the character, how Black's pilot rates among other adaptations, and whether or not current creators are on the cusp of a breakthrough with the character. We also ponder why comic book readers are generally unaccepting of the character.
Nemecek, Part 5: Stellar Cartography Recap.
Last year saw the return of author Larry Nemecek to the world of Star Trek non-fiction with his second book, Stellar Cartography. Featuring maps by Ian Fullwood, Ali Reis, and Geoffrey Mandel, Nemecek's companion essays offer a comprehensive look at the history of the future.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by Larry for the second part of their two-part interview. We discuss the genesis of the book, the challenges of completing such an ambitious project in a short period of time, and how Larry made sense of the Dominion War. We also ponder how big a sector is.
Nemecek, Part 4: TNG Companion Recap.
For over a decade, Larry Nemecek chronicled the making of Star Trek in the Next Generation era. But what about the making of the making of?
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike are joined Larry himself to discuss his career as an author. In the first part of a two-part interview, he discusses his work on The Next Generation Companion, as well as his Voyager episode, "Prophecy," and other episode pitches which he wrote for Voyager. He also blows Max and Mike's minds with the history of Voyager's development.
Nemecek, Part 3: Stellar Cartography.
Last year, Larry Nemecek returned to the world of Star Trek book publishing with Star Trek: Stellar Cartography, a collection of maps which chronicle the geography of the Trek universe. While the maps, created by Ian Fullwood, Ali Ries and Geoffrey Mandel, are the centerpiece of the collection, Nemecek's accompanying text is the hidden gem. It becomes a sort of history of the future, giving us a large-scale look at the events which have played out on a more personal level on the TV screen.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by Steve Roberts of Tribbles in Ecstasy to look at Nemecek's book. We discuss the artistry of the maps, the dense knowledge contained in the text, and how Steve is using the collection to teach his six-year old about Star Trek.
Nemecek, Part 2: The Next Generation Companion
As we've said before, Larry Nemecek wrote the book on Star Trek: The Next Generation... literally. Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion is comprehensive episode guide which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the show.
This week, Max and Mike are joined by Phillip Gilfus of Earl Grey to talk about Nemecek's first Star Trek reference book. We discuss how we came to discover it, what makes it stand out from other books like it, and how it has impacted our lives on a personal level. We also discuss the hiring of Roberto Orci as the director of STAR TR3K.
Nemecek, Part 1: Trek.
One of the greatest documentarian's of Star Trek's history is Larry Nemecek. The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion is one of best books of its kind. Each and every issue of The Star Trek Communicator was must-read for fans of the franchise. And his new book, Stellar Cartography, is work of art unto itself. But Nemecek is not just a fan and historian of Star Trek. He's also a creator. Along with his wife, Janet, Nemecek wrote the story which was the basis of the seventh season Voyager episode, "Prophecy."
This week, Mike is joined by Charlynn of To the Journey! to take a look at Nemecek's episode. We discuss the fan-friendly nature of Klingons in the Delta Quadrant, how the plot device of the Klingon illness could have been handled more effectively, and how the storyline was continued in the novels. We also wonder what the difference is between a D7 and a K'Tinga.
The Mount Rushmore of Trek.
Thousands of artists have helped to make Star Trek the thing it is today. But what if you had to pick just four of them to represent the franchise as a whole?
For our third season finale, the Trek.fm crew tries determine which four faces belong on the Mount Rushmore of Trek. Max and Mike are joined by five guests from around the network, including Drew Stewart of Standard Orbit, Jason Genser of Star Trek: Equinox, Daniel Proulx and Phillip Gilfus of Earl Grey, and Christopher Jones of everything else, to give their unique perspectives on who deserves to be immortalized in stone.
Braga, Part 4: Salem.
Brannon Braga is one of only five individuals in history who can claim to have created a Star Trek series. In the past, we have discussed that creation, Enterprise, as well as his other television series, Flashforward. Last Sunday saw the debut of Braga's third series, Salem, which he co-created with Adam Simon.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max return to their Brannon Braga series to discuss his work on Salem. We look at the political message of the film, the similar style of Game of Thrones, and how it compares to the other show that Braga runs, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. We also look back fondly on Adam Simon's portrayal of himself in The Player.
Rick Berman.
It could be argued that, with the exception of Gene Roddenberry, no one has played a bigger role in shaping the Star Trek franchise than Rick Berman. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike take a look at the choices Berman made on a conceptual level, and how they influenced the direction of the franchise. We discuss how he balanced Roddenberry's vision with Michael Piller's creativity on The Next Generation, the choice to set Deep Space Nine on a station, whether or not Voyager was designed to replicate TNG, and the reason why Enterprise was always destined to take place on a starship. We also look at how the fans' view of Berman's contribution has changed with distance.
Bole, Part 6: Recap.
The Next Generation era of Star Trek is not exactly known for its breakthrough directorial choices. Rick Berman operated a very well-oiled machine which was manned by expert craftsmen who knew exactly what was expected of them, and delivered high-quality product week after week. Such is the nature of episodic television. Very few shows allow the director to stretch their legs creatively in such a way as to demonstrate their own personal style. One such show was The X-Files.
Cliff Bole is one of a very few directors to have worked on both franchises, and he is credited with creating some of the very best episodes of each.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max recap our look at Bole's work on The X-Files. We discuss all four of his episodes, including "Small Potatoes," "Bad Blood," "Chimera," and "Jump the Shark." We also discuss the talents of Vince Gilligan, and ponder how the producers knew that Bole would be the perfect choice to handle such iconic episodes.
Bole, Part 5: Jump the Shark.
From the beginning, The Lone Gunmen were fan favorites on The X-Files. The trio of characters, Byers, Langley, and Frohike, were conspiracy theorists who published a newspaper aimed at revealing the truth. In 2001, they received their own spinoff series. Also in 2001, that spinoff was cancelled.
Left on a cliffhanger, the story remained unresolved until midway through the following season, when the creators of the series gave it a proper resolution in an episode of The X-Files entitled "Jump the Shark". This was also the final X-File for Cliff Bole.
This week, Max and Mike discuss The Lone Gunmen's role on The X-Files, how that roll changed on their own show, and how "Jump the Shark" acts as an episode of two series simultaneously.
Bole, Part 4: Chimera.
Not every episode of your favorite television show can be a winner. After two outstanding efforts, Cliff Bole returned to The X-Files during its seventh season to direct "Chimera," a story about a mysterious creature that is killing people in a small community.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max take a look at Bole's third X-File. We discuss its "monster of the week" nature, Scully's promising B-story, and why Bole's contribution is not readily apparent. We also explain The Muppet Babies Syndrome.
Bole, Part 3: Bad Blood.
