I was wondering if anyone has heard anything about part 1. I thought I'd read that it was targeted for Halloween... just wonderin'... no pressure...
The episode is coming along nicely. I think we're hoping to have Part 1 released by the end of November--but we haven't set a release date. Of course, it's not just a matter of having the episode completed, but we need to have all the internet delivery mechanisms up to the task, too, ready to handle what will probably be incredibly high volumes of viewers. Greg Schnitzer Star Trek Phase II
It has, admittedly, been quite a while since our last episode "World Enough and Time" was released in August of last year. We have been trying to put out an episode a year, which is about all we can muster since we all have real lives and we just do this stuff in our "spare time." That being said, "Blood and Fire" is going to be a two-parter: two hours worth of Trek (or something "Trek-like" at any rate, for those who haven't bought into our productions). The challenge for us is that we didn't want to put out Part 1 in one year and then have Part 2 come out a year later. We wanted both halves to be done (relatively) simulatenously. So we're trying to knock out two hours worth of Trek instead of just one--and that means it's taking a bit longer than our usual amount of time. Thankfully, it hasn't taken two years--just a year and a quarter. In the meantime, we have already shot another full hour episode "Enemy: Starfleet" back in June, and we shot yet another full episode "The Child" in October. So we've ramped up our production a bit and we are shooting these things more often than once a year now. The real killer is all the post-production work. That's taking a real long time and as you can see, that's where our episodes are starting to backup. I think that's where we need to improve our throughput. But now I've gone and put on my Producer hat. Sorry--but thanks for reading. Greg Schnitzer Co-Executive Producer Star Trek Phase II
Thanks. I think it will indeed be worth the wait. For some, the wait to get his episode made has been very long indeed. For those who don't know, "Blood and Fire" (written by "Trouble with Tribbles" writer David Gerrold) was written as a Next Generation episode back in 1987. The episode was never produced--mostly because of a single contoversial line. At Phase II, we thought the controversy was all the more of a reason to get the episode made--not a reason to quash the episode. (I think we're a bunch of iconoclasts: if Star Trek isn't ruffling someone's feathers, it isn't true Star Trek.) So, David Gerrold (and Carlos Pedraza) tweaked the episode to change it from a Picard-era to a Kirk-era story--and then David himself directed it. Add into the mix Denise Crosby--who guest stars in the episode as a character named "Dr. Jenna Yar," and we'll probably have a fine episode. We were hoping for a Halloween realese but it just didn't happen. The "monsters" in this episode are pretty disgusting and kill rather gruesomely, so this episode is a bit more of a "horror" episode than we've seen in the past. We've screened unfinished cuts at some recent conventions. Even in an unfinished state, the laughs from the audience are hearty, the gasps genuine, the tears and weeping profound and touching. I'm enormously proud to have my name on it. And I think the whole team is eager to get this thing in front of you all. It'll be here soon. I'm sure we'll be announcing its release date shortly. Greg Schnitzer Co-Executive Producer Star Trek Phase II
I know enough about the backstory behind why "Blood and Fire" didn't get made twenty-one years ago to realize what an emotional journey this must have been for David Gerrold, but I had no idea that he was the director of the Phase II version... now I REALLY can't wait to see this!
Some may not realize that Gerrold also rewrote "Blood and Fire" into a very, very good Star Wolf novel called, not surprisingly, "Blood and Fire." I believe it's out of print, but can probably be found pretty easily online. To further complicate things, his Star Wolf adaption of B&F was originally written as a TV screenplay when he was trying to sell that franchise as a television series. So the Phase II script is actually the third version of B&F that Gerrold has written - one for TNG, one for Star Wolf and now one for Phase II. I'll be curious to see how the new adaption compares to the previous versions!
Yes, it was David's first time directing anything, but he's been in The Business long enough that it seemed like old hat. It was a fun but greuling twelve-day shoot. It was certainly a labor of love for David--and a labor of love for everyone involved. After a 21-year gestation, it was probably a great relief for him to finally see this thing born. We gave him free reign to do or say what he wanted in the episode with no editorial interference from us, so he was "unchained" in a way that I think he hadn't been before. The results are, in many ways, True Star Trek--truer and edgier than Star Trek has been for decades. I think the episode will be worth the wait. Greg Schnitzer Star Trek Phase II
“Blood and Fire: part One”, will be released on December 20, 2008 as a holiday gift to fans. The fourth episode completed by Star Trek: New Voyages, and the first produced under the Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II moniker, “Blood and Fire” was written by Carlos Pedraza and David Gerrold, based on an original TNG script by David Gerrold. The horrific story finds a battle damaged Enterprise caught between an incurable contagion that threatens to overrun the galaxy, the pull of a dying star, and Klingons poised to attack. Like all of the best Star Trek episodes, “Blood and Fire” finds the Enterprise crew facing their own human fears and failings as they have to weigh the costs and decide how much personal risk to take in order to save the people around them. Gerrold wrote the story of contagion as a metaphor for the AIDS pandemic and the episode is dedicated to the gifted Star Trek alumni the world has lost to the disease: William Ware Thesis, Mike Minor and Merritt Butrick. It was also Gerrold’s intention to challenge the apathy of the public regarding the small sacrifice, yet far reaching power, of blood donations. Based on an original TNG script that was shelved because of the mention of a gay crewman aboard the Enterprise, “Blood and Fire” for Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II honors Gene Roddenberry’s vision of a non-judgmental future with the inclusion of a gay couple as part of the principle action of the story. David Gerrold directed the episode which features guest stars Denise Crosby (“Tasha Yar” from TNG), Bill Blair and Evan Fowler; and reintroduces the character of Captain Kirk’s nephew, Peter, played by Bobby Rice. The anticipated release of the conclusion “Blood and Fire: Part Two”, episode 5, is expected in the near future. Happy Holidays! James Cawley
The only thing that I don't quite get is that the character Bobby Rice plays is Peter Kirk, Captain Kirk's nephew. Will there be any explanation for how he appeared to age 15 years or so between the season 1 TOS episode "Operation: Annihilate!" and "Blood and Fire", which takes place only four years later (give or take)?
I believe he contracted a severe case of "Little Rickyitis." Apparently it's pandemic in the 24th Century.