marathag
Banned
Also, through '65, he was 'finding himself' via therapy with LSD and Peyote, the last year before LSD became a Scheduled Substance.
One of the reasons for the divorce with Dyan, 2 years after the birth of Jennifer
WI: The Enterprise completes its five year mission (Star Trek survives for 5 seasons)
One of the reasons for the divorce with Dyan, 2 years after the birth of Jennifer
Chapter 22: Gene Coon Leaves
Gene Coon says goodbye:
One more bonus update for today:
DOOHAN, TAKEI, KOENIG WANT TO LEAD AT LEAST ONE EPISODE OF TREK
June 22, 1969
Star Trek co-stars James Doohan (Scott), George Takei (Sulu) and Walter Koenig (Chekov) have complained to Star Trek showrunner Robert Justman that they are being under utilized in their roles and would like to gain star billing for themselves for one episode for each of the three actors. Doohan was pleased with his role in the Romulan episodes "All The Devils are Here" and "They Shall Not Pass," but would like an episode where he is in command of the Enterprise, like Nichelle Nichols got in "The Y Virus" last season. Takei also voiced similar desires for his character because in the show, Captain Kirk often asks Mr. Sulu to sit in the captain's chair when he leaves the bridge. Takei would like a deeper dive into Sulu's role when he is placed in temporary command of the Enterprise. Koenig, as the newest of the co-stars and the lowest ranking character of the cast, would like to be portrayed in a less comedic manner and be given an opportunity to save the Enterprise as well. The three actors are willing to keep their pay the same in order for the show to stay within budget, but they are concerned that William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley are taking up all the screen time and they are being reduced to further irrelevance.
GENE COON PLANNING TO LEAVE STAR TREK
June 23, 1969
Gene Coon, a constant in the Star Trek script writer's room for the first three seasons, is leaving the show for health reasons. Coon was diagnosed with lung and throat cancer, and could no longer continue his duties as he tends to his health. Gene Roddenberry, Robert Justman and D.C. Fontana are considering elevating David Gerrold, Theodore Sturgeon, and even Norman Spinrad to main writers for the series' fourth season. Coon wrote 16 episodes for the show before splitting his time between Trek and It Takes a Thief, and wants to spend more time on the less stressful set of Thief writing stories as he begins cancer treatment. Gene Roddenberry said, "Gene Coon is the underrated 'Gene' of Star Trek, and we will miss him very much." Bob Justman said, "Gene Coon invented the Klingons and wrote great allegory for us. He is a tough man to replace, but he is a tough man and he'll beat cancer too."
Doohan:
George, Walter and I felt that we deserved a turn in the captain's chair after Nichelle got her turn. Nichelle did beautifully and we held no ill will towards her, but we didn't want our roles reduced further in case Bob and Dorothy wanted to elevate her further. So we reached out to Bob, and he told me that I was placed in command of the Enterprise on previous shows, so they did not have it in mind to do so again. So I pressured Bob and Dorothy again, and they eventually relented. I got my chance to lead the Enterprise and sit in the big chair.
Takei:
I planted an idea in Bob's mind. If Uhura was promoted last season, why couldn't Sulu save the ship this season and get his promotion? Bob really liked the idea and we produced a show called "Japan Triumphs," where I have to save the Enterprise because the rest of the main crew gets captured in a parallel universe where the Japanese won World War II. So I got to play the role of a Japanese imperial officer and save my shipmates.
Koenig:
They were never going to put me in command of the Enterprise, Mr. Justman told me. But they did remove some of the over the top comedic aspects of Chekov constantly saying everything was a Russian invention, and I got to be a serious officer like the rest of the crew. That was good for my character. What did the show in were the movie stars coming in as guest stars. We barely had any money to work with towards the end of the fourth season and they asked us to take a pay cut for the final five or six episodes. As co-stars, Jimmy, George, Nichelle and I weren't going to do it so it had to come out of Bill, Leonard and DeForest Kelley. Leonard and DeForest didn't hold it against us, but Shatner snarled at us for most of those last six weeks of production.
Justman:
Coon was a great loss. Nobody could write and re-write scripts at his speed, and his sense for allegory and connecting the issues of the day to a future setting was unmatched. I think the show suffered in his absence, but it was unfortunate because his health was starting to spiral downhill. He was a three pack a day cigarillo smoker, and that contributed to him getting cancer young. That's why I didn't smoke a lot, at least nowhere near as much as he did.
One more bonus update for today:
DOOHAN, TAKEI, KOENIG WANT TO LEAD AT LEAST ONE EPISODE OF TREK
June 22, 1969
Star Trek co-stars James Doohan (Scott), George Takei (Sulu) and Walter Koenig (Chekov) have complained to Star Trek showrunner Robert Justman that they are being under utilized in their roles and would like to gain star billing for themselves for one episode for each of the three actors. Doohan was pleased with his role in the Romulan episodes "All The Devils are Here" and "They Shall Not Pass," but would like an episode where he is in command of the Enterprise, like Nichelle Nichols got in "The Y Virus" last season. Takei also voiced similar desires for his character because in the show, Captain Kirk often asks Mr. Sulu to sit in the captain's chair when he leaves the bridge. Takei would like a deeper dive into Sulu's role when he is placed in temporary command of the Enterprise. Koenig, as the newest of the co-stars and the lowest ranking character of the cast, would like to be portrayed in a less comedic manner and be given an opportunity to save the Enterprise as well. The three actors are willing to keep their pay the same in order for the show to stay within budget, but they are concerned that William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley are taking up all the screen time and they are being reduced to further irrelevance.
GENE COON PLANNING TO LEAVE STAR TREK
June 23, 1969
Gene Coon, a constant in the Star Trek script writer's room for the first three seasons, is leaving the show for health reasons. Coon was diagnosed with lung and throat cancer, and could no longer continue his duties as he tends to his health. Gene Roddenberry, Robert Justman and D.C. Fontana are considering elevating David Gerrold, Theodore Sturgeon, and even Norman Spinrad to main writers for the series' fourth season. Coon wrote 16 episodes for the show before splitting his time between Trek and It Takes a Thief, and wants to spend more time on the less stressful set of Thief writing stories as he begins cancer treatment. Gene Roddenberry said, "Gene Coon is the underrated 'Gene' of Star Trek, and we will miss him very much." Bob Justman said, "Gene Coon invented the Klingons and wrote great allegory for us. He is a tough man to replace, but he is a tough man and he'll beat cancer too."
Doohan:
George, Walter and I felt that we deserved a turn in the captain's chair after Nichelle got her turn. Nichelle did beautifully and we held no ill will towards her, but we didn't want our roles reduced further in case Bob and Dorothy wanted to elevate her further. So we reached out to Bob, and he told me that I was placed in command of the Enterprise on previous shows, so they did not have it in mind to do so again. So I pressured Bob and Dorothy again, and they eventually relented. I got my chance to lead the Enterprise and sit in the big chair.
Takei:
I planted an idea in Bob's mind. If Uhura was promoted last season, why couldn't Sulu save the ship this season and get his promotion? Bob really liked the idea and we produced a show called "Japan Triumphs," where I have to save the Enterprise because the rest of the main crew gets captured in a parallel universe where the Japanese won World War II. So I got to play the role of a Japanese imperial officer and save my shipmates.
Koenig:
They were never going to put me in command of the Enterprise, Mr. Justman told me. But they did remove some of the over the top comedic aspects of Chekov constantly saying everything was a Russian invention, and I got to be a serious officer like the rest of the crew. That was good for my character. What did the show in were the movie stars coming in as guest stars. We barely had any money to work with towards the end of the fourth season and they asked us to take a pay cut for the final five or six episodes. As co-stars, Jimmy, George, Nichelle and I weren't going to do it so it had to come out of Bill, Leonard and DeForest Kelley. Leonard and DeForest didn't hold it against us, but Shatner snarled at us for most of those last six weeks of production.
Justman:
Coon was a great loss. Nobody could write and re-write scripts at his speed, and his sense for allegory and connecting the issues of the day to a future setting was unmatched. I think the show suffered in his absence, but it was unfortunate because his health was starting to spiral downhill. He was a three pack a day cigarillo smoker, and that contributed to him getting cancer young. That's why I didn't smoke a lot, at least nowhere near as much as he did.