After the success of his first X-Files episode, Cliff Bole returned to the series the following year to direct another comedic script by Vince Gilligan, "Bad Blood." This episode pushed the boundaries of the show even further than "Small Potatoes," and the end result may be the most critically-acclaimed hour in the show's history.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike take a look at Bole's second X-File. We discuss how the episode gets better with each viewing, how it departs from the tone of the series while still staying inside the basic formula, and how Bole's sense of comic timing is the key to the episode's success. We also take a look at the new Brannon Braga series, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.
Bole, Part 2: Small Potatoes.
Cliff Bole will always be known first and foremost for his contribution to Star Trek, but he also had a huge impact on another sci-fi series, The X-Files. Four episodes of the '90s cult classic were directed by Bole, including some of the very best.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max take a look at Bole's first X-Files episode, "Small Potatoes." We discuss the series as a whole, the difficulty of balancing grotesque crimes with humor, and the apparent freedom Bole was given in this series which may have been absent on Trek. We also examine the merits of The X-Files as an educational tool.
Bole, Part 1: Trek.
Last month, the world lost legendary Star Trek director Cliff Bole, who helmed 42 hours of Trek—including 25 episodes of The Next Generation—more than anyone else in the show's history. Among those 25 was "The Best of Both Worlds," commonly considered to be the best TNG episode, and one of the best television episodes, of all time.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max kick off a new series looking at the work that Bole did in another beloved franchise, The X-Files. But first, we are joined by TNG expert Larry Nemecek to discuss Bole's work in Trek, his industry origins, his hits and misses, and his blue-collar approach to filmmaking. Larry also gives us a taste of what Bole was like as a person.
Wolfe, Part 6: Recap. Robert Hewitt Wolfe was a key component of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's writing team. He has since gone on to develop or write for a number of genre properties, including Futuresport, Andromeda, The Dresden Files, and Riverworld.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max recap their series on Wolfe, and also touch on his other works, including his two current shows, Star-Crossed and Elementary.
Wolfe, Part 5: Riverworld. In 2010, Syfy took their second shot at adapting Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld novels for the small screen. This time around, Robert Hewitt Wolfe was brought in to write multiple drafts of the troubled miniseries.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike examine the miniseries on the whole. We discuss the challenges of building an expansive mythology, the use of historical figures in a fantasy setting, and the unusual path the project took from script to screen.
Wolfe, Part 4: The Dresden Files. In 2007, after a rather long road from page to screen, Robert Hewitt Wolfe's second series, The Dresden Files, debuted on Syfy. The show, which Wolfe developed with his Star Trek: Deep Space Nine collaborator Hans Beimler, tells the story of a wizard detective named Harry Dresden, who specializes in investigations of a supernatural nature.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by their Commentary Track Stars: Off Topic co-host Branden Myers to look at The Dresden Files. We discuss the magical noir sub genre, the curious case of the show's pilot, and the many Trek alumni who worked on the series. We also ponder the existence of Chicago accents.
Wolfe, Part 3: Andromeda. In 2000, Robert Hewitt Wolfe made his debut as a television showrunner with Andromeda. The series, which was based on concepts by Gene Roddenberry, followed the crew of a starship in distant future after the fall of civilization as they try to restore the Commonwealth to its former glory.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by Colin Higgins of Melodic Treks to look at Wolfe's first full series. We discuss how the project came to be, what caused Wolfe to leave the show, and how one of the best episodes was originally intended for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Wolfe, Part 2: Futuresport. After five seasons, Robert Hewitt Wolfe left Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to work on other projects. The first of those was Futuresport, a television movie directed by Ernest Dickerson and starring Dean Cain. The film looks at a world on the brink of war which tries to settle a global dispute through a game in an effort to avoid a military conflict.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by their Commentary Track Stars: Off Topic co-host Branden Myers to look at Wolfe's first post-Trek effort. We discuss the film's Roddenberry-like optimism, the way it reflects today's society, and why it ultimately doesn't work. We also try to figure out what the theoretical series would have been like.
Wolfe, Part 1: Trek. There were many talented people who contributed to the genius of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. But one of the most under appreciated is writer/producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe.
This week, Max and Mike start a new series looking at Wolfe's work as a driving force behind television projects, including Futuresport, Andromeda, Riverworld, and The Dresden Files.
In Part 1, we are joined by Matt Hansen of The Delta Quadrant to look at Wolfe's work on Star Trek. We discuss his Next Generation debut with “A Fistful of Datas,” his script for “Q-Less,” which led to a staff position on DS9, and his huge contribution to the series on the whole, including the co-creation of the Defiant. We also debate what metaphor best describes his place in the DS9 writing staff.
Behr, Part 6: Recap. Taking the dark horse of the Star Trek franchise and turning it into one the best TV shows ever made is a tough act to follow. Such is the life of Ira Steven Behr. This week, Mike and Max recap Behr's career as a showrunner, looking at each of his shows, including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Bob Patterson, The Twilight Zone, The 4400, Crash, and Alphas. We also discuss some of his other work, including his upcoming series, Outlander.
Behr, Part 5: Alphas. In 2011, Ira Steven Behr returned to the science fiction genre with Alphas. The series followed a group of super-powered mutants who helped the government solve crimes while coping with their unique abilities.
This week, Max and Mike are joined by their Commentary Track Stars: Off Topic co-host Branden Myers to take a look at Behr's sixth show. We discuss the similarities to The X-Men, how the tone differs from other SyFy Channel shows, and the Behr-less second season. We also touch on Ronald D. Moore's recent Twitter activity, and the passing of Trek producer Marty Hornstein.
Behr, Part 4: Crash. After a less than successful first season, the Starz Network decided to give their television show Crash a second chance. It was decided that the series needed to be reinvented, and that the man for the job was Ira Steven Behr.
This week, Mike and Max take a look at the second season of Crash. We discuss the changes that were made to the show, how the issue of racism is dealt with, and why we'll always give Behr the benefit of the doubt.
Behr, Part 3: The 4400. In 2004, Rene Echevarria and Scott Peters created The 4400. In the show, 4,400 missing persons from the past century spontaneously return with superpowers. Echevarria quickly handed over the writing staff to his Trek boss, Ira Steven Behr, who ran the series until its cancellation in 2007.
This Week, Max and Mike are joined by Trek.fm's very own Christopher Jones to talk about Behr's fourth show. We discuss the religious parallels of the story, the character development over time, and the moral ambiguity of the situations presented in the series.
Behr, Part 2: The Twilight Zone. Perhaps the only science fiction television franchise which is more critically acclaimed than Star Trek is Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. And the only person in history who has run shows in both franchises is Ira Steven Behr.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by Tom Elliot of The Twilight Zone Network to look at Behr's third series, the 2002 incarnation of The Twilight Zone. We discuss how Behr's series compares to the original, the idea of a cohesive Twilight Zone multiverse, and what we can expect from future incarnations of the show. We also debate whether or not the Steve Guttenberg vehicle Tower of Terror takes place in the Twilight Zone.
