Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Wedding Bell Blues

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsStreaming service Paramount Plus releases the 22nd episode of the Star Trek prequel series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet. Cillian O’Sullivan (Daredevil: Born Again, Then You Run), Rhys Darby (Flight Of The Conchords), and John de Lancie (Star Trek: The Next Generation) guest star. Read more

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Shuttle To Kenfori

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsStreaming service Paramount Plus releases the 23nd episode of the Star Trek prequel series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet. Christine Horn (Snowfall, BMF) guest stars. Read more

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: A Space Adventure Hour

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsStreaming service Paramount Plus releases the 24th episode of the Star Trek prequel series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet. Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) guest stars. Read more

Jim Lovell, Apollo astronaut, dies

Jim LovellFormer test pilot, Gemini and Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell dies at the age of 97. A U.S. Navy pilot, Lovell had applied to join NASA during the agency’s initial search for the Mercury astronauts, but was sidelined from selection due to medical test results, only to be brought into the space program when new astronauts were recruited for the Gemini program. Lovell was the pilot of Gemini 7 (the first long-duration space mission, lasting two weeks), and commanded Gemini 12, the final flight of that program. On Apollo 8, the first crewed mission to orbit the moon, Lovell served as command module pilot, and was originally scheduled to command Apollo 14. A change in flight rotation moved Lovell and his crew up to Apollo 13. Faulty wiring in an oxygen tank caused an explosion in the command module, venting much of the vehicle’s oxygen supply into space and causing the cancellation of the intended third moon landing in favor of preserving resources to attempt to bring the crew home safely. After the harrowing journey, Lovell retired from NASA, and later co-wrote (with Jeffrey Kluger) the memoir Lost Moon, which was then optioned as the basis of the Ron Howard movie Apollo 13.

Go Figure

Go FigureRoundel Books publishes the non-fiction book Go Figure by Richard Lloyd, a detailed chronicle of every figure released in Character Options’ two decades of producing Doctor Who action figures, initially for the BBC’s 21st century revival of the TV series but eventually adding many characters from the 20th century run as well. Read more

Star Trek: Khan: Paradise

Star Trek: KhanCBS Studios releases the first episode of the scripted podcast Star Trek: Khan, a long-gestating project dating back to the early days of Star Trek: Discovery as a television proposal by Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan), finally produced in audio form. Naveen Andrews (Lost) stars as Khan. Read more

The British Stereo Collective / Federation: Marked To Kill

Marked To KillThe British Stereo Collective / Federation collaborative EP Marked To Kill is released via Bandcamp, with lyrics (and a video) connecting the song to the BBC space opera Blake’s 7. The release of the single both digitally and on vinyl benefits charity. Read more

Nabil Shaban, actor, dies

Nabil ShabanActor Nabil Shaban, who portrayed the slug-like alien capitalist Sil in late 1980s Doctor Who, dies at the age of 72. First appearing in 1985’s Vengeance On Varos, Sil was penciled in for a rematch against the Doctor in an episode that would’ve been titled Mission To Magnus, which was ultimately abandoned as the BBC demanded a rethink of the series’ 23rd season; despite this, Sil still make a comeback in parts five through eight of The Trial Of A Time Lord. Mission To Magnus would later be released as a novelization, and finally as a full-cast Big Finish audio drama, in which Shaban revived the role of Sil. (He appeared in another Big Finish audio, Antidote To Oblivion, in 2014, and revived Sil onscreen in the direct-to-video project Sil And The Devil Seeds Of Arodor. The character of Sil was popular enough to become an action figure.) Shaban turned his disability to his advantage in playing the part of the legless creature, but also advocated for other actors with disabilities throughout his career.

June Lockhart, actress, dies

June LockhartActress June Lockhart, best known to genre fans for playing Dr. Maureen Robinson, mother figure of the Robinson family on Lost In Space, dies of natural causes at the age of 100. Prior to her three-season stint on Lost In Space, Ms. Lockhart was already a household name from an even longer run in a maternal role on Lassie. Big screen appearances included She-Wolf Of London, Strange Invaders, Troll, C.H.U.D. II, and a small part in the 1998 reboot Lost In Space. TV appearances included Science Fiction Theatre, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Darkroom, Whiz Kids, Amazing Stories, Babylon 5, and even a voice role on the The Ren & Stimpy Show.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy: Kids These Days

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsStreaming service Paramount Plus premieres the first episode of the Star Trek spinoff Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, created by Gaia Violo and set in the post-Discovery 31st century time frame. Holly Hunter stars, with Paul Giamatti guest starring and veterans of past Star Trek series (Robert Picardo and Oded Fehr) also joining the cast. Read more

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy: Beta Test

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsStreaming service Paramount Plus releases the second episode of the Star Trek spinoff Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, created by Gaia Violo and set in the post-Discovery 31st century time frame. Holly Hunter stars, with veterans of past Star Trek series (Robert Picardo, Tig Notaro and Oded Fehr) also joining the cast. Read more

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1 (soundtrack)

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1 (soundtrack)Lakeshore Records digitally releases Jeff Russo’s soundtrack from the first season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, featuring the Rufus Wainwright cover of “San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)” featured in the first episode. Read more

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy: Vox In Excelso

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsStreaming service Paramount Plus releases the fourth episode of the Star Trek spinoff Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, created by Gaia Violo and set in the post-Discovery 31st century time frame. Holly Hunter stars; Martin Roach (The Umbrella Academy, The Shape Of Water) guest stars. Read more

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy: Series Acclimation Mil

Star Trek: Starfleet AcademyStreaming service Paramount Plus releases the fifth episode of the Star Trek spinoff Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, created by Gaia Violo and set in the post-Discovery 31st century time frame. Holly Hunter stars; Cirroc Lofton (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and Chiwitel Ejiofor (The Martian, The Life of Chuck) guest star. Read more