Priority One: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast

ELIO Well, here we are… at the end of another year. Despite a concerted effort to try and rush towards a return to some form of pre-pandemic life, the impact of this global catastrophe will ripple for years to come. In one way, shape, or form - all our lives have been changed. Now, many of us are looking ahead and thinking of what’s to come in 2022. Cautiously optimistic and hopeful that things will gradually continue to improve and change for the better. On behalf of the entire team at Priority One: We wish you nothing but the best in this New Year and years to come – that you live long and prosperous lives. Narrowing our focus on our little corner, 2021 was a monumental year for Priority One. In March of 2021, our production celebrated its 500th episode and 10 years of weekly podcasting. That is no small endeavor. To celebrate the occasion, we were privileged to host several Trek Stars - new and veteran - and with donations from listeners like you, along with a matching gift by Rod Roddenberry - we raised over $4,000 for The Poor People’s Campaign. I can think of no better way to celebrate such a milestone than to work towards finding ways of giving back. Now, here we are - having just wrapped our 535th episode. As I look back over the last 10 years, I find myself in complete awe over all the things we’ve accomplished. The conversations we’ve had with each other and special guests. The panels we’ve participated in. The events we’ve attended and hosted. The places we’ve been. The laughs we’ve shared. The friendships we’ve forged. But… as the saying goes… All good things must come to an end. You're listening to the final broadcast of Priority One Podcast! I realize this announcement may come as a surprise to most - if not all - of you. With so much going on in the Star Trek Multiverse, why would we stop covering the latest from our favorite franchise? I wish I could give you a simple and satisfying answer but, there isn’t. Behind the scenes, we’ve had long conversations about the future of the show, our goals, our hopes. In the end, we came to the conclusion that now was the best time to jump on our horses and ride off quietly into the sunset – leaving behind an incredible legacy of passion and love for an I.P. that has touched so many of our lives. CAT It’s been such a fantastic experience being part of the podcast for the past few years. I’m truly amazed at the talented group of people that work behind the scenes that edit and assemble the show. Also to Elio and the other co-hosts and guest hosts that we’ve had - thank you so much for putting up with my dogs and allowing me to join you each week. Getting to discuss Star Trek on these shows has been one of the most enjoyable experiences and during the pandemic - it’s been a lifesaver. With that said, we want to continue to support our Patrons since they have given so much to support us. We will be pausing all Patreon charges until further notice - but we are considering still continuing our after-hours show for you all. If you are a Patron - please reach out and let us know your thoughts. So, even though the main podcast is ending, we still want to keep in touch via Patreon- or come and play Star Trek Online with the Priority One Armada - you know we are not going anywhere. We’ll still host our livestream every Saturday - everyone is welcome! ROSCO I was the most recent addition to the crew. I am one of the many people on this podcast who went from listener to being part of the team. I think I said yes because I felt welcome, and that was just by listening to the podcast. What I soon realized was that I had found my people. I had found like-minded people who were passionate about one of the things that has been a huge influence on my life. I got the chance to talk about Star Trek EVERY WEEK!! What a dream job. And although it’s coming to an end and we may not be producing any more episodes, you'll still find...

This week on Episode 535 of Priority One: Content deals continue at ViacomCBS, so you’ll see what IP Bob can guarantee to be on TV. A touching farewell to Tilly, with the character’s far future plans on the tip of Mary Wiseman’s tongue. In gaming news, some fresh and refreshed games to add to your Trek catalog, and Mudd is back with a fresh Intel in a big ship bundle. And before we review the most recent episode of Discovery, Dr. Robert Hurt tells us how we’re looking for planets not just around distant stars, but in distant galaxies! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Not Every Loss Is Eternal By Jake Cobb If you haven’t watched Star Trek: Discovery’s season 4 episode 4 “All is Possible” our next story contains spoilers. You’ve been warned. Still here? Good! Let’s get started! In the aforementioned “All is Possible”, Discovery said goodbye to one of its own: Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly. This week, TVInsider sat down with Tilly actor Mary Wiseman to talk about the episode, her departure, and the future of Tilly. Before going any further, let’s get the big question out of the way: will Tilly be back, and in what capacity? Wiseman answered (unsatisfyingly) ”I can say that you’ll see me later on in the season.” She continued (also unsatisfyingly) ”I’ll say that her hair is slightly different and she’s wearing a different outfit.” And she'll make new friends along the way! Image: ViacomCBS, via Tor. Being less vague, Wiseman recalled her on-screen goodbyes, telling TVInsiders Meredith Jacobs ”you tend to create a found family and that’s very much the story of our show, both on and offscreen, that we are a found family. So it felt really important to honor those relationships…[i]t kind of feels like...she’s going off to do this thing and all of these people show up for her to say, ‘we’ll still be here for you when you come back and we love you and we’ll miss you’.” It’s true, we’ll miss you–a lot. ViacomCBS: Deal With It By Cat Hough In some not very shocking news, ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish confirmed that Paramount+ is moving towards exclusivity for its major IP franchises, by reducing the amount of third-party licenses...just like the recent buy-back deal for Star Trek: Discovery from Netflix. In a recent media conference, Bakish was asked about the third-party licensing deals and he said that while the company continues to bring in revenue for many deals cut before the launch of Paramount+, its priorities have definitely changed and that they are not likely to renew any prior third-party deals. They are altering the deal. Pray they do not alter it further. Image: ViacomCBS/Trekmovie Bakish elaborated on this, saying, “as we increasingly transition to leveraging our particular franchises and original production for our owned and operated streaming assets, principally Paramount+…that, in turn, will create a decline in that third-party business over time as these deals roll off. I would note that as an example of that, we just took back Star Trek: Discovery internationally from Netflix. And so we now have that property globally. That’s clearly a core franchise for us, and it’s working.” It appears that these efforts are working for Bakish, as he stated that Paramount+ had its best week ever and best month ever in November. However, Discovery has yet to be confirmed for a fifth season. Historically, additional season pickups are announced around the time of the launch of a new season, which they did for Star Trek: Prodigy. Paramount+ Opens Revenue Channels By Cat Hough Speaking of Paramount+, it just announced the launch of 18 linear channels that let subscribers surf through dedicated-themed collections of shows called Live Channels. The content comes from all ViacomCBS properties including CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET and the Smithsonian Channel as well as from other sources. The themed “live” channels,...

This week on Episode 534 of Priority One: Kurtzman talks crossovers and Nichelle Nichols dances the night away; in gaming, two new starships are available to add to your Star Trek Online collection! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Kurtzman's Crossover Qualifications By Rosco McQueen Considering the amount of new Star Trek series either on screen or in development, you may be thinking it’s more than likely there will be a crossover event of some kind. Turns out Alex Kurtzman is thinking along the same lines. Kurtzman and Sonequa Martin-Green were guests on the new episode of Deadline’s Hero Nation podcast speaking about Burham’s journey into the captain’s chair. And its many, many detours. Image: ViacomCBS, via Deadline. But the conversation came around to the idea of crossovers, and if that is a real possibility. Kurtzman says yes, but it’s got to be good. “Here’s the thing about crossovers; I think crossovers can be really, really exciting. But they have to exist for a reason. There has to be a great story reason to do it.” Kutman said he is yet to come up with the right idea for the crossover, as the volume of productions as well as each program’s individual identity are distinct, making it a challenge. “Because the flip side to doing a crossover wrong is that people are really disappointed and it impacts both shows. So it’s just not a gamble that I would want to take randomly. that being said, it’s certainly exciting to think about certain pairings that you’re like ‘Wow, what would it be like if those two characters were together or those two crews were together?’ But I want to be careful about it.” The same podcast episode asked about the status of the Section 31 series, which has been in development for some time. The only answer Kurtzman would give was brief, saying “We’re in a very exciting place. I can’t tell you anything yet. But it’s still very much alive.” Go ahead. You tell her the show's not happening. Image: ViacomCBS, via Superhero Hype. Nichelle Concludes Her Mission To Earth By Cat Hough If you were watching updates on Twitter from L.A. Comic-Con this past weekend, you undoubtedly saw that Nichelle Nichols made her last-ever public appearance (this was also confirmed on her website). NASA has released a touching Thank You video to Nichols recognizing her impact on the space program through recruiting women and people of color to NASA in the 1970s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wPMlKG16QY Quick News Roundup William Shatner’s sojourn into space will be told in a one hour documentary special The Ready Room with Wil WheatonDiscovery STAR TREK GAMING NEWS Edited by Thomas Reynolds The Great River Provides Us…with Nog! By Cat Hough Finally, the ship we’ve been waiting for…mostly because it’s not coming via lockbox and it’s free! The Eisenberg Star Cruiser [T6] was announced as the Grand Prize award for this year’s Q’s Winter Wonderland Event. All you have to do is complete various activities available and gain enough Daily Progress to fulfill the Event’s overall quota. You can earn Daily Progress once per day, per account. https://youtu.be/8Yofx883hTc This ship features a 4/4 weapons layout and an Ensign Engineering / Command Specialist Bridge Officer Seat, and a Lt. Commander Universal/Miracle Worker Specialist Bridge Officer Seat. It also comes with the Great Material Continuum Universal Console. This console uses a massive network of tight-beam transporter beams to strip away enemy hull at a molecular scale, briefly buffers that matter, then converts it into energy and project into a protective barrier that can be applied to allied starships even at a great distance. This console also provides a passive bonus to Starship Drain Expertise and All Subsystem Energy Levels. Also leveling up this ship will give you access to the Ingenious Tenacity Starship Trait. Using this trait and...

