1978 article: The Making of ST Phase II

From Issue #12 of Starlog, published March of 1978, comes an interview with Gene Roddenberry on the progress of the then-planned TV series. The planning, designing and writing for the proposed series was finally moving along until it was scrapped in favor of a big budget movie, which had just happened after the interview but before press time. It's interesting to see the struggles they went through to get it going, and observing what would evolve into the movie, and beyond. Much of the stage was being set for what we saw in the movie at this point. Gene is to be commended for not simply throwing up his hands and walking off due to the frustrations and fights he was going through!

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Bonus: below, from the same issue, is Susan Sackett's report on the development of the series.

And below, also from the same issue of Starlog, is a report that looks at the development of the new Enterprise design. The inset box reveals the latest news that the series had been scrapped in favor of developing the two-part "In Thy Image" as a big-budget theatrical film, and as yet Nimoy was still not involved. Interesting stuff to look back on as history, or to remember if you haven't seen it in awhile.

As I read about Gene's struggle to make his vision and be in control of it, I get a little sad in retrospect how, after the movie came out with lukewarm reviews, they put someone else in charge of the next movie. Many see the second movie as the best of any of the movies, but we have to remember that the groundwork was laid and the path paved by Roddenberry, and others then built on that hard work. The Motion Picture may have lacked action, and the script may have needed more work before being pressed into production; but it was not a failure, and studios don't generally "throw good money after bad;" they only recognized that if another was to succeed, it would need to be more dynamic and exciting. Even during the series, Gene was a good producer, but not neccessarily a good writer. The studio felt that, next time, it needed more.

Persis Khambatta articles

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Clipped from "People" magazine, January of 1980.

Not a lot of commentary today, since the character really didn't do a lot for me except take screen time away from some of the secondary characters I would have rather seen more of. But, she was in the movie, so I clipped her articles as well. Her role in the movie was somewhat of a mystery, since her "oath of celibacy" line went completely without any explanation. It seemed out of place without some reference, as if all officers had to take one, and would have been better left out, I thought. Unless one read the novelization, and knew her species attitudes toward sexuality, and extra-strength pheremones, it made no sense. And neither did Sulu's awkwardness over her. Thankfully this aspect of her race was not carried over when the character was recycled to become Deanna Troi on the Next Generation.

Below, a newspaper article about Persis, from Dec. 12, 1979. Her passing away in 1998 was a tragic and early end to what had begun as a promising career in international films.

Below, some publicity photos taken of Persis showing off her smooth and shaved look.

As for question number one, "No, it is not."
And for number two, "No, I will not put them on the table."

"All right... who took my wig... and my pants?"

Below is a test shot of Persis in a bald cap and original series uniform, taken when she was to play the character in the planned "Phase II" tv series, before it was upgraded to a theatrical release.