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STLV Recap: DISCOVERY Cast and Crew Take the Stage

Ken Reilly
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STLV Recap: DISCOVERY Cast and Crew Take the Stage

Wednesday was the big Star Trek: Discovery day out here in Las Vegas, and if you were following our live Twitter coverage of the four-hour marathon of DSC panels, you could surely see that there was a lot going on!

The day started out with an hour panel with Discovery executive producer Akiva Goldsman and writers Ted Sullivan and Kirsten Beyer on stage, discussing the development of the series to date and fielding fan questions from the packed ballroom, moderated by Engage: The Official Star Trek Podcast host Jordan Hoffman.

Each of the panelists started their time giving some background on their Trek fandom, with Goldsman laughingly revealing that he nearly got divorced due to his Trek obsession, Beyer’s tale of growing from Voyager fan to Voyager novelist – and now Discovery writer, and Sullivan telling a great story about how he and his brother wrote their own fan version of Star Trek IV after watching The Search for Spock over and over again in his youth.

Each also spoke to the very collaborative nature of the Discovery writers room, describing the setting as a room full of both “big bulletin boards,” but also “intense group discussion.” As fans of the franchise, each admitted that having such a deep knowledge of Trek canon can sometimes get in the way of finding creative new ways to tell the story.

Beyer commented that while it’s important to keep Discovery part of the Trek universe, it can sometimes be difficult to do that without “reminding people of the boundaries” to where canon has established Trek history — but Goldsman was quick to clarify that the team does not seek ways to break with canon, but that they “have to find ways to work within” that history.

Character growth is also a large part of the heavily-serialized Discovery story, with all three panelists attesting that each character – not just Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham – all see significant change and growth throughout the first season. “Discovery is long-form storytelling,” said Goldsman,” entered around the characters – not just plot.”

Sullivan also spoke directly about both the performances of Doug Jones (Lt. Cmdr. Saru) and Anthony Rapp (Lt. Paul Stamets), praising them each for both their portrayal of their characters – hinting at an emotionally-powerful, Beyer-written, Saru-centered standout episode for Jones, and that Rapp seems to be the best at picking up the often-tongue-twisting “Treknobabble” tech-speak.

Regarding what footage has been revealed so far from the series, Goldsman clarified that everything shown to date is primarily from the first three episodes of the series, and it’s not just been “all the VFX shots” from Discovery — but while much has been featured of the “sudden war” with the Klingons in which the Federation finds itself, Sullivan reassured the audience that Trek has always been about the “metaphor being explored in the story,” and not just props, sets, or visual effects… but also commented that “the utopian Federation vision… doesn’t mean there is no conflict on the path to [reaching] that vision.”

Finally, Goldsman once more reiterated to the Las Vegas audience that Discovery is set within the Prime Timeline – which received a notable round of applause from the crowd – and also shared that while the series will center around the Klingons as a primary alien focus, with “significant portions of the narrative… from [their] point of view,” we’ll also get to see a “medium deep-dive” into Vulcan culture, as well as some familiar other fan-favorite species along the way.

*   *   *

Following next was a four-person cast panel, featuring first-time appearances from Discovery actors Mary Chieffo (L’Rell), Kenneth Mitchell (Kol), Sam Vartholomeos (Ens. Connor), and newly-announced Wilson Cruz (Dr. Culber).

As with the writing team, each of the actors gave some background on their Trek credentials – Mitchell had been watching Trek for some time, while Chieffo was first exposed to the franchise through the 2009 Trek film – but they’ve both been binge-watching Trek since they were cast. Mitchell also called out his Klingon research, mentioning that he also read John Ford’s seminal Trek novel The Final Reflection once he was cast in the role.

Both Mitchell and Chieffo each also spent time on their work learning the Klingon language with a pair of on-set language and dialect experts, as much of their scripted lines are fully in Klingonese – they each described the “beauty” of going full Klingon for their performances and showed off a bit of their Klingon-speak on stage to the audience’s delight.

The pair revealed some more details about each of their characters – as we discussed in our on-site interview published last night – with Mitchell’s Kol now stated as being part of “the House of Kor” who finds that the Federation’s actions in Discovery is, Kol’s words, “just another attempt from humanity to rob [the Klingons] of their identity.”

Chieffo’s L’Rell has a “very different relationship” with her fellow Klingons as compared to how the Federation views her, said the actress; one of L’Rell’s central tenants is to find a way to “conquer compromise” in her role as T’Kuvma’s battle-deck commander.

Starfleeters Cruz and Vartholomeos were clearly excited to be on stage for their first convention appearances, and each described how in awe of the sets and Trek world they became when they first arrived in Toronto. Cruz revealed a moment where all of his script practice and preparation were lost when he found himself on the Discovery stage, surrounded by the world of Star Trek.

Vartholomeos, who admitted he’s likely the youngest member of the Discovery cast, shared some interesting tidbits about the set design, and talked about how he had to practice his motions and interactions with the control panels at Ensign Connor’s station, to match an animated loop of display graphics and simulated button-pushing effects on the high-tech screens in front of him.

