William Shatner, born March 22, 1931 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, will always be best known as his role as Captain James T. Kirk on the cult classic television show Star Trek. He appeared in the first original series from 1966 to 1969. He appeared in the six movie adaptions of the TV series and the final Star Trek: Generations. He starred in the TV movies TekWar, based on the novel he co-wrote.
In October 2021, he became the oldest person, at that time, to fly in space. At the age of 90, he flew on Blue Origin's NS-18 suborbital flight on October 13, 2021.
Television during the 1987-1988 season had some pretty great series, and a couple of pretty lame ones as well. I highlighted the wins from my favorites. I liked Cheers, but never connected with it.
Star Trek: The Next Generation faced intense scrutiny won during its first season, since the original series from the 60's had been elevated to cut status, with four blockbuster movies. Yet, the newest installment in the Star Trek franchise stepped up to the challenge. It won Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for the episode Conspiracy. This was well-deserved achievement if you have seen the episode. It also won Outstanding Costume Design for The Big Goodbye, in which the officers of the USS Enterprise become trapped in the holo-suite running a 1940s noir program. The episode 11001001 won for Outstanding Sound Editing.
The series was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling, Outstanding Achievement in Makeup, Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.
The Golden Girls was nominated for eleven Primetime Emmys and won three. Bea Arthur won Outstanding Lead Actress and Estelle Getty won Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. The Golden Girls won Outstanding Technical Direction/Electronic Camerawork/Video Control of the episode Old Friends.
Rue McClanahan and Betty White were nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress. Herb Edelman and Geraldine Fitzgerald were nominated for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series. The Golden Girls was nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Editing for a Series-Multi-Camera Production, and Outstanding Sound Mixing.
The series was nominated for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series but lost to The Charmings. Seriously?
The Vietnam War series China Beach won Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a Series for the pilot episode. It received three more nominations: Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series, Outstanding Editing for a Series-Single Camera Production, and Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series.
Designing Women won Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for the episode I'll Be Seeing You. The show was nominated for Outstanding Editing for a Series-Multi-Camera Production and Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
I watched the TV movie The Secret Garden, which won for Outstanding Children's Program. Well-deserved.
Angela Lansbury was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series her work on Murder, She Wrote, but lost to Sharon Gless for Cagney and Lacey. Oh, well. The show was nominated for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series.
Newhart was nominated for Outstanding Editing for a Series-Multi-Camera Production. Peter Scolari and Julia Duffy were nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Actress.
Back when television shows were the best, Star Trek, Laugh-in, and Bewitched were nominated for several Primetime Emmys, at the 21st annual ceremony held June 8, 1969. Star Trek and Laugh-In were nominated for the same award: Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and Scenic Design. Unfortunately, Mission: Impossible took that award.
Laugh-In was also nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music for Gordon Wiles, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music, Outstanding Variety or Musical Program, Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music, and three nominations for Special Classification Achievement-Individuals (Variety Performances) Arte Johnson, Ruth Buzzi (winner) and Goldie Hawn. Laugh-In received two nominations for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Electronic Production and won one.
Leonard Nimoy received a nomination for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series for his role as Spock. Episode Assignment: Earth was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing.
Episode The Tholian Web won a Special Classification of Outstanding Individual Achievements-Special Photographic Effects.
John Cho, born June 16, 1972 in Seoul, South Korea, immigrated to Los Angeles, California when he was six years old. Cho starred as Hikaru Sulu in the reboot of the Star Trek series. He also appeared in the American Pie series and Harold & Kumar series.
He starred in Searching, the first mainstream Hollywood thriller with an Asian American lead actor.
The twenty-eighth episode of the first season of Star Trek (the original series) The City on the Edge of Forever, first aired April 6. 1967. Anomalous waves emanating from a strange planet wreaks havoc on the Enterprise, and causes Dr. McCoy to inject himself with a dangerous drug, resulting in psychotic episodes. In his crazed state, he beams down to the planet below.
Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Lieutenant Uhura and a security beam down after him. They find the the Guardian of Forever, a time portal showing Earth's past events in fast time. Bones jumps through the portal and changes the past. Kirk, Spock, and Uhura realize they are trapped, since the Enterprise no longer exists.
Kirk and Spock jump through the portal to locate McCoy before he can do the damage he caused to the current time line.
It's considered by fans to be the best episode of the entire series. The final line is uttered by Kirk when he says "Let's get the hell out of here."
The nineteenth episode of the seventh season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Genesis, aired March 19, 1994. I enjoyed this episode, even though it seems not many other people did. Gates McFadden, who plays Dr. Beverly Crusher, directed the episode.
Capt. Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) and Data (Brent Spiner) go chasing after a malfunctioning torpedo in an asteroid field. Upon their return to the Enterprise, they discover that the crew has inexplicably mutated into strange creatures.
