Written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, the scripting in Star Trek Year Five #1 is thoroughly meaty. Lots of description and dialogue that is not only substantially in its detail but also does well in communicating a true sense of the characters.
In the last year of Captain Kirk’s famous five-year mission aboard the original Enterprise, we are shown a crew who is not only familiar with the challenges and discoveries of space exploration but who are also thoroughly well-known to each other.
Kirk and crew are coming to the end of their mission and are about to be recalled. Their last scientific mission is interrupted by a distress call. Meanwhile, while all of this is happening, Kirk is pondering being offered an Admiral’s posting when he returns home. Of course, the major dilemma is this: he doesn’t want to go home.
This is a seasoned captain and crew. They are no longer surprised by the infinite diversity of space – they welcome it; they are used to it and each other. However, they are not tired of it or each other – they simply know their jobs and they do it very well.
In one panel, we see Chekov’s youthful excitement over the Enterprise’s final mission: to safely contain the energy of a collapsing hypergiant and save over 10,000 planets within its immediate explosive vicinity. This is the Chekov we know and in response to this exuberance, we are treated to a lengthy and overly rational diatribe from Spock who describes the danger of the situation and chastising the young ensign for his description of it being “fun.” Chekov’s muttered response is not only entertaining but also an authentic one well in tune with the character.
The beginning of the story is very sinister, however and lends itself to a great deal of curiosity. A shadowy figure is holding a pistol to a beleaguered Captain Kirk’s head, who is recording his final log and that opens the story by describing the aforementioned mission.
It’s also the mood that has been expertly captured in this story. It’s present in McCoy’s surliness, Sulu and Chekov’s banter, Spock’s elongated, overly logical statements and Kirk’s private, deeply brooding moments. Lanzing and Kelly’s dialogue precisely portrays the right dynamics among the characters and even their decision-making process is well-reflected.
There’s a lot happening in this story; a great multitude of different minor plotlines in this book that not only tease us with the promise of different pathways of exploration for the reader but also real concerns the characters have that are situated in their eventual canonical career choices. Lanzing and Kelly provide us with a script that is phenomenally rich in the texture and content that would be expected from a Star Trek episode script in the last of its five-year mission. It’s a difficult thing to surprise us with canon, but Lanzing and Kelly have accomplished that, and that is a truly awesome thing.
Of course, the scintillating artwork from Stephen Thompson is a true pleasure to discover as well. Thompson gives us his idea of rich texture in terms of expression, body language, camera angles of view and a tremendous amount of detail as well. When Kirk and McCoy are discussing the possibility of being an Admiral, we are treated to a real work of sequential storytelling that make this a true candidate for one of those missing fifth year mission stories.
This comic is a sheer work of genius art in that it collects the essence of the matured third-season Star Trek that made it such a memorable show.
When a comic boasts five variant covers and three out of the five covers are versions of the same design by the legendary Greg Hildebrandt, then that’s a definite signal from IDW that they are really taking this particular Trek title seriously.
The regular cover is simply remarkable. Anyone who grew up in the eighties and read fantasy titles would know both Greg and Tim Hildebrandt’s work. It’s iconic and so unmistakable. Both Greg and Tim’s works were labours of love. They were characterized by emotional intensity and action. On this cover is a combination of sequential and stylistic art.
The crew, led by Doctor McCoy are in the middle of beaming down to a planet on the bottom half of the page, while the top half is a stylistic image of Kirk and Spock, accompanied by the Enterprise on the left-hand side of the cover, surrounded by shooting stars and stellar phenomenon. It’s a tricky combination of aspects but an absolutely incredible experience to enjoy.
Hildebrandt’s artwork also adorns the retailer-incentive cover ‘B’ as well as the convention-exclusive cover variant — a rough pencil image, and a finished pencil variant.
The retailer-incentive cover ‘A’ is by J.J. Lendl. I’m not very familiar with Lendl’s work but this is a really enjoyable piece of work as well. A stylized design that sees a split page of side portraits of Kirk and Spock with a rising Enterprise dividing the page. A litter of cameo portraits dot the top side of the page featuring various members of the crew. It’s quite a striking design and very intricate.
Finally, the Diamond retailer summit exclusive cover is a photocover featuring the all-familiar portrait of Uhura, Kirk, Spock and McCoy that fans will easily recognize. I’m not a photocover fan, but I understand the appeal.
Star Trek Year Five is a thick and juicy Trek story that begins with an event that clearly is at the end of this story arc. Given that this is a regular series and not an abbreviated mini-series, it’s a book that holds a great deal of promise for fans of this franchise.
I’d recommend that you adjust your orders wherever you purchase your comics for this one and prepare to go to Awe Factor 8!
Today in New York City, CBS Television held their annual “upfront” presentation for advertisers, where the company showed off their broadcast network schedule for the coming 2019-2020 season, their slate of new shows for the CBS broadcast network and CBS All Access — and where they finally, after months of waiting, revealed the first official details about Patrick Stewart’s return to Star Trek.
