Midseason Picard.

Seeing Patrick Stewart on screen once again in the role of Jean-Luc Picard has been a dream come true for fans—particularly those who grew up with Star Trek: The Next Generation. But while the opening scene brought us two familiar faces aboard a familiar ship, this new series is far from a return to TNG. Nearly twenty years after the film Nemesis, Picard finds himself in the midst of a mystery involving old enemies and Starfleet that is unlike the one in which he served. While some elements may be familiar, this is a modern take on Star Trek of old.

In this episode of The Ready Room, host C Bryan Jones is joined by Matthew Rushing, his co-host from The Orb, to discuss the first half of Star Trek: Picard Season 1. We share our thoughts on the tone and direction of the new show, characters old and new, what happened in the first five episodes, what we feel has and has not worked in the writing and pacing, and where we would like things to go from here.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Change of Heart (00:05:30)
The Premise (00:12:26)
Federation Gone Bad (00:15:40)
Do You Need to Read The Last Best Hope? (00:19:35)
Every Universe Has Its Own Rules (00:31:22)
Romulan–Borg Disconnect (00:32:46)
Laris and Zhaban (00:41:02)
Dahj and Soji (00:47:39)
Narek and Rizzo (00:51:07)
Jurati (00:57:31)
Raffi (01:05:12)
Rios (01:11:53)
Seven of Nine (01:15:40)
For Mature Audiences Only (01:20:17)
Episode Rundown (01:28:43)
Where Is the Story Headed? (01:34:02)
Are 10 Episodes Enough? (01:39:47)
Final Thoughts (01:42:00)
Closing (01:44:31)

Host
C Bryan Jones

Guest
Matthew Rushing

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Star Trek’s second golden age.

The mid-1990s were a glorious time for Star Trek fans. With The Next Generation transitioning from the small screen to big, Deep Space Nine paving the way for serialized storytelling on television, and Voyager taking us to the other side of the galaxy, fans were spoiled for choice. But such riches don’t always last, and when Enterprise was cancelled in 2005, it seemed that Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future might well become part of TV’s past. As we enter a new decade, however, almost 20 years after the final big-screen voyage of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew, a second golden age of Star Trek is upon us—and it looks to be even richer than the first.

In this episode of The Ready Room, hosts C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek look ahead to the flood of Star Trek new content headed to our screens in 2020. We discuss Picard, Discovery Season 3, the animated Short Treks, and more. But first, we take time to remember three members of the family who left us in recent months: Aron Eisenberg, Dorothy “D.C.” Fontana, and René Auberjonois.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
First Thoughts on New Star Trek (00:02:06)
Remembering Aron Eisenberg (00:10:47)
Remembering Dorothy Fontana (00:20:35)
Remembering René Auberjonois (00:39:13)
Getting Ready for the New Series (00:53:43)
Too Much Content? (00:57:27)
Flexible Format (01:09:55)
Star Trek: Picard (01:14:46)
Star Trek: Discovery, Season 3 (01:31:57)
Animated Short Treks (01:52:57)
Closing (02:05:48)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Looking Back at Discovery Season Two.

It never happened. Or so they say. But we watched it with our own eyes, and so talk about it we must. The second season of Star Trek: Discovery started off with a decidedly old-school flavor before taking us on a search for Spock and a mind-bending trip through time.

In this episode of The Ready Room, hosts C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek look back at Star Trek: Discovery’s sophomore mission as we discuss everything from the Burnham-centric nature of the universe and the use of Section 31 to the power of Pike and the fan–writer feedback loop; and, of course, the battle for attention among magical rocks.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
First Impressions (00:04:55)
Name That Episode! (00:10:10)
Too Many Arcs? (00:11:53)
Season 1 vs. 2 (00:16:14)
Can Every Season Be About Burnham? (00:24:25)
Unintended Pike Spike? (00:33:56)
The Not-So-Secret Section 31 (00:42:51)
The Production–Consumption Gap (00:50:42)
Fast, Old-School Start … and Then … (00:54:09)
Alien Nation (00:57:49)
Other Strong Moments (01:01:17)
But Time Crystals Are Real! (01:04:46)
I’ll Raise You a Katra Stone (01:09:16)
Spocklight and Shadows (01:12:49)
Adding True Texture to Spock’s Story? (01:16:42)
Mum’s the Word! (01:26:34)
Spore Drive Misjumps (01:30:10)
Who’s That Airiam? (01:46:08)
Production Bits and Writers’ Room Churn (01:53:10)
Final Thoughts … Lots of Them! (02:05:56)
Closing (02:23:34)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Future Trek.