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It would be nice if Coon survives his cancer battle even if he never comes back to Trek. I know unlikely but without the stress of Trek perhaps he responds to treatment better?
I suspect his contributions and efforts for the show are much better know in this timeline, esp after the Roddenbury 1.5 seasons are likely to effect his own legacy. The ‘Great Bird’ mythology is not likely to be as strong here I suspect.
I suspect his contributions and efforts for the show are much better know in this timeline, esp after the Roddenbury 1.5 seasons are likely to effect his own legacy. The ‘Great Bird’ mythology is not likely to be as strong here I suspect.
There's going to be a conversation between Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra where Ol' Blue Eyes asks Cary whether the LSD influenced him to take any role on TV, let alone a role on a sci-fi show. This influences Cary to ask for a lot more money than he previously agreed to...
ITTL Coon gets to the doctor faster than IRL (when he died in 1973) and he survives until 1982. He influences Glen Larson on Battlestar Galactica before he starts chainsmoking again, and the cancer returns to kill him. Coon also gets to write a lot more extensively on The Streets of San Francisco, which was a project he worked on at his death. He doesn't return to Star Trek ITTL either, but his contributions are far more appreciated here than IRL.
Chapter 23: Cary Grant's Daughter Loves Spock
Updates for today include a Life Magazine interview with Cary Grant and a Nichelle Nichols interview with Ebony. Plus, a special on the moon landing, which occurs at the same time (July 20, 1969) as IRL.
CARY GRANT: MY DAUGHTER WANTED TO SEE ME WITH MR. SPOCK
July 7, 1969
Cary Grant surprised us all by announcing that he would leave retirement for a brief television excursion on the NBC hit Star Trek. Why Star Trek instead of a more conventional show, America wonders? Grant is one of Hollywood's leading men and can take any job he wants in the movies, but he chose to return to the small screen instead of where we are used to seeing him romance women, on the silver screen. So why did Grant make this decision? In this tell-all interview with Life, Grant opens up on his personal life, his daughter Jennifer, his business interests, and his unexplained support for Star Trek.
Life: First of all, thank you for granting us this rare interview.
Grant: It's a pleasure to talk with Life Magazine.
Life: Why are you coming out of retirement to appear on Star Trek, of all shows? Couldn't you choose a more popular television show like Gunsmoke or return to the movies?
Grant: Well I haven't seen a script that I liked for the movies, so that is why I have not returned to the silver screen. Plus, I am 65 years old, with different interests, such as controlling a seat on the board of Faberge, and returning to the movies and keeping up my previous schedule would be impossible considering my age. Star Trek is a fun show, and they gave me a role as a President where I can boss around Captain Kirk and be a lead, at least briefly.
Life: You're going to be President Nixon?
Grant: It's a little more complicated than that, but the character has some Nixon-like mannerisms.
Life: We know you are a Gunsmoke fan and watch it most of the time on the television. So why not Gunsmoke?
Grant: I am a serious fan of Gunsmoke, but the producers always wanted me to play a Western villain, and I feel like that is out of my character. Plus, I am too old to play a convincing, dashing hero in a Western.
Life: We understand that you wanted to watch Gunsmoke, but your daughter Jennifer had other ideas.
Grant: Yes, Jennifer got to the television first one Monday night and switched it to NBC instead of CBS, where I usually have the television tuned. Jennifer pointed to Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock) and said, "That's Mr. Ears Guy! I love Mr. Ears Guy!" I told my daughter, "Jenny, he's known as an alien. That's why he has the weird looking pointy, spiked ears."
Life: So your daughter fell in love with Mr. Spock.
Grant: "My daughter was insistent! I was going to switch the television back to Gunsmoke, but my daughter kept on saying, "I want to see pointy ears guy, I want to see pointy ears guy, Daddy." And she put up such a fuss, and started crying when I switched my television to Gunsmoke. My daughter threw a tantrum. "Where is pointy ears guy, Daddy!" So I turned the channel back. I'm not that big a Star Trek fan, but Dyan [Cannon], my ex-wife, liked the show and often saw it with Jennifer.
Life: So Jennifer got her way. It seems that daughters always get their way with their fathers.
Grant: A daughter melts a man's heart like no other person in the world. This is for any father who has a daughter out there, it is a fact of life. Daughters always seem to win their fights with their fathers.
Life: Then something really funny happened.
Grant: My daughter said, "Can we meet pointy ears guy? Can we meet the alien?" I said to Jenny, "No, he's an alien from another planet, there is no way we can meet him, Jenny." But Jenny was never going to give this fight up. "Can we meet pointy ears guy, I want to meet pointy ears guy." So I told my daughter, "Down in Hollywood, I know the studio that makes this show. We can meet pointy ears guy there." My daughter loved it, and said, "I love you, Daddy."
Life: Then the phone rings.
Grant: The next day, I received an unusual call from Mort Werner at NBC. I knew Werner because he tried to get me on Johnny Carson's show, so I thought he was asking me to appear with Carson. But Werner shocked me with the idea that I could play a President on Star Trek. He said, "We have a distinct role for you, with your own dressing room, your own makeup and everything. The cast on the show loves you, looks up to you and would love to learn from you."
Life: So Werner somehow pulls off the sale.
Grant: I told Mort, "Well of course the cast looks up to me, everyone looks up to me in Hollywood. I am fascinated by Bill Shatner though. His acting is a little bit unrefined, but he could become a Hollywood great with some work. He has some classic acting skills from the old silver screen. Maybe I could teach Bill some of my finer points." Mort then said, "I bet your daughter is a big Star Trek fan, even though she's three. Little kids love our show." I then told Mort, "My daughter and I had this argument just last night. I wanted to watch Gunsmoke, and she wanted to see Mr. Spock. She won out, of course." So Mort said, "Do you want to join our cast for two or three episodes?" I thought about it for a moment, and said, "Why not? I get to have some fun for once in my life. I take myself too seriously sometimes."
Life: What do you think about the silver screen and the small screen and their relationship?
Grant: I think the quality of full length movies on the silver screen has deteriorated significantly from when I was the leading man in Hollywood. I never thought the small screen television programs would become of equal or higher quality than the movies, both in production quality and in script writing. But it has amazingly turned out that way. I want the younger generation to see a little bit of Cary Grant, like the World War I generation did, like the World War II generation did, and lots of youth watch Star Trek. So they'll get to see me for a brief time and make some judgments about my abilities.
Life: Thank you for talking to us. It seems like your daughter won this round.
Grant: Like I said, daughters always win their battles with their fathers. We have a soft spot for them like nobody else in this world.
NICHELLE NICHOLS OPENS UP ABOUT COMMANDING THE ENTERPRISE, THE BLACK COMMUNITY, HER CO-STARS AND LIFE ON STAR TREK
July 15, 1969
Ebony: Nichelle, it's great to have you back. You've become a huge star since we last interviewed you two years ago.
Nichols: I'm glad to share my thoughts with the magazine.
Ebony: So how was your experience commanding the Enterprise? I know it was a massive talking point in the black community that an African-American woman got to play Captain Kirk's role for one episode.
Nichols: Well I asked Dorothy Fontana, the woman in charge of creative control on the show, how about an episode where I have to command the Enterprise? Dorothy loved the idea as a woman herself, and even had me leading the Enterprise into battle! It was so fun sitting in the captain's chair. William Shatner told me he was afraid I would take his job, I did so well as acting Enterprise captain. In the episode (The Y Virus), I received a promotion to Lieutenant Commander, so I became the fifth-highest ranking member of the Enterprise crew.
Ebony: The show caused African-American viewership for Star Trek to skyrocket. We were represented as powerful and appreciated on that show. How do you feel about African-Americans embracing Star Trek?
Nichols: I know. Star Trek is a hit in our community now! Roy Wilkins, who runs the NAACP, asked me to appear as a major speaker at the annual NAACP convention. The ovation I got from the crowd was tremendous! I knew I made it as a person everyone looks up to in the community. I think to make my position as Lieutenant Commander Uhura a reality in the future, major changes need to occur in real life.
Ebony: Such as?