STAR TREK: PICARD, the finally-announced official title of the upcoming Jean-Luc Picard series — one that had seemingly been debunked by pilot episode director Hanelle Culpepper two months ago — got its moniker at the CBS presentation today, where the first footage from the upcoming production was showcased for advertisers and reporters in the room.
The "Star Trek" Picard series is apparently called … "Star Trek: Picard." #CBSUpfront
Despite the somewhat underwhelming title announcement — but at least we don’t have to call it “untitled” any longer! — a brief shot of Patrick Stewart was featured, showing the former captain in civilian wear… and it appears that a familiar-looking Starfleet uniform was in his vicinity.
We’re still waiting for an official press announcement or official release of the Patrick Stewart footage, but you can be sure we’ll update this post with that information as soon as it’s available.
They’ve released the official logo treatment through social media and on StarTrek.com:
Following the announcement that the still-untitled Jean-Luc Picard Star Trek series will be distributed outside of North American on Amazon Prime Video, many fans in Canada — to whom that announcement did not apply — were left wondering where they would be able to watch the return of Patrick Stewart when the new show arrives later this year.
This morning, that question was officially answered, as Canadian broadcaster Bell Media formally confirmedthat the Picard Star Trek show would be following in the footsteps of Star Trek: Discovery, airing on that country’s Space Channel, with subsequent streaming availability through the Crave over-the-top service the day after each broadcast.
This isn’t much of a surprise, as even though CBS All Access is available in the Canadian market, the region is unique in that Discovery actually airs on non-streaming television broadcasts, something Bell Media surely desired to continue with the new Picard show for its local audiences as they noted in the announcement:
The latest addition to the STAR TREK franchise will air day-and-date with the U.S. on Bell Media’s cable networks, Space (in English) and Z (in French), and the following day will stream exclusively on Crave, Bell Media’s subscription video-on-demand service.
“Bell Media has been a terrific home for STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, so we’re thrilled to expand our partnership with the next original series in the franchise, and one that it based on a beloved STAR TREK character,” said Armando Nuñez, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Global Distribution Group. “This new series will deliver CBS’ world-class production auspices and the considerable talents of Sir Patrick Stewart, further exciting Canadian fans who have always been passionately ‘engaged’ in the world of ‘Star Trek.’”
“Canadians have an insatiable appetite for the STAR TREK franchise, which has resulted in premium impact for our platforms,” said Mike Cosentino, President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. “The excitement for the return of Sir Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard is out of this world, and we’re thrilled to exclusively deliver another highly anticipated installment of the iconic universe to viewers and subscribers.”
In the United States, of course, the Picard series has long been set for availability on CBS All Access when the new Star Trek show premieres, currently expected for the end of 2019.
Keep coming back to TrekCore for all the latest Picard series news!
If there’s one quality I look for in a Star Trek comic series, it’s sustainability.
A story can’t stand unless there is a reasonable degree of authenticity that surrounds it. In this case, the pillar of that authenticity is the familiarity with canon. Canon is the lingua franca that all fans speak, and that storytellers in this particular franchise need to be proficient in to reach the fanbase that is their audience.
Scott Tipton, David Tipton, and David Messina have a long-established and successful track record in this regard and have decidedly proven themselves to be an impressive storytelling team in previous Star Trek works from IDW Publishing, and this month’s The Q Conflict #3 continues the story begun in the last two issues, excellent examples of a sustained storyline of recognizable Trek allies forming new partnerships to catch fans’ interest.
Of course, this also takes shape on the antagonist side as well, and we see relationships formed from the most unlikely collection of classic enemies in the Star Trek universe, which I like to call ‘the Infinites’ — Q, Ayelborne, Trelane, and the Metron are all beings with infinite capabilities, and the latter three present enough of a threat to Q that an outside contest is required to settle their differences.
In this particular issue, Trelane — the Squire of Gothos — decides upon a game of “Capture the Flag” amongst starships for this challenge. But, given Trelane’s usual immaturity, this game isn’t enough for him to settle his competitive urges, as he ups the ante by adding the presence of a classic Planet Killer to the mix.
There’s no complaint from me about this change-up; “The Doomsday Machine” is one of my all-time favourite episodes, and it’s very satisfying to see the four captains — Kirk, Picard, Sisko, and Janeway — combine their tactical abilities in a showdown confrontation with such a memorable and deadly foe from one of the best episodes of any Star Trek.
I’ve always wanted to see a re-match with one of these machines and given that the Tiptons have a seemingly inexhaustible repertoire of Trek knowledge to draw on, they not only have the ability to write an entertaining story but to make it an authentic one as well.
Of course, the characters behave as canonically as we’d expect. Q is devious, Trelane is spoiled, and Ayleborne and the Metron prove themselves to be the thoughtful ones in this book as they clearly dislike this situation and openly discuss their misgivings with Q and the whole notion with the humans. Of course, the Starfleet officers behave as we would expect them to, and account for their actions with the distinction of their careers.
