Season 4 With Larry Nemecek. One of the biggest regrets of the cancellation of Star Trek: Enterprise was that it happened right at a time when digital cameras were making their way into the main stream. Behind the scenes photos were limited to Polaroid photos and how many pictures a roll of film could hold. Had it lasted a few more seasons, we would have had the most documented behind the scenes photos of any Trek series to date. However, we have the next best thing. Larry Nemecek has made a career investigating documents and conducting interviews with the people that have made the episodes we love. So, what does Larry know about the final, and fan favorite season of Enterprise? In this episode of Warp Five, hosts Patrick Devlin, Brandi Jackola, and Brandon-Shea Mutala are joined by Star Trek expert Larry Nemecek to discuss the fourth season of Star Trek: Enterprise. We discuss the arcs, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, the cancellation, and appearing in the final episode. We also talk about Larry's first impressions on the show's format, what Larry did on set, and his favorite arc in the season. Originall Published as Warp Five 145.
Uniform Patches, Starships Names, and Registry Numbers. Until Star Trek: The Motion Picture, each Starfleet vessel has its own unique insignia patch on its uniforms...or did it? In this episode of Standard Orbit, hosts Ken Tripp and Zach Moore are joined by Larry "Dr. Trek" Nemecek to discuss this hotly debated topic among fandom and how these seemingly incongruous and contradictory uniform patches can be reconciled within greater Star Trek continuity. From production memos in response to The Omega Glory to the long-awaited Defiant uniform patches finally turning up on Enterprise, we attempt to trace the confusing history of the Starfleet insignias, and the starships and registry numbers associated with them. Originally published as Standard Orbit 212: Patching Up Continuity
Discovery Post-Premiere. After nearly two years of waiting—and much speculation—we’re now well into the Star Trek: Discovery story. How does what we’ve seen compare to our expectations? What do we think of the writing and creative decisions so far? In this episode of The Ready Room, C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek revisit some the topics from their last discussion—including an ancient Klingon secret, a unique Vulcan story, and the business side of Discovery—and explore new topics such as the storytelling format, technology, Section 31, how Discovery is connecting with past Star Trek, and whether these connections might change the fan conversation over whether The Animated Series and the literary universe are canon. Originally published as The Ready Room 216: I Only Saw Seven of Them Guys!
In this third Saturday Morning Trek supplemental, host Aaron Harvey is joined by Dr. Trek himself, Larry Nemecek, to discuss the influences of The Animated Series on Star Trek: Discovery and how The Motion Picture wasn't the first time the subject of redesigning the Klingons was broached. So grab a bowl of Franken Berry cereal, a Tribble, and anything else pink and join us in the wood-paneled den! Originally published as Saturday Morning Trek S3: Carroll and Claws
Setting Star Trek: Discovery ten years prior to The Original Series offers a unique opportunity to include characters from that era. The first two we know of are Harry Mudd—who has made three appearance in Star Trek—and Sarek, whose seven appearances only scratch the surface of his important in Trek lore. In this episode of The Edge, hosts Brandon-Shea Mutala and Aaron Harvey are joined by Larry Nemecek for a look at the history of Harry Mudd and Sarek of Vulcan, and discuss how the Discovery writers might use them. Originally published as The Edge 2: Muddy Logic.
We're just two months away from the launch of Star Trek's seventh venture onto the small screen: Discovery. As summer heats up and convention season kicks into gear, news about the series, images from the set, and interviews with creators are bringing us new details and stirring the pot of speculation more feverishly than ever. In this episode of The Ready Room, C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek get together to discuss some of the latest tidbits, including an ancient Klingon secret, a unique (or as Alex Kurtzman calls it a very, very unique) Vulcan story, Riker on the set, the business side of Discovery, and much more. Plus, we make an exciting announcement about the Trek.fm podcast network. Originally published as The Ready Room 215: The Edge of Discovery.
We all want to escape from our lives sometimes. What if you could really do it? What if you couldn’t remember the life you left behind? And what if it was all against your will? That’s what happens to the crew of the Starship Voyager in the seventh-season episode “Workforce.” In this episode of The Ready Room, hosts C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek are joined by Kay Elizabeth Shaw of To The Journey and Bruce Gibson of Literary Treks to discuss this story of the Voyager crew’s other life as employees of a power facility on the planet Quarra. In our extended news segment, Chris and Larry share their thoughts on the Star Trek: Discovery trailer presented at CBS upfronts, the international Netflix version of the trailer, the new look of the Klingons, and more. Originally published as The Ready Room 212: Erin Gray's Blue Jumpsuit.