This week on Episode 533 of Priority One: ViacomCBS tries to make amends to the world; First Contact celebrates 25 years; Badgey finally makes it into Star Trek Online; and we continue our S4 review of Star Trek: Discovery! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds How World War III Really Starts By Elio Lleo Before we left you for our Thanksgiving break, we reported that ViacomCBS had pulled Star Trek: Discovery from Netflix, leaving our friends outside of the US and Canada without a way to watch the latest season until sometime in 2022. Well, ViacomCBS has performed a massive international course correction. The fact that DSC was the fourth-most pirated series during Thanksgiving? Completely unrelated. Image: MUSO, via Deadline. Perhaps it was the international uproar. Perhaps it was because their poor planning was so misguided that it made headlines on news outlets like the BBC. Whatever the case may be, Paramount+ announced that Star Trek: Discovery will now be available internationally via Paramount+ or Pluto TV. You can find a detailed list of which platform in which country Discovery will be made available here. Turbulence On Star Trek's Magic Carpet Ride By Elio Lleo It’s been 25 years since Star Trek: First Contact premiered in movie theaters. Widely regarded as one of the best films of the franchise, its production wasn’t entirely a walk in the park. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, writer Ronald D. Moore shares some behind the scenes stories about the film–including a clash with Sir Patrick Stewart. According to Moore, Stewart wasn’t too thrilled about some of the writing so he convinced Rick Berman to replace Moore and his co-writer Brannon Braga with some of his own writers. However, those new writers didn’t quite work out…so Braga and Moore were brought back. Awkward. Even more awkward than this, apparently. Image: ViacomCBS, via TrekNews. Moore shares the story: "I remember Patrick at the outset just said something like: ‘It’s good to see you. I hope that we can all move on from the things that have happened, and now let’s just concentrate on the work.’ And I took that in the spirit it was given: [He] wants to move on from this, he’s not going to apologize outright, but he kind of is apologizing. And it was never spoken of again. So we just moved on." The Moore You Know Moore also spoke with SyFy about his work on the film. In this interview, there’s more discussion about the actual development of the script and it’s production. For instance, did you know that one of the original drafts had Riker as the action star–facing off against the Borg aboard the Enterprise. But Sir Patrick wanted in on the action–recalling the episode “Starship Mine.” They even toyed with the idea of setting the film in medieval times! Another version had Picard trying to find affordable rent in San Francisco. Image: ViacomCBS, via American Cinematographer. When asked about scenes for stories that he wished hadn’t been cut, Moore explains: "There were just expanded sequences. There was just more action in general, more fighting the Borg in the corridors, and going into different places on the ship. And I think there was more humor. A lot of the jokes got cut down. I think we had more fun with Troi (Marina Sirtis) and Cochrane’s relationship on Earth, where he gets her drunk. We had more to that sequence scripted and that was fun to write, too. Rick might have made us cut it because he was always a little too–he was always kind of worried that maybe the humor would be too corny or something." The Other Kind of Star Trek Royalty One aspect of the film that Trekkies like to debate is the introduction of the Borg Queen. Well, Trekkies aren’t the only ones that debated her introduction. According to Moore: "...it was a choice that was also antithetical to the idea of the Borg. The whole concept of these villains was...

This week, on Episode 532 of Priority One: ViacomCBS upsets most of the world; Star Trek Explorer Magazine debuts; Star Trek Online introduces a new 32nd century starship–plus, we start our S4 review of Star Trek: Discovery. TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Sheer ****ing Hubris, ViacomCBS By Cat Hough Well, the news broke early on Tuesday the 16th that international fans of Star Trek: Discovery will have to wait until 2022 to be able to watch Season 4–and then only watch it on Paramount+. Under the terms of an agreement finalized today between Netflix and ViacomCBS, Netflix will no longer be streaming the show. ViacomCBS was most likely pleased with the agreement since, under the 2017 deal that Les Moonves had set up with Netflix, CBS had agreed to pay the bulk of the show’s costly budget for the overseas rights. All images: ViacomCBS, via Imgur user SaysThePenguin. This should not be a huge surprise, though, given ViacomCBS’s efforts to incentive subscribers to Paramount+. Back at the end of September The Original Series, Voyager, and Enterprise all left Netflix–Paramount+ is the only platform to watch these series. All images: ViacomCBS, via Imgur user SaysThePenguin. But now that Netflix is out of the picture, the UK, Germany, Ireland, Austria and Switzerland will be the first international markets to stream Discovery on Paramount+. ViacomCBS has said that as part of an accelerated expansion they anticipate being in around 45 markets within the next year or so. No news on the release date for our Australian friends, though. Star Trek 4 Hopes For Holiday Magic By Elio Lleo While we’re on the topic of disappointing news, the 4th installment of Star Trek set in the Kelvin Timeline is being delayed again. Now, the new release date is slated for a holiday release on December 22, 2023 (originally, it was scheduled for June 9th, 2022). Perhaps the marketing folks at ViacomCBS listened to our episode where we discussed the uphill battle Star Trek faces when released beside other (more popular) franchises. Or they just read the same industry articles that we do. https://priorityonepodcast.com/530-treks-better-than-wars-thats-debatable-priority-one-a-roddenberry-star-trek-podcast/ Either way Star Trek, along with other tiles like Transformers, are being pushed. Now, this could be a rarely well executed smart move on behalf of the suits in charge of these things. According to Scott Mendelson of Forbes.com, Paramount+ is betting that Star Wars: Rogue Squadron won’t be able to stick to their holiday 2023 release date–especially when there’s been little movement on that Star Wars installment. That leaves Trek to reap the benefits of the season. Mendelson writes, “the optimistic scenario is that Star Trek 4 positions itself as the Christmas event movie of 2023 and proves to be crowd pleasing enough to allow holiday legs to give the struggling franchise a kick in the butt after a disappointing third installment. That’s what happened with Paramount’s own Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol in December 2011 after J.J. Abrams’ underwhelming Mission: Impossible III 5.5 years earlier.” Either way, it’s still two years away and a lot can change. However the film still has WandaVision director Matt Shakman at the helm. Del Barrio And Cronenberg Take Explorer To The Future By Rosco McQueen On November 17th, Blu Del Barrio will return in Discovery Season 4 as the human host of a Trill symbiote, Adira Tal. In an interview with new publication Star Trek Explorer, Del Barrio spoke about the positive reactions from fans in being the first nonbinary actor in the franchise, and bringing a non-binary character to the screen. Unfortunately for the actor, it meant they were also subject to some outdated attitudes, but they were few when compared to the overall welcome from the Star...

