Larry Nemecek’s “On Speaker” series celebrates Voyager’s 20th Anniversary with a new release

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Longtime Trek author Larry Nemecek (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion,  Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library) is releasing the fourth volume in his “On Speaker” audio series in celebration of Voyager‘s 20th anniversary.

TREKLAND: On Speaker is an ongoing series of audio recordings culled from the thousands of hours of audio interviews Nemecek has conducted over the decades.  Previous volumes have covered TNG and DS9, and now, on it’s 20th anniversary, it’s Voyager‘s turn.

From the press release:

Twenty years ago, 1995 saw the launch of Star Trek: Voyager as the franchise’s return to network television, headed by the first-ever female lead captain in Star Trek history.

And now, Star Trek author/producer Larry Nemecek digs deep into his 500+ hours of longform interviews on analog tape to return to 1994 and 1995 and his long extended conversations with those who built Voyager.

The result is the fourth volume in his TREKLAND: On Speaker series, “Voyager’s Premiere: Taking Care of ‘Caretaker.’ “

“These are not sound bites and quickie blurbs for TV, but extended, 60 or 90 minutes interviews at season’s end that have now been digitized and remastered, “ Nemecek explained.

“And, of course, it’s all from the producers, writers and designers who really made the creative decisions behind the moments fans love—far more than even the cast. In long extended clips that have never been heard before in public.”

Making their debuts “On Speaker” for Vol. 4 are co-creator/executive producer Jeri Taylor, the godmother of the Janeway character, and Emmy-winning production designer Richard James. There’s also director Winrich “Rick” Kolbe and visual effects Emmy winning producer Dan Curry.

The audio recording comes on a compact disc with extensive liner notes, photos, and an introduction from Nemecek himself.  The disc costs $21.99, postage included,  and is available through Nemecek’s site, larrynemecek.com, or at Larry’s table during his many convention appearances.   He is also more than happy to sign copies, either through mail or in person.

More information and images from the set can be found here.

 

 

 

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Voyager was a pretty good show. I prefer it over DS9.

I liked Voyager too. I might even put it in second place in the Trek series, ahead of the Next Generation.

I’ll buy the DS9 Blu-rays, if they ever come out, just to keep the Blu-rays coming for Voyager.

Perhaps listening to Voyager would be better than watching that rather lame entry on the Trek franchise…I have not doubt this fine audio production is better and more interesting that the show itself.

Again, I liked Voyager. At least it had likeable characters. On Next Generations, everyone just seemed so pompous. he only character I liked was Yar and she got killed off early.

“Riker, why was that boy who saves our ass on every other show on the bridge again?”

“I don’t know captain. He kept saying he had something to tell me I had to hear, so I sent him to his quarters.”

“Lieutenant, place a guard on his quarters and make sure he doesn’t go to engineering to solve our engine problems.”

And Deep Space Nine. They wanted to make it darker so they turned the lights down.

Loved that Voyager featured a female captain and a central crew with heavy minority contingent; hated that the plots so quickly devolved into the “race against time” plots they used again and again and ….

I think DS9 is actually neck and neck with TNG in my book, after TOS of course. I’m really strange in the fandom bc I also really like Enterprise. Except of course shoving the minority characters into the background, using denty foreheads on the Romulans, and the many odd scenes of T’Pol in the most illogical pajamas! I’m sure the guys enjoyed them though ;-)

@5

On the contrary, Marja, I would have preferred seeing T’Pol without pajamas!

Voyager is my number 1 favourite show after TOS, I was too young to appreciate TNG and DS9, because in the mid 90’s it was cheesy as f**k, i was with voyager from the beginning all the way to the bitter end, but I own all 5 series on DVD and blu ray now.

@ Martin

Are you freaking serious?

‘voyager’- a show that promised so much and deliver little in the end.

the re set button spoiled what should have taken trek tv to a new level.

@8

Well I was about six years old in 93-94 I must have watched the bad episodes of TNG, but now I have them on blu ray I’m watching them all in order.

I loved TOS and all the film’s, I didn’t get into DS9 until season 5.
but I fell in love with voyager since it started, yeah i must be crazy.

And enterprise was ok it got better in the end.

thanks for the story,not a voyager fan,may well be worth it for a laugh or cry when you see or hear how much work was put in to mostly weak scripts and lack of an arch other than-are we there yet,the other cd sound like fun need to look into it thanks

Voyager had the benefit of the best captain since Jim Kirk, an interesting but under-utilized Vulcan and a fantastic, but totally mismanaged, premise. Sadly, it also had Beltane, sleepwalking through some of the worst acting since Gates McFadden. Watched the entire series during its initial run but haven’t revisited it since and have no desire to do so.

Voyager didnt do it for me. My least favorite trek series.

Zack Handlen did terrific TOS, TAS, TNG and DS9 reviews over at the AV Club. I was sad they had him stop after DS9. It would have been nest to look at Voyager with fresh-ish eyes.

I was frustrated by V and E because it seemed like the writers (and production staff) were sleepwalking through retreads of 7th season TNG episodes. I’m wondering if time has made them a bit more watchable.

Someone else may have asked this same question, but why is TrekMovie ignoring the release of Star Trek Renegades? It is streaming online but apparently doesn’t warrant a news article fro this site?

Regards.

