A year ago the independent fan production Star Trek New Voyages released their second episode “To Serve All My Days” featuring Walter Koenig reprising his role of Pavel Chekov. The episode was well received by the fan film community, but was also critiqued for not fully meeting the STNV goal of truly seeming like it was from the ‘4th season’ of Star Trek The Original Series. The STNV are now hard at work creating a new version of the episode to be released this Christmas which they call the ‘Night in 1969’ Edition. “We are making it feel like it came right from NBC in 1969,” executive producer James Cawley tells TrekMovie.com.
Playing like it was 1969
In essence the STNV are retrofitting their 2nd episode with the more TOS-like look and feel of their third episode “World Enough and Time” (which has been nominated for a TV Guide Online Video Award and got a quite favorable review here on TrekMovie.com). Primarily the team are going out of their way to remove all that was anachronistic to a 1969 TV show. Assisting Cawley in this effort are veteran Trek visual effects professionals Doug Drexler and Daren R. Dochterman. All the original visual effects (such as the appearance of the movie-era Klingon Bird of Prey) are being replaced with new more TOS-like digital effects. In addition the original music created for the episode is being replaced with genuine Original Series music. Although all the music will be from TOS, some was never released on soundtrack before. They are even going to add some period commercials to complete the 60s feel.
Re-edit and new ending
In addition to the music and effects, Cawley’s team is also re-editing the show. This includes some new scenes cut out as well as shortening other scenes. They have also added some new lines of dialog to make the episode make more sense in the Star Trek canon (based on issues brought up by some fans). “Overall the re-edit makes it work better and makes the performances much tighter,” says Cawley. Most interestingly they are going to make a change to the controversial ending of the episode. Cawley wouldn’t say what he changed except to say that it was going to be “a surprise.”
The ‘Night in 1969’ edition of “To Serve All My Days” will be released December 25, 2007 using the more robust Dragonfly/Verisign streaming system that was used for the ‘releaunch’ of “World Enough and Time.” The next episode “Blood and Fire” is in post-production and it looks like that it will come out in early 2008, but Cawley would not commit to a date. Production on the follow-up episode “Rest and Retaliation” is scheduled to start in March of 2008. Cawley still hopes to release it and possibly another episode during 2008. More on STNV at their official site.
New effects shot for the 1969 Edition of “To Serve All My Days”
Love their work! Fantastic. Only hope new movie is as good!
This will be a great Christmas present to the fans.
Was that only the second episode of STNV? Thought there were more.
Don’t worry about release dates. It’s always a pleasure whenever a new one is released. Amazing work.
So Chekov doesn’t die is my guess…fixing that black hole in continuity with the feature films.
I thought this “One Night in 1969” was gonna be put out on dvd??
I think 2007 style effects are fine as long as they avoid the “barrel roll” Enterprise shots, and the ridiculous “whipping tail” of the Doomsday machine. Keep things slow; otherwise it just looks like a video game.
Anyone know why Jeof Quin has left new voyages? i won’t judge the new spock they have too harshly as i havn’t yet seen him in action, but from what little you see in the trailor for the next episode, he doesn’t seem as good as Quin.
I love NV. But I must say I was baffled by this episode. Loved it, but was baffled. I look forward to a more “continuity”-based ending…
As for the Enterprise and its movements–I always figured that the E was capable of some pretty impressive evasive manuevers, due to it’s structural ingegrity field and inertial dampeners. How to make them look “right” on screen? That I don’t know. I’m just a fan :D
That hanger deck still looks pretty 21st century CGI to me. But I’ll reserve judgment until I see the final product.
Sorry… but until Cawley steps back, and lets someone other than himself play the part of Kirk… the “new voyages” will reek of fan-boy-ism. He’s a scrawney Elvis impersonator at best (he is NOT impressive!), and will never command the screen with the kind of presense that Kirk deserves.
If he truly wanted to honor the origainl series (which he doesn’t), he’d be diligently looking for someone to replace him in the role. But that’s not what he wants. He just want’s to play Kirk, because it’s his long time fantasy… despite his inabilty to pull it off. So sad… so very very sad.
