9705.18                         DATELINE: STARFLEET #82
Editor's Notes
------------------
        This issue is a little late again from my target date of the 15th, 
which you
probably know is semi-traditional if you've been reading me long enough!
        To try and create some more consistency for everyone, I'm going to 
change
the target date a little bit.  The issues will come out (God willing) on the
first Sunday after the 15th, so that I can have the weekend to marathon-write
the issue.
        Of course, in June the 15th is Sunday.  I love those little ironies.
        Enjoy the issue!
        --Bill
News from Over the Hailing Frequencies....
-----------------------------------------------------
DEPARTURES
        Jennifer Lien has departed Voyager.  It comes at her request and by 
mutual
agreement between her and the producers.  If possible, they would like to do
a "sendoff" episode for her that would leave open the possibility that she
could return in guest roles.
        Meanwhile in a move unrelated to Jennifer's departure, a new 
character (a
female Borg) will be joining the cast next season.
        (As posted on AOL by John Ordover)
        Producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe has left his post on the DS9 staff, with 
the
completion of the season finale episode.  Citing a simple case of burn out on
DS9, he is moving on to other projects.  One of those is "Futuresport," an
ABC TV movie that is supposed to star Wesley Snipes.  Currently Robert is
doing a rewrite of the first draft (which itself was done by a different
writer).  (As posted by Robert on alt.tv.star-trek.ds9)
        A vial of ashes of the late Gene Roddenberry was launched into space 
on
April 21st.  The ashes should orbit for "years" according to the company
behind the launch, Celestis Inc., before reentering the atmosphere and
burning up.  (AP)
BABY BOOM
        Aron Eisenberg (Nog) and his wife Jessica celebrated the birth of 
their son,
Nicholas Lawrence, on April 25th!  (As posted on AOL by Anita Campbell of the
Aron Eisenberg Fan Club)
        During an appearance on "Regis and Kathy Lee," Genie Francis noted 
that hers
and Jonathan's baby-soon-to-be was a girl and that her name would be
Elizabeth.  The baby is due in a few weeks.  (As posted on AOL by WTaylor530)
        (Meanwhile, Genie is also up for a Daytime Emmy award.  Quite the 
usy
times!)
STAR TREK 9 UPDATE
        Patrick Stewart has signed for his role in the next Star Trek film.
BATTLEFIELD: EARTH UPDATE
        The series, first created by Gene Roddenberry, has been renamed "Gene
Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict." Atlantis Communications also announced
that the series would be available in 95 percent of U.S. households (the
series is being produced in Canada), and that Kevin Kilner had been cast in
the lead role.  The series starts shooting May 21 for a debut this fall.
 (Reuters/Variety)
STAR TREK: THE EXPERIENCE UPDATE
        A casting call for "out-of-this-world Star Trek characters, including
Federation Officers, Klingons and Ferengi" (as well as general less-exciting
job applications) was held in early May.  The Experience is scheduled to open
in late July.
        Also in July, the science-fiction band Neil Norman and His Cosmic 
Orchestra
is to perform at the Experience.
        (PRNewswire)
CURRENT AIRDATE SCHEDULES
All days represent "the week of".  Check your local listings for exact time
and date.  Numbers after the title are Paramount's production numbers.  An
"R" after the episode number represents a repeat airing.  Schedules are of
course subject to change at any given moment.
STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE (as of April 7, 1997)
May 11: Blaze of Glory: (521; Eddington returns again; also examines the
current state of relations between the UFP, Cardassia, and the Maquis)
May 18: Empok Nor (522; O'Brien, Garak, and Nog search for spare parts on an
abandoned Cardassian station)
May 25: The Ascent (507R; Quark and Odo mountain-climb for their lives....)
June 1: Rapture (508R; Sisko experiences visions while searching for a lost
Bajoran city)
June 8: In the Cards (523; Jake and Nog story; the duo try to track down a
rare baseball card for Ben Sisko)
June 15: A Call to Arms (524; 5th Season Finale)
        Production wrapped for this season on April 22, according to Ron 
Moore on
AOL.