The episode won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series. It was nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series.
Connor Trinneer, born March 19, 1969 in Walla Walla, Washington, is best known for his role as Commander Charles 'Trip' Tucker III in Star Trek: Enterprise. He was nominated twice for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series.
He's made appearances in 9-1-1, NCIS: Los Angeles, and 24.
Considered one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Yesterday's Enterprise, the fifteenth episode of the third season, aired February 17, 1990. The Enterprise D encounters a rip in the space-time continuum. The Enterprise C, which had been lost years before, appears, and the present is changed. The Enterprise D becomes a war ship. Lt. Tasha Yar appears and Lt. Worf disappears. Guinan knows something is wrong and demands that Picard send the Enterprise C back, even though it means its imminent destruction.
The episode won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series. It is the only episode in which Guinan and Tasha Yar have a scene together. Yar was killed in the first season, and Guinan appeared in the second season.
Earlier drafts of the episode had Worf being the Klingon commander who demands the Enterprise to surrender. Also, the writers decided to kill Tasha Yar off a second time to give her a more heroic send-off, since her first death was deemed a disappointment. It was the last time Tasha Yar and Wesley Crusher appeared in the same episode.
Andrew Robinson, born February 14, 1942 in New York City, is best known for his role as Garak in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. A versatile and talented actor, he has been nominated for awards for his work on Ryan's Hope (daytime soap), Child's Play 3, and Deep Space Nine. He's provided the voice for Garak in other Star Trek series and video games. He has also appeared in an episode of The X-Files, The Incredible Hulk, and two episodes of Murder, She Wrote.
Steven Spielberg's Who Framed Roger Rabbit was nominated for eight Saturn Awards and won three of them from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Film at the annual ceremony January 21, 1990.
It won Best Fantasy Film, Best Director for Robert Zemeckis, and Best Special Effects for George Gibbs, Ken Ralston, and Richard Williams at Industrial Light & Magic.
Roger Rabbit was nominated for Best Actor for Bob Hoskins, Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Lloyd, Best Supporting Actress for Joanna Cassidy, Best Writing, and Best Music.
Beetlejuice was also nominated for eight awards and won three. Willow won for Best Costumes.
Star Trek: The Next Generation won Best Genre Television Series.
Star Trek: The Next Generation was nominated for eight Primetime Emmy awards, with the episode Q Who receiving three of the nominations. Q Who won two of the awards at the 41st annual ceremony held September 17, 1989. Q Who was the first appearance of the Borg.
It won Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series. The episode was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects.
Episode Elementary Dear Data was nominated for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Art Direction for a Series.
Unnatural Selection was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series.
Episode For the Child was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore).
Episode For a Matter of Honor was nominated for Outstanding Achievement for Makeup for a Series.
Ridley Scott's iconic monster movie, Alien, was nominated for seven Saturn Awards, and took home three trophies at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror's seventh annual ceremony, July 26, 1980.
Alien won Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director for Ridley Scott, and Best Supporting Actress for Veronica Cartwright.
It was also nominated for Best Actress for Sigourney Weaver (shoulda won), Best Writing for Dan O'Bannon, Best Makeup, and Best Special Effects.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture was nominated for 10 Saturns, but took home only one award for Best Special Effects.
Disney's The Black Hole was nominated for Best Science Fiction Film, Best Writing, Best Music, and Best Special Effects.
The Muppet Movie won Best Fantasy Film and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century won Best Costumes.
Star Trek: First Contact, the second appearance of the Next Generation crew, was nominated for 10 Saturn Awards from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. It took home three of the prizes at the annual ceremony held July 23, 1997.
Brent Spiner won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Data, and Alice Krige won Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the Borg Queen. Deborah Everton won for Best Costumes.
Patrick Stewart was nominated for Best Actor as Jean-Luc Picard. There were no nominees for Best Actress from the movie, which is a crime, since Alfre Woodard was awesome! She deserved a nomination as much as Helen Hunt, Frances McDormand, and Penelope Ann Miller. With the given nominees, I would have preferred to see Penelope Ann Miller win for her work in The Relic.
Star Trek: First Contact was nominated for Best Science Fiction Film. Jonathan Frakes was nominated for Best Director. Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore were nominated for Best Writing. Michael Westmore, Scott Wheeler, and Jake Garber were nominated for Best Make-up. Jerry Goldsmith was nominated for Best Music (another tragedy that he didn't win). John Knoll with Industrial Light & Magic was nominated for Best Special Effects.
Independence Day had 11 nominations and won three. The Relic, one of horror favorites, received two nominations. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie had one nomination. Twister got four nominations.