Nichols: Segregation is no longer the law of the land, but educational opportunity for African-Americans remains substandard compared to white Americans. We must improve our school system, especially in the major cities, such as Chicago, my hometown, and New York, for more black people to gain opportunity. I fear that a new form of segregation is occurring in our schools, where white families flee to the suburbs with all the resources, leaving poor, marginalized members of our community to fend for themselves with little funding. We must also improve our ability to attain high ranks in the professions, such as doctors, lawyers, engineers and scientists. We are not doing well enough in those aspects.
Ebony: I hear you, Nichelle, and completely agree. What do you propose?
Nichols: More funding for schools in urban areas which are being depopulated and have been depopulated by white Americans at an alarming rate.
Ebony: I see. You feel very strongly about that, and we do, too. So how are your fellow cast members treating you?
Nichols: They are a joy to work with! Even Bill Shatner, who gets on my nerves a little bit, is his jolly old self, cracking jokes, which are only sometimes funny. Leonard Nimoy is almost like an older brother on the set. When he laughs in the Spock costume, it's so funny because he leaves character and just becomes silly Leonard. DeForest Kelley got a little bit of getting used to because he's a white Southerner from Georgia and I'm a black lady from Chicago, but he's a sweet soul without a single racist molecule in his body. George Takei is so fun and also gets in on cracking jokes. Jimmy Doohan has about 100 different accents, and can talk in jive better than some of us! And Walter Koenig, he's like the young man on the set, so he never has to buy dinner for himself. We always take care of Walter because we feel like he has the worst role in the cast.
Ebony: Doohan is an Irish Canadian, and he can talk jive better than some of us?
Nichols: It's astonishing but true. Jimmy is ridiculously talented with his accents. In real life he doesn't talk like a Scotsman, like in the show. That's an accent he puts on, and it's totally convincing.
Ebony: So what about Cary Grant making his presence known on the show?
Nichols: Cary Grant walks on water. We couldn't believe it when we saw him on set. He came to the set with his young daughter, and asked where Leonard Nimoy was. So Leonard comes out, and Cary says to his daughter, "This is pointy ears guy, Mr. Spock." His daughter jumped in Leonard's arms and said, "I love you, Mr. Spock." Leonard loved that moment. We all look up to a man like that, of course. He's a god in Hollywood. We all tried to talk to him but he seemed to only be interested in Bill and Leonard.
Ebony: I wonder if old Cary wanted to kiss all the women on the set.
Nichols: That was the only other time Cary opened up to us! He was talking to Shatner about kissing a woman, and how Shatner was too crude with it. Cary wanted to demonstrate to Bill how it was properly done. So Cary walks up to Arlene Martel, who was guest-starring as a Vulcan character, and gives her this suave kiss.
Ebony: That's amazing. Did Cary kiss you?
Nichols: Yes he did! When Cary kissed Arlene, she broke her Vulcan character which she tried to keep, being cold and logical and all that jazz. Arlene screams, "Cary Grant kissed me, Cary Grant kissed me! I'm going to tell my grandchildren someday that he kissed me!" All in the Vulcan ears, no less. Everyone was in stitches. So I ask Cary, "Can you kiss me too?" So Cary said, "I heard you were a good kisser, so I'll show Bill how to kiss a woman the right way." So we have this amazing smooch, and I told Bill, "Cary's definitely a better kisser than you!" (chuckles)
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Chapter 24: Star Trek Mementos Left On Moon
APOLLO 11 ASTRONAUTS LEAVE AMERICAN FLAG, STAR TREK FIGURINES ON MOON
July 27, 1969
When Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins became the first men to land on the moon, they carried seriousness and a sense of humor with them. The astronauts packed an American flag to proclaim that the United States won the space race against the USSR, and planted it on the moon's surface in perpeuity. The Apollo 11 goodwill messages from various world leaders were left on the moon, as a memento of history and potential future amicable communications with an alien race. But Aldrin, with his sense of humor, brought figurines of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy of Star Trek fame to also leave on the moon, next to the American flag. "Buzz is a bit of a prankster at heart, and we let him indulge himself," said Thomas O. Paine, NASA administrator. "We saw no harm in Buzz doing that, as Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Doctor McCoy are symbols of our potential future as a space-faring people."
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The Hidden Figures mathematicians calculated for the extra pound or so the figurines weighed total ITTL (haha)
A couple of future notes (1980s-1990s) to add to the TL:
TNG is made with 6 seasons instead of 7, and DS9 is made pretty much the same as IRL with 7 seasons. TNG only makes 3 movies. Generations isn't made with Shatner, it's a story abut Picard entering an anomaly and finding himself back on the Stargazer, with the movie transitioning between the Enterprise-D and the Stargazer. So Kirk never dies on screen. Shatner doesn't want to do another film after 6 ITTL. Insurrection is changed to involve the Enterprise E in the Dominion War playing out on DS9, so it's sort of a crossover TNG-DS9 movie. Instead of Voyager, a Captain Sulu series is created on the Excelsior with Takei, Tim Russ as Tuvok, Jeri Ryan playing the security chief, and Grace Lee Whitney as Sulu's first officer (Commander Rand). Later, Koenig joins the series as Commander Chekov after his commitments on Babylon 5 are complete with Alfred Bester. Koenig is given a larger role as Bester ITTL's B5 because he's straight up brilliant as Bester, and ITTL he considers it his best screen role, not Chekov. Nichelle Nichols also makes guest appearances on the Sulu series as Admiral Uhura, chief of Starfleet Communications.
I largely keep the original cast movies similar to OTL but TMP is changed to a brawl for it all with the Klingons which excites audiences more than the V'Ger plot, so it makes more money. TWOK, TSFS and TVH remain the same as OTL. ST:V becomes an adaptation of the novel Spock's World, with Uhura being added to the main delegation party because she knows how to speak fluent Vulcan ITTL. In this ST:V, Uhura and Bones give speeches that help keep Vulcan in the Federation (they always have a secession movement on Vulcan as we find out), and are both promoted to Captain for their roles in keeping the Federation together. So at the start of TUC, Kirk is an admiral again, Spock is a fleet captain with a special insignia on his shoulder, Bones, Scotty and Uhura are captains, Sulu is captain of the Excelsior and Chekov is a commander. TUC is largely the same but with some minor alterations: The crew has already stood down and are in semi-retirement, and they are brought together one last time for the diplomatic talks with the Klingons, so the shore leave scenes from OTL's ST:V are brought into TUC. The conversation that Uhura has with the Klingons is in perfect Klingon instead of the comedic scene we see where they are trying to look up Klingon in old books...
TNG is made with 6 seasons instead of 7, and DS9 is made pretty much the same as IRL with 7 seasons. TNG only makes 3 movies. Generations isn't made with Shatner, it's a story abut Picard entering an anomaly and finding himself back on the Stargazer, with the movie transitioning between the Enterprise-D and the Stargazer. So Kirk never dies on screen. Shatner doesn't want to do another film after 6 ITTL. Insurrection is changed to involve the Enterprise E in the Dominion War playing out on DS9, so it's sort of a crossover TNG-DS9 movie. Instead of Voyager, a Captain Sulu series is created on the Excelsior with Takei, Tim Russ as Tuvok, Jeri Ryan playing the security chief, and Grace Lee Whitney as Sulu's first officer (Commander Rand). Later, Koenig joins the series as Commander Chekov after his commitments on Babylon 5 are complete with Alfred Bester. Koenig is given a larger role as Bester ITTL's B5 because he's straight up brilliant as Bester, and ITTL he considers it his best screen role, not Chekov. Nichelle Nichols also makes guest appearances on the Sulu series as Admiral Uhura, chief of Starfleet Communications.
I largely keep the original cast movies similar to OTL but TMP is changed to a brawl for it all with the Klingons which excites audiences more than the V'Ger plot, so it makes more money. TWOK, TSFS and TVH remain the same as OTL. ST:V becomes an adaptation of the novel Spock's World, with Uhura being added to the main delegation party because she knows how to speak fluent Vulcan ITTL. In this ST:V, Uhura and Bones give speeches that help keep Vulcan in the Federation (they always have a secession movement on Vulcan as we find out), and are both promoted to Captain for their roles in keeping the Federation together. So at the start of TUC, Kirk is an admiral again, Spock is a fleet captain with a special insignia on his shoulder, Bones, Scotty and Uhura are captains, Sulu is captain of the Excelsior and Chekov is a commander. TUC is largely the same but with some minor alterations: The crew has already stood down and are in semi-retirement, and they are brought together one last time for the diplomatic talks with the Klingons, so the shore leave scenes from OTL's ST:V are brought into TUC. The conversation that Uhura has with the Klingons is in perfect Klingon instead of the comedic scene we see where they are trying to look up Klingon in old books...