As Star Trek: Discovery returns for its second season, the ball is just starting to roll toward what could be a new golden age for the franchise. Shorts Treks have shown how versatile Star Trek can be, and a whole slew of new projects are either in production, preparing to start, or under series consideration. In this episode of The Ready Room, hosts C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek ride a subspace shockwave through a list of Star Treks to come, sharing their thoughts on Discovery season two, Short Treks, the return of Jean Luc Picard, Lower Decks and more possible animation, Georgiou and Section 31, Starfleet Academy, a Khan miniseries, and the slow demise of the Kelvin Timeline.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Discovery Season Two (00:04:47)
Short Treks (00:25:52)
The Picard Series (00:39:01)
Lower Decks (00:54:05)
More Animation (00:58:01)
The Section 31 Series (01:02:38)
Starfleet Academy (01:12:51)
The Khan Miniseries (01:19:26)
The Demise of Star Trek 4 (01:26:12)
Closing (01:37:37)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Patrick Stewart’s Return, Kelvin Trouble, and Discovery Changes.

Few characters in Star Trek history are as widely loved as Captain Jean Luc Picard. When the final credits of Nemesis rolled in December 2002, fans thought they had seen the last of the The Next Generation’s inspirational leader. So, when Patrick Stewart took the stage at this year’s Las Vegas convention—nearly 16 years after after he strolled down the corridor of the Enterprise one last time for viewers to see—no one imagined that he would reveal a return to the franchise. But that’s exactly what we’re getting. Set 20 years after Nemesis, a new Star Trek television series will feature none other than Jean Luc Picard.

In this episode of The Ready Room, hosts C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek share their thoughts on the announcement—including Larry’s firsthand impressions from the floor of STLV—and discuss some of the other big news, including production troubles with the next JJ Abrams Kelvin Timeline film as Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth walk away from the table over money, the release of Star Trek: Discovery season one on Blu-ray and DVD, and what we see as the maturation of CBS’s approach to Star Trek. We also dig into some of the big revelations about and changes coming to Discovery in season two, such as the return of Doctor Culber, appearances by Captain Pike and Spock, retconning uniforms, and, of course, another redesign of the Klingons.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Impressions from Star Trek Las Vegas (00:02:53)
Patrick Stewart Returns (00:20:55)
The Maturation of CBS (00:42:59)
The Picard Creative Team (00:49:48)
Chrises Cause Trouble for Star Trek 4 (00:56:53)
Discovery on Blu-ray and DVD (01:10:15)
Discovery Season 2: Culber Returns (01:19:32)
Discovery Season 2: Pike and Spock (01:23:08)
Discovery Season 2: Adjusting the Retcon (01:23:08)
Discovery Season 2: Redesigning Klingons, Yet Again (01:19:32)
Closing (01:51:33)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

The Expansion of Star Trek.

When CBS announced in November 2015 that Star Trek would return to television, we all celebrated the light at the end of the tunnel. The fallow years were coming to an end and, soon, the voyages of our future selves would continue where they belong: on the small screen. But details were scarce, and it took some time before we knew what to expect. Almost three years later, we find ourselves in a similar position—only this time what may be coming our way is not just a new series or movie, but a tsunami of new content.

In this episode of The Ready Room, C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek
discuss some of the recent news surrounding the Star Trek franchise, including award nominations and wins for Discovery, the shake-up among that show’s producers and writers, the possible return of Patrick Stewart, and Alex Kurtzman’s new deal with CBS, what it could mean for the studio’s plans to greatly expand the franchise, and whether they should. But before all that, we take time to look back at Harlan Ellison and his contributions to Star Trek and the genre.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Remembering Harlan Ellison (00:03:44)
Discovery Awards and Nominations (00:19:18)
Producer Shake-up (00:33:47)
Kurtzman’s Five-Year Mission (00:45:48)
Expansion of the Star Trek Franchise (00:52:36)
The Star Wars Rethink? (00:59:48)
The Return of Patrick Stewart (01:09:48)
Closing (01:29:04)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Proto-TNG and the Pike Memo.

We’ve all heard the stories about how Star Trek: The Next Generation was created. Or have we? While rummaging through Gene Roddenberry’s drawers, Larry Nemecek, John Champion, and Rod Roddenberry uncovered a long-lost memo from 1986 that presents a TNG that is very different from the one we know. The document, prepared by Paramount Network Television President John S. Pike, Greg Strangis, Jeff Hayes, and Rick Berman, outlines a premise, crew, and pilot for Star Trek’s return to television that until now was unknown.