        Still on AOL, Ron noted that Moogie was recast because it proved 
impossible
to coordinate the schedules of Andrea Martin (who first played Moogie) with
Wallace Shawn (Grand Nagus Zek).
STAR TREK: VOYAGER (as of March 11, 1997)
(NOTE: these are Sunday *Week Of* dates.  Most areas will see episodes
Wednesday.)
May 11: Worst Case Scenario (167; a Tuvok holodeck program about a Maquis
insurrection aboard ship causes problems; features the return of Martha
Hackett in her role as Seska)
May 18: Scorpion, Part I (168; season finale cliffhanger; Voyager has to ally
itself with the Borg; guest-stars John Rhys-Davies as Leonardo da Vinci!)
RATINGS NUMBERS
For Deep Space Nine (dates are "for the two weeks ending"):
        October 6: 5.3 rating ("Broken Link" repeat)
        October 13: 6.2 ("Apocalypse Rising")
        October 20: 6.3 ("The Ship")
        October 27: 6.1 ("Looking for par'Mach In All The Wrong Places")
        November 3: 5.2 ("Nor the Battle to the Strong")
        November 10: ("The Assignment"; ratings being reprocessed still by 
Neilsen)
        November 17: 8.3 ("Trials and Tribble-ations")
        November 24: 7.4 ("Let He Who Is Without Sin")
        December 1: 6.3 ("Things Past")
        December 8: 6.1 ("The Ascent")
        December 15: 5.4 ("Accession" repeat)
        December 22: 5.2 ("Rules of Engagement" repeat)
        December 29: 4.3 ("The Muse" repeat)
        January 5: 5.4 ("Apocalypse Rising" repeat)
        January 12: 6.4 ("Rapture")
        January 19: 6.3 ("The Darkness and the Light")
        January 26: ("The Ship" repeat; being reprocessed)
        February 2: ("Looking for par'Mach in all the Wrong Places" repeat; 
being
reprocessed)
        February 9: 6.6 ("The Begotten")
        February 16: 6.4 ("For The Uniform")
        February 23: 7.3 ("In Purgatory's Shadow")
        March 2: 6.5 ("By Inferno's Light")
        March 9:  6.0 ("Doctor Bashir, I Presume")
        March 16: 5.7 ("...Nor the Battle to the Strong" repeat)
        March 23: 5.0 ("The Assignment" repeat)
        March 30: 5.1 ("Let He Who Is Without Sin..." repeat)
        April 6: 4.4 ("Things Past" repeat)
        April 13: 5.5 ("A Simple Investigation")
        April 20: 5.7 ("Business as Usual")
        April 28: ("Ties of Blood and Water"; being reprocessed)
For Voyager (week ending dates):
        September 8: 8.2 ("Basics Part II")
        September 15: 7.1 ("Flashback")
        September 22: 6.2 ("The Chute")
        September 29: 7.2 ("The Swarm")
        October 6: 6.4 ("False Profits")
        October 13: 6.6 ("Remember")
        October 20: 5.2 ("Dreadnought" repeat)
        October 27: 4.6 ("Death Wish" repeat)
        November 3: 6.2 ("Sacred Ground")
        November 10: 7.9 ("Future's End Part I")
        November 17: 8.5 ("Future's End Part II")
        November 24: 6.7 ("Warlord")
        December 1: 6.7 ("The Q and the Grey")
        December 8: 5.4 ("Non Sequitur" repeat)
        December 15: 6.8 ("Macrocosm")
        December 22: 5.4 ("The Swarm" repeat)
        December 29: 5.3 ("Twisted" repeat)
        January 5: 5.1 ("Flashback" repeat)
        January 12: 5.8 ("Fair Trade")
        January 19: 6.7 ("Alter Ego" repeat)
        January 26: 4.4 ("The Chute" repeat)
        February 2: 6.7 ("Coda")
        February 9: 6.6 ("Blood Fever")
        February 16: 7.2 ("Unity")
        February 23: 6.0 ("Darkling")
        March 2: 6.3 ("Rise")
        March 9: 5.3 ("Future's End Part I" repeat)
        March 16: 5.7 ("Future's End Part II" repeat)
        March 23: 6.1 ("Favorite Son")
        March 30: 4.7 ("Warlord" repeat)
        April 6: 5.5 ("Macrocosm" repeat)
        April 13: 6.3 ("Before and After")
        April 20: 4.7 ("Alter Ego" repeat)
        April 27: 6.3 ("Real Life")
        May 4: 6.3 ("Distant Origin")
        (All ratings as posted on AOL by Stevie320.)
