Ceti Alpha 3: A Star Trek Podcast The Nerd Party

New 90s Trek Show Pitch

Welcome to the late 1990s. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" has been off the air, entering the universe of feature films. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" is ending, having found its voice and identity. "Star Trek: Voyager" has taken its first steps, and now carries the weight of continuing the franchise.

What's next?

In the original timeline of TV, Berman and company, under the auspcies of UPN, begin development of a 22nd Century prequel series that will become "Enterprise." But what if ... the next series had continued the story of the 24th Century?

The trio imagine what series will now air contemporareously with "Voyager" in the late 90s. Enter "Star Trek: Starfleet Command," which takes a "higher decks" (if you will) approach to the operations of Starfleet and the Federation. See how planetside environments and Earth Spacedock provide unique settings to continue Trek adventures, spanning the post-Dominion War era. How will the Fleet be rebuilt? What scientific discoveries and explorartion have been ignored during combat? Can the admirals actually agree about the future? And where does the real decision-making take place??? (HInt: Welcome to future golf!). 

Join this exciting new installment in the Trek franchise that never happened, with "Star Trek: Starfleet Command."

TOS plots in TNG

Trek has experimented with either re-visiting older episodes with new crews, as in DS9's "Trials and Tribble-ations" or SNW's "A Quality of Mercy", or recycling plots with TNG's "The Naked Now." The trio look at how exact stories from The Original Series would play out with The Next Generation crew. How would "Galileo Seven" work in Next Gen? Which Enterprise-D crew member would be forced back home in "Amok Time"? How would the classic episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" work in the 24th century?

Join us as TOS stories play out in TNG - which combination of crew members can replace the triad of Kirk, Spock, McCoy?

TNG First Season Stories for Trek Games

The game, "Star Trek: Resurgence", came to various platforms in 2023. It introduced several new characters (as well as some old favorites) in its post-Nemesis 24th Century storyline. At the heart of the game's story was a sequel to the first season Next Gen episode "The Last Outpost." Since the trio are revisiting the beginnings of TNG, they look at what other episodes could be mined for stories for new Trek games.

Join this round-robin pitch of ideas that takes one first season episode, one of its storylines, and applies it to a new Trek game based on an existing (or entirely new) Trek series. How does "Home Soil" continue in game form? How can "Lower Decks" go further into the ideas of "Haven"? Grab your console of choice and let us know your favorite Trek game pitch.

TNG's beginning

Is it possible to view something from long ago in the Trek canon as a new viewer might? The trio attempt to make the old come to life again by re-examining the pilot episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

It is hard to begin a Star Trek series re-watch. Which one? Where to start? Do you go 20th or 21st Century shows? After a mix of picking their own series recently, the trio come together for a TNG rewatch. That means starting with that two-hour special "Encounter at Fairpoint." The introduction of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, its crew, the look and feel of the 24th Century ... and Q! There is a lot to take in, even if we ultimately know what production approaches (and characters) don't make it very far. 

They try to imagine all questions and mysteries this first episode would bring to either a new viewer or die-hard TOS fan. So join them and revisit 1987 with the re-birth of a Star Trek TV series!

Starfleet Uniforms

Fans enjoy cosplaying the many costumes in Star Trek. Starfleet uniforms in particular have been represented onscreen in a variety of ways, from the 22nd century fightsuits of "Enterprise" to the colorful and innate unforms of the 32nd century in "Star Trek: Discovery." 

The trio go into the costuming department to evaluate the myriad of Starfleet uniforms, from looking at what translates best on screen to what seems the most comfortable. They review some of the more unique choices made, e.g., Seven of Nine and T'Pol, to wondering about the Starfleet clothing that must exist, but is never shown.

Join this tour of fashion of starships and spacestation, letting us know who wore it best.

Ship Profile: NCC-1701-A

The history of onscreen Enterprises is rich in detail for some and scant for others.

Then there's the U.S.S. Enterprise-A.

First introduced in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home as a reward for our TOS-era heroes saving Earth once again, we saw this Constitution refit-class in the next two movies (Star Trek V and Star Trek VI). The trio looks at this ship's origins and purported ending, discovering more mysteries about it than first thought.

They look at the largely non-canon origins of the ship, and ask if the U.S.S. Yorktown, then recommissioned as the Enterprise-A, was a new or quite old vessel? What about the history of the Constitution-class and its refits in general? What are the differences, if any, between the refit NCC-1701 and the NCC-1701-A? What was the A's mission in between its malfunctioning introduction in Star Trek V and its scheduled decommissioning in Star Trek VI?

Join us as we discuss all things about the first Enterprise to add a letter to its registry and the last with Captain Kirk in command.