9410.15 DATELINE: STARFLEET #52


From the Big Chair
------------------
One month to go! |) 'Nuff said!
--Bill


News from Over the Hailing Frequencies....
------------------------------------------
VOYAGER CAPTAIN RESET
As I hope everyone heard by now (or caught on a great TV Guide cover
photo!), Kate Mulgrew has been tapped to replace Genevieve Bujold as the lead
on Voyager. With the change, Captain Janeway's first name was changed from
Elizabeth to Kathryn. Mulgrew is best known for her stint on the soap opera
"Ryan's Hope" and her role as Mrs. Columbo.

RESHOOTING ON GENERATIONS
Paramount made it known that they are reshooting scenes of the ending of
"Star Trek: Generations" -- location scenes in Nevada that apparently make up
the climax of the movie. The November 18 release date of the film has not
changed.

SIDENOTE
Fresh off "Generations," look for Malcolm McDowell in the upcoming "Wing
Commander III" computer game.

X-MAS CAROL RETURNS
Patrick Stewart will be performing his "Christmas Carol" one-man show at
the Richard Rogers Theatre in New York, between December 19th and January
8th. (As posted on AOL by The Marge)

STEWART CORRECTION
To correct what I reported here last month, Patrick Stewart's production
of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" is currently postponed and may be reset
for spring of 1995. (Thanks to Kathleen Toth for the update!)

TOS ALSO TAKES TO THE STAGE
Star Trek is being brought to the stage in London! The play is to be
set in the TOS era. It is slated to run at the Bromley Churchill Theatre
near London from November 16th to the 26th before moving to the West End
Theatre in London proper.
(rec.arts.startrek.info)

PASSINGS
Noted science-fiction author (and TOS episode writer) Robert Bloch died
of cancer on September 23rd. His contributions to TOS included "Catspaw,"
"What Are Little Girls Made Of?" and "Wolf in the Fold."

DS9 SCHEDULES
From the rec.arts.startrek newsgroups. An R after the production number
indicates a rerun episode.
10/9: The House of Quark (449; Quark marries a Klingon.... With Robert
O'Reilly as Gowron)
10/16: Equilibrium (450; a Dax episode)
10/23: Second Skin (451; is Kira a Cardassian spy?)
10/30: The Abandoned (452; a Jake story that the Jem'Hadar also figure
into)
11/06: Civil Defense (453)
11/13: Meridian (454)
11/20: Defiant (455)
11/27: Fascination (456)

Jonathan Frakes has said he will appear on DS9's ninth episode (which
would be "Defiant") as Lt. Thomas Riker, and that he is directing the 10th
episode (which should be "Fascination").

MORE OF GAREK
Upcoming for the man beneath Garek's makeup, Andrew Robinson: the stage
drama "Memoirs of Jesus" and the film "The Puppet Masters".
("Inside Trek" newspaper column)

PARAMOUNT NETWORK LIST
Anchorage = KYES; Baltimore = WNUV, Charlotte = WJZY; Chicago = WPWR;
Cincinnati = WSTR, Cleveland = WUAB; Dallas/Fort Worth = KTXA; Denver = KTVD;
Detroit = WKBD; El Paso/Las Cruces = KZIA; Evansville = WAZ; Fort Meyers =
WNPL; Fresno = KAIL; Honolulu = KFVE; Houston = KTXH; Indianapolis = WTTV;
Kansas City = KSMO, Little Rock = KASN; Los Angeles = KCOP; Louisville =
WFTE; Miami = WDZL; Memphis = WLMT; Milwaukee = WVTV, Minneapolis/St. Paul =
KMSP; Mobile = WJTC; Naples FL = WNPL; Nashville = WXMT; New York = WWOR;
Norfolk = WGNT; Oklahoma City = KOCB; Philadelphia = WTXF; Phoenix = KUTP;
Pittsburgh = WPTT, Portland (OR) = KPTV; Raleigh/Durham = WLFL; Salt Lake
City = KJZZ; San Antonio = KRRT; San Diego = KUSI; San Francisco = KBHK;
Santa Barbara/Oxnard = KADY; St. Louis = KDNL; Tampa = WTOG; Tulsa = KTFO;
Tucson = KTTU; Washington DC = WDCA
This is not a complete list. The Paramount Network currently has 75
affiliates (as of October 5th), covering 65% of the country.
In Richmond, WRLH is carrying Voyager through syndication, not as a
Paramount affiliate.