This week on Episode 531 of Priority One: News is sparse as we gear up for the next season of Star Trek: Discovery, but there’s plenty to discuss in the world of Star Trek gaming! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Power Seating on Star Trek: Discovery By Rosco McQueen Sonequa Martin-Green is on the interview circuit in the lead up Season 4 of Discovery. She spoke with SFXMagazine about the feeling of finally sitting in the captain’s chair, and the answer isn’t as simple as “soft and comfortable, and could they install a cup holder?” "It feels very humbling. But it also feels very emboldening. I’m grateful for it because you feel like you earned this position with Burnham. You feel like you were able to learn and grow and make mistakes and mature from them with her." It’s a new direction with a new captain, and the new series is set to premiere next week! Don't everyone cheer at once. Image: ViacomCBS, via GamesRadar. Time Enough For Mudd By Rosco McQueen Harcourt Fenton Mudd only appeared in two live-action episodes of Star Trek, and once in animated form, but he left a lasting impression [and I guess Rainn Wilson didn’t?–Ed.]. So much so that a spin-off was in the works, as revealed in an article from Fansided. The article delves into the Starlog Magazine interview archives to discover that the pitch never got past the desk of the Great Bird of the Galaxy. Gene Roddenberry told the actor, Roger C. Carmel, that the artists didn’t have time to develop the project, which would have seen Mudd take the lead in the series as a space pirate/intergalactic con-man. Carmel was supposed to reprise his role in a first season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but the actor died before filming began. [No thank you, I've already seen what Hell is like.–Ed.] Image: ViacomCBS, via TrekCore. Quick News Roundup Now, here are a few headlines that we didn’t discuss but might interest you. only three episodes of its first season having airedStar Trek: Prodigy has already been greenlit vintage original phaser rifle from The Original SeriesTrekQuantum LeapStar Trek: EnterpriseStar Trek: Deep Space Nine STAR TREK GAMING NEWS Edited by Thomas Reynolds Klingons Clash To Close Out 2021 By Rosco McQueen The shattered shards of Praxis float above the Klingon homeworld, as disruptor fire scorches the hull of allied ships. The Battle for Qo’noS has begun...again...and with it comes the opportunity for honor. And new starships! The TFO "Battle for Qo'nos" returns to PC (and soon to console) as the final event in Event Campaign III: your last chance to progress towards a free Tier 6 Infinity Promotion or Infinity Lock Box ship. Another Klingon civil war, or as the rest of the galaxy calls it, Tuesday. Image: Cryptic Studios. After playing the event for 14 days, you’ll receive the Aakaar’s Vengeance console event reward. If you’re a fan of electrical damage, then you are in for a treat! The console launches an electrical burst that flies to the target and immediately deals shield-bypassing Electrical Damage. It shuts down non-shield systems one by one. See what happens when you stick a fork in a power coupling? Image: Cryptic Studios. This is also the last opportunity, if you haven't already, to complete the Event Campaign III. Once complete you can redeem a free Tier 6 Infinity Promotion or Infinity Lock Box ship. The starships included are those only released before December 31st, 2020–but the starship will be bound to account, not bound to a character. Doing $200 to Life(time) In Star Trek Online By Elio Lleo From now until December 9th lifetime subscriptions are on sale, for PC the sale price is $199.99, and console-specific prices are discounted by 33%. Some of the lifetime rewards include species unlocks like playable Talaxians or Joined Trill plus you get exclusive access to the Captain’s Table, a...

This week on Episode 529 of Priority One: New Jersey settles the age old question–which is better: Star Trek or Star Wars; Star Trek wins several awards; Star Trek Online gets some quality of life improvements; and we’re joined by Star Trek: Discovery’s Noah Averbach-Katz! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Great NJ Debate! By Elio Lleo, Local Correspondent As we record this episode of our show, it’s Election Night in the United States for several important political positions throughout the country. One contest, however, rises above the rest here in my home, the Garden State [my condolences–Ed.]. Which is better, Star Wars or Star Trek? A recent poll conducted by Rutgers-Eagleton attempted to give us an answer. Lead by Ashley Koning, assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, the school took to Twitter and Facebook to poll New Jersians on the issue. The results–well, they’re disappointing. According to the poll, Star Trek lost by double digits: 41% for Wars vs 16% for Trek among 18-34 year olds. Though the gap did begin to close, as ages started to rise. But that’s not where this ends…New Jersey website nj.com put together a debate featuring Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-7) on Team Trek, and Rep. Andy Kim (D-3) and Ashley Koning, director of the Rutgers-Eagleton poll, on Team Wars. The debate is a little over 24 minutes long, but it's a delightfully lighthearted discussion about how both franchises can be applicable to current political topics. https://youtu.be/eKAoQhUv-nI Another No Win Scenario for the Kelvin Timeline? By Elio Lleo Can Star Trek 4 compete and succeed? That’s the question that Scott Mendelson of Forbes.com posed in an opinion piece about the franchise. You see, Dune has already been green-lit for its second installment due to release in October of 2023. But, the announcement of a sequel before production has even begun isn’t a first. Mendelson points to the Kelvin Timeline series of Trek movies as an example. "Captain, it appears to be the timeloop anomaly known as Production Hell." Image: ViacomCBS, via Forbes. It’s been announced time and again that we’re going to get a fourth installment, but Mendelson argues that 2023 may end up hurting the franchise like it did in 2016. You see, back in 2016 Star Trek Beyond competed against the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy and Fast and the Furious. Come 2023, it’s another round of competition with films like Fast & Furious 10, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, Mission Impossible, and Shazam. So, can Star Trek really take a foot-hold in the box office battles? Robbins Takes Nickelodeon To Warp By Cat Hough Speaking about Star Trek films, in a recent interview Alex Kurtzman and CEO of Paramount Brian Robbins spoke about Prodigy and the future of Trek, including the films. Robbins, who continues to serve as president of Nickelodeon, believes Prodigy is a perfect fit with the Paramount+’s current Nickelodeon content and Kurtzman’s other Star Trek content. He enjoyed Prodigy so much, he said he had wished they had released it in theaters as a full-length animated film. Whatever you say, Beebop. Image: ViacomCBS/Yahoo. Robbins and Kurtzman say they are already developing projects that may include Prodigy merchandising and an animated feature film, as well as other live-action features. Robbins said, “We don’t know enough yet. We’re working on several fronts and obviously Alex is the key for the franchise [on Paramount+]. J.J. has been the keeper of the franchise on the film side. We hope that as a company that we do what’s right for the franchise altogether.” When pressed for more specific details on said live-action film, Robbins said, “There’s a lot going on and I’m just going to leave it at that.” But even...

This week on Episode 529 of Priority One: We power up for Star Trek: Prodigy, with the cast and crew promotion peaking as the premiere prepares to play–plus we get some more details on the explosive new additions to Star Trek Online! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Star Trek: Prodigy Promotion Peaks in Premiere Preparations By Rosco McQueen This week the Trek universe welcomes a brand new adventure to our screens, with Star Trek: Prodigy to make its debut on Paramount+ on October 28. A few sneak peeks have been filtering through, with Prodigy teasers tempting new fans during NFL Sunday Football. In the first clip, Dal can be seen making his escape from the mining facility in dramatic fashion. In the second clip, we are treated to the Protostar powering up, with characters Dal and Rok-Tahk finally being able to converse thanks to the universal translator. https://twitter.com/StarTrekOnPPlus/status/1452347822049677315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1452347822049677315%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fstartrek%2Fnews%2Fstar-trek-prodigy-uss-protostar-sneak-peeks-nfl-sunday-football%2F Both scenes are fun and exciting, with the standout being the effort that has gone into the musical score which helps it feel very much at home in the Star Trek universe. The folks at Gizmodo felt that tiny moment highlighted something special about the Star Trek franchise—the ability of everyone to communicate freely, as well as not judging a book by its hulky rock-encrusted cover. A Seat at the Grown-Up's Helm Station Prodigy executive producers/co-creators Kevin and Dan Hageman, and executive producer/director Ben Hibon, spoke with Trekmovie.com about the challenges around finding that entry point into the Star Trek multiverse, with Dan Hageman saying, “We never really view it as a kid show. We view it as a show for people who don’t know Star Trek, which could be young or old. And so we always had that perspective of the outsider and that freed us up. We wanted to keep the stakes real for an older audience. We never want to dumb things down for kids. Kids are really smart. They may have a learning curve in the show, but they’ll get there.” Image: ViacomCBS, via TrekMovie.com The creators go on to talk about how there was never any other option for the training hologram: it was always Captain Janeway from the start. They also mention she may not be the only hologram we see, and hint at real characters (like Captain Chakotay) making an appearance but not as holograms. As for Captain Janeway herself, Kate Mulgrew has also been on the interview circuit, explaining to cinemablend.com if the character was going to appear on-screen, then it was always going to be her who would play the role. “Well, I certainly needed to come back to this character if threatened with an imitation. I think that only I can voice this character, and only I should, because I’m the only one who knows who she is. I think that the young people would recognize that very quickly. That might be arrogance on my part, but I don’t think so. I think they have a very discerning imagination.” Voyager: The Next Generation Mulgrew says she hasn't been approached about reprising her role as Kathryn Janeway in a live-action series (outside of Star Trek: Nemesis). According to the actor, hologram Janeway won’t be as fiery as her living counterpart–as she’s helping a ship of children navigate the cosmos. The caring side of Janeway was echoed by the cast and crew at New York Comic Con in an interview with Gizmodo. COVID-19 restrictions meant the cast was unable to record together, so for Brett Gray who plays the role of Dal, finally getting together with Mulgrew was something else. “I got to sit next to her today at Comic-Con—and it is, it’s palpable. There’s a majesty that she has, and you can feel it when we announced she was coming out today....

