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While many people remember actor, comedian, producer, and studio executive Lucille Ball for her time playing wacky housewife Lucy Ricardo on the classic CBS sitcom "I Love Lucy," she also played a massive role in shaping the future of television behind-the-scenes. Along with her then-husband, Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball created the television production company Desilu, which would produce a number of shows throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including "I Love Lucy," "The Untouchables," "Mission: Impossible," "The Lucy Show," "Star Trek," and "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse," which had an episode that ended up serving as the pilot episode of the TV classic "The Twilight Zone." Many of the shows were developed under Ball's guidance alone, as she and Arnaz divorced in 1960 and in 1962 she bought him out and became sole president of the company. 

During her tenure as president of Desilu, Lucille Ball championed "Star Trek" time and again. She allegedly helped...

Unless you're cast in one of the animated shows, being an actor in the "Star Trek" universe means you're probably going to wear some truly uncomfortable costumes over the course of your career. The super tight spandex onesies that appeared in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" were apparently painful as well as awkward, and Jeri Ryan has never been shy about how much she hated wearing her Seven of Nine costume on "Star Trek: Voyager." For many years on the "Star Trek" original series, the women wore miniskirts while the men wore tunics and pants. Sure, there were episodes where the men were put into much more revealing costumes, but for the most part only the ladies showed leg unless there were some seriously silly away team shenanigans going on.

While some might have found the miniskirts to be too revealing or uncomfortable, there was one actor who was actually...

Making a Superman movie that’s relevant in today’s world is a tough job. However, James Gunn makes it look easy with how wonderfully the director understood the character and embraced originality over everything.

Sure, there were some relevant themes in James Gunn’s Superman, but the director did it subtly without using too much spotlight on it. Superman expert Edward Gross spoke to Collider about the genius of James Gunn and how the director tackled the issue of Superman’s alleged corniness and being relevant in a morally gray world.

I think the important thing is, we kind of [moved] away from that optimism, that hope, that sort of thing, and James Gunn embraced it. Everyone says it’s a challenge to write Superman, to adapt Superman, to make Superman relevant in the modern world.

He continued,

But I look at this world, and I think what this movie...

With James Gunn's 2025 release of Superman appearing on every multiplex and in every corner of the internet, the superhero franchise has accomplished the revival that Gunn as well as Peter Safran, co-ceo of DC Studios, were seeking. However, previous iterations of the character will not be forgotten. Some have become cemented in pop culture, and Zack Snyder's rendering of Superman is undoubtedly one of them. While the internet keeps trying to create a Gunn-Snyder clash, there are others indulging in a more valuable discussion. Some actually have a more objective take on what makes each Superman better. They are the experts Edward Gross and Robert Greenberger, the specialists who have shared their opinion about Snyder's highly controversial depiction of the Man of Steel.

Gross and Greenberger are the authors of Superman: The Definitive History, an extensive book that looks back at the history of the iconic superhero...

Although previously known for his work writing and directing all three Guardians of the Galaxymovies under the MCU banner, James Gunn’s latest project may go on to be his most important. Gunn is the sole writer and director of Superman, the first movie in the new Dcu after the Dceu concluded with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. In addition to writing and directing movies and TV shows, Gunn is also the co-ceo of the newly formed DC Studios with Peter Safran — Gunn controls the creative side of things while Safran makes the business decisions.

Collider’s Chris McPherson recently caught up with Superman experts Robert Greenberger and Edward Gross — who co-wrote the 400+ page Superman: The Definitive History — to talk about the release of James Gunn’s new Dcu movie. He asked what the most challenging part of adapting Superman is, be it on the big or small screen, live-action or animation,...

Few movies this year have had as many differing opinions as James Gunn’s Superman, but after the film earned strong scores of 83% from critics and 93% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, one could argue that most of the negative reviews are coming from a vocal minority. The film has earned praise from many fans and critics as being the most faithful adaptation of Superman since Christopher Reeve first portrayed the character in the Richard Donner-directed films. However, in the midst of all the praise, there have been some legitimate complaints about the film, which gets a lot of things right but still misses the mark on a few angles.

Collider’s Chris McPherson recently caught up with Superman experts Robert Greenberger and Edward Gross — who co-wrote the 400+ page Superman: The Definitive History — to chat about the release of James Gunn’s debut Dcu film. While both expressed their satisfaction...

James Gunn’s Superman is now playing in theaters everywhere, and from the time the film was announced, the comparisons to Man of Steel were inevitable. Gunn made it clear from the early days of Superman’s development that Henry Cavill was not going to be back as Superman, and that he had his own vision for the character he wanted to unpack on the big screen, not piggyback on Zack Snyder’s. Things are certainly off to a good start for Gunn’s Superman, which holds “certified fresh” and “verified hot” scores of 83% from critics and 93% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes — universally higher than Man of Steel.

