The HISTORY® Channel celebrates the 55th anniversary of the iconic and popular “Star Trek” franchise with the ten-part docuseries directed by Brian Volk-Weiss of The Nacelle Company “The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek”.
Narrated and produced by Gates McFadden (“Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are?”), the docuseries shares rare and fascinating details about how “Star Trek” began , where it’s been, and how boldly it goes where no TV series has gone before! The first four episodes will premiere on the HISTORY® channel each week beginning Friday, November 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with six additional episodes also available on “HISTORY Vault®”, the network’s subscription video service.
Each episode focuses on a different chapter in the sci-fi drama’s groundbreaking history, chronicling its inception at Lucille Ball’s legendary production company, Desilu, through to more recent movies, TV adaptations, and projects like The Animated Series and Stage II. The definitive in-depth journey pays homage to the creative pioneers of sci-fi excellence and shares the hard-hitting, sometimes risky decisions behind pivotal moments in television history and how they ultimately made it to the small screen.
In the fall of 1964, the pilot for what would become “Star Trek” was commissioned. Right from the start, “The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek” reveals lesser-known stories about the franchise, from the importance of addressing current issues, the creation of Spock’s character, the relentless fans who have kept the on-air series and reruns. who gave it new life. These behind-the-scenes stories from among thousands of hours of show footage will be coupled with interviews from the cast, crew and experts who worked on set.
The show includes candid interviews with Star Trek legends such as Nichelle Nichols, Brent Spiner, Kirstie Alley, Walter Koenig, Kate Mulgrew, Denise Crosby, Wil Wheaton, John De Lancie, Nicholas Meyer, Ronald D. Moore, Brannon Braga , Nana Visitor, Robert Picardo, Penny Johnson, Ethan Phillips, Diana Muldaur, Nicole de Boer, Roxann Dawson, Robert Beltran, Tim Russ, John Billingsley, John Dykstra, DC Fontana, Rick Berman and F. Murray Abraham.
“The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek” is produced for The HISTORY® Channel by the Nacelle Company. Brian Volk-Weiss (Behind the attraction, MOVIES That Made Us, The Toys That Made Us) is the director. Ian Roumain is showrunner and executive producer, with Gates McFadden, Cisco Henson, Ben Frost and Mark Altman serving as executive producers for the Nacelle Company.