        On the night of the famous "Ellen" episode (you must know which one),
Voyager surprised a few networks by placing third that hour, beating the
shows on Fox, CBS, and the WB Network.  (Variety)
BUSINESS IN BRIEF
        UPN Chairman and CEO Lucie Salhany announced that she would be 
leaving that
position, choosing not to renew her contract.  She plans to start her own
advisory company.  (Variety)
        Viacom made a few announcements regarding their Blockbuster chain of 
video
rentals.  Chairman and CEO Bill Fields would be resigning by mutual
agreement, and Viacom revealed plans for a new stock offering that would be
tied to the performance of the Blockbuster business unit.  The stock move is
seen as a means to help Viacom reduce its current load of debt.
        Viacom posted a less-than-expected loss of $24 million in the first 
quarter.
MISCELLANEA
        Alfre Woodard has signed to star in the film "Brown Sugar," a 
omantic
comedy.  The film is slated to begin shooting at year's end.  (Reuters)
        Armin Shimerman turned up in a guest role on the May 5 of "Buffy the 
Vampire
Slayer" on the WB Network.  (Thanks to Candy261 for the news.)
        William Shatner's new ST novel, "Avenger," was listed at #8 on the 
Wall
Street Journal's fiction bestseller list for the week ending May 10.
        Colm Meaney starts in a new movie, "The Van," due out in May 
according to
"Entertainment Weekly."
        Garrett Wang was named one of "People" magazine's Fifty Most 
eautiful
People in that recent issue.
        Kirstie Alley began filming on a new movie, "For Richer or Poorer," 
on April
28.  The romantic comedy costars Tim Allen.  (PRNewswire)  Kirstie also has a
new NBC series this fall, "Veronica's Closet,"  The show will air Thursday
nights.  (Philadelphia Inquirer)
        John Ordover has started doing a monthly radio-on-the-web show about 
the
Star Trek novels.  Check out http:// www.simonsays.com/startrek/pseudo/ for
details.  (As posted on AOL by John)
        In Detroit, the Detroit News published "Voyage into the future: 
Finding the
Career that's Right for You," a career guide for students "whose Star Trek
theme and design are intended to attract young readers."  (PRNewswire)
Editorial: Jennifer Lien Appreciation
by Bill Mason
----------------------------------------------
        I was sad to hear the news of Jennifer's departure from Voyager.  
Whatever
growing pains the show has had, a Star Trek cast of characters is always
something of a family.  Kes will be missed by this viewer.
        Early on, I wasn't sure what role Kes could play.  Then as her 
ickbay
duties evolved and her psionic abilities manifested, it seemed she was
heading down the path of a Deanna Troi takeoff.
        And there's probably still something to that viewpoint.  But being in
Sickbay paired Kes with the Doctor, and a great deal of our insight into the
Doctor (as well as the Doctor's growth as a person) came with Kes' help.  She
also had a friendship & mentor/student connection with Tuvok that was a
pleasure to watch but all too brief.  I felt some of Tuvok's best
interpersonal scenes came with Kes.  And then of course there was Kes and
Neelix while it lasted.  (Hey, I was one who enjoyed their relationship.)
        Kes didn't get a lot of episodes to herself, but I enjoyed the times 
she
did.  This season's "Before and After" (when Kes regressed in time) I thought
was a standout.
        Wherever you go next Jennifer, I wish you well.  Thanks for spending 
time in
our playground!
DS9 or DS 90210?
by KyRoka
----------------------
        I was reading the little snatch about DS9 in TV Guide recently, the 
one with
Janeway on the cover and that is, and the question was brought up, as it has
been again and again, about whether or not DS9 is turning into a soap
opera/Melrose Place kind of deal.  Now, personally, I'm getting rather
disgusted by the amount of people who seem to only want shoot-em up shows
where the death toll clears at the least 1,000.
