WI: The Enterprise completes its five year mission (Star Trek survives for 5 seasons)
Sounds like an interesting concept. Q shows were always pretty well done and are among my favorites in TNG
Q giving Picard a wife and kids as a plot would have been very fascinating as well, because Picard always wanted a family of his own but never had one. They did this in one of the movies but it would have been better as a Q story
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Chapter 119: July 1977
Two articles in this update. The Soviets back off when American troops dare them to shoot in the Berlin area, and the Space Shuttle Enterprise becomes the first shuttle to fly in space. Also, TMP retrospectives from the big three stars: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley.
WARSAW PACT TROOPS BACK OFF IN BERLIN
N.A.T.O. DARED THEM TO SHOOT; NEITHER SIDE SHOT FIRST
July 8, 1977
On the Fourth of July, the Soviet and Warsaw Pact troops that expected to encircle Berlin were met by a combined United States Army and N.A.T.O. force sent to relieve the beleaguered city. After a three day standoff where the world edged towards the brink of war, the Soviet and East German militaries withdrew back to their positions in East Berlin and away from the Helmstedt-Berlin autobahn, the road connecting the isolated city to its government in the West. Behind the scenes, West German chancellor Mr. Helmut Schmidt brokered a deal with his East German counterpart, Mr. Erich Honecker, that would allow the joint U.S.A.-N.A.T.O. divisions to return to West Germany peacefully, as long as the East Germans also returned behind the Berlin Wall, their customary posts. When this deal was agreed, Mr. Schmidt communicated his success to President Ronald Reagan, who discussed the matter with Soviet premier Mr. Yuri Andropov on the special Washington-to-Moscow "hot line." Andropov, for the first time, indicated that he was willing to find a settlement both in Czechoslovakia and Berlin, and pulled Soviet troops back. Secretary of Defense Mr. Caspar Weinberger, in a press conference, breathed a huge sigh of relief. "I thought we were looking at World War III for a few days," Mr. Weinberger said. "It appeared as if neither side would back down, and the standoff would turn into open conflict." As part of the deal, arms to Czechoslovakia would be limited on both sides, and the Soviets would withdraw half their military force and agree to elections to be held in 1981 in the war-torn nation. "The world moved one small step towards peace," President Reagan said. "I am pleased that the Soviets agreed to elections in Czechoslovakia. We are confident that the Czechoslovakian people will vote for democracy and against communism."
SPACE SHUTTLE ENTERPRISE SUCCESSFULLY CONDUCTS MISSION IN SPACE
July 27, 1977
The Enterprise flies in space. What was once science fiction is now one step closer to reality, as NASA successfully launched STS-1, with seven crew members, into Earth orbit yesterday in front of an excited crowd at Cape Canaveral. The crew was commanded by John W. Young, a retired navy captain. "I get to be Captain Kirk for a few days. It's not a five year mission, thankfully," Young told the press the day before the launch. Accompanying Young in the pilot's seat was Robert Crippen, who participated in the Skylab mission. The payload specialists were Daniel Brandenstein, Henry Hartsfield, and Joseph P. Allen. Enterprise will conduct experiments on the effects of weightlessness and zero gravity on its astronauts, who underwent intense training for the mission. President Reagan applauded the mission as "another American success story from our intrepid space program." NASA administrator Robert A. Frosch declared that more space shuttle missions will occur in 1978 and beyond. "This is a landmark achievement in the space program which will doubtlessly excite the American people and cause more scientists to train to become astronauts." Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols, recruiting astronauts for NASA, excitedly said on the set of the Star Trek movie, "We are so motivated by the real life heroes who risk their lives to advance the world and guide us towards being a spacefaring people."
Now, the recollections from the Big Three: Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley.
