Hailing Frequencies Open: Picard in the Media

[Affogato]

6 hours ago, paigow said:

Some sites have Episode 5 title: Imposters

Description:

Caught by Starfleet and facing court martial, paranoia grows as Picard struggles to uncover whether a prodigal crewman from his past has returned as an ally or an enemy hellbent on destroying them all.

Aha

[Francie]

So this is interesting:

 

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Even Stewart himself has admitted that by the time the credits roll on Picard's finale, fans will be desperate for more stories. "I'm thrilled about that because it leaves a question mark hanging over his head," Stewart explained. "Now, I'm not saying in three years' time or 10 years' time, there will be another series and I'll be back again tending in my grapes in the vineyard," Stewart continued. "But I've had some fallings out with some of our people, because they look on this as a closure that is coming up, and I don't."

Are the "our people" among the showrunners? Are they some of his fellow cast members who want to be done with Star Trek? 

On the one hand, if Patrick Stewart hadn't agreed to Picard back in 2018, the series never would have happened. So it might seem that whatever he wants is whatever will happen. 

On the other hand, and I say this as someone's who has been a big enough fan to have seen him on Broadway,* he comes across as awfully frail and weak on the show, and he's just not able to lead a series anymore. 

*I mean, he's an awesome performer, so I didn't go to 'support' a TNG cast member, I was in New York on a trip, and I knew I would be blown away by a powerhouse performance, and I was. 

[Francie]

Turns out there were Riker and Worf and Raffi scenes in Episode 7, but all their scenes were cut:

https://collider.com/star-trek-picard-season-3-episode-8-riker-troi-terry-matalas-comments/

Matalas explained: "We initially had them in seven, as well, but cutting between the Rikers and Vadic's monologue was killing Vadic's monologue, and killing the Rikers. It was breaking up the stories in ways that [were] not helping either one of them."

"We had Raffi and Worf's story in seven and it was hurting Raffi and Worf to cut back to Vadic. So, at some point, you have to say, ‘We have to just pick a story.’ So, we decided seven was going to be the Vadic story. That was going to be Amanda Plummer's swan song. It's so hard, because [there are] so many great ideas and so many great things that go, but you don't have all the time and money to do it."

So, yeah. I also noticed while the article tries to downplay that the scenes were cut and describes it as the story being "paused," if one reads closely, one can see they're talking about scenes being cut. That's why episode 7 ran so short too. 

Edited April 7, 2023 by Francie

[AnimeMania]

Edited April 21, 2023 by AnimeMania

[baldryanr]

https://www.theringer.com/tv/2023/4/21/23692833/picard-season-3-star-trek-nostalgia-fan-reviews-turnaround

One benefit of having a crappy season 2 - a decent season 3 looks extra good.

[Prevailing Wind]

This show has been so bad, Paramount already shuffled the first two seasons over to PlutoTV - FREE streaming.

[Francie]

This has gotten a little bit interesting, in not being able to look away from something horrible kind of way

Terry Matalas, on the future of PS3 follow-up Legacy show: 

Quote

These shows are expensive to make. They currently have two shows, with Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy [beginning production in 2024] and I think Paramount would have to financially justify a third one. I think the way they look at it is that they’re well-stocked. So unless fans can convince them otherwise, that’s certainly the point of view at the moment.

So, basically TM is calling on his fans to complain loudly about Starfeet Academy in the hopes of getting it derailed in favor of his show. So, tear down one show in order to get yours greenlit?

And there is a sci fi nerd debate going on right now on twitter about it. Lines are being drawn. Threats not to watch one or the other being made. 

This won't end well. Both shows might end up getting send to bed without supper. 

On 4/24/2023 at 6:13 AM, Prevailing Wind said:

This show has been so bad, Paramount already shuffled the first two seasons over to PlutoTV - FREE streaming.

Cool -- I can still watch Nepenthe after my paramount+ subscription expires in a few days. Yay me! First break I've caught with this d@mn show all year. 

[Prevailing Wind]

The only problem with Pluto is they sandwich it in between showings of Voyager - you have to wait for the series finale for them to start Picard. They run Picard 24/7 (it's not "On Demand" - it's "Live") and when that's over, they go back to Voyager.  Fortunately, it only takes a little more than a week to get through the VOY series.

