Star Trek in Discussions to Return to TV

If you thought the silver screen would be your only source of new material in Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek universe, it turns out you could be wonderfully, delightfully wrong.

A new report from Latino Review suggests that not only is CBS in discussions to produce a new Trek television show, but that director Bryan Singer has been mentioned as potential executive.

When contacted, CBS employees who preferred to remain unnamed said, “All we know is that talks are being had in good faith. We don't know how much longer it will remain talks.”

Though various attempts to return Trek to the small screen have come and gone, the Latino Review article points out that the strength of recent fan productions, like Star Trek: Phase II or the upcoming Star Trek Axanar fan film (of which the existing “Prelude to Axanar” apparently includes Singer as a fan) will provide an excellent baseline to existing executives as a benchmark of what the show and storyline are capable of with fan-originated budgets and modern technology.

As a long-time fan of this fantastic franchise, I’m very curious to see what a modern take on the Star Trek universe might look like on the small screen. If nothing else, though, with any luck we’ll have Idris Elba and Star Trek 3 to tide us over in 2016.

Ben Fried-Lee is a blogger, podcaster, dancer, and lifelong Star Trek fan living in the Bay Area. There are at least three phasers lying somewhere around his house, as soon as he also finds the tricorder to search for them.

Peace And Long Life: Remembering Leonard Nimoy

It's the hardest part of growing into an adult -- watching bits of your childhood remind you that time continues to march onwards. Neighborhood stores close, things shut down, authors stop writing, places in which you spent your childhood get knocked down or remodeled. Whether you're ready for it or not, sometimes life will take a moment to remind you that it goes on.

For millions of people who grew up watching Star Trek, one of those moments arrived this morning with the news that Leonard Nimoy, best known as the series' iconic Mr. Spock, had passed of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and a part of our childhood, perhaps, went with him.

The Supernatural Rick Worthy Talks Diversity in Hollywood

It was a gorgeous day, like so many in Los Angeles. However, this past September 23rd was extra special for me. Because I had the honor to have an afternoon coffee at a local West Hollywood Starbucks with the incomparable and immensely talented Rick Worthy. You've seen him on shows like: Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager, Castle, Fallen, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, & Grey's Anatomy just to name a few. When you see him on screen, you can't help but be drawn in to his every word. Everything he does seems fluid, instinctual, and is delivered by a tidal wave of emotions. I guess it also doesn't hurt that he is tall, has piercing eyes, and a very "James Earl Jones-like" warm resonating dulcet toned voice. Many would find this intimidating. However, when you meet and speak with him, it's like speaking with one of your most trusted confidants. Because his energy is so comforting and familial, your guard is immediately down, and you trust him as if you do your best friend. All this wrapped up in a package of one of the most talented actors that television has seen. It's no mistake that he has been awarded some of the most diverse range of characters, and continues to snag them to this day. And yes, I got to have a one on one chat with him. Check it out...

So I'm going to review this show, but first, let me take a "Selfie"

Yeah I'm concerned too.

Let me preface this review,  I love My Fair Lady, like, in a really deep way.  I will literally kill to play Eliza Doolittle. I have all the songs and words memorized in case the occasion rises and I need to be Eliza. I've been known to sing "Just You Wait, Henry Higgins" in lieu of glaring at my husband. With that in mind, you understand how I was prepared to hate "Selfie" with every fiber of my being. How could they take a social commentary piece about the shallowness of society, judging a person based on how they speak, and make a show about the shallowness of society, judging a person based on her social networking addictions?  Oh. Huh. That actually works.

It's Eliza, Ms. Dooley if you're nasty

Selfie is an ABC network show based loosely on My Fair Lady (according to the ABC.com website).  They've modernized the story and instead of teaching Eliza (Karen Gillian, who you remember from Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Who) how to speak, Henry (John Cho, who you remember from Harold and Kumar and Star Trek) is teaching her how to be a real person, not a social media flake.  For being "loosely" based on My Fair Lady, they really referenced it a lot.  Not just in plot points (organized into a handy dandy chart below), but they actually reference the play at one point, when Eliza tells Henry to go all "my fair lady" on her.

They've kinda hit all the major plot points in the first episode, so I'm not sure how they plan on maintaining it.

It is also clear that the creator intended this to be a musical.  Henry and Eliza have a tendency for speaking in rhyme for no reason, and there was an acapella Lady Gaga moment that really made no sense. Why they would take the musical out but leave the rhymes in is a mystery.

Here is my problem with the random spoken word and musical-ish interludes.  When you are studying theater, they say that if you can't say it, you sing it.  If you can't sing it you dance it.  Music provides a way to express emotions and feelings that mere words cannot carry.  Having someone read lyrics you have written just doesn't carry the same power as if they sang it, or had a kickin' beat behind it, a la "In the Heights".  When you have good actors, and you are filming them, they don't need to sing or dance. The camera can capture the minute expressions of feeling that cross their face. Bless their souls, Cho and Gillian handle the random moments as naturally as they could but it is still odd and disconcerting.

I'll give it a few more episodes and then pass my final judgement. Overall, it is an enjoyable show and I love Karen Gillian and John Cho. I just hope they grow out of the awkward references and just fly on their own.

Mae Linh Fatum has been a musical theater fan her entire life, starting from the moment one of the Cats in Cats put their head in her lap. One day, she will play Eliza Doolittle. Or you will all suffer.

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SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON WRAPUP: DAY ONE

Comic-con is on! For those of you stuck at home, the Ace of Geeks is here to fill you in on what's been happening - be sure to check out our twitter account during the show for live updates, videos and photos. We'll also be providing wrap ups of each day here on the blog. Today, we've got Justin Rhodes and Megan Marie Fox with their thoughts on Day One.

Justin Rhodes & Megan Marie Fox

 

Slouched out of bed a bit before 8. That’s actually sleeping in for a cosplayer. After we slapped on some TNG tunics and light make-up we set off for the day. Many “Live long and prospers” from random strangers later and we were back inside the convention center.

I bid Megan adieu and trekked (pun intended) to my first panel of the day “Show Your Story, Don’t Tell It” with Maxwell Alexander Drake. The panel was a one-man show of writing advice, complete with power-point presentation, and it was good advice. How-to panels are not usually counted among the main draws of the convention, but this was an hour well spent. For aspiring creative types you should do at least one panel dedicated to improving your craft per con if not more.