FINALLY! BIG HINTS GIVEN FOR DISCOVERY CREW IN SHOOTING ANNOUNCEMENT

Star Trek: Discovery finally started shooting on January 24. On that day, CBS tweeted a congratulatory message that featured a heretofore unseen image. It features outlined figures in the midst of transporting. I think we can safely assume they represent the crew of the ship Discovery. We can see some Starfleet-ish boots, for instance, but most importantly, there's the Starfleet Delta patch that in the past would have represented only the Starship Enterprise. After all, in the original series (TOS) each starship had their own unique chest insignia and the delta represented only the Enterprise, not Starfleet as it would in later Trek incarnations after The Motion Picture. Here we can see that detail will be ignored. I think it's a good call because the delta shield has become ubiquitous with Star Trek. New viewers would just be confused if they didn't do it this way.

In the Original Series, every starship had its own insignia. It got very clunky very quickly.

So what characters are represented by these outlines? Some are pretty easy to guess while others are strictly a shot in the dark. Take a look at my attempt:

1. We know that the main character is the first officer or "Number One", played by Sonequa Martin-Green. I've designated her as the third figure due to her prominence in the foreground.

2. We've seen a make-up test photo, below, that appeared to be an Andorian with two slender antennae so I have assigned the sixth character as an unknown Andorian. I want to throw a caveat in, though.

Andorian? Or something else?

The test shots we saw did not feature a style identical to Andorian antennae that we've seen in the past. So rather than Andorian, this could be the alien character to be played by Doug Jones, Lt. Saru. All we know is that his race has not been seen before in Star Trek. Perhaps his race is similar to Andorians like Vulcans are to Humans.

or

3. Lt. Saru might be the fifth figure which is VERY alien-looking. That's my vote and I'm super anxious to see how this character will manifest itself. We've never had a regular character that was exclusively CGI and this looks to be a likely candidate.

Now THIS guy looks interesting! Note the cloven hoofy things.

4. Anthony Rapp will play Lt. Stametsan, an astromycologist (ie: scientist). I've assigned him to the first slot. Seems to be a little phaser-happy.

5. Michelle Yeoh plays Captain Georgiou of the starship Shenzhou. We have no idea how she fits into the story but I have added her arbitrarily as the second slot.

6. Emily Coutts has just been cast as a Conn Officer. She's designated as the last figure.

7. Finally, we have no idea who the captain of the Discovery is. So I designated the fourth slot to him (it's a male outline) though for all we know the captain is a woman. No idea but I think it's a reasonable guess.

So for the first time we now have a sense of the crew, however vague. Several other characters have been cast, most notably Spock's father Sarek to be played by James Frain as well as several actors as Klingons who will apparently be playing a significant role in the story.

Since shooting has begun, I hope some behind-the-scenes stuff starts to appear. I'm anxious to see the uniforms as well as the new props and sets that have been created.

While I'm still not sanguine about the whole "CBS All Access" thing, there's nothing to be done about it. The first episode will be airing on regular CBS network channels so at least we can get a taste before buying. Heck, I'm hoping I like it so much that I won't care about the cost!

LLAP

Don

BEN STILLER LETS HIS TREK FAN-BOY FLY, OWNS UP TO OWNING THE ORIGINAL GORN AND MORE!

I broke my hand a couple of months ago and I am finally able to type once again. I've been away for far longer than I would have liked but I hope to get back into a more regular cycle of stories now that I'm on the mend.  – D

Nerds are everywhere today, including the hallowed halls of Hollywood. Comedic actor and film-maker Ben Stiller has been known as a Trek fan for many years, having even been given a small cameo as a Romulan in 2009's Star Trek. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Stiller recently appeared on Nat Geo's "Startalk" where he admitted to host Neil deGrasse Tyson that he was not only a life-long Star Trek fan, but that he also owned some key props and costumes from The Original Series.

Stiller first confesses that he owns a copy of the Star Fleet Technical Manual which establishes some major Trek cred. After all, only die-hard fans actually have the book, right? But then he goes on to mention that he used some TOS goodies as props in his movie Tropic Thunder.

In Matthew McConaughey's character's office, a couple of iconic things can clearly be seen – if you're looking at the right place. Check out the lower right of this screen grab:

That's right: a Gorn head! And not just another copy, no, sir. That's one of the two original Gorn heads created for the TOS episode Arena! But wait – that's not all. Later in that same scene, another piece of familiar Trekabelia can be seen right smack in center screen

Yep. Spock ears. Season 2 versions, according to Stiller. He bought both items at auction along with a pilot episode Spock tunic. No idea which pilot he was referring to – The Cage or Where No Man Has Gone Before – but either would do nicely!

To top it off, though, Stiller says that no less than Leonard Nimoy himself spotted the ears in the movie and spoke to Stiller about them. After admitting that, yes, they were real Spock ears, Nimoy asked for Stiller's address. He then sent Stiller another set of ears from The Motion Picture. A personal gift of Spock ears from Nimoy himself. It doesn't get any better than that. And you can see in Stiller's face that he was truly moved by the gift, as would be any true Trek fan.

