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5-Year Mission Continues After 45-Year Hiatus
Okian Warrior writes "Hackaday brings us news about a continuation of the original Star Trek series. The Kickstarter-funded project is attempting to complete the original 5-year mission, which ended after only three seasons on the air. The fan-based and fan-supported reincarnation is cleverly titled Star Trek Continues and has CBS's consent. Check out the first episode, Pilgrim of Eternity. For being fan-made, it's actually pretty good."
The attention to detail in the sets, costumes, and even lighting is incredible. It's far and away the most faithful re-creation of the original series I've ever seen.
I can think of a few other things from 1968 that we'd like to get back...
Didn't The Animated Series finish off the last two years of the five year mission? With the original cast and everything.
Most amazing amateur film I've ever seen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wreck:_In_the_Pirkinning And free (Creative Commons) licensed too.
If it's faithful to the original then it's going to suck. A lot.
"cleverly titled"? Really?
I've followed this and other projects for a while and the quality of the sets, costumes and SFX are right up there. Sadly, the acting is poor at best. I hate to single anyone in particular out but the main three characters really don't work. It isn't just that they are different people, it is just bad acting. I actually haven't had such a problem with the Abrahms reboots despite there being new actors because the standard has been decent so it isn't that. Of course, when you get the odd trek alumni in these then they stand out as being more comfortable in the roles. Now, if we can get CGI up to a standard where we can produce lifelike replications of the original actors then we're really talking about being able to continue the series.
"I have the attention span of a strobe lit goldfish, please get to the point quickly!"
It looks far better than the passable recreation "Star Trek Of Gods and Men" (with Koenig, Nichols and Russ in it). http://startrekofgodsandmen.com/main/
But I have much better hopes for the upcoming Star Trek Renegades (Koenig, et. al. second, better funded attempt) http://startrekrenegades.com/home/trailers-and-videos/
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Just curious if there was ever any info released about where the show planned to go in the short or long term.
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
The fan-based and fan-supported reincarnation [...] has CBS's consent.
How did they manage to negotiate this?
So the first first scene of a continuation of the Original Series introduces technology from the Next Generation. The very technology that was used as a huge crutch for writers for the Next Generation. I think I'll pass.
Don't forget about Star Trek: Renegades, which was funded through both Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Tum Russ ("Tuvok") is directing the pilot, and the cast looks reasonably impressive.
From the summary:
The attention to detail in the sets, costumes, and even lighting is incredible. It's far and away the most faithful re-creation of the original series I've ever seen.
More than General Alexander's office. I seriously doubt that.
If the whole thing is as good as the first ten minutes, I'm in. The actors for fine (Scotty is excellent) and it's leagues better than the crap JJ Abrams is putting out.
Why is all the good stuff already modded 5, when I have mod points?
That kinda bothers me the first thing I see is Holodeck technology in that vid. In season 1 of TNG, it was described as fairly new tech, of course that got retconned in Voyager as Janeway reminisces about using one as a child. Now it's in TOS era? I'm one of the few that actually liked Enterprise but even there it bothered me how they didn't make things primitive enough (having a transporter for one, no matter how leery of it they were) because it feels like the writers can't make do without these toys or imaginative enough to make a logical progression of tech. Of course, it starts feeling like the future stops advancing in a couple hundred years, other than being able to go to a higher warp.
When Enterprise last had a checkup, Scotty had a hang-over from Romulan Ale and didn't notice the fuel gage was broken. Enterprise ran low on power and needed a fresh supply of natural dilithium crystals for interstellar travel. Being far from help and running on impulse power it took a few years to the nearest mining outpost. Now the 5-year mission may continue, of-course once a resupply of Romulan Ale is obtained.
Having watched that flick a few weeks ago, I can say that it's definitely a cut above all the other fan flicks on Youtube.
However, it's still falling into the same trap as all the other fan flicks. Instead of writing a completely original story, the flick is basically what I call "fan-wanking": either bringing back some of the guest stars from the TOS days (same actors as in this case, or different ones), or taking one of the series stars from TOS, and use them in some cockamamie time-travel nonsense plot.
The only redeeming quality of this particular flick is James Doohan's son in the role of scotty. The dude is a spitting image of the old man, and the same voice, and accent. Quite surreal, watching his acting performance. And he can act. JJ Abrams is a douche, for picking someone else, instead of the authentic deal, here.