Roddenberry Part 5: The Questor Tapes. Out of all of Gene Roddenberry’s failed pilots, The Questor Tapes is the one that came closest to getting picked up. It tells the story of an android who has been placed on Earth to oversee humanity’s progress.
This week, Max and Mike examine the pilot, which starred Robert Foxworth as Questor the android, and Mike Farrell as his trusty human sidekick, Jerry. We discuss how the show itself would have differed from the pilot, its similarities to “Assignment: Earth,” the main character’s similarities to Data, the recent attempt at resurrecting the series, how the director may or may not have been responsible for the failure of the Ferengi, and how the writer may or may not have been responsible for the success of Star Trek: The Original Series. We also touch briefly on the last of Roddenberry’s failed pilots, Spectre.
Behr, Part 1: Trek. During the third season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Michael Piller "stepped back" from his daily duties and handed the writing staff to his Number One—Ira Steven Behr. It was at this point that Deep Space Nine went from being a great show to being the best show. Ever.
This week, we begin a new series looking at Behr's career as a showrunner. In Part 1, Max and Mike are joined by Larry Nemecek to look at Behr's work on Star Trek. We discuss his origins on The Next Generation, how Piller lured him back to work on Deep Space Nine, and how he predicted fans would appreciate the show in later years. We also talk about how baseball was responsible for the best of Trek.
Ellison, Part 4: Recap. Few writers are as prolific as Harlan Ellison. But perhaps his greatest contribution to the world of sci-fi is his commentary on the genre itself. This week, Mike and Max recap Ellison's work on The Outer Limits. We look at his two episodes, "Soldier" and "Demon with a Glass Hand," as well as his episode of Star Trek, “The City on the Edge of Forever." We also discuss his career outside television, and his impact as a public figure in the sci-fi community.
Ellison, Part 3: Demon with a Glass Hand. In 1964, Harlan Ellison won the Writer’s Guild of America Award for his second entry into The Outer Limits, “Demon with a Glass Hand.” The episode tells the story of a man with a computer hand who is humanity’s last hope in an intergalactic war. This week, Max and Mike are joined by Tysto of Tysto.com to look at “Demon with a Glass Hand.” We discuss why it is so acclaimed, how it is part of a much larger story, and how it might have tied into Babylon 5. We also talk about how awesome The Sci-Fi Buzz was.
Ellison, Part 2: Soldier. In 1964, the cult sci-fi show The Outer Limits was renewed for a second season. The new production team decided to shift the focus away from a "monster of the week" format, and into a "hard sci-fi" direction. As part of this change, Harlan Ellison was brought in to write two episodes of the anthology series.
The first of these was “Soldier,” based on his own short story entitled “Soldier from Tomorrow.” As the title suggests, it tells the story of a soldier from a future war, played by Michael Ansara, who is thrown back in time to the strange land of America in the mid-20th century.
This week, Mike and Max take a look at both “Soldier” and the story upon which it's based. We discuss The Outer Limits in general, the episode in particular, and the allegations of plagiarism which Ellison brought against James Cameron's The Terminator. We also look back at the Shatner-starring, Esperanto-speaking opus which is Incubus.
Ellison, Part 1: Trek. This week, Max and Mike begin a new series on writer Harlan Ellison, looking at his work on The Outer Limits.
Ellison's “The City On the Edge of Forever” is considered by many to be Star Trek's finest hour. The story of Kirk finally falling in love, only to have that love snatched away by the Universe is both epic in scale and personal in emotion. It is thought of by most to be a masterpiece. But not by Ellison.
The episode's road to the screen was undoubtedly the most troubled of any Trek episode. Ellison's original screenplay was thought to be unfilmable and uncharacteristic of Trek. As such, it was heavily rewritten by Gene Roddenberry and others, until it became something that Ellison despised. Three decades later, Ellison published his original screenplay along with an essay telling his side of the story. The book is almost as epic as the episode itself.
For the first part in our series on Ellison, we are joined by Drew Stewart of Standard Orbit and John Mills of Words with Nerds to look at both the finished episode and the original screenplay. We discuss whether or not it is the best episode of Trek, how the aired version differs from the first draft, whether or not the changes are for the better, and what Ellison's essay says about the creative process.
Black & Cushman, Part 2: Star Trek & These are the Voyages. Only months after publication, Marc Cushman's These are the Voyages is already considered to be the most thorough insight into the making of Star Trek: The Original Series. With 500 pages dedicated to Season One and two more volumes on the way, it is quite clearly the definitive history of Gene Roddenberry's classic show.
In our third season premiere, Mike and Max present the second half of their interview with Marc and Original Series veterans John D.F. & Mary Black. We talk about how television has changed since the sixties, what other movies and shows John has written, and what we can expect to see in the next two volumes of These are the Voyages. We also ponder what it would have been like if Spock had left after Season One.
These are the Voyages, TOS, Season One can be purchased now on Amazon.com, with Seasons Two and Three set for release in the coming months.
Black & Cushman, Part 1: Star Trek & These are the Voyages. These are the Voyages has quickly become the most critically acclaimed book ever written on the making of Star Trek. It is a comprehensive look at the day-to-day operation of The Original Series, from script to air.
In the second season finale, Max and Mike are joined by the book's author and Next Generation writer Marc Cushman, Original Series writer and producer John D.F. Black, and his wife and Original Series assistant, Mary Black. We discuss what makes this book different from others, what it was like to work on The Original Series, and how the industry has changed over the years. We also try to figure out how you can tell when a writer is lying about missing a deadline.
These are the Voyages, TOS, Season One can be purchased now on Amazon.com, with Seasons Two and Three set for release in the coming months.
Moore, Part 7: Recap. Ronald D. Moore's work as a writer on Star Trek gained the attention of many producers in Hollywood. Because of this, he has built a very successful career as a television showrunner.
This week, Mike and Max recap their series on Moore's career, looking at all of the shows he ran, including Roswell, Carnivale, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, and Virtuality. We also take a look at the future of Moore's career—with Helix and Outlander—as well as his unaired pilot, 17th Precinct.
Moore, Part 6: Virtuality. After five and a half years of running the Sci-Fi Channel's most successful series, Ronald D. Moore began development on not one, but two new pilots. The first was Caprica, as discussed last week. The second was a science fiction show for Fox titled Virtuality.
Co-created by Trek writer Michael Taylor, Virtuality follows the crew of a spacecraft on a ten-year mission to find an alternative to life on Earth, which only has 100 years left. The crew, which is being filmed for a reality television show, relaxes with the help of a virtual reality program. However, the program has turned dangerous, and it may not be the result of a simple glitch.