In a touching moment, Wilson Cruz became a little emotional while sharing his thoughts on being part of Trek‘s first same-sex couple (as his character is paired with Anthony Rapp’s Lt. Stamets), describing their relationship that is just “what it is,” meaning it’s not explained as anything out of the ordinary, or overly-highlighted in the story.

Lastly, Sam Vartholomeos was adamant in his desire to keep Trek fandom growing – “We want there to be a [Las Vegas convention] in 2030!” – and acknowledging that Discovery will likely be many younger viewer’s first Trek, and hopes that the series will connect with people as so many prior Star Trek adventures have done in the past.

*   *   *

The third hour was helmed by creature designers Neville Page and Glenn Hetrick, who went into great detail as to their work designing the new Klingons seen in Discovery. The first big reveal that the “mandate for bald Klingons” came directly from former showrunner Bryan Fuller, who had a big hand in the warrior race’s redesign.

As part of that redesign, Page and Hetrick sought out to add physiological explanations for how the Klingons now appear, with Page designing the new Klingon cranium so that not having hair made sense – with their crainial ridges now serving as a point of sensory input.

Discovery tells the tale of the “24 great houses” of the Klingon Empire, with each house having its own look and wardrobe design. Only a few houses have been represented in production so far, but Hetrick assured the audience that each new house will have as much detail as the others to really expand the variety of culture in the Empire.

Regarding the Torchbearer armor the pair designed, first featured at SDCC the other week, they also revealed some close-up artwork which shows portions of the armor feature small Klingon bodies in the detailing, echoing the look of the classic Klingon sigil.

Stay locked in to TrekCore for more Star Trek and Star Trek: Discovery news as it breaks!

INTERVIEW: Chatting about Klingons with STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’s Kenneth Mitchell and Mary Chieffo

Ken Reilly
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INTERVIEW: Chatting about Klingons with STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’s Kenneth Mitchell and Mary Chieffo

Out here in Las Vegas, we just wrapped up a marathon of Star Trek: Discovery panels, with one very special first-time appearance with Discovery cast members Mary Chieffo, Kenneth Mitchell, Sam Vartholomeos, and Wilson Cruz – and we were able to spend a few minutes with the Klingons for a conversation on Klingon houses, theme music, and more!

TREKCORE: So today is your first roll-out to fans as Klingons! Mary, you got your character poster yesterday – have you seen that hanging out in the lobby?

MARY CHIEFFO: Yeah! And then Kol just his first image release today, which is really exciting!

KENNETH MITCHELL: Maybe I’ll get a poster.

CHIEFFO: We’ll get you a poster! L’Rell is a good poster. It looks awesome.

Mary Chieffo’s “L’Rell” DISCOVERY character poster.

TREKCORE: Ken, you said on stage that you and your son “play Klingons” at home now?

MITCHELL: I’m serious! Pretty much every day now, he puts a tennis racket in my hand, and he says, “Dad, this is the mek’leth!”

TREKCORE: Have to teach him about the Klingon weapons early! So, these costumes on display – they’re neither of yours, correct?

CHIEFFO: No, these [are from] House T’Kuvma. Because I’m a battle-deck commander, I’m in white and have white rubies to show my status. So there are a few other Klingons of that rank, but these are more [like] worker bees, for lack of a better term.

DISCOVERY Klingon costumes of House T’Kuvma, seen at Comic-Con, and on display Thursday at STLV.

TREKCORE: So what can you tell us about L’Rell? You said she’s a ‘battle-deck commander,’ but what does that mean?

CHIEFFO: When you first meet her, yes. She is T’Kuvma’s battle-deck commander, and she – in more layman’s terms – is his chief strategist as well as his [battle] campaign manager, in a certain way. But she’s also a fierce warrior. There have been a few images in the trailer you kind of see the Klingons with the visors – L’Rell and the helmets – [and that] is kind of my domain. I help conduct that.

I joke that I do a lot of the brainstorming and grunt work and let T’Kuvma to all the talking because he’s the man in charge. A fun fact of L’Rell that I am allowed to talk about now, is that she’s a woman of two Klingon houses. So her father was House T’Kuvma, but her her mother was House Mokai, which is this matriarchal Klingon house that is known for being spies.

Mary Chieffo as L’Rell.

We’re kind of deceptive; we work in the shadows – which is part of why L’Rell works the way she does within T’Kuvma’s ship. That’s the kind of flavor of L’Rell that you get so she has kind of both worlds – she’s fierce and strong, but she knows how to manipulate a situation to her advantage in a way that I don’t know that you’ve quite seen in Klingon world. It’s a little different.

MITCHELL: Machiavellian.

CHIEFFO: Yeah.

TREKCORE: Ken, today you revealed that Kol is part of the House of Kor – that’s a big name!

MITCHELL: Not just part, he’s the leader!

