Klinging on to immortality
Captain Kirk's been killed off, but since when has death been terminal in Star Trek? Max Walker wonders if the Final Frontier will ever be reached
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Your support makes all the difference.The first rule of Star Trek is this: learn to differentiate between hard-core Trekkies and mere amateurs. Any male born between 1965 and 1970 can, for example, tell you what James T Kirk's middle name is (Tiberius), and the registration number on the hull of the original Enterprise (NCC-1701). This is simply general knowledge. A real Trekkie, on the other hand, will tell you which Usenet newsgroup gives you the latest vital Klingon news (alt.startrek.klingon), and knows by heart the first US tra nsmission date of the pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (22 September 1966).
Especially if you've been spending time on Mars recently, you can't have failed to notice that the capital is in the grip of Trek mania. This weekend sees 10,000 ardent fans beam down to the Royal Albert Hall for the so-called Generations convention. Trekkies are expected from all over Europe, the chief attraction being the presence of most of the Next Generation crew. Over 100 Star Trek dealers will also be attending, and there will also be a charity auction of props, which will include costumes from t he original series. The Hippodrome, off Leicester Square, will also host a theme party on Saturday night.
One Trek legend who will definitely not be attending is James Kirk himself, William Shatner, although he stars in Star Trek: Generations, the latest film (which has its European premiere in London tonight and opens across the country from next Friday). Shatner's non-attendance may owe something to his ambivalent attitude to the series. Although Star Trek made him a multi-millionaire, his egotistical on-set behaviour did not endear him to his colleagues (James Doohan, who played Scotty, is not on speaking terms with him). And he reportedly believes that the shadow of Kirk stopped him from becoming a film star in his own right.
Generations brings together Kirk and Picard, the captains of both series. Shatner has already confirmed this will be his last against-all-odds outing as Kirk, even going to the lengths of killing off the character. But death in Star Trek is not necessarily terminal; Spock was summarily dispatched at the end of the second film only to be resurrected following an outcry by fans.
Even if Kirk doesn't return, the big-screen franchise will certainly continue. The producers have already axed the Next Generation after its seventh season on television, mindful of the need to boost the box-office potential of future Next Generation feature films.
In the meantime, there is always the Star Trek bar, held weekly at Page's Bar, complete with a six-foot model of the Enterprise and classic episodes shown on a giant video screen. Some fans even dress the part.
The Internet has also proved to be a fertile breeding ground for Trek buffs - according to one user, Trekkies are better catered for on the Net than almost any other interest group. And with hundreds of hours of endlessly recyclable television in the canthere is every reason to suspect that the Final Frontier cannot rest in peace just yet. Any other conclusion would be illogical... The Star Trek Generations convention, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, SW7 (071-589 8212) tomorrow and Sunday; 9.15am-7pmNichelle Nichols (Lt Uhura) will be holding a signing session for her autobiography, `Beyond Uhura'
Nichelle Nichols will also appear on `The Danny Baker Show', BBC1, Sat, 11.05pm `Star Trek: Generations', opens on 10 Feb The Star Trek Bar, Sats 5pm-11pm, Page's Bar, 75 Page St, SW1 (071-834 6791)
`Star Trek: Deep Space Nine', Sky One from 12 Feb `Star Trek: the Next Generation', BBC2, Weds, 6pm The Bank of Scotland has announced plans to launch a Star Trek credit card later this month
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