OTHER PARAMOUNT NETWORK NEWS
On September 14, it was announced that Lucie Salhany (former Fox
Broadcasting chairman) had been appointed president and CEO of the Paramount
Network.
The Network will debut on Monday January 16th and Tuesday January 17th.
Voyager has an 8 o'clock time slot on Monday.
Besides Voyager, its programming will consist of two other dramas
("Marker" and "The Watcher") and two comedies ("Platypus Man" and "Pig Sty").
Another drama, "Legend," is in production as a backup. (Reuters)

RATINGS REVIEW
Dates are "week ending":
September 4: TNG ("Phantasms" rerun) 5th place, 7.7; DS9 ("Crossover"
rerun) 11th place, 6.1.
September 11: TNG ("All Good Things, Part I" rerun) tied for 3rd, 7.9;
DS9 ("The Collaborator" rerun) 12th place, 5.5.
September 18: TNG ("All Good Things, Part II" rerun) 4th, 7.9; DS9
("Tribunal" rerun) tied for 11th, 5.5.
(Variety)

WEDDING BELLS
Defying the reports that came out last month (and I dutifully mentioned
in the last issue), Whoopi Goldberg married Lyle Trachtenberg on October 1st.
|)

MOVIE DEALS
The USA Network bought rights for a syndication package of 25 Paramount
films that includes Star Trek VI. (Paramount owns half of the USA Network.)
(Variety)

ALSO WITH STAR TREK VI
NBC will be airing Star Trek VI on November 6th. (Variety)


Editorial: Crossing Lines
by Bill Mason
-------------------------
Let me check my list here.
We have a TNG/DS9 comic book crossover coming up (see below for
details).
The new hardback novel, "Federation," is a TOS/TNG crossover.
And of course, the countdown is on until the *other* TOS/TNG crossover,
"Generations."
Remember when crossovers were a rare event?? |)
Lest it sound like I'm warming up to kvetch, I think all this is pretty
fun! The joy of one interconnected universe is having all the parts
intertwine. Creative sparks ensue. Characters take on new facets, and I
still think Bashir's appearance in "Birthright, Part I" was his most
interesting role in DS9's first season, dang it. |)
That said, how long will it take for some Voyager prequel stories so
that we can have some more of this crossover stuff?
(Pocket Books, take note.)
Obviously you can only do so much intermixing. And Gene Roddenberry had
a reluctance to bring TOS into the TNG realm early on. But with all the
corners of ST taking shape and coming into their own, having them bump heads
is a pleasure. |)
Which is a roundabout way of saying, bring on the darn movie already!
And if I sound edgy now, wait 'till next issue when it'll be 3 days
before the film. By then I'll be totally out of hand. 😉


Review: Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive Technical Manual
by CraigL6595
-------------------------------------------------------------------
(For Mac or Windows using CD-ROM. On Mac, It uses the brand new
QuickTime VR.)
This file is great. You can see the bridge, ready room, observation
lounge, sickbay, transporter room, ten forward, Picard's quarters, Data's
quarters, Counselor's quarters, Worf's quarters, the holodeck, main
engineering, and a few more!
This fantastic application has the voices of Jonathan Frakes and Majel
Barrett Roddenberry. You also have the option of a guided tour with Cmdr.
Riker or you can see the exterior of the Enterprise. The file also has a
index where you can choose what you want to see or read about! As you move
throughout rooms you can get close ups of data screens and control panels.
Also, you can look for secret panels and hidden pieces. For example, in the
Captain's Ready Room you will find a statue given to Picard by Professor
Galen. If you select it and see it close up, it will automatically open!
However, there are a few disadvantages. You DO NOT move around the ship
freely. The computer automatically moves you from room to room. You do move
through corridors, however, when you move from room to room. Also, you
cannot enter any room. For example, you won't enter the shuttlebay or
Captain's Yacht. You will only see a diagram from the index. Finally, you
cannot freely walk around a room. You can only stand in certain spots and
turn 360 degrees.
However, everything is detailed and there are many secrets you will discover.