Collider’s Chris McPherson recently caught up with Superman experts Edward Gross and Robert Greenberger, the authors of Superman: The Definitive History, a comprehensive 400+ page exploration of the character’s 85-year history. He asked if they believe one of the founding principles...

As James Gunn’sSuperman rockets its way to more box office glory, the online noise has been louder than ever, with not all of it good. Right-wing pundits and social media grifters have seized on the film’s grounded international themes and its portrayal of Superman as an immigrant, labeling it “SuperWoke” with little awareness of the character’s actual history. But not everyone is buying the outrage. In a recent conversation with Collider, authors Edward Gross and Robert Greenberger — who co-wrote the 400+ page Superman: The Definitive History — had some strong words for those distorting the hero’s message for clicks. Asked about Boravia, the fictional war-torn country that appears in Gunn’s film, and whether its use might be a deliberate political metaphor, Greenberger explained how it fits squarely within Superman tradition:

“Call it what you will, as someone who’s been involved with fictional countries, going again back...

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This story must begin with a prologue. Way back in 1989, TV guru J. Michael Straczynski had brought his idea for "Babylon 5" to Paramount, hoping the studio would produce it and turn it into a full-blown sci-fi show. He presented Paramount with a series bible, character bios, artwork, and even 22 brief story ideas that he intended to write for the show. The series was set in the mid-23rd century aboard a space station that was located in a neutral part of space. Many aliens would pass through, and the show's main characters, part of a peacekeeping military-like organization, had to tackle all the natural intrigue of being in that position. Paramount turned down "Babylon 5," but Straczynski ended up selling his pitch to Warner Bros. a few years later.

In a suspicious piece of timing, though, Paramount announced --...

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Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) was an excellent character on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Because he was the chief engineer on the USS Enterprise-d, Burton was given the bulk of the show's trademark technobabble, often talking about subspace manifolds, phase inducers, and the state of the structural integrity field. Technobabble was vital on the series, as it allowed viewers to envision how complicated a vehicle the Enterprise actually was, implying that its navigation required hundreds of people overseeing dozens and dozens of systems. Its complexity made the Enterprise feel more realistic, and, dare I say, plausible.

At the center of it, Geordi wasn't just a master of the Enterprise's engine systems, but he was a nerd about it. He loved machines and complicated technical systems, eager to use his ingenuity to solve complicated engineering problems. All of...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Charisma Carpenter shares her candid thoughts about returning as Cordelia after the character's controversial death. It was confirmed in early February that Hulu greenlit a pilot order for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot. Sarah Michelle Gellar will recur, reprising her iconic role as Buffy Summers, though the focus will turn to a new slayer. Oscar-winning Nomadland director Chloé Zhao will direct the pilot, with Poker Face showrunners Lilla and Nora Zuckerman writing the script. The project has not been picked up yet, although audiences are wondering which original cast members might return.

According to Collider, while speaking at the Indiana Comic-Con over the weekend, Carpenter touched on the possibility of returning as Cordelia. The actor, an original cast member for the first three seasons of Buffy, before moving on to the spinoff Angel, acknowledged that the Hulu pilot is still in its early stages.

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In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Enemy", the Enterprise investigates a crashed Romulan vessel on a radioactive, storm-wracked planet called Galorndon Core. Several Enterprise crew-members are able to beam down and rescue one Romulan survivor, but the storms and radiation prevent everyone from returning. Geordi (LeVar Burton) is left behind, as is a second Romulan survivor named Bochra (John Snyder). At first, the injured Bochra claims Geordi as his hostage, but Geordi explains that the radiation will soon make them sick and that it would be wiser for them to work together to escape. 

The bulk of "The Enemy" is devoted to their rescue. Up in orbit, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) has to do some clever negotiating with a Romulan Commander (Andrea Katsulas), while Geordi and Bochra find ways to survive below. It's an okay episode. 

It seems,...

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Throughout "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) wore a Visor on duty. It was explained early in the series that Geordi was born blind thanks to a birth defect, so he requires a specialized appliance to see. Hence, Geordi was given a series of small electronic implants in his temples, which reached into the visual cortex of his brain. The Visor would then hook onto the implants and feed visual information directly into his brain, effectively bypassing his missing optic nerves.

The fact that "The Next Generation" had a disabled main character was a boon for representation, and the show's writers never made his disability the central part of a storyline. Geordi's blindness was wholly incidental, so his Visor became a mere detail in his costume. It was much more notable that Geordi was...