TREKCORE: He’s the leader? Well that implies a whole bunch of different things!

CHIEFFO: Yeah!

TREKCORE: Are we going to see Kor on Discovery?

MITCHELL: No.

CHIEFFO: It’s all about Kol, all the time!

MITCHELL: I just love it because  [“Errand of Mercy”] is like my favorite episode. When I heard that, from the House of Kor – whether we see [the character or not] – I was like, “Yes!”

TREKCORE: The connection itself was enough for you.

MITCHELL: The connection, yeah… It implies so much.

Kenneth Mitchell as Kol.

TREKCORE: Now, Kol’s wardrobe and styling, as you said today, is due to his being part of a different house – more leather in his costuming, and so forth.

MITCHELL: Yeah – and I have a fur cape, which distinguishes my position as the leader [as like] a status symbol.

CHIEFFO: I think it’s going to be really fun to see that every house is very distinct, from Gersha Phillips, our costume designer.

MITCHELL: And those unique markings on Kol’s [head]…

CHIEFFO: Oh, yeah!

MITCHELL: It’s very ‘Braveheart’-like. It’s kind of like war paint.

TREKCORE: Finally – Mary, you are the first person here who heard the theme music in person…

CHIEFFO: Yes!

TREKCORE: What was your reaction to hearing that – was it your first time, at the TCAs on Tuesday?

CHIEFFO: It was my first time hearing that music, and I can say that everyone was crying! I mean, like I can’t attest to everyone in the room, but the panel – I turned to Sonequa  [Martin-Green] and Jason [Isaacs]… it’s really all that one could hope for, in the way that this is all about paying homage but continuing to strengthen and reinvent – kind of a perfect balance.

That was when [I looked] at Sonequa and seeing her as our leader, and seeing the theme on her face, it’s really moving. I’m really thrilled.

MITCHELL: It really reverberates, especially with that orchestra.

CHIEFFO: And our composer [Jeff Russo] is, you know, a Trek fan, and there was someone in the [orchestra performance] video wearing Spock ears!

TREKCORE: We’re all looking forward to hearing it, too!

Mitchell (giving his best Klingon scowl) and Chieffo in front of the Torchbearer prop at STLV.

Stay tuned to TrekCore for our next interview, with Starfleeters Sam Vartholomeos and Wilson Cruz!

Cover Reveals for First DISCOVERY Novel and Comic

Ken Reilly
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23
Cover Reveals for First DISCOVERY Novel and Comic

Today at the Las Vegas Star Trek convention, we got our first look at the forthcoming Star Trek: Discovery tie-in novel and comic releases, coming in the next few weeks to coincide with the launch of the new series!

First up is Desperate Hours, David Mack’s novel set as a prequel to the series – Mack’s book is set in approximately 2255, which is described as a year prior to the events of the Discovery first episode, and a year after the classic Trek episode “The Cage.”

Desperate Hours hits stores on September 26, two days after the debut of Star Trek: Discovery on CBS and CBS All Access – and you can preorder it now from Amazon. Here’s the official back-cover blurb on the story:

Aboard the Starship Shenzhou, Lieutenant Michael Burnham, a human woman raised and educated among Vulcans, is promoted to acting first officer. But if she wants to keep the job, she must prove to Captain Philippa Georgiou that she deserves to have it.

She gets her chance when the Shenzhou must protect a Federation colony that is under attack by an ancient alien vessel that has surfaced from the deepest fathoms of the planet’s dark, uncharted sea. As the menace from this mysterious vessel grows stronger, Starfleet declares the colony expendable in the name of halting the threat. To save thousands of innocent lives, Burnham must infiltrate the alien ship. But to do so she needs to face the truth of her troubled past, and seek the aid of a man she has tried to avoid her entire life — until now.

In addition, the second Discovery novel is due to arrive from author Dayton Ward in early 2018, and is expected to be set approximately 10 years prior to the events of the television series.

Also revealed is IDW’s first Discovery comic release, which is a four-issue miniseries focusing on T’Kuvma (Chris Obi) and the Klingons, coming from longtime Trek comic writer Mike Johnson and debuting in October.

As of yet, IDW has not decided on plans for a second Discovery comic series, but we’d be surprised if it’s not something announced later in 2017.

Stay tune for more Star Trek: Discovery news as it breaks here at TrekCore!

STLV Brings First Look at 2018 Hallmark TREK Ornament

Ken Reilly
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12
STLV Brings First Look at 2018 Hallmark TREK Ornament

We’ve brought you all the details on 2017’s Hallmark Star Trek releases over the past few months, from the full list of this year’s licensed products to our reviews of both the USS Franklin and USS Enterprise-C starship ornaments now available to the public.

Today at the Las Vegas Star Trek convention, Hallmark revealed our first look at 2018’s releases, with a concept rendering of the classic fencing face-off between Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) and Captain Kirk (William Shatner) from “The Naked Time.”

