CBS and Mad Science, an educational company that runs science camps for kids, are teaming up to produce Star Trek Live.
This interactive stage show due to run at theme parks and performing arts centers across the country, takes the audience through Starfleet Academy training combining the entertainment value of Star Trek with real educational materials aimed at upping scientific literacy.
The show is said to have “cutting-edge special effects, unmatched audience interaction and an exploration of real space-age technology.” And Kirk and Spock are supposed to be there, too.
Mad Science’s Managing Director and producer Leonard Lipes says, “So much of the …read more

Tonight, on the The Big Bang Theory, it’s a geek on geek smackdown as Sheldon (Jim Parsons, left) tries to settle a score with his nemesis, Wil Wheaton (right) in “The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary.”
It happens tonight, October 19, at 9:30 on CBS.

Photo: Robert Voets//CBS
©2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Star Trek: Enterprise star Jolene Blalock has been cast in a recurring role on the upcoming second season of the series Legend of the Seeker.
The series is an adaptation of  best-selling author Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth book series.  Blalock, who begins filming in New Zealand this week, will portray a mysterious Sister of the Dark who possesses very powerful magic — she not only threatens Richard’s (Craig Horner) quest to defeat evil forces, but her ultimate goal is to destroy Kahlan (Bridget Regan).
The second season of the series will premiere the weekend of November 7th.  Check your local …read more

Yesterday, the marvelous Mr. Leonard Nimoy spent part of his afternoon with a group of reporters to talk about his role in tonight’s episode of Fringe. But since he couldn’t reveal too many details about the mysterious William Bell, we got him to talk about other things like the state of science fiction on TV, the difference in TV production from Star Trek to now and his love of photography.
As someone who’s watched Star Trek most of her life, it was a real thrill to talk with an actor whose voice carries so many memories. He was warm and thoughtful …read more

Though they were born in the sci fi niche, these five quotes have soared into the annals of pop culture history. They’ve been repeated, parodied and I’ll bet at least one of them was used to sell something on TV.
Here are my candidates for the top five scifi quotes to make it into the pop culture vernacular.
5. “The Truth is Out There”
Ever since Mulder and Scully gave us a glimpse into The X-Files, we’ve been determined to find the real truth about aliens, Bigfoot, Elvis and Lady Gaga. That single phrase has inspired millions to look beyond what is presented …read more

“It reaches the limits of one’s patience with Grade D fodder. This show is designed to scare an audience too old for Godzilla but too unsophisticated for Twilight Zone. That is obviously too big of an order for such a silly series.”
What classic scifi show do you think this Time magazine reviewer was referring to? You’ll find the answer when you read Mark Phillips’ blog covering what the critics had to say about early scifi TV.
Mark and I “met” virtually when we both began pitching stories about Irwin Allen’s TV shows to magazines such as Starlog in the early 90’s. …read more

For Doctor Who fans, Christmas is an extra special time of the year as it usually means a very special episode of the long running series.
In 2005, the Sycorax invaded, making it a lousy holiday for everyone on screen, but great fun for those of us watching. In 2006, The Runaway Bride helped The Doctor defeat another villain. And remember when Kylie Minoque met up with The Doctor on a space version of Titanic?
This past year, the people behind the show decided that one Doctor wasn’t enough for the annual holiday gala, so they added a second one. The episode …read more

eFX is making a name for themselves in the prop replica game and now they’re taking on the mother of all scifi licenses, Star Trek.
I had the pleasure of meeting with these guys and seeing their work close up at the D23 Expo in Anaheim.  In addition to their Disney statuettes, they had a 1/48 scale Nautilus that made my husband drool. Great attention to detail and everything they do has this sense of hand-made craftsmanship.
Next on the list is the Mark IX Tricorder as seen in Star Trek: First Contact.
“For many of us, Star Trek was our introduction …read more

Profiles in History has a very special item going to auction at the beginning of October — an early production Macintosh computer that was given to Gene Roddenberry by Apple.
When you look at the evolution of computers and the vision Roddenberry had for Star Trek, there’s an incredible synergy between the two. At the time, it was hard to imagine a computer that responded to voice commands, a computer no bigger than a lunch box that could analyze complex data in a matter of seconds, a flip “communicator” that allowed people to talk without the need for phone lines. But …read more

Patrick Bromley came to find Star Trek much later in life than most. A casual viewer of TNG, he gained most of his knowledge by watching the movies.
Recently, armed with only bits and pieces of the vast Trek story, he headed into the theater to see the JJ Abrams reboot and it was as if the sky opened and the angels sang — or maybe it was a choir of disembodied elders who had evolved into a state of higher conciousness.
Whatever it was, it converted him, right then and there. Suddenly, Patrick realized that he’d been missing so much by …read more