Last night I was reading a random update on TrekWeb, and I came across a site called Hidden Frontier. Its a bunch of Star Trek fans who have essentially created a new series and made a bunch of 30 min episodes. The stories are set aboard Deep Space 12 and the starship Excelsior who are stationed in the Briar Patch and must deal with all sorts of stuff, including a mysterious people called the Grays (whom I suspect abducted people from Earth in the mid 20th century).
The show is filmed in front of a Green Screen and then backgrounds from various episodes of DS9, Voyager, TNG, and the movies are projected on them. It doesn’t help the flow of the scenes because they pretty much have to film most actors separately on the bridge, with occasionally them together. My favorite is an old upholstered chair on the bridge. But I digress.
Rob Caves who is the executive producer of the series also manages most of the effects shots – which really are quite good (and I think better than most Sci-Fi on the air these days). I really wish there was more information about the cast and the crew on their bare-bones site.
As for the acting, it started out pretty rough. I’ve made it through almost the whole second “season” and it has gotten a bit better, but it still is pretty painful. The sad part is that I already have some favorite characters (I like the Counselor and the Doctor the best – the captain is so -so, but he has grown on me). More kudos to the fact they aren’t afraid to do fanciful episodes (like the one where they go back to the Titanic (episode 104 “Two Hours”, or the one when “Sulu” and the original Excelsior come into the 24th century in an ode to both Battlestar Galactica and the famous TNG episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (Episode 202 “Yesterday’s Excelsior”). They have also had some “serious” episodes involving depression driven suicide, parenting, guilt, and oh yes, gay romance.
Like I said, I’m addicted. It started out as a train wreck, but it has gotten better. It still can be rough around the edges, but I am totally in it for the long haul. I am also super jealous. I think of what Alex, Kris, and I did back on the couch in 1987 and think if only they had the technology then. Sigh. Maybe I can just guest star with the Gorn.