David Messina accounts for himself well in this issue also. Lots of action scenes and starship combat; it’s a starship lover’s delight. The entire action against the Planet Killer is an intricate collection of dazzling battle sequences as the planet killer faces down the two Enterprises, the Defiant, and the starship Voyager. I particularly enjoy the coordination of tactics and weapons as well.
One issue I had a question about was the strange speckled patterning on the black portions of the characters’ uniforms or clothing. I wasn’t sure if it was an effect only found in digital versions of the comic or if it was a colouring issue. It would be great to get some feedback from readers to confirm this.
Both of the two regular covers are from artist David Massina. Cover ‘A’ shows the Enterprise-E and Voyager both in flight. It’s quite a dramatic image and showcases both vessels in a good light.
Cover ‘B’ is the same sort of an image yet of the original Enterprise and the Defiant in similar positions. The Original Series and Deep Space Nine are my favourite vessels in the different incarnations of Trek, so I’ve got to give this cover my preference over the ‘A’ design.
George Caltsoudas brings us another spectacular retailer-incentive cover design, inspired by the 1980 Moscow Olympics logo. Both emotional and striking, the highly-abstract design is best suited towards the spirit of starship command, and definitely adds a sense of drama. Caltsoudas has a gift for the stylistic, and this of all three covers would be one I’d hang on my wall.
In short, this is a story that fans love because of the nods to the canon that Star Trek fans are so proud of knowing. Scott and David Tipton are loving fans and it’s that dedication that makes this a Trek story to thoroughly enjoy.
While fans across North America make their ways to see What We Left Behind in theaters tonight, Shout! Studios made some news in the introductory moments of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine retrospective documentary screenings, revealing when the film will be available for widespread viewing.
What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is set for its streaming debut on August 6, 2019, with a physical release in both Blu-ray and DVD formats that same date.
Of course, no further details on the planned distribution of the film have been announced yet, and sensing that a news article such as the one you are currently reading was set to hit the internet this evening, the DS9 documentary team made sure to send out an update to backers of its massive fundraising campaign about the film’s future.
Details on Home Video Release & Disk Shipping
In the coming days, you may see news about home video release plans and dates through our distribution partners at Shout! Factory. Rest assured, we’re currently finishing up bonus content for your Indiegogo backer DVDs & Blu-Ray combo packs, and will be sharing release plans very soon.
As we’ve always intended, these disk sets will start shipping to you BEFORE they are out anywhere else on shelves and released publicly. Stay tuned for final details on this in the next week or so!
Once there’s more official word on when backers can expect their donation rewards — and details on what streaming platforms fans at large will be able to see the film — we’ll be sure to let you know.
Keep checking back to TrekCore for all the latest news on What We Left Behind!
We still don’t have a name for Patrick Stewart’s upcoming return to the Star Trek franchise, but now we know where it’s going to live when it finally comes to screens later this year: while CBS All Access will remain its home in the United States (as previously announced), the show will beam down to Amazon Prime Video for fans around the world.
Unlike Star Trek: Discovery, who has a multi-year international distribution agreement with Netflix — a deal which helped defray much of the show’s production costs for the first year of filming — the new Picard Trek series is headed to one of the other worldwide powerhouses in streaming video, announced by Stewart himself on social media today.
Canadian viewers are likely to see the series on Space (and the OTT streaming service Crave) up north — though that’s not been officially announced yet — and this expansion to Amazon Prime Video marks yet another expansion for the growing web of Star Trek content around the world.
Like Discovery, which arrives on Netflix several hours after its North American broadcast times, Picard is said to be scheduled for availability on Prime Video “within 24 hours of its release,” the official announcement noted, as part of a “multi-year agreement” expected to last for the life of the series.
Leadership from Amazon Prime Video and CBS’s distribution each offered comments on the news:
“We’re thrilled to partner with CBS to bring the newest edition of the storied Star Trek franchise to our international Amazon Prime Video customers,” said Brad Beale, Vice President, Worldwide Content Licensing for Amazon Prime Video. “With the incredible Sir Patrick Stewart returning as the beloved Jean-Luc Picard, we’re excited we can give Trek fans both old and new the opportunity to see him back in action. It’s a terrific addition to our already robust catalog of exclusive Amazon Prime Video content.”
“For 50 years, the Star Trek series have been a global sensation, spanning generations and audiences of all ages. It’s an honor to welcome Sir Patrick Stewart back for what is sure to be another world-class extension of the historic franchise,” said Armando Nuñez, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Global Distribution Group. “We look forward to working with the team at Amazon Prime Video to bring this next chapter of the incredible Star Trek franchise to its passionate international fan base.”
While there’s no firm release date yet for the show, the Picard series is projected to arrive by the end of 2019.
We hope to learn more about the show — including a title! — this week at CBS’s upfront presentation, where the studio is set to present its upcoming projects for the next year to advertisers — so keep coming back to TrekCore for all the latest news as it breaks!
The Star Trek franchise, as surely most of you reading this know, seems to be growing larger with each passing month, as new shows, print projects, and corporate expansions continue to build life for the half-century-old universe well into the next decade.