Once we have more official images of this new ornament – likely early in 2018 – we’ll be sure to bring them to you here at TrekCore!

New DISCOVERY Posters Spotlight Klingon, Starfleet Cast; Series Theme Song Premieres to Widespread Praise

TrekCore Staff
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78
New DISCOVERY Posters Spotlight Klingon, Starfleet Cast; Series Theme Song Premieres to Widespread Praise

At Tuesday’s annual summer Television Critics Association press tour in Los Angeles, the Star Trek: Discovery cast and producing team spent time promoting the series and speaking about the soon-to-arrive new series with a variety of media reporters.

Much of their comments echo previous statements to reporters and the San Diego Comic-Con crowd last weekend, commenting on the revelation that Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) is essentially the adopted daughter of Sarek (James Frain) and Amanda Grayson, that the Federation is mired in war with the Klingons during the time period in which Discovery is set, and that Bryan Fuller’s vision for the series – though not aligned entirely with his original hopes – is being honored by the remaining leadership team running the series.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for the press attendees was the reveal of the new Discovery theme song, composed by Jeff Russo and recorded for the series by a 60-piece live orchestra – which received wide praise from those in attendance:

Hopefully, the new music will be revealed to the rest of us soon!

As a final tie-in to the press presentation, CBS revealed a new, expanded series of Discovery promotional posters, giving each new cast member their time in the very-literal spotlight.

[metaslider id=31395]
 
These posters are already on display here at the Star Trek Las Vegas convention, launching today and running through Sunday, August 6.
 

Stick with us all week here on the site and on our Twitter and Facebook feeds as we bring you the latest from the annual celebration of all things Star Trek!

DISCOVERY’s USS Shenzhou is a ‘Walker-Class’ Starship

TrekCore Staff
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164
DISCOVERY’s USS Shenzhou is a ‘Walker-Class’ Starship

We’re starting to get more ancillary information on the in-universe world of Star Trek: Discovery as we approach September’s premiere, and now that Discovery data is coming from merchandise coming out of STLV in Las Vegas!

An aft view of the USS SHENZHOU.

FanSets has been producing Star Trek pin releases for the past several years, and this year at STLV they’re debuting their first Discovery pins, including a few characters – but also a dedicated pin for the USS Shenzhou, captained by Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh).

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXPEbYbHaTk/

This new pin reveals that the Shenzhou is categorized as a Walker-class starship, which is a new design and designation for the Trek universe – though of course given the show’s mid-23rd Century period setting, it’s not impossible that the Walker-class line of ships weren’t used much past that era.

The SHENZHOU breaks through the clouds.

There’s not many pre-Kirk reference points for the “Walker” behind the Walker-class, with only one in-universe character with that name (an Enterprise-era MACO soldier, not even seen on-screen)… but perhaps it’s a sly reference to lead actor Sonequa Martin-Green’s previous role?

In reality, longtime Trek starship designer John Eaves revealed that the class name is actually named after X-15 test pilot Joe Walker, who flew spaceplanes for the United States in the mid-1960’s.

We’ll see what other news may come out about this class at the Las Vegas Discovery panels this Wednesday!

INTERVIEW: Dayton Ward’s Guide to the KLINGON EMPIRE

Rich Schepis
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6
INTERVIEW: Dayton Ward’s Guide to the KLINGON EMPIRE
Author Dayton Ward

Questions, questions, questions!

Highest on the list of current inquiries for Star Trek fans — above wondering if Discovery stay true to the franchise’s ideas, more than curiosity about returning to the Kelvin Timeline films — is wondering where will Trek authors Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore vacation together this year… and we think our answer is here, as Ward partners once more with publisher Insight Editions for his latest Hidden Universe Travel Guide, for all things on the Klingon Empire!

Adrenaline junkies might revel in the opportunity to visit a planet where mortal danger literally lurks around every corner of the Empire, whether in the form of a warrior challenge to the death, your food attempting to eat you first, or those pesky bat’leth lessons that might result in maiming or worse — just be warned warned, deciding to visit Qo’noS at any time should not be attempted by the faint of heart.

Dayton Ward laughed when asked whether or not the Klingon Empire might be the last vacation destination someone might seek when looking to relax.

Why would somebody put themselves through this?

This isn’t a vacation, but more like a rite of passage or endurance test. Do we get a t-shirt after passing? I don’t know if the Klingon Empire would be my ideal vacation, but the fun in writing this guide was to defy stereotypes and conventions when it came to the Klingons.

Just think you go to a museum and you see paintings depicting the battle your great-great-great grandfather died in. Do they have Klingon farmers, metal workers – of course they do. Yes, they value the hierarchy and military. But I like to think any civilization that has been around for two millennia are going to value everything about their culture.

Here’s where the fun begins

Admittedly for Ward, part of the fun working on the travel guide to Vulcan released last year was being able to draw actual maps to detail the distance and physical relationships between different on-planet attractions and locations.