This week, Max and Mike take a look at the pilot. We discuss wether or not the answers to the questions asked would have been satisfying, why Moore chose to develop two virtual reality shows simultaneously, and how Moore assembled his crew, made up of past collaborators. We also wonder why Jamiroquai wasn't hired to perform the theme song.
Moore, Part 5: Caprica. As the saying goes, "All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again." While Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica was coming to a close, his new series, Caprica, was just beginning.
The prequel takes a look at the world of BSG fifty years prior to its destruction. It focuses on two families, the Graystones and the Adamas, at a critical time in the history of the world, when artificial intelligence is on the brink of sentience.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by their Commentary Track Stars: Off Topic co-host, Branden Myers, to look at the ill-fated spinoff. We discuss the problems with creating a prequel, how to make something different, and why the decision was made to change showrunners mid-season. We also debate whether or not the series should have been more like Desperate Housewives.
Moore, Part 4: Battlestar Galactica. In many ways the nine years that Ronald D. Moore spent working on Star Trek prepared him for the show that very well may be his masterpiece, Battlestar Galactica.
With his 2003 reboot of Glen A. Larson's classic series, Moore pushed boundaries that he wasn't allowed anywhere near on Star Trek. The end result is a heavily continuity-driven show that takes a hard look at politics, religion, and the human condition.
This week, Max and Mike are joined by their co-host on Commentary Track Stars: Off Topic, Branden Myers, to take a look at one of the most significant science fiction works of the new millennium. We discuss what makes BSG stand out from other shows, how it differs from the original series, and the debt it owes to Star Trek. We also try to figure out whether or not Branden's a Trekkie.
Moore, Part 3: Carnivale. A year after the cancellation of Roswell, Ronald D. Moore returned to television to run a new HBO series titled Carnivale.
Set against the backdrop of a traveling carnival during the Great Depression, the show follows two people—Ben (played by Nick Stahl) and Justin (played by Clancy Brown)—who are unknowing pawns in a battle between good and evil.
This week, Mike and Max chat about Moore's first solo effort. We discuss how the series came to be, why Moore left after one season, and what the show's existence means for the future of television. We also debate whether or not the terms "good" and "evil" apply to the main characters.
Moore, Part 2: Roswell.
After leaving Voyager, Ronald D. Moore was recruited by Jason Katims to work on the second season of Roswell. The series chronicles the lives of three teenaged aliens who are secretly living in the town where their spacecraft crash landed.
Under Katims’s leadership, the first season of Roswell was primarily character driven, with the science fiction elements taking a back seat. But going forward, the network wanted the series to build upon its sci-fi mythology. And so, Moore was hired as a co-showrunner for the first time in his career.
This week, Max and Mike are joined by Trek.fm’s Christopher Jones to take a look at the final two seasons of Moore’s first show. We discuss whether or not Moore’s contribution improved the show, how well the show holds up over time, and the strange connection the show has to Enterprise. We also fondly recall now-defunct ’90s television networks.
Moore, Part 1: Star Trek.
Many of the writers who began their careers on Star Trek have gone on to find great success outside of the franchise. But none have been more critically acclaimed than Ronald D. Moore. At the age of 25, Moore wrote his first teleplay, “The Bonding,” a spec script which was bought by Michael Piller for The Next Generation. He was quickly brought on staff, where he would write 60 more Trek adventures—including episodes for Deep Space Nine and Voyager, as well as the first two Next Generation movies.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by Matthew Rushing of The Orb to look at Moore’s work on Star Trek. We discuss his early work on The Next Generation, how his movies stack up to the others, what his contribution was to Deep Space Nine, and what led to his quick departure from Voyager. We also try to figure out who the Ringo of the DS9 writing staff was.
Matheson, Part 10: Recap.
Richard Matheson’s influence on science fiction cannot be measured. Whether it’s I Am Legend or The Twilight Zone, Matheson’s impact on what has come since is massive.
This week, Max and Mike try to examine Matheson’s career by looking at a tiny cross-section of his work. Specifically, we recap our series on Matheson’s novels that have been adapted into movies. Starting at the beginning, we look at the books, Someone is Bleeding, I Am Legend, The Shrinking Man, A Stir of Echoes, Ride the Nightmare, Hell House, Bid Time Return, and What Dreams May Come, and their motion picture counterparts, Georges Lautner’s Icy Breasts, Sidney Salkow’s The Last Man on Earth, Boris Sagal’s The Omega Man, Francis Lawrence’s I Am Legend, Jack Arnold’s The Incredible Shrinking Man, Joel Schumacher’s The Incredible Shrinking Woman, David Koepp’s Stir of Echoes, Terence Young’s Cold Sweat, John Hough’s The Legend of Hell House, Jeannot Szwarc’s Somewhere in Time, and Vincent Ward’s What Dreams May Come. We also touch on our trip to the Parsec Awards.
Matheson, Part 9: What Dreams May Come. For his tenth novel, Richard Matheson continued to steer away from the horror genre and towards something more romantic in nature. An unofficial companion piece to Bid Time Return, What Dreams May Come tells the story of a dead man who embarks on a journey through hell to find his wife. Of all his novels, Matheson considers it to be his best work.
Twenty years after the release of the book, Vincent Ward adapted What Dreams May Come into a film starring Robin Williams. It was met with mixed reviews, though often applauded for its visual depiction of the afterlife.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by John Mills of Words with Nerds to discuss both Matheson’s novel and Ward’s movie. We discuss the meticulous detail of the book, debate whether or not the changes made in the film were effective, and wonder if Matheson’s motivations for writing the book were domestic in nature.
Matheson, Part 8: Bid Time Return.
In 1975, Richard Matheson published what he considered to be his best novel to date, Bid Time Return. It tells the story of a dying young man who sees a 75-year old picture of an actress, and falls instantly in love with her. He convinces himself that it is his destiny to travel back in time to meet her.
Five years later, Matheson adapted the book into a film entitled Somewhere in Time. It was directed by Jeannot Szwarc, and starred Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. While largely ignored upon release, the film has since developed a large cult following which closely resembles Star Trek fandom in many ways.
This week, Max and Mike discuss the time travel device used in the book, whether or not the movie improves on its source material, and where this novel fits into Matheson’s career. We also take a look at INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere In Time Enthusiasts.
Matheson, Part 7: Hell House. After a decade-long hiatus, Richard Matheson returned to long-form prose with his eighth novel, Hell House. It tells the story of a team of scientists and spiritualists who are sent to an allegedly haunted house to determine what the cause of the supernatural occurrences are.
