STLV17: Star Trek Vets Share Their Thoughts And Advice For ‘Star Trek: Discovery’

Star Trek Las Vegas kicked off with a series of panels for  Star Trek: Discovery, but for the rest of the con, the new show continued to come up in conversation, brought up by either other Star Trek celebrities and writers, or fans. We have compiled some of the highlights of the Discovery discussions beyond the specific Discovery-themed panels.

Karl Urban sees J.J. Abrams’ influence in Discovery

On Sunday, the subject of Discovery was brought up to Karl Urban (Dr. McCoy in the Kelvin Timeline movies) and the actor showed his inner fanboy, reacting with enthusiasm and noting he saw something familiar about the show:

How excited are you guys about [Discovery]! How cool is that. I cannot wait for that show. The trailer looks phenomenal. It sort of visually taken the energy that J.J. [Abrams] infused the new Star Trek films with and squished them into television, which I love.

Karl Urban is excited for Star Trek: Discovery

TNG crew hopes for the best, offers advice to new Discovery cast

During the Friday night 30th anniversary panel for Star Trek: The Next Generation, a fan asked the assembled cast if any of them would want to do a guest spot. Here is the exchange that followed:

Brent Spiner: A guest shot? I don’t know about that. I am very optimistic about this show. I am very hopeful that it is going to be fantastic. I hope it continues this wonderful epic journey that star trek has been on and I feel it probably will. I don’t know that I need to be a part of it necessarily but I encourage them and hope for the best.

Gates McFadden: Amen

Patrick Stewart: Is the new series set in the future, if we take The Next Generation as the present?

Brent: Past

Patrick: So, it’s a prequel.

Gates: You would have to have hair.

Patrick Stewart’s co-stars have advice, he is still a bit unclear on what Star Trek: Discovery is

During the same panel another question came from the audience asking if the TNG cast had any advice for the new Discovery cast, and the responses were very practical:

Marina Sirtis: Save your money.

Michael Dorn: Save your money. Don’t buy anything big for three years.

Marina: Stay out of Gucci.

Dorn: I work with quite a few actors who have been in the business a long time and the one thing that they always say is that they didn’t appreciate what they had at the time until much much later. I would say definitely anybody who is starting out to really appreciate where you are and what happening. You are extremely fortunate.

Gates: Enjoy it while you can.

Brent: That’s right.

Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis give money advice to the Discovery cast

McFadden likes Discovery‘s character focus

During a separate TNG panel with just Gates McFadden and Denise Crosby, the subject came up again, and McFadden had more to say about the show:

I am really excited. I think it is a great cast. I love the way they cast it. I have no idea what it is. I know there is going to be a spaceship and a starfield. But I am very excited. I think it is cool they are going to focus on one person’s point of view much more. I think that makes sense for the kind of TV we are seeing right now. It is letting you get another insight into this whole journey in space and I think it is quite different

Gates McFadden likes what she hears about Discovery

Burton jealous of Frakes directing Discovery

As we have reported, Jonathan Frakes (who had to cancel Star Trek Las Vegas due to a work conflict and problem with his flight) directed an episode of Discovery. During a Q&A on Saturday with LeVar Burton and Brent Spiner, Burton was asked why he hasn’t been asked to direct as well. Burton hung his head in mock shame and Spiner consoled him….

Brent Spiner: It’ll happen. Sixth season. You’ll be there. Yep.

LeVar Burton: I’m so glad you asked that question (fake tears). I actually have deep love and respect for my friend Jonathan Frakes. And at the same time I hate him.

Spiner: There is such a fine line between hate and love isn’t there?

Burton: That line is called Discovery.

Brent Spiner consoles LeVar Burton over not being offered Discovery directing job (yet)

Robert Duncan McNeill had to turn down Discovery directing gig

On a panel with some of the men of the Star Trek: Voyager cast, Robert Duncan McNeill revealed he almost followed TNG star Jonathan Frakes in directing an episode of Discovery. The former Tom Paris told the crowd:

I don’t know anything about Discovery to be honest. A couple of friends of mine have directed, like Frakes. I hope it is successful. They did ask me for some dates [to direct] but I just wasn’t available. I would love to do it. I hope it is a huge success. It is good for the fans, it is good for the franchise. It is good for the future of Star Trek.