I shed a tear for what could have been…
Ok…..I missed the prior episode with Chekov in it or why he would even be in another. Could someone please explain? It must be a good reason to support Chekov as he is now. The outright
contrast between him appearing so old and the Captain being young is laughable and stupid too.
Are they so hard up (in this episode) that they must use Chekov on the bridge where obviously
he’s portrayed in this episode as being so old that he should be in a wheelchair playing cards etc?
Thanks for the explanation.
I give Cawley LOTS of slack and credit.
We ALL have long-time fantasies. His is certainly no worse than anyone elses- and it’s a very productive one to boot.
Without him there would BE no NV.
The one thing I just couldn’t give him slack on was the ending of TSAMD.
Despite the crowd that says, “ooh, it’s just a stand-alone episode,” I could never accept it as working within the Trek universe at all in ANY way.
It wreaked of writer’s block. And the FX? A last-minute job that was BAD.
Glad Daren is on the case.
The music was ok though. That I don’t get.
The shows have always been a good effort.
All of the stories are top self.
And the sets are just awesome.
They always seem to nail the lighting & mood as well.
The Elvis Kirk grows on you.
The Spock, the Uhura & the Sulu are also good.
However both the McCoy & the Scotty
are so bad it throws the whole thing off in what
ever scene they are in.
Still I will always check this show out.
Long Live TOS!
Keep cranking them out.
By the way I really love the first one with Matt Decker
& the Movie Enterprise!
I think it’s the ending that really needs to be fixed. Improved effects are always welcome, but anyone who watched that episode the way it stood would naturally assume that Chekov had died. It is such an obvious thing to fix that I’m surprised that would have ever been released in that condition in the first place. I would also like to say that I really enjoy New Voyages. It is always a treat when a new episode comes out– and I am certainly looking forward to the Chekov refit, as well as the other new episodes being released. The one thing that I’m concerned about regarding Blood and Fire is the homosexual theme. My seven-year-old son and I always watch the episodes together, and I know that he will automatically want to see it. But for the first time ever, I’m not sure if a TOS episode of Star Trek will be suitable for him. I certainly don’t want him seeing two men in bed together, or anything like that.
I’m confused. Isn’t Doug Drexler “Max Rem”, whose superior shuttlecraft chase sequence visual effects seen in the trailer were dumped in favor the supposedly “more TOS-like” effects seen in the final product?
Funny, one year and these guys are already coming out with NV-R
Am I the only person who thinks all of these New Voyages have been terrible? Geez….
I really liked their Sulu episode, but this Chekov episode was a disappointment with laggard pacing and a weepy boring plotline that did not hold my interest. I’m glad they’ll be revisiting it.
As for the acting, it varies in quality as one would expect from any fan effort. But their latest episode shows that with some talented guest stars and time to hone the effects and plotline they are quite capable of producing a high-quality product.
Okay, long time lurker here.
First off, let’s give everyone associated with NV a big round of applause. These men and women have given of themselves time and time again purely out of love for Star Trek. Their most recent episode, “World Enough And Time” raised the bar on what we expect from them.
“To Serve All My Days” was clearly rushed into completion, and I’m looking forward to the makeover, and I’m looking forward to “Blood And Fire”, since I first expected to see it twenty years ago- remember, it was Gene Roddenberry who nixed its filming in season one of Next Generation.
And, let’s be honest, does anyone here think Paramount would be doing a TOS-era film if not for the success New Voyages has had? There have been hundreds of thousands downloads of their shows, which proved to the suits that people still hunger for adventures of NCC-1701.
So Cawley’s acting isn’t perfect- for the sheer amount of time and money he has put into this, he damn well deserves to play whatever role he chooses.
#9
Wow dude, I guess you showed him with your internet badassery.
Seriously, these are fan films and taking a big old dump on a guy who has worked so hard and brought so much talent to the screen with no compensation for himself is not cool. Seriously not cool. It’s people like you that gives fans a bad name.