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Perhaps then TUC takes place in a time between two Enterprises and Kirk/Spock must haul the Enterprise out of mothballs (imagining a scene in which they have to requisition it from the Starfleet Museum) as sending the Enterprise to a peace conference is going to be a huge gesture in itself, and the new Enterprise isn't yet completed
Yup, ITTL the 1701-A is already decommissioned and heading to mothballs when Praxis explodes. Kirk is in Iowa riding horses, Spock is at the Grand Canyon, McCoy is back in Georgia sitting in his old country cabin, Chekov is in Moscow, and Scotty/Uhura is a thing (they actually take their shore leave together in Scotland). ITTL the movies have a bigger budget (they make more $) so they can shoot more on location than they did IRL.
Chapter 25: Cramer Fires Justman, but Justman is Reprieved
Updates for today include the cost of the guest stars appearing on Star Trek's fourth season, and another argument between Douglas Cramer and Robert Justman over the budget.
PARAMOUNT FORCED TO CUT $200,000 CHECK TO GUEST STARS, MOST OF IT TO CARY GRANT
August 4, 1969
If you thought Cary Grant would do any project for cheap, you are kidding yourself.
After Cary Grant shot his two episodes of Star Trek, he marched into Paramount's offices and demanded that Paramount executive Douglas S. Cramer cut him a check of $180,000, or $90,000 for each appearance. Grant reportedly enjoyed his experience on the show working with the cast and said that William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were fantastic actors, but was upset with some of his lines and his portrayal as a villainous President of the Federation, angry that it lowered his stature as a Hollywood star. Cramer, a notorious penny-pincher, refused at first to pay Grant the enormous sum. Grant threatened to sue Paramount, and Cramer was forced to back down. "I'm going to have a word with Gene and Bob over this," said Cramer. "They wasted Paramount's money and I'm really upset with them." Additionally, Cramer was forced to pay Milton Berle and Ann-Margret $10,000 each for their single guest appearances on the hit TV series. Cramer is reportedly so upset with Roddenberry and Justman that he wants to remove them both from day-to-day operations and replace them with Fred Freiberger, a showrunner known for executing series on a shoestring budget. Star Trek's highly awaited fourth season begins on Monday, September 15, 1969 at 8:00 PM on NBC.
CRAMER PLANNING TO AXE JUSTMAN FROM TREK; CAST WALKS OUT OF SET
August 11, 1969
Paramount executive Douglas S. Cramer, in a meeting with Gene Roddenberry and Robert Justman, the showrunner for Star Trek, has told Justman he is no longer in the show's plans and will terminate him on September 10. Cramer is furious with both men about the Cary Grant fiasco, where Grant asked for $180,000 for his two appearances, or almost an entire episode's budget. Roddenberry was able to sweet-talk Cramer into keeping him around the series since he is the show's creator, and promised to get the show back on track from a budget perspective. Therefore, Justman was the odd man out. The Star Trek cast, upon hearing this news, went on a wildcat strike, furious with Justman's removal from the show. "Bob Justman is the best executive producer I have ever worked for," said William Shatner, the star of Trek. "I told the rest of the cast, if Bob goes, we all go with him. So once we heard that Bob was getting fired, we stopped shooting the episode we were working on and marched right to Cramer's office." Leonard Nimoy said, "The entire cast was enraged. Bob was the man who held the show together all these years, and we were getting him ripped away from us. He knew Trek better than all of us, even Gene Roddenberry, and we were going to stand up for Bob." DeForest Kelley said, "I'm a nice guy not prone to anger, but I wanted to punch Cramer right in his mouth for what he did to Justman. That was wrong, completely wrong."
Shatner, in his book:
Leonard, the rest of the cast and I were not putting up with that garbage. Bob Justman was our man, the man who protected us from the Machiavellian nature of the studio executives both at NBC and Paramount. So when Bob told us the news he was taken off the show, we made a beeline straight for Cramer's office and almost knocked his door down. I almost did some Kirk-Fu on Cramer before Leonard calmed me down. There were a few choice unprintable expletives between the cast and Cramer. Even Nichelle's bad side came out, and she is by far the sweetest soul on Earth. I think her language for Cramer was the filthiest of all.
Nimoy:
I threatened to quit on the spot. I was already eyeing the role on Mission Impossible at the time and this incident just pushed me further in that direction. It played a role in me leaving the cast for a few episodes in the fifth and final season. Herb Solow (our former showrunner) gave me a call from MGM and asked me again about joining Mission, and I told him if the chaos and drama continued in the Paramount boardroom, I would quit Star Trek after season four and join Herb's show, because I know Herb wouldn't run a business like that.
Justman:
The crew saved my bacon, at least for most of the fourth season. Cramer fired me in the middle of the fourth season. That was my last life, so to speak. In December, with about 5 episodes left to shoot, Cramer finally got his way and got me out. Even though people say Gene was involved in the firing, he always tried to defend me, and I got no sense at the time that he was planning with Cramer to push me out.
PARAMOUNT FORCED TO CUT $200,000 CHECK TO GUEST STARS, MOST OF IT TO CARY GRANT
August 4, 1969
If you thought Cary Grant would do any project for cheap, you are kidding yourself.
After Cary Grant shot his two episodes of Star Trek, he marched into Paramount's offices and demanded that Paramount executive Douglas S. Cramer cut him a check of $180,000, or $90,000 for each appearance. Grant reportedly enjoyed his experience on the show working with the cast and said that William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were fantastic actors, but was upset with some of his lines and his portrayal as a villainous President of the Federation, angry that it lowered his stature as a Hollywood star. Cramer, a notorious penny-pincher, refused at first to pay Grant the enormous sum. Grant threatened to sue Paramount, and Cramer was forced to back down. "I'm going to have a word with Gene and Bob over this," said Cramer. "They wasted Paramount's money and I'm really upset with them." Additionally, Cramer was forced to pay Milton Berle and Ann-Margret $10,000 each for their single guest appearances on the hit TV series. Cramer is reportedly so upset with Roddenberry and Justman that he wants to remove them both from day-to-day operations and replace them with Fred Freiberger, a showrunner known for executing series on a shoestring budget. Star Trek's highly awaited fourth season begins on Monday, September 15, 1969 at 8:00 PM on NBC.
CRAMER PLANNING TO AXE JUSTMAN FROM TREK; CAST WALKS OUT OF SET
August 11, 1969
Paramount executive Douglas S. Cramer, in a meeting with Gene Roddenberry and Robert Justman, the showrunner for Star Trek, has told Justman he is no longer in the show's plans and will terminate him on September 10. Cramer is furious with both men about the Cary Grant fiasco, where Grant asked for $180,000 for his two appearances, or almost an entire episode's budget. Roddenberry was able to sweet-talk Cramer into keeping him around the series since he is the show's creator, and promised to get the show back on track from a budget perspective. Therefore, Justman was the odd man out. The Star Trek cast, upon hearing this news, went on a wildcat strike, furious with Justman's removal from the show. "Bob Justman is the best executive producer I have ever worked for," said William Shatner, the star of Trek. "I told the rest of the cast, if Bob goes, we all go with him. So once we heard that Bob was getting fired, we stopped shooting the episode we were working on and marched right to Cramer's office." Leonard Nimoy said, "The entire cast was enraged. Bob was the man who held the show together all these years, and we were getting him ripped away from us. He knew Trek better than all of us, even Gene Roddenberry, and we were going to stand up for Bob." DeForest Kelley said, "I'm a nice guy not prone to anger, but I wanted to punch Cramer right in his mouth for what he did to Justman. That was wrong, completely wrong."
