Scott Bakula loves Star Trek

[eyeresist]

http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/?file=Star_Trek_Fan_Census_-_Scott_Bakula

It's great to hear Scott talk about his love of Star Trek, and his happiness at scoring the role of Captain. And he's still happy to talk about it too!

 

[2takesfrakes]

He had a very unusual opportunity within STAR TREK and I suspect it wasn't something he would've said "no" to. It was a starring role, for one thing, he was playing lead, even at an age where most leads in a series were much younger. He's also set for life, if his acting career ever ends up in the toilet, he can always autograph various knick-knacks, photographs and body parts at Trekkie Conventions to make a comfortable living. He also fit in well with the rest of the cast and everybody got along. He didn't really have anything to complain about in terms of the actual job, itself. Maybe some of the writing was shite, or more could've been done to promote the show, that sort of thing ... but he got to leave his mark, once again, on Science Fiction.

 

[eyeresist]

And in the long run he'll be better remembered for ENT than for NCIS New Orleans.
Say what you will about sf fans, we have long memories.

 

[2takesfrakes]

If all there ever was in STAR TREK was the classic series, then I don't know ... yes, everybody knows Mister Spock and how Captain Kirk always gets The Girl, and stuff ... but I don't expect it would've come to much, had it not been for the Gene Roddenberry/Rick Berman combination. With Rick, especially, it became endless and ongoing and, as a prequel, ENT really seemed to embody that. We go forward, we go back. Yeah, teens whose fathers weren't even born when the first STAR TREK was around are debating the significance of Kirk's green shirt. It's quite a phenomenon ...

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

The significance of Kirk's green shirt:

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

I best show some respect goddamn.

 

[eyeresist]

Unfortunately that green wrap has the opposite of a slimming effect. Though he probably would have looked worse in the blue ENT overalls. You have to be really narrow to pull those off.

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

Unfortunately that green wrap has the opposite of a slimming effect. Though he probably would have looked worse in the blue ENT overalls. You have to be really narrow to pull those off.

Which is why Bakula looked so fine in his ENT uniform.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

When I was a kid the first time I saw the green wrap I felt like Kirk had gone up a notch in his handsome hotness.

 

[Willow]

Unfortunately that green wrap has the opposite of a slimming effect. Though he probably would have looked worse in the blue ENT overalls. You have to be really narrow to pull those off.

Which is why Bakula looked so fine in his ENT uniform.

Agreed! ALL the men looked fine in those ENT uniforms. Heck, even the WOMEN looked fine! (I preferred T'Pol in the Starfleet uniform over the catsuit)

 

[Tosk]

And in the long run he'll be better remembered for ENT than for NCIS New Orleans.
Say what you will about sf fans, we have long memories.

Dr. Sam Beckett forever!

 

[gblews]

If all there ever was in STAR TREK was the classic series, then I don't know ... yes, everybody knows Mister Spock and how Captain Kirk always gets The Girl, and stuff ... but I don't expect it would've come to much, had it not been for the Gene Roddenberry/Rick Berman combination. With Rick, especially, it became endless and ongoing and, as a prequel, ENT really seemed to embody that.

The Trek franchise was humming along nicely more than 10 years after TOS was cancelled and before any significant involvement with Rick Berman, and would have likely spawned multiple TV shows, again, without Rick Berman. The franchise was that popular at the time.

 

[Keith1701]

http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/?file=Star_Trek_Fan_Census_-_Scott_Bakula

It's great to hear Scott talk about his love of Star Trek, and his happiness at scoring the role of Captain. And he's still happy to talk about it too!

I'm really glad that he feels that way, and so do I and have been since I was 6 years old.

 

[2takesfrakes]

The Trek franchise was humming along nicely more than 10 years after TOS was cancelled and before any significant involvement with Rick Berman, and would have likely spawned multiple TV shows, again, without Rick Berman. The franchise was that popular at the time.