When the show was first announced last August, Stewart made it clear that we would not be seeing “the same Jean-Luc that you recognize and know so well,” but a “very different individual… someone who has been changed by his experiences,” and Kurtzman expanded upon that to the LA Times.
The mandate was to make it a more psychological show, a character study about this man in his emeritus years. There are so few shows that allow a significantly older protagonist to be the driver.
What happens when circumstances have conspired to not give him the happiest of endings? Hopefully, it’s a reinforcement of Roddenberry’s vision of optimism. He’s going to have to go through deep valleys to get back to the light.
Past Picard, Kurtzman looked even further ahead to the Michelle Yeoh-led Section 31 series,planned for a 2020 production start (after Discovery Season 3), speaking about the fallen Terran leader somewhat at odds to how some fans view the character:
People locked in on Georgiou as being a wonderful oddity. She is wicked, devious, manipulative and yet somehow radiates this incredible heart. People love her…
I think it’s fun for people to see a show with a protagonist who’s entirely unreliable. At the end of the day, she’s going to do the right thing, but in the exact wrong way.
While Georgiou may have ended up generally on the side of Starfleet and the Discovery crew — at least, in the fight against Leland and Control during Season 2 — in our opinion, the writing team still has a ways to go in shaking off the character’s savage past and positioning her as one of the “good guys.”
Moving away from live-action to the two animated Trek shows in the works: the upcoming Nickelodeon show, centered around a team of ragtag teenagers who commandeer an abandoned starship, is expected to be younger-skewing than the rest of the development slate.
While that untitled series didn’t get much attention from Kurtzman in the LA Times interview, he did call it “something that has never been done before” in the franchise — presumably, referring to its expected focus on a group of civilians, rather than a Starfleet crew.
Regarding Star Trek: Lower Decks, the more adult animated show which will end up on CBS All Access no earlier than 2021 or so — due to the long lead time needed for animation projects — Kurtzman didn’t reveal anything new, but series showrunner Mike McMahan revealed on Twitter this week that the first table read for the show was occurring — meaning that the not-yet-revealed voice cast were going through an episodic script ahead of full recording.
We don’t expect to hear any more concrete information about the casting for Lower Decks for some time — at least not until we get closer to the anticipated premiere date which is likely more than a year away… but of course we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop as things develop on that front.
Finally, one tantalizing sentence comes out of the LA Times interview, hinting that we’re still in Star Trek‘s “big bang” era:
Kurtzman says there are still other [series] in development that have not yet been announced.
Keep your sensors locked to TrekCore for all the latest news on Star Trek: Discovery, the Picard Star Trek series, the upcoming Section 31 show, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and the animated Nickelodeon series — and whatever’s happening in the movie world — which we’ll be sure to bring you as soon as it breaks.
About halfway through What We Left Behind, the years-in-the-making Star Trek: Deep Space Nine documentary, series showrunner Ira Steven Behr just can’t help himself, and he proudly bellows: “Guess what? This is Deep Space Nine. Don’t get too comfortable.”
It’s the perfect tagline for the documentary and the perfect summation of the franchise’s oft-misunderstood “middle child.” It’s the series that never aired alone. The series that executives never had as their main focus. The series that is now widely-hailed by fans as Trek‘s finest hour.
What We Left Behind is a spectacular piece of work that checks every possible box. It has candid and varied cast interviews, pointed conversations with series creatives and network executives, high-definition clips from some of the show’s greatest moments, and a fascinating look at a hypothetical “Season 8” and what might have been.
Benny Russell (Avery Brooks) and company in “Far Beyond the Stars.” (Shout! Studios / CBS)
The entire endeavor is a masterclass in narrative storytelling, and every minute of the documentary is distinctively Ira Steven Behr. From the rotating bright colors on his prolific goatee to the dark nail polish on a single finger of each hand, the dynamic executive producer of Deep Space Nine is known for his counter-culture stylings — and he uses his brash, unapologetic view of the world in crafting this documentary in his own voice.
BEHR’S SINGULAR VOICE
The film is laced with his ironic, self-deprecating humor, jumping immediately into a series of vignettes with the cast reading 1993-era fan letters eviscerating the series and its boring premise and characters. The actors, like their executive producer, relish their “middle child” status in reading the spat of negative reactions from fans. And it’s incredibly funny.
Behr’s DNA can be felt all over the production in small moments like inside the “Season 8 writer’s room” feature — an ingenuous creative decision, weeded throughout documentary — where everyone is trying to pronounce and spell the Klingon home world, ultimately settling with an on-screen graphic that says: “Q’onos?”
Later we see a brilliant tit-for-tat argument between frequent series guest star Marc Alaimo (Gul Dukat) and Behr that is punctuated by a James Darren (Vic Fontaine) eyeroll. (Behr knows that nothing in this world is cooler than James Darren rolling his eyes at you.)
And at the mid-way point of the documentary, Behr answers a self-aware phone call from Andrew Robinson (Garak), who rips the writer a new one for killing off a beloved DS9 character in “Season 8,” and imploring him “to not hurt Julian” — all while punctuating the call by telling him he should have killed Worf instead!