Um. Isn't this already being done?
http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/
They even have some episodes with original cast members.
And people wonder why the entertainment industry keeps producing sequels, remakes, rehashes, and re-imaginings...
It looks like they were trying to show that Scotty invented or at least had a hand in creating holodeck technology. I don't remember TNG ever discussing the origins of the holodeck. Besides, TOS used left over costumes from bad westerns and gladiator movies to move their plots along. Not much different from what the holodeck was used for.
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What about "Star Trek New Voyages/Phase II" thing that has James Cawley as Kirk? (http://www.startrekphase2.de)
Looks like we might have 2 groups creating Star Trek episodes.
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I'm not much of a celebrity wonk, but Chris Doohan (son of James Doohan) playing Scotty, and Grant Imahara (from Mythbusters) playing Sulu -- nice.
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Watched a bit of it. The kind of nailed it. The effects, lighting, swelling music - a lot of talent went into this and that should be recognized. If you're looking for an exact duplicate of TOS you will be disappointed. Try to keep in mind these enthusiasts have big shoes to fill. The other Star Treks were not able to fill those shoes either and they knew it. That's why the cast and set was so different.
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Seconded. And the Holodeck is being invented by Scotty. In between his regular job of maintaining the ship that keeps getting abused.
Write
Better
Stories
Bad acting is forgivable if the story is interesting.
You'd think that a fan developed work would at least be able to keep canon consistent.
"I watched with pleasure the first episode some time ago and it stirred a lot of memories." - Rick B.
You had your chance, Berman...
I just hope we get to see more of the buxom Dr. McKennah in these episodes. I mean see her in more episodes. Not her naked. Or naked is fine too.
Her IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1073676/?ref_=tt_cl_t8
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ST: The Animated Series introduced the holodeck.
I understand this is star trek, and it (star trek) has played a role in many self professed nerds' lives, but why is this news?
If people get together and act out star trek episodes in a public park, is that news? What if they do star trek in fursuits and post it on youtube, is that news?
Focus, and keep it on the news. I'm afraid I'm going to come to the main page and find Han Solo/Picard slashfic as the next "news" article.
You either 'get' the original series, or you miss its point entirely. TV almost always apes trends in films from 10 years earlier, so TOS was giving us the feel of 'Forbidden Planet'. Melodrama to the fore, interspersed with little jolts of simple humour. Themes straight from the pulp age of SF. A subtlety that knuckle-dragging fans of rubbish like TNG and nu-Trek will be completely oblivious to.
In many ways, TOS is off-kilter 'horror'- a disturbing future world with Lovecraftian elements. The bright, simple, advance way our crew seems to live their lives is belied by the incredible numbers of ways death stalks so many of them. Like 'Forbidden planet', the music and sound cues are chosen to be weird, other-worldly, and unsettling.
Making more visual stories in the TOS timeline means replicating the original feel exactly. To do otherwise is entirely pointless. Sadly, most written material for TOS goes in much more conventional directions- but getting the 'feel' of the show on paper would have been nigh on impossible. If one goes to the insane efforts of crafting new episodes, they MUST look, actors aside, as if they could have come from the original 3 season run. Otherwise, the effort would be MUCH better expended on totally original Trek ideas, or extending the cheesy, hopeless work of the later shows, or nu-Trek.
PS nu-Trek shows the relatively artistic worthlessness of the greater Trek IP. The two new films TRASH every conceptual idea from TOS, and yet most Trek fanboys praise them simply because they (badly) spend lots of money on really dull-witted CGI. A Star Trek film so VILE, it has Earth technology teleporting people between distant star systems, and yet dribbling fanboys lap this garbage up. But then the first nu-Trek film had everyone already KNOWING who the Romulans were, so one can safely define current Trek fans as the absolute bottom of the barrel in SF fandom.