McNeill did note that he had directed an episode of The Orville and he even spoke about how the show is being careful not to be too Star Trek-y (at least from a legal point of view):

I directed one [episode of The Orville]…Everybody’s very cautious of the legalities of a spaceship that looks a lot like other spaceships…

Garrett Wang prefers Orville

During that same Voyager panel, Garrett Wang (Ensign Kim) brought up Discovery, only to note that given a chance he would prefer to do a guest spot on a different show:

I did a role on American Dad for Seth MacFarlane. And the question on if I would be interested in doing Discovery, I would honestly be more interested in guest starring on The Orville than Discovery.

Robbie McNeill, Garrett Wang (with Tim Russ) talk Discovery and Orville at Star Trek Las Vegas

Braga and Bormanis happy to watch spoiler-free Star Trek

During a panel on writing for Star Trek, veteran writer/producers Brannon Braga and Andre Bormanis (who are both currently working on The Orville) were asked about the possibility of writing for Discovery in the future:

Andre Bormanis: The thing that I am most looking forward to about Discovery is that for the first time in literally 25 years, I will be able to watch an episode of Star Trek on television that I have not read the script for already. I am so looking looking forward to seeing it and not knowing what they are going to do. I scrupulously avoid spoilers. I don’t want to know, I want to be surprised. I want to enjoy it and see it with fresh eyes.

Brannon Braga: I couldn’t have answered it better. Perfect.

Brannon Braga and Andre Bormanis ready to watch Star Trek without knowing what is going to happen

More Star Trek Las Vegas Coverage

What We Left Behind Team Gives Details On DS9 Doc

Karl Urban talks Star Trek 4, Beyond, Judge Dredd and more

Marina Sirtis Says Paramount Threatened To Replace Her With Jeri Ryan In Star Trek Nemesis

Star Trek Film Academy At Original Series Set Tour Announcement

Patrick Stewart Talks About Gene Roddenberry Opposing His Casting As Picard And More

Denise Crosby talks about her plan for ‘Trekkies 3’

Full videos from ‘Discovery’ actors and writers panels

Star Trek Online announces LeVar Burton to reprise his role as Geordi LaForge for game

Panel: Details and covers for first ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ novel and comic revealed

Interview: Sam Vartholomeos and Wilson Cruz

Interview: Mary Chieffo And Kenneth Mitchell

Panel: Actors Discuss Different Klingon Houses In ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ + First Image of Kol Revealed 

Panel: Writers Talk Technobabble, Timelines And How ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Is Telling Our War Story

Stay tuned for additional coverage of STLV.

 

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Thanks for the great coverage of STLV, Trekmovie!

Star Trek 55? ;)

Its great that the actors keep coming back year after year. I know they get paid… but, Good for them. They still make the effort to engage and have fun with the fans, when they could be suning themselves somewhere nice.

Some nice comments there. Class acts, all.

> Michael Dorn: Save your money. Don’t buy anything big for three years.

That’s actually a good advice. I remember reading in an interview with Terry O’Quinn that during the first season of ‘Lost’ he was planning on buying a house in Hawaii where they were filming the show. He was smart enough to ask the producers if his character will survive the first season or not.

Some last 1,2,3,4,5,6 seasons. It’s not that simple. It’s not just acting either. I’ve been there and done that.

Well…..fuck Garrett Wang. Am I kidding, who knows, only me.

When he said he would rather do a guest spot on Orville, and not Discovery, I do not see that as a slight against Discovery. More to do with the fact that he already did 7 years of Star Trek, as well as voice work in Star Trek Online and a few other games. Maybe he just doesn’t want to do more Star Trek?

