CNN interviews Nichelle Nichols and Connor Trinneer
Transcript:
BRYANT: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT launches the final trek. When the UPN series "Star Trek: Enterprise" airs its last episode on Friday, it will be the end of an era. The first time in nearly two decades there will be no new "Star Treks," not on TV, not at the movies. All this week we will be bringing you live the cast members who made "STAR TREK" what it was. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here live now to launch the final trek.
HAFFENREFFER: You got your Kleenex out there. "Enterprise" is more than just another canceled show going of the air. The final trek ends a remarkable 40-year TV and movie journey that boldly went where no science fiction franchise had ever gone before.
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HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): Now the run for "Star Trek: Enterprise" is ending, and so is an era. After "Enterprise" docks for the last time this week, TV will be without an original "Star Trek" series for the first time in 18 years.
When the original "Star Trek" show debuted in 1966, no one could have imagined that a show about a studly captain, his pointy-eared Vulcan science officer and perhaps the most gender and racially mixed crew on TV at the time would become a hit. And it didn`t. The show was canceled after three less than stellar seasons. But "Star Trek" didn`t stay down for long. It became a major phenomenon in syndication and then the "Star Trek" revival went ahead warp factor 10. "Star Trek" the motion picture in 1979 led to 10 "Star Trek" movies.
The TV spin-off "Star Trek: The Next Generation" debuted in 1987. It was a huge hit and it was followed by three more trek series: "Deep Space Nine," "Star Trek: Voyager," and finally "Enterprise," which debuted in 2001. There are no immediate plans for another "Star Trek" series or movie, yet the show, like the others, will still boldly go on in syndication and on DVDs, ensuring that, like the others, it will live long and prosper.
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HAFFENREFFER: It most certainly will and joining us now live from Los Angeles in another showbiz sit down, one of the stars of "Enterprise," Connor Trinneer, who plays chief engineer, Charles "Trip" Tucker III on "Star Trek: Enterprise" and Nichelle Nichols, who is best known for her groundbreaking role as Lieutenant Uhura, on the original "Star Trek" series. Welcome. Nichelle, let`s start with you. This is a big year for "Star Trek" fans, of course. Tell me your thoughts when you first heard that the show would be going off the air?
NICHELLE NICHOLS, UHURA, "STAR TREK": Are you speaking to me?
HAFFENREFFER: Yes, I am.
NICHOLS: Are you talking about the original show? My show?
HAFFENREFFER: No, the current show that`s on the air. This is such an important year for all "Star Trek" fans because as we said, this is the first time in 16 years that they`re not going to have some "Star Trek" to turn to. When you first heard that this most recent version of the show was going off the air, did it make you sad a little bit?
NICHOLS: I think so because it continued the legacy of Gene Roddenberry. And for the most part, it lived up to all the expectations and everything that he wanted to bring to the attention of people to consider that we are really better than we think we are. And I think that its message continued to be beautifully expressed and so, yes, it`s a sad day.
HAFFENREFFER: Hey, Connor, when the first series was going off the air, that was the year you happened to be born. Tell us a little bit -- share with your audience your first memories of "Star Trek" as a TV program.
CONNOR TRINNEER, TRIP, "STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE": As a TV program, I remember it was, obviously, on reruns when I`d come home from school. You`d come home, watch "Star Trek", Perry Mason would be on, then the folks would come home and feed you. But I`m sure that over the course of that time I probably saw every single episode. And my older brother, actually, was a giant "Star Trek" fan. They walked around the perimeter at recess and talk about the previous night`s episode and all that.
HAFFENREFFER: Was it pretty heady stuff for you when you first got the job on "Enterprise" to put on that uniform?
TRINNEER: It was. You kind of got warned when you got the job that you were in for something bigger than you ever expected and it turned out to be absolutely true. The more we got into it, the more seasons we shot, you bore a certain amount of responsibility by putting on that uniform.
HAFFENREFFER: Nichelle, we talked about the racial and ethnic stereotypes that the very first "Star Trek" series helped to break down. You were involved in what many still consider to be a television groundbreaking moment and that was a kiss with William Shatner.
NICHOLS: That was the first interracial kiss on television. So it was pretty groundbreaking. But it was so -- it was kind of remarkable because we were so involved in doing the show and delighted with the fact that every episode seemed to get better and better, that it never occurred to us that this was anything groundbreaking or beyond the norm for television because we were such a family and we were so accustomed to each other. It was just one more great show.
HAFFENREFFER: Yeah, certainly. And Connor, you taking your place in "Star Trek" lore. I understand that you were first man to be pregnant. Was that right?
TRINNEER: Is that true? I was the first? Well, yeah, I guess so, though. Look at me, ma, look how I`ve done.
HAFFENREFFER: Taking your place in the history. Nichelle, I quickly got to get your thoughts about Whoopi Goldberg because she has said that before, you were a role model of hers and she wanted to be in "Next Generation" because of you. Have you met Whoopi Goldberg?
NICHOLS: I certainly have. She is a delight. And I was a fan of hers. And I couldn`t believe it when Gene called me and told me that -- he said, I just have one question for you. Why do you want to be in "Star Trek" on the little screen? And she said, it`s all Nichelle Nichols fault. She said when she was 9 years old, she first saw me on "Star Trek". And she looked and her eye just got so wide. And she ran through the house screaming, come quick, everybody come look, there`s a black woman on television and she ain`t no maid. She said she knew that from that moment on that she could be anything she wanted to be.
HAFFENREFFER: Both of you, with the time that we have remaining, we`re having people on all week from "Star Trek" talking about this very important series that we`re doing here. And I got to ask you each the same questions here. Connor, we`ll start with you, your favorite "Star Trek" character besides yourself?
TRINNEER: That would be Nichelle Nichols` character.
NICHOLS: That`s a good answer, Connor.
HAFFENREFFER: Nichelle, your thoughts.
NICHOLS: Absolutely, Connor.
HAFFENREFFER: You guys are too nice to each other. Next question and Connor, you take this first. Do you believe there`s intelligent life elsewhere in the universe?
TRINNEER: I think it`s hubris to think that there isn`t.
HAFFENREFFER: Nichelle?
NICHOLS: Ditto.
HAFFENREFFER: You guys are on the same page.
NICHOLS: I remember being a kid and asking my father, are we the only people in the whole wide universe? And he said, do you think God is that small?
HAFFENREFFER: OK, final question here. Connor, you`re first, the next stop for the space program, the moon or Mars?
TRINNEER: Ours?
HAFFENREFFER: Yep.
TRINNEER: Mars.
HAFFENREFFER: Nichelle?
NICHOLS: You mean where we`re going?
HAFFENREFFER: Should we go back to the moon or go to Mars?
NICHOLS: I think we should do both. I think we should do both. You know, I recruited the first women and minority astronauts for under contract to NASA. And it was an exciting time. And to a man and a woman, they want to go back to the moon and they want to go to Mars.
HAFFENREFFER: You guys are great. Thank you for coming on our program.
NICHOLS: Thank you. It was a real pleasure.
HAFFENREFFER: Nichelle Nichols and Connor Trinneer. And the two- hour series finale of "Star Trek: Enterprise" boldly goes into the sunset this coming Friday. And all this week, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the stars of "Star Trek", including Walter Konig, George Takai and Lavar Burton. It`s our salute to "Star Trek" the final trek, Karyn?
