So I have recently become hooked on the fan-made series “Star Trek: Phase II” (which used to be called “Star Trek: New Voyages”). Made purely for the purpose of loving all things Trek, this series takes place about where a fourth and fifth season would have taken place if Star Trek: The Original Series had continued it’s run on NBC back in the late 1960s. One things that I really like about this series is that several veteran Star Trek cast members have made appearances, including George Takai, Grace Lee Whitney, Denise Crosby and Majel Barrett Roddenberry.
I have always been a Trekker. I have even been to a convention or two in my day (I met Nichelle Nichols, “Uhura”, in Providence, R.I. back in 1988) and I even went so far as to draw a storyboard for a new transporter effect for “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” and sent it to Paramount. (It didn’t make the film, but I got a wonderful response back from the studio saying that they’d consider it for future movies. I still have hope.)
Last night I watched “World Enough and Time”, which featured George Takai as an older “Sulu” amongst the cast playing the familiar characters on the Enterprise. It was very well written and the acting was very good. There were moments that I forgot I was watching a fan made film!
The latest installment of “Star Trek: Phase II” was posted in December 2008, it is the first of two parts of an episode entitled, “Blood and Fire”. The second installment is expected this spring.
The acting, effects and overall feel to the episodes is quite polished. I would love to contribute to the series in my own way, even if I just wore a red shirt and got killed by a mean alien on screen. Nevertheless, imagine my surprise when we meet Ensign Peter Kirk…
.. and his lover, soon to be husband! And Captain Kirk is going to marry them on the U.S.S. Enterprise!
“Blood and Fire” has roots in an episode originally written for “Star Trek: The Next Generation” that was going to address the big HIV scare of the late 80s/early 90s. The script flows well, the effects are very impressive and the acting is not bad either! Denise Crosby (Lt. Yar from “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) appears in the upcoming second part. I am really excited to see how this all plays out.
If you’re interested, take a peek here: Star Trek: Phase II. Live long and prosper.