This week on Episode 528 of Priority One: We delve into the whale-filled washup of the season finale of Lower Decks, Anson Mount discusses literally sitting in the captain’s chair, and is that a star on top of the Christmas tree or a Borg baby spray-painted gold? In gaming news, we take a closer look at Star Trek Online’s Halloween event, and roll for shield strength in a new release from Star Trek Adventures! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds What’s the Deal With All These Feels, McMahan? By Elio Lleo Mike McMahan, the creator of Star Trek: Lower Decks, isn’t resting on his laurels! Nope! After a (generally) well-received Season 2 of the Star Trek animated adventure, McMahan is making the rounds talking about the season–which wrapped last week on October 14th. Sam Stone of Comic Book Resource jumped right in and asked about its unusual villain: the Pakleds. McMahan’s explanation: When we were writing the first season, we were in the thick of a pretty dark time across the world–the re-rise of fascism across multiple countries, obviously a lot of politics happening in this country and, not to put too fine a point to it, things that had seemed like a joke in the first place suddenly becoming much more dangerous because we weren't vigilant about it. The Pakleds seemed like a perfect opportunity for that… [This sight gag doesn't work in a podcast app but I stand by it nonetheless–Ed.] Image: ViacomCBS, via Comic Book Resource. Really What about that incredible cliffhanger? Well according to McMahan, the goal of Season 2 was meant to show Mariner “grappling with themes of betrayal and being left.” Supposedly, Mariner’s got some past trauma that we haven’t been privy to yet. Nevertheless, McMahan explains that Mariner will start Season 3 struggling to deal with having her mother taken from her. [NOT JUST HER, MIKE–Ed.] When talking with StarTrek.com he explained, “...in the first season we were really creating a family, and in the second season we kind of tested them. And in the finale of the second season, we're dealing with the loss, the family breaking up.” What about our other characters? Well, there seems to be something deeper going on with Rutherford. Something more than just a faulty cybernetic implant. MacMahan tells CBR.com, “... it's about Rutherford. There's stuff about Rutherford that he doesn't even realize and this is his second implant.” They go on to discuss some of the other character dynamics–like the “will they/won’t they” tension between Rutherford and Tendi–along with some takeaways McMahan learned from the first two seasons. Mainly that anyone you talk to could secretly be Jeffrey Combs. Anyone. Image: ViacomCBS, via Comic Book Resource. Center Chair, Hot Seat, Call It What You Will By Cat Hough If you have not had a chance to see the new trailer for the upcoming History Channel docu-series The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek, you should definitely trek it out. According to the press release, The Center Seat will be “the ultimate Star Trek documentary that everyone has always wanted, and now they’re getting.” Each episode of the series will focus on a different chapter in Star Trek history, starting with the inception of the original Star Trek series at Desilu. But even the trailer features some pretty saucy quotes from the cast and crew of the various shows and movies. https://youtu.be/J_IOHcPuN3Q For example, we hear more from Wil Wheaton, Denise Crosby, Kate Mulgrew and Robert Beltran about their less than ideal working circumstances and for Cirroc Lofton–we hear about his extreme dislike for having to wear the “onesie” uniform while also going through puberty. Nicolas Meyer, writer of The Undiscovered Country, speaks about how much William Shatner hated the script for the movie and the effect that had on, well, pretty much everyone else involved [yeah and you thought Final Frontier was a good idea, now sit...

This week on Episode 527 of Priority One: William Shatner returns to earth, NYCC returns and includes some amazing Star Trek announcements, Los Angeles has a new Star Trek destination, and things get spooky in Star Trek Online– Plus our review of the season 2 finale of Lower Decks! TREK IT OUT Edited by Jake Morgan and Thomas Reynolds Shatner Slips The Surly Bonds Of Earth By Elio Lleo Space. The Final Frontier. And our first captain, James T. Kirk went on an incredible journey. Well, it was William Shatner who did the journey. On Wednesday, October 13th, the 90 year old broke records by joining Blue Origin for their second human space trip! At 10:30AM ET, all systems were a go and the Blue Origin rocket took off. Thankfully, the entire adventure went off without a hitch and upon exiting the pod, Shatner was visibly moved by the entire experience. Photo Via TVLine.com After-Action Report: NYCC 2021 Star Trek: Discovery New York Comic Con returned to in-person events this year with phenomenal panels, incredible cosplay, and–of course–sneak peeks into the future of Star Trek. Our focus this episode is on the Star Trek: Discovery and Prodigy panels that took place over this last weekend. First, Star Trek: Discovery and its upcoming fourth season: this was a riveting panel with a surprising in-depth, yet spoiler-free, look into what we can expect from our intrepid characters. When asked about the general “theme” of this next season, Wilson Cruz had this to say: “I feel like the stakes that we were living in reads in that trailer...the stakes in the story were really high, but the stakes in which we were making and telling the story were also high. And the theme of the entire season is about uncertainty, and about how we come together to deal with it and walk through uncertainty, to lean on each other as we find a way through it. And we were doing that in life as well, so I'm excited for you to see it.” Showrunner Michelle Paradise followed up by explaining that in this season, “The Federation isn’t quite back together again….it’s continuing in Season 4.” For our first non-binary and trans characters, much was left wanting in Season 3. So, will Grey finally be seen? Wilson Cruz had this to say, “we find a way to make sure Grey is seen as promised, and we get to see just how vital he becomes to the story and our mission. And I’m just excited about the fact that we have–finally–an official trans character on the show, in Star Trek, in the universe. And he does an amazing job.” Now, things got a little spicy in the auditorium when Sonequa Martin-Green and David Ajala were asked if we’d ever learn about what happened between their characters during that fateful year. Here’s what they had to say: “I think it was just...a period of time where they were in the right place at the right time, to help each other, and to bring out the best in each other.""Mmmhmm.""And it was...y'all need to behave yourselves. And...I think there was a lot of growth."Someone saying what we're all thinking"How much growth was there? And what was Grudge doing when all this 'growing' was happening?""Grudge was minding their own business. The timing was perfect for Michael Burnham to[...]rejoin Starfleet, but to really find her own identity independent [of] Starfleet. And it was also good for Cleveland Booker to be part of a 'family.' Again, these two people met each other at the right place at the right time, and I think Cleveland Booker is a better man for it. And Grudge too–and Grudge says 'wassup,' by the way." Speaking of characters, if you’ve already watched the trailer–and you should have by now!– you can probably assume this is going to be a high-octane, high-stakes kind of season. How will Tilly be affected? Mary Wiseman had this to say,"that in combination with all the events of the third season similar to the way this pandemic experience, really kind of forced her to...