All of these elements give the documentary a flair that compliments its creator in all the best ways. Curiously, where Behr’s style missed the mark was in the somewhat clumsy opening with Max Grodénchik crooning an original standard in full Vic Fontaine mode.
Everyone loves Grodénchik, the fan-favorite actor who portrayed Rom for seven years of the series, and there is nothing wrong with his performance, per se… but after a several-year wait for fans to see this documentary, it was a lackluster way to begin.
But it was also pure Behr – who then wisely doubled down on that opening by having Grodénchik return at the close of the film alongside Jeffrey Combs (Weyoun, et al), Casey Biggs (Damar) and Armin Shimerman (Quark) to sing “What We Left Behind,” an oft-heard standard performed by the actors on the convention circuit.
SEASON 8 WRITERS’ ROOM
Of course, the most unique aspect of the film is another Behr specialty – his construction of a “Season 8” writers’ room, where he brings together Deep Space Nine series vets Ronald D. Moore, René Echevarria, Hans Beimler and Robert Hewitt Wolfe to spend a day building the framework of a mythical season-opening episode of the show… set 20 years after “What You Leave Behind,” the 1999 series finale.
It’s amazing — and in no uncertain terms, you will leave the documentary feeling like you have just gotten a chance to revisit the Bajor sector. It’s fully satisfying and invigorating and will now be at the top of many fans’ Trek wish list — it’s just that good.
The animation accompanying the perfectly-paced Season 8 story is kinetic and exciting, with the story serving up thread after gratifying thread of “where they are now” nuggets. It would be hard to overstate how much fun it is to watch these writers apply their craft, and even though there is a lot here, we know there will be a lot more of it to watch once the Blu-ray extras are released.
HOLDING THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE
Of course, the story being told in What We Left Behind is not all fun and games.
Throughout the film, Behr continually holds himself and his series accountable in ways that most creators might be afraid to. While lauding the series’ impressive accomplishments in addressing major social issues of the time (the cost of war, homelessness, religion), he refuses to give himself a passing grade in the area of sexual identity.
Lenara Kahn (Susanna Thompson) returned to Jadzia’s life in “Rejoined.” (Shout! Studios / CBS)
Yes, the series produced the standout episode “Rejoined,” which is rightly hailed for showing two people loving each other regardless of their shifting personal identities, but as Behr says, “One episode in seven years? We could have done better, trust me. We should have done better.” He even goes on to pinpoint what he deems as the “obvious” missed opportunity of making Garak gay. But would the studio have allowed such a thing? “Probably not, but we never asked. That’s we don’t get that [credit].”
This is what Behr does so well — and why Deep Space Nine is such a brilliant series. He’s always in the moment, and always immediately reflective on why they are making the decisions they are making. With that in mind, he sets aside the time to highlight his beloved mentor, the late Michael Piller, at a couple of points in the documentary, remembering him as a man that believed “plot only existed to explain and reveal character.”
“It’s all about revealing the character for who they really are,” said Behr, paraphrasing Piller. “To go deep beneath the surface of the character and reveal them in a way that the audience had never thought of or never expected or just didn’t know.” Behr clearly learned from the best, and it’s evident throughout the film.
Kai Winn Adami (Louise Fletcher) in “When it Rains…” after turning to the pah-wraiths. (Shout! Studios / CBS)
The filmmakers also find the time to examine the studio’s role in many of the battles they faced through the years. Kerry McCluggage, the former chairman of the Paramount Television Group, seems to be aware that his role in the film is not a particularly positive one. The dapperly-attired executive works hard to choose his words as delicately as possible, and he is not entirely successful when discussing the executive level decision to not allow series lead Avery Brooks (Ben Sisko) to shave his head — or sport a goatee — until three years into the show.
“I do think going in, uh, particularly given that he was coming off of Hawk and we were also in the 24th century,” said McCluggage, “that we thought it would be a mistake, to, uh, to, to go, uh, for the lack of a better term, ‘street.’”
Yikes, right? This is just another place where Behr and his co-producers don’t pull any punches, painting a pretty clear picture of the racial overtones they needed to overcome at the executive level to fully realize their vision.
GLORIOUS HIGH DEFINITION
And in crafting this documentary, the filmmakers overcame another monumental challenge, this one on the technical side of things. Instead of taking the easy way out (as if that was something this crew would ever do), the production arm found a way to remaster virtually the entire film in glorious HD. The scores of amazing episode clips laced throughout the film allow the viewer to experience the series in a completely new way, as we addressed in our recent featured article.
The task of bringing the film to HD was no small burden, and became the main reason the documentary took almost three years to release after the first fundraiser kicked off in 2016. The extra production effort and campaigning done by Behr and his lead producers, David Zappone (who co-directed the film with Behr) and Kai de Mello-Folsom, to acquire the time and resources necessary to make sure the film was seen in high definition has been well documented.
