Monday, June 15, 2015

Star Trek 101: The Basics for Beginners Part 2




On September 28th, 1987 the Star Trek franchise continued with a new ship and a new crew. Star trek The next Generation was born picking up where the Original crew left off, Star Trek The next Generation or TNG as we trekkers like to call it, takes off with new adventures and new missions to explore strange new worlds. The commanding officer of this newly christened U.S.S. Enterprise N.C.C.-1701-D a Galaxy Class starship is Captain Jean Luc Picard. unlike captain Kirk, Captain Picard is a well seasoned veteran officer who commands his crew with a High standard for duty and Principals. In this new Star Trek Series, there are a ton of new alien species and familiar ones we've heard of from the original series like the Vulcan, Andorians, Telerites,  Klingon, and Romulans etc. However, some new alien races are introduced into the show like the Q who you will see through out the series and another new race known as the Borg. 



                                                                    Officers:
                                                                  Captain: Jean Luc Picard
                                                           First Officer: William T. Riker
                                                              Counselor: Deanna Troi
                                                     Science Officer: Data ( the Android)
                                    Tactical/Chief of Security: Worf ( Klingon)
                                                    Chief Engineer: Geordi LaForge
                                        Chief Medical Officer: Beverly Crusher
                                                    Acting Ensign: Wesley Crusher
                                            Ship's Bartender: Guinan

 Originally, Denise Crosby who played Tasha Yar was the Chief of security before Worf However, she was killed off because she felt that her Character was being kept in one place and left the show during the first season. However, she did try to revive her Role as Security Chief , and Romulan  Commander Sela  in the episodes Yesterdays Enterprise ( season 3) and the two part episode Unification ( season 5).




    Diana Muldaur( Dr Kathrine Pulaski) Also served as the Chief Medical Officer Aboard the Enterprise for a year because Dr Beverly Crusher accepted an assignment as Head of Starfleet Medical. Her Uniform was a skant variant type, she did not feel comfortable wearing the one piece jumpsuit because she felt that it would not suit a middle aged woman like herself at that time. Pulaski is the only regular cast member of a post-TOS Star Trek series to be played by an actor or actress who had also appeared in the original series.
       
                                                  

Star Trek The Next Generation is set in the 24th century that's exactly eighty years after kirk's time which was the 23rd century. By this time, the uniforms have changed dramatically from what you seen in the Original series. The department Colors have changed as well meaning that Red=Command, or flight operations, Gold=Engineering, Operations, Tactical and/or Security, Teal or Blue= Medical, and Science.

Famous Picard sayings: " engage", " make it so", " Tea Earl Grey", " you have the Bridge number one".








 During the original casting of the character Geordi La Forge, Sydney Poitier was originally cast to play the Role of La Forge however, he turned down the role because he felt that this character was more suited for someone younger. And so it was decided that Lavar Burton was perfect for this role and at the same time he was chosen for this role he was still hosting Reading Rainbow. The Character name Geordie La Forge originated from a Star trek fan by the Name of George La Forge who Passed Away from  muscular dystrophy.






The USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D was a Galaxy Class starship that was commanded by Jean Luc Picard through out the course of the series. However, His first starship command was that of the USS Stargazer NCC-2893 which was a Constellation class starship and was presumed destroyed at the battle of Maxia.








    Guinan had an on and off role on TNG, however, she was an essential member of the ships crew. Guinan was the ships bartender and hostess in in the Ten Forward Lounge of the Enterprise and she also served as the go to person for advice as well. Guinan comes from an Alien race called the Elorians and according to StarFleet History, the Elorians are a race of beings that are scattered through out the galaxy. Her home planet was attacked by the cybernetic Species known as the Borg and most of her people were assimilated. Guinan and a few other survivors of her race were saved by the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B the Predecessor of the Enterprise-D in the year 2265. not much is known about her exact age however, Guinan has the ability to sense things beyond or outside of  the space time  contiume. Other than Counselor Deanna Troi, Captain Picard also confides in the advice and wisdom of Guinan when ever he's faced with a Difficult decision. Captain Picard and Guinan have a very strong friendship and they both confide in each other when they need to.


Star Trek The Next Generation had a successful seven year run but On May 23, 1994 The Series came to an end. During the phasing out process of TNG, Paramount was already producing another series that would Continue where TNG left off. On January 3 1993 Star trek Deep Space Nine was born.

















 
























































































































































Sunday, January 11, 2015

Star Trek 101: The Basics for Beginners.....Part 1

If you are a beginner to the Star Trek series and you have only seen the two J.J. Abrams films, then this section is for you. 

Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, used the show to portray a future Earth that was void of war, racism, poverty, disease - where humans battled other aliens and not each other. It also gave him a way to address such issues in a non-threatening manner (Star Trek was created during very turbulent times - Vietnam, Civil Rights, etc.). 