This week on Episode 526 of Priority One: the Next Generation of tours is in full swing at Ticonderoga, set photos from Picard Season 3, Star Trek Online gets spoOoOoOoky in their first Halloween special, and we review the latest episode of Lower Decks: "wej Duj"! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Touring the Next Generation in Ticonderoga By Elio Lleo Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of attending some phenomenal Star Trek themed events and exhibits [or seething with jealousy at it–Ed.], but few are as spectacular as what you’ll find in the sleepy town of Ticonderoga, New York. You see, James Cawley–who grew to fame as an Elvis impersonator–is also a die-hard Trekkie. His passion was so great that he decided to rebuild the sets for The Original Series where an old retail store used to be. He didn’t just want to build the Enterprise…he wanted to recreate the old Desilu Set. Closest we'll probably come to having a religious experience. Image: Star Trek Set Tours. Now, after 4 years of being open to the public, Cawley is expanding! As they work to acquire an adjacent building, Cawley and his team have begun diligently recreating the sets from The Next Generation. Local news station WCAX got a sneak peak of their progress: when speaking to reporter Cat Viglienzoni, Cawley explains he has all the original blueprints as well as a direct line to Star Trek’s legendary creators Mike and Denise Okuda. Star Trek: Picard Producer’s Sweet Sneak Peek Pics By Cat Hough If you’ve been following Star Trek: Picard executive producer and co-showrunner, Terry Matalas on Twitter, then you’ve seen the images he’s been sharing from the set of the show. If you are not following him, then you may want to. Since Season 2 has wrapped filming, the images he posted are likely sneak peaks from season three–either way, they are definitely interesting. https://twitter.com/TerryMatalas/status/1442660363573465090?s=20 The images are all from what appears to be a Starfleet vessel from the late 24th century: the first image features the helm console for the ship, with Matalas noting the LCARS interface introduced on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Also of particular interest: the replicator display and table setting that includes a 24th-century Starfleet emblem and some new sci-fi cutlery. We still don’t know what the second season holds, but we have been told that the Q storyline will wrap up in Season 2. It’s also very likely that Jonathan Frakes will return to direct some episodes of Season 3. https://twitter.com/TerryMatalas/status/1445033217875070977?s=20 Episodic Season Habit (It Becomes Automatic) By Cat Hough Anson Mount recently spoke about Strange New Worlds, echoing Akiva Goldsman’s description of the show: “we wanted our show to be more or less a throwback in every way we could... which meant more of an episodic structure. And so every episode is a distinct story...but the star of the show is the ship and the big idea of the week.” Bridge to Astrocartography, figure out why we keep getting lost in those eyes. Image: TrekMovie.com As we’ve also discussed on prior episodes, filming for Strange New Worlds was done using Augmented Reality and Mount also spoke about that experience, saying, “It’s wild, man. Imagine an entire soundstage where the walls are all high-definition screens and there’s a ceiling projection...it’s really interesting to be in these environments because it’s a whole other level of filmmaking than I’ve ever seen before.” A release date for Strange New Worlds has not been announced, yet. A big thanks to TrekMovie for sharing this exclusive interview from their coverage of Star Trek Day. Quick News Roundup Here are a few headlines that we didn’t discuss but might interest you. Star Trek: Coda series has been released.The Next GenerationDeep Space NineVoyagerMoments AsunderThe Ashes of TomorrowOblivion's...

This week on Episode 525 of Priority One: Jeffrey Combs speaks in evil robot about his appearance on Lower Decks, Prodigy showrunners drop some details about the series a month out from the premiere, and it’s confirmed - the TNG cast really are one big happy family. In gaming news, a new T6 remaster of a classic workhorse starship comes to Star Trek Online, and finally we enter the holo-pod and look at the latest episode of Lower Decks “I, Excretus”. This week’s Community Question is: “Would you still play Star Trek Online if it wasn’t Star Trek?” Let us know on social media like Facebook, Twitter, or by visiting our website! TREK IT OUT Edited by Jake Morgan Weyooops...Jeffery Combs With i09 By Jake Morgan A great actor makes you feel. Whether joy, anger, love, hate - a truly gifted thespian makes you ache for their presence - be it revered or reviled. We Star Trek fans are graced with many such actors and characters. Nimoy’s Spock. Whoopie’s Guinan. Comb’s Weyoun. Comb’s Brunt. Comb’s Penk. Comb’s Shran. Comb’s...well, you get the picture. This week, i09 sat down with the prolific Star Trek trouper Jeffery Combs to talk about our latest favorite Comb’s role - the devious supercomputer Agimus! Comb’s had glowing things to say about the writing staff of Star Trek: Lower Decks, explaining to James Whitbrook of i09 what drew him to the show. ”I liked the script a lot and I’m really happy with how it turned out. I find it—the show—just to be really... witty. Rapid-fire. The joke is past you before you go, “Wh-wh-wha?” A different tone from any other Star Trek I’ve ever done. And I kind of like that. It’s refreshing. It doesn’t take itself quite so seriously as some of the other iterations.” While Combs was complimentary of Lower Decks, he wasn’t shy about his feelings towards the entertainment industry. When asked whether he’d return to a LIVE-Action version of the franchise, Comb’s said ”You have to be asked to dance. You have to be invited. It’s really not up to me. But I kind of feel I still have some gas in the tank. But you know, when it comes to commerce and entertainment it’s just like cereal: “New and improved!” [...]. So, I don’t really know what goes through decision-makers’ minds, but there always seems to be some sort of a disconnect between what the fans would enjoy and what they wind up doing. Not always. Not always.” To find out how Comb’s felt about playing an antagonist, his thoughts on Voice Acting, and much more, be sure to follow the link in our show notes at priorityonepodcast.com! One big happy TNG family By Rosco McQueen Some news that as Star Trek fans we’ve all known for a while, but is heartwarming to see it confirmed. Yes, the cast of The Next Generation really do all like each other. In fact, they’re all incredibly close. In an interview with The Express in the UK, Marina Sirtis confirmed that the cast do indeed see themselves as a family. They’ve been friends since the early days of the series… and the producers hated it. "They hate when the cast like each other because they talk. Producers don't want you talking. They want us all hating each other and being competitive with each other, so that they can lie to you." Sirtis explains how after the death of her husband, it was the crew who were there for her soon after. Lavar Burton, Brent Spiner and Michael Dorn all immediately visited with Sirtis on the day her husband, Michael Lamper, died. She also spoke about the support she received from Gates McFadden. Akiva gets his Wish By Cat Hough Akiva Goldsman has been extremely busy of late, acting as executive producer and co-showrunner for both Star Trek: Picard and the upcoming series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. If those two roles weren’t busy enough he also wrote and directed the pilot episode of Strange New Worlds. Goldsman told Trekmovie.com that it was really important to him to set...

This week on Episode 524 of Priority One: New York Comic Con is ready to Trek Out; the community rallies behind Wilson Cruz; Star Trek Online updates its minimum system requirements; mobile games cross to desktop; and we review Lower Decks’ “Where Pleasant Fountains Lie”–but not before we chat with Cryptic Studios’s Content Creator Ryon and Environment Artist Gianna! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Trekking Out the Big Apple By Elio Lleo Convention season is in full swing and New York Comic Con is next. Starting October 7th and ending October 10th, this four day event usually has stuff for everyone! Unique to this year’s presentation is hybrid participation: not only are organizers reducing the total number of attendees, you can also purchase a virtual ticket that will give you access to some of the panels right from the comfort of your own home. But what’s so special about NYCC? As of right now, Paramount+ is slated to present at least two panels: on Saturday, October 9th at 12:45pm the cast and producers of Star Trek: Discovery take the Empire Stage. Then on Sunday, October 10, Star Trek: Prodigy will premiere its first episode along with a panel. Image: ViacomCBS/Nickelodeon, via TrekCore. But that’s not all–join the Roddenberry Podcast Network as we present a panel titled “Star Trek’s Guide to Community.” I’ll be there along with Kennedy and Sue from Women at Warp! That’s happening Saturday, Oct 9th at 2:15pm. There’s also a Hallmark presentation with new Trek ornaments, a virtual only panel with the folks behind the new Star Trek Magazine, and even Bill Shatner will be there on Thurs, October 7th. Wilson Cruz Harassed During Star Trek Day By Elio Lleo When it comes to communities, even Star Trek’s can be incredibly divisive. The majority of the time, it’s about NuTrek vs older Trek, who the better first officer is, or which ship is cooler. However, there are times when things can get dark and people start to show their true colors–like one fan who was offered the privilege of attending the Star Trek Day celebrations in person. Long story short, at one point during the event, while Wilson Cruz was on stage, someone in the audience yield out a homophobic slur. According to reports, no one did anything about it. The guest was not removed nor have they been identified (yet). With incredible grace and patience, Wilson continued on and later took to Twitter to address the matter. https://twitter.com/wcruz73/status/1436333680880934927 Although he may not have wanted to draw so much attention to the matter, we want to take a moment to remind you–our listeners–that tolerance for the bigoted has its limits. When you see something, say something. Learn ways on how to be the best ally you can be for people who are marginalized on a daily basis. If you’re on social media and someone goes on a hate-filled rant, step up. It’s the inaction of those with the means to stand up to injustices that empower those who want to watch the world burn. [If you don't think this belongs in Trek, then there's the airlock. Help yourself.–Ed.] Image: ViacomCBS, via StarTrek.com IP Theft, the Sincerest Form of Flattery By Cat Hough On Monday, we were treated to the big uniform reveal by General Jay Raymond, Chief of Space Operations for Space Force who tweeted, "Every winning team needs a uniform!.I’m excited to share the new look with you today." And to no one’s surprise, the Twitterverse immediately noticed some striking similarities to some other uniforms that we are quite familiar with. They were described by one person as "a blend of the Star Trek Enterprise dress uniform, but with the Mirror Universe diagonal." https://twitter.com/SpaceForceCSO/status/1440323962697752590 [I am voluntarily putting this into my own shownotes for your edification, dear listener. You owe me.–Ed.] Josh Weinstein, a veteran writer for The Simpsons and...