Travel guides, by nature, rarely divert from formula, but where in the Klingon Empire would Ward discover new joys this time around?

We established a structure for the Vulcan guide I thought I could follow, but quickly realized I could veer away from that here and there. Having the freedom to deviate to make the Klingon Empire guide its own thing was fun.

Since it’s for an entire empire and not just one planet, I was able to include side trips to different worlds and offer different type of testimonials. I was not forced to just make book two in a series.

The decision to hire lifetime-fan Ward not only gave Insight Editions instant credibility with its Hidden Universe series, but also allows hardcore Star Trek aficionados the ability to revel with one of their own when it comes to the franchise.

One entertaining carry over from his Vulcan guide was Ward’s inclusion of various out-of-canon references to the Star Trek universe originating in tie-in novels, video games, role-playing games, and more.

One such expanded universe idea that delivered multiple inspirations for the Guide was John M. Ford’s seminal Trek novel, The Final Reflection. In the 1984 novel, Battlecruiser Vengeance was a long-running episodic space opera followed by some of the characters in the book — and this idea allowed Ward to have some fun from one of his all-time favorite Star Trek novels.

One of the funniest things about the travel guide is there is a full page ad at the end for coming attractions, ‘The Battlecruiser Vengeance Experience’! The whole idea came because my editor told me they were one page short; whatever I had in the original space was the wrong tone to end the book.

He asked, ‘What can you come up with quickly?’ and it hit me: the end of the Vulcan Travel Guide had a PSA advisory [for surviving Vulcan’s Forge]. The idea of an ad took shape, and it also became a wink at the audience of the Star Trek Experience [formerly in Las Vegas].

‘Vengeance’ is the Klingon version, but something with modern technology – intergalactic holograms, that sort of thing – plus actors and guides like from Star Trek Experience. I literally pulled that out of my ear at 3 p.m. and they needed it at the end of the day.

Like the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, and desperation is the necessity of inspiration. I needed to close the book on an upbeat note, even though it’s not a novel I don’t want it to end on a downer.

So, what can I do, how fast, how easy… bam, were done.

How did we get here?

Before last year’s Vulcan Travel Guide even hit bookstores and online retailers, Insight Editions gave the go ahead for a second travel book from the final frontier. However, just because it was on the schedule did not necessarily mean it was a done deal.

Insight was really enthusiastic with how the Vulcan guide was coming together and the excitement among fans, so they decided to green light a second book before it was released.

Thankfully, the sales bore out that this idea was going to work.

Interestingly, the novelist was buttoned up tighter than a Trill discussing the symbiosis process with outsiders when noting the possibility of writing a second guide for Insight Editions during interviews last year.

As it turns out, Ward was already hard at work on the Klingon Empire guide during his promotion of the Vulcan Travel Guide.

Depending on the timing of when I was doing interviews for the Vulcan guide last year, I was probably writing the bulk of the Klingon Empire guide. In fact, right before the Vulcan guide came out last year, I was on a Disney cruise with my family, sitting at the poolside, drinking rum and revising the Klingon manuscript.

The Hidden Universe label also involves other properties besides ‘Star Trek’ (including ‘The Complete Marvel Cosmos’). For all I know they are working on another universe book at this moment.

As of this interview, I have not been asked to do another travel guide, however I am under contract to do a couple other things for Insight.

The undiscovered country

In fact, Ward said he thought the only possible second choice would be the Klingon Empire. Afterwards, it gets dicey as far as finding a Trek location that would find broad mainstream appeal.

To me, something like this really works for the casual fan as well as the hardcore fan — but it has to be inclusive as possible.

We’ve had the conversation formally about what possible candidates for the next travel guide there are after this. In the interest of honesty, once you get past the Klingon Empire or Vulcan, the interest drops off for the mainstream audience; maybe Romulus is a candidate?

However, maybe we do one book that encompasses multiple popular races, like the Cardassians, Ferengi, Andorians?

Hopefully, after producing travel guides for both Vulcan and the Klingon Empire, Ward and Insight Editions might want to look to friendlier locales for possible future editions, such as Risa, or the Amusement Park planet in the Omicrom Delta region.

The Risian expression “All That Is Ours, Is Yours” certainly takes on a different meaning when not having to fight to the death like on Qo’nos!

I volunteered to be the researcher for Risa, but that would require me to visit the Bahamas or someplace like that — they didn’t seem too excited to send me!

Back to the big question

Ward conceded that he and frequent writing partner Kevin Dilmore would most likely visit Vulcan on vacation first — but as is typical in every relationship, they most likely would not always be on the same page during the trip.

We would never agree on anything – where to eat, stay, go orbital skydiving, etc…

I’m not saying [Kevin ] wouldn’t go to the Klingon Empire, but I could see us as being sent there as some form of punishment!

Hidden Universe Travel Guide: The Klingon Empire is available now, with an eBook edition arriving August 1. Order your copy – or last year’s Vulcan guide – now!

