On November 30, the Science Channel will air "Trek Nation", a film made by Rod Roddenberry about his father. www.treknationmovie.com (http://www.treknationmovie.com) I saw some clips at NYCC today, and it looks like it's going to be a really moving film.
Here's the press release from this summer: https://www.roddenberry.com/index.php/corporatestories/index/detail/id/55 (https://www.roddenberry.com/index.php/corporatestories/index/detail/id/55)
QuoteSilver Springs, MD (July 23, 2011) — With the 2011 Comic-Con International in San Diego as the backdrop, SCIENCE today announced its partnership with science fiction royalty, Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, and Roddenberry Entertainment on the upcoming the feature-length special, TREK NATION, scheduled to air in fourth quarter 2011. TREK NATION explores the popularity and appeal of Star Trek through the man who created it all – the late Gene Roddenberry.
Rod will take SCIENCE audiences along with him as he explores his father's work and the impact of his legacy that still resonates today. Through interviews with his most devoted fans, including George Lucas, J.J. Abrams, Stan Lee and many others, TREK NATION is the story of a son trying to learn more about his father by unraveling the intricacies of Star Trek.
The film demonstrates how Gene's work not only captivated legions of fans across the globe, but also generated a movement which has influenced entertainment, politics, space travel, social morality and much more. Fostering a timeless understanding of the human condition and capturing man's constant search for a better world defines everything that is TREK NATION.
"This project is very personal for me, as it literally documents my education on Star Trek, my father, and the Roddenberry legacy. Because of that, I can't tell you how happy we are to have found a network that shares our vision for it," said Rod Roddenberry "TREK NATION strikes a strong balance between exploring a science fiction phenomenon and relating a very universal story between a son and his father. I have every confidence that Star Trek fans and non-Star Trek fans alike are going to enjoy the film."
"Star Trek isn't just a television show; it is a global phenomenon, a way of life, which has shaped so many facets of how we define our world today," said Debbie Adler Myers, general manager and executive vice president of SCIENCE. "We are honored to carry on the Roddenberry mission by continuing his legacy with TREK NATION."
TREK NATION is produced for SCIENCE by Roddenberry Entertainment. Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry is an executive producer and Trevor Roth is a producer for Roddenberry Entertainment. Bernadette McDaid is vice president of production and executive producer for SCIENCE. New Animal Productions producer is Nicole Rittenmeyer and Scott Colthorp produces for Atmosphere Pictures.
This is going to be a very interesting watch! :)
cool!
Latest TV spot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6NLATn2h2g# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6NLATn2h2g#)
Don't forget this is on Wednesday on the Science Channel
Wish I had that here. Can't watch "Prophets of Science Fiction" either :(
saw a commercial for it on tv today. i'm getting excited!!!
The DVR is set for this on Wednesday.
They sent a press release with 2 "exclusive" clips today. They're hosted on YouTube, so I don't know how exclusive they can be, but here they are!
Exclusive Footage: Trek Nation Documentary (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0ORv0_XJ7U#ws)
TREK NATION | Premieres November 30 on SCIENCE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iNm9lCE5cU#ws)
Did anyone watch this.. I just finished and really enjoyed it. I learned a bit about Gene and his son. I like that it didn't bash Trek fans and really showed them in a nice light. Enjoyed all the Behind the Scenes footage and home movies. A very enjoyable two hours.
Yeah, this was well done. It showed the good and negative sides of Gene Roddenberry, he was human, and SO human. Loved the little clips of home movies from the set of TOS, real cool. The story about Gene yelling at people who didn't like Wesley was pretty touching, I had never heard that.
I loved the documentary and the insights into Gene as a person but I came away very unimpressed with his son Rod. It seems like he has really done nothing but try and capitalize on his fathers name and never has made a career for himself other then being Gene's son. I have heard he is a nice enough guy but I came away from this not impressed with him at all.
Found some really cool BTS videos of Trek Nation
http://vimeo.com/channels/treknation (http://vimeo.com/channels/treknation)
Finally got to see this... touching and well done.
I have this on my Netflix Q. Only waiting because I want to watch it with my wife.
Bryan, I didn't feel like Rod was too much of a jerk. I thought he was a man that had some regret, but he didn't come off as cocky in this film.
Just saw Trek Nation and really liked it.
It was very thorough except... I would have also liked to hear Rod's opinion of Galaxy Quest as a tribute to Trek.
Probably doesn't have one since he is not a Trekkie.
Majel's comments also were equally unexpected and led me to think Star Trek was a brief period in her life that offered occasional revenue.
If this film was rushed together I'd think Rod was exploiting his family name - I'm glad he took the 7 years to make this documentary and share his story.
We watched this tonight since you guys mentioned it was now on Netflix and I was not all that impressed. I do feel sorry for Eugene that he had to learn about his father vicariously but overall the documentary was not very inspiring. I think William Shatner's The Captains which we also just saw was one of the best Trek related documentaries I have ever seen. It gives tremendous insight into the actors who played the captains. It was also very well edited and well balanced with humor and seriousness. Highly recommended and I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. Trek Nation though I would give two stars.
Kevin
What I took away from this documentary helps me step back and understand the current state of Trek from a new perspective.
In the beginning, TOS had conflict, action, and a hopeful vision of the future that was an adventure - and it was good.
In an effort to improve Trek, Gene eliminated conflict in the senior staff of TNG, and Rick Berman defended that ideal after Gene's passing.
It was still good and the fan base continued to grow.
- I would say that by this point, TNG was as different from the original pilot,'The Cage' as the '09 movie is to TNG.
Time went on and the writers besieged Berman with their need of conflict to create drama and he began to soften.
As a result the siblings appeared, DS9, VOY, and Enterprise, each unique in their own right, but unmistakably Trek.
The fans stayed the same, but the TV network didn't.
In this case the needs of the many were outweighed by the need of the one :(
So in this era of remakes and reboots Trek's legacy has another chance, but at what price?
IMHO Trek is like Apple computer, developed in a closed environment as one man's vision and produced with the highest standards possible with just as loyal a fan base... and it's just been sold to Microsoft.