ETA: Endgame, part 2 is starting in 5 minutes - so Picard will probably start showing at 1 PM today (Thursday, 04/27) EDT.

Edited April 27, 2023 by Prevailing Wind

[Francie]

5 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

The only problem with Pluto is they sandwich it in between showings of Voyager - you have to wait for the series finale for them to start Picard. They run Picard 24/7 (it's not "On Demand" - it's "Live") and when that's over, they go back to Voyager.  Fortunately, it only takes a little more than a week to get through the VOY series.

ETA: Endgame, part 2 is starting in 5 minutes - so Picard will probably start showing at 1 PM today (Thursday, 04/27) EDT.

Thanks. When you mentioned it was on free tv, I was confusing Pluto with one of the streaming channels like tubi or freevee. I did look up Picard's availability on free tv last night, and the second season of Picard is available, but not the first. So second season episodes are available, on demand, for free. 

I'm going to mix sci fi franchises and say people should warned, it's a trap!

 

[Prevailing Wind]

Pluto IS free streaming, like FreeVee, owned by Paramount (so there are LOT of Paramount+ commercials.) And, holy cow, I can't tell time.  And forget what I said about Picard coming on after Voyager...they're starting Voyager all over again. I wish they'd bring back DS9.  At least Sisko had "prophet" reasons for any goofy decision making. Janeway has no excuse.

[starri]

Yeah, you’re cool. But you’ll never be Jeri Ryan Playing Dungeons & Dragons with Terry Matalas and Todd Stashwick Cool. 
 

 

[Trini]

 Cross-posting since there isn't a general Star Trek media topic:

2024 in Star Trek history:

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A lot—a lot—happens historically in Star Trek’s 2024, crucially important events that go on to not just shape Earth as it is in the early 21st century, but form foundational pillars for the contemporary Star Trek timeline. It’s a year we’ve heard about, and visited, multiple times across several Trek shows. So what’s exactly wild about it? Well, let us take a look through Trek’s past to find out... and perhaps, our future?

 

[tv echo]

Star Trek: Picard won 4 Saturn Awards (Best Science Fiction Television Series, Best Actor in a Television Series, Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series, and Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series)...

Star Trek Wins Big At The 2024 Saturn Awards
BY MARK DONALDSON    FEBRUARY 5, 2024
https://screenrant.com/everything-star-trek-won-saturn-awards-2024/ 

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Star Trek: Picard season 3 won the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Television Series. Showrunner Terry Matalas took to the stage to accept the award, alongside various members of the cast and crew of Picard season 3. In his acceptance speech, Terry Matalas said that he accepted the award on behalf of Sir Patrick Stewart, CBS Studios, the cast, crew, and the Picard writers. He also honored those who "inspired the next generation of Star Trek." Watch Terry Matalas' acceptance speech below:
*  *  *
Star Trek: The Next Generation producer Rick Berman once reflected that Patrick Stewart never winning an Emmy was "criminal". The Star Trek: Picard actor wryly referenced this in his acceptance speech, noting that his win was "a long time coming". Patrick Stewart's award for Best Actor in a Television Series was richly deserved, and the Shakespearian actor delivered a moving speech that honored his Star Trek: The Next Generation co-stars for making him a better actor. Watch Patrick Stewart's moving acceptance speech below:
*  *  *
Jeri Ryan took home the Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series at the 51st Saturn Awards for her role as Commander Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Ryan's win feels like an acknowledgment of Seven of Nine's emotional journey across three seasons of Picard, which has displayed every facet of Jeri Ryan's considerable skills as an actress. Ryan had fierce competition for the role from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Jess Bush and Celia Rose Gooding, which is a testament to the rich material being written for female characters in modern Trek.
*  *  *
Sadly, scheduling conflicts prevented Jonathan Frakes from picking up his award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series. However, it's great to see Star Trek director Jonathan Frakes being honored for possibly the greatest performance of his career. Frakes' portrayal of a grieving Captain William T. Riker was deeply affecting. Remarkably, Frakes was able to give such an emotionally nuanced performance in Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 3, "Seventeen Seconds" while also steering the ship as a director. That alone is proof that Jonathan Frakes' Saturn Awards win was well-deserved.

[tv echo]

Star Trek: Picard, "The Last Generation," got a nomination for the WGA Award for Episodic Drama...