William Shatner: The mood on set lightened up dramatically when world events calmed down. We concentrated a lot harder on our work and almost completed the film in July. We filmed the space battle sequences with the Klingons and the scenes where myself, Leonard, and Dee debate the rationale for the war, and what to do with the Klingons we captured. As Admiral Kirk, I wanted to execute the Klingons for committing genocide against a Federation planet. However, in an unusual situation, Spock and McCoy both agreed that Kirk would be making an unwise decision, and Kirk relented. When we were debating the reasons for war, it was McCoy and Kirk against Spock, who insisted that the Enterprise was not ready to battle that many Klingon vessels. Unfortunately for Spock, he lost that argument and he had to help Uhura crack the Klingon codes. During the movie, I suspected that the Klingons had a weakness with their communications setup because Uhura was able to intercept their messages so easily. So it was Kirk who came up with the plan of interfering with Klingon communications to turn the battle in the Federation's favor.
At one point, I was concerned that our movie was too much like Star Wars. Both involved galactic conflict, and both had an apparent good versus evil component. However, our movie was much more complex. When you see the movie, you can understand with perfect clarity why the Klingons decided to go to war, and actually rationalize their decision. They were being pushed into a corner with the decisions made by the galactic council, where they felt they did not have enough of a voice. The planet in dispute that causes the war was apparently too close to their homeworld, and they feared that the Federation could launch an invasion to attack the Klingon homeworld in two days. Therefore, from their perspective, it was an easy decision. It almost paralleled the situation we faced in the real world with the Communists, which thankfully did not erupt into war.
Leonard Nimoy: Spock and McCoy had a lot of moments in this movie. At one point, you almost think the two characters are about to fight themselves! Once Dee and I got into our characters, the chemistry that made the series so special returned. We could not have a script without at least a couple of Spock and McCoy moments, which fans believed made the show as brilliant as it was. At one point, I am overruled by Kirk and McCoy regarding our chances in the battle against the Klingons. I state that the starship computer is correct, and that we have no chance to win. However, Admiral Kirk and Commander Uhura had a trick up their sleeve, and I was tasked to assist Uhura with her work at the communications console. Aside from Tom Selleck as Decker, who laid down his life to save the Federation, I felt that Uhura was the real heroine in the movie. Without her contributions, the Enterprise would not have survived the battle. Her solution to the problem, I thought, was quite unique.
I played my character a lot more stiffly than I usually do, since Spock starts the movie on Vulcan attempting to purge all his emotions. However, he must turn down the rite of Kolinahr because he senses from Sarek that his friends will be in danger. The Spock you see boarding the Enterprise is extremely cold to the rest of the crew, but eventually becomes his normal self. His logic is still unimpeachable, despite the fact that he ends up on the short end of an argument or two. Towards the end of the movie, I got to command the Enterprise when Kirk left the ship to fight the Klingons in hand-to-hand combat. Spock's nature is that of a pacifist, so he devises a rope-a-dope technique to dodge most of the Klingon weapons. However, Spock also realizes that as a starship commander, he still has to fire phasers and photon torpedoes, despite his reluctance, for the good of the ship and the mission.
DeForest Kelley: My character's wisdom is unimpeachable. I wonder why Spock never understood that. Spock always lost his fights with McCoy, no matter what the situation. But a unique agreement between Spock and McCoy developed when Kirk wanted to execute the Klingons. Kirk almost turned into a Klingon at one point; you know they don't like to take prisoners. Somehow, we persuaded Kirk in the script to ensure the Klingons stood trial for their crimes. I carried the scene when we beam down to Sherman's Planet and find everyone dead. The emotion literally seared across the screen. McCoy is a peace-loving character, and the genocide changed his view on the Klingons quite a bit. I also have a funny scene at the start of the movie where I tell Kirk that marriages never work out. Unfortunately, it was foreshadowing for what would happen later to Decker.