In this episode of The Ready Room, C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek bring you an extended discussion about the document featured in episode four of Larry’s podcast, The Trek Files. We imagine what the adventures of Captain Rhon, Cadet Commander Brik, the painfully beautiful Helen Joyce, and the USS Odyssey might have been like—and why the security of the galaxy might depend on young Klingon officer Mynk and a simple piece of paper.

In our news segment, we look at Star Trek: Discovery’s nomination for Outstanding Drama Series in the GLADD Media Awards, given by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, a new book filled with lost scenes from The Original Series, and Larry shares his thoughts on a subject he’s very passionate: Tellarites.

News
Intro (00:00:00)
A GLADD Media Awards Nomination for Discovery (00:06:19)
Those Discovery Tellarites (00:15:52)
Star Trek Lost Scenes (00:25:18)

Feature: Proto-TNG and the Pike Memo
Background (00:35:45)
The Purpose of the Memo (00:39:03)
The TNG Announcement (00:46:02)
Concept and Crew (00:49:36)
Let’s Remember 1986 (00:54:55)
Character Parallels with Other Trek (01:02:54)
Pilot Premise (01:12:41)
Final Thoughts (01:22:39)
Closing (01:35:08)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

DS9 at 25.

It’s been a quarter century since Benjamin Sisko arrived at one of the Federation’s most remote outposts—Deep Space 9—and began a journey of self discovery that would turn the Star Trek model on its head. Overshadowed by The Next Generation and then Voyager, Deep Space Nine quietly flew under the radar and developed into a series that would later emerge as what many consider the franchise’s crown jewel. It’s a show that fans are rediscovering—and some are discovering for the first time—in this age of streaming and binge-watching. And it has stood the test of time in a remarkable way.

In this episode of The Ready Room, C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek look back at 25 years of Deep Space Nine, discussing its development, premiere, the roles of Rick Berman and Michael Piller, why the love fans have for the show continues to grow, and much more.

In our news segment, we consider the camaraderie of past Star Trek casts in light of Jonathan Frakes’s comments about the crew of Discovery, check out the 4-disc La-La Land Records Deep Space Nine Volume 2 Limited Edition music collection, and remember Jon Paul Steuer, the actor who played young Alexander on The Next Generation. Plus, Larry has a special announcement about activity detected in Trekland.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Remembering Jon Paul Steuer (00:04:16)
How Close Were the Casts of Each Series? (00:10:02)
La-La Land Records DS9 Volume 2 (00:18:53)
The Trek Files (00:26:38)
Feature: DS9 at 25 (00:41:06)
Developing Deep Space Nine (00:46:19)
Setting Up the Story (01:06:51)
The Roles of Rick Berman and Michael Piller (01:21:59)
TOS Nodes (01:30:35)
Surprising Ira (01:33:01)
Standing the Test of Time (01:35:47)
Final Thoughts (01:53:06)
Closing (01:48:32)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

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.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
The Business Side of Discovery (00:05:39)
Fall Season Extended (00:17:29)
Ancient Klingon Secret Revisited (00:22:46)
Sarek and Burnham’s Vulcan Adventure Revisited (00:45:12)
A Fourth Approach to Vulcans (00:55:47)
Future Debate About Canon (01:08:11)
Is Discovery a Section 31 Ship? (01:24:37)
Spore Drive and Iconian Gateways (01:32:21)
A Different Way of Telling a Story (01:39:40)
Closing (01:48:32)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Star Trek: Discovery Latest Details and Summer Con Preview.

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.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Star Trek: Discovery Premiere Schedule (00:05:12)
The Business Side of Discovery (00:13:27)
Ancient Klingon Secret (00:16:36)
Sarek and Burnham’s Vulcan Adventure (00:24:56)
Jonathan Frakes Directs Discovery (00:00:00)
Alex Kurtzman on Discovery’s Story (00:34:55)
Connecting to the Original Star Trek (00:39:11)
How Discovery Respects Canon (00:50:24)
Why We Still Need Roddenberry’s Vision (00:57:17)
Star Trek: Discovery and San Diego Comic-Con (01:02:21)
Star Trek Las Vegas 2017 (01:10:14)
A Network Announcement (01:23:39)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Larry Nemecek

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Renee Roberts (Associate Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Associate Producer) Sam Piassick (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) Tim Robertson (Associate Producer) David Shuford (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)