Two years later, Matheson once again adapted his own book into a feature film, entitled The Legend of Hell House. The movie, directed by John Hough, stars Roddy McDowall (Planet of the Apes), Michael Gough (Batman), and Clive Revill (formerly of Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back). It is a considerably toned-down version, which actually sports a PG rating.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by John Mills of Words with Nerds. We discuss the novel's influence on later haunted house stories, the movie's strange lack of sex and violence, and what Matheson was up to in the sixties. We also wonder whether or not McDowall's climactic line reading is one of the finest moments in the history of cinema.
Matheson, Part 6: Ride the Nightmare.
After a string of SF/horror stories, Richard Matheson returned to the crime genre with his sixth novel, Ride the Nightmare. The book tells the story of a family whose life is turned upside down when some characters from his shady past come to seek revenge.
This week, Max and Mike are joined by research librarian Tony Powers to discuss the novel as well as Matheson’s own adaptation for an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and legendary James Bond director Terence Young’s film version, Cold Sweat.
We discuss the book as a precursor to popular works such as Reservoir Dogs and 24, Matheson’s ability to adapt his own work for the screen, and how the movie was altered to act as a starring vehicle for Charles Bronson. We also touch on Matheson’s seventh novel, The Beardless Warriors.
Matheson, Part 5: A Stir of Echoes.
In 1958, Richard Matheson released his fifth novel, A Stir of Echoes. The book is a ghost story about a man who develops psychic powers as the result of hypnosis. 41 years later, blockbuster screenwriter David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Spider-Man) wrote and directed a film adaptation starring Kevin Bacon.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by Rudra Banerji to look at both Matheson’s novel and Koepp’s movie. We discuss how the book works as a commentary on suburban America, the effectiveness of keeping the supernatural elements ambiguous, the twist ending, and whether the changes made by the movie were good or bad. We also wonder why people think Chicagoans have crazy accents.
Matheson, Part 4: The Shrinking Man.
Richard Matheson’s fourth novel was the first to be adapted for the silver screen. The Shrinking Man tells the story of, well, a man who shrinks. It was made into two feature films. The first, written by Matheson himself, was the cult classic The Incredible Shrinking Man. The second was a more comedic take directed by Joel Schumacher entitled The Incredible Shrinking Woman.
This week, Max and Mike are joined by their friend Matt Hammer to talk about Matheson’s original novel and the two motion picture interpretations. We discuss the novel’s structure, the first film’s lack of depth, and the second film’s lighthearted tone. We also touch briefly on making it to the final round of the Parsec Awards.
Matheson, Part 3: I Am Legend. At the age of 28, Richard Matheson published the novel that would later be considered his masterpiece, I Am Legend. The story follows the only survivor in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by vampires.
The book was adapted into three films over the span of 43 years. The first, in 1964, was Sidney Salkow’s The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price. The second, in 1971, was Boris Sagal’s The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston. And the third, in 2007, was Francis Lawrence’s I Am Legend, starring Will Smith.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by Ben Munaretto to discuss Matheson’s novel and all three adaptations. We look at the historical significance of the book, the accuracy of the first adaptation, the liberties taken by the second adaptation, the changes made to the ending of the third adaptation, and Steven Seagal’s ancestry.
Matheson, Part 2: Someone Is Bleeding. In 1953, “a brilliant new master of the macabre” made his debut in the literary world. Someone Is Bleeding was the first novel in Richard Matheson’s sixty-year career. In the book, a young writer falls madly in love with a woman who may or may not have killed her husband. Now, he’s torn between his undeniable attraction to her, and his desire to not be stabbed with an ice pick.
Twenty one years later, a French director by the name of Georges Lautner adapted Matheson’s novel into a movie called Icy Breasts. We don’t know what the title refers to, but we love it.
This week, Mike and Max examine both the novel Someone Is Bleeding and the movie Icy Breasts. We discuss Matheson’s style, how believable the characters are, how well the book was translated to the screen, and whether or not murder is a deal-breaker in a relationship.
Matheson, Part 1: Trek. Richard Matheson is one of the most influential genre writers of our time. He has written countless novels and short stories, including I Am Legend. He is responsible for numerous movies and TV shows, including sixteen episodes of The Twilight Zone. And he also wrote the sixth episode of Star Trek, “The Enemy Within.”
This week, we begin a new series looking at a cross section of Matheson’s career. Specifically, we will examine his novels that were adapted into movies, comparing those films to their source material.
In Part 1, Mike is joined by Trek.fm’s very own Christopher Jones and Drew Stewart to look at Matheson’s work on “The Enemy Within.” We discuss how Matheson’s style translates to episodic television, how the episode stacks up against Voyager’s “Faces,” whether or not the B-plot works, and how Matheson may be the perfect writer for William Shatner.
Meyer II Part 8: Recap. Nicholas Meyer has directed what many consider to be the two best films of the Star Trek franchise. Despite this, most of his other movies exist in relative obscurity.
This week, Max and Mike recap Meyer’s career as a director, looking at each of his pictures, including Time After Time, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Day After, Volunteers, The Deceivers, Company Business, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and Vendetta.
Meyer II Part 7: Vendetta. After an eight-year absence, Nicholas Meyer returned to the helm in 1999 to direct his eighth and most recent picture, Vendetta. The TV movie, starring Andrea Di Stefano, Bruce Davison, and Christopher Walken, tells the story of the largest lynching in American history.
This week, Mike and Max are joined once again by Marcelo Pico of Framed Panda to look at the movie which Meyer considers to be his best. We discuss the way historic events are portrayed, the quality of the performances, what Meyer was up to between movies, and whether or not Vendetta truly is his best work.
Meyer II Part 6: Company Business. Nicholas Meyer’s Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is an allegory about the end of the Cold War. When the prospect of peace between the Federation and the Klingons becomes a reality, Captain Kirk and General Chang are uncertain of their place in the galaxy. But The Undiscovered Country isn’t the first time that Meyer had dealt with this subject matter. Just three months prior to that film’s release, Company Business hit the sliver screen.
Company Business tells the story of two aging spies, played by Gene Hackman and Mikhail Baryshnikov, who must team up in order to survive after a prisoner exchange between the Americans and the Russians goes wrong.
Both films deal with the Cold War in a very similar way. But where The Undiscovered Country is universally considered to be a success, Company Business is thought of by many, including Meyer himself, to be a failure.
This week, Max and Mike take a look at Meyer’s seventh directorial effort. We discuss the similarities between the two films, the compromises that Meyer was forced to make in order to get Company Business made, what makes this one of Meyer’s lesser works, and what the proper term for a male ballerina is.