WGA Awards: ‘Air,’ ‘Barbie,’ ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘May December’ Among Film Screenplay Nominees
BY HILARY LEWIS   FEBRUARY 21, 2024
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2024-writers-guild-awards-nominations-nominees-list-1235831599/ 

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The 2024 Writers Guild Awards nominations have been revealed.
*  *  *
In an unusual move this year, the WGA Awards will take place after the Oscars, with the WGA winners awarded on April 14, more than a month after the March 10 Academy Awards.

[tv echo]

SpaceCon San Antonio's guests this year include cast members from Star Trek: Picard (and other Star Trek series)...

SpaceCon San Antonio, October 25-27, 2024 (TX)
https://www.spaceconsa.com/celebrity-category/2024/

[tv echo]

Patrick Stewart received the ICG Publicists' Television Showperson of the Year Award...

“BARBIE” AND “AHSOKA” TAKE HOME TOP HONORS AT THE 61ST ANNUAL ICG PUBLICISTS AWARDS
International Cinematographers Guild   March 8, 2024
https://www.icg600.com/Portals/0/Awards/Publicists/2024 ICG Publicists Awards WINNERS.pdf?ver=2024-03-08-165840-113

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LOS ANGELES – The Publicists of the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) announced the winners of the 61st Annual ICG Publicists Awards at a luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel today, Friday, March 8, 2024.
*  *  *
Sir Patrick Stewart accepted the Television Showperson of the Year Award, celebrating his illustrious television career, including the recently-completed final season of CBS Studios/Paramount+’s “Star Trek: Picard,” in which he reprised his signature role as Jean-Luc Picard, originated in 1987 in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Brent Spiner, who played Data in the Star Trek universe, presented Stewart with the award during the ceremony.

Edited March 9 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Guests include the following producer/cast members from Picard: Terry Matalas, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, Jeri Ryan, Michael Dorn, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Todd Stashwick, Jonathan Del Arco, John de Lancie, Jin Maley, Daniel Davis and Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut...

Creation Entertainment presents: STLV: Trek to Vegas, August 1-4, 2024 (Las Vegas, NV)
https://www.creationent.com/cal/cemission_lv_guests.html 

Edited May 15 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Todd Stashwick Q&A | GalaxyCon Oklahoma City 2024
GalaxyCon   Jun 6, 2024

[tv echo]

Many Picard cast members are scheduled to be at this con in August...

Creation Entertainment's STLV (Trek to Vegas): The 58-Year Mission, August 1-4, 2024 (NV)
Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, John de Lancie, Tim Russ, Jonathan Del Arco, Michael Dorn, Michelle Hurd, Jeri Ryan, Santiago Cabrera, Todd Stashwick, Jin Maley, Stephanie Czajkowski, Madeline Wise,  Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, Aaron Stanford, Kirk Acevedo and Jon Jon Briones
https://www.creationent.com/cal/cemission_lv_guests.html 

Edited July 27 by tv echo

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

From Dragon Con yesterday...

Star Trek Picard Guests: Filling the Space and Having Fun
Kevin Shirley   August 31, 2024 
https://dailydragon.dragoncon.org/2024/star-trek-picard-guests-filling-the-space-and-having-fun-draft/ 

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The Trek track took over the Courtland Grand ballroom Friday at 2:30PM to welcome Santiago Cabrera, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, and Michelle Hurd from Star Trek: Picard for a sweeping Q&A. Steve Denham, who moderated the session, facilitated the conversation.
*  *  *
Each actor had their own journey to Star Trek. Hurd time and again referred to herself as a fan of the franchise. As a small child her father insisted that she and her sisters watch Star Trek because of Nichelle Nichols’ role as Nyota Uhura. Her father understood the importance of representation, and in the character of Uhura, his daughters saw an African American woman in a position of authority and power. Hurd pointed out that this wasn’t a woman as “concubine” or “servant” but rather an intelligent, highly skilled professional serving at the highest level of responsibility. She had authority and place. Her father understood how important it was for his daughters to see her… to see themselves represented in that way.