This movie was one of the best experiences I ever had in Hollywood, and by that point, I was in the business almost 35 years. I told Gene Roddenberry, who was under a lot of stress at the time, that everyone is having so much fun filming, that we never want it to end! Gene told us that we recaptured the magic we used to have, and that it was the greatest experience of his life to surround himself with such talented actors and actresses. Surprisingly, there was little of the chaos that occurred on a regular basis when we were filming the series. Robert Wise was a commanding director, but he was smart to listen to Bill, Leonard and Dee when we advised him on specific lines in the script. He understood that we said things a certain way after several years of playing our characters, and never lost his temper when a take went wrong or when we wanted to play a gag, of which there were plenty. I think the best gag was played on Bill. Len, Jimmy and I set the heel of Bill's shoe on fire, and he didn't know it. When Bill finally realized it, he was so mad! Nobody admitted it until Jimmy said, "it was my idea."
NOTE: The Enterprise space shuttle crew (just Young and Crippen) is the same crew that went up in the first Space Shuttle mission (Columbia) in 1981.
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In the OTL , since NASA could not flight test the Shuttle ,unmanned , they limited the number of crew to two, just Young and Crippen .
Why did they go with a larger crew here ?
They're more confident of success ITTL. Development of space tech is a little faster ITTL than IRL. I could change it to just the two if you want
I feel like I'm running into a bit of a writer's block again for the rest of 1977. I have to come up with some topics to write about for August, September and October. November 1977 is when Close Encounters of the Third Kind premieres in theaters. Maybe I can put August and September 1977 into one update. ITTL, TMP will wrap filming in August 1977
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Good the crew had fun with TMP once the global situation sorted itself.
Andropov would be wise to blame the ‘blink first’ on the E Germans. Also stay out of Afghanistan and build up the Soviet economy!
Is there a Galactica, Doctor Who, Space 1999, Blake’s 7, Battle of the Planets, etc update for ‘77?
Andropov would be wise to blame the ‘blink first’ on the E Germans. Also stay out of Afghanistan and build up the Soviet economy!
Is there a Galactica, Doctor Who, Space 1999, Blake’s 7, Battle of the Planets, etc update for ‘77?
I'm thinking about an Elvis-Willie Nelson-Johnny Cash concert, an update in the world of technology, and the Star Trek TMP wrap party for the next update in August;
An Emmy update involving LeVar Burton (Roots), a fight over tax cuts and a Roddenberry retrospective in September;
A baseball update involving the Yankees, a NATO troop buildup in Europe, a Queen update (the band) in October, and perhaps a Starlog entry...
I could include BSG for 1978, a third season of Space 1999 (in September 1977), and Battle of the Planets for 1978. Maybe we get another Cybermen story for Tom Baker...
Chapter 120: August 1977
In this update, Elvis teams up with Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson for a concert in Nashville, the NERVA rocket undergoes tests for the first time in four years, and Star Trek TMP has a pretty awesome wrap party.
ELVIS, JOHNNY CASH, WILLIE NELSON ROCK NASHVILLE
August 4, 1977
Last night, the King teamed up with the Man in Black and Shotgun Willie for one of the greatest country concerts in history in the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Country fans were astonished to see all three legends on stage playing each other's favorite hits. In an ode to the King, they began the set with Elvis's "All Shook Up," "Love Me Tender," and "Heartbreak Hotel." Next, Johnny's music got its turn, after Johnny introduced himself with his famous line, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash," with "Ring of Fire," "I Walk the Line," and "A Boy Named Sue." The trio closed with Willie's famous hits, "Red Headed Stranger," "Shotgun Willie," and "Whiskey Stranger." The capacity crowd of almost 10,000 was overwhelmed. "I never thought I'd ever see the three of them together," a fan exclaimed. Another fan said, "It was funny seeing Elvis try to sing Willie's songs, and Johnny try to sing Elvis's songs, and Willie try to sing Johnny's songs. They were all taking turns and I thought they were messing around. Turns out they studied what they were doing, and it sounded great." Overall, a great experience was had by everyone in attendance. "Thank you, thank you very much," the King exclaimed at the end of the show. "We hope everyone was entertained."
