On Saturday the Star Trek franchise was honored with the Television Academy Governors Award at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. A delegation of representatives from each Star Trek series was on hand to accept the award and afterward, members of that delegation (minus Terry Farrell) visited the press room to take photos and answer some questions and today the Television Academy Foundation released some clips of what they had to say about the legacy of Star Trek and why it continues to endure.
Shatner: Star Trek captures the “awe and wonder of the universe”
Koenig: Star Trek resonates because it deals with “the topics of the times”
Martin-Green: Hopes Discovery “keeps that connection and bloodline” to Star Trek
Kurtzman: Discovery “stands on the shoulders of giants”
And in case you missed it, see our previous coverage of the Star Trek tribute video shown at the Emmy Awards.
Koenig hit the nail, star trek now is just pirotecnia and explosions. Well said Mr.
He did not say STAR TREK was now just Pyrotechnics and explosions.
Listen to it again — I think you just heard what you wanted to hear.
After hearing Koenig speak more than once, I dont think he was praising Discovery the way you people are assuming. Get to know someone a little and then you can understand when they speak better.
They know what he said, dont worrie, they just wont admit it.
He doesn’t quite say that. He’s just recognising that the superficial and visually enthralling is what audiences seem to want now so Star Trek has had to bend a bit to bring those people in as well as trying to cater to older fans. I think he’s right and I personally wish it didn’t need to be like that for the franchise to function, but it is what it is.
That is NOT what Koenig stated at all. Watch it again!
Hey, you guys mad or something? It was what he said, and he is correct. Star Trek is all booms and piew piew.
Yes he basically said that Star Trek had to give up good story telling for more visually stimulating scenes to impress the current culture. The TOS films were satisfyingly heavy on story. This new era of Trek films are very light on story.
Star Trek is like a religion. It’s a message of hope, and a promise that man will overcome nearly all of their vice’s and have turned toward bettering themselves with the hope that- they too will leave a lasting legacy to future generations.
Trek is like religion? Religion is believing in something contrary to facts or in the absence of evidence. They call it “faith” and talk about that like it’s a good thing. Highly illogical behaviour. And forgive me if I missed this “message of hope” you mention that religion has. In a book like the bible for quick example, maybe the hope stuff gets lost with all the vulgarities including directions on how to beat your slaves, how much silver to sell your daughter to her rapist for, how women should be murdered on their wedding night if they are not virgins and do not bleed after intercourse, and how gay people should be beat to death with rocks for being gay. But maybe you do have a point with how Star Trek is like religion… they are both fiction.
Fortunately, Star Trek is not like a religion. Its followers have never taken the material too seriously or behaved badly towards one another, splitting off into different factions, quoting lines like scripture to prove a point, and putting on things like passion plays while dressed as their favorite characters. And thankfully its creator remained a down-to-earth fellow, not allowing the visionary title go to his head, nor profiting from tacky New Age trinkets.
Who needs that nonsense, right?
Seriously … for what reason does William Shatner have his arm around Jeri Ryan while Walter Koenig is talking?!? See her diplomatically move over and make room for Sonequa and Alex. By the time Sonequa is talking she is on the other side of the stage!
He correctly thought a picture with him and Jeri Ryan in it would be prettier and more attractive than a simple one of just Bill himself. …And they had worked together on “Boston Legal” so it was two old friends getting reacquainted.
Oh, knock it off. It was a photo op. A man can’t put his arm around a woman anymore without it becoming an international incident. Ridiculous.
Wouldn’t you, given the chance?
So we are not supposed to put our arms around mutual friends or acquaintances? What next? We are not allowed to flirt, or say good things to women? or make jokes with women? It would be such a one sided world, would you really want that? Like Freud said, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, why do we insist on turning every innocent action into a critique of something or a potential for offensiveness. We can’t live like this.
It’s getting worse every day.
Better every day. It’s getting better every day. People are becoming more aware of sexist actions that diminish and oppress women. :)
Yes, we can “live like this.” It’s super easy. Just don’t be a sexist jerk to women and be aware of all the small ways sexism and male privilege has granted men the expectation that they can touch women, comment of their looks, tell them to smile and otherwise harass them in honor and major ways. Pretty simple. Quit whining because people are questioning the oppressive was society has long operated. It’s called progress. Embrace it. :)
I complimented a woman I work with yesterday, Luke, saying I liked her earrings. Should I have asked her for permission to compliment her first? Did I ‘diminish and oppress’ her with the compliment?
No. But no one is saying you shouldn’t do that. Are you confused?
More often than not these days when it comes to issues like this, honestly.
