50 Years of Star Trek

 

My love for Star Trek goes back to the seventies when our Sunday mornings would be to gather in front of the television to watch Star Trek.  Back then, we didn’t mind re-watching the same episodes over and over giving us hope for a brighter future.

The technology that we take for granted today was something we could not imagine back then.  The communicator that would become our modern day cell phone or video conferencing that we have with Skype.

Robert Kaul, founder and CEO of Cloud DX a canadian company, said that his company’s device takes vital signs and uses artificial intelligence to give a diagnosis much like the tricorder used by Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy.

He said he was inspired from childhood by Star Trek. “I have a very clear memory from 1980. For Christmas my parents got me a Star Trek technical manual. I brought that with me to school for an entire year. I was absolutely inspired by Star Trek. I bought all the models, and I had them hanging in my room.

One of the things that made Star Trek most interesting to him was because it was the only one he noticed that included the sick bay medical staff as main characters. “All the other franchises, whether Battlestar Galactica or Star Wars or Babylon 5 were military based. Almost like Westerns. But Gene Roddenberry and his vision is much more holistic. He recognized you couldn’t go and explore the stars without taking care of your crew. That’s why Star Trek is inspiring real-world medical breakthroughs.”

 

 

Star Trek acquired the akronym TOS (the original series) to distinguish the show within the media franchise that it created.   It was created by Gene Roddenberry who pitched the idea to networks as “Wagon Train” to the stars.

Star Trek followed the adventures of the Starship Enterprise (NCC-1701) in the 23rd century (2260 to be exact) led by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and its courageous crew.  His first officer and science officer was Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and chief medical officer Leonard “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley). The other crew members included communications officer Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), chief engineer Montgomery Scott (James Doohan), and helmsman Hikaru Sulu (George Takei).  Helmsman Pavel Chekhov (Walter Koenig) did not appear until the second season.

The series was produced from September 1966 to December 1967 by Norway Productions and Desilu Productions, and by Paramount Television from January 1968 to June 1969. Star Trek aired on NBC from September 8, 1966, to June 3, 1969, and was actually seen first on September 6, 1966, on our own CTV network.  Sadly, the Nielsen ratings were not kind while on NBC and  the network canceled it after three seasons and 79 episodes. Several years later, the series became a bona fide hit in broadcast syndication, remaining so throughout the 1970’s, achieving cult classic status and a developing influence on popular culture.

The series 5 year mission was kept alive with Star Trek: The Animated Series or TAS to differentiate it from the original series and aired from 1973 to 1975. The success of the original live action series in syndication, and fan pressure for a Star Trek revival, led to The Animated Series from 1973–1974, as the source of new adventures of the Enterprise crew and voiced over by most of the original cast. Sadly, much to the dismay of fans Pavel Chekhov (Walter Koenig) was omitted because the show’s budget could not afford the complete cast.

Initially, Filmation who produced the series was only going to use the voices of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan and Majel Barrett.  Doohan and Barrett would also perform the voices of Sulu and Uhura. Nimoy refused to lend his voice to the series unless Nichelle Nichols and George Takei were added to the cast-claiming that Sulu and Uhura were of importance as they were proof of the ethnic diversity of the 23rd century and should not be recast. Nimoy also took this stand as a matter of principle, as he knew of the financial troubles many of his Star Trek co-stars were facing after cancellation of the series.  Koenig was not forgotten, and later wrote an episode for the series, becoming the first Star Trek actor to write a Star Trek story. Koenig wrote “The Infinite Vulcan”, which had plot elements from the original Star Trek episode “Space Seed” blended into it.

The series was critically acclaimed and was the first Star Trek series to win an Emmy Award when its second season won the 1975 Emmy for Outstanding Entertainment – Children’s Series.  The original series was nominated for 13 Emmy awards and won two Hugo Awards for Dramatic Presentation for “The Menagerie” and “City on the Edge of Forever”.