        I'm not trying to say that that element is vital to the show; I enjoy 
just
as much as the next person.  It's good to know that the good guys can still
win against the Cardassians, the Klingons, or now the Dominion/Cardassians.
 However, one of the things Star Trek has always seemed to pride itself on is
being realistic; it doesn't matter if it is set some odd-four hundred years
in the future, it stills seems real.  If it didn't, we all wouldn't be
plastered to our television sets the moment it came on, we wouldn't be buying
up the books, magazines, figurines, CD-ROMs, etc., and we probably wouldn't
be reading this 'zine.
        Reality doesn't exist without interaction between people, and, like 
it or
not, a lot of times that interaction is going to produce romantic/sexual
tension.  People stumble into like, fall into love, form relationships, break
up, and keep going.  Obviously everyone's not going to arrive on the station,
find that "perfect somebody" and live happily ever after (not that I
personally wouldn't mind seeing Kira and Odo together but I won't go into
that here, even though they should be together).
        Personally, I watch Star Trek because it is an excellent 
representation of
human(oid) relationships.  I can relate to it and that's one of the things
that makes the whole darn thing so popular.  That's why Mr. Roddenberry
insisted that Spock keeps his pointy ears in the original series: because
despite, or even because of, his alien appearance, people were going to
relate to him.  Besides, when's the last time you heard someone compare all
of Kirk's "gallivanting" around with women as turning Trek into a soap opera?
        I don't think we have anything to worry.  Now, if Kira and Dax turn 
out to
be long lost sisters switched at birth and they find this out as they try to
get silicon implants, and O'Brien tries to dig up some dirt on Sisko so that
he can blackmail Sisko into giving him his own ship so that he can leave the
station and start an Extreme Dart traveling carnival, while Bashir is selling
parts of the cadavers for money so he can pay off his bookie from twenty
years ago...THEN, I might start to worry.
Two Audio Book Reviews
by John T. (Traianus)
-------------------------------
        "First Contact," the audiobook, from the novelization of the movie 
written
by J.M. Dillard, read by Gates McFadden; Simon & Shuster Audio, USA $18.00, 2
cassettes, running time just under 3 hours.
        Simon & Shuster's audio effects usually make a nice complement to 
their Star
Trek audio tapes, and once again with "First Contact" they have provided a
familiar backdrop to anyone familiar with TNG or the movie, from the clank of
the metallic boots during the EVA to the familiar but creepy sound of the
servo- implants on the Borg.  The audiobook is based on the somewhat expanded
 text version of the film, and it indicates that it is an abridged version;
yet as the running time of the tape is just under three hours, it is in
effect longer than the movie, and  so there are numerous details in the audio
performance that are not in the movie.  The purists among use will be
concerned with any deviations from the movie, and at least one of my favorite
lines was left out, but this is a different performance and lives up to the
spirit of the film; I think the true lovers of the series, however, are
always pleased to welcome additions when they are done well, and these are.
 Without spoiling them, we learn some personal history of Cochrane's
assistant Lily; and we also learn some interesting additional information
about Cochrane himself, which helps fill in some logical questions I at least
had about his mental state.
        Gates McFadden does an excellent dramatic reading of the story; with 
a good
reader, one soon forgets that all parts are read by the same person, and
McFadden's performance was on that level; her Picard was instantly
recognizable, as was her Worf; her rendering of the Borg Queen's [Alice
Krige's] voice almost made me think I was watching the film version again.
 All in all highly entertaining.
        "Borg,"  by Hillary Bader, featuring John de Lancie, narrated by 
Howard
McGillen; multiple others in cast.  Published by Simon & Shuster Audio, USA
retail $12.00  (running time just under 60 minutes); a single
tape....performance by multiple readers.