Chestnut’s mom is a huge fan of Star Trek and served as her gateway to the franchise. In fact, her mother helped her prepare for the audition. Chestnut didn’t know the specifics of the part she was auditioning for. When her agent called to tell her that she was going to play the role of Geordi LaForge’s daughter Sidney and get to work alongside both Levar Burton and his biological daughter Mica, she and her mother celebrated. Chestnut described the moment, and the realization of the role she’d won, as “surreal.” 

For Cabrera, winning the role of Cristóbal Rios brought him to Star Trek. To prepare he watched a lot of Star Trek and dove deep into its underlying philosophy. He sees this as the foundation, the underpinning of the entire endeavor. In fact, when asked about Rios being left in the 21st century (which in Star Trek lore is among the most violent and destructive periods ever) and what he would bring to the people of that age, Cabrera replied simply with “hope.”
*  *  *
The actors would love to return to Star Trek if the opportunity were to present itself. They called upon the fans to let the producers know that they’d like to see more. Terry Matalas, the creative force behind Star Trek: Picard has referred to a sequel he has called Star Trek: Legacy. The series would tell the story of Captain Seven of Nine and the adventures of the USS Enterprise G. Perhaps there, Hurd noted, such a series would provide the opportunity to explore the relationship between Mussiker and Seven further. When asked about the way the character’s relationship “fell by the wayside” in season three of Star Trek: Picard, Hurd pointed out that Matalas wanted season 3 to be a “love letter” to Star Trek: The Next Generation. His intent was to give the series the goodbye it deserved. Achieving that dominated the story telling and screen time. As a result, her character’s relationship with Teri Ryan’s Seven got pushed down the priority list.

Edited September 1 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Another report from Dragon Con this weekend....

Herding Cats: Next Gen to Picard
Kevin Shirley September 1, 2024 
https://dailydragon.dragoncon.org/2024/star-trek-next-generation-to-picard-qa/ 

Quote

Creating something new was a key component of John de Lancie’s deliberations over joining Star Trek: Picard. He sat down with the show runners of the series and asked if the goal was to “create” or “recreate.” It was a pivotal question because, according to de Lancie, the quest to recreate something you did in the past is a trap to be aware of and avoid. The creative team was emphatic that Star Trek: Picard was about creating something new. In that moment de Lancie was able to “exhale,” not just reprising his role of the quixotic Q but creating him anew. The Q of Star Trek: Picard was more mature, generous, and able to show concern for someone (in this case Picard) in a meaningful way. De Lancie’s effort to understand and engage characters fully gave the panel one of its most significant moments. In answer to a question about difficult and uncomfortable roles, de Lancie told the story of a production in which he played a government functionary in occupied Europe during World War II. His character had scenes that were very uncomfortable, including conversation with a town’s mayor over the logistics of deporting the town’s Jewish population during the “Final Solution.” He initially saw his character as a “monster” who he found very difficult to play. That was all to change, though, due to an incident during lunch. While standing in line to pay for his lunch a person in front of him dropped a $5 bill. De Lancie picked it up and immediately gave it back to its owner. He could have slid his foot over the $5 bill and casually picked it up. The owner wouldn’t have known, and there would have been no consequences or repercussions. That tiny step, however, that compromise, would have started a series of actions and rationalization that would, at the end of the arc, allow a man to “put kids on a train.” It was a startling moment that unlocked his character. He came to see and understand how ordinary people could do such a thing.

Edited September 2 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine) joins us for Star Trek stories from Voyager, Picard, and more!
ComicsOnline   Sep 24, 2024

[tv echo]

Interview: Jonathan Del Arco Talks “Borg Spin-Off” That Became ‘Star Trek: Picard’ And Hugh’s Surprise Death
LAURIE ULSTER   SEPTEMBER 27, 2024
https://trekmovie.com/2024/09/27/interview-jonathan-del-arco-talks-borg-spin-off-that-became-star-trek-picard-and-hughs-surprise-death/ 

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You turned up on season 1 of Picard; were you given any kind of backstory on what Hugh had been up to and how he got to where he was?

