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Shatner, Brooks, Bakula convene Captains summit

Comic-Con 2011: Kevin Smith hosts Star Trek legends panel to discuss upcoming documentary The Captains.

Who was there: Former starship captains William Shatner, Avery Brooks, and Scott Bakula, with director/professional nerd Kevin Smith moderating.

What they talked about: Comedian Kevin Smith took the stage to a packed house at this year's San Diego Comic-Con convention. After Smith's opening salvo, a brief trailer for William Shatner's The Captains was shown. This upcoming documentary compiles a series of interviews the actor conducted with other starship captains throughout Star Trek's many incarnations. Once it concluded, Avery Brooks and Shatner took the stage to thunderous applause.

After they exchanged pleasantries, the conversation turned to Brooks' role in the documentary, as both a subject and a musician. Shatner noted how impressed he was with Brooks' skill as an improvisational jazz musician, which Brooks demonstrated during their musical interview in the documentary. He was so impressed that he later invited Brooks to pen the film's score. Brooks added that this was a "wonderful challenge" since Shatner wanted him to create a score that would complement the conversations and not just be background noise. "One of the most important things to learn in music is to listen," Brooks added.

At this point, Bakula slid onto stage invoking a sudden rush of cheers from the audience. "I am here to represent the other captains who were not asked to score the movie," he said. After bantering with Smith and the other panelists, Bakula discussed how he and Shatner had never truly met until the documentary and how impressed he was at all the similar experiences the two of them had shared as captains. He then thanked Shatner for all his hard work in the original series, adding that "without him we wouldn't be here today."

Of the few questions asked during the Q&A, the one that elicited the best response was: What do you think each Star Trek series has given to the world? Brooks took the lead, and after considering his words for a moment, he stated that it is the viewers who hold all the power; they give the show its meaning, and without them none of this would exist. Shatner echoed this sentiment while also taking the opportunity to promote another documentary he's working on about the Star Trek fandom. Bakula had a much simpler answer: "Hope."

Quote: "The piano is the only keyboard I know."--Brooks on social media.

"Anything you write in science fiction may be right, because we know nothing."--Shatner on our place in the universe.

Takeaway: Judging by Shatner's teaser of The Captains, Star Trek fans aren't likely to gain any deeper insight into quasars or warp drives. Still, for those who have become enamored with the cult of personality that is The Shatner, laughs should be had.

14 Comments

  • starduke

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 8:55 pm GMT

    @Taffelost Have you heard of Star Trek: Elite Force? They put what you're talking about into a video game, not a show.

  • SolidTy

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 6:55 pm GMT


    Man, that should have been a blast. To have those Captains there, sweet. I am currently having my wee ones watch Star Trek, getting them up to speed. I'm proud, they already finished Star Trek Original Series seasons 1-3, Star Trek Movies 1-6, and they are currently on Season 4 of Star Trek the Next Generation.

  • heroesfan261

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 6:42 pm GMT

    @JeffZero because he's a freakin' awesome starship captain even if he isn't in Star Trek lol.

  • Taffelost

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 2:04 pm GMT

    I'm a big Trek fan. One of who actually loved the latest Star Trek movie and looking immensely forward to the next one. I also really liked ST: Enterprise although it seems I'm in a minority compared to many of the hardcore fans. There is however one thing that annoys me about Star Trek. It's all those irrational and unrealistic ways they decide to solve problems. One would think that a ship with a crew of +100 would have at least a squad of elite infantry. A squad of contemporary Navy Seals if you like. No not in Star Trek. In Star Trek they send in the captain, his second-in-command and a few more of the irreplacable bridge officers just to complete the farce. I understand that it makes good tv using a known face everybody loves but I find it extremely dumb to be honest. But that's Star Trek I guess. I still love the show though and I hope we'll see a new one soon. One more "realistic" at that too. I also think every ST show has a certain low-budget feel over it.

  • Phazevariance

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 11:24 am GMT

    The original, TNG, DS9, and Voyager was all amazing series'. Enterprise tried pretty hard but was just not written very well.

  • Phazevariance

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 11:19 am GMT

    What about the actress who played Captain Janeway? :/

  • JeffZero

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 6:26 am GMT

    @Smokescreened84: Amen to that.

    @heroesfan261: Patrick Stewart is a pretty busy man. He isn't going to be able to show up for everything. Also, Nathan Fillion? Wonderful guy but what does he have to do with Star Trek?

  • heroesfan261

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 12:27 am GMT

    were Patrick Stewart and Nathan Fillion just not invited?

  • Smokescreened84

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 6:16 pm GMT

    @JeffZero - Aye, Brooks was amazing. When he protrayed the character of Benny Hill he gave this very convincing and amazing depth to the character, especially in the scene when Benny had a breakdown after his stories were rejected due to the colour of his skin.
    Gave me shivers down the spine at his amazing acting.

    As Sisko he was remarkable, as the series progressed he gave such a depth to his character in making him not just a Starfleet officer, but also a father, a husband later in the series, a leader and as the Emissary.
    I can see why poor Worf was intimidated by Sisko.

    Trek is the one thing in life that has given me hope that things will, and have to, improve for the better of all. Things have to improve, they can't keep getting worse.
    Without hope there's little chance for a future.

  • liam82517

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 5:27 pm GMT

    Good to see avery brooks getting look in, DS9 was my favourite trek show. Such great characters and well laid out plots. Such a shame ds9 was never revisited in movies the same way TNG was. I can see why it wasnt but still.

  • JeffZero

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 4:50 pm GMT

    @Smokescreened84:

    I completely agree with you on all counts, my friend. And yes, absolutely -- Avery Brooks was amazing as Sisko and Hill. Utterly incredible.

    And hope... "hope" is singlehandedly the best possible answer to the question of what is Trek. Hope through Trek has gotten me through some rough patches. Not just through Trek, of course, but that's always been one major contribution to my persistence in life.

  • Smokescreened84

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 8:18 am GMT

    Avery Brooks was excellent as Sisko and later as Benny Hill, a great actor who really delivered a very strong personality to the character of Sisko.
    When Shatner's character wasn't wooing women he did make a good character in Kirk in regards of this very confident, very skilled leader.

    Bakula did fine as Archer, he did a good job of protraying a captain who is pretty naive and ends up learning in a harsh way that the galaxy isn't a safe place and it would take a long time to build trust, not get killed and learn to cooperate with other races.

    And he was right about one aspect behind the meaning of Trek when he said 'Hope'. He's right, it gives the viewer a sense of hope that things might improve as a whole for everyone, that they have to improve.

    I love Star Trek, don't like the reboot though, I prefer the prime time line - the true Star Trek.

  • mathfool

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 5:52 am GMT

    Avery Brooks was very underrated on DS9. I'm glad he was acknowledged in this documentary. The DS9 episode "In the Pale Moonlight" is still my favorite captain centered episode of all time.

  • LogicSavanT

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 1:48 am GMT

    Seriously, they couldn't have gotten patrick stewart.

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