From: http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Holodeck
By 2364, the Federation Starfleet had begun installing holodecks aboard their vessels. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
During the 2360s and 2370s, a starship could have one or more holodecks depending on the vessel's size or purpose. For example, Defiant-class starships did not have a holodeck, while Galaxy-class vessels had several. (TNG: "11001001", "Homeward")
The two holodecks of Intrepid-class starships were the only places other than sickbay where the EMH was able to exist (without a mobile emitter) after the crew modified his program so it wasn't as tightly integrated into the sickbay's systems. In Prometheus-class starships, the EMH could move more around the ship freely because all decks were equipped with holoemitters. (VOY: "Message in a Bottle")
Give us trek that none trekies at least has a chance of liking.
Being faithful to the original series is all well and good, but your market is extremely limited. Far far more limited than just producing good modern Trek. I love TOS, but even most trekies do not consider it the best series.
We need to reclaim Trek from the horrible things JJ has done, and you are not going to do that with something that 10 thousand people are going to watch.
Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
I just finished it. Excellent job! Oh, look at the credits! Pay particular attention to the computer voice.
TOG.
It's a very good effort, it's just unfortunate that Vic Mignogna has such a nasal, weedy voice. Shatner had a voice and way of speaking that exuded confidence and leadership. Vic's voice makes me feel like he'd run away from most Kirk worthy situations.
... Marina Sirtis! Okay, I'm in for that reason alone. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2732442/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_4
It's different if it's something you grow up with.
Its place in history is easier to understand if you look at how awful mass media sf was in 1966. They were groundbreaking. Others later were able to do cathedra building.
At least it is better than Star Wreck in the pirkinning ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMbI55CUOo8 ). It is really impressive from a technical point of view and the props are all well made. However watching the first 15 minutes reveals that it suffers from the bad part of TOS. Encountering something like the Greek mythology in outer space is far fetched and part of the reason why I TOS is the only star trek series I really don't like.
Star Wreck on the other hand is a parody and does a decent job at that. It has worse effects/props, but then again it's 8 years old. Star Wreck would still be my choice if I had to pick between the two, because at least it's funny at times. Neither are entertainment masterpieces though.
Also one annoying thing about Star Trek Continues is their speech. I have a problem understanding them. Specially Scotty is really hard to understand even though I don't have a problem with Scottish at all. I get the impression that most of the actors tries to match a specific voice and they kill some clearness in their speech in the attempt. Maybe this is a result of cheaper mics and audio editing, but it is still rather annoying to go "what did he say?" all the time.
loved it!!
please don't knock it until you watch the whole episode. definitely not amateur
That the show is attempting to trap itself in the pitfalls of 1960's filming technology. The awfully-angled flyby shots and the 5:4 aspect ratio are acceptable for TOS, but not when you're making a show in 2013. I mean, seriously, I can watch this in 720p, but only with half my screen?
Just because they used the same guy who played Apollo in TOS, what a great way to reprise a character!
Was a great parody of star trek and darn good video. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtHM77IRkus
The attention to detail in the sets, costumes, and even lighting is incredible.
Just by the way, if it's incredible I won't bother watching.
Incredible
Ob. Inigo Montoya
this was already being done with Star Trek New Voyages / Phase II. They already have 7 episodes put out as well as hosting for the set for a couple of other fanfic movies (Of Gods and Men)
http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/
At the risk of sounding like a damned space hippy, I've missed Star Trek's fundamentally positive outlook towards the future of humanity. Trek gave a really strong feeling that we'd end up overcoming a lot of our problems as a species. I like that sort of utopianism, so any new series of Trek is good by me.
TOS seems much maligned, and 40 years later it does seem rather awkward and dated, but there's some good episodes in there. Besides, who doesn't love some serious acting..
As an aside, this would be a good time to recommend the Post Atomic Horror podcast for anyone re-watching any of the series.
Wait, so is Highlander a prequel to Star Wars or is Star Wars a prequel to Highlander? So is MacLeod some sort of midichlorian infused Jedi?
As a direct continuation of the original series, it hits the mark. Same sort of story, same sort of style.
Whether that is a good or a bad thing is up to you, but if you like the original series, you'll like this, and if you hated it, you'll hate this.
Personally, I think it did well by doing a character-oriented and fundamentally optimistic story. Far, far too much science fiction these days is depressing - grimdark futures, endless dystopias, and a constant cycle of getting darker and edgier. It avoided both that, and the second persistant flaw, overly raised stakes - at worst, the Enterprise was in danger, but never more, and rarely even that. While this continuation failed to correct the third major flaw I see in modern scifi - the use of pseudoscience and handwaved technology as magic, failing to try to actually predict or speculate where existing science and technology are taking us - it did so in devotion to the original series. It would not have been Star Trek without the often unscientific plots.