10. Robo-Dude
I have no idea what you’re rambling about. Chekov succumbed to the aging disease in this episode. That’s why he’s so old. Look before you leap.
well thats my christmas night sorted!!!! cheers cawley!!!
I can’t believe people thought they’d kill Chekov and not bring him back in a later episode.
#17- “And, let’s be honest, does anyone here think Paramount would be doing a TOS-era film if not for the success New Voyages has had? ”
Yes.
I like Cawley.He’s got good screen presence,and I enjoy watching him.A real ‘type’. I don’t see him as Kirk though. I’d like to see him again in something else.
3. last o’ the timelords – You are correct, there was an episode back in 2004 (the first one) but NV are not considering that ep. 1 in their series. I forget the reason, but James has said he intends to keep going until a full “Season 4” is finished and leads into ST:TMP I guess.
I never got to see the episode the first time around, but I am looking forward to the new version. It’s a fan film people, so take a chill pill, but for fan films STNV are very well done.
-24
I think they were going to do two seasons of 12 episodes each. Pretty ambitious. :)
Cawley as Kirk. I can buy it. He’s not Shatner, but that’s not what acting is about…it’s about portraying a character as interpreted by the actor. James has definitely grown as an actor over the episodes and is obviously more and more relaxed in the role.
#13: I share your misgivings about Blood and Fire, but for what it’s worth I doubt we’ll be seeing anything so blatant. That never would have flown on 60’s Trek — the closest hint we ever got to a sexual encounter on TOS was a fully-dressed Kirk pulling on his boots after the fact — and to Cawley’s everlasting credit, that’s where he’s been aiming STNV’s tone and content. Though they’re clearly not shying away from controversy, I’m confident that discretion will prevail.
They are working on other projects (Wild Wild West, I think) with
Cawley in one of those roles. I think he makes a pretty good
KIrk and the majority of the original cast have certainly endorsed
him as the lead character (for whatever reason). I just wish they
could speed up their process on creating the shows OR make
them motion picture length with an understanding that it will be
a while before we get to see the next one.
Ok fine, do the episode again. And what’s with not being able to download these episodes? And where do we fans get the soundtrack background music which hasn’t been released to the public?
It’s Cawley’s money, it’s his idea–NV is HIS! If he wants to play Kirk, then fine. If he wants to play Kirk while wearing an adult diaper, then fine–it’s his show.
That said, let’s hope he does stick with a standard TOS captain’s uniform ;)
I have nothing but wonderful things to say for NV. I think CBS/Paramount otta buy it from him and start a series. How about that? New TOS on TV and new TOS on the big screen? Hot damn!
I don’t get with the Chekov episode the need to kill off the character. Continuity issues aside it made no dramatic sense.
The Sulu episode rocked.
Where’s my Exeter update???????? I appreciate James efforts but I much prefer Exeter
9 – Um, if he wasn’t a good Elvis, he wouldn’t be making so much money at it that he can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on the various memorabilia from Star Trek and other shows, not to mention help fund NV and do other good things. I’ve seen videos and heard recordings of his Elvis, and he sounds pretty much exactly like him, and his costumes – which he does himself, having trained under William Ware Theiss – a name you should recognize if you’re really a Trek fan – are spot on for the period he’s playing Elvis as (and Elvis wasn’t always overweight). He really lives the part when he’s onstage. So get your facts straight before you dump on someone.
I think he does a real good job as Kirk, and I can also see him as Jim West (maybe even more than as Kirk).
#22
actually i believe NV and other fanfilms did indded help make the new film happen. manny coto stated that “in a mirror darkly” was very much inspired fan work, and paramount certainly saw the spike.
like many here i dislike the bashing of fanfilms. i see no greater tribute to trek then these efforts, and am very happy they chose to share it. (poster dennis bailey has said it very well here in the past)
and i don’t know why, but jeff quinn totally sells me as a vulcan. great deadpans! looking forward to seeing him in ‘of gods and men’ this christmas.
and yeah, exeter is astoundingly well done too.