Travel Guide:
Vulcan


Travel Guide:
The Klingon Empire

New EW Issue Details Bryan Fuller’s DISCOVERY Departure

TrekCore Staff
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572
New EW Issue Details Bryan Fuller’s DISCOVERY Departure

Friday’s special Entertainment Weekly issue focusing on Star Trek: Discovery features a lengthy cover story going behind the scenes on development and soon-debut of the long-awaited television revival of the Trek franchise.
 
But along with the insight onto the current cast and characters of the new series, EW‘s James Hibbard also reveals through interviews and investigation the details behind the surprise departure of series creator and one-time showrunner Bryan Fuller back in October.
 

To lead the writing, [CBS] looked to showrunner Bryan Fuller… [who] for years publicly lobbied for the return of ‘Trek’ to television, specifically with a black woman at the fore.

 

“I couldn’t stop thinking about how many black people were inspired by seeing Nichelle Nichols on the bridge of a ship,” Fuller says. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how many Asian people were inspired by seeing George Takei and feeling that gave them hope for their place in the future. I wanted to be part of that representation for a new era.”

Rumors swirled about for many months that Discovery (though at that time still untitled) would be some form of anthology series, bouncing through time and space throughout the Trek universe.

Fuller publicly shot down that rumor in June 2016, but it turns out that’s actually where he wanted to go all along, from the first meeting with CBS.

Fuller sat with CBS executives to deliver his pitch. It wasn’t just for a ‘Trek’ series but for multiple serialized anthology shows that would begin with the ‘Discovery’ prequel, journey through the eras of Captain James T. Kirk and Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and then go beyond to a time in ‘Trek’ that’s never been seen before.

 

“The original pitch was to do for science fiction what ‘American Horror Story’ had done for horror,” Fuller says. “It would platform a universe of ‘Trek’ shows.”

 

CBS countered with the plan of creating a single serialized show and then seeing how it performed. It was a fair compromise, yet demonstrated the first conflict of vision between a powerful company and an inventive writer that would eventually lead to a dramatic falling-out.

Bryan Fuller leads a 50th Anniversary “Star Trek” panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2016.

Fuller was as positive as could be about his aims for the series, and how things were going behind the scenes, when he gave the first major detail dump on the show last August – but things weren’t quite running so smoothly, as EW‘s Hibbard reports.

About a year ago the trades reported that longtime television director David Semel would be joining the series to helm the pilot episode, but Fuller wasn’t on board with that call:

The studio hired [veteran procedural director] David Semel… to direct the ‘Discovery’ pilot against Fuller’s wishes. (Fuller and CBS had no comment on this.) The two clashed in pre-production, with sources saying Fuller thought he was wrong for the job.

The EW report also details issues that didn’t help the situation, like the series overrunning its projected $6 Million-per-episode budget allotment, the difficulty in creating and crafting Starfleet and other costumes of the 22nd Century, but the biggest conflict was having Fuller’s attention split between Discovery and his other series, American Gods, while still trying to hit the original January 2017 launch date plans.

[Perhaps] the biggest issue was trying to launch ‘Discovery’ by January 2017, a date some felt was unrealistic. Fuller was striving to design the new show’s uniforms, sets, and aliens, while also figuring out his first seasons’ complex arc.

 

…

 

[CBS] executives say there were frustrated that, giving the ticking clock, Fuller was spending so much time on his equally ambitious Starz show, ‘American Gods,’ which was simultaneously shooting its debut season.

News broke in December 2016 that The Walking Dead actress Sonequa Martin-Green had been tapped to lead the new series – a fact CBS could not announce until months later due to an agreement with AMC – but Fuller had his eyes on the actress for several months ahead of her association with Discovery making news.

After being pushed from a January to May 2017 premiere due to production issues, Martin-Green’s casting would require yet another delay in Discovery‘s arrival.

In September 2016, CBS pushed ‘Discovery’s’ premiere date to May to give the production more runway… a few weeks later Fuller felt he found the crucial piece of the puzzle when he met with [Sonequa] Martin-Green to play his lead, Michael Burnham.

 

…

 

Yet even that decision ran into a seemingly insurmountable roadblock because AMC would not release the actress until her ‘Walking Dead’ character died on screen in April. The only way the production could hire Martin-Greene was if the show’s premiere was delayed a second time.

Finally, CBS announced last October that Fuller would be leaving the series but would still “remains an executive producer and will continue to help map out the story arc for the entire season” – but by December, Fuller was publicly telling press that he was “not involved” in any capacity with the series.

EW now specifically reports that Fuller was asked to leave Discovery.

In October, after months of backstage tension, CBS Television Studios asked Fuller to step down as showrunner… [the] captain’s chair was filled by [Aaron] Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg, two writers Fuller had worked with for years.

 

…

 

Some of Fuller’s ideas were tossed, however — from the more heavily allegorical and complex story line to his choice of uniforms (a subdued spin on the original series’ trio of primary colors).

