''Star Trek Continues'' is an American fan-made

web series A web series (also known as a web show) is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single in ...

set in the '' Star Trek'' universe. Produced by the nonprofit charity Trek Continues, Inc. and Dracogen, and initially co-produced by Far from Home LLC and Farragut Films, the series consists of 11 episodes released between 2013 and 2017. The series is an unofficial direct continuation of ''

Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...

'', and emulates its visual and storytelling features to achieve the same look and feel. Those who made the show have said in interviews that the intent was to finish the original five-year mission of the show, and this is borne out in the plot lines of the final two episodes. The series was fan-created and all episodes were released to watch on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

. As with all such ''Star Trek'' fan productions, use of copyrighted and trademarked properties from the original series was allowed so long as the production was not commercial. A portion of the funds necessary to produce the episodes was raised through successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns, to which thousands of backers contributed. ''Star Trek Continues'' won a

Webby Award The Webby Awards are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over two thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Categories includ ...

for "People's Choice – Long Form Drama" in 2016, a ''Geekie Award'' for "Best Web Series" in 2014, and numerous ''Telly'' and ''Accolade'' awards. The series was very positively received by critics, who praised the quality of the production and stated that the show set a new standard for ''Star Trek'' fan films. After the 11th episode was released in late 2017, the ''Star Trek Continues'' series ended.

Cast

Regular cast

Vic Mignogna Victor Joseph Mignogna (); born August 27, 1962)Birthday tweet: * is an American voice actor and musician known for his voice-over work in the English dubs of Japanese anime shows, such as Edward Elric from the '' Fullmetal Alchemist'' series ...

, as

James T. Kirk James Tiberius Kirk is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in ''Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterprise'' as captain. Kirk leads ...

, is the captain and commanding officer of the USS ''Enterprise''. Mignogna is best known for his voice-acting work and is a longtime ''Star Trek'' fan. *

Todd Haberkorn Todd Haberkorn is an American voice actor and director, who has dubbed in anime, films, and video games. Career While Haberkorn was working in theater, he joined Funimation as a voice actor, with minor roles in ''One Piece'', ''Black Cat'', a ...

, as Spock, is a human/

Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...

hybrid, commander, science officer, and first officer, and one of the captain's closest friends. Haberkorn is a voice actor and played Kevin the Teenaxian in ''

Star Trek Beyond ''Star Trek Beyond'' is a 2016 American science fiction action film directed by Justin Lin, written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung, and based on the television series ''Star Trek'' created by Gene Roddenberry. It is the 13th film in the ''Star T ...

''. *

Chuck Huber Chuck Huber is an American voice actor, ADR director, and writer primarily known for his work for Funimation and OkraTron 5000. He has provided numerous voices for Japanese anime series and video games. He is best known for his roles as Hiei i ...

(

Larry Nemecek Larry Nemecek (born January 18, 1959) is an American who has worked in various capacities on the '' Star Trek'' franchise. Professional career He has portrayed Dr. McCoy in the Star Trek Continues web series episodes "Pilgrim of Eternity" and " ...

in episodes 1–2) as Leonard H. McCoy, MD,

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...

, and chief medical officer, and also one of the captain's closest friends. Huber is also a voice actor. Nemecek is a well-recognized ''Trek'' expert and author of the '' Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion''. *

Chris Doohan Christopher Barrett Doohan (born June 28, 1959) is a Canadian actor, one of twin sons of ''Star Trek'' actor James Doohan. Chris and his brother, Montgomery, made uncredited appearances as background extras in the first franchise movie: '' Star ...

Montgomery Scott Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a fictional character in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original ''Star Trek'' series, Scotty also appears in the animated ''Star Trek'' series, 10 ''Star Trek ...

, lieutenant commander and chief engineer, usually referred to as Scotty. Doohan is the son of actor

James Doohan James Montgomery Doohan (; March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) was a Canadian actor, author and soldier, best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series '' Star Trek''. Doohan's characterization of the Scottis ...