Despite being nominated for three Academy Awards, Star Trek: The Motion Picture wasn't a fan favorite film. Though the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series were reunited onscreen for the first time in ten years, the movie wasn't the best it could have been for some fans. There were criticisms about the characters and how most of their time was spent staring at a screen. That was a concern for the actors, too.

In The Fifty Year Mission The First Twenty-Five Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, DeForest Kelley was quoted as saying "the characterizations were not there." He was worried about what this would mean to the film, and so were William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. So the actors chose to intervene.

Kelley said "We had to put up a great fight. I think anyone will tell you that if the actors hadn't fought like hell to reestablish those relationships,...

The following contains light spoilers for Star Trek: Section 31, currently streaming on Paramount+.

There is no studio franchise like Star Trek in terms of its longevity and capacity for storytelling. First created by Gene Roddenberry in 1964, the first series took two years (and two pilot episodes) to debut on television. The most recent release, Star Trek: Section 31, is wildly different from anything that came before it, and as a fan for more than four decades, I believe it's just what this universe needs.

Section 31 is different by design. It tells a story set far outside the reach of the Federation and centers on a motley crew of misfits and outsiders tasked with saving the galaxy. Some have compared it to Star Wars or Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. While the film doesn't "feel like" traditional Star Trek, I'd argue it doesn't feel like anything else either. Fresh characters...

For many modern science-fiction fans, you may know Ronald D. Moore from his works on the Apple+ series, "For All Mankind". Yet, for fans of a certain age, you may remember Moore's work on Star Trek. He's often seen as one of the best writers the franchise ever had. Yet, between the current Apple+ series, and his work on Star Trek, Moore rebooted the maligned 1970s and 1980s series, Battlestar Galactica.

Moore helmed the show, which got picked up by SyFy first as a limited-run mini-series, and then later as a full-fledged show. While the show fell off heading into the fourth and final season, it still remains one of the most consistent, thought-provoking and incredible science-fiction series to date.

Yet, not everyone was a fan of the show, or more specifically, the changes Moore made to the series. According to the book "So Say We All: The Complete, Uncensored,...

It's no secret that it took a lot of back and forths to get Star Trek: The Motion Picture greenlit. Originally, it was going to be a series [Phase II], but after Star Wars came out and was so successful at the box office, there was sudden interest in making a big screen Star Trek.

Academy Award winning director Robert Wise, who'd previously directed West Side Story and The Sound of Music, was chosen as the director, and this brought confusion to some of the parties involved. Although Jon Povill, the associate producer said "everyone was pretty much thrilled at the prospect of working with Robert Wise," Richard Taylor, who supervised the storyboarding for The Motion Picture, was also reported in The Fifty Year Mission The First Twenty-Five Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman as saying "I don't think he was ever very enthusiastic at all about directing this movie.

"All Good Things," the finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation after seven seasons, followed Captain Jean-Luc Picard [Patrick Stewart] as he time-traveled through various parts of his life, some of which never happened. From his first mission at Farpoint to a dissolved marriage with Dr. Beverly Crusher [Gates McFadden], which we never got to see, the finale went by far too fast. There was a lot to pack in to wrap up seven seasons of a show that had garnered a dedicated fan following.

Initially, though, Captain Picard was going to traverse through a fourth time period, which was "Best of Both Worlds," bringing him back to the most horrid part of his life when he was assimiliated as a Borg. According to Brannon Braga [recorded in Captains' Logs The Unauthorized Complete Star Trek Voyages by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross], the finale was going to play out part of "Best of Both Worlds" where Hugh [nm0215336 autoJonathan Del Arco...

Star Trek: The Next Generation started getting better after its rough start in season one. Most shows do have some bumpy starts, but The Next Generation had to overcome some fairly ill-conceived scripts and the fact that fans of Star Trek: The Original Series weren't happy about a "new" Star Trek. In fact, many declared that wouldn't watch it since the show didn't include Captain Kirk [William Shatner] or any of the original cast from Tos. But The Next Generation persevered, and by its third season, scripts had improved in quality, and the series had found its fan base. And that fan base was vocal when it saw something they didn't like.

In the third season episode of The Next Generation, "Menage a Trois," Riker [Jonathan Frakes], Troi [Marina Sirtis], and her mother are kidnapped by the Ferengi. Lwaxanna [Majel Barrett Roddenberry] is wanted for her telepathic powers, and what...

When Star Trek: The Original Series was brought back as Star Trek: The Animated Series, there were a lot of changes. Walter Koenig was left out of the series, there was a different alien on the bridge besides just Mr. Spock, and the animation was mediocre at best, to name a few. Those changes didn't stop the series from delivering some pretty stand-out episodes like "Yesteryear" when Spock has to go back in time to save his younger self.