While Fuller said in December that CBS “has my number… if they need me,” all signs seem to point towards Fuller keeping Discovery in the rear-view mirror:

“I got to dream big,” Fuller says. “I was sad for a week, and then I salute the ship and compartmentalize my experience.”

 

…

 

Many months later, Fuller saw the ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ trailer. How did he feel watching that? Fuller pauses: “What I can say is… my reaction was that I was happy to see a black woman and an Asian woman in command of a starship.”

This issue of Entertainment Weekly is in stores today — and we’ll see how Star Trek: Discovery turned out when the series debuts September 24.

DISCOVERY Cast on Diversity and Favorite TREK Moments

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DISCOVERY Cast on Diversity and Favorite TREK Moments

Excerpts from Friday’s special Star Trek: Discovery-themed issue of Entertainment Weekly continue to roll out, with more behind-the-scenes interview videos, photos, and discussion with the cast and crew on the new Trek coming in September.

The first video features the cast discussing the diverse nature of the show’s characters – from Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) as a black woman, to Lt. Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) as a gay man, to Lt. Saru (Doug Jones) as the alien Kelpian officer.

While there has been much discussion of diversity in interviews and publicity leading up to the series, Jones notes that on-screen, it’s much less front-and-center:

When you’re watching [‘Discovery’], it doesn’t have to be said: we never have to look at each other and say, ‘You’re an alien!’ or ‘You’re a woman of color!’ or whatever.

Anthony Rapp as Lt. Paul Stamets. (EW)

On the shipboard scientist, Lt. Stamets, Rapp and series producer Aaron Harberts divulged some new details on his character and how his romantic life is just one facet of his being.

“We’re at a point in time where people aren’t defined by their sexuality,” says Aaron Harberts. “What’s fascinating about the character is that when we meet him we don’t know who or what he is. He’s so super specific, he’s persnickety and difficult and brilliant, and he isn’t going to give an inch and he has very strong feelings about why he’s on the Discovery. We wanted to roll out that character’s sexuality the way people would roll out their sexuality in life.”

Rapp:

“I’m really excited and happy when a gay character is a part of a story — especially when a gay character is created in a complex and human and non-stereotypical, interesting way, and that has certainly been the case with Stamets.” Rapp tells us.

“And you get to see his relationship. There was a little glimpse in Sulu in Beyond, and it was a nice nod. But in this case, we actually get to see me with my partner in conversation, in our living quarters, you get to see our relationship over time, treated as any other relationship would be treated.”

“He’s a really, really smart guy and as smart guys go, he sometimes can be a little difficult to deal with because not everybody’s as smart as he is,” Rapp says. “So he’s got a little bit of an edge sometimes, which is fun to play.”

In a more lighthearted video, the cast does their best to share their favorite episodes and moments from Star Trek history.

With Sonequa Martin-Green calling out “Journey to Babel” (a natural given her character’s relationship with Sarek), Rapp going for Spock’s mind-meld in “Devil in the Dark,” Jason Isaac (Gabriel Lorca) remembering “Miri,” Shazad Latif (Lt. Tyler) enjoying both The Next Generation and the Kelvin Timeline films, Mary Wiseman (Cadet Tilly) fondly discussing TNG’s “The Offspring,” Doug Jones (Saru) reminiscing about Leonard Nimoy’s appearance in the 2009 Trek film, and Michelle Yeoh recalling her fascination with “Amok Time.”

EW has also released this additional set of images from their photo shoot accompanying the new issue, available Friday:

The cast dancing away on Discovery’s transporter platform. (EW)
Doug Jones as Lt. Saru.
Lorca (Jason Isaacs), Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), Saru, and Burnham (Sonequa Martin Green).

Star Trek: Discovery debuts September 24.

Plenty of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY on STLV 2017 Schedule

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Plenty of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY on STLV 2017 Schedule

It’s that time of year – next week is the annual Official Star Trek Convention out in Las Vegas, and Creation Entertainment who runs the event has just released the five-day schedule of events for the big bash out west (August 2-6), including a first-time appearance from some Star Trek: Discovery cast members!

Wednesday is certainly Discovery day in Las Vegas, with a number of panels featuring cast and crew begin that afternoon. Along with the captain’s chair photo-op and prop/costume exhibit which will open on-site Thursday, the first Discovery event begins at 2:30PM Wednesday with a writers’ room panel hosted by show scribes Kirsten Beyer and Ted Sullivan.

Following at 3:30 is a cast appearance featuring Mary Chieffo, Ken Mitchell, and Sam Vartholomeos fresh in from Toronto, a group who was not at last week’s Comic-Con event. Creature designers Glenn Hetrick and Neville Page are up next at 4:30, discussing the alien creations seen in the series.

Rounding out the Discovery day is the reveal of series tie-in novels and comics – first announced last September – from Kirsten Beyer, Sarah Gaydos, Mike Johnson, David Mack, and Ed Schlesinger who will be offering a first look at the publications at 5:30PM.