In Defense of Rick Berman & Co.
by Ceth Eslick
-------------------------------
For the the past seven years, Rick Berman has worked very hard to create
high quality television. Rick's long history with Star Trek in the 24th

century rightfully established him as first in line to the Great Bird's
throne. Like any heir to an already thriving empire, Rick Berman had
extremely large expectations to live up to.
Unfortunately, these expectations are sometimes set to a level so high they
can never be met. Every creative turn made in the last two years has been
scrutinized to a level never seen before. We now have phrases like these
whizzing through the fandom: "Gene Roddenberry is turning over in his
grave." "Gene would never have approved."
"Gene's ideals are being trampled." "Star Trek hasn't been the same since
Gene died." I guess the first step in examining these "observations" would
be to re-examine the history of the 24th century.
The last episode in which Gene's name appears in the writing credits was
first season's "Datalore" (in which we were introduced to Lore). The angst
of the writing staff this early on required Gene's relentless guidance to try
and maintain a sense of direction. After the first season, Gene's
involvement in the day to day affairs of TNG's production was slowly reduced
to a supervisory position. He served as the final word on all questions big
and small. "How would Worf react to this?" "Would this be a good enough
excuse to break the Prime Directive?" "Is this script too heavy in the
philosophical department?" There was no question that the cast and crew was
afraid to ask. Weekly cast meetings provided an easy forum for these
questions to be asked.
After season two, Maurice Hurley left his role as Co-Executive producer,
allowing Rick Berman to leave his position as Supervising Producer to fill
the vacated slot. Another shakeup occurred when Michael Piller joined the
team to head the writing staff. Under the direction of Piller, the writing
staff produced powerful storylines like Worf's discommendation and the return
of the Borg in "The Best of Both Worlds."
Early in the fifth season, the concept of another spin-off was beginning
to see light. The premise for the show was to be based on what was revealed
in the episode "Ensign Ro." Gene gave Rick and Michael his blessings and
Deep Space Nine eventually became the result.
[Editor's note: Rick Berman has said in interviews that Gene Roddenberry
only gave his blessing to the general concept of doing another ST spinoff.
Roddenberry did not comment on the specific DS9 proposal itself.]
Gene died while the episode "Hero Worship" was being filmed.
This occurred about halfway through the fifth season of ST:TNG.
Since each script goes through a long selection and fine tuning process
before production begins, the story development for the fifth season was
essentially finalized at the time of Gene's death. All episodes afterward
(except for a few concepts that were eventually made into workable scripts)
did not have Gene's input.
In the sixth season of TNG, the development of DS9 forced Michael Piller
to give up his post as writing staff-supervisor. Jeri Taylor subsequently
inherited this post, which she retained right up until the end.
There are many explanations for the cancellation of TNG, none of which
have been completely isolated as the actual cause. My personal belief is
probably the most common. It all comes down to Paramount's desire to make
money. With the TOS cast no longer producing movies...well you know that old
cliche, "nature abhors a vacuum."
Some cast members expressed their opposition to closing down shop, mainly
Marina Sirtis and Jonathan Frakes, but the general consensus among the cast
and crew agreed that it was about time to end the series.
With Voyager on the horizon, Piller has left his role as "Mr. Deep Space
Nine." Ira Steven Behr was recently promoted to co-executive producer and is
now responsible for day to day production of DS9, while Piller, as well as
Berman and Taylor prepare Voyager for prime-time.
With that said, I'd like to examine two points, the first very briefly
and the second in great detail.
Issue Number One! (say it like John McLaughlin) -- Rick Berman is
milking Star Trek for all that it's worth.
Paramount controls the merchandising aspect of Star Trek, not Berman.
Berman is in charge of overseeing the development of the series and
recently, "Generations." (Ironically, after TOS was canceled, Roddenberry
retained certain copyright privileges that allowed him to sell Star Trek
merchandise. For years, this was Roddenberry's major source of income.)
Issue Number 2 -- Star Trek no longer lives up to Roddenberry's ideals.
This argument basically boils down to one thing: does DS9 belong in
Roddenberry's universe? In one word, yes.
The elements that make up the themes of DS9 (and the upcoming Voyager)
have always existed in Roddenberry's future. Michael Piller describes it
well, "Gene wanted to celebrate the differences between species. It was
never the good guys and the bad guys...Cardassians torture, Klingons rule by
murder. These are concepts that still exist even in a Roddenberry universe.
They represent a fundamental code within those cultures. As long as you are
true to the character of those people, it's perfectly justified to do stories
on it." (Cinefantastique)
The key thought of that quote was the last sentence. "As long as you
are true to the character of those people, it's perfectly justified to do
stories on it." It was true 28 years ago when Kor ordered the deaths of
thousands of Organians, and it's true today when political games allow Winn
to become Kai.
Since all Star Trek's are based on people, that must be the first order
of business. The "voyages of the Starship Enterprise" do not constitute
"what Star Trek is." Q explains this point well in "All Good Things." TOS
and TNG were essentially shows about exploration and the different ideas that
comes with that exploration (ideas that are just selected aspects of
ourselves). DS9, on the other hand, relies heavily on conflict in the form
of politics to bring these ideas to us. The result is the same. We see
factional fighting, religious differences, and political upheaval. In the
end, we learn about ourselves.
The major difference between Sisko at his desk and Kirk leading a
landing party is the perspective that each holds. Kirk sees things from an
outsider's point of view. Sisko, on the other hand, is the insider. From
these vantage points, each one will hold different attitudes. Kirk's is one
of a typical Starfleet explorer who holds Starfleet's primary mission to the
highest. Sisko has to hold the attitude of an administrator or his specific
mission would undoubtedly fail. Roddenberry's future has space allocated for
both.
Kirk and Picard's roles are more romantic than Sisko's. It's only human
nature that fans will be more easily swayed towards a romantic based concept.
It will be interesting to see what balance is struck in Voyager. The "goal"
is a romantic one (overcome obstacles in order to make it home), but the
characters are on opposing ends of an issue. This mix of drama should prove
to be an interesting story device. Whatever the case, there will be the
usual group of nay-sayers who'll be there to strike it down and shout
"Blasphemy!" I just hope everyone can recognize the drumhead when they see
it.


