Tag: star trek

Kelly Jo Brick: The Write Path With Marc Zicree, Part 1

A series of interviews with hard-working writers – by another hard-working writer!

by Kelly Jo Brick

Aspiring writers often wonder how the pros got where they are. The truth is, everyone’s story is different, but there are some common elements: dedication, persistence, hard work and not giving up.

Drive, focus and a desire to learn from those he admired led Marc Zicree on a journey that took him from animation to sci-fi and writing hundreds of hours of television for shows including STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, SLIDERS, BABYLON 5, HE-MAN and SMURFS. He’s also a TWILIGHT ZONE expert, writing The Twilight Zone Companion and is a bestselling novelist. He and his wife, Elaine, run The Table, a weekly gathering where they dedicate themselves to supporting and mentoring other industry professionals. He currently is writing, directing and producing the science fiction feature SPACE COMMAND starring Doug Jones, Armin Shimerman and Mira Furlan. read article

LB: A Few Words from One of My TV Gods: Herbert F. Solow

by Larry Brody

One of the kindest, toughest, gentlest, strongest, sweetest human beings I’ve ever known is my friend Herb Solow, probably better known to most people reading this as:

In case you’re from another planet, this is Herb’s Star Trek title card!

Herb and I first met in the mid 1970s, and we’ve worked and hung out together for over 40 years. Best known as one of the key figures who brought ST:TOS to TV when he was head of production at ye olde Desilu Studios, Herb also ran MGM when it still was a studio to be reckoned with back in the ’60s, and he was also Executive in Charge of Production, Executive Producer, or just plain “Producer” on TV shows and feature films whose names are bound to ring some bells:

  • The Courtship of Eddie’s Father
  • Medical Center
  • Then Came Bronson
  • Mission: Impossible
  • Mannix
  • The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.
  • Saving Grace
  • Brimstone & Treacle
  • Man from Atlantis
  • Killdozer
  • Elvis: That’s the Way It Is

And a zillion more that I don’t remember, although IMDB has a pretty fine list. Oh, while I’m at it I probably should mention his fine book – pretty damn controversial among Trekkies Trekkers – Inside Star Trek: the Real Story. read article

Ah, TV, You Inspire Us All

Especially you, STAR TREK. What hath thou wrought?

captain's-chair-tvw.com

NSA Chief’s Former War Room was Modeled After the Starship Enterprise
by Adam Clark Estes

NSA director Keith Alexander might be the most famous spy in America right now. Everyone wants to know who’s really behind the agency’s widespread snooping. And now, a lengthy profile of Alexander in Foreign Policy invites even more intrigue. It also reveals some of the general’s weird ways. read article

munchman: Best Science Fiction TV Show of All Time?

star_trek_vs_dr__who_by_summerset-d38sqgc
Created by ~Summerset for Wizard Magazine & Found on Deviant Art

For my money (of which I have very little), one of the two shows represented in this amazing drawing is the best sci-fi series ever. And the other is…um, well, erm…also the best sci-fi series ever.

Kirk and the Doctor! (Oh, and some other guyz too.)

If only…. read article

John Ostrander: Revamp, Reinterpret, Regenerate, Reinvigorate

On makin’ the old wine new:

Ostrander Art 130303 John Ostrander: Revamp, Reinterpret, Regenerate, Reinvigorate by John Ostrander

There’s been a lot of pushing the reset button in pop culture recently and I find the results interesting. J.J. Abrams rebooted the Star Trek franchise a few years back and, while some fans complained, I think it was successful. Certainly it was financially successful, which is what the Hollywood moguls really care about.

At the start of Daniel Craig’s run, the James Bond movies were also rebooted, culminating in the recent spectacular Skyfall, which – again this may be heresy to some – was the best Bond film ever. It’s visually stunning and takes Bond himself to greater depths and heights than I’ve seen up until now.

Sherlock Holmes has been reinterpreted into the modern age with two versions, the BBC’s magnificent Sherlock and Elementary on CBS. Both are true to the basics and it’s amazing how well the classic fictional detective gibes with modern times. read article