That is really the only failure of this attempt. They tried to exactly continue Trek, instead of trying to improve upon it. I'm pretty sure they spent quite a bit of time trying to get the CGI Enterprise to look like a plastic model, making the lighting look like an old TV show. Hell, they even cut to commercial breaks, even used 4:3 instead of 16:9. The only signs this was made in 2013 instead of 1973 are the occasional nods to The Next Generation.
Perhaps expecting them to try to do *better* than Star Trek isn't realistic. Maybe they decided nostalgia was better than some marginal technical improvements. I don't know.
I'm legitimately impressed with everything else. By fan-vid standards, this was amazing. It was even entertaining as a work on its own. I'll probably watch the next episode, if they make one. I just feel like there's still a void out there that needs filling - a piece of optimistic science fiction that actually cares for the science in its own right.
Someone's probably going to tell me that if I want something like that, I should write it myself. Maybe I will.
"Apparently you can't teach and old god new tricks."
LOL'd at that one.
This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
Somebody's never heard of Star Trek: New Voyages/Phase II, in spite of one episode nearly winning a Hugo Award and nearly a dozen actors from TOS contributing to various episodes, and even some of the original writers on board contributing new scripts? I hope it's just ignorance that motivated the OP and Soulskill to promote this to the exclusion of ST:NV and all the other Star Trek fan productions in active production. This is not "the most faithful re-creation of the original series".
series site
Wikipedia
list of episodes
Just the sets alone! Interesting that they tried to find people who resembled the original cast. I do wonder if they are all from the Bay Area.
I was really impressed actually, it felt mostly like watching a classic episode.
The guy doing Kirk really does look like Shatner in TOS a lot of the time. Even his mannerisms and delivery are pretty spot-on. Walks a bit different but it's obvious to me he really studied . Doohan at times looks spookily like his father, though as others said the accent is a bit rougher, perhaps if they get a chance it'll get better. Takes a bit of getting used to Bones and Spock though.. whatever.
If the story writing stays at least that good, it has real potential I think.
I was expecting camp and I got camp. Mind you, it wasn't intended. But camp can be good and this was excellent. Even the actors were chosen to imply the origins and everything else was spot on.
All that praise aside, this was very much worth one shot. A three year series to match the "6 year voyage"? Not so much. .
Wow, this, was really, really, really, really good. Like read in other comments, I have to say that I expected much, much less than what was presented. But it became apparent after the first few moments that any fears of bad acting or casting could be forgotten, and once the big reveal at the end of the first scene was concluded, I realized that the writing might possibly be good, as well. After seeing the whole episode, I have to say that the writing is absolutely spectacular. What a great episode!
I can only hope that every episode has a cameo. I would in particular LOVE to see Jane Wiedlin (original guitarist of the Go-Gos, played the crazy-haired woman broadcasting from Earth in "The Voyage Home") in an episode. Hell, I'd love to see her as a regular cast member. And of course it would be interesting to see George Takei.
What a great concept and so well executed. I can't wait to figure out how to give them my feedback. Annoyingly, the YouTube comments are turned off. I guess it's kind of apparent that nobody wants to hear what the average YouTube viewer has to say about shit. (Most of the really high quality things I find on YouTube turn comments off.)
"Stratigraphically the origin of agriculture and thermonuclear destruction will appear essentially simultaneous" -- Lee
*facepalm out of embarassment for you*
I mean, come on. The story was fucking phenomenal.
They took one moment out, one tiny moment, to (retcon or not to retcon, hmm, depends on which fans you ask apparently) some tech into the universe.
Then, did you not notice, they didn't use it at all? The rest of the show was largely practical effects and these magical things called writing and acting and ... ... wait. Basically, you saw that there was a holodeck being invented, found that to be somehow implausible in a totally fictitious universe, and decided not to continue to enjoy the show.
Listen: you need to get out of your house. STAR TREK ISN'T REAL. ALSO, VIETNAM IS OVER.