This week on Episode 523 of Priority One: the Roddenberry Foundation continues to promote a positive future, while Star Trek already wins some Emmys this year; in gaming, Star Trek Online takes us through a mirror darkly with “Reflections” and On Screen: Lower Decks Season 2 Episode 6! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Star Trek Wins at the Emmys By Elio Lleo On the heels of the Star Trek Day event, the franchise had cause for more celebration. During the two-day Creative Arts Emmy Event this last week, Star Trek walked away with two wins. First up, an Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single episode for Star Trek: Discovery’s Season 3, “Su’kal.” Then, Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series for the Discovery episode, “If Memory Serves.” Now, Star Trek has been nominated for a total of 10 Emmys and the 75th Annual Awards show is set to air on Sunday, September 19th on CBS. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed that Star Trek takes home several more! The 2321 Emmys will use photon torpedoes in place of play-off music. Image: Television Academy. Praise the Word of Rod By Elio Lleo As Gene Roddenberry’s centennial celebrations continue, his son and CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, Rod Roddenberry, spoke with Forbes’s Simon Thompson about the last 55 years and the future of Star Trek. With the first four original movies being remastered in 4K UHD, Rod remarks about how great it is to see how there’s still a hunger for the original incarnations of Trek, saying: I think it makes Star Trek new again, especially for our new audiences. You’ve got the TV series now that has brought in a newer, younger demographic, and I think some people are resistant to look at older stuff. When it comes out in 4K, it looks fresh and new. I’m excited by them being introduced to Star Trek through the original movies. ...oh, UNITY, that's what the shirt says. Image: Paramount Pictures, via Forbes. What about NuTrek? Well, for Rod, it’s all about ensuring that any of the recent incarnations stay true to the core of what his father’s vision was all about saying: He wants people like J.J. Abrams and Alex Kurtzman and others to come along and do that. He also wanted to make sure that it remains Star Trek… [a]s long as they are continuing the tradition and the idea of it making you think. Having it entertain is extremely important, absolutely, but let’s be considering different points of view on this as well. Rod goes on to discuss his own personal history with the franchise and how it was he grew to be so invested in his father’s legacy. What Escapes In Vegas...Stays In...Hmmm… By Cat Hough If you’re headed to Vegas anytime soon, you should definitely trek out the new Star Trek: Discovery-themed escape room launched by Escapology. The game is set during the third season of Discovery and has opened just in time to coincide with the 4th season premiere on Paramount+. https://player.vimeo.com/video/599794944/ Your role in the game is acting as a civilian engineer tasked with inspecting the U.S.S. Discovery NCC-1031 as it undergoes the refit and upgrade to the 1031-A. However, sci-fi things happen during your inspection and Discovery collides with a quantum filament, causing major hull damage. The filaments' quantum resonance has also caused a polarity shift in the antimatter containment system, leading to a progressive degeneration in the containment field. If field strength falls below 15%, it will collapse, destroying the vessel and everyone aboard. Because sci-fi stuff happened, the main computer has closed emergency bulkheads across the ship and the turbolift control system has been disabled, leaving the bulk of the crew trapped and unable to begin repairs. In a convenient turn of events, your turbolift stopped near the Auxiliary Control section, so all you have to do is override its systems. At this point, you’re the best option for helping...

This week on Episode 522 of Priority One: Happy Star Trek Day! New trailers for Picard, Prodigy and Lower Decks, and a formal introduction to the Enterprise crew voyaging to Strange New Worlds. In gaming news, the Mirror Universe inspires a new TFO in “Operation: Wolf,” new gear on the way inspired by Lower Decks, and some good old Trek games get a PC refresh. TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds 55 Years Of Trekking Across The Universe By Cat Hough This week marks the 55th anniversary of the airing of the first episode of Star Trek and, according to all the memes going around, the world has never been the same. But when you think about it...that’s a pretty accurate statement. Without the vision of Gene Roddenberry and the production of the original series, we would not even have this podcast. So let’s just take this opportunity to appreciate the reason we are even here today. Fresh New Faces For Strange New Worlds By Rosco McQueen There’s no trailer yet, but we were treated to an introduction to the crew of the Enterprise under Captain Pike, with some new faces and some familiar ones as well. We are reintroduced to Anson Mount, Ethan Peck and Rebecca Romijn who reprise their roles as Captain Pike, Mr Spock and Number One. From there we meet the new actors taking on classic characters, with: New characters then come our way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc7ZWdJY6ZY Shadows Of Things That Will Be By Cat Hough Let’s break down the Picard Season Two trailer. We see Q snap his fingers and send everyone into an alternate reality where Earth has descended into a totalitarian state. But only Jean-Luc Picard and his new crew (maybe with Guinan’s help?) know that time has been altered. Then they decide to travel back to modern day Los Angeles in order to get things sorted. To get there, however, they need the assistance of the Borg Queen, played by Annie Wersching--who, in this alternate reality, appears to be a captive on Earth. What else is in store for Picard? We don’t know yet, but we do know he’ll be back in February 2022; it was also confirmed that Picard was renewed for Season 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUhBOmtFYr8 But Will We Learn The Janeway Maneuver? By Cat Hough We also got a first real look at Prodigy as the first official trailer was introduced by Kate Mulgrew. This panel also included a pleasant surprise: the show will premiere on October 28 and the first episode is an hour long. The trailer shows us the crew of young aliens who happen to find an experimental Federation starship named the U.S.S. Protostar, but they’ve never heard of Starfleet or the Federation. So it’s up to Janeway’s hologram to teach them how to use the ship to navigate the cosmos, while the Diviner (John Noble) and Drednok (Jimmi Simpson) pursue the crew to get ahold of the ship. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBE7d8sH5Rg Lower Decks Hits The Halfway Mark By Cat Hough After a hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable first half of the season, Lower Decks continues it’s second season with more adventure, more exploration, and lots more sci-fi stuff. The second-season trailer (that series creator Mike McMahon says he edited to remove spoilers) gives us glimpses of Rutherford vs "fricking radiation," Tendi as a giant bug, and Mariner and Boimler on an away mission that goes sideways [...so like every other away mission, then---Ed.]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vkzjGBAcTM Looking Four-ward To Discovery By Cat Hough The fourth season of Star Trek: Discovery premieres Thursday, Nov. 18, on Paramount+. The first image from the upcoming season was released during Star Trek Day. We also got to watch a panel featuring season four cast members Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), Blu del Barrio (Adira), Ian Alexander (Gray), and showrunner and executive producer Michelle Paradise. The panel of mutual love and...