NASA TO TEST NERVA ROCKETS IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS
August 15, 1977
NASA administrator Robert Frosch declared that the NERVA project, a nuclear propulsion system originally conceived to send rovers and eventually manned missions to Mars, is back on. The NERVA rocket was placed on hold two years ago after the United States needed to intervene in the Vietnam War, but President Reagan's increase in military spending also applied to the space program, and NERVA will resume tests in Nevada starting in November. Originally, NERVA was supposed to send a Mars rover to the Red Planet in 3 months during the 1978 launch window, but it is likely that at least three years of further testing is required, leaving the earliest possible launch using the nuclear propulsion technology to 1980. Frosch hailed the development in a press conference, announcing that "we have begun the manned mission to Mars in earnest. Several administrations have wanted to land a man on Mars by the end of the 20th century, and this is our best chance to accomplish our goal. It won't be done in the next three years, or most likely the next decade, but by 1999, I think it is possible, provided the funding is in place and there are no accidents. The challenge is to get the man back to Earth. We haven't figured that out yet."
STAR TREK MOVIE WRAPS FILMING FOR NOVEMBER 1978 RELEASE
August 27, 1977
A celebratory mood engulfed Paramount Pictures as the final scenes of the first Star Trek movie were filmed. Post-production, led by John Dykstra, is expected to begin next week, with a release date sometime in November 1978. Paramount is specifically targeting the Thursday before Thanksgiving next year, November 16, as the release date for the big budget film, which it has allotted $30 million to produce. Deals have already been made with 2,000 theaters around the country for a widespread release which is expected to last into the first two months of 1979, as the film is expected to have lasting power at the box office. "We finally did it," Paramount CEO Barry Diller said. "We will make the dreams of millions of Star Trek fans come true next year. Your beloved television series is going to be a fantastic hit both for Paramount and for the fans who convinced us to place this movie into production." Gene Roddenberry, with a glass of champagne in his hand, was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I think we made one of the best movies of all time," Roddenberry said. "The cast placed their finest efforts into the film, and we are going to please all of our wonderful fans." A wrap party convened on Friday night that turned into a wild bash, although Leonard Nimoy largely refrained from the bacchanalia. At one point, Roddenberry was reportedly flanked by his wife, Majel Barrett, and Nichelle Nichols, forming a trio. Even William Shatner got along with co-stars James Doohan and George Takei, who he previously feuded with when the television series was in its heyday.
Recollections from Nichelle Nichols and James Doohan...
Nichols: Making that movie was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I always felt like I got short shrift during the series, aside from some of the shows that D.C. Fontana wrote. But in this movie, I got a main part. Uhura held the key to defeating the Klingons, and without her character, the rest of the crew simply cannot carry out the mission successfully. In the movie, I had a backstory of receiving Starfleet intelligence training after the five year mission ended on the Enterprise. So I became this master codebreaker, and Gene Roddenberry wanted the codebreaker to be extremely important, because he knew how vital that role was in the real military, having fought in World War II. I got to play my part without drawing a weapon in anger, and I think I was the only character who didn't fire a phaser in the movie. Of course, in The Search for Spock, I drew that phaser on Mr. Adventure and told him to go in the closet. But in this movie, I think my role was far more important. Gene Roddenberry also gave me an extremely important role in Star Trek V, where Uhura marries Scotty and both of them have to unravel a mystery on Vulcan. I also got to sing with Diahann Carroll, one of my best friends, in this movie, which was an absolute joy. At the wrap party, Gene Roddenberry wanted me to join Majel, but once again, I couldn't be the other woman to the other woman.
