Trekkies Revolt and Make Their Own Show

Scott Hardie | January 3, 2003
(quoted from StudioBriefing) Saying that it "will surely be regarded as one of the best science-fiction 'fan film' projects of all time," the St. Paul, MN Pioneer Press has reported on the production of a 1960's Star Trek-like episode, "Starship Exeter: The Savage Empire," that has been posted on the Internet. Reporting on the production by Jimm Johnson of Austin, TX and brother Joshua of Lester Prairie, MN, the Pioneer Press commented: "The fresh episode is a digital product of a personal-computing revolution that has allowed amateur moviemakers to duplicate once-pricey television- and movie-production techniques on shoestring budgets." The project has received high praise from staunch Trekkies. "The story is inventive and the acting surprisingly good," one wrote. "The damn thing ... is actually watchable." But another chided the brothers for not obtaining copyright permission from Paramount. "It does look like they did a nice job (which is exactly what possibly gets them in trouble)," he wrote.

Me, I haven't watched the show, which is online here. But I am intrigued by this idea. How long until fans splice together old footage of Shatner, Nimoy, et al to make a brand new episode?