What with this being the 30th anniversary of "Star Trek," we shouldn't be surprised that there are some special TV episodes coming up.
Let's just hope that they're not all as weak as the first one.The original "Star Trek," of course, debuted on Sept. 8, 1966, on NBC. And, so far, it has spawned four other television series (the animated "Star Trek," "Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager") and eight theatrical movies. ("Star Trek: First Contact" is scheduled for release on Nov. 22.)
And almost exactly 30 years to the day from that debut, a couple of the original cast members will appear on the "Star Trek: Voyager" episode scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 11.
That's right. Capt. Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) and Commander Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) of the starship Excelsior will each have scenes with the Voyager's Capt. Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ). Sort of.
Seems that Tuvok was an ensign on the Excelsior decades earlier when Sulu's ship was caught up in the events that took place in the movie "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country." And the plot of this "Voyager" episode involves his memories of those events.
One of the scenes in the episode has been reshot from the "Star Trek VI" script. There's also some special-effects footage right out of the film.
Having Sulu and Rand (who played the navigator and the captain's yeoman in the original series) back is a nice idea. And handling their return through memories is a way 'round the fact that the Voyager's voyage is some eight decades later and on the other side of the galaxy.
But the episode itself is muddled and convoluted. Like so many "Voyager" episodes, it starts out with a promising concept but disappoints in the end.
Actually, it's disappointing way before the end. But the resolution falls into the category of "Trek" gobbledygook that sort of makes sense, but seems an extremely convenient way out.
If you don't remember Tuvok on the bridge of the Excelsior in that film, there's a good reason for that. He wasn't there.
(Oddly enough, Russ was on the bridge of an Excelsior-class starship in the film that followed. He played an unnamed human crew member on the Enterprise-B in the opening sequence of "Star Trek: Generations.")
There's also a pointless cameo by Michael Ansara as the Klingon Kang - a role he has played in both the original series and on "Deep Space Nine."
We do discover why Grace Lee Whitney has been restricted to largely nonspeaking, cameo roles in her "Trek" movie appearances - the woman can't act.
Part of the plot of this "Voyager" episode also directly contradicts the events in "Undiscovered Country" - a character is killed in the episode who is clearly alive and well after that point in the movie.
But that's sort of a minor annoyance. The low quality of the writing for this "special" episode is a major annoyance.
ALSO COMING OUR WAY: Not to be outdone by "Voyager," "Deep Space Nine" is planning its own blast from the past in November.
And the episode will feature perhaps the most popular "Star Trek" adventure of all time - 1967's "The Trouble with Trib-bles."
In this particular "DS9," Capt. Sisko (Avery Brooks) and his crew end up traveling back in time and encountering Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the original starship Enterprise. As they appeared in the 1967 episode.
Through computer magic - the same magic that allowed Forrest Gump to interact with historical figures like Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon - the present-day "Trek" stars will interact with the "Trek" stars of the past.
The plot involves the Klingon agent from "Tribbles" - the one who poisoned the grain and was found out by the tribble's antipathy toward members of his species - traveling back in time to have his revenge upon Kirk and company. And, of course, Sisko and company will try to stop him.
One thing is fairly certain. No matter how this episode turns out, it would be difficult for it to be more disappointing than Sulu's appearance on "Voyager."
TUBE NOTES: Donna Mills, who spent nine years on the well-written serial "Knots Landing," is going to spend four episodes on the ridiculously written soap "Melrose Place."
The woman who spent all that time playing marvelous bad girl Abby Cunningham Ewing Sumner is going to play Sherri Larson, "a classy woman with a checkered past" who is closely tied to Jane (Josie Bissett). Sheri will also have "an enormous emotional impact on Jane and Sydney (Laura Leighton) when she enters their lives."
Love Donna Mills. Hate "Melrose Place."
- Talk queen Oprah Winfrey has bagged a biggie for her Sept. 3 season opener - John F. Kennedy Jr. is scheduled to appear.
("Oprah" airs weekdays at 4 p.m. on KTVX-Ch. 4.)
- "Mad About You" will be bringing in a couple of comedy legends in upcoming episodes. Mel Brooks will play Paul's (Paul Reiser) "quirky" uncle in the episode set for Sept. 24.
And Carol Burnett will play Jamie's (Helen Hunt) mother in an episode that will air later this fall.
- If you just can't get enough of that Martha Stewart, what with all her charm and helpful hints, then you're in luck. She's going to do a five-day-a-week syndicated show beginning in the fall of 1997.
What wonderful news for those of you who find that the once-a-week "Martha Stewart Living" just isn't enough of "America's premier lifestyle authority."
The half-hour weekday show is being distributed by CBS-owned Eyemark Entertainment.
- "Prime Time Country" finally has a host - Gary Chapman takes over the Nashville Network's flagship program on Oct. 7.
The show has been using a series of guest hosts since mid-April, when Tom Wopat was dumped after only three months on the air.
(Songwriter Chapman, by the way, is the husband of singing star Amy Grant.)