The Animated Series aired for twenty-two episodes between September 8, 1973 to October 12, 1974, with those counting as two seasons. And though the ratings were high, the show didn't reach its targeted demographic.

Gene Roddenberry's son, Rod Roddenberry, wasn't too impressed at the idea of the series initially and, according to a quote recorded in The Fifty Year Mission The First 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, he "dismissed it as nonsense without ever seeing it.

In the years since he was first cast as Starfleet officer William T. Riker on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Jonathan Frakes has become an integral part of the "Star Trek" franchise not only as an actor but also as a director, shaping things behind-the-scenes. Back when the role was being cast in the late 1980s, however, Frakes wasn't the first pick for the roguishly handsome first officer. In fact, he was actually up against some other very talented performers.

In the end, though, it all worked out and Frakes ended up playing the guy who simply cannot sit in a chair the way it was designed (as "Star Trek: Lower Decks" once poked fun at). Still, things could have been very different on "The Next Generation" if one of the other actors in the running had secured the part. In fact, the person who almost took the role and...

Gene Roddenberry and NBC parted ways before the third season of Star Trek: The Original Series began, and Fred Freiberger was brought on board as the producer. Unfortunately, the third season wasn't the series' best, mainly because of a much tighter budget, which restricted the sets that could be built and the aliens that could be created. The ratings weren't there because NBC shoved the show into a Friday night time slot which would have spelled death for any series. Still, when The Original Series was cancelled after three season, Freiberger took the blame.

In a previous interview that was included in The Fifty Year Mission The First 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, Freiberger said that he was the "target of vicious and unfair attacks." Writer David Gerrold said "everybody disliked Freiberger intensely," but the producer went on to say that the fans he met at conventions always treated him with courtesy.

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The Crystalline Entity first appeared in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Datalore", and it served as an overwhelming force of nature that the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise didn't know how to deal with. It was massive in scale and required great deals of energy to stay alive, energy it acquired by eating entire planets of life. It would extend a beam down to a planet's surface and essentially suck up and obliterate anything alive below. The Entity was an indifferent force of faceless destruction, and many Trekkies have compared it to Moby-Dick in that regard. It's not evil, but merely unaware that its consumption habits have the capability of ending entire civilizations. 

In "Datalore," the Entity had been weaponized by Lore (Brent Spiner), the "evil twin" of the android Data (also Spiner). It seems that...

Superman & Lois season 4 concept art pieces reveal Jordan and Jonathan Kent with new Superboy costumes for the final season of the DC TV drama.

A new listing on Amazon for Superman: The Definitive History by Edward Gross and Robert Greenberger provides several previews for the book on Superman's live-action media. Thanks to a preview from the seller, two concept art pieces were revealed, focusing on Jordan and Jonathan donning their own Superboy costumes. Whether or not these are the final looks for Superman & Lois season 4 remain to be seen, as The CW and Warner Bros. TV haven't revealed them in new photos for the final season.

Source: Superman: The Definitive History (via Amazon)...

David A. Goodman wrote The Autobiography of James T. Kirk (2015), The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard (2017), and The Autobiography of Mr. Spock (2020). He has been been a dedicated fan of Star Trek, having also written for Star Trek: Enterprise, and he was responsible for bringing Seth MacFarlane aboard the Enterprise for a brief role. [via Trekmovie] It's safe to say that there isn't much he doesn't love about Star Trek, and his love hearkens back to The Original Series because of its originality.

The Fifty-Year Mission The First Twenty-Five Years by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross included a quote from Goodman who spoke about how Star Trek stands the test of time essentially. And, though a big fan of The Next Generation, Goodman had some strong thoughts about the differences in the series.

In a certain way, Next Generation, as big a fan as I am of it, pales in comparison to the original series,...

William Shatner has spoken before about the tough times he went through after the cancellation of Star Trek: The Original Series. Walter Koenig, too, has said that the phone just wasn't ringing afterwards. But the ending of the series affected more than the actors as The Fifty-Year Mission The First 25 Years by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross revealed in an older quote from Gene Roddenberry.

After the series was cancelled, Roddenberry admitted that he had some tough times. He saw his dreams "going downhill" as he coudln't get work. Though he'd written other genres besides science fiction before The Original Series debuted, he was dubbed a "science fiction" writer so the work just wasn't coming.

Roddenberry spoke at colleges to the devoted fans, and with the first one, he said he "felt lucky to net the four or five hundred dollars that they paid me." At times, it was...

