Commentary: Trek Stars 150: Squirrel!

Piller, Part 4: Wildfire.

Michael Piller may be known best for his science fiction work, but that by no meanswas the extent of his talent. His final television series, Wildfire, is about an eighteen year-old girl who is released from juvenile detention to work on a horse ranch.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John are joined once again by Star Trek writer and Wildfire associate producer Eric A. Stillwell to discuss Piller's work on the show. Eric tells us how the show came about, Piller's dedication to research, the challenges of shooting outside of California, and the impressive cast, which includes Nana Visitor. Eric also shares some more details of Michael Piller projects that went un-produced.

Running Time: 1 hour 1 minute 2 seconds

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Hosts

Mike Schindler and John Mills

Guest

Eric A. Stillwelll

Editor and Producer

Mike Schindler

Executive Producers

Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones

Associate Producer

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Production Manager

Richard Marquez

Content Manager

Will Nguyen

Chapters

Research (00:01:48)
The Premise (00:15:45)
Collaborators (00:31:36)
Final Thoughts (00:39:33)
Wrap-up (00:49:22)

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Commentary: Trek Stars 149: Johnny's Quest

Piller, Part 3: The Dead Zone.

In 2002, Michael Piller created his fourth television series, The Dead Zone. The show, which starred Anthony Michael Hall and Nicole de Boer, was adapted from Stephen King's novel about a man who develops the ability to see events in the future.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by The Dead Zone associate producer and Star Trek writer Eric A. Stillwell to look at Piller's work on the series. We discuss other projects that he was developing, his writing process, and the impact the he had on other writers.

Running Time:  1 hour 7 minutes 57 seconds

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Hosts

John Mills and Mike Schindler

Guest

Eric A. Stillwell

Editor and Producer

Mike Schindler

Executive Producers

Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones

Associate Producer

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Content Manager

Will Nguyen

Chapters

Other Projects (00:03:00)
The Dead Zone (00:10:20)
Promoting the Show (00:28:25)
Final Thoughts (00:43:43)
Wrap-up (00:48:22)

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Commentary: Trek Stars 148: It's a Real Thing!

Piller, Part 2: Legend.

A mere three months after creating the show which launched the network, UPN debuted Michael Piller's third television show, Legend. The series featured Richard Dean Anderson as a writer in the Old West whose fictional hero comes to life with the help of an inventor played by John de Lancie.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at Piller's first non-Trek show. We discuss the fun tone, de Lancie's under-utilized talent, and the fact that this show actually existed, despite what Max says.

Running Time: 46 minutes 23 seconds

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Hosts

Mike Schindler and John Mills

Editor and Producer

Mike Schindler

Executive Producers

Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones

Associate Producer

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Chapters

Legend (00:00:50)
Piller's Pilots (00:11:34)
Westerns (00:30:26)
Wrap-up (00:36:10)

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As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

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Commentary: Trek Stars 147: Michael and Baseball

Piller, Part 1: Trek

Few people have hada greater impact on the history of Star Trek than Michael Piller. In addition to turning The Next Generation around in Season 3, Piller also co-created both Deep Space Nine and Voyager.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by Larry Nemecek, author of The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, to begin a new series on Michael Piller which will look at each of his television pilots. In Part 1, we cover Piller's work in Trek. We discuss how he impacted Season 3 of The Next Generation, what he brought to the creation of Deep Space Nine and Voyager, and challenges he faced writing the third TNG movie, Insurrection. We also give our thoughts on the new Starfleet uniforms debuting in Star Trek Beyond.

Running Time: 1 hour 15 minutes 38 seconds

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Hosts

John Mills and Mike Schindler

Guest

Larry Nemecek

Editor and Producer

Mike Schindler

Executive Producers

Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones

Associate Producer

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Production Manager

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Content Manager

Will Nguyen

Chapters

The Next Generation (00:02:37)
DS9 and Voyager (00:23:55)
Insurrection (00:39:15)
Wrap-up (00:51:02)

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As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

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Commentary: Trek Stars 146: Hijinks Ensue

Goldsmith, Part 2: The Omen.

In 1978, Jerry Goldsmith won the only Oscar of his career for composing the score to Richard Donner's The Omen. The film stars Gregory Peck as a man whose secretly adopted son is the child of Satan. Spoilers: They all live happily ever after.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike is joined by Marcelo from The Talk Film Society Podcast to look at The Omen. We discuss the film in general and Goldsmith's score in particular. We also touch on our favorite Goldsmith scores from throughout his career.

Running Time: 54 minutes 58 seconds

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Host

Mike Schindler

Guest

Marcelo Pico

Editor and Producer

Mike Schindler

Executive Producers

Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones

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Chapters

The Omen (00:03:45)
The Score (00:15:15)
Goldsmith's Career (00:23:07)
Wrap-up (00:41:09)

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As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

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Commentary: Trek Stars 145: The Voice of Star Trek

Goldsmith, Part 1: Trek.

