Zicree, Takei Had 'World Enough and Time' For 'New Voyages'

The professional actors and writers involved in the amateur Star Trek episode "World Enough and Time" were extremely impressed with Star Trek: New Voyages both before they became involved in the project and after working with the internet series' regulars.

"I went online and watched ‘New Voyages,'" said "World Enough and Time" co-writer and director Mark Scott Zicree in an interview with The New York Sun. Zicree had written for both The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine during their televised runs, and said of the fan series, "It was so much fun. There was enthusiasm, it was cleverly written, it had energy, and the effects were terrific."

Zicree recalled a script pitch from a proposed revival of the original series that was never produced, "this great Sulu story where Sulu gets marooned on an alien planet and has a family." The episode had been pitched by his friend Michael Reaves. "Sulu's such a great character and George Takei is such a great actor," added Zicree, "and I always loved that story."

The pair wrote a script and Zicree took it to George Takei, who agreed to reprise the role of Sulu. "Mark is a very excitable guy," Takei explained. "He vigorously and excitedly pitched me, and I said, 'It sounds interesting. When the script's ready, I'd love to read it.' He opened up his briefcase and said, 'Here it is.'"

For Takei, this was yet another example of "the extraordinary phenomenon of 'Star Trek'," and he agreed to work for free. When he arrived to film, he found "an amazing, international group of people. The very kind of team that Gene Roddenberry envisioned." The younger Sulu is played in the series by Washington, D.C. attorney John Lim.

Of the shoot, he added, "It was fun, it was trying, it was exhilarating, it was tough...I think it's unrealistic to go into a thing like this expecting the kind of working relationship we'd have on a Hollywood soundstage." He felt that participating in the episode was a gesture of appreciation to the show's fans, "all the while knowing that it was going to require a little bit more than just appreciation on my part."

The full interview is here.

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