, who portrayed the character in the original series. Doohan was also an extra in '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'', and portrayed a transporter chief in the 2009 film '' Star Trek'' and its sequel, ''

Star Trek Into Darkness ''Star Trek Into Darkness'' is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the 12th installment in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and the sequel to t ...

''. He reprised his father's role of Scotty in '' Star Trek Online''.

Featured cast

Grant Imahara Grant Masaru Imahara (October 23, 1970 – July 13, 2020) was an American electrical engineer, roboticist, and television host. He was best known for his work on the television series ''MythBusters'', on which he designed and built numerou ...

Hikaru Sulu Hikaru Kato Sulu is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. A member of the crew in the original ''Star Trek'' series, Sulu also appears in the animated ''Star Trek'' series, the first six ''Star Trek'' movies, one episode ...

, lieutenant, helmsman, and third officer. Imahara was best known for his work on Discovery's '' MythBusters'', as well as the creator of robot sidekick, "

Geoff Peterson Geoff Peterson is an animatronic human skeleton that served as the sidekick on the late-night talk show ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''. He was voiced and operated by Josh Robert Thompson and first appeared on ''The Late Late Show'' ...

," for ''

Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the The Late Late Show (American talk show), ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airing ...

''. * Kim Stinger as

Nyota Uhura Nyota Uhura () is a fictional character in the '' Star Trek'' franchise. In the original television series, the character was portrayed by Nichelle Nichols, who reprised the role for the first six ''Star Trek'' feature films. A younger Uhura is ...

, lieutenant and communications officer. * Wyatt Lenhart as Pavel A. Chekov, lieutenant j.g. (formerly

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

) and navigator. * Michele Specht as Elise McKennah, psychologist, a lieutenant, and Starfleet's first full-time ship's counselor. Specht voiced Specialist Krog (a Na'kuhl agent), Loriss (a Vorta), and Sh'marois (an Andorian Starfleet captain) in ''Star Trek Online''.

''Trek'' alumni guest and recurring actors

Several past members of the ''Star Trek'' cast and crew expressed support for the project and contributed to it, as did several who went on to participate in officially licensed productions later. *

Beau Billingslea John "Beau" Billingslea (born 1944) is an American actor, known as the voice of Jet Black in the critically acclaimed anime '' Cowboy Bebop'', Ogremon in ''Digimon'' and Homura and List of Naruto characters#Fourth Hokage, Ay, the Fourth Raikage ...

as Vice Admiral Stomm (episode 7), an operations-division flag officer from Earth Spacedock. Billingslea played Captain Abbott in ''

''. *

Kipleigh Brown Kipleigh Brown is an American actress and photographic artist. In addition to her film credits, which include the lead role in James Kerwin's sci-fi noir film '' Yesterday Was a Lie'', she is also known for playing Jane Taylor on the televisi ...

as Lieutenant j.g. (formerly

Yeoman Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century also witn ...

)

Barbara Smith Barbara Smith (born November 16, 1946) is an American lesbian feminist and socialist who has played a significant role in Black feminism in the United States. Since the early 1970s, she has been active as a scholar, activist, critic, lecturer, a ...

(episodes 3–6, 8–11), the ''Enterprise's'' relief conn officer. Brown played Jane Taylor in ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' and Kuumaarke in ''Star Trek Online''. *

John de Lancie John Sherwood de Lancie, Jr. (born March 20, 1948) is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and comedian, best known for his role as Q in various ''Star Trek'' series (1987–present); beginning with '' Star Trek: The Next Generation ...

as Galisti (episode 9). De Lancie played Q in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', '' Star Trek: Voyager,'' '' Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Picard''. *

Michael Dorn Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952) is an American actor best known for his role as the Klingon Worf in the '' Star Trek'' franchise. He has appeared more times as a regular cast member than any other ''Star Trek'' actor in the franchise's hist ...

as the ISS ''Enterprise'' computer voice (episode 3). Dorn played Commander

Worf Worf, son of Mogh is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. He appears in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (''TNG'') and seasons four through seven of ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (''DS9'') as well as t ...

in ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', and ''Star Trek Online'', and the four ''Star Trek'' feature films featuring the cast of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''; he also played Worf's grandfather and namesake Colonel Worf in '' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country''. *

Doug Drexler Doug Drexler (born in New York City) is a visual effects artist, designer, sculptor, illustrator, and a makeup artist who has collaborated with such talents as Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, James Caan, Meryl Streep, and Warren Beatty. He began hi ...

