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Star Trek
When I was young, I was a TOS Trekkie and an avid reader of the fanzines. I recall when I read Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress with the description of Michael, the computer, being able to control every pixel on a TV screen to make a realistic human-appearing avatar - I think Heinlein was the first to predict CGI - I realized that eventually fans in the future could make their fanzine scenarios real. The future is now.
I'm finally on a computer with the capability to let me view TV shows online and I've just finished watching a couple of episodes of Star Trek: New Voyages, "World Enough and Time" and "To Serve All My Days" (written by D.C. Fontana who wrote my favorite TOS ep "The Journey to Babel"). This isn't quite run-of-the-mill fans bringing fanfic to life but it is a first step and I never thought to see it in my lifetime.
The spacial special effects are, of course, better than the original what with CGI but some of them are even better than those in the later series. Of course I'm watching on a small screen and I don't know how they'd measure up on a large TV screen. The interiors are remarkably similar to the original sets. The uniforms are like the originals (only they don't fit as well - probably off the rack) and they've even duplicated the spacesuits worn in "The Tholian Web" ep. They ransacked the musical themes of the original to re-use again.
The actors don't try to imitate the original actors - just here and there they manage a bit that makes them sound like the originals especially Andy Brey who plays Chekov and John Lim who plays Sulu (I think this is helping me get adjusted to the idea of other actors playing the TOS characters and I might even go see the new movie coming out next May with the original characters at the time they were at Star Fleet Academy though I'm afraid that Zachary Quinto made such a strong impression in "Heroes" that I'll see Spock as being played by Sylar *g*).
I had trouble at times loading the ep and, while waiting to catch up to where I'd stopped, I'd be working in another window and there were moments while listening to the ep you might think it's the original. Because only actors like George Takei and Walter Koenig and other minor cast members are willing to appear in these eps, there is more attention paid to Sulu and Chekov (he re-unites with Mary Linda Rapelye who played Irina in "The Way to Eden" in TOS and now plays an ambassador). Sulu's ep "WEAT" (so far the best of the bunch) was truly heart-wrenching. I loved his daughter Alana, beautifully played by Christina Moses and I became a bit teary at the end. It could've been a canon ep. The only things that were a bit jarring was when Chekov said "hell" in "TSAMD" (no bad language in the world of TOS) and later, when the ambassador boarded the Enterprise, Mr Spock held out his hand to shake hers - the Nimoy version avoided touching others unless absoultely necessary.
The great thing is that the eps play out as long as it need be for the story to be told - no need to structure it for an hour minus the ad time. In a future ep Denise Crosby plays Dr Jenna Yar and Kirk's nephew Peter joins the crew and is possibly gay - I wonder how James T. will react to that.
Another TOSlike episode available online is Of Gods and Men starring Walter Koenig and Nichelle Nichols with James Cawley as Cmdr. Peter Kirk (in the New Voyages he plays James T. and when I saw him in the first NV ep - an extemely missable ep - his hairdo looked like Elvis's and later I found out he is considered a very good Elvis impersonator - I guess he went from playing Elvis to playing James T. in that ep without combing his hair *g*). This one is directed by Tim Russ (Tuvok on "Voyager") who also acts in it. Charlie Evans of the TOS ep "Charlie X" uses the Guardian of Forever to go back into the past and kills Kirk's mother, changing the timeline. The resulting alternate universe resembles the one in "Mirror, Mirror" with a godlike Gary Mitchell ruling as Curate Prime since there was no Kirk to stop him. There's a smackdown fight between Charlie and Gary that's right out of a fanfic writer's what if while ignorant armies clash by night up above (was that a First Federation ship I saw?). Again the special effects are comparable, if not better than, anything done in canon. Somehow Uhura ends up married to Stonn (was that T''Pring I saw in the background? Did she come to realize that having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting?) and everyone lives happily ever after - at least until the next venture *g*
In a few decades any fan will be able to create videos out of fanfics and I look forward to the BtVS versions. BTW if you have a problem watching them, they are also to be found on YouTube.
In a few decades any fan will be able to create videos out of fanfics and I look forward to the BtVS versions. BTW if you have a problem watching them, they are also to be found on YouTube.
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New Voyages sounds very exciting! I will certainly have to check it out.
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Shakatany
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OT
Shakatany
Re: OT
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After you watch them let me know what you think (and tell me if you think it might be a First Federation ship in the "OGaM" final battle).
Have fun revisiting the days of yesteryear.
Shakatany