I sure wasn’t! [laughs] We were lucky enough to have rehearsal for the first episode, we had some time because they were building sets and they were running way behind, they were rewriting a bunch of scripts and we sat around talking, and they were like, “I don’t know.” So I did come up with a lot in my own head of what I thought, and we did have one person who was more knowledgeable on this, Kirsten Beyer, so I did talk to her. She was helpful and helped me kind of hash out what might have been in that middle ground, which was very helpful. But initially, no, I was trying to piece together exactly—they kept saying to me, he’s really broken, and I didn’t understand what that was. A very weird note to me. I didn’t understand what that meant. And then once I got into him and into the scenes, I completely comprehended what they meant by broken… I eventually got there, but I use all kinds of things to motivate my mental state on the ship and to try to find a thread. What I didn’t want to happen, because it’d been so many years and I was in so much makeup the first time, for the fans to not recognize Hugh, that there needed to be some thread of recognition of who that young person might have become.

So did you have any specifics that you came up with in terms of, like, what he’d been doing?

Yes, he dedicated his life to the betterment of the little collective that followed him as they broke off from the collective, as it were, and became their leader and their guide. And then when this opportunity came up to work on the on The Artifact. He took it because he felt, were he not there it, the situation would have been even worse for the xBs, even though he wasn’t capable of protecting them fully. He did what he could within that job to keep things from going completely off the rails, right? Which eventually they did.
*  *  *
Was this a situation where they had written Hugh in and then called you, or was there someone on the production—I know you’d worked with [executive producer] James Duff, who was on the show at that point. Was that something he did? How did it all happen?

James was the showrunner on The Closer and Major Crimes and a very dear friend of mine and Jeri [Ryan]’s, and he had been hired to come very early on, one of the early executive producers and writers of a spin-off of Star Trek. We didn’t know what it was. There was no Picard yet. It was a spin-off of Star Trek. Alex Kurtzman, James Duff, and I believe maybe one other writer was involved at the time, and James really wanted it to be a Borg spin-off. That’s why he talked to Jeri and I, and really started talking to them about it being this Borg storyline. And somewhere within that he discussed it with us maybe a year before it even happened. And they didn’t have Patrick yet. So I think then they went and made the pitch to Patrick. But had Patrick not done it, some kind of show about the Borg would have happened. It would not have been Picard, it would have been a show about the Borg. And you can even tell how heavily Borg-influenced it was. So the Borg was really the the kernel, from what I understand of of the beginning of that idea. And once Patrick became involved, the pieces began to fall into place, and we were set up and given deals to come be a part of the show. What I was not told was that I was getting killed, because that was not James’s plan. And James left the show before they began filming. He had a creative differences and left, I think, weeks before I even began. I’d signed my contract, and the people that were left, I think, then made that decision without my being told or even knowing about it through gossip. I read it in a script. That was the first time I ever—

They didn’t tell you before they sent you the script?

No.
*  *  *
Do you know why?

I have no idea what the creative reasoning for killing Hugh was. I was told they needed it to propel the story. And maybe they thought, that’s how they get Seven onto the cube. I just think they missed a lot of really great storytelling opportunities with Seven and Hugh… Had I stayed on the show, I wouldn’t have gotten to do these two movies that I did, one which premieres October 18 in theaters, The Grotto. I would have never gotten to do The Grotto, because I would have been filming Star Trek and so creatively, I don’t regret it. I don’t feel bad about it. The only thing I regret is I didn’t get to do stuff with a couple of people, Jeri Ryan and LeVar Burton. Those are the two people I wanted to really have an opportunity to connect with as characters. Creatively, those are the two relationships I really wish I’d gotten to do.
*  *  *
And you also had great scenes with Patrick, with LeVar… there must have been something fun in that scene with Patrick in Picard, where you got to actually hug.

I will take full credit for the hug. It was not in the script. And I hear a lot of people talk about the hug being a moment for them, so that’s nice to hear… It was odd, the way it was written. We just had the conversation, there was no physical touching going on. And Patrick said, “I feel like we should at least shake hands or something.” And I said, “Would you mind if I hug you?” And he said, “No, let’s try it.” So we rehearsed it. And the director [Maja Vrvilo], she came up to us with tears in her eyes, and she goes, “Oh, we’re doing that. Everyone was crying, we’re definitely doing that.”

Edited September 27 by tv echo

[tv echo]

From SpaceCon San Antonio last weekend...

Star Trek: Picard Legends Reunite! Michelle Hurd, Todd Stashwick, & Mica Burton Breakdown Resistance
Tales From The Collection: Autographs & Fan Mail   posted Oct 28, 2024