Non-Trek

Commentary: Trek Stars 26: Brannon Braga, Philanthropist /  by TFM

Braga Part 3: Recap.

Max and Mike began the first season of Commentary: Trek Stars by looking at Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s other television creations. So it’s only fitting to end the season by looking at the work of the last Star Trek series creator, Brannon Braga.

In our first season finale, we discuss the two shows that Braga has created, Enterprise and FlashForward, as well has his upcoming work, Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey and Malice. We also look at the other shows he has written for, including Threshold (no, still not that one), 24, and Terra Nova, as well as the two non-Trek movies he has contributed to, Mission: Impossible II and Freddy vs. Jason. And yes, we connect the dots to reveal how Brannon Braga is responsible for getting President Obama elected.

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Hosts

Mike Schindler and Max Hegel

 

Chapters

President Obama
Enterprise and Flashforward
Cosmos and Malice
Threshold, 24, and Terra Nova
M:i-2 and Freddy vs. Jason
Final Thoughts

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Commentary: Trek Stars 25: "The" or "A"? /  by TFM

Braga Part 2: FlashForward.

Four years after the cancellation of Enterprise, Brannon Braga teamed with David S. Goyer, his producing partner on Threshold (no, not that one), to create a television series based on Robert J. Sawyer's novel, FlashForward. The series begins with a worldwide blackout, in which everyone on Earth sees two minutes of the future. The show was an obvious attempt by ABC to fill the gap created by the end of Lost. But unlike Damon Lindelof's hit, Braga's series lasted only one season.

This week, Mike and Max are joined by Mike's wife, Melissa, to disect Brannon Braga's non-Trek show. We discuss the calculated attempt to make FlashForward the "next big thing," the differences between the series and the book, the cliffhanger ending, Braga's use of time travel, and how easy it would be to determine if what the characters saw was "the" future or "a" future.

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Hosts

Mike Schindler and Max Hegel 

Guest

Melissa Schindler

Chapters

FlashForward
The Lost Connection
The End
Adapting the Book
Time Travel
Final Thoughts

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Commentary: Trek Stars 5: Women's Lib… Gone Mad! /  by TFM

Roddenberry Part 4: Genesis II.

Throughout the 1970’s, Gene Roddenberry developed numerous pilots which never went to series. The first of these was Genesis II, starring Alex Cord, about a scientist who wakes up from suspended animation to find a post-apocalyptic future.

In this week’s episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max take a look at Genesis II as well as its revised pilot, “Planet Earth.” We discuss the show’s similarities to other science fiction of the time period, the portrayal of the main character, the other incarnations of the concept, and the awesomeness of Percy Rodriguez’s voice.

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Hosts

Mike Shindler and Max Hegel

 

Chapters

The Premise of Genesis II
Thoughts on Genesis II
Background on Genesis II
A Second Shot at Life
Final Thoughts on Genesis II

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Commentary: Trek Stars 3: Proto-Roddenberry /  by TFM

Roddenberry Part 2: The Lieutenant.

Star Trek is not the only show to be created by Gene Roddenberry. Three years prior, Gary Lockwood (aka Gary Mitchell) starred as The Lieutenant in Gene Roddenberry’s debut series about a U.S. Marine Corps officer serving during peace time.

This week, Mike and Max examine an episode which features numerous Trek cast and crew members (including Leonard Nimoy) in an attempt to determine what the series on the whole was like. We discuss what makes The Lieutenant different from other military shows, how those differences reflect Roddenberry’s world view, how the Vietnam War killed the show, what the similarities are between The Lieutenant and Star Trek, and how the failure of The Lieutenant may have shaped Star Trek into the show it would eventually become. We also examine the landscape of television in the early ’60s and debate whether or not “Mitchell” is the best episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

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Hosts

Mike Shindler and Max Hegel

 

Chapters

Introduction to The Lieutenant
Star Trek Directors and The Lieutenant
Roddenberry and TV of the Era
Did The Lieutenant Lead to Star Trek?

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