In addition to Wednesday’s Star Trek: Discovery afternoon, there will also be featured panels covering all that’s new in Trek gaming, plenty of actor and behind-the-scenes contributor Q&A sessions, costume contests, and the usual fun all week through Sunday afternoon.

A few other notable events:

Thursday, 12:45PM: Inside Trek: Star Trek Authors & Their Books – Meet the authors and editors that are expanding the Star Trek universe with new novels, travel guides, science books and unique (and funny) views of Trek fandom. Hear about their favorite stories, writing Trek and the stories they really want to tell. (Panelists: John Van Citters, Dayton Ward, David Mack, Kevin Dilmore, Ethan Siegel, Robb Pearlman & Ed Schlesinger.)

Thursday, 2:30PM: Deep Space Nine Confessional – Join the “What We Left Behind: DS9 Documentary” team for interactive fan sessions. (Panelists: Ira Steven Behr, Adam Nimoy & David Zappone)

Friday, 9:00AM: The U.S.S. Aegis and Beyond. Star Trek: Bridge Crew’s Quest to Create New Ships for the Star Trek Universe – We’re pulling back the curtains on how new ships such as the U.S.S. Aegis were created for the new virtual reality game, Star Trek: Bridge Crew. Join Programmer Ryan Barber from Ubisoft’s Red Storm Entertainment as she shares the process from behind-the-scenes.

Friday, 9:15AM: John Eaves Presentation: The Kelvin Timeine – ship and prop design from the latest 3 Star Trek films. This panel will show the design process of the major ships and props from Star Trek 2009, through last year’s Star Trek Beyond. This will be a great panel to see how the key elements of the films were designed and then seen on film.

Friday, 10:15AM: OKUDAGRAMS: The Development of the LCARS & Next Generation Graphic Design – Join long-time STAR TREK Art Department members Mike Okuda and Denise Okuda for a discussion on graphic design in bringing Gene Roddenberry’s universe to life.

Beginning with Mike’s early contributions to Star Trek: The Next Generation, including his groundbreaking development of “Okudagrams,” which were named for him, we’ll discuss the development of the LCARS design style and the role of graphics in creating futuristic/alien technology, as well as in the practicality of producing a weekly television series. (Moderated by John Van Citters.)

Friday, 5:30PM: The Production Meeting: Making the Leap from Page to Stage – Celebrate the impressive technical achievements of TNG’s production personnel by understanding the complexities in Star Trek episodic production and the process of coordinating the work of multiple departments in order to deliver a unified creative vision.

Using “The Best of Both Worlds, Part II”, panelists will explore the use of the production meeting so each department understands the director’s needs and so the producers can be sure that plans are achievable on time and on budget. )Panelists: Roger Lay, Michael & Denise Okuda, Michael Westmore, Doug Drexler, Herman Zimmerman, Ronald D. Moore)

Friday, 6:00PM: The Official 30th Anniversary Reunion of Star Trek: The Next Generation – Starring live and together on stage: Sir Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Denise Crosby and John de Lancie!

Join us for what will likely be the only reunion of the TNG Cast in this 30th Anniversary year! The cast will be joined together on stage to warmly celebrate with fans in a special 90 minute show that we know will be a time for the record books. All of the guests, will be appearing during the convention days, but this is the only time virtually all TNG regular cast members will be together on stage at once in what is sure to be a fabulous evening of fun, memories and revelations.

Saturday, 11:15AM: The Make-Up Artistry of Joel Harlow – With the release of Star Trek Beyond in 2016, viewers were given a spectacular visual thrill as a whole host of new aliens made their appearance for the first time in the rebooted franchise.

At the heart of the process of bringing these breathtaking intergalactic species to life was Academy Award-winning make-up artist Joel Harlow. Together with his team of amazingly talented creatives, Harlow set to work on creating aliens from over 50 different races for the film and documented the entire creative process for each one in exhaustive detail, from preliminary sketches to final make-up application.

In his Star Trek Las Vegas debut, Joel will discuss his work on this blockbuster film and showcase art from his upcoming book, Star Trek Beyond – The Makeup Artistry of Joel Harlow. 

Saturday, 4:30PM: Inner Light Panel with Sir Patrick Stewart, Margot Rose & Morgan Gendel – Take a very special look at the classic episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This is going to be a great, one-time only panel!

Sunday, 10:30AM: Q&A with Karl Urban of the “Star Trek” Kelvin Timeline films.

Sunday, 12:15PM: What We Left Behind Panel & Exclusive Sneak Preview – We are proud to welcome the distinguished team behind the upcoming full length documentary about the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine saga.

Included in this panel will be Ira Steven Behr (DS9 showrunner and creative genius), documentary producer David Zappone who has done so many great Star Trek documentaries to date, editors/producers Joseph Kornbrodt and Luke Snailham, producer and Indiegogo campaign manager Kai de Mello and director Adam Nimoy.

If you’re heading to Vegas, have a great time!

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