The success of the series in syndication convinced the studio to begin work on the film beginning in 1975. A series of writers attempted to craft a “suitable epic” script, but the attempts did not satisfy Paramount, so the studio scrapped the project in 1977. Paramount then decided on returning the franchise to its roots, with a new television series titled Star Trek: Phase II.  With the box office success of Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, however, convinced Paramount that science fiction films  could do well at the box office, so the studio cancelled production of Phase II and resumed its attempts at making a Star Trek film.

In 1978, Paramount assembled the largest press conference held at the studio since the 1950s, to announce that two-time Academy Award–winning director Robert Wise (West Side Story and The Sound of Music winners of Best Director and Best Picture) would direct a $15 million budget film adaptation of the original television series. With the cancellation of Phase II, writers rushed to adapt its planned pilot episode, “In Thy Image”, into a film script. Constant revisions to the story and the shooting script continued to the extent of hourly script updates on shooting dates.

The Enterprise was modified inside and out; costume designer Robert Fletcher provided new uniforms, and production designer Harold Michelson fabricated new sets. Jerry Goldsmith composed the film’s score, beginning an association with Star Trek that would continue until 2002. When the original contractors for the optical effects proved unable to complete their tasks in time, effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull was given carte blanche to meet the film’s December 1979 release date. The film came together only days before the premiere; Wise took the just-completed film to its Washington, D.C., opening, but always felt that the final theatrical version was a rough cut of the film that he had wanted to make. 20 years after its initial release, Robert Wise was offered to rework the first part of the film with a DVD Director’s Cut. Some new scenes from the Theatrical version have been deleted and some scenes got a digital makeover.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom faulted the film for its lack of action scenes and over-reliance on special effects. Its final production cost ballooned to approximately $46 million, and earned $139 million at the worldwide box office, falling short of studio expectations, but enough for Paramount to propose a cheaper costing sequel. Roddenberry was forced out of creative control for production of the film’s 1982 sequel, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Star Trek eventually spawned a franchise, consisting of six additional television series, thirteen feature films, numerous books, games, and toys, and is now widely considered one of the most popular and influential television series of all time.

 Slated for 2018 (Untitled as yet)

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY coming to CBS All Access. Photo Cr: James Dimmock. © 2017 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.

 

I have created a Facebook Group entitled Star Trek Universe Canada where members can add photos from their favorite shows or movies and characters.  It’s an all inclusive Star Trek with both the TOS and J.J. Abrams Universe. Please have a look.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/680684998802875/

Space, the final frontier.  These are the continuing voyages of the Starship Enterprise.  Its ongoing mission to explore strange new worlds and civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before……..

Live Long and Prosper

Fabien

 

Reference Material:

Wikipedia

Imbd Movie/Series

https://www.meddeviceonline.com/doc/first-working-tricorder-prototype-revealed-0001

Our First Wedding Anniversary

November 18th, John and I will be celebrating our first official wedding anniversary so I thought it appropriate to write about how John and I met. This is but one of many “special” dates that John and I acknowledge having been together starting our 23rd year!

Call it fate, serendipity or cosmic alignment, I was taken with John since I was nineteen when my sister Lucille came home from our sister-in-law Donna’s mother candlelit  suppers. She showed me a 45 rpm of one of John and Scot’s music. She said they played a few songs at the piano and she said she thought they were gay. I was still questioning my own identity at that point and that peaked my interest. I’d listen to both sides over and over and said to myself “I’m going to marry him one day”. With a face like that, how could I not be smitten?

John and I met in 1995 when we both lived in Montreal.  Donna knew John and Scot had not been a couple for 5 years when she introduced me to John at her mothers dinner party. John’s auntie Anne who happened to be his mothers best friend was there as she was also Donna’s mothers best friend. I knew Anne since I was eight years old (small world you might say). After dinner, we gathered into the sitting room and I became the Dj for the evening and put on a variety of music mostly from the 50’s and 60’s. I think John was impressed with my song selections. It certainly struck a chord with our older guests. One particular song was from 1954 and become our song. Kitty Kallen’s “Little Things Mean a Lot”.

