European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 19, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Leonard Nimoy who played or. Spock. William Shatner who was cast As capt. Kirk. Model of the Sta ship Enterprise at Washington a National air and space museum. Hues to get them by the network watchdogs with enough message intact to give the show relevance. The network Seldom caught on to the fact that it had a prime time show allegorically delving into such Touchy subjects As Vietnam race and civil rights imperialism nuclear weapons and even birth control a at a time when the most popular television fare was Gilligan a Island and the Beverly Hillbillies. As for the future Paramount May deny there is a seventh film in the works for the original cast but that hardly matters to the people who ride Herd on the tree franchise. Star trek the next generation continues to create its own legend As the highest rated syndicated u Levision series in history. There Are plans for another syndicated series to be spun off from that show. The original actors have weathered 25 years of Fame Well although at the museum opening Shatner referred to the goldfish bowl in which they often live when he affectionately called his compatriots a my fellow for those who wonder just How crazed that life can be consider that when the cast went to Grum Many a chinese theater in Hollywood to have their Palm prints immortalized a at a ceremony held Early in the morning to keep crowds Down a 10,000 fans showed up just to stand within a Hundred feet of their heroes. There Isnit a question this Side of Alpha centaurs that each of them Hasni to heard hundreds thousands of times but they treat each query with serious aplomb As if it were Brand new. Shatner fairly basks in the glow of his Fame As capt. Kirk. He has acquired the Grace and Good humor about the show to Trade self deprecating quips with fans. Asked if he Felt like a cultural artefact Shatner joked a actually i sort of feel like a cultural Artichoke but seriously its a strange position to be in. An awesome in contrast to the stoic and aloof or. Spock Nimoy was warm and engaging eager to talk about lie phenomenon of the show. Asked if the Star trek a Long trek through Abc and syndication f the thousands of television programs that have come and gone Over the years few have followed such strange tortuous paths As Star 1 Rock. Spurned by lbs As too much of a whirl was Stilt fun for him he said there has never been a Downside to his association with he show. Quot we have been gainfully employed for a Long time in something that has had cultural Merit Quot he said. A we All consider ourselves to be very Lucky Nichols and Tasci. Who played helmsman 1.1. Suit echoed Nimoy s sentiments expressing gratefulness for the Fame the show has lavished on them. Kelley dressed in jeans and Cowboy boots played the resident Jokester along with Pooh an As the two trailed Folksy country homilies and scottish rogue Wisee Racks. Although he rolled his eyes Good Nat redly at the suggestion. Doohan was encouraged to read some of his greatest lines such As a Captain m engines Canna take much More o this Quot the Only one to strike even a vaguely discordant note was Koenig who played Ensign Pavel Chekov. He let Fly with a few complaints about How typecasting has never allowed him to move beyond Star trek to acceptance in other roles. Although he docs sporadic theater work Koenig said a if i m a cultural icon i have to worry about visitors to the exhibit will find plenty of material to spark old memories of favorite moments from favorite shows especially the abundant photo stills of Well known scenes but it is the cheesy props used on the notoriously underfunded show that Anchor the exhibit. Most of them arc cobbled together with paint glue plastic Wood and a few nuts and bolts. Visitors will be surprised at How uni posing the Captain s command chair and the Helm console manned he Sulu and Chekov seem outside the context of the Enterprise s Bridge. Other items a Many of which Are in private collections a include phases we upon to. Communicators Iri corders Spray typos Universal translators and tribbles the cute Little i Rhalls that wreaked havoc in the trouble with tribbles rated As the Al time favorite episode in a nationwide poll. One of the main features of the exhibit Are two Small wrinkled pieces of rubber which will be instantly identifiable to any fan As the ears worn by Nimoy to play or. Spock. There Are scale models of the Enterprise along with models of the Galileo shuttle exalt a klingon Battle Cruiser and the Sholian ship from the episode the Sholian web. The museum cannot keep the commercial aspect of the venture completely out of the picture a they clearly want the exhibit to boost attendance a so not far Down the museum s main Hall is a Nook uttering All manner of Star trek merchandise. About 8 million people visited the museum last year. Asked if the museum could handle say an increase to 10 million this year exhibit curator Mary Henderson said a ooh yes. No problem a a partial inventory of the souvenir stand includes shirts posters books pins and to tree mugs one of which has Kirk Spock and Mccoy on a transporter platform. When filled with hot liquid the figures fade Only to re materialize when the cup cools. The exhibit closes sept. 7, hut the enduring popularity of the program ensures it will keep travelling beyond the stars at Warp Speed Tor some time to come Long and Prosper Star irek. Gamble and picked up by no Only with the Gie Aiesi trepidation More than a Quarter Century ago the show would have died before it got on the air Weie it not for the drive of its creator the late Gene Koi Denberry. The shows Early Days set the tone Lor the unusual years that would follow. Shooting on the first Pilot 1 he age began in late 1%4, with Jeffrey Hunter As Apt. Christopher Pike commander of the federation Sta ship Enterprise. Just Days before shooting began Roddenberry had to make a major Effort to keep Leonard Nimoy from abandoning the role of Spock Nimoy Hail doubts about playing a satanic looking alien with pointy ears i my Rcd i m of a act it april 19. 1i392 gunday a Page s
