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Klingon Language Added to German News Site

Deutsche Welle, the German version of the BBC, has added Klingon to the list of over 30 languages on its Web site. "We should celebrate our 10-year presence in the online universe with a cross-border language," Deutsche Welle director Erik Bettermann said. "This should help users from other galaxies get an impression of Germany."

Deutsche Welle's Klingon pages are dated " 2379," and mentions that Germany is "an attractive holiday destination for Klingons and other extraterrestrial life forms." The site also recommends that Klingons visit Germany for the 2006's World Cup of Soccer, where Klingons may very well find willing participants in the Warrior's Head Butt. To see their site,
click here.

Fans, Actors Involved in Hurricane Relief (UPDATE)

Fans of Star Trek are joining together with actors from the various series to raise funds for relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The United Federation of Fans is raising funds through both donations and proceeds from auctions of Star Trek memorabilia, donated by fans and actors.

Donations to Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross, World Vision, Humane Society of the United States, and the United Way are accepted via the U.F.F. Web site.

Blalock, Coto Set for First Convention Appearance

Jolene Blalock ("T'Pol") will be making her first appearance at a Star Trek convention this weekend, March 11-13 (Friday through Sunday), as Creation Entertainment holds its 13th annual Grand Slam/Sci-Fi Summit in Pasadena, California.
Also joining the lineup this weekend, when the hot topic of conversation will certainly be the cancellation of Star Trek: Enterprise, are several members of the creative team behind the impressive fourth season of the show, including co-executive producer Manny Coto and writers Mike Sussman, Andre Bormanis, and Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens. Connor Trinneer ("Trip Tucker") will also be making a return appearance.

Proving 13 is a lucky number, this convention also boasts the first visit at such an event by Alfre Woodard, the Emmy-winning actress who played "Lily Sloane" in "Star Trek: First Contact."

Grand Slam is one of the largest annual sci-fi events in the United States, bringing together many fan favorites from every incarnation of Star Trek. This year's roster includes William Shatner ("Captain James T. Kirk"), Gates McFadden ("Dr. Beverly Crusher"), John de Lancie ("Q"), Rene Auberjonois ("Odo"), James Darren ("Vic Fontaine") and many others.

Fans May Send Messages into Space with Doohan

James Doohan — the beloved "Scotty" actor who died on July 20 — will be memorialized with a special spaceflight in December, and tributes surrounding that event will allow fans to participate both in-person and on-line.
As previously reported, it was Doohan's wish that a portion of his cremated remains be shot into space, in similar fashion to Gene Roddenberry in 1997. The "Memorial Spaceflight" service is conducted by Space Services Inc. (SSI) based in Houston, Texas, and the flight containing Doohan's ashes has been cleared for a launch window of December 6-12. It will take place at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, California (on the coast about two hours north of Los Angeles).

A public memorial for Doohan is being planned in Lompoc, to be scheduled one day prior to the launch, plus a launch viewing party will be arranged. Details are still in flux, so we will post updates as information is confirmed.

In the meantime, though, fans have an opportunity to participate in the launch even if they can't be there in person. SSI has set up a forum where users can write tribute messages to Doohan. Those messages will be recorded onto a CD which will become part of the payload on the flight.

Production Report: Burton, Spiner Reunite for "The Augments"

SPOILER ALERT!!!
Old TNG buddies LeVar Burton and Brent Spiner were together again on a Star Trek set, one behind the camera and one in front.

Burton stepped up to direct "The Augments," the final chapter of a trilogy featuring Spiner as Dr. Arik Soong. In this story, Soong and his "children" flee Cold Station 12 with hundreds more embryos of genetically enhanced humans. Soong's intent is to go back into hiding on an isolated planet and raise the new group of Augments, with some "corrections" to their genome. But Malik (Alec Newman) leads the existing Augments in a revolt against Soong, believing they should not run like Khan Noonien Singh did on the Botany Bay, but take a stand. To that end, Malik devises a heinous plan to ignite war between the Klingons and Starfleet.
The on-set reunion was not only between Burton and Spiner, but among them and many of the crew members who have been with the franchise since Next Generation. As a gesture of friendship, Burton personally sprang for a special catered lunch for the cast and crew on the last day of shooting, which was this past Monday.
The seven-day schedule began on Thursday, September 2, with a day off for Labor Day. There were hardly any new sets built specifically for this episode, as most of the shooting took place either on standing Enterprise sets or pre-existing Klingon ship sets which have been utilitzed for all three parts of the Soong trilogy, starting with "Borderland." There was also some work left to do in the titular medical facility of part two, "Cold Station 12," for the opening scenes of this instalment. About the only new set piece was a Klingon escape pod, though one Klingon ship room was converted into a makeshift laboratory for Soong, complete with a futuristic microscope, incubators, an embryonic stasis globe, and other set dressing and props transferred from the C-12 sets. Spiner worked every day of the schedule except one, which is unusual for a guest star, and at one point learned to speak a little Klingon.
Speaking of Klingons, the one principal Klingon character in this episode is named "Captain Magh," and he's portrayed by Mark Rolston. Rolston is yet another TNG alumnus, having played the killer engineer "Walter Pierce" in "Eye of the Beholder." He's also been featured in Enterprise before, as the rebellious prisoner "Kuroda" in "Canamar."
Among the other guest cast, Trek veteran Richard Riehle stayed on as "Dr. Jeremy Lucas" for the remaining C-12 scenes. As mentioned, Alec Newman continued as "Malik," along with Abby Brammell as "Persis" and Adam Grimes as "Lokesh," the other principal Augments.

Elizabeth Rogers Remembered

"The distress call definitely came from one of the solar systems in this sector, captain...it was so badly garbled all we got was the name Constellation. Then we lost it."
– Lt. Palmer (Elizabeth Rogers) in "The Doomsday Machine"
Elizabeth Rogers, who appeared in two episodes of Star Trek, passed away on November 6. Rogers died of complications from a series of strokes and lung cancer, according to reports.
Ms. Rogers appeared in several movies and television shows through out her career, including the hit film "An Officer and a Gentleman." Star Trek fans will remember the blonde actress as a sometime fill-in for Uhura on the Bridge as Lt. Palmer, specifically in the episodes "The Doomsday Machine" and "The Way to Eden." She also voiced the part of the Companion in "Metamorphosis."

Shatner Wins 2nd Emmy, But Gets Trumped for "Idol"

Big congratulations go to William Shatner for his second Emmy win last night. For the second year in a row, Shatner took home a statue for playing the role of "Denny Crane." This time, however, it was in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Boston Legal.
Last year, Shatner won his first Emmy in the Guest Actor category for The Practice, which introduced the character of the notorious lawyer.

But it wasn't a clean sweep for Shatner at Sunday's Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony. He was also in competition for "Emmy Idol," where several television personalities performed classic television theme songs throughout the evening.

Shatner paired up with famed mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade to perform the Alexander Courage theme of the original Star Trek. Shatner thrilled the audience as he recited the classic "Space: the Final Frontier" speech. Then von Stade took over the operatic melody originally sung by the late Loulie Jean Norman. (After he finished his opening, Shatner simply stood there and watched her sing with a big smile on his face.)

Viewers were allowed to vote on their favorite "Emmy Idol" act among the four presented, through the Internet or through text messaging. Shatner and von Stade got beat by Donald Trump (The Apprentice) and Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), who performed the theme song to Green Acres.

As the winners were announced by host Ellen DeGeneres, the camera turned to Shatner in the audience, and he seemed rather baffled by the result. How could he have lost this one?