I know there’s a bit of an “Orville vs Discovery” war going on between fans, but just saying you prefer one over the other, doesn’t necessarily mean anything other than exactly that.

Garrett Wang still ‘acts’?

I’m amazed at the actors loyalty to certain writers who have written then made them act out so much bad and bland Trek.

I guess if the only cheques you cash are related to that show you did, you make sure to speak glowingly of it.

Agreed. Why does it have to be one show or the other? I’m sure they can both happily co-exist. Shouldn’t we actually be pleased that we have more sci-fi on TV? The fact that one is star trek outright and the other a comedy parody of star trek is only good for star trek as a whole.

Lets be honest Wang would do a guest spot on a detergent commercial if someone would hire him.

That’s as maybe, but he’s a nice guy and always comes across well at conventions. It’s not his fault that dilettante Braga gave his character zero development on Voyager. No actor would have much of a showcase to present to casting directors in those circumstances.

The guy was an ensign for seven years despite being Voyager’s “miracle worker”. It would be hilarious if he had a guest appearance on Discovery, still being an ensign after 20 years in Starfleet.

Brent Spiner is rumored to have been telling the STDSY caste “Run for your lives or you’ll never work again”

hahah….ha…ha…. yeah. Dude. Stop.

..I can relate to Sir Patrick, Wang and the rest..what tha hell is discovery? (I know I’m going to get all kinds of bashing on here yet again for echoing the cries from fans, ‘this is trek?’)..sigh

Agreed. Seems like most of them know nothing about the show and are just saying the mandatory “yeah it looks awesome! Wish I could be part of it”.

Seeing the cast of TNG really make me miss that show. :( They seem to have some great advice for Discovery. I wish they could cameo on the show. I know Dorn turned it down but who knows?
And too bad McNeill had to turn down directing an episode but the beauty of TV is there are plenty of stories to tell so (knock on wood) if it gets a second season maybe he will direct one.

Me too! I really hope that somehow we end up in the future, like the original pitch for Discovery, and we get to see these wonderful actors in their roles again! It would make me so happy!

Just posted this on the previous thread…I just received an email promo from CBS this morning, for a free month of CBS All Access – starting 8/18. So it ends on 9/18, BEFORE Discovery premieres. What the hell would I watch on it for that month? Or *maybe* they’re hoping I forget to cancel once the trial is up, duh?

Nice fishing, CBS. Not biting. Go cut bait.

Honestly, I’m surprised they haven’t pulled a Disney and yanked Trek off of Netflix so you have to watch it on their service if you want to stream it.

I wait for that every day. That, will be when the dvd’s in my case will come in handy…

I’m not sure they can. Were any of the series originally broadcast on CBS? Voyager was UPN/V*(forget their name), and Paramount could have kept all the rights for themselves anyway.

I’m pretty sure CBS would have to sign a contract and pay for the shows just like everyone else. As long as Netflix wants to keep the streaming rights – they have the budget to do so. There’s a lot of sci-fi they didn’t sign a new contract for, however.. so that’s the biggest concern for me.

Cetkat, The CBS Corp. that exists today is actually a different entity from the old CBS (before 2005), and it owns all of the previous Viacom and Paramount TV properties.

http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Trek_corporate_history

Captain Robert April was. A war hero. During the Klingon war according to star trek History. He was picked for first 5years mission with the constitution class enterprise.should get some kind of reference. In the discovery series either during or towards the end. Of series.

So the Klingon war didn’t last but a year. If discovery is 10 years before Kirk and Spock.

Actually. 11 or 12 years before.

But fiction history’s easy to change . But uts fiction can do what they want and can be confusion.

Marina Sirtis just KILLS me. “Stay out of Gucci.” I’m here laughing like an idiot. Thank you, Queen of Conventions. You just made my Friday morning.

Drat, forgot no edit button, but look for NCC-1001, on the phone right now, will be back later.

I’m enjoying this in-depth coverage of Star Trek Las Vegas! Kudos to all the TrekMovie reporters, editors and photographers.