Shatner, in his book:
Leonard, the rest of the cast and I were not putting up with that garbage. Bob Justman was our man, the man who protected us from the Machiavellian nature of the studio executives both at NBC and Paramount. So when Bob told us the news he was taken off the show, we made a beeline straight for Cramer's office and almost knocked his door down. I almost did some Kirk-Fu on Cramer before Leonard calmed me down. There were a few choice unprintable expletives between the cast and Cramer. Even Nichelle's bad side came out, and she is by far the sweetest soul on Earth. I think her language for Cramer was the filthiest of all.
Nimoy:
I threatened to quit on the spot. I was already eyeing the role on Mission Impossible at the time and this incident just pushed me further in that direction. It played a role in me leaving the cast for a few episodes in the fifth and final season. Herb Solow (our former showrunner) gave me a call from MGM and asked me again about joining Mission, and I told him if the chaos and drama continued in the Paramount boardroom, I would quit Star Trek after season four and join Herb's show, because I know Herb wouldn't run a business like that.
Justman:
The crew saved my bacon, at least for most of the fourth season. Cramer fired me in the middle of the fourth season. That was my last life, so to speak. In December, with about 5 episodes left to shoot, Cramer finally got his way and got me out. Even though people say Gene was involved in the firing, he always tried to defend me, and I got no sense at the time that he was planning with Cramer to push me out.
Last edited:
Tomorrow we will get into the first episode of the fourth season, my creation called PEACE OR WAR. It sets up the Federation galactic political situation with the Romulans, who are now in a state of retreat after the events of season 3, the Klingons, who are nibbling at the Neutral Zone, and the Orions, who are split into a pro-Federation faction and an anti-Federation faction at war with each other. The debate will be over whether the Federation should push on to Romulus or start peace negotiations, and what to do about the Orion situation. The episode occurs in Federation headquarters and on the Enterprise, featuring Kirk and Spock debating the new Federation President, who wants to lead a Starfleet attack on Romulus but is facing anti-war protests on the Federation core worlds.
Chapter 26: Cary Grant Guest Stars
September 15, 1969
Star Trek's highly awaited fourth season premiere, PEACE OR WAR, airs on NBC. This episode was relentlessly hyped up all summer by NBC as Cary Grant's comeback to show business, and it did not disappoint, easily winning the Nielsen ratings battle against Gunsmoke because of the interest around Grant's role. The Enterprise is called back to Earth and its crew sits in on the debate to attack Romulus and resolve the Orion crisis on the edge of its borders. Cary Grant plays Federation President Robert Matthew Norman, which is a play on the initials of President Nixon. Byron Morrow appears as the militaristic Admiral Komack, and we also get to see the reappearance of a Vulcan of Spock's acquaintance.
Captain's log, stardate 6583.2. We have been called back to Earth as Starfleet's flagship to provide strategy and insight into Romulan defenses for a potential attack on Romulus. Starfleet Command is evaluating Romulan strength in their territory and their defense posture. We have forced the Romulans back into their territory after their incursion into Federation space and Starfleet Command's posture is to retaliate. I am, to say the least, uneasy.
Kirk: "What do we know of this Federation President Norman, Mr. Spock. I haven't been focusing on the political affairs of the Federation with all the missions we've been through lately."
Spock: (A picture of Cary Grant appears on the viewer). "President Norman was recently elected on a platform of providing law and order to the Federation core worlds. He promised to prosecute the end of the Romulan conflict and a successful completion to the Orion civil war, where we are supplying one of the two factions."
Bones: "Spock, so we're going to be involved in more warfare, great. Starfleet is up to its neck in nastiness and dirty dealings, fighting the Romulans, fueling the Orion war."
Kirk: "We are Starfleet officers, Bones, and we usually follow their orders. By the way, I thought the Romulan conflict was largely over. They retreated back to the Neutral Zone after a certain Lieutenant, now Commander, destroyed their flagship."
Uhura: "Yes Captain, I saved everybody's bacon, don't let anyone forget it."
Kirk: "Yes, Commander. I was afraid you'd take my job full time after that."
Uhura: "You know I'm in love with this console, sir. That chair is nice (points at captain's chair) but it's still your chair, sir. But I might get a chair of my own like that someday."
Spock: "The Romulans have retreated inside their borders, Captain. Starfleet has commenced engagement in conflict inside Romulan space, with some success. There is talk that Starfleet plans to launch an attack on Romulus, and our insight is needed on their capabilities."
Bones: "That is suicidal, Spock! Who knows how many ships the Romulans have inside their borders?"
Spock: "Starfleet Intelligence knows, Doctor."
Bones: "What good is Starfleet Intelligence? As far as I'm concerned, they're not very intelligent. But I'm a doctor, not a secret operative, so what do I know?"
Sulu: "Entering Earth orbit, sir. I'm wondering if they laid out the welcome mat for such an important meeting."
Chekov: "I'm very uneasy about this, sir. This reminds me of an old Russian Politburo meeting where they already decided the outcome before a debate was even held."
Kirk: "Ensign Chekov, my feelings are similar, and your concerns are noted. Uhura, contact Federation headquarters. Inform the Federation President and Starfleet Headquarters that Captain James T. Kirk and his crew are ready to beam down and attend the conference."
Uhura: "Aye, sir."
Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco to attend the strategy meeting. We see Admiral Komack sitting in a chair in front of the meeting hall. President Norman (Cary Grant) begins to walk into the scene, wearing a suit.
Komack: "The Federation President, attention! (All rise to attention)."
President Norman: "At ease, ladies and gentlemen, and take your seats. We are here to debate two points of order. The Romulan situation and the Orion civil war. My position on both of these is clear. I believe we should attack the Romulan homeworld and continue supplying the Orion Prime faction in their continuing civil war against their enemy. Any objections?"
(Kirk rises) Kirk: "Mr. President, I do not believe we can prosecute both wars successfully. Starfleet will be drawn too thin and I fear another Romulan counterattack in Federation space. We barely repulsed the first Romulan attack at Altair VI."
Komack: "We have the Romulans on the retreat, Captain. Our best chance to strike at the heart of the Romulan Empire is now, Captain Kirk."
Kirk: "Admiral Komack, are we sure of the strength of the Romulan forces inside their territory? We know the Romulans have a large number of vessels, but we do not know how many, sir."
Komack: "The Romulan posture indicates that they are on the defensive, and the President agrees. Your own actions contributed to our current success in the conflict, and for that, we applaud you."
President Norman: "I trust my admiral implicitly, Captain Kirk. I believe they are an aggressive people and would continue attacking if they were able to attack. I sense weakness in their actions."
Spock: "Mr. President, perhaps the Romulans intentionally want to draw us into their territory. They would lure us into a trap and destroy most of our fleet, leaving us defenseless from a second Romulan offensive."
President Norman: "I believe I have an answer for that. Another Vulcan acquaintance, an operative, has some very valuable information for us."
(T'Pring enters the room)
T'Pring: "Mr. President, I have very valuable information for the Federation cause."
President Norman: "Let me see it, my lovely Vulcan operative." (T'Pring carries a stack of papers to the President's table. The President kisses T'Pring's hand).
T'Pring: "I have the schematics for the Romulan Bird of Prey and the Klingon D7 battlecruiser, Mr. President."
President Norman: "Excellent, my Vulcan beauty, excellent."
Kirk: "T'Pring! She's a double agent!"
Spock: "It appears so, Captain."
Bones: "That two-timing, villainous Vulcan hobgoblin, Spock. You sure know how to choose them."
Spock: "Vulcans are not 'hobgoblins,' Doctor. And I did not choose T'Pring, my family chose her when I was a seven year old child."
Bones: "But what is her angle, Jim? She stole the workings of our ships, and now she's stealing the workings of their ships."
Kirk: "This is a mystery we have to unravel." (In the meantime, Komack pores through the stack of papers provided by T'Pring).
Komack: "This is the key to the castle. We attack Romulus at the soonest possible opportunity! T'Pring, you have most likely won us the war."
T'Pring: "I am honored, Admiral. Mr. President, you will go down in history as a legendary figure."
President Norman: "You are bold, my lovely Vulcan operative. We need more fearless, daring people in this Federation."
Kirk: "Spock, you must intercept T'Pring again. I need to know what her motives are. She is up to no good again, I am sure of it."
Spock: "Yes, Captain."
President Norman: "This meeting is dismissed." (Admiral Komack calls everyone to attention, and people depart the room).
