CHEKOV'S TREK-OFF

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire2005/index.php?id=31110

Chekov - er, check out the story from the above link. It raises an interesting "philosophical" question for Toobworld - what exactly makes up the TV Universe?

The basic tenet has always been - if it's been broadcast, then it's part of Toobworld. It's been pretty easy so far to exclude ancillary projects from other universes based on Man's creative energies. But it's especially hard - and sometimes even tempting - when it came to 'Star Trek'.

As much as I would love to include some of the massive amounts of paperback tie-ins (chief among them, "Ishmael" by Barbara Hambly), I knew too much of it would end up causing too many contradictions to what was already established as seen on TV.

The movies are a simpler matter - they've been absorbed into the TV Universe because so many of their plot points have been utilized in the various TV series (and vice versa). The Khitomer peace conference, the Borg Queen, the holographic medical program, Zephraim Cochrane's original appearance, and the legacy of Captain Jonathan Archer.

And now we have a possible contender coming from the Internet.

Every few months, another article surfaces about how the Internet is the future of Television. This project of Walter Koenig's and D.C. Fontana's may prove to be the cutting edge for future endeavors. And since it has the blessing of Paramount, I guess we'd have to consider it as part of the Canon when it finally "airs".

It now has me thinking of the ramifications, of possible future projects. Not just for 'Star Trek', but for other shows as well. Think of all the shows that were cancelled before they could resolve lingering mysteries, or which just didn't have a conclusion satisfying to the core fans.

I'm thinking of shows like 'Nowhere Man', which is a good example. If they could get the blessing of the original production company or whoever hold the rights to the program, wouldn't it be cool to get Bruce Greenwood back for a small iMovie to splain away the "Hidden Agenda" behind the erasure of his identity?

(I might have used 'The X-Files' as an example - most fans agree that the conclusion was far from satisfactory. But that project will more than likely spawn another theatrical release, so the possibility is more than just "wishcraft" on my part.)

The old rules could be tossed aside for such projects. Who needs a full two hour reunion special bloated with commercials? Even a simple ten minute program could do the job.

So I'm willing to expand my views to accommodate the expansion of the TV Universe. When the Chekov project finally debuts on the Internet, I'm going to accept it as part of the TV Universe. Love it or hate it, I'll give it the same accordance granted to the 'Star Trek' movies.

And it's gotta be better than the fifth movie, right?

By the Prophets of Bajor, I hope so!

BCnU!
Tele-Toby