With all the nostalgia for TOS that “Strange New Worlds” is generating, Paramount+ should follow up its limited series “The Offer” (which is about the making of “The Godfather”) with a series on the creation of “Star Trek.” Anson Mount as Jeffrey Hunter, Paul Wesley (or Chris Pine?) as William Shatner, Ethan Peck as Leonard Nimoy, Rebecca Romijn as Majel Barrett, Celia Rose Gooding as Nichelle Nichols. There’s plenty of drama to be explored in Roddenberry’s “Wagon Train to the stars” pitch and his battles with the network over a female Number One and the “demonic” looking science officer; the unprecedented second pilot and more network battles over the diversity represented by a Black woman on the bridge – and Martin Luther King Jr. encouraging Nichols not to quit; Roddenberry’s efforts to disguise contemporary social commentary as science fiction; maybe an episode about Harlan Ellison’s grudge over “City on the Edge of Forever.” And so on.
I’ve been enjoying “The Offer,” and think there’s an equal amount of material for a series in that mold about Trek. Giovanni Ribisi impressed me with his performance as Joe Columbo. What could he do with Gene Roddenberry? D.C. Fontana should also be represented. And Lucille Ball – played by Nicole Kidman? I thought she was good in “Being the Ricardos.” Maybe even fans such as Bjo Trimble could make an appearance.
I like the actress who plays Nurse Chapel on SNW, but it would be a stone riot for Rebecca Romijn to play both parts (maybe strange glances from the crew, maybe not.)
Heh. To really confuse things, maybe Rebecca Romijn as Majel Barrett and Jess Bush (who plays Nurse Chapel in SNW) as another actress trying out for Number One who lost the part to Majel.
I’m all for the concept. Although I have to say that my friends who have seen The Offer don’t recommend it. So I’d have to hope for quality execution.
The idea of Romijn playing Majel Barrett as both Number One and Chapel is key. I’d like to get to see her stretch. SNW has been pretty good but I feel like we haven’t seen her acting chops yet.
Just as an aside, I post over at a Star Trek board and a while ago when there was a novel where Number One came aboard Kirk’s Enterprise, I noted the absence of a scene with Number One and Chapel.
The author chimed in with a self headslap that it hadn’t occurred to him.
That’s pretty cool. I was never very interested in Chapel in TOS. But I thought Barrett’s Number One had great potential. I think Chapel in SNW is great.
Well, the book was already written. “The Making of Star Trek”. I’ll tell you what. I’ll go over to the previoulsy referenced site, toss this concept out there and maybe one of the creative types there could whomp up a postetr.