The celebration of the 50th is not good enough
- Thread starter Smoked Salmon
- Start date
Yes. The first Gunsmoke story was actually embroidered in the corner of the Bayeux Tapestry. Shire Reeve Mattheus de Leon is shown defending some meretrices from the savage Welshmen.
That about sums up my feelings. When ENT wrapped back in '05 I honestly thought Trek was done. Having a new series debut (which I am tentatively excited about) is the best 50th celebration I can think of.
Now if they would just reopen a Star Trek: The Experience anywhere....
Yes, but westerns have never really again achieved the popularity that they had in the 50s and 60s. There's been the odd success here and there, but they still haven't come back in a lasting way.
My brother and I watched on Saturday night when Svengoolie featured "The Cage". Don't forget, the showing also included an abridged version of the TAS epsiode "The Practical Joker"; got to fill out that two-hour timeslot.
If Deadwood had been set in Dodge City (and Bullock was Matt Dillon, and Trixie was Miss Kitty, and everyone else was renamed accordingly), it would've been the most amazing reboot of Gunsmoke ever.
What about the 50th anniversary of Mission: Impossible? Don't see any acknowledgement that this Saturday is anniversary of the first episode airing. It ran for seven seasons; that's something.
Martin Landau and Barbara Bain are still with us.
Martin Landau and Barbara Bain are still with us.
So I was at work the other day, wandering around Oxford Street and I saw the ST logo, flying through space on three separate ad screens. And I thought "Cool, someone remembered"
And then I saw that the ad screens were in the window of the MAC Cosmetic store. Apparently MAC have released an entire collection of ST related makeup for the anniversary.
Live Long & Sparkle apparently, inspired by Trek's powerful women.
Must admit, the last collaboration I would have thought of, given MAC's target demo is younger 20-somethings
Hugo - wonder if they have a full Orion body paint?
And then I saw that the ad screens were in the window of the MAC Cosmetic store. Apparently MAC have released an entire collection of ST related makeup for the anniversary.
Live Long & Sparkle apparently, inspired by Trek's powerful women.
Must admit, the last collaboration I would have thought of, given MAC's target demo is younger 20-somethings
Hugo - wonder if they have a full Orion body paint?
I was hoping for a parade. Not much. An Enterprise balloon. Marching Vulcan lyre players. A float with Rihanna singing "Beyond Antares". Red shirts in mini-skirts kicking in a chorus line. S*I*G*H. Oh, well.
BBC America ran seasons one and two of TOS remastered and uncut overnight (at least in the EDT time zone) over the weekend. Stumbled across that and lost some sleep. Bought all the commemorative magazines. The new Hallmark gold Enterprise ornament marking the 50th anniversary is out. It's a bit steep at $32 but very well made and worth it.
It's probably a good idea no specials or anything like that were run on TV. They'd have probably only perpetuated the mythology of the series, and I for one am through that phase. There almost certainly wouldn't have been anything new and it probably would've been cloyingly self-congratulatory. How many times can we hear the ML King story, how the space shuttle prototype got its name, the first interracial kiss story, how the communicator inspired the cell phone, the letter writing campaign that saved the show, that NBC execs wanted Gene to get rid of Spock, Roddenberry's vision, the growth of Trekkies, and all that? Been there, heard that, scoffed at some of it, and bought a few t-shirts.
I did pour myself a bourbon on the evening of September 8 and toasted Trek. "Here's to ya, lads," seemed an appropriate toast.
BBC America ran seasons one and two of TOS remastered and uncut overnight (at least in the EDT time zone) over the weekend. Stumbled across that and lost some sleep. Bought all the commemorative magazines. The new Hallmark gold Enterprise ornament marking the 50th anniversary is out. It's a bit steep at $32 but very well made and worth it.
