I wanted to wait on this for a couple days before dropping it; the last piece of business that will be published as I make my way back home…
But yes, the Khan audio program – a thing that was teased back in the last decade when new Trek was on the verge of being unleashed – is finally premiering in September. And it’s giving old Trek veterans like Tim Russ and George Takei some work… yes, this is a Khan thing that they somehow turned into further adventures of Captain Sulu. What a world.
To be honest, this is the thing that intrigues me the most. Not because I’m anxious to learn more about Khan and how we’re going to butcher this character even further (despite the involvement of Star Trek II director Nicholas Meyer), but I’m fascinated to see how well this performs and if it will lead to other similar projects. For all the talk about wanting to produce more legacy Trek content, I’m surprised that the thought never occurred to follow the same road as Doctor Who; pivot to audio dramas. I’d imagine it would be more cost-effective (only hire actors to speak in a booth and have some bits of music and sound here and there) and you’d be able to tell stories that wouldn’t be bound by whatever broadcast restrictions or limitations are imposed.
Star Trek isn’t about the special effects. It’s about the stories… and sometimes, the science helps too. You don’t need TV to tell good stories, just good performers and a good script.
Hopefully KHAN gets the ball rolling on that.
dtm666 