When Star Trek came back for its second wave of series, the producers avoided hiring "fans." However, one fan who wanted to write for the series essentially sneaked onto the Paramount lot with a spec script and walked away with a job. Ronald D. Moore proved that fans of Star Trek were just what the series needed, and he went on to write some of the best episodes in the entire franchise. The era of Star Trek that started with The Next Generation and ended with Enterprise took a lot of work to make happen.

The universe was in active production for 18 years, and for seven of them, the crew had to produce 52 hours of television in about 10 months. Ronald D. Moore has worked with many writers, such as Naren Shankar, Brannon Braga and Rene Echevarria. They produced incredible episodes like the The Next Generation series finale, Deep Space Nine...

Many Trekkies tuned into the original "Star Trek" because of the careful, perfect balance between its three lead characters. On one side, there was Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who lived without emotions and devoted his life to logic. He was a being of intellect and reason. An Apollonian figure. Opposite Spock was Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), who lived according to passion, anger, and outrage. He was a being of emotion and instinct. A Dionysian figure. Then, in between them, you had Captain Kirk (William Shatner), a being of judiciousness, authority, and balance. He was a command figure who could synthesize both the intellect and the body. Spock, McCoy, and Kirk, briefly, provided a mind-body-soul triune.

When "Star Trek: The Next Generation" launched in 1987, the well-worn "Star Trek" triune was studiously avoided. For his new show, creator Gene Roddenberry wanted a better-rounded dynamic across a larger ensemble cast. Instead of a show...

One of the central tenets of "Star Trek," as anyone might be able to tell you, is the Prime Directive. Federation starships may galavant around the galaxy at the discretion of Starfleet, but it's not the Wild West. When a Starfleet vessel comes across an alien world that hasn't yet developed faster-than-light travel, for instance, they are forbidden from interacting with them at all. An alien species, by Starfleet's philosophy, must be ready to enter the intergalactic community by their own travel innovations before they can be made aware of the existence of aliens. This stems from the Prime Directive, which forbids Starfleet from interfering with any world's natural development.

The Prime Directive also forbids Starfleet from making any major societal changes to any world. If, for instance, the Federation were to give widespread replicator technology to a planet that hadn't ever seen the technology before, it would dramatically alter their society,...

Roddenberry's vision for Star Trek evolved over time, with Tng having more restrictive rules for writers. Despite changes to the specifics of his fictional universe, Roddenberry's optimistic view of humanity shines through in all Star Trek series. Modern Star Trek shows continue to honor Roddenberry's core ideals of optimism and hope for the future.

Gene Roddenberry's original vision for Star Trek continues to define the franchise almost 60 years after the premiere of The Original Series. 30 years after Gene Roddenberry's death, new Star Trek TV shows are often criticized for straying from his original vision. However, what these critics often forget is that Gene Roddenberry's opinions about what constituted "proper" Star Trek could turn on a dime. So, rather than ask whether modern Star Trek shows live up to Gene's vision, we should really ask which version of Gene's vision that the modern era is supposed to be following.

Looking...

The early seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation were troubled, but still have some of the series' best episodes. In "A Matter of Honor," Will Riker spends time serving on a Klingon vessel and has his loyalty tested. The episode actually proved therapeutic for director Rob Bowman who was going through personal trauma at the time.

One of the hallmarks of Star Trek storytelling is how the science-fiction universe allows for allegory about real-life issues. However, for one episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the spacefaring adventure setting allowed for a more personal application of real-world trauma to manifest on the screen. In Star Trek: The Next Generation's Season 2 episode, "A Matter of Honor," director Rob Bowman's divorce helped him bring the aggressive Klingons to life.

"A Matter of Honor" sees Commander Will Riker participating in an officer-exchange program with a Klingon vessel. At this point in the timeline,...

When Gene Roddenberry was writing the series Bible for "Star Trek: The Next Generation" back in 1986, he had several strict rules that writers had to follow. Most frustrating of these rules -- sometimes just called the Roddenberry Rule -- was that no episodes could center on the show's main characters having personal disagreements. In Roddenberry's view, all the workers on a Federation starship had to get along, or at least responded to each other with nothing less than 100% authentic professional courtesy. Writers hated the Roddenberry Rule, as they felt the best way to generate drama was by inventing interpersonal conflict. By deliberately taking away interpersonal conflict, Roddenberry was creatively hamstringing them. 

Roddenberry also wanted "Next Generation" to be a cleaner, purer version of the original "Star Trek" he launched 20 years earlier. He wanted to be wholly in charge this time, and dictate every minutiae of the series. This often caused...