Paladin The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, where ...

(episode 1). Drexler is probably best known for his work as an award-winning visual-effects artist on ''Star Trek'', as well as '' Battlestar Galactica'' and '' Defiance''. He also contributed

visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...

for episodes 1–6 of ''Star Trek Continues''. * Michael Forest as

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...

(episode 1). Forest reprises his role from ''The Original Series'' episode "

Who Mourns for Adonais? "Who Mourns for Adonais?" is the second episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. Written by Gilbert Ralston and Gene L. Coon, and directed by Marc Daniels, it was first broadcast September 2 ...

" (which had aired 47 years earlier). *

Jason Isaacs Jason Isaacs (born 6 June 1963) is an English actor. Isaac's film roles include Col. Tavington in '' The Patriot'' (2000), Michael D. Steele in '' Black Hawk Down'' (2001), Lucius Malfoy in the ''Harry Potter'' film series (2002–2011), Ca ...

(credited as "Jason Lorca") is an ESPer voice (episode 11). Isaacs played Captain

Gabriel Lorca '' Star Trek: Discovery'' is an American television series created for Paramount+ (originally known as CBS All Access) by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman. Set roughly a decade before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series, the original ''Star ...

in '' Star Trek: Discovery'' and ''Star Trek Online''. *

Mark Rolston Mark Rolston (born December 7, 1956) is an American character actor, known for his supporting roles in popular films such as ''Aliens'', '' Lethal Weapon 2'', '' The Shawshank Redemption'', ''The Departed'' and the '' Saw'' film series, as well a ...

as Admiral McGuinness (episode 9), head of Starfleet Medical. Rolston played various roles in ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and ''Star Trek: Enterprise''. *

Rekha Sharma Rekha Shanti Sharma is a Canadian actress of Indo-Fijian descent, best known for her role as Tory Foster on ''Battlestar Galactica,'' and Ellen Landry on '' Star Trek: Discovery''. Career Sharma began acting career in her 20s. She has stage ex ...

as Avi Samara (episode 8). Sharma played Commander Ellen Landry in ''Star Trek: Discovery'' and ''Star Trek Online''. *

Marina Sirtis Marina Sirtis (; born 29 March 1955) is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Counselor Deanna Troi on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and four ''Star Trek'' feature films, as well as other appearances ...

as the computer voice in episodes 1, 4, 7, 10, and 11. Sirtis played Commander Deanna Troi in ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', ''Star Trek: Voyager'' (three episodes), ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' (one episode), '' Star Trek: Picard'' (one episode), ''Star Trek: Lower Decks'' (one episode) and four ''Star Trek'' feature films.

Other recurring actors

Additional recurring actors — who were not specifically ''Trek'' alumni — included: * Martin Bradford as Lieutenant Joseph "Jabilo" G. M'Benga, MD (episodes 5, 10), relief medical officer. * Steven Dengler as Lieutenant William C. Drake, chief of security (episodes 1–10). Dengler is also the founder of Dracogen, one of the producers of the series. *

Erin Gray Erin Gray (born January 7, 1950) is an American model, casting agent, and actress whose roles include Colonel Wilma Deering in the science fiction television series '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'' and Kate Summers-Stratton in the situat ...

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...