Michael Westmore’s alien makeup prosthetics hold up extremely well in HD. (Shout! Studios / CBS)
Sequences like Dukat and Kira’s desert hike in “Indiscretion,” Sisko and Bashir’s stroll through 2024’s San Francisco ‘Sanctuary District’ in “Past Tense,” and Odo’s flashback to the dark and smoky Terok Nor (“Things Past”) are some of the highlights of the restored footage — and while some shots mixing live-action and visual effects elements are simply upscaled from the original standard-def presentation, some brand-new high-def visual effects included in certain scenes are eye-poppingly stunning.
ONE TOPIC TO THE NEXT
Ultimately, What We Left Behind is impressive for the way it controls the narrative flow, hitting on scores of topics as they seamlessly flow one into another into another.
The section on Sisko transforms into Terry Farrell discussing the ways in which she was able to discover Jadzia Dax’s character beneath Brooks’ shadow. A conversation about Quark and Odo’s verbal sparring flowed into an analysis of Odo and Kira’s relationship, and then into a discussion with Visitor and the ramifications of playing a terrorist on television before 9/11. That segment then moved into a piece about Dukat pursuing Kira romantically, which led to Visitor challenging Behr for even thinking about consummating their relationship.
From there segments on Garak, James Darren, Nog and story arcs, touched on multiple members of the regular guest cast (Biggs as Damar, Chase Masterson as Leeta and Grodénchik as Rom), culminating with a shout-out to Jeffrey Combs and his amazing array of Trek characters.
The addition of Worf in Season 4 quickly evolves into a segment on his relationship with Dax and the emotional departure of Farrell from the show. The disbelief from writers Ronald D. Moore and Rene Echeverria that Farrell would ever be allowed to leave is palpable, and Farrell herself is emotionally raw discussing her decision to not come back for a seventh season, highlighting a conversation with an executive in which he dismissed her by saying “she’d be working at K-Mart” if not for this show.
Other topics in the documentary include Herman Zimmerman’s production design, the evolution of Julian Bashir (everyone hated him early on), and the birth of the Dominion and the creation of the Defiant.
The film also highlights Brooks’ superb direction of “Far Beyond the Stars” and the portrayal of the African-American family dynamic at the front and center of a 1990s-era television show, with an obvious focus on the relationship between Sisko and Jake (Cirroc Lofton).
STAY FOR THE CREDITS
It’s those closing credits, though, that might just be the highlight of the film. They are classic Ira Steven Behr; turning the expectations and disappointments of the viewer against themselves, by slyly detailing everything they know the audience is currently bitching about. It’s a masterstroke. And it’s satisfying in a way that is hard to describe, other than to say you never want it to end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz0tUnMqFy8
In five minutes of scrolling credits, Behr and Nana Visitor (Kira) banter back and forth about 12 additional topics that got short-shrift in the documentary, because, as Behr points out, “We had to make difficult choices — otherwise this film would be eight hours long, at least.”
Accompanied by a pitch-perfect rock ’n’ roll version of Dennis McCarthy’s DS9 theme by the popular Star Trek band Five Year Mission, the topics discussed in the credits include fan-favorite episodes like “Trials and Tribble-ations” and “The Visitor,” the Bashir-O’Brien friendship, the crew’s frequent encounter with the Mirror Universe, and many other series highlights that we’ll hopefully see in the to-be-announced Blu-ray release of the film.
And if all of that wasn’t enough, stick around to the very end, where you’ll be treated to one of the greatest moments from all of Deep Space Nine… featuring a plain, simple tailor that some of you may remember.
Ben Sisko (Avery Brooks) bids Kasidy Yates (Penny Johnson) farewell in the series finale. (Shout! Studios / CBS)
In the end, What We Left Behind is now the definitive Star Trek documentary in terms of pure quality. It doesn’t have the tinny, made-for-television feel that has permeated so many of the fine Trek documentaries that have preceded it. It’s a comprehensive evaluation of itself (both good and bad) as a transformative series and its place in both Star Trek history and television history — and an absolute must-see for Deep Space Nine fans everywhere.
What We Left Behind: A Look Back at ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ arrives in theaters for a one-night only screening on May 13 in the United States via Fathom Events, and will play for a limited run in Canada starting the same day through Cineplex.
Plans for additional home-media release options, including streaming and DVD/Blu-ray releases, are in the works but specific details have not yet been announced.
The long-awaited Star Trek: Deep Space Nine retrospective documentary What We Left Behind finally lands in theaters on May 13, but ahead of that special event, TrekCore has some exclusive new looks into the eye-popping new episode footage, remastered in high-definition for the first time as part of the project!
We’ve known for more than two years that the long-gestating documentary has been aiming to include as much high-def material as possible, including running a second round of fundraising specifically to facilitate the complicated process of rescanning remastering the original film elements from the series to a 1080p presentation — which we covered extensively when CBS Digital, back for this project, took on the Next Generation remastering several years ago.
