Bakula Tours The Enterprise Bridge

In a new exclusive segment that was posted at the official 'Entertainment Tonight' web site today, Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer) introduced the world to the bridge of the new Enterprise, and revealed why he decided to sign on as the ship's Captain.

"When they called me and said, 'Do you want to be the first captain,' I don't know that I would've if they said, 'Do you want to be the next captain of ...' in whatever century they were heading into after Voyager," Bakula told ET host Mark Steines. "I don't know that I would've done that, but to be the first captain, and kind of kick it off. And the script is fantastic. It's unlike a lot of the other Star Trek scripts and pilot."

Bakula said he was happy to become a part of Trek legacy. "[It] has been over three decades, and I go back to the very beginning of it and have a very serious relationship with that first Star Trek show. To be able to be a part of that, to continue that and yet be the first at the same time is pretty intriguing. Again, we have all this new available technology so we can set it up in a new way and give it a new look. "

This new look was showcased in an exclusive video posted on the ET web site, in which Bakula and Steines walked around the bridge for a minute and a half. The clip can be downloaded here, but for the bandwidth-impaired, here is a transcript of the clip:

[Scott Bakula on the bridge of the Enterprise]

Scott Bakula: "Hello Entertainment Tonight, I'm Scott Bakula, on the new set Enterprise! Only on ET Online."

[ET host Mark Steines sitting at the helmsman's station, Bakula leaning on the console next to him.]

Mark Steines: "Now, if you were to, say, bark out a few commands to me, what would they be like? As sitting here, what would I hear from you? Is there anything, Captain?"

Bakula: "Get us out of here!"

[Mark Steines looking for the right button.]

Steines: "Okay. That would be..."

Bakula: "And hurry! Hurry, man!"

[Steines pushes lever.]

Steines: "Oh, they've got to be these. There it is."

Bakula: "That's the throttle. I don't know. This isn't my station, so... You know, he does little things. He's got a hand warmer over here and you know."

Steines: "This is very tech, though. High-tech. Yeah, I like this - I'm very impressed."

Bakula: "It swings, man."

Steines: "It swings."

[Camera zooms in, Steines points to behind him.]

Steines: "You know what we just blew right by?"

Bakula: "What?"

Steines: "It's the big chair."

Bakula: "Oh yeah, the golden chair."

Steines: "Now, am I allowed to...? Can I get in there?"

Bakula: "Sit down! Sit down!"

[They move from the helm to the command station.]

Bakula: "I've heard there have been other captains in the past who haven't gone for that."

Steines: "Really?"

Bakula: "But I won't mention any names...

[Steines sits down.]

Steines: "Oh. This is it. Here it is."

Bakula: "See? It's pretty fancy, huh?"

Steines: "Now, we don't have.. There's no.."

[Steines makes pulling motions to the side of the chair, indicating lack of lever.]

Bakula: "What?"

Steines: "There's no little..."

Bakula: "You want a recliner?"

[Both laugh.]

Steines: "Is there?"

Bakula: "No. There's not. You don't get to sleep on the job. What do you mean? You come up here to work?"

Steines: "What do you do when you sit here?"

Bakula: "It's not like your job! I'm working, I'm reclining."

Steines: "That's true. Can you do.. in the command chair?"

Bakula: "Can I sit there?"

Steines: "Yeah, can I see a little? So I at least get to look at you in the..."

Bakula: "Like how I would do it, you mean?"

Steines: "Yeah, I want to see you like the Captain."

[Bakula sits (sort of) in the Captain's Chair.]

Bakula: "A lot of times I'll do it like this."

[Both laugh.]

Bakula: "Another Martini, boys! We're doing good!"

Steines: "So that's it?"

Bakula: "That's it, yeah, you said it."

The actual clip includes the first moving images of the Enterprise bridge, and can be found in the full ET online feature. This also includes an extensive print interview with Bakula, in which he talks about getting advice from previous Trek Captains, techno-babble, and the ship's peaceful mission. Click here to read it. Thanks go out to Bertrand for this!

More of the Enterprise sets will be shown during tonight's edition of the 'Entertainment Tonight' television show, which will feature an extensive feature on Enterprise. Click here to find out when the show will be airing in your area.

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