Meyer II Part 5: The Deceivers. Nicholas Meyer’s fifth film is the Merchant Ivory production The Deceivers. It stars Pierce Brosnan as a British officer in 19th century India who goes undercover to infiltrate the Thuggee cult, a band of thieves and murderers, in an effort to stop them.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by Marcelo Pico of Framed Panda to discuss the film’s similarities to modern-day undercover cop movies, the portrayal of Thuggees throughout history and pop culture, Meyer’s fondness for the 19th century, his uncharacteristic use of a supernatural device, and whether or not a prequel could fit into Jurassic Park continuity.
Meyer II Part 4: Volunteers. After spending a year creating a nuclear apocalypse, Nicholas Meyer shifted into a completely different gear with his 1985 film Volunteers.
Meyer’s comedy stars Tom Hanks as a rich kid who joins the Peace Corps and flies to Southeast Asia in order to dodge a gambling debt. There, along with Rita Wilson and John Candy, he helps to build a bridge which, unbeknownst to them, is highly coveted by rival outside factions.
This week, Max and Mike are joined by John Tenuto to discuss the reasons behind Meyer’s decision to make a comedy, the presence of Meyer trademarks in the film, the movie’s similarities to Star Trek, the work of other Trek collaborators in the movie, and Meyer’s inability to make a meaningless piece of entertainment.
Meyer II Part 3: The Day After. In 1983, Nicholas Meyer followed up Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan with The Day After, a television movie depicting a nuclear war from the perspective of Lawrence, Kansas, a small town in middle America. The film is, and always shall be, the most watched television movie in history, and went so far as to influence the actions of U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by Star Trek expert Larry Nemecek, who worked as an extra on The Day After while in college. We discuss the political climate of the time, the social impact of the film, what it was like to live in Lawrence during the movie’s production, Larry’s experience as an extra, and Larry’s encounter with Nicholas Meyer.
Meyer II Part 2: Time After Time. Following years as a successful author, Nicholas Meyer finally made the jump to film directing with Time After Time. The movie features Malcolm McDowell as H.G. Wells, who must use his time machine to chase Jack the Ripper, played by David Warner, into modern day San Francisco.
This week, Max and Mike are joined again by Ripperologist Augie Aleksy of Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park, IL. We discuss who Jack the Ripper may have been, H.G. Wells’s views of the future, the similarities between Time After Time and The Voyage Home, and whether to use your time machine to go to the future or the past.
Meyer II Part 1: The View from the Bridge. Last season, Mike and Max covered the career of Nicholas Meyer as a novelist. This week, we kick off our second season with a series focusing on his career as a director.
In the first part of our series, we’re joined by Meyer expert John Tenuto to talk about Meyer’s memoir, The View from the Bridge, focusing primarily on his work in Trek. We discuss his contribution to the writing of The Wrath of Khan, the similarities between The Voyage Home and his first movie, Time After Time, how his vision of The Undiscovered Country conflicted with Gene Roddenberry’s, and what he would have done if given full control of Star Trek III.
Braga Part 3: Recap. Max and Mike began the first season of Commentary: Trek Stars by looking at Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s other television creations. So it’s only fitting to end the season by looking at the work of the last Star Trek series creator, Brannon Braga.
In our first season finale, we discuss the two shows that Braga has created, Enterprise and FlashForward, as well has his upcoming work, Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey and Malice. We also look at the other shows he has written for, including Threshold (no, still not that one), 24, and Terra Nova, as well as the two non-Trek movies he has contributed to, Mission: Impossible II and Freddy vs. Jason. And yes, we connect the dots to reveal how Brannon Braga is responsible for getting President Obama elected.
Braga Part 2: FlashForward. Four years after the cancellation of Enterprise, Brannon Braga teamed with David S. Goyer, his producing partner on Threshold (no, not that one), to create a television series based on Robert J. Sawyer's novel, FlashForward. The series begins with a worldwide blackout, in which everyone on Earth sees two minutes of the future. The show was an obvious attempt by ABC to fill the gap created by the end of Lost. But unlike Damon Lindelof's hit, Braga's series lasted only one season.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by Mike's wife, Melissa, to disect Brannon Braga's non-Trek show. We discuss the calculated attempt to make FlashForward the "next big thing," the differences between the series and the book, the cliffhanger ending, Braga's use of time travel, and how easy it would be to determine if what the characters saw was "the" future or "a" future.
Braga Part 1: Trek. Brannon Braga has written more hours of Star Trek than anyone else in history. But despite being responsible for some of the best work the franchise has to offer, many fans tend to focus on his lesser works.
This week, Max and Mike begin a new series which looks at the work of Braga as a television creator. In Part 1, we’re joined by Josh Bradley of the Soulless Minions of Orthodoxy to talk about Braga’s work in Star Trek. We cover the Next Generation finale, “All Good Things…”, his two movies, Generations and First Contact, his work as showrunner on Seasons Five and Six of Voyager, and his creation of the last Star Trek series, Enterprise. We also try to figure out why people hate “Threshold” so much.
Lindelof Part 4: Recap. Since the end of Lost, Damon Lindelof has written two movies, with another two coming out this summer. After one more movie next year, he will return to the small screen for a new series on HBO.
This week, Mike and Max look back at Lindelof’s first two movies, Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens, and Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. We also look ahead at his next three, J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek Into Darkness, Marc Forster’s World War Z, and Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland, as well as his upcoming television series, The Leftovers, based on the novel by Tom Perrotta.
Lindelof Part 3: Prometheus. 23 years after his groundbreaking film Alien, Ridley Scott returned to the beloved franchise with Prometheus. He hired Damon Lindelof to re-write Jon Spaihts’s original screenplay. With Lindelof, the movie became less of a prequel to Alien, and more of a standalone story inside of that universe.
This week, Max and Mike are joined by Mehul to talk about Lindelof’s second feature film. We discuss whether or not Prometheus lived up to the expectations of Alien fans, its depiction of science, the differences between the Spaihts and Lindelof drafts of the screenplay, Scott’s influence over the writers, the intention behind distancing Prometheus from the rest of the franchise, and the career path that Scott has taken in later years.
Lindelof Part 2: Cowboys & Aliens. Following the conclusion of his hit television series Lost in 2010, Damon Lindelof made the jump to the big screen in 2011 with Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens. The script, which was Lindelof’s first, was co-written with his Star Trek collaborators Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. The film stars Daniel Craig as a wanted man in the old west who wakes up with an unusual piece of technology on his wrist, and no memory of who he is. Craig is forced to team up with a rancher, played by Harrison Ford, in order to fight an alien menace that has been abducting the town’s citizens.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by John Mills of Words with Nerds to talk about Lindelof’s debut screenplay, and how it relates to his career on the whole. We discuss how Lindelof’s collaborations compare to his solo work, what makes Harrison Ford’s movies so special, why the film did not live up to expectations, who is to blame for the movie’s failure, where Lindelof’s touch is visible in the film, how Lindelof’s movie work differs from his television work, and whether or not it’s reasonable to be disappointed by a movie called Cowboys & Aliens.