Renegades is a poorly made piece of fan fiction that is getting soundly trashed by reviewers. Why does it need coverage?

Voyager was a show that SHOULD have been good. But it wasn’t. It completely failed to live up to its own premise and was incredibly cheesy. Plus, other than the Doctor, Tuvok and Seven, all of its characters were so poorly written and/or acted–particularly Chakotay, Janeway, Icheb and Kim. For me, it’s the worst of the six shows by a huge factor.

On an unrelated note, is anyone else having a LOT of trouble accessing TrekToday ever since they screwed up that site with its recent redesign? I keep giving up because it’s so damned slow now and so illogically designed. It can’t be just me having this problem.

@ Lostrod

Given Renegades stinks — at I have yet to hear one person who liked it — they probably don’t want to publish something that will seem like it’s a negative, “piling on” type of article.

@ Prodigal Son

Good or bad, it is still significant Star Trek news. Especially considering it may be the last appearance of Walter Koenig in the role of Chekov.

Regards.

Happy 49th anniversary Star Trek!

Let’s hope for a great 50th with a great movie. ;)

I am five of five and I love to see an Voyager- Borg movie, Voyager is the best !

Renegades is a minor footnote, nothing more–it’s just fanfic, and poorly made fanfic that is being universally panned, at that. I’d rather that not be what Koenig is remembered for, and I have a feeling he’d probably agree.

I don’t care what anyone says…….I loved Voyager. Was sad when that family was off the air.

I loved all the series and all the movies of the prime universe… I just enjoy the stories.

I loved Voyager. It had some dud episodes, just like all of them, but I loved it from the very first season. Couldn’t say that about TNG and DS9. I wish the writers had taken a few more risks than they did, but it was a different time for television back then. The Voyager premise would be quite different if they did it now on TV. Ron Moore went a bit too far, IMO, on Galactica, but too a lesser degree, what he would have done on Voyager would have been interesting.

Also love the Voyager re-launch novels, first by Christie Golden and now Kristen Beyer. Great reads.

47 years ago this week, the STAR TREK cast and crew were filming “Plato’s Stepchildren” with guest star Michael Dunn. As any Trekkie worth their weight in salt knows, this was the episode that brought about the first interracial kiss on network TV. It was a whole different world in 1968, but STAR TREK was determined to take us into the future. To learn about the conflict on the set during the filming of this historic episode:

http://www.thesearethevoyagesbooks.com/september-9-to-17-1968.html

also: On September 8, 1966, Star Trek premiered on NBC with “The Man Trap”:

http://www.thesearethevoyagesbooks.com/the-man-trap.html

LLAP

# 26. B Kramer – September 9, 2015

” 47 years ago this week, the STAR TREK cast and crew were filming “Plato’s Stepchildren” with guest star Michael Dunn. As any Trekkie worth their weight in salt knows, this was the episode that brought about the first interracial kiss on network TV.” — B Kramer

Why do Trek fans always seem to like to oversimplify things to the point that when they say them they lose all historical significance?

Anyone who watched I LOVE LUCY on network television knows that the kiss in PLATO’S STEPCHILDREN was NOT network television’s FIRST interracial kiss.

Don’t mean to dis you Dis, but I think it was referring to B & W kiss.

LLAP

# 28. B Kramer – September 9, 2015

” Don’t mean to dis you Dis, but I think it was referring to B & W kiss.” — B Kramer

Again, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Nancy Sinatra, in a calculated and rehearsed move, had done it prior.

Dis tell you what you say:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L14hBy0ODIw

@ B Kramer

Anyway I can I get a refund for spending 5 minutes of my life watching that video?

;-0

Last year, The Agony Booth did a well-researched analysis of what was and what was not TV’s first interracial kiss.

http://www.agonybooth.com/agonizer/TVs_First_Interracial_Kiss_Star_Trek.aspx

Interesting, thanks Adam.

LLAP

I have a post on NBC affiliate WLBT in the South back then in moderation.

Just to make things a little more convoluted:

I was looking at said Uhura/Kirk kiss clip again (Doesn’t the Spock – Chapel kiss count for anything? ;^):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDp1sAx09pg

When I spotted this comment there:

MerkinMuffly 2 months ago:
“Actually the 1st interracial sexy kiss took place back in 1962 and it was, believe it or not, old Bill Shatner again where he kisses an Asian girl on the TV show Naked City in 1962. I thought the girl was black at first, she could sure pass for it. Just look up NAKED CITY: WITHOUT STICK OR SWORD on youtube. The kiss is at the 12:35 mark.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5tmjus2eAU

Never underestimate Captain Kirk ;^)

LLAP

#32. Adam Bomb 1701 – September 10, 2015

Not sure what I typed that keeps triggering the moderobot’s ash canning but maybe if I break it up a bit.

Wiki P’s overview gives the flavor of what I’m typing about in regars to stations in the South’s antics:

https://tinyurl.com/q9aa3xn

Note: the White Supremacist, Lamar, controlled this NBC affiliate right through Trek’s original 3 year tour.

FWIW from my TV’s electronic guide CBS’ DECADES channel is featuring an episode of HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL today. In the past this was done in conjunction with mentioning Roddenberry as an historical figure of the time. For some reason this time they aren’t providing eguide info so it could be that or some other connection with today.