In the next scene, Spock finds T'Pring.
Spock: "I find your actions in these matters highly illogical, my old bondmate. Why are you supplying war secrets to both the Federation and the Romulans?"
T'Pring: "We Vulcans must reunify with the Romulan people. They are our cousins and we must teach them the ways of logic they rejected long ago. This war is the best opportunity to forge one Vulcan people under one Vulcan flag, like in our distant past.
Spock: "Our distant past was full of war and barbarism, T'Pring."
T'Pring: "Vulcan will be a galactic power again with the Romulans on our side, either in victory or defeat. I preferred that the Romulans win the conflict with the Federation, but this appears unlikely, so I supplied their warship blueprints to Starfleet."
Spock: "So you want a Vulcan empire to eventually dominate the quadrant. We will be no better than the Romulans."
T'Pring: "When the Romulans were at an advantage, Vulcan and Romulus would be unified, and we would eventually infiltrate their culture with our logic and telepathic abilities, while the Romulans have the humans at our command. With the Federation at the advantage, Vulcan and Romulus will be unified under a Vulcan flag, and we will eventually overthrow the Federation and control it, with the humans at our command."
Spock: "Flawlessly logical, from your perspective, T'Pring. But illogical from Surak's perspective. Vulcans are supposed to be a peaceful people, and not involved in subterfuge."
T'Pring: "It is too late. You will launch the attack on Romulus, according to the Federation president. It is inevitable."
Back on the Enterprise, Kirk, Spock and McCoy debate their next course of action.
Bones: "So it's done, we will attack the Romulans and get trapped in Romulan space, most likely."
Kirk: "It appears so, but there is one other option available to us. Spock, what did you find out from T'Pring?"
Spock: "T'Pring is a Vulcan nationalist. She wants the Vulcans to dominate the galaxy, either through the Romulan side or our side."
Kirk: "So T'Pring is providing the President false information?"
Spock: "No, Captain. The blueprints she gave the Federation president were authentic, sir. She wants the Vulcans and Romulans to undergo reunification, at any cost."
Kirk: "Geographically, that's impossible. Vulcan is only 16 light years from Earth, and the Romulans would control a core world."
Spock: "Or we would control the Romulan core world and the Vulcans would eventually take control of their empire as a unified people."
Kirk: "So that's why T'Pring is playing both sides. She wants Vulcan to come out of this with greater power and potentially create an empire of their own. We must tell the President this. Spock, do we know the disposition of the Romulan fleet within their borders."
Spock: "Unknown, Captain, but it is believed they have at least 200 vessels to protect their homeworld."
Bones: "Like I said before, an attack on their homeworld is suicidal. Starfleet cannot organize a 200 ship fleet to attack Romulus."
Spock: "Starfleet can, Doctor, but we would be providing the Romulans more time to gather their defenses."
Bones: "This will just lead to more needless bloodshed, Spock. Will there be another meeting of the Federation Council."
Kirk: "Yes, tomorrow. They will decide whether to attack Romulus."
Bones: "We must stop the President from attacking Romulus."
Spock: "I find that possibility very unlikely, Doctor. This President is set in his ways, and apparently, T'Pring works for him."
Kirk: "We all work for him, not just T'Pring. We will make our case and hope for the best."
Back on Earth, the second meeting commences. As President Norman makes his decision to attack Romulus, Kirk, Spock and McCoy arrive in the Federation Council and interrupt.
President Norman: "What is this commotion?"
Kirk: "It's a trap, Mr. President. The attack on Romulus will be a trap."
President Norman: "How is it a trap. I have their warship blueprints, I have a large fleet at my disposal, and I have the better intelligence. We will attack the Romulan homeworld and achieve total victory."
Spock: "Mr. President, the Romulans have at least 200 warships available to defend their homeworld. Even if we won the battle, the Enterprise's wargame scenarios indicate that we would lose well over half our fleet, leaving us vulnerable to potential attacks from the Klingons and the Orion enemy faction. We cannot proceed with an attack on Romulus, Mr. President."
President Norman: "Your opinion is noted, Vulcan."
Bones: "Don't you remember old Earth history, Mr. President! In 20th century Korea, the United States of America bit off more than they could chew with the Chinese. They had almost unlimited numbers of men and dragged that war into a bloody stalemate. Our starship computer predicts a similar outcome because the Romulans have too many ships."
Kirk: "My doctor and science officer are correct, Mr. President. We must make peace with the Romulans in some way. I was responsible for the war's outbreak."
President Norman: "I believe we will achieve final victory against the enemy, Captain Kirk. What else do you have to say, before I give the order to attack."
Kirk: "There is also a Vulcan plot, within the Federation, Mr. President."
President Norman: "I want to hear this out, Captain Kirk."
Kirk: "Your lovely Vulcan operative who gave you the blueprints wants this war to continue because she wants Vulcan domination of the Federation. She correctly calculates that the Federation would not be able to control a restive Romulan people and that would lead to them joining the Vulcan nationalists, who would then turn on the Federation. We would be in a terrible spot."
President Norman: "Now that is something I have to think about."
Kirk: "Your options are different now, Mr. President. The game is different than you thought it was."
President Norman: "I will offer a truce to the Romulan homeworld. Due to our advantage in the war, we will ask for more territory from the Romulan Empire because they were the aggressors. The Neutral Zone will be reestablished, but closer to the Romulan homeworld, at the current front lines between our fleets."
Kirk: "Now that's a solution that makes sense, Mr. President. You will be known as a great peacemaker who won a war."
President Norman: "I will go to the Romulan homeworld myself under a flag of truce and negotiate the armistice. I will communicate to their leadership my willingness for peace. The Enterprise, as the flagship of the fleet, will convey me to their homeworld."
Kirk: "With pleasure, Mr. President."
At the end of the episode, Kirk, McCoy and Bones wonder how they were able to change the President's mind. Spock says that we appealed to his human instinct for human control of the Federation. Spock continues, "He feared that his own seat of power was at risk, from a Vulcan, perhaps T'Pring, and calculated logically that a truce was the only course of action." Kirk replies, "Well I'm glad we appealed to his sensibilities," and the show concludes.
Fontana:
Wow this episode was tense! Cary Grant was phenomenal to work with, and we were in awe of him. He wore his suit like he did in a lot of his silver screen roles and carried all of us on that shoot. I just wish the money situation with him didn't transpire, but he's Cary Grant and I guess he was entitled to whatever he wanted, due to his reputation. This was one of the highest rated episodes of all time, not just on Star Trek, but on any NBC show. President Nixon then appeared on Laugh-In the next hour and NBC had an all-time night. There was so much hype, and it delivered. Plus we brought T'Pring back, which Arlene Martel loved. She always wanted to do Trek, and we always gave her the opportunity.
Shatner:
Working with Cary Grant was one of the highlights of my career. I looked up to him ever since I was a little boy and always wanted to be the star he was. Maybe I didn't get to his level, but I wasn't that far off, with all the roles I played in the movies. He played a convincing President, and taught me how to act that little bit better. I don't say that often of many actors that they taught me how to act, with the possible exception of Christopher Plummer, who I later worked with so wonderfully on Star Trek VI, but Cary Grant was a positive influence on my career.
Roddenberry:
This was the highest moment of Star Trek's five year run. We got the biggest Hollywood star in the world to play a starring role on our show, and he pulled it off as we knew he would. The culminating scenes between Cary Grant and Shatner was some of the best television ever produced, I think. I was willing to pay whatever it took for that moment, and I don't regret it in the least.
Mort Werner, NBC executive:
Cary cost a ton, but I would pay anything to have him on one of our programs. Cramer threw the fit though, and although we hit a high point, it turned out that it was the beginning of the end of the series.
Star Trek's highly awaited fourth season premiere, PEACE OR WAR, airs on NBC. This episode was relentlessly hyped up all summer by NBC as Cary Grant's comeback to show business, and it did not disappoint, easily winning the Nielsen ratings battle against Gunsmoke because of the interest around Grant's role. The Enterprise is called back to Earth and its crew sits in on the debate to attack Romulus and resolve the Orion crisis on the edge of its borders. Cary Grant plays Federation President Robert Matthew Norman, which is a play on the initials of President Nixon. Byron Morrow appears as the militaristic Admiral Komack, and we also get to see the reappearance of a Vulcan of Spock's acquaintance.