There are four separate Star Trek series. Here they are listed in order of creation:

Star Trek, The Original Series (also known as TOS). 
Star Trek, The Original Series, originally aired 1966-1969. 

Officers:       
Captain: James Tiberius Kirk
First Officer: Spock (of the Planet Vulcan)
Chief Engineer: Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott (aka Scotty)
Communications Officer: Lieutenant Uhura
Chief Medical Officer: Dr. Leonard McCoy
Nurse: Christine Chapel
Navigator: Pavel Chekov
Helmsman: Hikaru Sulu
*Originally, the Captain was Christopher Pike in the original pilot. The actor, Jeffery Hunter, wasn't interested in the role so he turned it down and Captain Kirk was born.
Captain Pike - Original pilot episode.
* Originally, Majel Roddenberry (wife of creator Gene Roddenberry) played the female First Officer, known as Number One. However, the studios did not want a female first officer, so that role was given to Spock. 
*Because of racism/sexism, the studios refused to give Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Lieutenant Uhura, the same working contract as the other actors. Since Gene Roddenberry had the power to hire her on a daily basis, he defied the studios and did so. 
Nichelle Nichols at Lt. Uhura.
Captain Kirk's ship The Enterprise
 Each Uniform color represents a department. Gold - Command & Navigation. Blue - Medical & Science Red - Communications, Engineering, Security.

Except for the main characters, almost everyone who wore a red shirt in the series dies in each episode. So, if you ever want to know who is going to die first, look for the "Red Shirts
Famous Sayings: "Beam Me Up Scotty", "He's Dead Jim", "To Boldly Go", "Dammit Jim I'm a Doctor", "Hailing Frequencies Open", "I'm giving her all she's got, Captain!".
Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Uhura - was going to leave the show. The weekend that she was to leave, she  attended a NAACP event when someone told her that one of her biggest fans wanted to meet her. When she turned around, it was Dr. Martin Luther King. It was Dr. King who convinced her to stay on the show. 

Although the series was cancelled in 1969, it was not the end of the trek franchise because nine years later in 1978 Star trek was reborn on the big screen. The original cast returned in what was to be a new series originally called Star Trek Phase2. However, it was renamed and made into the two hour feature film Star Trek: The Motion Picture. which was followed by Star Trek 2: The Wrath Of Khan, Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock, Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home,
Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier and Star Trek 6 : The Undiscovered Country.








 Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country was Released on December 6, 1991 two months after Gene Roddenberry's Passing on October 24th 1991. This movie was Dedicated to him. This was the final film for the Original Crew and It would mark their retirement from starfleet but this would not be the end of Star Trek because the Trek adventure continues with a new crew and a new Captain. Star Trek: The Next Generation.













Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Where it all began: Gene and Majel Roddenberry

Forty-eight years ago, Eugene Wesley Roddenberry created a franchise that eventually became a world-wide phenomenon: Star Trek. Originally named "Wagon Train to the Stars", Star Trek officially premiered on September 8th, 1966. 

Initially, the show only ran for three seasons and was cancelled. Fans from all over the country wrote to into NBC demanding that the show be brought back. They went so far as to place stickers (see below) on the cars of executives in the parking lot (as told in William Shatner's Star Trek Memories):
NBC executives eventually got the message and Star Trek returned to the screen. Twelve years later, Gene developed a script for a proposed series that would include members of the original cast entitled "Star Trek: Phase 2", however this was promptly rejected by the studio and re-worked into the two-hour feature film entitled "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" which was released in theaters in 1978. 
Mr. Roddenberry's vision of Star Trek was a future earth that was void of war of (between humans), poverty, disease, hunger and prejudice. Based on his experiences as a WWII bomber pilot and a Los Angeles police officer in the turbulent times of the national Civil Rights Movement, he wanted to create a show that gave people a vision of a better future - and Star Trek has done just that.
 After a twenty-seven year marriage to his first wife ended in divorce, Gene married Majel Barrett. She went on to portray the First Officer of the Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike in the original series pilot. NBC did not approve of a female first officer, so she then played the character of the ship's nurse, Nurse Christine Chapel, who had a serious crush on Spock. She also portrayed the voice of the computer on three Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation(TNG), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine(DS9), Star Trek: Voyager. She also created the popular character Lwaxana Troi several episodes of TNG & DS9 as the colorful mother of Counselor Deanna Troi. 
 
 Both Gene and Majel have touched the heart of millions and though they are no longer with us, their legacy lives on.







Saturday, May 10, 2014

Welcome!


"You are cleared to dock."
 Fellow Members & Visitors,

Welcome to Starbase Asgard!  Here you will find reviews on various topics related to Star Trek (Episodes, Conventions, Uniforms, Ships, Aliens, Weapons,etc.).  This is an open forum for fellow fans of the Star Trek series-whether you are a long term fan or just starting out-welcome!  Feel free to sit back, put your feet up, get your favorite drink, browse around and hang out. Stay as long as you like. Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Commander, Starbase Asgard