Like their titular characters, Angel was Buffy’s older counterpart. The spin-off, which turns 25 this year, took its parent show’s supernatural lore out of a school setting and into the big, bad city. While bright, cheery Sunnydale provided an ironic contrast to the demonic action in its shadows, Los Angeles was its shadows. As Angel’s running joke goes, the city was a sordid hotbed of evil and monstrous behaviour even before the Satanic cults and vampires got a look-in.

There is, however, a line, and in its second ever episode, Angel crossed it.

After the pilot introduced the vision-afflicted Doyle, re-introduced Buffy character Cordelia, and set up Angel Investigations’ “We Help the Helpless” premise, it was time to set the show’s adult tone and shake off Buffy’s residual cheerleader vibes. How better to do that than with an episode about crack addiction and sex work?

“Corrupt...

After "Star Trek" was canceled in 1969, show creator Gene Roddenberry was dismayed. The series was hard-fought, but the ratings were never stellar during its initial run. Indeed, CBS was going to cancel the show at the end of its second season, but a massive letter-writing campaign kept it going for another year. "Star Trek," as most Trekkies know, didn't really its massive audience for a few years, after the series had been put into eternal syndication. Only then did fans start flocking to the show in earnest. It wouldn't be until 1972 that the first "Star Trek" convention would be held.

Roddenberry wasn't content to rest on his growing laurels, however, and tried out a few projects in the early 1970s, hoping to further explore his sci-fi interests. He loved to preach a philosophy of pacifism, as well as larger sci-fi themes about humanity's place in the cosmos. In 1973, he created "Genesis II,...

If Star Trek is a representative of the sci-fi space genre, Sir Patrick Stewart is its face. Stewart’s role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard has established him as a revered figure among Trekkies worldwide, but there’s something about the character that bugs even the most stalwart of them.

Jean-Luc Picard and his crew| Paramount

In Star Trek: The Next Generations, Picard has been vehemently described as French. However, we see him speak English with a perfect British accent. Why is that?

Jean-Luc Picard might actually be speaking French

Jean-Luc Picard’s choice of language has always been a bit of a mystery to fans. Though many would assume the accent we hear on the show might be the result of his education and constant practice, or his parents moving to the UK from France in his early years, there’s one more theory that uses a Star Trek element to explain the issue.

Numerous Trekkies were heavily disappointed when Brent Spiner’s Data faced his end in Star Trek: Nemesis. Fans were united on the point that a character like him deserved a more respectable death. Interestingly, the makers had a more bizarre plan to show the character’s end even before Nemesis in the ninth film Star Trek: Insurrection.

Data in Star Trek: Insurrection | Paramount Pictures

After the massive popularity of Star Trek: The Next Generation series, the makers decided to give four theatrical flicks to Patrick Stewart and his co-stars. Among the four films, Star Trek: Insurrection is often counted as the worst one on the list. However, the writers of the film later revealed that their initial plans for the film were much different and darker than what we saw in the final cut.

Why was Star Trek: Insurrection‘s story changed?

A still from Star Trek: Insurrection | Paramount Pictures...

The character of Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" belongs to a species called the Trill. Many Trills are capable of conjoining with long-lived, surgically implanted, worm-like symbionts that live in their abdomens. The symbionts get passed from host to host during their lifetimes, sharing a consciousness with each one. Dax is partially a 22-year-old woman, but, thanks to her symbiont, also possesses the memories and personalities of seven previous hosts, including — most recently — a rowdy old man named Curzon. Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) was friends with Curzon and was thrilled to meet Jadzia, the next incarnation in his friend's life. He affectionately called her "old man."

When "Deep Space Nine" began, the writers focused heavily on Dax's relationship with the young, idealistic Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig), an insufferably flirt. Dr. Bashir would frequently proposition Dax, and she, with the patience of a centuries-old sage, would rebuff him.

The Star Trek franchise has grown exponentially over the years and audiences have seen the franchise evolve in many ways to mixed results. The original series and The Next Generation remain the peak of the franchise which saw the birth of many iconic characters like Jean-Luc Picard and William Ryker played by Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes.

A still from Star Trek: The Next Generation | Paramount Domestic Television

However, The Next Generation had to go through some initial struggles in its first two seasons as the show was finding its footing. One of the episodes from the second season was written by Tracy Tormé. However, he became frustrated with the constant rewrites done to the episode without his input and thus disowned it.

One Integral Writer of The Next Generation Had Abandoned An Entire Episode

The Royale (from Star Trek: The Next Generation) had a completely different treatment | Paramount Television...

Leonard Nimoy almost quit playing Spock due to frustration playing an emotionless character, but eventually embraced the role. Nimoy had struggles with creator Gene Roddenberry, nearly being replaced and even considering leaving the role multiple times. Despite his tumultuous history with the character, Nimoy fully embraced his role as Spock and left a lasting legacy in the iconic role.

