Living Long (and Prospering?)
Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the first appearance of Star Trek on US television, something that in all honesty passed me by completely (thanks to Paul for pointing it out - at least someone's paying attention).
For most of the nineties, Star Trek was omnipresent in my life. That's actually not quite as tragic as it sounds (and oh, it does sound tragic, doesn't it?). The Next Generation started airing on BBC2 in the early part of the decade, and by the time I got to university it was well established as essential viewing for anyone with sci-fi inclinations. That encompassed a reasonable section of the halls of residence in which I lived - it was almost a given that the one TV room in the building would be dedicated to Trek come 6pm every Wednesday evening.
By the time I was in my second year, I was dating a girl who loved the show and living in a house with four other women who'd regularly watch it (See - they do exist).
When the BBC fell behind in showing the programme, my grandad (who was the owner of a then-uncommon satellite dish, and by extension, a VCR tuned to Sky One) would spend hours taping new episodes for myself and my housemates.
Now, fifteen years on, I'm barely aware of the show's existence - come on, I missed the big four-oh.
But then a lot's changed over the years, most notably my returning to the fold of my first sci-fi love, which is currently undergoing a well-publicised renaissance. (It also has bragging rights over Trek as the longest-running sci-fi show in the world, hitting TV screens a full three years before Captain Kirk boldly went).
But the main reason for tuning out is the dip in quality since The Next Generation gave way to numerous other spin-offs, each suffering diminishing returns compared with the last. So it can't be a bad thing that the next Star Trek movie has been handed to Lost creator and Mission:Impossible III lenser JJ Abrams - surely if anyone can breathe life back into the franchise and reignite my passion, it's him.
Which brings us to the poster for the as-yet-untitled Star Trek XI, slated for a 2008 release. startrek.com has this to say about it:
Can you see it? The vision? Can you? Huh? Huh?
No, me neither.
For most of the nineties, Star Trek was omnipresent in my life. That's actually not quite as tragic as it sounds (and oh, it does sound tragic, doesn't it?). The Next Generation started airing on BBC2 in the early part of the decade, and by the time I got to university it was well established as essential viewing for anyone with sci-fi inclinations. That encompassed a reasonable section of the halls of residence in which I lived - it was almost a given that the one TV room in the building would be dedicated to Trek come 6pm every Wednesday evening.
By the time I was in my second year, I was dating a girl who loved the show and living in a house with four other women who'd regularly watch it (See - they do exist).
When the BBC fell behind in showing the programme, my grandad (who was the owner of a then-uncommon satellite dish, and by extension, a VCR tuned to Sky One) would spend hours taping new episodes for myself and my housemates.
Now, fifteen years on, I'm barely aware of the show's existence - come on, I missed the big four-oh.
But then a lot's changed over the years, most notably my returning to the fold of my first sci-fi love, which is currently undergoing a well-publicised renaissance. (It also has bragging rights over Trek as the longest-running sci-fi show in the world, hitting TV screens a full three years before Captain Kirk boldly went).
But the main reason for tuning out is the dip in quality since The Next Generation gave way to numerous other spin-offs, each suffering diminishing returns compared with the last. So it can't be a bad thing that the next Star Trek movie has been handed to Lost creator and Mission:Impossible III lenser JJ Abrams - surely if anyone can breathe life back into the franchise and reignite my passion, it's him.
Which brings us to the poster for the as-yet-untitled Star Trek XI, slated for a 2008 release. startrek.com has this to say about it:
A picture, even a mere image that hints at a broader picture, can instantly give you a snapshot of things to come.
The production team that now holds the creative reins for the next Star Trek movie project has released a piece of artwork this weekend (to coincide with Comic-Con) that provides a Polaroid of an era past, as well as a vision yet to be revealed.
Can you see it? The vision? Can you? Huh? Huh?
No, me neither.
posted by Pete Kempshall at 9:08 PM
2 Comments:
Most welcome. Its has to be better than Enterprise .. that sucked donkey dick.
No, what did you really think of it?
Fortunately for me everything after Voyager Season Six is a complete blank.
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