When Star Trek made the jump to the big screen in 1979, it was important to the filmmakers that Star Trek: The Motion Picture was not just a big episode of the television show. It had to be a MOVIE. In order to reinforce this concept, Oscar winner Jerry Goldsmith was hired to compose the film's music.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by John Tenuto to look at Jerry Goldsmith's work on Star Trek. We discuss his score for The Motion Picture, his return to the franchise with The Final Frontier, his theme for Voyager, and his work on the Next Generation movies. We also talk a little bit about Generations. Because why wouldn't we?

Running Time: 1 hour 16 minutes 34 seconds

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Hosts

John Mills and Mike Schindler

Guest

John Tenuto

Editor and Producer

Mike Schindler

Executive Producers

Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones

Associate Producer

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Production Manager

Richard Marquez

Content Manager

Will Nguyen

Chapters

The Motion Picture (00:01:53)
The Final Frontier (00:23:35)
Voyager (00:37:43)
The Next Generation Films (00:42:45)
Wrap-up (01:02:39)

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As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

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Commentary: Trek Stars 144: Makin' Some Titanic

Horner, Part 2: Titanic.

In 1997, James Cameron's Titanic was the king of the movie world. It shattered box office records and won eleven Oscars, including Best Picture. Two of those Oscars went to James Horner for his work on both the score and the song "My Heart Will Go On".

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at what is arguably the crowning achievement of Horner's career. We discuss our thoughts on Titanic on the whole, the score in particular, and, of course, that song. We also look at other highlights of Horner's career, including Aliens, Apollo 13, Braveheart, Willow, and his final film, Southpaw.

Running Time: 1 hour 1 minute 33 seconds

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Hosts

Mike Schindler and John Mills

Editor and Producer

Mike Schindler

Executive Producers

Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones

Associate Producer

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Richard Marquez

Content Manager

Will Nguyen

Chapters

Titanic (00:01:17)
The Music (00:20:10)
Other Work (00:33:41)
Wrap-up (00:52:47)

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As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

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Commentary: Trek Stars 143: Narrated by Roscoe Lee Browne

Horner, Part 1: Trek.

In an attempt to differentiate from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and perhaps save a little money at the same time, the producers of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan hired a new composer. James Horner was a young talent just starting to make his name in the business. No one knew that he would go on to win two Oscars, leaving  his sonic stamp on the musical landscape.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by John Tenuto to discuss Horner's work in Star Trek. We look at what led him to The Wrath of Khan, why he stayed for The Search for Spock, and why he did not return for future installments. We also review the new Star Wars novel, Dark Disciple. Because why not?

Running Time: 1 hour 15 minutes 15 seconds

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Hosts

John Mills and Mike Schindler

Guests

John Tenuto

Editor and Producer

Mike Schindler

Executive Producers

Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones

Associate Producer

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Production Manager

Richard Marquez

Content Manager

Will Nguyen

Chapters

James Horner (00:03:20)
Thoughts on The Wrath of Khan (00:17:55)
The Search for Spock (00:31:20)
Final Thoughts (00:46:33)
Wrap-up (00:52:42)

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Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.
As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

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Commentary: Trek Stars 142: Riker in a Dress

Hurley, Part 4: Recap.

Very few people have had a chance to talk to Maurice Hurley about his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation. One of them is Ben Robinson, the project manager for Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John are joined by Ben to take a closer look at Hurley's work on Star Trek. We discuss How Hurley became the showrunner during Season One, what fell apart in Season Two, and his plans for the Borg were. We also recap our look at Hurley's last two movies, The Proposal and Groom Lake

Running Time: 1 hour 20 minutes 30 seconds

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Hosts

Mike Schindler and John Mills

Guest

Ben Robinson

Editor and Producer

Mike Schindler

Executive Producers

Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones

Associate Producer

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Production Manager

Richard Marquez

Content Manager

Will Nguyen

Chapters

Recap  (00:01:17)
Ben Robinson (00:07:15)
Season One (00:23:53)
Season Two (00:35:23)
The Borg (00:43:35)
Final Thoughts (00:58:56)
Wrap-Up (01:08:20)

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Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, and Federation, Audible has something for everyone.
As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

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Commentary: Trek Stars 141: Yeah, That's a Word

Hurley, Part 3: Groom Lake.

In 2002, Maurice Hurley teamed with director William Shatner to write the alien encounter movie, Groom Lake. The picture is about a dying woman, played by Amy Acker, who travels to an area famous for UFO sightings in an attempt to assure herself that there is more to the universe than life on Earth.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike discuss Hurley's final movie. We also touch on his television career, including Miami Vice. And in news, we take a look at the production team assembled by Justin Lin to make Star Trek Beyond.

Running Time: 1 hour 6 minutes 6 seconds

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Hosts

John Mills and Mike Schindler

Editor and Producer

Mike Schindler

Executive Producers

Norman C. Lao, Matthew Rushing, and C Bryan Jones

Associate Producer

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Production Manager

Richard Marquez

Content Manager

Will Nguyen

Chapters

Groom Lake (00:08:42)
Miami Vice (00:25:45)
Star Trek Beyond Production Team (00:49:00)
Wrap-up (00:55:34)

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Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.
As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

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More recent episodes of Commentary: Trek Stars...