The premiere of the next Star Trek series may be delayed, but there’s still plenty to talk about. In this episode of The Ready Room, host C Bryan Jones returns from medical leave and hops on mic with Larry Nemecek to discuss some of the news from the past eight months. Looking at Star Trek: Discovery, we delve into the time period, ships, stories, writers, characters, casting, production, delays … and imagine the return of a classic alien. We also recap some of the key moments from Star Trek’s 50th anniversary year and how we’re carrying the excitement into the 51st. Originally published as The Ready Room 211: To Hoof or Not to Hoof.
Longtime Star Trek writer, author, publisher, and historian; Larry Nemecek talks about his first documentary about the legendary 1982 Houston Star Trek convention that devolved into quite the fiasco. He interviews several of the cast and production crew who were involved including the last interview ever given by the late Harve Bennett. What would a new version Standard Orbit be without our famous tangents? We review the size and origins of Star Trek conventions right up to the current day. Prepare yourselves for the influx of Trek fandom we receive when Dr. Trek explores this universe like no else. Originally published as Standard Orbit 164: The Con of Wrath. For more about the Con of Wrath, listen to Larry on Matter Stream 4, also available in this special collection.
While Jonathan Frakes is best known for his portrayal of Commander Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, his influence on the franchise extends well beyond his acting. As a director, he worked on some of the best episodes of the franchise, including TNG's "Cause and Effect" and DS9's "Past Tense, Part II," not to mention two of the feature films, First Contact and Insurrection. In this episode of Stage Nine, John and Mike are joined by Star Trek expert Larry Nemecek to discuss Frakes' work as a director. We look at his directing origins, the qualities which led him to the features, and his work outside of Trek. In news, we cover the latest Discovery casting announcements, and what they tell us about the show. Originally published as Stage Nine 36: Two Takes Frakes.
Episode 47 of Meta Treks can mean only one thing: Larry Nemecek! As a renowned Trek authority, friend of the Trek.fm network, and creator of Trekland's Portal 47, Larry joins hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison for a discussion about the past and future of Star Trek. On the heels of the 50th anniversary of the premier of Star Trek, and with a new Star Trek television series, Star Trek: Discovery, a mere months away, Larry, Zachary, and Mike share their thoughts on Star Trek's universal appeal and themes. Together Larry, Zachary, and Mike explore how Star Trek can continue to play a role in addressing social and political problems in today's world and in the age of social media. Originally published as Meta Treks 47: Wackydoodle Paradigm Busting.
Larry Nemecek joins us to talk about the upcoming free online open house for Portal 47 featuring Robert Butler, director of the first TOS pilot "The Cage." Plus, Star Trek Beyond's commentary track, Patrick Stewart's latest projects, and J.J. Abram's affinity for lens flare. Originally published as Hyperchannel 164: Portal 47 ft. Larry Nemecek
Bit by bit we’ve been learning what Bryan Fuller and CBS have in store for us when the seventh Star Trek series launches in January 2017. The initial reveal of the name and hints about the time period got fans talking, and then the reveal of the ship and a teaser turned up the heat. Now a batch of details, revealed by Fuller at CBS’s All Access panel for the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles, has set a flurry of speculation in motion. In this special episode of The Ready Room, C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek join the crowd to break down 13 points about Star Trek: Discovery and what they might mean for the first new Star Trek on television in more than a decade. Originally published as
Convention season is officially upon us. Among the gatherings that await fans are Comic-Con International in San Diego, Star Trek Las Vegas, the gaming convention Gen Con in Indianapolis, Atlanta's Dragon Con, New York Comic Con, Mission New York by ReedPOP and CBS … and the list goes on and on. Today, pop-culture conventions of all kinds are commonplace; but in the 1970s they were new and different. These conventions weren't sponsored by financial entertainment juggernauts. Instead, they were organized by superfans—and in the case of Star Trek they had a secondary agenda: to keep the series alive! The phrase "Star Trek Lives!" was used on flyers advertising the first big Trek convention, held in New York City in 1972. It was also part of the Star Trek revival campaign undertaken by fans in the early 1970s. In this episode of Saturday Morning Trek, host Aaron Harvey explores the early Star Trek conventions and see how they became the template for today's cons. Originally published as Saturday Morning Trek 15: Star Trek Lives!