Laura Gray, commanding officer of the Corinth IV starbase (episodes 2, 7). *

Reuben Langdon Reuben Christopher Langdon (born July 19, 1975) is an American stuntman and voice actor. He has provided the voice and motion capture for video game characters including Dante in the ''Devil May Cry'' series (starting from '' Devil May Cry 3: Da ...

as Lieutenant Kubaro Dickerson, security guard (episodes 2, 3, 6, 10, and 11). * Cat Roberts as Lieutenant

Elizabeth Palmer Elizabeth Palmer is a Canadian television journalist who reports for the United States-based CBS News. Born in London, England, she was raised in Canada. Palmer graduated with honours in 1976 from the University of British Columbia in English lin ...

, relief communications officer (episodes 3–4, 6–11). Dr. Roberts is a practicing physician. * Liz Wagner as Ensign Lia Burke, registered nurse (episodes 3–5, 9–11).

Other guest actors and support

The first episode, "

Pilgrim of Eternity "Pilgrim of Eternity" is a fan-produced ''Star Trek'' episode released in 2013, the first in the web series '' Star Trek Continues'', which aims to continue the episodes of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' replicating their visual and storytell ...

", featured

Jamie Bamber Jamie Saint John Bamber Griffith (born 3 April 1973), known professionally as Jamie Bamber, is a British actor, known for his roles as Lee Adama in ''Battlestar Galactica'' and Detective Sergeant Matt Devlin in the ITV series '' Law & Order: ...

( Lee "Apollo" Adama from '' Battlestar Galactica'' and Matt Devlin from '' Law and Order UK''), as well as original-series guest actor Michael Forest reprising his role as Apollo. Marina Sirtis voiced the computer of the ''USS Enterprise'', an homage to her connection to the original actress,

Majel Barrett Roddenberry Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (; born Majel Leigh Hudec;
, ''

Lwaxana Troi This is a list of characters from the science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Characters are ordered alphabetically by family name, and only characters who played a significant recurring role in the series are list ...

, as well as the voice of the computer in the original ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and ‘’Star Trek’’, respectively. For the second episode, "

Lolani "Lolani" is a Star Trek fandom, fan-produced ''Star Trek'' episode released in 2014, the second in the web series ''Star Trek Continues'', which aims to continue the episodes of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' while replicating their visual and ...

Lou Ferrigno Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr. (; born November 9, 1951) is an American actor and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles; and appeared in the documenta ...

(the Hulk from '' The Incredible Hulk (1978)'') appeared as Zaminhon,

Daniel Logan Daniel Logan (born 6 June 1987) is a New Zealand-born American actor. Logan is best known for his portrayal of Boba Fett from the 2002 film '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'', for which he was nominated for a Young Artist Award ...

(

Boba Fett Boba Fett ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. First appearing in the ''Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), where he was voiced by Don Francks, he is an armored bounty hunter featured in both the original and prequel fi ...

from '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'') appeared as Ensign Tongaroa, Erin Gray (Col. Wilma Deering from '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'') appeared as Commodore Gray and Matthew Ewald (Nicholas Bluetooth from ''

Galidor ''Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension'', sometimes shortened as ''Galidor'', is a 2002 television series that ran on YTV in Canada and Fox Kids in the United States in 2002 with a total of 26 half-hour episodes. The series was created by ...

'') appeared as Crewman Kenway. The third episode, "

Fairest of Them All "Fairest of Them All" is a fan-produced '' Star Trek'' episode released in 2014, the third in the web series '' Star Trek Continues'', which aims to continue the episodes of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' replicating their visual and storyte ...

", featured guest support from Asia DeMarcos as Marlena Moreau (played in the original series by BarBara Luna), Bobby Clark as Council Leader Tharn,

Bobby Quinn Rice Bobby Rice (also known as Bobby Quinn Rice; born Robert Quinn Rice; March 14, 1983) is an American actor, known for ''The Lair'' (2007), ''Watercolors'' (2008), ''Remains'' (2011), LAIFF Award winning short film ''Spidora'' (2014), the role of ...

as transporter technician,

as the computer of the ISS ''Enterprise'', and the first appearance of Kipleigh Brown as Barbara Smith (played in the original series by

Andrea Dromm Andrea Dromm (born February 18, 1941) is a former American actress. She is the daughter of an engineer, and attended school in Patchogue and later in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Career Dromm's career began as a child model at the age of six, but ...