 

 

The evening ended in Donna’s kitchen and when I drove him home I thought I would not see him again.  That is until two months later on October 6th I got the courage to call him up and invite him to dinner. I picked him up after work and we went to a local rotisserie and got to know each other a little better. After dinner I drove him home and he invited me in and we listened to his last music recording from three years earlier entitled “Music from the Big Barn”.  It is in my opinion, one of the greatest albums of original music I had ever heard.  I will delve into more about John and Scot’s music in an upcoming blog.

In December, John invited me to his office Christmas party at the National Film Board and from that moment on it was fireworks. By March of 1996 and spending practically every day together he invited me to move in. I was anxious and unsure at the same time as his former partner Scot was renting a room there.

John’s family lived in Nova Scotia so we decided to spend a week of our vacation there. I had been to New-Brunswick as a child but never to Nova Scotia.  I instantly fell in love with the province and all the beautiful beaches along the coastline.  We celebrated my birthday on the terrace of Your Father’s Mustache. One afternoon, while sitting at a table on the patio at the Lower Deck, I asked John what could we do to move here. We proceeded on making a list of Pro’s and Con’s and the Pro’s won.

 

 

John had never seriously thought about moving back and it wasn’t until 1997 had rolled around that he applied for a position opening up at the National Film Board in Halifax as Centre Administrator. I proceeded in sending out feelers to my contacts in the office furniture business in Halifax regarding any job opening. I was lucky enough to have Office Interiors interested and they said to come see them once I had officially moved.

Among the 44 applicants (most of which were chartered accountants) John never expected to get the position in Halifax and when he called me at work to tell me the news I said to him; “When are we moving?”.  John moved ahead of me in August and I stayed in my position until a replacement was found. Luckily, my sister Francine was available and had the experience required and I stayed on to train her until my move in October.  I received a nice severance and I was hired at Office Interiors in January of 1998.

We lived in Halifax from 1997 to 2000 when we went on the hunt to purchase a home after receiving a notice that our rent would be raised. We had seen over a dozen houses and finally we made an offer on our current home. It wasn’t until we were on vacation back in Montreal did we find out that our offer was accepted. Our friends Gigi and Ron were very happy for us and we celebrated.

In 2001 John and I wanted to have a Domestic Partnership ceremony and include our friends and family. Our friend Jane suggested we ask her friend in California to be our “Wedding Planner”. We set on September 15th as our date and sent out invitations. Little did we know that four days before our ceremony, the unthinkable would happen. Of course, I am talking about 9/11. Our wedding planner was stuck in Boston and could not get to us in time. Family and friends who had planned to fly from Montreal were stuck. We were ready to postpone our event but everyone said we needed a reason to celebrate a happy moment in such troubling times. Our family and friends in Montreal rallied together and made the trip by car.

On the day of, John and I were whisked away by my sister-in-law Donna to the B&B she and her family were staying at not far from our house while my sisters got everything ready for our arrival. We had a nice photo session along with food and gifts and got dressed for the ceremony.

 

 

Everyone participated in bringing food and beverages and I was able to get tables and chairs on loan from Office Interiors where I worked. It was a beautiful ceremony and we had over 75 people gather in our backyard to witness our commitment to each other. Walking down the aisle so to speak with my mother was an extra special moment.

 

 

We had placed disposable cameras on each table and we got some candid photos of friends and family.  Some, sadly, have since passed but will always be fondly remembered and loved and in our hearts.

 

 

A week before my tongue surgery last November John proposed to me.  The first thing I said to him was, “It took you long enough”. He wanted to make sure that if we were married he would have legal rights while I was in the hospital.

On Monday November 14th, we went to the Vital Statistics office to pick up our marriage license.  The only drawback was we would have to be on a waiting list of a month or two to get a civil ceremony at city hall.  We would have to hire a justice of the peace to perform a private ceremony.  We were hoping to be married either Friday or Saturday.

That night, I went online to find a justice of the peace in the St. Margaret’s Bay area.  In sifting through the vast list of names (who knew there were so many?) I came across one that was familiar to me, Maria Kuttner.  I emailed her and sure enough, I knew her as a former president of the Peggy’s Cove Area Festival of the Arts that I am a member of.

