TVSquad

TrekMovie.com has posted screen shots of the new posters for the upcoming Star Trek movie. These posters (four in total) were apparently given out at the recent VegasCon to go with four given out at the SDCC of Kirk and Spock. From left to right, the posters are of Sulu, Scotty, McCoy and Chekov.

Frankly, I don't think any of them look like the originals. John Cho has a longer face than George Takei. Simon Pegg looks like a smaller guy (at least they didn't immediately give him the mustache that James Doohan later grew). It's tough to tell with Karl Urban because of the angle of his profile, but he looks nowhere near as ornery as Deforest Kelley. Anton Yelchin has a much stronger jaw than Walter Koenig.

Do you think people would watch a movie in which they basically use only the names and don't really try to duplicate the looks of the original actors? I suppose this won't bother a new generation of Trek fans who don't know the original cast anyway. What do you think?

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.

Ever since I was allowed to make my own decisions, I have tried to emulate Jim Kirk. Whenever I have a tough choice to make I ask myself WWJTKD? When I became a father, I continued that practice and it's helped out immeasurably.

You Can't Make Everybody Happy
During his career, Captain Kirk has been forced to make unpopular decisions. Even though the decision is always the right one, there are always people (sometimes a lot of people) who end up wanting him court-martialed or worse. As I became responsible for people other than myself, I had to realize that like Kirk, I have to make the decision that I know is right even if it makes my kids hate me.

Having grown up in a Star Trek household from way back, I'm fairly familiar with a lot of the catch phrases from the original series, which ran from 1966 to 1969. Here are six that still make their way into conversation around here:

1. "Beam me up, Scotty." Gracing bumper stickers and coffee mugs everywhere, and often followed by "There's no intelligent life down here," this is likely the most recognizable phrase from the series. Here's the thing, though. According to Wikipedia, the exact phrase was never actually spoken in any Star Trek television episode or film. Capt. Kirk comes closest to saying the phrase in the episode, "The Gamesters of Triskelion" ("Scotty, beam us up"); in the animated episodes "The Lorelei Signal" and "The Infinite Vulcan" ("Beam us up, Scotty"); in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ("Scotty, beam me up"); and in Star Trek Generations ("Beam them out of there, Scotty.")

(S01E13) The surgery is done. The brain aneurysm is gone. But Eli's life hangs -- or hung -- in the balance. This was a very trippy episode, a term Dr. Chen uses to explain to Eli why everything seems so out of whack. By the end of the hour, I'm not sure we can say with any certainty that Eli is really back. But it sure seems that when faced with a choice of letting go or letting God, he took the latter and opened his eyes.

In response to my last Star Trek post, a reader pointed out some more casting rumors for us. According to TrekMovie.com, actor Paul McGillion has auditioned for the role of Montgomery Scott originally played by the late James Doohan in the 1966 to 1969 Star Trek television series.

The Canadian actor already plays a Scottish character on Stargate Atlantis, so adopting the accent wouldn't be a new thing for him. He's even gotten an endorsement from Chris Doohan, son of James.

I haven't watched Stargate Atlantis, so I can't comment on whether he's a good choice for the role or not. If he gets the role, then time will tell. What do you think?

Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.

Today on TV Squad Daily:

• They found Scotty! Better late than never, James Doohan's ashes were finally located.
• Rachel Ray is asking for people to participate in the Great American Bake Sale. For starving kids (riiiight.)
  
• The value of a television commercial is changing, since we can just skip them if we want to now. Minisodes might change that.
  

The video's embedded below, or you can download the file directly (Quicktime required). You can also subscribe to this podcast via our feed.

Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.

Today on TV Squad Daily:

• Scotty where are you? James Doohan's ashes made it back to earth, but we can't find them!
  
• The makers of American Idol will soon be bringing us The Next Great American Band.
  
• Illusionist Criss Angel believes you can be just like him, if you really really want it.
  

The video's embedded below, or you can download the file directly (Quicktime required). You can also subscribe to this podcast via our feed.

It's been almost two years since James "Scotty" Doohan passed away, but his ashes have finally been sent into orbit.

Some of the Star Trek actors' ashes were launched from the New Mexico desert today with the ashes of about two-hundred other individuals, including Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper. The rockets were launched by the wives of both men, Suzan Cooper and Wende Doohan.

Doohan was born in 1920 in Canada and fought in World War II, losing a finger as a result of injuries he suffered on D-Day. In the late '40s, he trained as an actor at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. He's appeared in countless movie and TV roles, but of course we'll all remember him as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott.

Gene Roddenberry, the late creator of Star Trek, also had his ashes launched into space in 1997.