). Recurring cast member Cat Roberts (Lieutenant Palmer, played in the original series by

Elizabeth Rogers Elizabeth Rogers (born Betty Jayne Rogers, May 18, 1934 – November 6, 2004) was an American actress. Life and career Born in Austin, Texas, she played minor characters in thirty-seven episodes of a dozen different prime-time network seri ...

), joined the series as of this episode. The fourth episode, " The White Iris", featured the return of Sirtis as the ''Enterprise'' computer, as well as guest stars

Colin Baker Colin Baker (born 8 June 1943) is an English actor who played Paul Merroney in the BBC drama series '' The Brothers'' from 1974 to 1976 and the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series ''Docto ...

('' Doctor Who''), Nakia Burrise (''

Power Rangers ''Power Rangers'' is an entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise '' Super Sentai''. Produced first by Saban Entertainment, second by BVS E ...

''),

Adrienne Wilkinson Adrienne Wilkinson is an American actress. She is known for playing Eve, the daughter of Xena in the TV series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' in the fifth and sixth seasons. She has appeared in numerous television series such as ''Angel,'' '' Charm ...

('' Xena: Warrior Princess''), Tiffany Brouwer ('' Femme Fatales''), and Gabriela Fresquez, with cameos by

Chris Gore Christopher Patrick Gore (born September 5, 1965) is an American speaker and writer on the topic of independent film. Life and career Gore was born in Big Rapids, Michigan and attended Kimball High School in Royal Oak, Michigan. Gore is the hea ...

and

Robert J. Sawyer Robert James Sawyer (born April 29, 1960) is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 24 novels published and his short fiction has appeared in ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'', ''Amazing Stories'', '' On Spec'', ''Nature'', and numerou ...

. Episode six, "Come Not Between the Dragons", guest-starred

Gigi Edgley Gigi Edgley (born 16 November 1977) is an Australian actress, singer and songwriter. She is best known for her roles as Chiana on the series ''Farscape'' and Lara Knight in '' Rescue: Special Ops''. Early life Edgley was born in Perth. She is ...

of '' Farscape'' fame.

Rod Roddenberry Eugene Wesley "Rod" Roddenberry Jr. (born February 5, 1974) is an American television producer and the chief executive officer of Roddenberry Entertainment. He is the son of ''Star Trek'' creator Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett and is an exec ...

, son of ''Star Trek'' creator Gene Roddenberry, had a cameo appearance as a bridge officer in the episode. Episode seven, " Embracing the Winds", featured

Clare Kramer Clare Elizabeth Kramer is an American actress best known for her recurring role as Glory in the fifth season of the television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and for her role as Courtney in the film ''Bring It On''. She has hosted the p ...

('' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'') and

('' Cowboy Bebop''), as well as the return of Erin Gray's flag officer character (Commodore Gray from the second episode) and Marina Sirtis as the computer voice. Episode eight, "Still Treads the Shadow", featured

('' Battlestar Galactica'' and '' Star Trek: Discovery''). Episode nine, "What Ships are For", featured John de Lancie (three ''Star Trek'' series) and Anne Lockhart (the original ''Battlestar Galactica'' series). Episodes 10 and 11, "To Boldly Go: Part I" and "To Boldly Go: Part II" written by Sawyer, featured

Nicola Bryant Nicola Jane Bryant (born 11 October 1960)England & Wales Birth ...

(''Doctor Who''),

Cas Anvar Cas Anvar ( fa, کاس انور; born 15 March 1966) is a Canadian actor and writer known for the SyFy/Amazon Prime Video science fiction television series ''The Expanse''. Early life Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, to Iranian parents and raised i ...

(''

The Expanse Expanse or The Expanse may refer to: Media and entertainment ''The Expanse'' franchise * ''The Expanse'' (novel series), a series of science fiction novels by James S. A. Corey * ''The Expanse'' (TV series), a television adaptation of the ...

