Primitive Culture: A Star Trek History and Culture Podcast - 59: A Safe Pair of Hands?

59: A Safe Pair of Hands?

06/26/19 • 85 min

Primitive Culture: A Star Trek History and Culture Podcast

Stuart Baird and Star Trek: Nemesis.

The lowest-grossing of the Star Trek films, 2002’s outing by The Next Generation crew—Star Trek: Nemesis—was the first installment to open below number one at the box office. Losing out on the top spot to the Jennifer Lopez rom-com Maid in Manhattan may seem bad, the fourth TNG trip to the cinema performed so poorly that it proved to be their last. In fact, it killed off Star Trek’s silver screen prospects for more than half a decade.

For years, many fans have blamed the failures of Nemesis—both commercially and critically—on its director, Stuart Baird. Better known for his work as an Academy Award-winning editor than for his three less lauded directorial outings, Baird apparently had minimal interest in the Star Trek franchise. This is said to have been true both before and, perhaps more surprisingly, during the making of the film. But is it fair to lay all the blame squarely at the feet of its director?

In this episode of Primitive Culture, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Dr. Chris Nunn, a lecturer in film at the University of Greenwich in London, to take a fresh look at Nemesis in relation to Baird’s two other Hollywood movies: Executive Decision and U.S. Marshals. Will an examination of the director’s previous work change the longstanding view among Star Trek fans that Braid broke the odd-numbered curse for all the wrong reasons? Is it right to blame one man for a broth that had plenty of cooks around to spoil it? And, most importantly, is Nemesis really as bad as it’s cracked up to be?

Chapters The Presence of Time (00:01:25) New Beginnings (00:12:16) Baird to the Bridge (00:22:26) Khan Revisited (00:37:20) Post-Nemesis (00:58:20) Meanwhile, in a Parallel Universe ... (01:05:00)

Host Duncan Barrett

Guest Chris Nunn

Production Duncan Barrett (Editor) Duncan Barrett (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Stuart Baird and Star Trek: Nemesis.

Chapters The Presence of Time (00:01:25) New Beginnings (00:12:16) Baird to the Bridge (00:22:26) Khan Revisited (00:37:20) Post-Nemesis (00:58:20) Meanwhile, in a Parallel Universe ... (01:05:00)

Host Duncan Barrett

Guest Chris Nunn

Previous Episode

58: Eating Our Own Tail

Star Trek and Fan Service.

When Brannon Braga and Rick Berman wrote the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005, they intended it as a “valentine” for the fans who had stuck with the franchise since The Next Generation debuted in 1987. Surely, they reasoned, the inclusion of TNG favorites Will Riker and Deanna Troi would be the perfect way to close the book on 18 years of continuous TV production. Sadly, “These Are The Voyages” fell flat. The gesture proved far from successful, interpreted as not so much a token of reciprocal love as a misguided effort from an unwanted admirer.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, host Duncan Barrett is joined by the show’s co-founder, Tony Black, to talk about the charms—and the perils—of fan service in Star Trek. We look at some of the highs, such as the beloved 30th Anniversary celebration “Trials and Tribble-ations”, as well as the lows, and try to pick apart what makes them succeed or fail in the eyes of fans. In particular, we focus on the inclusion of TOS characters in the second season of Star Trek: Discovery and the recent rise of petitions from unsatisfied fans directed at TV creators. And, we consider the boundary between successful fan service and what Brannon Braga dismissively referred to as “continuity pornography.”

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Fan Petitions (00:07:20) Anniversary Episodes (00:25:45) Online Encounters (00:44:25) Poor Service? (00:50:15) “Sarek” and “Blood Oath” (01:04:07) “In A Mirror Darkly” (01:18:47)

Host Duncan Barrett Guest Tony Black Production Tony Black (Editor) Duncan Barrett (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

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60: Musical Chairs

Cast Changes in Star Trek.

When Star Trek’s original pilot, “The Cage,” was rejected by NBC, Gene Roddenberry was forced to rethink the acting lineup for his new show. Jeffrey Hunter’s Christopher Pike was out, replaced by the more charismatic William Shatner as James T. Kirk. Gone, too, was Roddenberry’s partner, Majel Barrett, leaving Leonard Nimoy as the only cast member to survive the recasting process. It was the first in a series of periodic reshuffles that have marked the franchise throughout its long history, many the result of bitter behind-the-scenes disputes between actors and producers. Most recently, the Deep Space Nine documentary What We Left Behind has shone a light on the circumstances surrounding Terry Farrell’s abrupt departure from the show at the end of its penultimate season—a subject that is clearly emotive for those involved, even more than 20 years later.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, recorded live in London following the first public screening of the Deep Space Nine documentary, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Carlos Miranda, Drew Barker, and Andy Poulastides to discuss Star Trek’s reshuffling of personnel in front of the camera. We consider the introduction of Worf to DS9 and Seven of Nine to Voyager with the goal of boosting viewing figures, the abrupt departures of Gates McFadden from The Next Generation, Terry Farrell’s exit from DS9 and Jennifer Lien’s Voyager farewell, and the ways in which modern TV sensibilities—in the wake of shows such as The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones—have upended long-held assumptions about the longevity of series regulars.