This week on Episode 521 of Priority One: Star Trek: Prodigy drops several news items just as Star Trek Day nears, Star Trek Online tries to entice new players and existing players to start a brand new character, and we throw a unicorn horn on a white gorilla suit in On Screen, with Season 2 Episode 4 of Lower Decks! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Prodigy Pulls Some Great Cast Gets By Elio Lleo The newest iteration of Star Trek, Nickelodeon’s animated series Prodigy, is making news this week with a couple of big announcements. First up: casting! Two new actors have been added to the cast announcement with Jimi Simpson and John Noble both playing antagonist characters. According to Deadline’s Alexandra Del Rosario, Noble (The Lord of the Rings, FRINGE) will voice the character known as The Diviner: “a ruthless tyrant who controls the asteroids of Tars Lampora…and will stop at nothing in his hunt for the Protostar ship, no matter the cost.” Simpson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Westworld, Breakout Kings) voices Drednok, “the Diviner’s deadly robotic enforcer…heartless and cold.” ...yeah, checks out. Image: CBS, via Deadline. Now, if talent isn’t enough, then be sure to watch the main title sequence for the show–available now on YouTube and other Star Trek social media channels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm9Zv8D70hA Lining Up The Milestones By Rosco McQueen Panels, panels and more panels are coming your way for the Trek franchise's 55th anniversary. On September 8, the Star Trek Day celebrations will be hosted by The Next Generation’s Wil Wheaton and actress and host Mica Burton. It will feature back-to-back in person conversations with cast and crew members, with a focus at looking at what is ahead for the franchise. https://youtu.be/mdknOoG6K4c One panel in particular features Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn and Ethan Peck from Strange New Worlds, with the trailer for the event casually showing off the logo of the series. Composer Jeff Russo will lead a live orchestra performance throughout the event, with Paramount+ saying to expect some surprise announcements and reveals throughout the program. Another notch in the milestone belt of history comes after the airing of the Lower Decks episode “We’ll Always Have Tom Paris”, marking the 800th episode of Star Trek television. Now that commemorative plate makes even more sense! Now do you shorten it to Cer or Tos? Image: Paramount+, via ComicBook.com All The Star Trek News Fit To Print By Cat Hough If watching all the new Trek offerings and playing all the Trek games is still not enough Star Trek content in your life, well you are in luck! This November, Titan Publishing is re-launching the official Star Trek magazine and renaming it Star Trek Explorer. Titan describes this magazine as "the no. #1 destination for everything Star Trek–filled with in-depth interviews and features taking you behind-the-scenes of all your favorite shows and movies." The first issue showcases a fresh new design and features two exclusive Star Trek short stories. Plus, they plan on adding a 16-page themed "featurette" in each issue, with the inaugural issue featuring a guide to Captain James. T. Kirk. There are two covers available for the first issue: one features a shot of Michael Burnham from Star Trek: Discovery, while the second uses Tim Anderson's Star Trek: The Original Series tribute artwork. Image: Titan Publishing, via ComicBook.com Yearly subscriptions cost $29.99 for four issues and, as an added subscription bonus, you get an exclusive digital magazine that includes extra Trek nuggets. You can buy each issue separately for $9.99. Quick News Roundup Here are a few headlines that we didn’t discuss but might interest you. The documentary Woman In MotionWoman in Motion Voyager detection of Patroclus He reflec, he protec, but most importantly, he...

This week on Episode 520 of Priority One: the week belonged to Gene Roddenberry in celebration of his 100th birthday, the Star Trek Online community gets stirred up by some recent changes, and we look On Screen to Season 2 Episode 3 of Lower Decks! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds One Hundred Years Of Gene By Elio Lleo This week, the Star Trek community celebrated what would have been Gene Roddenberry’s 100th birthday. If you’ve been following the Roddenberry social channels, you will have seen daily quotes from celebrities, writers, influencers, and more–each reading a different quote from Gene Roddenberry. We also reported on the development of a full digital archive of his works. This week, it’s been announced that a biopic is in the works with Adam Mazer penning the script. Also at the helm of the film’s development are Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth. Image: Roddenberry Entertainment, via Deadline. While we’re on the topic of celebrating Gene’s centennial, be sure to catch Rod Roddenberry on an interview with Fox11 Los Angeles. During the interview, Rod explains the point of the “ThinkTREK” initiative that has been going throughout the summer along with some personal anecdotes about his father. And if that wasn’t enough, even NASA got in on the celebration by hosting a conversation with scientists, engineers, and special guest George Takei, moderated by Rod Roddenberry. They even sent one of Gene’s quotes into space by beaming the recording out towards the final frontier via their Deep Space Network. The panel is a little over 40 minutes long and spotlights the importance of infinite diversity in infinite combinations for the betterment of human-kind. https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1428010802443923467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1428010802443923467%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdeadline.com%2F2021%2F08%2Fstar-trek-gene-roddenberry-birthday-movie-biopic-adam-mazer-writing-you-dont-know-jack-1234817916%2F Vintages Of Future Past By Cat Hough If there’s one thing we all enjoy around here, it’s drinks [drink!–Ed.]. So when Star Trek Wines announced the addition of Andorian and Cardassian wines to its now six-bottle lineup, we could not be more excited to try them...unless the Cardassian one tastes like hot fish juice. Please drink responsibly. Ushaaning everyone in sight is not "responsibly." Image: Star Trek Wines. Even if you’re just a collector of really cool bottles, the Andorian Chardonnay is a lovely shade of blue and comes in a bottom-heavy clear bottle that is also festooned with a United Federation of Planets metal medallion. The Cardassian kanar bottle has a bit more pizazz [certainly one way to put it–Ed.]. Star Trek Wines states "the team conducted a rigorous multi-year search for an original Cardassian Kanar bottle, a unique, serpent-shaped vessel, originally utilized in the 1950s through the 1970s in Europe.” They then rendered those bottles in 3D for accuracy, resulting in one of the “most fascinating bottles in the Galaxy.” Of course Cardassians would make a bottle you feel uncomfortable just looking at. Image: Star Trek Wines As for the wine itself, the Andorian Chardonnay, priced at $50, is listed as premium Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands "aged 12 months prior to bottling" and has “delicious notes of citrus, peach and apricots." The Cardassian Kanar Red Wine Blend, priced at $60, is described as a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah, and Petite Verdot. They say these combine into "a dark, rich wine with notes of ripe blackberries and juicy blueberries, velvety tannins, and a long, delightful finish.” Both of these new wines are available for presale at StarTrekWines.com and expect to ship sometime in November. Or, if you want to buy the whole six-bottle collection–what they call "The Full Armada," it's currently available for $299. Logic...

This episode of Priority One is brought to you by Eaglemoss Hero Collector’s annual SUMMER OF TREK Sweepstakes. Score the year’s best deals on the world’s widest range of Star Trek collectibles and enter for a chance to win one of more than 250 incredible prizes – including the Grand Prize of an Ocean View Voyage for 2 aboard the SOLD OUT Star Trek: The Cruise V. For details and to enter, go to www.GetYourTrekOn.com This week on Episode 519 of Priority One: Kurtzman and Trek, Gene Roddenberry’s archive goes into an NFT digital world, and plenty of new Star Trek related products to add to your wishlist. In Gaming: rock out with your targ out when Mary Chieffo goes metal for Star Trek Online, and Modiphius has new goodies to add to your tabletop Star Trek Adventures! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Kurtzman’s Next 5-Year Mission By Elio Lleo Since we’ve been gone, quite a lot has happened. Although we’d love to cover it all, we’ll have to narrow it down to the news that we think matters most—starting Alex Kurtzman’s new 5-year/$160 million contract with Paramount+ to develop not only Star Trek, but other projects as well. The New York Times’s Nicole Sperling published an article on August 1, 2021, featuring interviews with Kurtzman and other major players involved. The article explores Kurtzman’s past, present, and future projects for the studio and the hopes he has for the franchise. Something particularly interesting though, was the announcement that a “Starfleet Academy” series is in the works which “will be aimed at a younger audience.” Also, according to Sperling: Mr. Kurtzman, who wants to get much weirder with the franchise… points to a pitch from Graham Wagner (Portlandia, Silicon Valley), centered on the character Worf, that he calls “incredibly funny, poignant and touching. If it were up to me only, I would be pushing the boundaries much further than I think most people would want,” he said. “I think we might get there. Marvel has actually proven that you can. But you have to build a certain foundation in order to get there and we’re still building our foundation.” Becoming Props of Pure Energy By Cat Hough Announced at Las Vegas, Gene Roddenberry’s personal archives are being comprehensively digitized on an unprecedented scale, with plans to do some fancy sci-fi things with the material. The joint effort between the Roddenberry estate, OTOY, and Light Field Lab, hopes to preserve thousands of photos, documents, and physical assets like starship models in extreme digital detail, preserving it for future study and recreation. https://youtu.be/0bDuT-4cFyg The Roddenberry Archives will use OTOY’s blockchain-based computer rendering network to extensively digitize the Roddenberry estate’s collection from the producer’s work on the Star Trek franchise. Long time Trek writers Denise and Michael Okuda, artist Mike “Beeple” Winklemann, and comics legend Alex Ross are also contributing to the project. Beyond the historical importance of maintaining the extensive archives, OTOY intends to leverage the assets for fan experiences. The company will work with display startup Light Field Lab to recreate a 1:1 scale holographic replica of the U.S.S. Enterprise as seen in the original series. It claims to be able to use the original models seen in filming the series to create a projected replica “indistinguishable from reality” for “one of the world’s first fully immersive holographic installation experiences.” What is this, a starship for ants??? Image: OTOY. Rod Roddenberry had this to say: “I cannot think of a more capable and innovative company to trust with these materials. OTOY’s work will allow generations to experience my father’s contribution to humanity with the greatest historical accuracy possible. This project will protect an optimistic vision of the future that has inspired so many and remains so important...

