Post by annabelleleigh on Sept 5, 2008 23:34:36 GMT -5
When worlds collide in the TV universe it's not usually between crime drama and sci-fi. Yet that's exactly the nexus shared by Rene Balcer and two of his current mothership writing staff.
Balcer, Ed Zuckerman, and David Wilcox have all been drawn into the orbit of that other long-running television franchise, Star Trek.
In 1990 Zuckerman contributed the episode "A Matter of Perspective" to Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Balcer followed in 1992 with "Power Play."
Wilcox found a place on the second season writing staff of Star Trek: Enterprise, churning out the teleplay "Marauders," among others.
A meaningless coincidence? Perhaps. After all, L&O and Star Trek have both produced hundreds of episodes, employing scores of writers over a period of decades. An overlap of three is not only unsurprising statistically, it also has a certain, er, Vulcanian logic. And yet there's this:
As fans of the genre know, all science fiction -- while set in the future -- is allegory about contemporary society. Though L&O and Star Trek are separated fictionally by centuries, both deal in social commentary about similar issues.
- Both also reflect a certain common set of values and beliefs about fairness, justice, and equality.
- Both champion the concept that individuals of integrity and intelligence are the foundation of a civilized society (or universe, as it were).
- Both often inject a sobering note of compromise into their stories' denouements.
Star Trek has the freedom of fantasy to explore the themes of its stories; L&O is necessarily earth-bound. But (I suggest) that both are basically humanistic in their philosophies. Stripped of respective costumes and settings, they are more alike than different. Put Jack McCoy in a Federation-crested blue-and-black leisure suit and he would fit in just fine at the helm of a starship.
And now for the fun part. The next time you're watching a TNG or Enterprise rerun you may encounter these episodes from mothership writers:
"A Matter of Perspective." TNG. Story and teleplay by Ed Zuckerman. 1990.
The plot: The Enterprise stops at a space station to check the progress of a controversial scientist who seems to be making little headway in his Federation-financed project. Shortly after Commander Riker visits the station, it blows up, killing the scientist. Riker is subsequently charged with his murder. Since the governing legal system places the burden of proof on the accused, Captain Picard convinces authorities that the Enterprise's holodeck can triangulate the testimony of various witnesses to arrive at the truth.
"Power Play." TNG. Teleplay by Rene Balcer et. al. 1992.
The plot: When Enterprise follows the distress signal of a 200-year-old starship to a deserted moon, the Away Team investigates Counselor Troi's Betazoid sense of something still living on the surface. Caught in a violent magnetic storm, three of the four Away Team members return to the ship with altered personalities. Using brute force they attempt to control the Enterprise for a purpose mysterious until the episode's third act. The moon, it seems, is a cruel and unusual place of imprisonment for alien offenders and the inmates view the Enterprise as the key to the jail house door.
"Marauders." Enterprise. Teleplay by David Wilcox. 2002.
The plot: When Captain Archer and his crew arrive at a small mining colony in search of fuel, they discover that the (still) evil, technologically superior Klingons have enslaved the inhabitants and appropriated all of the fruits of their hard labor. Unable to to hew to the strictest interpretation of the Prime Directive, Archer and company inspire the colonists to rebel and teach them how to win freedom from their oppressors.
AL
Balcer, Ed Zuckerman, and David Wilcox have all been drawn into the orbit of that other long-running television franchise, Star Trek.
In 1990 Zuckerman contributed the episode "A Matter of Perspective" to Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Balcer followed in 1992 with "Power Play."
Wilcox found a place on the second season writing staff of Star Trek: Enterprise, churning out the teleplay "Marauders," among others.
A meaningless coincidence? Perhaps. After all, L&O and Star Trek have both produced hundreds of episodes, employing scores of writers over a period of decades. An overlap of three is not only unsurprising statistically, it also has a certain, er, Vulcanian logic. And yet there's this:
As fans of the genre know, all science fiction -- while set in the future -- is allegory about contemporary society. Though L&O and Star Trek are separated fictionally by centuries, both deal in social commentary about similar issues.
- Both also reflect a certain common set of values and beliefs about fairness, justice, and equality.
- Both champion the concept that individuals of integrity and intelligence are the foundation of a civilized society (or universe, as it were).
- Both often inject a sobering note of compromise into their stories' denouements.
Star Trek has the freedom of fantasy to explore the themes of its stories; L&O is necessarily earth-bound. But (I suggest) that both are basically humanistic in their philosophies. Stripped of respective costumes and settings, they are more alike than different. Put Jack McCoy in a Federation-crested blue-and-black leisure suit and he would fit in just fine at the helm of a starship.
And now for the fun part. The next time you're watching a TNG or Enterprise rerun you may encounter these episodes from mothership writers:
"A Matter of Perspective." TNG. Story and teleplay by Ed Zuckerman. 1990.
The plot: The Enterprise stops at a space station to check the progress of a controversial scientist who seems to be making little headway in his Federation-financed project. Shortly after Commander Riker visits the station, it blows up, killing the scientist. Riker is subsequently charged with his murder. Since the governing legal system places the burden of proof on the accused, Captain Picard convinces authorities that the Enterprise's holodeck can triangulate the testimony of various witnesses to arrive at the truth.
"Power Play." TNG. Teleplay by Rene Balcer et. al. 1992.
The plot: When Enterprise follows the distress signal of a 200-year-old starship to a deserted moon, the Away Team investigates Counselor Troi's Betazoid sense of something still living on the surface. Caught in a violent magnetic storm, three of the four Away Team members return to the ship with altered personalities. Using brute force they attempt to control the Enterprise for a purpose mysterious until the episode's third act. The moon, it seems, is a cruel and unusual place of imprisonment for alien offenders and the inmates view the Enterprise as the key to the jail house door.
"Marauders." Enterprise. Teleplay by David Wilcox. 2002.
The plot: When Captain Archer and his crew arrive at a small mining colony in search of fuel, they discover that the (still) evil, technologically superior Klingons have enslaved the inhabitants and appropriated all of the fruits of their hard labor. Unable to to hew to the strictest interpretation of the Prime Directive, Archer and company inspire the colonists to rebel and teach them how to win freedom from their oppressors.
AL