Since airing on September 8, 1966, with the episode "The Man Trap," Star Trek: The Original Series helped cement Star Trek as one of the most successful and fan-favorite TV series ever. The original cast of the USS Enterprise certainly left their mark, with Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner, in particular, launched into stardom as Captain Kirk and Spock. It is hard to think of the greatest characters in the expansive franchise and not discuss either of the actors. However, Leonard Nimoy's experience as Spock was varied, with notable problems throughout. Still, and lesser known,...

When the Borg were first introduced on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (in the 1989 episode "Q Who"), they were terrifying. Clearly inspired by the works of H.R. Giger, the Borg sported tubes, servos, wires, and ineffable black machinery sprouting from their bodies. The Borg were made up of other species that had been kidnapped and assimilated into their collective, their minds wiped and replaced with a singular, terrifying machine consciousness. The Borg traversed space in outsized cube-shaped vessels, likewise crisscrossed with wires and ducts. They only had one goal: to grow. As Q (John de Lancie) described them, the Borg are the ultimate users. They look out at the universe and emotionlessly see nothing but raw materials to expand with.

The Borg returned periodically throughout "Next Generation," becoming one of the show's more impressive antagonists. The race of soulless machine people proved to be a great villain.

Naturally, when "Next Generation" moved into feature films,...

In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Captain's Holiday", Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) was forced to take a vacation on the sexed-up beach resort planet of Risa where his impishly playful crew hoped he would have a drink, get laid, and return to the job less stern and more relaxed. Picard, a studious and intellectual fellow, would have been more content drinking tea and reading James Joyce's "Ulysses" in a dark room. 

Luckily, Risa proves to be more exciting than Picard realized. He had no interest in beach shenanigans, but he did fall into the company of the utterly dazzling Indiana-Jone-type adventurer Vash (Jennifer Hetrick), a roguish tomb raider. Picard and Vash end up having to protect a rare, powerful artifact from time-traveling Vorgons, and fall in lust as a result. Picard returns to the Enterprise more relaxed and with a new romantic interest in the back of his mind.

Star Trek: Generations aimed to honor the franchise's past while paving the way for the future, bringing iconic characters together. William Shatner's regret over Captain Kirk's death scene stems from his final line portrayal, not the decision to include it. Star Trek: Generations marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new one, providing fans with more time with their hero.

Thirty years ago, Star Trek was ready to boldly go from Star Trek: The Original Series era of movies to make Star Trek: The Next Generation into the next film franchise. Still, in order to bring along the people who supported the six previous installments, they wanted to honor the past while paving the way for the future. The most significant moment was when William Shatner returned as Captain James T. Kirk just to die in 1994's Star Trek: Generations. The film didn't quite...

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 7 received critical acclaim and high ratings. The Next Generation's series finale, "All Good Things," is considered one of the best Star Trek episodes. Challenges faced during The Next Generation Season 7 led to character growth and excellent storytelling.

When Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted, it was a series that wasn't supposed to succeed. No sequel show ever ran longer than or surpassed the original in popularity before and is still a rarity. While fans will point to one of the middle seasons as the best of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a case can be made for Season 7, the final for the ensemble cast. The Next Generation could've gone past Season 7, but it might have had to do so without Captain Jean-Luc Picard, as Patrick Stewart was eager to move on. In fact, according to The Fifty-Year Mission by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman,...

Quick Links Creating the Vulcans in The Original Series Era of Star Trek The Vulcans Stay at Arm's Length During The Next Generation Era How Star Trek: Enterprise Reimagined the Vulcans and History With Humanity The Vulcans and Romulans Are Living In the Days of Futures Past

When Gene Roddenberry was first creating his "Wagon Train to the stars" in 1964, the Vulcans were the first alien species he created during development. Personified by Mister Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy), these logical humanoids were imagined with pointed ears, green blood and, most importantly, no emotions. However, Nimoy, other actors and writers all contributed behind the scenes to making Vulcans the most important aliens in Star Trek history. What's interesting about the Vulcans is that along with being a logical and scientific people, they are also deeply spiritual and ritualistic. This seems a bit like an incongruity, especially knowing how adamant Roddenberry was about humanism over religion.

In the "Star Trek" episode "The Enemy Within", Captain Kirk (William Shatner) beams up from the planet Alpha 177 covered in a mysterious magnetic dust. Unbeknownst to any of the Enterprise crew, the dust has fouled up the transporter and created a second Kirk inside its memory buffer. After Kirk leaves the room, the second Kirk materializes ... but displays an altered personality. It seems that Kirk has been bifurcated into a gentle version of himself and a cruel, aggressive version of himself. For much of "The Enemy Within," the Evil Kirk stalks around the halls of the U.S.S. Enterprise, startling the crew and accosting Yeoman Rand (Grace Lee Whitney). Gentle Kirk soon realizes that he needs his aggression back in order to be whole. Eventually, the two Kirks confront one another. 