Captain's log, stardate 6583.2. We have been called back to Earth as Starfleet's flagship to provide strategy and insight into Romulan defenses for a potential attack on Romulus. Starfleet Command is evaluating Romulan strength in their territory and their defense posture. We have forced the Romulans back into their territory after their incursion into Federation space and Starfleet Command's posture is to retaliate. I am, to say the least, uneasy.
Kirk: "What do we know of this Federation President Norman, Mr. Spock. I haven't been focusing on the political affairs of the Federation with all the missions we've been through lately."
Spock: (A picture of Cary Grant appears on the viewer). "President Norman was recently elected on a platform of providing law and order to the Federation core worlds. He promised to prosecute the end of the Romulan conflict and a successful completion to the Orion civil war, where we are supplying one of the two factions."
Bones: "Spock, so we're going to be involved in more warfare, great. Starfleet is up to its neck in nastiness and dirty dealings, fighting the Romulans, fueling the Orion war."
Kirk: "We are Starfleet officers, Bones, and we usually follow their orders. By the way, I thought the Romulan conflict was largely over. They retreated back to the Neutral Zone after a certain Lieutenant, now Commander, destroyed their flagship."
Uhura: "Yes Captain, I saved everybody's bacon, don't let anyone forget it."
Kirk: "Yes, Commander. I was afraid you'd take my job full time after that."
Uhura: "You know I'm in love with this console, sir. That chair is nice (points at captain's chair) but it's still your chair, sir. But I might get a chair of my own like that someday."
Spock: "The Romulans have retreated inside their borders, Captain. Starfleet has commenced engagement in conflict inside Romulan space, with some success. There is talk that Starfleet plans to launch an attack on Romulus, and our insight is needed on their capabilities."
Bones: "That is suicidal, Spock! Who knows how many ships the Romulans have inside their borders?"
Spock: "Starfleet Intelligence knows, Doctor."
Bones: "What good is Starfleet Intelligence? As far as I'm concerned, they're not very intelligent. But I'm a doctor, not a secret operative, so what do I know?"
Sulu: "Entering Earth orbit, sir. I'm wondering if they laid out the welcome mat for such an important meeting."
Chekov: "I'm very uneasy about this, sir. This reminds me of an old Russian Politburo meeting where they already decided the outcome before a debate was even held."
Kirk: "Ensign Chekov, my feelings are similar, and your concerns are noted. Uhura, contact Federation headquarters. Inform the Federation President and Starfleet Headquarters that Captain James T. Kirk and his crew are ready to beam down and attend the conference."
Uhura: "Aye, sir."
Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco to attend the strategy meeting. We see Admiral Komack sitting in a chair in front of the meeting hall. President Norman (Cary Grant) begins to walk into the scene, wearing a suit.
Komack: "The Federation President, attention! (All rise to attention)."
President Norman: "At ease, ladies and gentlemen, and take your seats. We are here to debate two points of order. The Romulan situation and the Orion civil war. My position on both of these is clear. I believe we should attack the Romulan homeworld and continue supplying the Orion Prime faction in their continuing civil war against their enemy. Any objections?"
(Kirk rises) Kirk: "Mr. President, I do not believe we can prosecute both wars successfully. Starfleet will be drawn too thin and I fear another Romulan counterattack in Federation space. We barely repulsed the first Romulan attack at Altair VI."
Komack: "We have the Romulans on the retreat, Captain. Our best chance to strike at the heart of the Romulan Empire is now, Captain Kirk."
Kirk: "Admiral Komack, are we sure of the strength of the Romulan forces inside their territory? We know the Romulans have a large number of vessels, but we do not know how many, sir."
Komack: "The Romulan posture indicates that they are on the defensive, and the President agrees. Your own actions contributed to our current success in the conflict, and for that, we applaud you."
President Norman: "I trust my admiral implicitly, Captain Kirk. I believe they are an aggressive people and would continue attacking if they were able to attack. I sense weakness in their actions."
Spock: "Mr. President, perhaps the Romulans intentionally want to draw us into their territory. They would lure us into a trap and destroy most of our fleet, leaving us defenseless from a second Romulan offensive."
President Norman: "I believe I have an answer for that. Another Vulcan acquaintance, an operative, has some very valuable information for us."
(T'Pring enters the room)
T'Pring: "Mr. President, I have very valuable information for the Federation cause."
President Norman: "Let me see it, my lovely Vulcan operative." (T'Pring carries a stack of papers to the President's table. The President kisses T'Pring's hand).
T'Pring: "I have the schematics for the Romulan Bird of Prey and the Klingon D7 battlecruiser, Mr. President."
President Norman: "Excellent, my Vulcan beauty, excellent."
Kirk: "T'Pring! She's a double agent!"
Spock: "It appears so, Captain."
Bones: "That two-timing, villainous Vulcan hobgoblin, Spock. You sure know how to choose them."
Spock: "Vulcans are not 'hobgoblins,' Doctor. And I did not choose T'Pring, my family chose her when I was a seven year old child."
Bones: "But what is her angle, Jim? She stole the workings of our ships, and now she's stealing the workings of their ships."
Kirk: "This is a mystery we have to unravel." (In the meantime, Komack pores through the stack of papers provided by T'Pring).
Komack: "This is the key to the castle. We attack Romulus at the soonest possible opportunity! T'Pring, you have most likely won us the war."
T'Pring: "I am honored, Admiral. Mr. President, you will go down in history as a legendary figure."
President Norman: "You are bold, my lovely Vulcan operative. We need more fearless, daring people in this Federation."
Kirk: "Spock, you must intercept T'Pring again. I need to know what her motives are. She is up to no good again, I am sure of it."
Spock: "Yes, Captain."
President Norman: "This meeting is dismissed." (Admiral Komack calls everyone to attention, and people depart the room).
In the next scene, Spock finds T'Pring.
Spock: "I find your actions in these matters highly illogical, my old bondmate. Why are you supplying war secrets to both the Federation and the Romulans?"
T'Pring: "We Vulcans must reunify with the Romulan people. They are our cousins and we must teach them the ways of logic they rejected long ago. This war is the best opportunity to forge one Vulcan people under one Vulcan flag, like in our distant past.
Spock: "Our distant past was full of war and barbarism, T'Pring."
T'Pring: "Vulcan will be a galactic power again with the Romulans on our side, either in victory or defeat. I preferred that the Romulans win the conflict with the Federation, but this appears unlikely, so I supplied their warship blueprints to Starfleet."
Spock: "So you want a Vulcan empire to eventually dominate the quadrant. We will be no better than the Romulans."
T'Pring: "When the Romulans were at an advantage, Vulcan and Romulus would be unified, and we would eventually infiltrate their culture with our logic and telepathic abilities, while the Romulans have the humans at our command. With the Federation at the advantage, Vulcan and Romulus will be unified under a Vulcan flag, and we will eventually overthrow the Federation and control it, with the humans at our command."
Spock: "Flawlessly logical, from your perspective, T'Pring. But illogical from Surak's perspective. Vulcans are supposed to be a peaceful people, and not involved in subterfuge."
T'Pring: "It is too late. You will launch the attack on Romulus, according to the Federation president. It is inevitable."
Back on the Enterprise, Kirk, Spock and McCoy debate their next course of action.
Bones: "So it's done, we will attack the Romulans and get trapped in Romulan space, most likely."
Kirk: "It appears so, but there is one other option available to us. Spock, what did you find out from T'Pring?"
Spock: "T'Pring is a Vulcan nationalist. She wants the Vulcans to dominate the galaxy, either through the Romulan side or our side."
Kirk: "So T'Pring is providing the President false information?"
Spock: "No, Captain. The blueprints she gave the Federation president were authentic, sir. She wants the Vulcans and Romulans to undergo reunification, at any cost."
Kirk: "Geographically, that's impossible. Vulcan is only 16 light years from Earth, and the Romulans would control a core world."
Spock: "Or we would control the Romulan core world and the Vulcans would eventually take control of their empire as a unified people."
Kirk: "So that's why T'Pring is playing both sides. She wants Vulcan to come out of this with greater power and potentially create an empire of their own. We must tell the President this. Spock, do we know the disposition of the Romulan fleet within their borders."