Gene Roddenberry AND Rick Berman are both Men whom I greatly admire for their contributions towards keeping STAR TREK alive. Otherwise, what would we have, really? Fan Films and Convention appearances. I mean ... Rick has stated again and again, year after year, that he was trying to keep Gene Roddenberry's vision of STAR TREK as an integral part of the show. He had/has a tremendous amount of resepct for Roddenberry and he's never made a secret of it. If Gene could've always kept STAR TREK alive without Rick's involvement ... hey ... that's great! It's nothing to me. But Rick was very actively involved with all of STAR TREK after TOS and he made something wonderful.

 

[gblews]

If all there ever was in STAR TREK was the classic series, then I don't know ... yes, everybody knows Mister Spock and how Captain Kirk always gets The Girl, and stuff ... but I don't expect it would've come to much, had it not been for the Gene Roddenberry/Rick Berman combination. With Rick, especially, it became endless and ongoing and, as a prequel, ENT really seemed to embody that.

The Trek franchise was humming along nicely more than 10 years after TOS was cancelled and before any significant involvement with Rick Berman, and would have likely spawned multiple TV shows, again, without Rick Berman. The franchise was that popular at the time.

The Trek franchise was humming along nicely more than 10 years after TOS was cancelled and before any significant involvement with Rick Berman, and would have likely spawned multiple TV shows, again, without Rick Berman. The franchise was that popular at the time.

Gene Roddenberry AND Rick Berman are both Men whom I greatly admire for their contributions towards keeping STAR TREK alive. Otherwise, what would we have, really? Fan Films and Convention appearances. I mean ... Rick has stated again and again, year after year, that he was trying to keep Gene Roddenberry's vision of STAR TREK as an integral part of the show. He had/has a tremendous amount of resepct for Roddenberry and he's never made a secret of it. If Gene could've always kept STAR TREK alive without Rick's involvement ... hey ... that's great! It's nothing to me. But Rick was very actively involved with all of STAR TREK after TOS and he made something wonderful.

Attempting to put Rick Berman on the same level of importance to the Trek franchise as Gene Rodenberry is like saying that LeBron James and Tristan Thomas "combined" to score 41 points last night to beat the Warrior. LeBron had 39 while Thomas had 2.

I give people like Michael Piller, Geri Taylor, Ron Moore, among others as much credit as I give Berman. Those writer/producers did much to give TNG, Voy, and DS9, their individual styles which made each to those shows popular among the fans. TNG fans do love their Bernan and TaTV.

Berman and Braga did do a good job on First Contact but you know, blind pig...meet truffle.

 

[2takesfrakes]

It is only the mediocre student who does not surpass his master. It can truly be said that Rick Berman surpassed Gene Roddenberry ...

An Executive Producer is to a television series what the Director is to a movie, so Rick was definitely holding STAR TREK's reins ... and for decades. Yes, he chose very talented people to write, to direct, to star ... but at the end of the day, it was Rick's call. Only the mediocre are always at their best. And the quality of every series did fluctuate a little. Certainly the ratings gradually declined, overall, but he'd had a good run. As to me - specifically - liking the ENT episode "These Are the Voyages," that's very true, I enjoyed it and I still enjoy it. Had I been given the episode, with the direction that Riker & Troi HAD to be a part of it, I would not have done it as presented.

Having Frakes and Marina as gauzed in versions of their former selves was hardly appropriate. I would've made damn sure to present them as their then-current ages. Now, of course, I'd want Frakes and Marina to look good, or at least their best for this one. But they'd be their age and I don't know ... maybe use Daniels as the reason they were included in this adventure. I'm not prepared with an alternative version right now, and besides ... what's the point? What we got was entertaining popcorn fare. And FIRST CONTACT was, at the time of its initial release, the closest thing the franchise had ever had to a breakout movie. That's all Jonathan Frakes, right there ... with a cup of help from Rick Berman and his série télévisée entourage.

 

[gblews]

It is only the mediocre student who does not surpass his master. It can truly be said that Rick Berman surpassed Gene Roddenberry ...