What else might Stiller own? Who knows? But he's definitely on my radar from now on.

LLAP

Don

HERITAGE AUCTIONS OFFERING "BACKGROUND" WRATH OF KHAN MAROON JACKET. EXCEPT THERE'S NO SUCH THING.

Every so often, a so-called "Monster Maroon" uniform as seen in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan comes to auction. As a fan of these great pieces, I look forward to these with particular anticipation. Usually they are the real deal because they are incredibly difficult to fake and a knock-off sticks out like a sore thumb.

Which brings me to this offering from Heritage:

Heritage's Maroon uniform Jacket (click to enlarge)

Looks, cool, right? Here's the accompanying text:

"An Extra's Jacket from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." Paramount, 1982. Red cotton, collarless, black and gold piping, gold-metal emblems attached on shoulder strap, chest and cuffs, no labels present; likely worn by an extra as it's similar but not identical to the uniforms worn by the main cast members."

So it is "similar but not identical to the uniforms worn by the main cast members". Which makes it, by their definition, at least, an "Extra's Jacket", which totally makes sense except for one thing. There were no "extra" or "background" versions of the officer's jacket in these films. Every jacket we ever see is a full-blown version, identical in materials and construction to those worn by the main cast. How do I know that? Because I know more about these pieces than just about anyone alive (go HERE to see what I mean). I have done exhaustive research over the years. I have owned many specimens, both main cast pieces and background pieces. I know many others who own various specimens and they have shared their insights with me. I have a database that has tracked every version sold over the last fifteen years. They all have one thing in common – they are all made the same way with the same level of detail. In short, they are all "hero" versions. There is no secondary, lower-level "background/extra" version for one simple reason – money. When Wrath of Khan was made, the production was under very tight budgetary constraints. So very few actors outside of the main cast even wore the officer's maroon uniform. Those few that did, show them to be identical in every way to the main cast versions because they are on screen with the main cast so they had to match.

The shoulder straps on all production pieces, for instance, were all the same design. Heritage's is different and doesn't even have a clasp! A background piece shouldn't be as elaborate as, yet different from, a production piece. That makes no sense. It has a different gold braid. Why? It's thicker and gaudier. Why? And in the dozens and dozens of straps and jackets I've seen over they years not a single one was missing the clasp. Not one. In the image below, the far right shot shows an actual extra's strap (from Wrath of Khan). This is the only extra ever seen on the bridge throughout the film, and only one of three extras shown wearing a maroon in the entire movie. Note that it has the clasp and the thinner, darker gold braid.

The heritage piece is described as being cotton, which would have stood out like a sore thumb against the wool versions worn by everyone else. The wrists on production pieces all show the same trapunto (or quilting) detail with stitched rings in all cases (the Heritage piece has none). The admiral wrist braid was of two particular designs, neither of which match the Heritage version.

No production piece has ever been missing the quilting detail on the arms. But Heritage's is.

So, in short, while the Heritage version appears to be a WOK jacket at a glance, it quickly falls apart under scrutiny. Their main claim of "extra" usage is not supported by the facts, but is a claim commonly used to support a piece because, as such it wouldn't have to match the "hero"versions. Very convenient, and unprovable as it is circular logic – "It's a background piece that you can't see very well, which is why its details are different and you can't confirm it because it's, you know, always in the background". Riiiight.

I say there were no "extra" versions, ever, and that supposition is supported by years of research, not guesswork. If someone has information to the contrary, by all means please pass it along to me. I live to learn.  But I think I'm on pretty solid ground here.

I contacted Heritage with my concerns and this was their reply:

"Dear Mr. Hillenbrand,

Please see attached photos where background actors are wearing similar jackets to the one Heritage is offering in our upcoming November 12th auction.  I’ve spoken to the consignor of this piece and he obtained it directly from Paramount Studios a number of years ago. He’s “in the business” so it makes sense he would have this costume piece. It is not a fan made piece as you speculate below.  It is actually quite well-made and detailed if you could see it in person.  It was worn by one of the background actors probably in the scenes I’ve attached here – it was not worn by one of the main actors and is not a “hero” piece.  Hopefully this addresses your concern.

Best,
Margaret Barrett
Director / Entertainment & Music"

The scene she refers to is this shot from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home :

The only problem with that theory is that several of those maroons shown were later sold at auction and were the same as all the other versions. They were no different from the main cast uniforms in any way. And we know that they reused jackets from earlier films over and over so that they didn't have to go to the expense of making new ones, especially for bit players. All trek films had super-tight budgets. These are facts, not guesses.

Regarding the Paramount mention, it's actually possible that this is a Paramount copy created for things like the old Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas. They created copies of many Starfleet uniforms and various aliens for those venues. Perhaps this is one of those. It would actually explain the missing clasp. I suspect there might be Velcro under there in place of the clasp which is commonly used on theater costumes to make them easy to take off and on. But who knows?