        Based on the CD-ROM interactive game, this performance has the feel 
of a
game with "repeated" versions of the story where the protagonist is allowed
to "try again" with the help of cosmos-and-time manipulator Q.  This sort of
time-loop effect, however, will not be unfamiliar even to the non-gamer;
indeed this story is not without its precedent in Trek lore or good SF in
general.  If I hadn't known it was based on a game, it mightn't have been so
obvious.   John de Lancie's performance reprising his role as Q was as
wonderful as ever; yet the story, while entertaining, was rather predictable
and seemed to end a bit abruptly leaving the listener somewhat disappointed,
especially for the rather expensive $12.00 per hour of entertainment, about
twice the going hourly rate for audio entertainment.  A must, however, for
true Borg aficionados.
Happy Birthday!
---------------------
        May 30: Colm Meaney and Michael Piller
        June 1: Rene Auberjonois
        June 6: Jeri Taylor
        June 13: Malcolm McDowell
Trek-related Products/Happenings
------------------------------------------
        An AP article about the current state of the Barbie collecting market 
noted
that Mattel has misjudged demand in a few cases.  The example cited was the
Star Trek Barbie set, which debuted at $80 and later dropped to $30.
        Out on video for rental May 20th is the First Contact movie!  The 
laserdisc
is scheduled to be released at the same time.
        In comic books:
        "Deep Space Nine" #20: the O'Briens, Jake, and Kira are prisoners of 

Romulan
        "Early Voyages" #6: the Enterprise under attack by pre-Enlightenment 
Vulcans
        "Starfleet Academy" #8: the return of Charles Evans (from TOS' 
"Charlie X")
        "Star Trek Unlimited" #5: featuring a TOS and TNG story
        "Voyager" #9: the Voyager is trapped during a rescue mission
        Also coming from Marvel is a "collectors' set" featuring the Star 
Trek/X-Men
crossover, copies of the first issues of DS9 and Starfleet Academy, and an
art print of a Romulan Borg (drawn and signed by the artist, Sorayama).
        ("Worlds of Westfield")
        Books and magazines (OK, magazine) coming up:
        "Star Trek: Voyager" #13: with its usual collection of articles and 
episode
synopses
        "Mind Meld": TOS novel by John Vornholt.  Spock must save his niece 
Teska
from assassination
        the paperback version of "Mosaic," the lifestory of Captain Janeway 
y
Voyager co-creator Jeri Taylor
        ("Worlds of Westfield")
Personal Logs, Stardate Today
--------------------------------------
        I chose it when Sid asked me to pick a middle name that would make 
Bashir's
ethnic background as confusing as possible.
        [Robert Hewitt Wolfe, on the origin of "Subatoi" as Bashir's middle 
name.
 As posted in alt.tv.star-trek.ds9]
        Jason: Paige, I'm telling you, you saw a UFO tonight.
        Paige: Uh huh, right.
        J: You did!  No airplane or helicopter can do what you just 
described!  The
instantaneous acceleration/deceleration...the way it hovered and then shot
straight up...
        P: Jason, I'm sure there's a logical explanation.
        J: Aliens can be logical!  Just look at the Vulcans!
        P: I think that if advanced beings were visiting Earth, we'd know it 
by
their laughter.
        [Jason and Paige, in the April 8th "FoxTrot" newspaper cartoon]
        On a later occasion, for which she didn't give a date, Mrs. Fortier 
said
McVeigh asked her to laminate a fake driver's license in the name of Robert
Kling. She said they made a joke about it, and she called McVeigh "a
Klingon," based on the "Star Trek" television series.
        [Testimony from the Oklahoma City bombing trial.  As reported by the 
AP]
        Who better to boldly go where no one's gone before?
        [Jonathan Frakes commenting on the launching of Gene's ashes into 
space.
 From "People" magazine]
Credits and the Fine Print
--------------------------------
        "Dateline: Starfleet"-- edited by Bill Mason.  Comments and 
submissions are
invited via America Online (E-mail to DatelineS) or the Internet (send to
datelines@aol.com).
        Dateline's WWW site is located at 
http://www.slip.net/~mnathan/index.html
        Archives of past issues are available by FTP to:
members.aol.com/data1701d/dateline/ and from the WWW site.
        The Away Team of Contributors: KyRoka, Traianus
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        If you read all this, go rent First Contact!  ;)
        Dateline #83 will be out on June 15th.
--- Blue Wave/TAG v2.20 [NR]
---------------