Garak (Andy Robinson) salutes the Federation in “The Way of the Warrior.” (Shout! Studios / CBS)
While the What We Left Behind documentary is being treated as a standalone effort — meaning that the material converted to HD is not intended to be part of a full-series DS9 remastering — the results of the production team’s efforts, assisted by original director of photography Jonathan West, are no less than outstanding, as you’ll see in some new, exclusive footage we bring you today courtesy of Shout! Studios.
As you may have seen when we broke down the documentary trailer last month, the remastered Deep Space Nine episodic footage has been reframed for a 16:9 widescreen presentation as to be more visually compatible with the lengthy interview segments which fill the majority of the film.
(If the series ever gets a full remastering green-lit, we would expect it to remain in its original 4:3 aspect ratiolike the Next Generation project.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1R7y_RY6tk
In this first clip shared with TrekCore, you can see clearly illustrated how this scene between Quark (Armin Shimerman) and Kira (Nana Visitor) in the final moments of “Emissary” have been reframed for the new presentation: by opening up to the picture information available in the full film negative, the editors have been able to adjust the framing for the documentary with minimal top-and-bottom cropping.
There is still some picture information lost around the upper and lower edges of the frame, a limitation of the early years of production on Deep Space Nine. As the series progressed, and DP Jonathan West came on board for Season 3, the filming team protected for a potential future widescreen presentation.
“We have been consulting with director of photography Jonathan West,” de Mello-Folsom told us, “who confirms that, at least from Season 3 on, camera operators were framing ‘action-safe’ for widescreen — in order to future-proof [the episodes] for eventual, possible, widescreen release.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR7oewdXp7w
Framing is one thing, but the biggest impact this remastering project has had on the series footage, as expected, is the remarkable improvement in image quality. We first got a taste of what Deep Space Nine could look like in HD back when “Birthright” arrived as part of the TNG Season 6 Blu-ray set, showing how the physical station model and Promenade sets could look given a proper rescan and regrading.
The earliest episodes of Deep Space Nine contain some of the most difficult-to-watch footage of the franchise, from an image fidelity standpoint — series producer Ira Behr has publicly called the current DVD-quality releases “[not] something to be proud of” — and “Emissary” remains one of the worst offenders.
Details are lost in murky dark scenes aboard the trashed station, the gorgeous matte paintings of Bajor are blurry messes, and familiar settings like the Enterprise bridge and transporter room are full of haze, a notable step down from the TNG Blu-rays we’ve now all grown accustomed to watching.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yul7YUBLgw
In this second exclusive moment from What We Left Behind, the infamous first encounter between Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) — set inside the Enterprise conference lounge — bursts to life after a pass through CBS Digital’s remarkable restoration process.
From the bright reds of the officers’ Starfleet uniforms, to the true-white tea set on the table, to the shot of Bajor out the window, this feels like a shot we’re seeing for the very first time. (Also note the new framing in this moment appears to have no cropping at all, just an expansion to the sides of the picture.)
Just think of some of the other moments from the early days of Deep Space Nine that might benefit from this treatment: Kira’s first run-in with Julian Bashir in the dark, abandoned infirmary, Sisko’s first encounter with Kai Opaka in her underground Bajoran temple… the list goes on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz0tUnMqFy8
Finally today, we have a full minute of documentary footage debuting for the first time here at TrekCore, which centers around some of Odo’s (Rene Auberjonois) relationships with his fellow station residents — from his profit-seeking nemesis Quark to his eventual love interest, Kira Nerys.
Along with brief interview segments with both Auberjonois and Shimerman — as well as a look at some of the new interstitial graphics created for the documentary, this clip also includes full-HD moments like Quark and Odo’s farewell from the series finale (“What You Leave Behind”), and Odo and Kira’s first kiss on the Promenade (from Season 6’s “His Way”).
If you compare two matching frames from the Odo-Kira kiss sequence, you can see that not only is there a clarity and color improvement, but you can see how the original DVD master includes some slight film distortion which occurred during the original processing of the raw footage, now corrected in the HD re-scans.
Note how the picture seems to ‘twist’ when dropping back to the DVD image. (Shout! Studios / CBS)
This ‘twist’ correction is something that we saw occur plenty of times when we created our SD-to-HD Next Generation comparison videos as we matched up the footage frame-to-frame; it’s an issue that viewers would likely never notice without a ‘clean’ film scan to compare it to — and a rarely-discussed benefit of the modern remastering process.
We’ll have much more on What We Left Behind as the days count down to the May 13 theatrical release, including our full review of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine retrospective later this week.
Star Trek isn’t just expanding on television, as CBS Television Studios has announced that it’s formally developed a new global franchise group to oversee and manage all Star Trek content — both on-screen and off — worldwide.
Today, however, the studio has formally announced the creation of a dedicated Star Trek ‘global franchise group,’ lead by studio Executive VP Veronica Hart, to lead the Trek brand into new frontiers.
Here’s the formal press announcement:
CBS TELEVISION STUDIOS LAUNCHES “STAR TREK” GLOBAL FRANCHISE GROUP
New CBS Television Studios Unit to Manage and Maximize Expansion of Iconic Brand
May 6, 2019 – CBS Television Studios has created a global franchise group that will manage and maximize the expansion of the “Star Trek” brand beyond the traditional boundaries of linear broadcasting and streaming. This new business unit reports to David Stapf, President of CBS Television Studios.