''), Amy Rydell (reprising her mother

Joanne Linville Beverly Joanne Linville (January 15, 1928 – June 20, 2021) was an American actress. She later taught at the Stella Adler Academy, Los Angeles. She is best known as a Romulan Commander on ''Star Trek: The Original Series''. Biography Early li ...

's role from the original series), and

Mark Meer Mark Meer is a Canadian actor, writer and improvisor, based in Edmonton, Alberta. He is known for his role in the ''Mass Effect'' trilogy, in which he stars as the voice of the player character, Commander Shepard. His voice is featured in a numb ...

(''

Mass Effect ''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known unive ...

''). Part I features April Hebert in the role of Rear Admiral Thesp, who was the longest-tenured cast member of Star Trek: The Experience at the time of its closing.

(Captain Gabriel Lorca from ''Star Trek: Discovery'') also provides a vocal cameo in Part II, although credited under the pseudonym Jason Lorca.

Production

After directing an episode of ''Starship Farragut'' for Farragut Films, Mignogna proposed to the companies involved in its production to form a partnership to support the development of a new web series, aimed at continuing the episodes of '' TOS''. A facility of 9,600 ft² (891 m²) was acquired in

Kingsland, Georgia Kingsland is a city in Camden County, Georgia, United States. The population was 18,337 at the 2020 census. The Kingsland Commercial Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 17, 1994. It includes the area ...

, to host the sets of the ''Enterprise'', which were built from the original soundstage

blueprint A blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing or engineering drawing using a contact print process on light-sensitive sheets. Introduced by Sir John Herschel in 1842, the process allowed rapid and accurate production of an unlimited number ...

s. On March 23, 2012, Farragut Films announced the official cast of the series that, among other professionals, included Chris Doohan (son of James Doohan) and ''MythBusters Grant Imahara. Mignogna and the production team recreated the style of the original series in its sets, cinematography, costumes, acting, and storytelling style. They duplicated the four-act structure used in the original because of the need for commercial breaks. They primarily used the original series' incidental music, as well as the original theme song and credit typography. Starting with the fifth episode, original music by composer Andy Farber was included. They shot the episodes in 4:3 aspect ratio to duplicate the original series' TV format. The first episode, "

", premiered at Phoenix Comicon on May 24, 2013, and was released to the public the same day. "Lolani", the second episode, finished shooting in November 2013 with guest stars

and

. The episode was released online in February 2014 after premiering at Dallas Sci-Fi Expo in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

. Episode three, "Fairest of Them All", began principal photography that month, with a premiere at Supanova 2014 in Sydney, Australia in June 2014. Pre-production on the fourth episode of the series, "The White Iris", began in November 2014, with a release on May 29, 2015, at Phoenix Comicon. The fifth episode premiered on September 25, 2015, at

Salt Lake Comic Con FanX Salt Lake (formerly Salt Lake Comic Con) is a semi-annual multi-genre pop culture expo held in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It is produced by Dan Farr and Bryan Brandenburg under Dan Farr Productions and is Utah's most attended c ...

followed by a public release on the following day. According to the ending credits of "Fairest of Them All", a scene of the episode was shot on location at NASA's

Space Center Houston Space Center Houston is a science museum that serves as the official visitor center of NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. It was designated a Smithsonian Affiliate museum in 2014. The organization is owned by NASA, and operated under a con ...

, home of the restored life-sized prop of the original ''Star Trek'' ''Galileo'' shuttlecraft. In early 2015, ''Star Trek Continues'' announced the acquisition of the remainder of the Kingsland facility, totaling 18,500 ft², under exclusive ownership of Trek Continues Inc. The studio was rebranded as "Stage 9", a ''homage'' to the original series' soundstage at

Desilu Desilu Productions () was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as '' I Love Lucy'', ''The Lucy Show'', ''Mannix'', ''The Untouchab ...