Happy Birthday!
---------------
November 5: Armin Shimerman
November 13: Whoopi Goldberg


Trek-related Products/Happenings
--------------------------------
Comic book goodies coming up:
"Star Trek" #66 (DC): Spock and Stonn ("Amok Time") meet again.
Written by Howard Weinstein.
"Next Generation" #66 (DC): Dr. Crusher investigates a "strange
space-going creature". Written by Michael Jan Friedman.
"STTNG: Shadowheart" #1 (DC): First of a 4-issue limited series.
Worf's foster brother Nikolai leads a rebellion on a Klingon colony.
Written by Michael Jan Friedman.
"STTNG/STDS9" #1 (DC/Malibu): First of a 4-issue crossover with Malibu
Comics' DS9 series. The Enterprise comes to investigate why ships using the
wormhole are vanishing.
"STDS9/STTNG" #1 (DC/Malibu): Second of the 4-issue DC/Malibu crossover.
Our heroes go after Cardassian spies who made a getaway through the
wormhole.
"Deep Spae Nine" #15 (Malibu): "Dax's Comet" part 1 of 2. Dax applies
science to try and solve a mythological problem. (The cover of this issue,
combined with the previous issue 14, combine to form a mini-poster.)
("Worlds of Westfield")

If you're looking for an avenue to buy some Trek stuff, the QVC cable
shopping channel has ST shows scheduled for October 17th (with Nichelle
Nichols), and October 29th. (rec.arts.startrek.info)

Revell-Monogram will be producing model kits based on the Voyager
series, including of course a USS Voyager model.
(rec.arts.models.scale)

Soon on your newsstand's magazine rack: "Star Trek: Generations Official
Movie Magazine", "STTNG Official Poster Magazine" #79, and "Starlog" #209 --
all from "Starlog" and all featuring Star Trek stuff. 😉 ("Worlds of
Westfield")

If books are your taste, look for "Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"
(by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens), "Nitpicker's Guide for Classic
Trekkers" (a followup to the TNG guide), or "Where No One Has Gone Before" (a
hardcover photo collection, also including two Issac Asimov essays).
("Worlds of Westfield")

The film "The Pagemaker" (featuring the voices of Patrick Stewart,
Leonard Nimoy, and Whoopi Goldberg, has had its release date changed from
November 11th to November 23rd. (Variety)


Personal Logs, Stardate Today
-----------------------------
It's so popular, in fact, that a lawyer from Olympia wanted to enroll at
Evergreen just for the class, and one student's mother called from Colorado
trying to get her son into it.
(Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle article on Evergreen State
College's new Star Trek course. You too can earn credits watching TOS!
Thanks to Sillyname for the quote.)


Credits where Credits are Due
-----------------------------
"Dateline: Starfleet" -- edited by Bill Mason. Comments and submissions
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"Dateline: Starfleet" originates from the America Online "Star Trek: The
Club" forum.
The Away Team of Contributors: CraigL6595, Ceth Eslick
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If you read all this, somebody stop Gary Larson! (Oh, never mind. If
you can afford to retire so soon, who am I to begrudge?) 😉
Dateline #53 will be out November 15th.