So here's the bottom line on this piece. It is either:

1. A rare, never-before-seen "extra" version which has never, ever been shown or proven to exist

or

2. It's a very nice (though inaccurate) copy.

Guess which one I'm going with? I'll let you decide for yourself as to whether or not this piece is what they claim. But here's some additional food for thought.

This piece has been up for auction for weeks and has not garnered a single bid, despite have a very low opening number. If this were real, I know of any number of people who would be hot after it, myself included! Yet there it sits, languishing in loneliness. Which is what it deserves, after all. Heritage needs to up their game, especially on something as simple as this. It makes them look like fools in this writer's opinion.

Don't be fooled by fools.

LLAP

Don

SINCE CBS DIDN'T GIVE US A 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL, LET'S WATCH THE 25TH AGAIN

While it was nice to see a couple of Star Trek 50th Anniversary shows appear on History Channel and The Smithsonian Channel, there was no "official" celebration on CBS and Paramount, the actual owners of Star Trek. In light of that, let's watch the 25th Anniversary special that was originally broadcast on September 28, 1991.

It was a simpler time!


LLAP,

Don

TOM HANKS SNUCK ONTO WRATH OF KHAN SETS BECAUSE HE'S TOM HANKS

Everybody's favorite actor, Tom Hanks, is also a Star Trek fan as evidenced by his various Trek insider comments over the years. Here's his latest where he talks about his "greatest day in Hollywood":

LLAP

Don

CELEBRATE YOUR LOVE OF THE ORIGINAL SERIES: A FIVE-FOOT ENTERPRISE CAN NOW BE YOURS.

If you've always wanted a really big version of the original Enterprise, well, you're in luck!

A number of years ago, a company named Custom Replicas created a huge model of the Enterprise. And by huge I mean it was 66 inches long! That's roughly half the scale of the original filming model which was 11 feet long. Only a handful of these models were assembled, painted and finished, and one of those is now available. Click on the photo, below, to see this baby in all its glory!

This will soon be sold at auction (more to come as details are known). Keep in mind that these things were incredibly pricey to begin including the cost of the original model, having it built and wired for light, then painted and put on display. It is beautifully detailed and looks like it could take off for the stars at warp 9!

This is a really cool piece that I hope will find a good home with another devoted Star Trek collector. When the auction details are known, I'll post a follow-up. I'm not involved in this transaction in any way. I'm just a fan of this great model!

LLAP.

Don

MY OBSESSION WAS BORN FIFTY YEARS AGO TODAY. HERE'S WHY IT STILL MATTERS.

Star Trek was born on September 8, 1966, with the airing of the first ever episode "The Man Trap". Now, I'm not one of those people who claim that the heavens parted and their lives changed forever after that first hour of Star Trek was over. There's a good reason for that: I was simply too young to watch it, let alone be moved by it. No, my obsession didn't start until years later when I could actually think and read and stuff like that. Star Trek hit me right between the eyes when I discovered it being shown every afternoon at 6 on my local Kaiser Broadcasting station (Channel 61, Cleveland!) in the early seventies. While my parents watched Cronkite, I watched Kirk. And watched, and watched and – well, I'm still watching!

Why is a fifty-year-old TV show meaningful today? First of all, it's still relevant because of the simple fact that everybody knows what Star Trek is. Even after half a century, it endures. The longest period of time between Trek productions was the 10 year stretch between the original series ending in 1969 and the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in December of 1979. (I'm not including the short lived Animated Series from 1974 as it was not a traditional live-action show). After that time, no more than four years passed without a Trek series or film being produced. It's an unprecedented achievement with no other TV show in history even coming close to Star Trek's staying power.

That staying power has been fueled by one key thing: Star Trek is, at its best, a story about ideas. Sometimes it's big ideas (the end of the universe!) and sometimes small (the love between mother and child). And that's the beauty of Trek. It's not just telling the same story over and over (Law & Order, anyone?). It's about opening new doors, looking into corners that are rarely, if ever, peeked at and shining a light onto new possibilities. It can be alternately heavy (The Motion Picture) or light (The Voyage Home), big ("Best of Both Worlds") or intimate ("The Inner Light"). Great and awful (too many of each to name).

Star Trek typically tells its stories through the lens of family and how that family comes together in a moment of crisis to move things to a safer ground. Kirk, Spock and McCoy. Picard, Data and Riker. Sisko and his crew, and on and on. Our heroes are challenged, then rise to meet said challenge through ability, intelligence, guts and having that most undefinable of qualities, The Right Stuff. Sometimes they win, sometimes they don't. But it's almost always a positive, forward-looking outcome which is refreshing in this age of stories about darkness, evil and How Bad Things Are. In an ever-increasing pessimistic world, Star Trek has always strived to show the best in humanity.

We need that optimism now more than ever.

With that in mind, there's a new Trek coming our way next year. It's called Star Trek Discovery, a name that evokes the very best of what Star Trek can be. You know the drill:

"...to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldy go where no one has gone before."

Let's hope this new Trek lives up to its distinguished pedigree.

Happy Fiftieth, Star Trek. May you continue to Live Long and Prosper.

Don