Captain’s log: stardate 44474.5 With an airdate of 4 February, 1991, this episode, written by Philip LaZebnik, from a story by LaZebnik, and William Douglas Lansford, has always been a fun one for me. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Data (Brent Spiner) find themselves in a mystery when they answer a call from a planet that…
Tag: trial
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990) – Deja Q, and A Matter of Perspective
Captain’s log: stardate 43539.1 It’s time for the seemingly annual season visit with that omnipotent rogue, Q (John de Lancie). Written by Richard Danus, the episode debuted on 5 February, 1990. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of the Enterprise are trying to save the people of Brial IV. It seems their moon has become…
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) – Vonda N. McIntyre
This week’s Book Shelf brings me to the movie adaptation of Star Trek IV, as I continue to enjoy, discover new stories and revisit old ones with the Pocket Book novels. Working from the film’s original script, McIntyre expands on the film’s story, as well as tying it more strongly into her own stories and…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – The Measure of a Man, and The Dauphin
Captain’s log: stardate 42523.7 The Measure of a Man, definitely in the top ten Trek episodes of all time, this gem was written by Melinda M. Snodgrass this classic first aired on 13 February, 1989. Data (Brent Spiner) is on trial for his synthetic life as the debate on whether or not he is a…
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) – Carl Theodor Dreyer
No makeup, close-ups and harsh lighting put Maria Falconetti on the screen as Joan of Arc in a way that hasn’t been seen since. Carl Dreyer’s retelling of the story of the French heroine is the next big title in DK Book’s The Movie Book. We are invited to take a front row seat for…
Star Trek: The Animated Series (1974) – Albatross, How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth, and The Counter-Clock Incident
Captain’s log: stardate 5275.6 Dario Finelli pens the ante-penultimate episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series. Airing on 28 September, 1974, the story idea is a smart one: Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) finds himself accused of causing an alien plague. Kirk (William Shatner) is stunned, and he and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) investigate the events and…
Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973) – The Magicks of Megas-Tu, Once Upon a Planet, and Mudd’s Passion
Captain’s log: stardate 1254.4 Long before the search for Eden and God led the Enterprise to the Final Frontier in Star Trek V, Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and McCoy (DeForest Kelley) encountered a similar adventure in a similar location. Written by Larry Brody, this episode aired on 27 October, 1973. The Enterprise…
The Twilight Zone (1961) – It’s a Good Life, Deaths-head Revisited, and The Midnight Sun
Paramount Picture’s The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series starts off with a classic episode this week. So good, it was remade by Joe Dante in the feature film (and it was very much suited to his storytelling style). Hold onto your happy thoughts as the series creator Rod Serling penned teleplay from a story by…
Star Trek: The Original Series (1967) – Tomorrow is Yesterday and Court Martial
Captain’s log: stardate 3113.2 Tomorrow is Yesterday is the series first full-on time travel story, penned by D.C. Fontana this great, and often funny, episode had an original airdate of 26 January, 1967. After a slingshot around a star throws the Enterprise back in time (this sounds important and may be used again in future)…
Doctor Who (Colin Baker) – The Ultimate Foe
The final story of Season 23, and the conclusion of the season long Trial of a Time Lord, ends up being a two parter that aired from 29 November to 6 December 1986. Part one was written by Robert Holmes, whose untimely death resulted in Pip and Jane Baker writing the story’s conclusion. The Doctor’s…
The Mind Reels 