It's probably a good idea no specials or anything like that were run on TV. They'd have probably only perpetuated the mythology of the series, and I for one am through that phase. There almost certainly wouldn't have been anything new and it probably would've been cloyingly self-congratulatory. How many times can we hear the ML King story, how the space shuttle prototype got its name, the first interracial kiss story, how the communicator inspired the cell phone, the letter writing campaign that saved the show, that NBC execs wanted Gene to get rid of Spock, Roddenberry's vision, the growth of Trekkies, and all that? Been there, heard that, scoffed at some of it, and bought a few t-shirts.
I did pour myself a bourbon on the evening of September 8 and toasted Trek. "Here's to ya, lads," seemed an appropriate toast.
Thats pretty much how I feel. I have no clue what happened for the 30th in the US, but in the UK there was so much it was embarrassing. A special on tech, a special on legacy, a special on music, and more with one finishing off with a 'church of Trek' and full choir signing the Roddenberry lyrics.
It was enough to make you hide in shame the next day. And now all these little 'facts' are everywhere to the point where I only check the lists of "top ten things you never knew about..." to see how obviously well known they are :/
this year was rather pleasant. All the local and national places had their nods of appreciation - various BBC outlets had friends of mine on to talk Trek, I was on late night TV rambling on, the news ran a few stories and Sky was eager to get involved. Nothing over the top, nothing going too far - but a clear acknowledgement of the landmark and move on.
I sadly only managed a few beers and one episode. But.... it was a good episode!
A more appropriate drink than burbon or beer would be something unlabelled and green 
I get the complaint that the specials there are are too repetitive and hagiographaphic. The one I did see (building Star Trek) definitely fit into that description. I guess when I'm saying I wished for more specials I'm asking for a more complete, less glowing look at the series and it's impacts, which I recognize is asking too much and you have to go to books for something like that.
Even a special looking at something different - like a full special following the reconstruction of the Enterprise (think any reality show from the last decade in the building / restoring model, but hopefully withless interpersonal drama) would have worked nicely.
I get the complaint that the specials there are are too repetitive and hagiographaphic. The one I did see (building Star Trek) definitely fit into that description. I guess when I'm saying I wished for more specials I'm asking for a more complete, less glowing look at the series and it's impacts, which I recognize is asking too much and you have to go to books for something like that.
Even a special looking at something different - like a full special following the reconstruction of the Enterprise (think any reality show from the last decade in the building / restoring model, but hopefully withless interpersonal drama) would have worked nicely.
I'd prefer something in a mug.
The special on Star Trek music sounds interesting.
Maybe if it's about the music of TOS or the music of the first ten movies. The other TV shows, while they had decent theme tunes composed for them, were certainly lacking regarding the incidental music in the episodes. And the Abrams movies' music is so obnoxiously repetitive.
That's what I assume it would be about. They might take a moment to acknowledge the "musical wallpaper" approach as well....
They showed that here as well.
I admit - I changed channels around half way through. Somewhere around the boasting about Nimoy's fanmail, and Uhura being labelled 'arguably the most groundbreaking character on American television.' There was more of the overly familiar 'fluff', than content on the actual 'building.'
It was intriguing, in a way. It wasn't about the music of the show as much as it was about music from the actors. So it introduced me to Bilbo Baggins and a couple of Shatner tracks. I'm not sure if thats a good or bad thing
The only one I can find online is The Star Trek story:
^ Narrated by Paul McGann, a few guests thrown in, usual stories and convention stuff and ending with a singalong. There was stuff on that entire evening, but the BBC had Trek on their air at the time - two series ongoing and a movie in the cinema with the original series not long closed down with Generations.
Oh dear - NOT what I was hoping for.It was intriguing, in a way. It wasn't about the music of the show as much as it was about music from the actors. So it introduced me to Bilbo Baggins and a couple of Shatner tracks. I'm not sure if thats a good or bad thing
Oh dear - NOT what I was hoping for.
Me either. But it was 1996, that was the era of "Watch everything and buy all the toys!"
I had a bunch of it still on VHS until I opted to finally give in to DVD and get rid of them all about 8 years ago.