Brian Tochi, born in Los Angeles to Japanese parents who survived the WWII internment camps, has appeared on Star Trek (original series) as a child, and Star Trek: The Next Generation as an adult, the only actor to do so.
He played Ray in the episode And the Children Shall Lead in 1968. He then appeared in the TNG episode Night Terrors as Ensign Kenny Lin.
Tochi is best known for his appearances in three popular film franchises of all time: Revenge of the Nerds (as Takashi), Police Academy (as Nogata), and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, starring as Leonardo. He also appeared for the entire run of Space Academy, with fellow And the Children Shall Lead actress Pamelyn Ferdin. Wow!
Leonard Nimoy, born March 26, 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts, is best known for his portrayal of the Vulcan Mr. Spock in the Star Trek cinematic universe. He played the character in the original series, the first five movies featuring the cast from the original series, and then appearances in some of the spin-off series and movies. He also directed, including Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
He made his Hollywood debut at 20, in Queen for a Day in a bit part. He appeared briefly in the sci-fi classic Them!.
He was nominated for four Primetime Emmys, three of which were for his role as Spock. On January 16, 1985, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
He passed away in February 2015 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Sonequa Martin-Green, born March 21, 1985 in Russellville, Alabama, is currently appearing as Commander Michael Burnham on the series Star Trek: Discovery. She previously appeared in the zombie series The Walking Dead. She has won acting awards for both roles, including two Saturn Awards for her work on Star Trek: Discovery.
Marj Dusay, born February 20, 1936 in Hays, Kansas, had a lengthy career in soap operas or daytime dramas such as All My Children and The Guiding Light, but to us Trekkies, we know here from the infamous Star Trek episode Spock's Brain, widely considered to be the worst of the original series.
In the first episode of the third season, the crew of the Enterprise has to deal with a woman who has abducted Spock's brain for her planet's 'controller'. The woman Kara, played by Dusay, utters the phrase "Brain and brain! What is brain?"
A dubious role to become famous, but it worked for Marj.
She passed away in New York City in 2020 at age 83.
One of my favorite actresses/comediennes Andrea Martin, born January 15, 1947 in Portland, Maine, has won Primetime Emmys and Tony Awards, and many more nominations for her comedy and acting. She won an Emmy in 1982 and 1983 for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program for her work on SCTV, and received 8 more nominations. She has won two Tony Awards for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, the first in 1993 for My Favorite Year, and in 2013 for Pippin. She has been nominated for four more Tonys.
She appeared in one episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine where she appeared as Quark's mom in Family Business.
In this clip, she performs with Carol Burnett in a Star Trek parody. I think she showcases her talent beautifully here.
The series finale of Star Trek: Voyager Endgame won two Primetime Emmys at the 53rd annual ceremony held November 4, 2001. It took home the trophies for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore), and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series. The episode Workforce was nominated for the same two awards. Star Trek: Voyager was also nominated Outstanding Costumes for a Series, Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series, Outstanding Makeup for a Series, and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series.
The X-Files won the award for Outstanding Makeup for a Series for Deadalive, tying with The Sopranos. The series was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single Camera Series.
The mini-series Dune won Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special for Part I, and Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie for Part II. Part III was nominated for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or Special.
The latest installment of the Star Wars franchise, The Rise of Skywalker, won 5 Saturn Awards at the 46th ceremony of the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, October 26, 2021. It had been nominated for a total of 12 awards.
It won Best Science Fiction Film Release, Best Film Director for J. J. Abrams, Best Film Music for John Williams, Best Film Makeup, and Best Film Special/Visual Effects. It was nominated for Best Film Writing, Best Actress in a Film for Daisy Ridley, Best Supporting Actor in a Film for Adam Driver and Ian McDiarmid, Best Film Editing, Best Film Production Design, and Best Costume Design.
Knives Out, a much better movie to me, won four Saturns: Best Thriller Film Release, Best Supporting Actress in a Film for Ana de Armas, Best Film Editing, and Best 4K Film Release. It was nominated for Best Actor in a Film for Daniel Craig, Best Supporting Actor in a Film for Chris Evans, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis, and Best Film Music.
Patrick Stewart won the Award for Best Actor on Television for his performance as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard. Picard was nominated for Best Science Fiction Television Series, Best Performance by a Younger Actor on a Television Series for Isa Briones, and Best Guest Performance on a Television Series for Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine.
Star Trek: Discovery won two Saturns: Best Science Fiction Television Series and Best Supporting Actor on Television for Doug Jones. Sonequa Martin-Green was nominated for Best Actress on Television.
Godzilla even won a Saturn for Best DVD/BD Collection: Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975. Gamera: The Complete Collection was nominated for the award.