Doohan: Robert Wise and Gene Roddenberry gave me some input into the script, because I was the only member of the cast who actually saw combat. So I added some aspects that made the story more realistic as a war drama. Gene and I always had a special connection because we fought in World War II. There was this understanding we had that none of the rest of the cast, not even Dee, Leonard and Tom, who served stateside, could understand. We had bullets shot at us and bombs launched at us as young men, and we wanted to convey the seriousness of this to the rest of the cast. Bill Shatner, who never served in the military, actually understood this right away and you see the weight of command wear heavy on him throughout the movie as the star. Tom Selleck loved acting out his training and his scenes fighting the Klingons were amazingly authentic because he was in the National Guard for many years while he started his acting career. Gene was unhappy to lose Tom. He had big expectations for Selleck and wanted him to lead another Star Trek television series as the captain of another ship. However, Tom went on to star in Magnum PI and brought us all back as guest stars, which we all enjoyed. Overall, it was one of my best experiences in my long career, and I got to defend engineering from the Klingons.
NOTE: I don't think Elvis, Willie and Johnny Cash ever performed on the same stage at the same concert. Perhaps some country music fan knows better than I and can inform me of this occurrence.
NOTE: Nichelle Nichols, before she was on Star Trek, was in a relationship with Gene Roddenberry, but broke it off when she saw Majel Barrett with Gene. The part "I couldn't be the other woman to the other woman" is actually directly from Nichols' autobiography.
NOTE: Doohan was the only one of the Star Trek main cast to guest star on Magnum PI IRL.
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This time around do they hire people who know what they are doing regarding the Special Effects ?
OTL IIRC, they wanted the guy who did 2001 and CE3K , He turn them down, they hired a firm that never done the kind of effects needed.
A lot of money was wasted . Then they had to bring in several groups included the 2001 guy to rush to get the effects done.
And not all of them were done on time and some were not good quality effects .
I mention in the article they hire John Dykstra, who is an SFX master who worked with Doug Trumbull to fix TMP IRL. Trumbull joins in a little later in post-production to oversee and it's a lot less stressful on him. Plus the special effects ITTL's TMP are just phasers, photon torpedoes and bombs going off, no need for a V'Ger cloud or the spacewalk scene inside V'Ger or the final scene where they have to rebuild a Voyager probe model around the rest of the set. There are more Klingon flybys and more action with the Enterprise though, plus they need to build a Reliant model and a Yorktown model with 4 nacelles
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Hope Elvis sorts out his costume designer as well as his health ITTL...
Sounds like a cool concert, hopefully it will help everyone's careers.
Waiting for the Presley-Nicolas duet now.
What happening with the European and Commonwealth space programs please?
Staying out of the Majel/Gene relationship is a smart move Nichelle imho.
Glad Doohan gets respect as a Veteran.
Hope The Motion Picture lives up to the hype ITTL. In OTL it made shed loads of cash despite the so-called 'shoddy' effects, and 'slow' plot so it cannot have been all bad heh? Personally I always thought it very clever, esp the V'Ger twist.
Sounds like a cool concert, hopefully it will help everyone's careers.
Waiting for the Presley-Nicolas duet now.
What happening with the European and Commonwealth space programs please?
Staying out of the Majel/Gene relationship is a smart move Nichelle imho.
Glad Doohan gets respect as a Veteran.
Hope The Motion Picture lives up to the hype ITTL. In OTL it made shed loads of cash despite the so-called 'shoddy' effects, and 'slow' plot so it cannot have been all bad heh? Personally I always thought it very clever, esp the V'Ger twist.
Elvis should live a lot longer ITTL because he's kicked most of the drug addiction. The concert doesn't really change any of their career trajectories as they are all famous, but Willie Nelson has a lot more music to release since he has the longest career of the three.
The European space program is planning to launch some probes as it was founded in the mid 1970s.
Nichelle knew when to get out of that and she did relatively quickly, although she remained loyal to Roddenberry more than the other actors on the show.
Doohan's status as a Normandy veteran was respected by all IRL.
TMP will live up to the hype ITTL but Barry Diller is staking Paramount's reputation on it...
I gotta assume somewhere in Bones family tree there was a bootlegger or two along with the doctors and that was the family motto.