Star Trek

Star Trek is an American science-fiction franchise. As of July 2016, it spans six television series and thirteen films, as well as numerous novels and video games.

Star Trek is notable among fans of Gargoyles for the large number of Star Trek cast members that voiced characters on the show. Greg Weisman commented that, at first, this was unintentional. Marina Sirtis and, later, Jonathan Frakes were both cast in prominent roles, and soon the crew began to think of Star Trek actors when casting new roles. [1] For example, Brent Spiner was considered for the role of Anton Sevarius before that role went to Tim Curry, and Spiner was eventually cast as Puck. [2]

Staff writers Michael Reaves and Diane Duane also wrote an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called "Where No One Has Gone Before" in 1987 (although it was rewritten prior to shooting).

Cast members

The following Gargoyles cast members had previously appeared in Star Trek television series or films. They are listed in the order of their appearance in Gargoyles.

• Salli Richardson - Fenna (guest star: "Second Sight", Deep Space Nine)
• Marina Sirtis - Deanna Troi (series regular: The Next Generation)
• Frank Welker - Voice of young Spock (movie: Star Trek III), alien voice (guest star: "Nothing Human", Voyager)
• Jonathan Frakes - William Riker (series regular: The Next Generation)
• Matt Frewer - Berlingoff Rasmussen (guest star: "A Matter of Time", The Next Generation)
• Robert Ito - Tac Officer Chang (guest star: "Coming of Age", The Next Generation), John Kim (guest star: "Author, Author", Voyager)
• Nichelle Nichols - Uhura (series regular: Star Trek: The Original Series and The Animated Series)
• David Warner - St. John Talbot (movie: Star Trek V), Gorkon (movie: Star Trek VI), Gul Madred (guest star: "Chain of Command", in The Next Generation)
• Michael Dorn - Worf (series regular: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine)
• Paul Winfield - Clark Terrell (movie: Star Trek II), Dathon (guest star: "Darmok", The Next Generation)
• Brent Spiner - Data (series regular: The Next Generation)
• Michael Bell - Groppler Zorn (guest star: "Encounter at Farpoint", The Next Generation), Borum (guest star: "The Homecoming", Deep Space Nine), Drofo Awa (guest star: "The Marquis, Part II", Deep Space Nine)
• W. Morgan Sheppard - Ira Graves (guest star: "The Schizoid Man", The Next Generation), Klingon Commander (movie: Star Trek VI), Qatai (guest star: "Bliss", Voyager), Vulcan Science Minister (movie: Star Trek 2009) (uncredited)
• Gerrit Graham - Hunter (guest star: "Tosk", Deep Space Nine), Q (guest star: "Death Wish", Voyager)
• Victor Brandt - Watson (guest star: "Elaan of Troyius", Star Trek: The Original Series), Tongo Rad (guest star: "The Way to Eden", Star Trek: The Original Series)
• Tony Jay - Campio (guest star: "Cost of Living", The Next Generation)
• Colm Meaney - Miles O'Brien (series regular: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine)
• Kate Mulgrew - Kathryn Janeway (series regular: Voyager)
• LeVar Burton - Geordi La Forge (series regular: The Next Generation)
• Avery Brooks - Benjamin Sisko (series regular: Deep Space Nine)
• Clyde Kusatsu - Vice Admiral Nakamura (recurring character: The Next Generation)
• James Saito - Nogami (guest star: "The 37's", Voyager)
• Diedrich Bader - Unnamed tactical officer (guest star: "The Emissary", The Next Generation)

John Rhys-Davies (who voiced Macbeth) also appeared in several episodes of Voyager as Leonardo da Vinci. However, his first appearance on Voyager occurred after he had been cast as Macbeth in Gargoyles.

Clancy Brown (the voice of Wolf) and James Avery (voice of the Shaman) both guest starred in episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise, some time after their initial appearances on Gargoyles.

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who voiced Yama in the Bad Guys leica reel but did not appear in Gargoyles itself, guest starred as the Mandarin bailiff in "Encounter at Farpoint", the pilot episode of The Next Generation.

Patrick Stewart (who played Jean-Luc Picard on The Next Generation) was considered for several roles in the series (Goliath, Macbeth and King Arthur), but his representation turned down the offer because his usual fees could not be met. [3] The Gargoyles staff considered asking Jonathan Frakes or Marina Sirtis to make a personal plea to get Patrick Stewart to provide a voice for the series, but decided against this since it would not have been fair to any of the three people involved. [4][5]

Nana Visitor (who played Major Kira on Deep Space Nine) was briefly the voice of Fox, before Frank Paur had the role recast with Laura San Giacomo instead. [6]

References to Star Trek in Gargoyles

• In "Her Brother's Keeper", Brooklyn uses the line "You and what Starfleet?".

• The plot for the episode "Possession" was inspired by an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series called "Return to Tomorrow". [7][8]

• Brooklyn mentions Star Trek (and Quantum Leap) while explaining to Mary and Finella that he's a time traveler, in "The Gate".

References to Gargoyles in Star Trek

• Although not a direct reference, the character of Thomas Riker (a clone of William Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes) adopted a goatee beard resembling that of David Xanatos in his later appearances (notably an episode of Deep Space Nine called "Defiant"). Greg Weisman has said that he "really felt Frakes was doing Xanatos doing Riker". [9]

• In the movie Star Trek Generations, William Riker says "I plan to live forever", echoing the ambition of Jonathan Frakes' Gargoyles character, David Xanatos.

Tidbits

• Diane Duane (who wrote helped write the teleplay for "The Hound of Ulster" and "Ill Met By Moonlight") wrote the story Scaean Gate in Star Trek The Manga: Kakan na Shinkou (which translates to "To Boldly Go"). She also wrote the story Sensation for Star Trek The Next Generation The Manga: Boukenshin (which translates to Adventurous Spirit).
• Coincidently, during an episode of TNG (Time Arrow, Part 2), the crew pretends to rehearse for A Midsummer Night's Dream with Data playing the part of Puck (speaking the line "How now, spirit. Whither wander you?").
• Gerrit Graham (voice of adult Tom), appeared as the hunter in an episode of Deep Space Nine in 1993. His more famous Star Trek appearance, however, was as the renegade Q (later known as Quinn) in the Voyager episode "Death Wish". "Death Wish" originally aired on February 19, 1996, three days before the Gargoyles episode "Ill Met By Moonlight", which was Graham's final appearance on the show.
• Jim Cummings, Tress MacNeille and Jeff Bennett provided additional voice work for the game Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (which was released in 1997).
• Tom Wilson (who voiced Matt Bluestone) provided the voice for Crewman Rick Biessman in the video game Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force (which was released in 2000).
• Peter Renaday (who voiced William Greene, Cyberbiotics Commander and Fortress-1 Captain) provided additional voice work in the video game Star Trek: Armada II (which was released in 2001).
• B.J. Ward (who voiced Fleance, Lydia Duane, Lady of the Lake and Billy's Mom) provided the voice for Katarina Scott in the video game Star Trek: Elite Force II (which was released in 2003).
• Rino Romano (who voiced Gang Leader) provided the voice of Alexander Munro in Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force and Star Trek: Elite Force II

See Also

• Star Trek at Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
• Star Trek: Gargoyles, a YTMND parody referencing the connection between the two series
• Kate Mulgrew's Voicework on Gargoyles, an article from Voyager Now magazine, published in early 1996
• Gargoyles TNG, a webcomic on LilFormers.com