Lots of stuff nowadays are making me think outside of my box. We had a fire drill at work, and just as we went outside a school bus was driving through our parking lot and pulling up right in front of us (still have no idea why) … What went through my head was, ‘this must be what makes people freak and think ICE raid!’ (I have no idea if there are illegals working with me or not, but I think this season’s ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK finale brought this home to me in a way that had me raging about ICE for days, even though I have no stake in this matter (except the obvious human rights/due process aspect that should concern everybody.)
You weren’t there. You don’t know what happened. You’re in no position to judge what’s appropriate in this instance. I’d go so far as to say you’re perpetuating the patriarchy by white-knighting here. Jeri doesn’t need your protection. If she had a problem with Bill, she’s free to decide how she wants to deal.
Yeah, but you automatically assume people are sexist jerks when they put their arms around women, this is why I am saying we can’t live like this. For many cultures and people this is actually not offensive. Automatically assuming the strong are oppressive is plain wrong. Some people can live together, touching and feeling each other and its perfectly normal, in my country it is a sign of friendship to kiss someone on both cheeks even if its a man or a woman. There is no just one way to live and there shouldn’t be. Otherwise the world would become a very single minded culture that lacks any uniqueness. The best part of this world is its different nuances and cultures dictated by different terms. I would never just want to live a single way of life.
Richard, thanks for saying something. It’s not surprising. To address the replies:
Just because they worked together on Boston Legal doesn’t mean they were close, or even friends. Whether Shatner thought it was a good idea, it would have been an even better idea to ask first.
And I wouldn’t do so if given the chance unless it was absolutely clear it was okay with her. Consent shouldn’t be a hard concept.
Flirting and compliments are fine. But I assume by “good things” you mean complimenting someone on their looks. As Carrie Fisher said, “youth and beauty are not accomplishments.” Such compliments have nothing to do with what that person can help. A real compliment is something specific to do with a choice they made. Maybe you notice how well-coordinated someone’s outfit is, or how they’ve styled themselves in a way that’s flattering. That’s at least better than complimenting an attribute. But even better would be a compliment on something like an act of kindness you witness on the part of the recipient of the compliment, or something that otherwise reflects the overlap in your values.
As far as jokes, a good rule of thumb is to punch up, not down.
Omg.. you just hate the joy of living, correct?
Ask if he can put his arm around her? Are you serious? Stop the planet, I need to get off, and quickly…
Seriously. So ridiculous.
If you watch the video, you’ll notice she also has her arm around his shoulder or upper back. It appears mutual, perhaps as one commenter suggested due to their acquaintance from working on Boston Legal, or perhaps just from appearing so often together in these settings. We do not see what happened immediately prior to this clip, yet it would seem likely that they had a moment of personal exchange on the stage and ended with this mutual side embrace which we see at the start of the clip. As to the assertion that she quickly moved to make way for Sonequa Martin-Green, it appears the Shatner actually breaks the embrace first. Additionally, these clips do not appear to be posted in order and there are obviously moments missing unless Ms. Ryan and Mr. Burton never had the opportunity to take the mic. It is therefore not a good idea to infer what happened between clips in relation to stage position in reference to this question. In fact, talent are routinely asked to shift positions for pub shots and are just as frequently asked to get closer and even embrace for said shots. I sympathize greatly with the #me-too movement and the horrors and inequity it seeks to expose and correct, however, in instances like this, it is best not to assume… unless all you are doing is trolling…
Look…….they BOTH had their arms around EACH OTHER and then she dropped her arm and motioned for Sonequa to move over but then she decided to move on the other side to make room for Sonequa and Alex. Why do people have to criticize every little thing Bill does??? I’m one of many who is tired of it already.
I’m weird in that I hate ’embracing’…
A simple handshake and very quick hug if necessary, will do fine for me!
Wonder if Shatner and Koenig get on…
Check this out if you haven’t: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_759xgM2Hk
Asimov never wrote a star trek script. He was scientific adviser on the motion picture.
Yeah, Sturgeon, Ellison and Bloch wrote for Trek, also big names in Horror and science fiction.
“Star Trek: Legacy” could actually be a good name for the Picard show…
Wasn’t that the name of a Star Trek game? I don’t think they can use it.
Agreed! I LOVE that name idea. Great thinking :)
What question is Shatner reacting to with his toilet line?
Nachum,
He was asked under what setting had he seen his 1st STAR TREK episode when he was doing it for the 1st time and he was joking.
Thanks! I got that it was a joke and sort of guessed that from the rest, but thanks for filling that in.
I know Shatner has said that he generally doesn’t watch his own work for whatever reason.
Is it just me or does koenig’s look older than shatner
Having personal problems and too much stress can do that to a person. Remember he lost his son not too long ago.