Lindelof Part 1: Trek. In 2007, J.J. Abrams was handed the keys to the Star Trek franchise. He quickly assembled a “Supreme Court” of collaborators which included writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, executive producer Bryan Burk, and producer Damon Lindelof.
With Lindelof’s background as a television writer, most notably the creator of Lost, it was clear that his role on Star Trek would be a creative one. With Lost now behind him, Lindelof has joined Kurtzman and Orci as the franchise’s newest writer for Star Trek Into Darkness.
This week, Max and Mike begin a new series on Lindelof’s career as a movie writer. In Part 1, we are joined by Robert Reyes to look at Lindelof’s work in Trek. We discuss Lindelof’s time on Lost, Abrams’s reasons behind hiring Lindelof as a producer on Star Trek, whether or not the 2009 film lives up to the standards of the franchise, why the Lost team was chosen to reboot Trek, what our expectations are for Into Darkness, and of course, whether or not the new film’s villain is Khan.
Wilkerson Part 2: Houdini & Lovecraft, The Ghost Writer. This week, Mike and Max are joined once again by Star Trek writer Ron Wilkerson to discuss his new novel, Houdini & Lovecraft, The Ghost Writer. In the book, the great illusionist Harry Houdini teams with the struggling writer H.P. Lovecraft to investigate a supposedly haunted house.
In this episode, Ron talks about the origins of the novel, creating a fictional dynamic between two real-life characters, the struggle of building interest in the book among Star Trek fans, working in the sci-fi horror genre, the inspiration of Lovecraft’s work on his own, his fascination with Houdini, the differences between writing for screenplays and novels, the new book he’s working on called Crossover, and the new television show he’s working on called Dreamland.
Wilkerson Part 1: Trek. This week, Max and Mike are joined by Star Trek writer Ron Wilkerson in the first of two very special episodes.
Ron has written seven hours of Star Trek, including “Imaginary Friend,” “Schisms,” “Lessons,” and “Lower Decks” for The Next Generation, and “Learning Curve,” “Fair Trade,” and “Ashes to Ashes” for Voyager. He has also written a new novel entitled Houdini & Lovecraft, The Ghost Writer, which is available on Amazon.com.
In this episode, Ron tells us about his work on Star Trek, including the origins of “Lessons,” building stories around pre-existing characters and elements, collaborating with other writers, having his scripts re-written by others and re-writing other people’s scripts himself, tackling the issue of Maquis integration, what his relationship was with Star Trek growing up, and what he thinks about the current incarnation of the franchise. We also discuss how it is perfectly reasonable to get the cheese to sickbay.
Meyer Part 8: Recap. While Nicholas Meyer may be best known for his career in film, he is also a rather prolific author. Over the past seven weeks, Mike and Max have covered all six of Meyer’s novels, and this week we recap his writing career on the whole. We touch on each of his novels, including Target Practice, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, The West End Horror, Black Orchid, Confessions of a Homing Pigeon, and The Canary Trainer, and try to draw some conclusions on his career on the whole.
Meyer Part 7: The Canary Trainer. After a twelve year hiatus, Nicholas Meyer returned to the medium of books for one last novel in 1993. Once again, he chose to tackle the character of Sherlock Holmes. The Canary Trainer looks at what happened to Holmes after The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, where we find him in Paris on the case of The Phantom of the Opera.
This week, Max and Mike are joined by Augie Aleksy of Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park, Illinois, to discuss what Holmes was up to during The Great Hiatus, How Meyer fits his story inside of both Arthur Conan Doyle’s canon and Gaston Leroux’s novel, how the character of Holmes works without Watson, and how Meyer’s books encourage readers to seek out their source material.
Meyer Part 6: Confessions of a Homing Pigeon. After a string of successful mystery and adventure books, Nicholas Meyer chose to tell a more personal story for his fifth novel, Confessions of a Homing Pigeon. The book is an autobiographical coming of age tale about George Bernini, an American boy who is sent to France to live with his alcoholic Uncle Fritz after his parents are killed in a trapeze accident.
This week, Mike and Max discuss the personal nature of the novel and how it deals with universal themes of adolescence, the reasons why Meyer felt compelled to tell this story, the similarities to Catcher in the Rye, how the book works as a road story, how this novel’s style differs from Meyer’s other novels, whether or not the book suffers from “The Dawson’s Creek Syndrome,” why the 14-year-old protagonist reminds Mike of Roy Scheider, what makes this book Meyer’s Driving Miss Daisy, and how the book is essentially the story of Robin the Boy Wonder gone wrong.
Meyer Part 5: Black Orchid. In 1977, Nicholas Meyer teamed up with his University of Iowa classmate Barry Jay Kaplan to write his fourth novel, Black Orchid. The book was Meyer’s first attempt at something outside of the mystery genre, specifically historical fiction. It looks at the Brazilian Rubber Boom of the late Nineteenth Century, and the United Kingdom’s attempt to steal rubber seeds in the hopes of breaking up Brazil’s rubber monopoly.
This week, Max and Mike are joined by Matt Rushing of Trek.fm’s Literary Treks and The Orb to discuss the book’s strengths and weaknesses, whether or not Kaplan’s influence hurt the overall work, the protagonist’s similarities to Indiana Jones, the real life history behind the fiction, the inherent drama of seed-stealing espionage, the finale’s similarities to the Battle of the Mutara Nebula, and why The Undiscovered County is the perfect title for Star Trek VI.
Meyer Part 4: The West End Horror. Two years after the success of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, Nicholas Meyer returned with his second Sherlock Holmes novel, The West End Horror. This time, Meyer chose to write a much more traditional Holmes adventure which features the detective investigating a murder set against the backdrop of the British theater scene of the late 19th century.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by Tony Powers, a public librarian and Holmes aficionado, to discuss how Sherlockians compare to Trekkies, how Meyer’s books stack up against other Holmes pastiches, how the story is used to shed light on various historical characters of the era, the difficulties of simultaneously satisfying both the long-time fan and the newcomer, the passion of the Baker Street Irregulars, the work of Holmes scholar William Baring-Gould, and Meyer’s ability to stay true to source material while adapting it for a modern audience.
Meyer Part 3: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. Star Trek fans know Nicholas Meyer as the man who took a great franchise and made it even better. But prior to delving into the lives of Captain Kirk and Mister Spock, Meyer left his mark on another beloved fictional character: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by Nicholas Meyer expert John Tenuto to look at Meyer’s first Holmes novel, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. We discuss the book as a piece of fan fiction, the idea of re-writing canon to make it work better, how the book stacks up against other expanded universe Holmes stories, Meyer’s ability to work within a pre-existing continuity, the similarities between this book and Meyer’s other works, Meyer’s fondness for pairing historical figures with fictional characters, the film adaptation, and the Undiscovered Country connection. We also touch on the possibility of Khan appearing in Into Darkness, and John reveals the premise for a very dark subplot which was cut from The Wrath of Khan.