Kickstarter campaigns

After releasing the first episode, funded by Mignogna, new funds for the continuation of the series were raised in part from a successful Kickstarter campaign, humorously dubbed a "Kirkstarter". It was held from October 7 to November 6, 2013, and raised $126,028 from 2,981 backers, surpassing the set goal of $100,000, to cover funding for episodes 2, 3, and 4. A second Kickstarter campaign ran from January 17 to February 16, 2015. It successfully raised $214,584, exceeding its goal of $100,000. The sum covered the production costs of episodes 5, 6, and 7, and facilitated the construction of an engineering room and planet set. A third and final crowdfunding campaign—this time organized via Indiegogo—was held in early 2016, raising $199,049. Shortly thereafter, the producers announced that additional private donations to the Trek Continues Inc. charity allowed the company to exceed its fundraising goal of $350,000, thus enabling the production of four additional episodes.

Episodes

Full episodes

Short vignettes

Before screening the first episode, a series of three short videos, called ''vignettes'', was released from July 31 to November 30, 2012. The first vignette is an extended ending of the last episode of the original series, "

Turnabout Intruder "Turnabout Intruder" is the twenty-fourth and final episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Arthur H. Singer (based on a story by Gene Roddenberry) and directed by Herb Wallerstein ...

", created to present the fan production as a direct continuation of it.

Reaction

Reception

The reception of ''Star Trek Continues'' has been very positive, with critics and reviewers highlighting the quality of the production and the resemblance of the episodes with those of

the original series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distingui ...

. On July 12, 2013, Dan Roth of SyFy's

Blastr Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...

wrote: "Lots of people try to make fan versions of Trek. None of them look like this."

Slice of SciFi Slice may refer to: *Cutting Food and beverage *A portion of bread, pizza, cake, or meat that is cut flat and thin: :*Sliced bread :*Pizza by the slice, a fast food dish * Slice (drink), a line of fruit-flavored soft drinks In Australia and Ne ...

's Sam Sloan wrote: "They have certainly raised the bar for independent Star Trek episodic film making", an opinion shared by other reviewers as well. On June 18, 2014, Bill Watters of TrekMovie.com wrote: "Star Trek Continues does deserve the 'Continues' in its title as they do a really strong job at capturing (and yes, 'continuing') the atmosphere of TOS." On December 16, 2013, about a month after the ending of the Kickstarter campaign, ''

Kevin Pollak's Chat Show Kevin Elliot Pollak (born October 30, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and podcast host. He has appeared in over 80 films; his roles include Sam Weinberg in Rob Reiner's legal film ''A Few Good Men'', Jacob Goldman in '' Grump ...

'' published a video interview with

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

in which the actor highly praises a ''Star Trek'' fan production and its "people that recreate with incredibly, startlingly great production values unseen ''Star Trek'' episodes", adding that "it looks exactly like the starship ''Enterprise''". Although he could not put a name to the series, he described it citing information compatible with the identity of ''Star Trek Continues'', which motivated the producers and a few sources to assume and claim that the actor was referring to them. On July 31, 2014,

attended an official screening of "Fairest of Them All" in Las Vegas and endorsed the project, stating: "I do have to say, and I said this after 'Lolani', I'm pretty damn sure my dad would consider this

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

. The fact that you do stories that mean something, that have depth, that make us all think a little bit, I really think he would applaud you guys, and I applaud you guys, and as far as I am concerned, it is canon. So thank you." The publication ''Wired'' has dedicated to ''Star Trek Continues'' five videos of its video series ''Obsessed'', that aims to highlight "what happens when people live out their obsessions to the fullest." ''Obsessed'' shows Mignogna and other people of the staff explaining to what extent they have paid attention to detail to recreate the ''Enterprise'' set and the visual style of the original series. The videos have been published from June 13 to July 1, 2014, on the ''Obsessed'' website.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* *
''Official YouTube channel''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Star Trek Continues 2013 web series debuts 2017 web series endings Crowdfunded web series Continues Star Trek web series