This week on Episode 518 of Priority One: Comic-Con@home brings us new trailers for Star Trek: Prodigy and Lower Decks, and Saru and Stamets look ahead to season four of Discovery. In gaming news, we go back and forth on the Courage-class coming to Star Trek Online, and some new shiny textures for your favourite Romulan Captain. TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Comic-Con@home - Lower Decks By Cat Hough As we anxiously await the premiere of Season 2 of Lower Decks, we were treated to a brand new trailer last week during Comic-Con@home. Based on the trailer, Season 2 has all the things we loved in Season 1 plus so much more. How much more? The best villains! Including Cardassians, Pakleds, Ferengi, Nauciscans, some giant slime monster and the incomparable Jeffrey Combs makes an appearance as an evil computer. We also see a new Tamarian crew member who had this to say when welcomed to the bridge: “Rapungee - when he joined the Seven.” https://youtu.be/IxdKo0eXUKY Tom Paris also shows up in Season 2...in commemorative plate form, though. Also, an interesting side note in the news: Robert Duncan McNeill was invited to reprise Tom Paris for Season 1 of Picard but, due to scheduling conflicts. he was not able to make it work. So maybe we’ll see more Tom Paris at some point. Season 2 of Star Trek: Lower Decks starts August 12 on Paramount+. Comic-Con@home - Prodigy By Jake Morgan But Lower Decks wasn’t the only Star Trek series to get some Comic-Con attention. We were also treated to our first look at Star Trek: Prodigy! In the 52 second trailer for Prodigy’s inaugural season, we’re introduced to the main cast: Dal, Gwyn, Zero, Rok-Tahk, Murf, and Jankom Pog, The main cast also features the stunning new-to-crew U.S.S. Protostar (which looks like a cross of the Intrepid- and Rhode Island-class) and the timeless Captain Katherine Janeway–who reminds us that ”we’ve only just begun.” https://youtu.be/987jSJZQxTs During the Comic-con@home panel, the creators, director, and cast–including Star Trek royalty Kate Mulgrew–joined the ever-entertaining Jerry O'Connell to discuss the newest Star Trek series. EP Kevin Hageman pointed out that this would be the first Star Trek series ”that’s actually going to be seen through the eyes of characters who are outside of Starfleet.” In discussing Prodigy’s place in Star Trek mythos, the Hageman brothers recognized that this would be the “Little Brother or Little Sister” member of the franchise, but wanted to “punch up.” Kate Mulgrew reiterated the sentiment, saying “Children are very astute. You’ve grasped an essential component of the childlike imagination, which is extraordinary perception. They need to be grounded while taking flight at the same time. And this–you have achieved.” The trailer is a must watch, and the panel is super-entertaining and informative. Stamets And Saru In Season 4 By Rosco McQueen Everyone’s favorite Kelpien [the other white meat–Ed.] has been on the interview circuit in the past couple of weeks, with Doug Jones talking about the release of Discovery Season 3 on DVD. In an interview with SYFY Wire, Jones spoke about Saru’s heartbreak at the revelation that a fellow Kelpien was responsible for the Burn. He also confirmed that filming on Season 4 continues in Toronto and, even though Saru’s left the command chair, he still has plenty to do. "Damn, Starbase 80?!?" Image: Michael Gibson/CBS, via SYFY. “After we got home to LA during hiatus last year, I called Michelle Paradise myself and said, 'Should I expect to go back for Season 4? Because, they left me on-camera teaching Su'Kal the ways of the Kelpians.’ She said, ‘Oh, no, you're back. You're back.’ But the question will remain that Starfleet does not strip you of your rank, so I am still a captain. Where do they plug me in? That's the question.” In an interview with Screen Rant, Discovery actor Anthony Rapp spoke...

This week on Episode 517 of Priority One: The virtual becomes reality on the set of Discovery Season 4, meanwhile the Disco captains reflect on their past and future in the center seat on the bridge. In gaming news, Pahvo is under attack on the ground and orbit in the third Event Eampaign installment in Star Trek Online, and Dr. Robert Hurt shares the importance of the Hubble Telescope’s return! TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Is This The Real Life? Is this Discovery? By Elio Lleo When that other “Star” franchise debuted their own serialized, live-action TV series on Disney+, critics not only raved about its story, but also about its cinematography. The Mandalorian, which started streaming in 2019, showcased a new style of filmmaking that was absolutely breathtaking. You see, instead of having to find locations where to shoot, the production used a 360-degree LED wall to project–in real time–all the landscapes and effects needed for the scene. The end result: a creative and astonishing backdrop that really helped build that world. Now, everyone wants in! Not only does this technology save the time and resources it takes to shoot on location but, combined with the Unreal Engine, actors can actually see and react to visual effect environments in real time. Now we can visit Strange New Worlds with much more ease, as Noah Kadner explains in his article for American Cinematographer. According to Kadner, Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 and the first season of Strange New Worlds have been filming with a 270-degree horseshoe-shaped LED wall by a company called Pixomondo–which can be fed real-time animations using Unreal Engine. Gul Madred's cruelest torture to date: do the virtual lights count? Image: Michael Gibson/Paramount Plus, via American Cinematographer. Star Trek’s Lead Visual Effects Supervisor Jason Zimmerman told Kadner “getting something in-camera on the day is so much better than greenscreen in many ways. One major difference [in terms of workflow] is that the production-design and art departments are a lot more involved much earlier in the process, because they have to get assets ready to be photographed instead of waiting until after the shoot.” But the away teams from Strange New Worlds will be beaming down to realistic landscapes–the New Mexico Film Office announced this week that the television series is using New Mexico landscapes for the show’s visual effects. Jamming With Captain Burnham By Rosco McQueen Michael Burnam meets Bugs Bunny–is this a crossover episode? No, Sonequa Martin-Green plays Lebron James' wife in the Space Jam sequel, and right now Martin-Green is on the promo circuit talking about the animated adventure. But the good folks at Collider and Gizmodo couldn't help but ask some questions about Discovery Season 4 and what the future holds for Captain Burnham. Kamiyah, When LeBron Dunked. Image: Warner Brothers, via Collider. According to Martin-Green, filming for Season 4 is almost complete with only a little bit left to shoot. She emphasized the importance of cementing her new position as Captain, particularly the importance of having a black woman in the role. But she was tight lipped on what’s to come, telling Gizmodo it’s going to be about finding out who she is as Captain Michael Burnham, “[b]ecause there’s always been this question of who am I in this moment? Who am I in this role? And now I’m going to have to answer those questions for myself as Captain because everything is different now. And we’ve got a huge threat coming our way.” The Rubber Meets The Wormhole By Rosco McQueen Meanwhile, Doug Jones reflected on Captain Saru and his journey through Season 3 of Discovery. Jones sat in the Captain’s chair for almost its entirety, something Jones believes was a dream of the character but not necessarily the actor–it meant a lot more time in the makeup chair. “I was on more days on Season 3 than ever...