It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since the first episode of The Ready Room. Born of disaster, this show has evolved into a gathering place for the hosts of the network that grew up around it. The Trek.fm network has become an important part of the daily routine for many Star Trek fans, but there was a time when there was no network. There was just this show. So as we reach another milestone—200 episodes—we take a break from our usual format to quietly mark the occasion with a good friend who has been part of The Ready Room almost since the beginning: Larry Nemecek. But first, we start with a bit of the history behind both The Ready Room and the network … Originally published as The Ready Room 200: Five Years and Counting.
Finally the silence is broken and CBS has announced who will helm the new Star Trek television series … and it’s none other than Trek veteran Bryan Fuller. Having written 22 stories spanning DS9 and Voyager, and serving as executive story editor for Voyager’s sixth and seventh seasons as well as co-producer during the seventh, Fuller knows his Trek. Now that he has been named co-creator and executive producer of Star Trek 2017, what might be in the cards for this next incarnation of Gene Roddenberry’s vision? Star Trek historian Larry Nemecek joins us for a quick chat about why he’s so excited about the appointment and what we might see from Fuller. Originally published as Hyperchannel 124: Bryan Fuller’s New Star Trek Series
You probably already know that it’s not a good idea to stare into a bright light. When there are many lights—and they’re multi-colored—doing so becomes an even worse idea. You could damage your eyesight, or perhaps have you brainwave replaced by that of a group of alien minds searching for a body to call home. That’s what happened to Lt. Mira Romaine in “The Lights of Zetar,” the third-season TOS episode that plays with character personalities, limited financial resources, and has a connection to a beloved children’s show. In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Larry Nemecek and Brandon-Shea Mutala to discuss Memory Alpha, Scotty in love, how you can blame anything on space, and why horses might not make the best engineers. We also delve into some Season Three trivia, production shortcuts, and remastered TOS elements. In our news segment, Chris and Larry discuss whether the ascension of Les Moonves to Chair of CBS Corp. will have an impact on Star Trek, when we’ll hear first details about the Star Trek 2017 series, and the future of Star Trek on streaming services not called CBS All Access. Plus, Larry fills us in on the latest happenings in Portal 47. Originally published as The Ready Room 195: Lamb Chop's (Creepy) Play-along.
Nostalgia is perhaps one of the most powerful forces that influences our lives. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary’s second definition of Nostalgia describes it as being “a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition; also: something that evokes Nostalgia.” In today’s world of recycled Hollywood content, reboots, refreshes and retellings - has the entertainment industry created a rift in Star Trek fandom, to the point where preserving the "glory days" is the only way for some fans to move forward? In this episode of Standard Orbit, hosts Norman C. Lao and Jeffrey Harlan are joined by Portal 47’s Larry Nemecek and Mission Log’s John Champion. They take a deep and concerned look at the power of Nostalgia and its undeniable influence over fandom's appreciation for Star Trek; specifically The Original Series, and share their observations towards Nostalgia as it continues to influence the interpretation of perhaps the greatest of Star Trek's tenants: IDIC - Infinite Diversity through Infinite Combinations. Originally published as Standard Orbit 112: Is Tomorrow Yesterday?
Voyager is known for telling stories that rely heavily on technobabble. Sometimes it supports the story, sometimes it doesn’t. Season Two’s “Deadlock” is one of those cases in which technobabble was inescapable, but also necessary. How else do you explain two Voyager’s, two disheveled buns of steel, and Harry Kim’s dopplegänger? In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Larry Nemecek, Charlynn Schmiedt, and Brandon-Shea Mutala to discuss the oddity that is “Deadlock,” parallel universes, Vidiians, generational ships, Chakotay’s weird baby comments, an inordinate number of script changes, and much more. In our news segment, we look back at 19 years of First Contact and 29 years of The Voyage Home, talk with Terrace Cassidy about Geek Nation Tours’ new “Touch the Stars” program, and try to unravel the mysterious case of Enterprise stunt director Vince Deadrick’s disappearing chair. Originally published as The Ready Room 193: He's a Fake!
It’s been more than a decade since Star Trek left the air, and at long last CBS has answered the cries of fans. In January 2017, Star Trek will return to TV with an all-new series. But what form will it take? In this special episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Larry Nemecek to take a closer look at the nuts and bolts of the CBS announcement, debate the setting—Prime Universe or Abramsverse—consider the format this Trek might take as a made-for-streaming show, explore Alex Kurtzman’s Star Trek fandom, consider how CBS will handle the creation of a series in the age of social media, and, of course, touch on the controversial distribution method. Originally published as The Ready Room 190: The New Star Trek Series, with Larry Nemecek.