Leading the new team is Veronica Hart, Executive Vice President, “Star Trek” Global Franchise Management, who will manage the “Star Trek” global brand strategy to support the content development plans being developed within CBS and under the stewardship of Alex Kurtzman.
The unit’s goal is to invigorate and broaden the “Star Trek” fan community through additional branding opportunities, such as podcasts, a reinvigorated StarTrek.com and new digital spaces, consumer products and gaming, as well as live experiential events and global attractions. These endeavors to further grow the brand are designed to complement the Studio’s expansion of the “Star Trek” universe, which now includes two live-action series, two animated projects and multiple “shorts.”
The growing “Star Trek” universe for television includes a new animated “Trek” series from writers Kevin and Dan Hageman for Nickelodeon; STAR TREK: DISCOVERY and STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS, a series of short stories tied to DISCOVERY and the overall “Star Trek” universe; the new untitled “Star Trek” series featuring Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard; STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS from Mike McMahan (“Rick and Morty”), an animated series targeted at mature audiences; and a new “Star Trek” project based on “Section 31,” which is in development with Michelle Yeoh attached to star. With the exception of the new Nickelodeon edition, these series are presented on CBS’ streaming service, CBS All Access, in the U.S.
In addition to Hart, the franchise team includes: John Van Citters, VP, “Star Trek” Brand Development, who will work within CBS and across the industry as brand experts while leading the implementation of initiatives and programs; Yasmin Elachi, Director of “Star Trek” Content, in charge of creating, relaunching and maintaining the new StarTrek.com along with overseeing all aspects of “Star Trek” social media in order to present a cohesive online brand; and Gabrielle Oliff, Director of Global Franchise Management Operations, who will focus on executing franchise initiatives and managing the review analytics and preparing presentations for cross-company communication. All are incredibly knowledgeable about the “Star Trek” universe, including legacy, current and future iterations of the series.
“Veronica and her team are not only gifted brand strategists and veteran consumer products executives, they are also experts on the ‘Star Trek’ canon,” said Stapf. “We are excited to launch this new business unit because the brand has an enormously rabid fan base, and we look forward to expanding its reach even further.”
“As we expand the Trekverse, Veronica’s team and Secret Hideout are dedicated to broadening ‘Star Trek’s’ brand reach by amplifying its core values globally: empowerment, inclusion, imagination, and above all, the exceptional storytelling that’s inspired generations of fans,” said Alex Kurtzman.
The new franchise group will be based out of Alex Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout Productions in Santa Monica, Calif. Kurtzman, who is under an overall deal at the Studio, is the executive producer of the various “Star Trek” series.
Along with ongoing merchandising efforts, the announcements includes some notable clues as to the future of CBS’s Trek projects, including “podcasts… new digital spaces, consumer products and gaming, as well as live experiential events and global attractions.”
While the official Star Trek podcast ENGAGE ended in early 2018, it seems the idea may have been revived for future audio projects under this new leadership team — and CBS launched the Star Trek-themed OPERATION ENTERPRISE roller coaster attraction in Germany back in 2017, which may be the first of their ‘global attractions,’ alongside the ongoing Destination Star Trek conventions which are continuing through at least 2020 in Europe.
Tellarite and Andorian makeup on display, with a look at Airiam’s headpiece in the background.
Announced in tandem with today’s new business development, CBS Television Studios will also be putting on a bigStar Trek: Discovery display in Los Angeles, launching this week, to promote the recently-concluded season for Emmy consideration in the coming months.
Opening to the public Wednesday, May 8 at the Paley Center in LA, the two-story Star Trek: Discovery — Fight for the Future public display will feature costumes, props, concept art, prosthetic makeup designs, and set pieces (including the long-touring captain’s chair replica) for visitors to examine, along with a ‘virtual reality experience’ on site.
VISITING THE EXHIBIT
Wednesday, May 8 to Sunday, July 7
FREE and open to the public. No advance ticketing.
Exhibit Hours: Wednesdays to Sundays, noon to 5:00 pm
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles
465 N. Beverly Drive, at S. Santa Monica Blvd.
Ahead of the public launch of the exhibit, there will be another cast panel at the Paley Center — featuring Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Ethan Peck, Wilson Cruz — along with executive team Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Michelle Paradise, and visual effects supervisor Jason Zimmerman to promote the series. (Additional future panels are expected, focusing on topics like Discovery costume design and makeup processes.)
Keep an eye on TrekCore for all the latest news on CBS’s new Trek franchise unit, as well as full coverage of this week’s Paley Center event and the new Discovery prop and costume display!
Leading the new team is Veronica Hart, Executive Vice President, “Star Trek” Global Franchise Management, who will manage the “Star Trek” global brand strategy to support the content development plans being developed within CBS and under the stewardship of Alex Kurtzman.