"Stratigraphically the origin of agriculture and thermonuclear destruction will appear essentially simultaneous" -- Lee
Not to denigrate any of the other projects going on, but I thought this was brilliant. Maybe you have to be as old as I am to appreciate it. I was a little kid when TOS first aired and it will forever be my favorite Star Trek series. These guys did a marvelous job of lighting, sound, cliches (Kirk with his shirt off, anyone?) sets, dialogue, story, beats and pauses between scenes (for the "commercials"). I can't complain about the acting. Their casting choices were probably very much dictated by happenstance, enthusiasm and luck of the draw.
I think Gene Roddenberry would have approved.
Great sets and effects. Writing isn't bad. Casting is definitely the weakest link...Uhura needs to be hotter, the captain needs to be manlier, and there's just something off about Spock and Bones. Scotty was not bad.
...have huge man-boobs?
"Looks like we might have 2 groups creating Star Trek episodes."
Two?!!! There's dozens of fan-made star trek series that have been produced over the last decade. Just look on youtube for some and google the rest.
Star Trek:
Phase II
Continuing
New Voyages
Dark Horizon
series including 'In the Pirkining'
etc.
Those are just off the top of my head. Must be a Slashdot super slow news day. At this rate snail mail would be faster. If you don't know of at least two of those dozens, netizens, you should be flogged and your geek card torched against your forehead.
Not sure if this has been brought up yet, but is that Marina Sirtis reprising the role of Majel Roddenberry?
Two characters walked through the hologram. That alone tells you This Is Not A Next Generation Holodeck.
Got them moderator blues I blieve I walk out the do', With these mod-points I been gettin', I 'most never post no mo'
The likes and dislikes for this are certainly going to be based on personal tastes and opinions, heh. I think any fan of the original series and cast (of which I am) will appreciate this and other efforts (such as Star Trek New Voyages) to continue the look, feel and messages of the original show.
Star Trek can roughly be divided into two eras - Roddenberry, and post-Roddenberry. As a fan of the original, the first movies and TNG, the Roddenberry era is what works best for me. I think (and bear in mind it's just my opinion) that Roddenberry was a good sort of compass as to how the series should be and where it should go. Except for Start Trek V... that was just... you know what? We'll just omit that one. :P Anyway, post-Roddenberry, the series began to do some weird things to me, it just started on a real downward spiral. The TNG movies seemed to get progressively worse, Deep Space Nine was kind of dark and boring, Voyager was a real roller coaster ride of hits and missed and Enterprise was just awful. The new Abrams reboot takes it so far off the beaten path that it doesn't even seem like Star Trek anymore.... to me, anyway.
So, in a Roddenberry-era sense, this new series is very good - certainly true to that feel, and true to the original cast behaviour and mannerisms. Cast-wise, I think it's fantastic that Dohann's son is playing Scotty, and was surprised to Mythbuster's Grant playing Sulu (though I think he's trying way too hard to be George Takai.... ohhhhh my). It's amazing that they got Michael Forest back to play Apollo, and they did a fantastic job on the various age-based states of health. Heck, even Maria Sirtis signed on to do the computer voice, cool.
One thing I would question though, as has been mentioned, was the choice to use the 5:4 (or 4:3, whatever it is) aspect ratio - that seems a rather bad idea given the year. I hope future episodes will switch up to at least a 16:10 format or wider. I think as the show progresses (if it progresses), the actors will also get a bit more comfortable in their roles and it will seem less strained.
Ultimately, for those of us who like the Roddenberry era, this is a nice tip of the hat and a good alternative to the modern movies. :)
Being noncommercial didn't help the tricorder app.
IRS and NSA resources being put to good use!
I'm thoroughly impressed with the acting/mimicking of the original actors. However, the smooth, high-pitched voices of the actors is really bothering me. Perhaps they should take up smoking so they sound like real men of the 60s LOL ...except Scottie...that guys nails it in every way!
Actually, this *is* that group, so it's not new. What's new is the kickstarter and CBS. Check the timeline of their FB page. Cawley is now the showrunner, not Kirk.
Phase II and New Voyages are the same thing, they just changed the name. Dark Horizon isn't even a show, it's just some fanfic. Star Wreck doesn't count because it's satire and it's so foreign that it's not even funny satire.
I prefer Star Trek New Voyages. They've been doing it longer and have a stable of episodes already. Startreknewvoyages dot com