An Executive Producer is to a television series what the Director is to a movie, so Rick was definitely holding STAR TREK's reins ... and for decades. Yes, he chose very talented people to write, to direct, to star ... but at the end of the day, it was Rick's call. Only the mediocre are always at their best. And the quality of every series did fluctuate a little. Certainly the ratings gradually declined, overall, but he'd had a good run. As to me - specifically - liking the ENT episode "These Are the Voyages," that's very true, I enjoyed it and I still enjoy it. Had I been given the episode, with the direction that Riker & Troi HAD to be a part of it, I would not have done it as presented.

We disagree. The franchise flourished after Rodenberry died despite Berman's involvement.

Having Frakes and Marina as gauzed in versions of their former selves was hardly appropriate. I would've made damn sure to present them as their then-current ages. Now, of course, I'd want Frakes and Marina to look good, or at least their best for this one. But they'd be their age and I don't know ... maybe use Daniels as the reason they were included in this adventure. I'm not prepared with an alternative version right now, and besides ... what's the point? What we got was entertaining popcorn fare. And FIRST CONTACT was, at the time of its initial release, the closest thing the franchise had ever had to a breakout movie. That's all Jonathan Frakes, right there ... with a cup of help from Rick Berman and his série télévisée entourage.

We disagree. Had it been my call neither Marina or Frakes would have been in the episode since their presence made no sense and only contributed to the muck.

 

[2takesfrakes]

One thing I'm confident that we do agree on is that - not unlike Scott Bakula - we too, love STAR TREK. And it's interesting to see a STAR TREK actor with those kinds of sentiments, when it's not really required. I mean, Shatner's never professed "loving" STAR TREK, but he certainly felt entitlement regarding the Captain Kirk character and he was allowed to feel that, well into old age. Even now, of course, they're talking about him appearing in STAR TREK (3). And he's come out with - of his own accord - Shatnerverse STAR TREK novels, with co-writers and stuff like that. He's never wandered too far off. But he's not a TREKKIE and that's fine. Scott, though, he's got great affection for this franchise, just as Whoopie Goldberg did/does - and just as we do.

 

[Cyke101]

I feel like Bakula knew what he was getting into when he signed on. He was in a pretty unique case in that it was secure for a Captain starting out: Patrick Stewart was in uncharted territory with a revival (and pretty intense fan backlash), Avery Brooks as the lead of a spinoff, and Kate Mulgrew was headlining a network's flagship show (MAJOR feat right there). Bakula saw something safe, a brand name with tons of recognition, and something he was clearly familiar and affectionate with. All good things.

On the network's side, they needed someone seasoned with a good background and star power. He was roughly the same age as the other spinoff Captains, and like Brooks and Mulgrew, Bakula was a respected TV veteran in his own right, and definitely the biggest name to start as Captain.

And the show itself was purposely created as a prequel so that it would be informed by TOS, in effect influenced by the history of television before it. And Bakula cites that very influence in the video on himself; it just matches the premise of the show well.

Say what you will about the show, but I do feel like this was a good example of network and actor being just right for each other.

(Now the handling of the character is something else, but I don't blame Bakula for it at all. He seems like a good and friendly professional who knew what he needed to do to get the job done.).

 

[gblews]

One thing I'm confident that we do agree on is that - not unlike Scott Bakula - we too, love STAR TREK. And it's interesting to see a STAR TREK actor with those kinds of sentiments, when it's not really required. I mean, Shatner's never professed "loving" STAR TREK, but he certainly felt entitlement regarding the Captain Kirk character and he was allowed to feel that, well into old age. .

Agreed. When it comes to advocacy of the Trek franchise, not to mention championing Ent, there is no comparison between Scott and Shat. Shat has always appeared to me to be out for what he can get, Trek be damned.

Among Trek actors, Scott, along with the late (and always great) Leonard Nimoy, and perhaps one or two others, were and are, may be Trek's greatest spokesmen. +