Spock: "Unknown, Captain, but it is believed they have at least 200 vessels to protect their homeworld."
Bones: "Like I said before, an attack on their homeworld is suicidal. Starfleet cannot organize a 200 ship fleet to attack Romulus."
Spock: "Starfleet can, Doctor, but we would be providing the Romulans more time to gather their defenses."
Bones: "This will just lead to more needless bloodshed, Spock. Will there be another meeting of the Federation Council."
Kirk: "Yes, tomorrow. They will decide whether to attack Romulus."
Bones: "We must stop the President from attacking Romulus."
Spock: "I find that possibility very unlikely, Doctor. This President is set in his ways, and apparently, T'Pring works for him."
Kirk: "We all work for him, not just T'Pring. We will make our case and hope for the best."
Back on Earth, the second meeting commences. As President Norman makes his decision to attack Romulus, Kirk, Spock and McCoy arrive in the Federation Council and interrupt.
President Norman: "What is this commotion?"
Kirk: "It's a trap, Mr. President. The attack on Romulus will be a trap."
President Norman: "How is it a trap. I have their warship blueprints, I have a large fleet at my disposal, and I have the better intelligence. We will attack the Romulan homeworld and achieve total victory."
Spock: "Mr. President, the Romulans have at least 200 warships available to defend their homeworld. Even if we won the battle, the Enterprise's wargame scenarios indicate that we would lose well over half our fleet, leaving us vulnerable to potential attacks from the Klingons and the Orion enemy faction. We cannot proceed with an attack on Romulus, Mr. President."
President Norman: "Your opinion is noted, Vulcan."
Bones: "Don't you remember old Earth history, Mr. President! In 20th century Korea, the United States of America bit off more than they could chew with the Chinese. They had almost unlimited numbers of men and dragged that war into a bloody stalemate. Our starship computer predicts a similar outcome because the Romulans have too many ships."
Kirk: "My doctor and science officer are correct, Mr. President. We must make peace with the Romulans in some way. I was responsible for the war's outbreak."
President Norman: "I believe we will achieve final victory against the enemy, Captain Kirk. What else do you have to say, before I give the order to attack."
Kirk: "There is also a Vulcan plot, within the Federation, Mr. President."
President Norman: "I want to hear this out, Captain Kirk."
Kirk: "Your lovely Vulcan operative who gave you the blueprints wants this war to continue because she wants Vulcan domination of the Federation. She correctly calculates that the Federation would not be able to control a restive Romulan people and that would lead to them joining the Vulcan nationalists, who would then turn on the Federation. We would be in a terrible spot."
President Norman: "Now that is something I have to think about."
Kirk: "Your options are different now, Mr. President. The game is different than you thought it was."
President Norman: "I will offer a truce to the Romulan homeworld. Due to our advantage in the war, we will ask for more territory from the Romulan Empire because they were the aggressors. The Neutral Zone will be reestablished, but closer to the Romulan homeworld, at the current front lines between our fleets."
Kirk: "Now that's a solution that makes sense, Mr. President. You will be known as a great peacemaker who won a war."
President Norman: "I will go to the Romulan homeworld myself under a flag of truce and negotiate the armistice. I will communicate to their leadership my willingness for peace. The Enterprise, as the flagship of the fleet, will convey me to their homeworld."
Kirk: "With pleasure, Mr. President."
At the end of the episode, Kirk, McCoy and Bones wonder how they were able to change the President's mind. Spock says that we appealed to his human instinct for human control of the Federation. Spock continues, "He feared that his own seat of power was at risk, from a Vulcan, perhaps T'Pring, and calculated logically that a truce was the only course of action." Kirk replies, "Well I'm glad we appealed to his sensibilities," and the show concludes.
Fontana:
Wow this episode was tense! Cary Grant was phenomenal to work with, and we were in awe of him. He wore his suit like he did in a lot of his silver screen roles and carried all of us on that shoot. I just wish the money situation with him didn't transpire, but he's Cary Grant and I guess he was entitled to whatever he wanted, due to his reputation. This was one of the highest rated episodes of all time, not just on Star Trek, but on any NBC show. President Nixon then appeared on Laugh-In the next hour and NBC had an all-time night. There was so much hype, and it delivered. Plus we brought T'Pring back, which Arlene Martel loved. She always wanted to do Trek, and we always gave her the opportunity.
Shatner:
Working with Cary Grant was one of the highlights of my career. I looked up to him ever since I was a little boy and always wanted to be the star he was. Maybe I didn't get to his level, but I wasn't that far off, with all the roles I played in the movies. He played a convincing President, and taught me how to act that little bit better. I don't say that often of many actors that they taught me how to act, with the possible exception of Christopher Plummer, who I later worked with so wonderfully on Star Trek VI, but Cary Grant was a positive influence on my career.
Roddenberry:
This was the highest moment of Star Trek's five year run. We got the biggest Hollywood star in the world to play a starring role on our show, and he pulled it off as we knew he would. The culminating scenes between Cary Grant and Shatner was some of the best television ever produced, I think. I was willing to pay whatever it took for that moment, and I don't regret it in the least.
Mort Werner, NBC executive:
Cary cost a ton, but I would pay anything to have him on one of our programs. Cramer threw the fit though, and although we hit a high point, it turned out that it was the beginning of the end of the series.
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Generations is remade into a story where Picard is caught in an anomaly and is moving back and forth between the Stargazer and the Enterprise. We’d see a younger Picard with Jack Crusher. In that scenario, Picard wants to change history and save the Stargazer but he realizes it has terrible effects on the future timeline. So it’s kind of a mix between the Inner Light and All Good Things
First Contact is the same as OTL.
Insurrection becomes a crossover TNG-DS9 movie where the TNG cast passes the torch to DS9. It is a Dominion War movie where the Enterprise-E plays a pivotal role in the end of the war
To our author- @dsp19 There lots of episodes and routes Trek did not go down. A surviving 5 season TOS introduces a lot of butterfiles to the franchise. Please change things up from OTL a lot.
For example: Phase II might be regarded a more desirable than a Movie, even with Close Encounters. Put Spock in charge while Shatner does another show- or even Uhruha. I do not think the movies where inevitable or irreplaceable.
Phase II could then be followed up with maybe movies and then in the late 80’s New Voyages introducing the OTL Next Gen, but it does not need to be a 70 year time jump. Make it 30 and have Captain Sulu or Chekov guest star. Have new Enterprise be more like the Ambassador Class than the Galaxy.
Run New Voyages for 5 years then either break or jump into a new series since Paramount might have their channel by then. Maybe it’s JMS’s space station idea, maybe it’s another Enterprise - lots and lots of options.
What ever you do, please no prequels!
For example: Phase II might be regarded a more desirable than a Movie, even with Close Encounters. Put Spock in charge while Shatner does another show- or even Uhruha. I do not think the movies where inevitable or irreplaceable.
Phase II could then be followed up with maybe movies and then in the late 80’s New Voyages introducing the OTL Next Gen, but it does not need to be a 70 year time jump. Make it 30 and have Captain Sulu or Chekov guest star. Have new Enterprise be more like the Ambassador Class than the Galaxy.
Run New Voyages for 5 years then either break or jump into a new series since Paramount might have their channel by then. Maybe it’s JMS’s space station idea, maybe it’s another Enterprise - lots and lots of options.
What ever you do, please no prequels!
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I would have used Yesterdays Enterprise as the basis for Generations. Flip Picard/Crusher so that Crusher was the CO of the previous Enterprise, with Picard his XO.
IOTL, Crusher dies, sacrificing himself and the Enterprise to save Picard and his crew, but securing peace with the Ferengi or Cardassians. Unwittingly Picard stops the destruction of the Enterprise, returns to the future and we get something more akin to Yesterdays Enterprise.
The catalyst for the alteration could be something as simple as Picard and an away team on a shuttle being sucked through the Nexus and sending of a distress call, old Enterprise responds and isn't in the place it was originally destroyed at.
Picard, prompted by Guinan, eventually realises this and has to find a way to get back through the Nexus to stop himself sending the distress call to ensure the previous Enterprise is destroyed and Crusher killed.