Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Jonathan Frakes has got involved with a new sci-fi series which touts itself as the "first community-developed TV series". Frakes has directed an upcoming latest episode of the Current TV series Bar Karma (and cast his wife as a guest star). Watch behind the scenes video below, plus find out how you can submit online questions for Frakes.
Frakes directs for ‘community-developed’ sci-fi series "Bar Karma"
Bar Karma is a new sci-fi show on Current TV which premiered February 11th. The series is about a bar (known as "Bar Karma"). Here is the official synopsis:
Notoriously lucky billionaire Doug Jones wins Bar Karma on a bet. He soon learns that ownership includes more than pouring the perfect cocktail – a lot more. Every happy hour one lost soul wanders through the bar’s doors, finding themselves at a karmic crossroads in his or her life. The Bar Karma staff guides their patrons using eerie glimpses into the past, present and many possible futures. What would happen if you could change your fate? That’s the question Bar Karma sets out to answer. The show may begin with "a guy walks into a bar…" but Bar Karma always ends with someone’s life being changed…forever.
Jonathan Frakes has just directed the 9th episode for the season "Three Times A Lady", which will air in April. Here are a couple of behind the scenes videos with Frakes.
Frakes also cast his wife Genie Francis as the guest star in his episode, which airs next Friday .
Image from "Bar Karma" episode "Three Times A Lady" with Jonathan Frakes’ wife Genie Francis (2nd from right)
Ask Frakes!
The show calls itself "the first community-developed television series" where viewers pitch their ideas online (something Trek fans have dreamed of for decades). Current describes the process thusly:
Harnessing innovative technology from the mind of video game legend Will Wright and storytelling expertise from television hitmaker Albie Hecht, Bar Karma will revolutionize the way TV is made.
And that’s by including you in the creative process.
Utilizing Will Wright’s StoryMaker Engine, you decide the creative direction for Bar Karma, the first community-developed television series. Impress the Bar Karma producers and community with your suggestions, and your name just might end up in the credits.
Our characters may help decide the fate of others, but you decide theirs.
It’s not reality television; it’s real television made by real people.
As part of that community oriented spirit, Current TV is offering fans the opportunity to ask Jonathan Frakes questions. You can submit questions on the official blog, via twitter, or on Facebook. More info on how to submit at the official site: CLICK HERE. Questions must be submitted by Friday, April 1 at 5PM (EST.)
Bar Karma airs Fridays at 10PM on Current TV.
Cool concept! I’ll have to check this out.
Well. I do not get Current Tv. To bad. I love the Concept. I wish Trek was that way. Lol.
Didn’t the TNG writing staff have an open submission policy for awhile? Too bad more shows aren’t like that, but the lawyers and agents would probably riot if they did.
There are many many terrible ideas there on the Storymaker app. Only 127 initial “cards” and most of them are junk. Maybe they cleared out some of the good ones?
There is a reason why tv shows and movies use professional writers instead of relying on you and I. :-)
Just think, if an episode sucks, you really can blame it on the fans!!
Doesn’t say much about a show when the producers are asking fans for their ideas. I see a lot of dumb story ideas on this site alone, and that is without a new Trek series going on. Shows hire people who have gone to school and who have learned a thing or two about writing a script. Coming up with the idea is only ten percent of what makes great entertainment. The other ninety percent comes from being able to articulate those ideas in a logical and sensible manner, an ability and talent that 99.9% of fans/people most definitely lack.
You want WRITERS to write, NOT FANS. I know that Bob Orci is a fan of “Star Trek”, but he’s a writer FIRST, fan SECOND because his work on “Star Trek” is a small part of his career.
I’ve not seen this show, but the premise sounds sort of like “Fantasy Island”, where the guest stars lives are transformed by episode’s end.
#7
Ever go fishing?
It’s that 0.1% of talent the producers are looking for—presumably. Agents and editors who are apart of the normal channels of the entertainment and publishing industries go through slush piles of story submissions all the livelong day and are still able to select the most talented writers without the world coming to an end.
Remember, before he was Ronald D. Moore… he was just Ron Moore, struggling screenwriter looking to get his script read by anyone. Thankfully, that anyone was Michael Piller.
Watching farpoint the other day i wonder if Picard was supposed to have been based on Pike and Riker on Kirk originally.
What’s SF about the Bar Karma concept? Sounds more like Fantasy or mystery.
Sadly, it’s on Al Gore’s propaganda network… I can’t in good conscience pay money for that garbage.
@ 3 Vultan
My understanding is that DS9 had an open submission for spec scripts. That stopped at a later date. I forgot when it did. I’m trying to recall whether there were legal forms to sign. Regardless there are legal issues with any open submission process. That’s life. No matter where the idea comes from, there should be payment and credit. I wonder how the Writers Guild of America feels about this. Maybe Current TV has already addressed it.
I’m glad for Jonathan Frakes. As for Current TV, I just checked out the website and found out that Time Warner carries it. And a well known pundit is going to be on it. I’m going to check it out.
I met Jonathan Frakes at the EmeraldCity Comiccon. Great guy, spent a good amount of time with each fan. Very impressed, even more so because Riker was my favorite TNG era character. Got his autograph on a photo my dad and I took with him. Was really funny watching his interaction with Brent Spiner and Bruce Boxleitner. Really cool stuff. Would have been awesome to have the same amount of interaction with Shatner, but it was understandable because of the large amount of folks who were waiting to see him. I did get him to sign my 1st print hardcover copy of The Return, so no biggy
TREK was one of the few shows that had an open submissions policy, limited to two scripts per writer. Ronald D. Moore got his start that way, if I recall, bringing a script in when he took a tour of the sets.
“Bar Karma” sounds a lot like another bar – Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon. I wonder if Spider Robinson is aware that he’s got knock-offs out there?
@ #14
That “barely known” pundit should be the absolute last reason to check out Current.
I stumbled into BAR KARMA on a Friday night and was so trapped by it I can’t get out! Turned out it was the first episode and I haven’t missed one yet. Didn’t know I had CURRENT TV and never heard of it. Don’t care which wacko’s are part of it. I love BAR KARMA!
@ 12, 17 DDG
I’ve seen parts of the network I don’t conisder “The Killing Fields” an excellent film or “The Rotten Tomatoes” a film cirticism show to be propaganda. So there’s some political content. So what? I hope that didn’t stop you from watching Avatar, a film with in your face liberal ideas, which was produced by Fox. And speaking of Fox, Fox News is even worse in that it’s explicit proaganda for the right wing. Try getting some liberal content or anything not conservative on Fox News. Hey, it’s your right not to like anyone that has anything to do with Currrent. But if I want to see Keith Olbermann, who is a Trekker, then I will. That doesn’t make me a bad person. Just remember what Spock would say “infinite diviersity in infinite combinations.”
Hey Deflector: Look up WIll Wright’s political donations. He’s a hardcore Republican who gave tons of money to John McCain. Now will you watch?