All the fan films are great. It’s great to see them even if there are varying degrees of quality…
So – can anyone explain to me *why* they killed Checkov in the end of Ep.2? And why, all of a sudden, he was back in the Sulu-Episode without even a passing reference to the previous episode and what happened there?
As ususal, I will avoid STNV like the plague and wait patiently for the part 4 of “Starship Exeter – TI”
Sorry, but Elvis in Space in not my cup of tea – thank ya very much!
If it were a “Night in 1969” will the picture be in 4:3 or 16:9?
I mean, if they’re going for more authenticity it must be 4:3.
Just sayin’. ;)
-32 You covered it all nicely from established fact. And I can see Mr. Cawley as Jim West as well.
forget nimoy! Captain Chekov For Federation President in the new star trek movie!
I think the sets, costumes and props on the New Voyages productions are superb. The stories aren’t so hot, yes including DC Fontana’s (sorry, I LOVE her TOS work, but she had a clunker in B5 as well…can’t hit a homerun every time) and the production values were very bad at the beginning. George’s episode, however, finally had the New Voyages team up to speed. Lighting, sound, editing..it all seemed to be top notch. The acting, aside from a pro pulled in here and there was, and is, pretty bad, often cringe inducing at times. I won’t single anyone out as they are all equal opportunity offenders in that regard.
All in all, it’s all a noble effort, and no doubt great fun for all involved, but I can’t get into it.
But clearly, they are all having a blast and they wont stop having fun just because I don’t like the shows, and that’s as it should be. More power to them!
#35
ya know, i always thought killing checkov was really ballzy. at the time they stated that this is fan work and it takes its liberties as only fan work can. surely the dramatic impact of the death of a beloved character is something a writer would find interesting to portray. dunno if d.c. fontana wrote it with that in mind.
i will say that it had one of the funniest trek lines ever. as checkov muses the fact fact that he’s discussing metaphysical concepts with his younger self (in a rather doystoveskian way) he proclaims “this is getting really RUSSIAN!”
I was not crazy at all about the way the killed oof Chekov. Having said that (and I have no problem with Cawley as Kirk); Cawley and crew do an outstanding job — I thoroughly enjoy their work and efforts. Keep up the great work!!!!!
Having that Bird of Prey class ship in there killed the “1969-ness” of it for me…they just wouldn’t have had a design like that back then. All the ships on Trek were smooth skinned in 1969.
All those ships with the plating didn’t come along until 2001-Star Wars had an impact on ship design.
It’s obvious to me that a lot of time, money, work and effort go into producing all these fan films, so I’m a bit hesitant to criticise them. But like others here, I do find the quality of the acting to be quite a distraction while watching these films. If not for the amateur cast, these episodes could be great, instead of just good.
Mike :o
Barrell rolls suck.
My hat is off to these people for living the dream, and sharing it with us. I’ve seen the ambitious “In Harm’s Way” and the well-told “World Enough and Time,” and was entertained by both.
I look forward to seeing the revamped version of “To Serve….”
I’ve also enjoyed Starship Exeter’s work. “The Tressaurian Intersection” is quite impressive.
Here’s a (dumb?) question I haven’t heard asked: have these two groups ever considered working together on a story? I always wanted to see an Original Series era story where two able captains team up.
Scott B. out.
#31 – Lord Garth –
You can check out the Exeter forum here:
http://www.unitedworlds.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=483
#46 – Scott
I Know STNV and OGAM worked together – I think OGAM borrowed Jame’s props and sets.
It would be awesome to see Exeter and New Voyages team up on an episode – they could even shoot their respective parts independently and cut it together as both a NV episode and an Exeter episode – each giving their version of the story.
I think the Exeter team has nailed the TOS “look” as it were – lighting, camera, pacing and of course props and effects. STNV has been a little uneven on that score, but still has a nice TOS feel.
nice
As being no stranger to character re-creations (it’s a long story…) I support the NV effort all the way. Yeah, the Exeter team has nailed the “feel,” but NV’s effort is attempting to evolve PAST 3rd season Trek.
An admirable effort. Successful? We shall see.
I still predict that in spite of the new movie, the true future of TOS we have come to know and love lies with NV.