Meyer Part 2: Target Practice. 1974 was a rather tumultuous year for the United States. Vietnam had just ended and Watergate had just begun. These events greatly affected young Americans such as 29-year-old Nicholas Meyer, who was beginning his career as a novelist.
This week, Mike and Max take a look at Meyer’s first novel, Target Practice. We discuss its use of time-tested detective fiction conventions, how it utilizes those conventions to tell a modern-day story, how it fits into Meyer’s overall career, whether or not it’s too straightforward, how it uses Watergate as a backdrop, how it looks at Vietnam from a civilian perspective, and whether or not it simplifies the issue of warfare’s psychological impact on veterans. We also analyze Meyer’s love for The Bridge on the River Kwai, and wonder if The Love Story Story is of Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion quality.
Meyer Part 1: Star Trek. In an attempt to bring cohesion to the disparate concepts which would eventually make up the most revered film in franchise history, Harve Bennett hired relative newcomer Nicholas Meyer to re-write and direct Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. And so, the world of Trek would never be the same again. But before he saved our favorite franchise, Meyer had written a number of very successful books.
This week, Max and Mike begin a new series which will look at Nicholas Meyer’s career as a novelist. Over the next couple months, we will cover all six of his novels, including Target Practice, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, The West End Horror, Black Orchid, Confessions of a Homing Pigeon, and The Canary Trainer.
But first, a look at his contribution to the world of Trek. In this episode, we discuss why getting an outsider to make The Wrath of Khan was a key to its success, how Meyer’s decision not to return for The Search for Spock, was the right one to make, the similarities between The Voyage Home and Meyer’s directorial debut, Time After Time, and how The Undiscovered Country is allegory done right.
Roddenberry Part 8: Recap. Gene Roddenberry is obviously best known as the creator of Star Trek. But over the course of his career, he created numerous other television series—most of which never made it past the pilot stage.
This week, Mike and Max conclude their look at Gene Roddenberry as a television creator with a recap of his career. We take a look back at all of his shows, including The Lieutenant, Star Trek: The Original Series, Assignment: Earth, Genesis II, Star Trek: The Animated Series, The Questor Tapes, Spectre, Star Trek: Phase II, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Earth: Final Conflict, and finally, Andromeda, in an attempt to draw some conclusions on his body of work overall.
Roddenberry Part 7: Andromeda. With the relative success of Earth: Final Conflict, the Roddenberry estate, along with Tribune Entertainment, began production on a second series based on Gene Roddenberry’s unused concepts. Andromeda was developed by Deep Space Nine writer Robert Hewitt Wolf in 2000, and lasted five seasons in syndication. It starred Kevin Sorbo as Dylan Hunt, the Captain of the starship Andromeda, and featured many elements which had originally been tested by Roddenberry in Genesis II.
This week, Max and Mike are once again joined by Colin of Trek News and Views to cover the final series created by Gene Roddenberry. We discuss which elements originated from Roddenberry and which ones came from Wolfe, whether or not the budgetary limitations were a hindrance, the reasons for Wolfe’s departure from the show, the casting of Sorbo, the Jason X connection, Captain Hunt’s superpowers, the post-Wolfe era’s lack of direction, and whether or not Roddenberry would have created the show himself.
Roddenberry Part 6: Earth: Final Conflict. Six years after Gene Roddenberry’s death, the first of two shows based on his concepts was produced. Earth: Final Conflict dealt with a futuristic society in which aliens, seeking refuge on Earth, share their advanced technology with humanity.
This week, Mike and Max are joined by Colin, the host of Trek News and Views, to cover the posthumous work of Gene Roddenberry as a television creator. We discuss the show’s ever-changing premise, its ever-changing cast, its unrealized potential, the proposed spinoff, the head writer’s other work, how much of the concept was Roddenberry’s, and whether or not he would have made the show himself.
Roddenberry Part 4: Genesis II. Throughout the 1970’s, Gene Roddenberry developed numerous pilots which never went to series. The first of these was Genesis II, starring Alex Cord, about a scientist who wakes up from suspended animation to find a post-apocalyptic future.
In this week’s episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max take a look at Genesis IIas well as its revised pilot, “Planet Earth.” We discuss the show’s similarities to other science fiction of the time period, the portrayal of the main character, the other incarnations of the concept, and the awesomeness of Percy Rodriguez’s voice.
Roddenberry Part 3: Assignment: Earth. After two seasons on the air, the cancellation of Star Trek seemed to be inevitable. In order to hedge his bets, Gene Roddenberry designed the probable series finale to be a backdoor pilot for a new show entitled Assignment: Earth.
This week, Max and Mike are joined by Trek.fm’s TOS editor Drew Stewart to discuss what “Assignment: Earth” is and what it would have been, how it differs from Trek’s portrayal of Roddenberry’s world view, how it worked as a self-contained pilot and as an episode of Star Trek, and whether or not season one of Assignment: Earth would have been preferable to season three of Star Trek.
Roddenberry Part 2: The Lieutenant. Star Trek is not the only show to be created by Gene Roddenberry. Three years prior, Gary Lockwood (aka Gary Mitchell) starred as The Lieutenant in Gene Roddenberry’s debut series about a U.S. Marine Corps officer serving during peace time.
This week, Mike and Max examine an episode which features numerous Trek cast and crew members (including Leonard Nimoy) in an attempt to determine what the series on the whole was like. We discuss what makes The Lieutenant different from other military shows, how those differences reflect Roddenberry’s world view, how the Vietnam War killed the show, what the similarities are between The Lieutenant and Star Trek, and how the failure of The Lieutenant may have shaped Star Trek into the show it would eventually become. We also examine the landscape of television in the early ’60s and debate whether or not “Mitchell” is the best episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Roddenberry Part 1: Star Trek. This week, Max and Mike begin a series which looks at the career of Gene Roddenberry as a television creator. Part 1 examines Roddenberry’s work in Star Trek. We discuss the impact that The Original Series had on the medium, the mystery of why The Animated Series didn’t work at all, what The Motion Picture tells us about how Phase II would’ve been, and how Roddenberry’s take on The Next Generation has influenced the franchise since his death. So grab a cup of tea, Earl Grey, hot, and settle in for half an hour of semi-entertaining musings.
The World Beyond Star Trek. Welcome to the very first episode of Commentary: Trek Stars! Join Mike and Max of Commentary Track Stars (get it?) as they take a look at the work of Star Trek creators outside of Trek. In this episode, we tell you who we are and what you can expect from the show. Enjoy!