She was more than happy to accommodate whichever date we wanted.  John and I couldn’t believe our luck.  By Wednesday we had exchanged emails regarding what we wanted the ceremony to be.  When John contacted her about how she wanted her fee to be paid she said to consider it her gift to us.  With all the stress we were going through we both started to cry.  Needless to say our emotions were running high and just the beginning of our emotional roller coaster.

Our dear friends Cathy and Paul wanted us to have the ceremony at their home in Hackett’s Cove and we accepted their generous offer.  We wanted to keep it small so we had John’s sister and brother-in-law as well as our close friends Terry and Kathy.  I had my sister Francine witness from Montreal via Skype.  It was a simple and beautiful ceremony on a beautiful day surrounded by wonderful friends and family.  The ceremony was followed by a nice meal and a nice squash and pear soup prepared just for me as my cancer prevented me from eating solids.

 

 

So you see, fairy tales do come true for it was meant to be that John and I be together.

Love and hugs.

Fabien

A big thank you to Terry Martin for the wonderful wedding pictures!

 

 

Moment of Reflection

I was watching Kevin Probably Saves the World this morning and one of the lines in the episode really struck home and I suddenly had an overwhelming sense of sadness come over me.  The line went like this; “Time passes so quickly and none of us realize it until it’s too late. In the blink of an eye it’s over”.

How often do we tell ourselves, “I’ll get to it tomorrow”  I used to think like that.  This past year has gone by so quickly and it seems that there is never enough time in the day to get things done and I wonder; “where did the day go?”.  I am not sure how I could cope each day without the support I have from John and my friends, near and far.

In our lifetime, we have to endure the passing of loved ones.  Certainly John and I can attest to that with the loss of family members and close friends.  We have to cherish the moments we have with those around us.  Live in the now and not in the past for what purpose does living in the past give us?  We should look back at fond memories and leave the negative behind us. Oh so easy to say but not so easy to do.

My horoscope was interesting today where it said that my network of family and friends is my lifeline surrounding me with the emotional comfort I seek.  I have to let go of the outer worlds uncertainties from global, political and social spheres.  My current happiness depends upon my ability to discern what I can or cannot control.

I continue to struggle each morning and force myself to get up and that frightens me.  My body aches right down to my bones.  I have my good days and I have my bad days.  And although it is sunny today as I look out my living room window I can feel the weight on my chest.  I want to cry and I don’t even know why.

Our lives were so much simpler before the Internet.  Time actually did seem to go much slower.  We went about our lives and interacted with people, actual people with actual one on one conversations.  Everywhere you go someone has their eyes glued to their phone and we have to watch out for those who don’t look before crossing the street.  They say it is illegal to text and drive, I say it should also be illegal to text and walk!  Imagine the novelty of walking with someone and having their entire attention.

I remember before I received my diagnosis last year how I wished I could have more time at home to devote it to my painting and how I couldn’t wait to retire.  Well, the universe answered, only I wasn’t specific on including health in the equation.  That old saying; “be careful what you wish for” couldn’t have been more true.

All I ask is for happiness and well being and for time to slow down a little.  So, that being said I will be taking a Social Media break..  I am removing my Facebook, Messenger, Twitter and Instagram apps off my phone and see if this will help with my current stress and anxiety.  I am not a big news watcher but any day that I don’t have to see or listen what HE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED moron is up to will be a blessing.  I haven’t felt so much anxiety with what is going on in the world since the end of the cold war in the eighties.

Next week I will be going for my CT Scan to make sure that there is no recurrence of the cancer.  The scarring tissue is still preventing me from chewing my food properly and lately my swallowing has been an issue.  I have to be careful not to take large amounts of food or drink so not to have a choking fit.  This has been happening for a while now and I’ve had to reduce my intake which is frustrating to say the least.

Monday I have someone come over with a CPAP machine to monitor my sleep and breathing as John noticed I have an irregular sleep pattern.  I have to stop myself from worrying before the results are given.  I will think for a positive outcome and that a solution is found.

So, that is my rant for now.  I will keep you all posted on how I am doing with my blog which will still be directly forwarded to Facebook.

Be kind to one another.

Love and Hugs

Fabien