"Star Trek" had a modest budget back in the day, and it certainly didn't have the resources to...

Before they were Professor Charles Xavier and Jean Grey in "X-Men," Patrick Stewart and Famke Janssen shared the screen on an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Stewart was, of course, the series lead, Enterprise-d Captain Jean-Luc Picard, while Janssen played Kamala, one of the many beautiful alien women on "Star Trek." Captain Kirk may be the famed womanizer, but Picard had his dalliances over the show's seven seasons -- Kamala included.

The episode is "The Perfect Mate," the 21st installment of the fifth season. Kamala is a Kriosian "metamorph," an empathetic being who can read their partners' feelings and adjust themselves to them. She's been betrothed to an ambassador from the neighboring world Valt, in hopes this will help end a conflict between the planets. As she travels on the Enterprise-d and works alongside Picard, they grow closer and closer.

Aired in 1992, this was Janssen's first role on television.

In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Perfect Mate," the U.S.S. Enterprise-d is tasked with transporting a Kriosian ambassador (Tim O'Conner) to an arranged peace ceremony with a species called the Valtians. As a peace offering, the Kriosians aim to deliver a mysterious, eight-foot pod to the Valtians. Thanks to the meddling of some traveling Ferengi, the pod is cracked open, revealing Kamala (Famke Janssen) to have been sealed inside. Kamala was roped into an arranged marriage with the Valtian ambassador, a humanoid gift to "sweeten the deal." She was being transported in stasis.

The reason for her stasis quickly becomes clear. Kamala is an "empathic metamorph," meaning she can sense the desires of the men in her vicinity and alter her personality to match what they might be attracted to. She also produces clouds of powerful pheromones, driving men wild with lust. Having her wander...

Quick Links The Romulans Were Created to Be Star Trek 'Romans' The Timeline of the Romulan Star Empire The Romulan Cold War and Joining Forces Against the Dominion The Destruction of Romulus Changed Star Trek Timelines

Some of the most mysterious villains in Star Trek are the Romulans, whose history with Earth dates back to before the time of Star Trek: The Original Series. The Romulans are depicted as an oppressive group with a militant culture and are arguably even less agreeable than the Klingons. Still, they have united in common cause with the Federation in some instances.

When Star Trek: Discovery advanced the timeline by 900-plus years, the Romulan Star Empire was no more. Their home planet, Romulus, was destroyed. Thanks to Spock's efforts to expose their culture to Vulcan logic, the Romulans found a new home on Ni'var, the renamed Vulcan homeworld. In fact, along with their distant,...

Star Trek: Voyager follows a familiar formula of sci-fi exploration, akin to The Original Series, focusing on episodic tales of unknown alien encounters. Commander Chakotay actor Robert Beltran critiques Voyager's lack of deeper serialization, missing the opportunity for more compelling storytelling. The routine bridge scenes criticized by Beltran are integral to Voyager's comforting appeal, following Star Trek's tradition of solving insurmountable problems.

Star Trek: Voyager's Commander Chakotay actor, Robert Beltran, has strong opinions about the problems with Voyager, but Beltran's issues seem to be rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of the type of show that Star Trek is in general, and that Voyager is in particular. Ever since Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek has used consistent dramatic convention to tell episodic tales of explorers seeking out new life and new civilizations. Tos created a blueprint that Star Trek: The Next Generation followed and improved upon, and...

12 2-part episodes of Star Trek: Voyager were feature-length adventures that embraced cinematic storytelling. The series introduced new adversaries like the Borg and the Hirogen through riveting 2-part episodes. Star Trek executive producer Brannon Braga aimed to make Voyager a big, expansive show with "high concept" ideas.

Every 2-part episode of Star Trek: Voyager was "great," says Star Trek executive producer Brannon Braga. Multi-part episodes were nothing new to Star Trek by the time Star Trek: Voyager aired. Star Trek: The Next Generation broke new ground with Tng season 3, episode 26, "The Best of Both Worlds", which aired the first part of a 2-part episode as a season finale cliffhanger, before airing the second half as the next season's premiere episode. Star Trek: Voyager continued the tradition started by Tng with its first cliffhanger ending in Voyager season 2, episode 26, "Basics".

In total, Star Trek: Voyager had twelve 2-part episodes, 4 of which were feature-length episodes,...