My sci-fi background!

Hi everyone! This week we will be warping back into my own past and exploring my sci-fi background, my own little Memory Alpha if you will! This is to give you a sense of where my love of sci-fi comes from as it continues to grow, with my journey still continuing today.This is in the form of TV shows and movies I have seen. So without further ado lets get stuck in!

Star Wars.

My first taste of sci-fi as a kid when I was nine years old is owed to Star Wars. More specifically Episode 1: The Phatom Menace.

Movie advertisement for Star Wards Episode I: The Phantom Menace. 

I went to see it with my father and loved it, for all the colours and the sense of wonder it gave out with Anakin Skywalker as a boy going out into the world on an adventure. It appealed to my sense of enjoyment in life as a child of going out to the park and having fun with friends playing all sorts of different games and starting my own adventures.

Since then I have watched all the Star War movies, but the Phantom Menace was my first glimpse into the world of science fiction. Little did I realize at that time how much of an impact sci-fi would have on my life. It was the beginning of my journey so to speak! But one particular sci-fi movie made the biggest impact and was the first turning point in my life of growing up.

Independence Day.

I have viewed a few sci-fi movies in my time like Star Wars, but Independence Day is the movie that I remember and have watched the most over the years.

I first saw this back when I was a teenager of about thirteen or fourteen. This was a time where I was beginning to really find my place in the world and understand a movie beyond the picture with the colours and explosions. It's a movie that made me feel more safe and secure in an increasingly chaotic world.

With it's obvious, but wonderful messages about uniting together and seeing past our differences to face a threat (in this case aliens) and great fun roles models that helped save the world.

Left to right Will Smith, Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum 

They including Steven Hiller (Will Smith), David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) President Whitmore (Bill Pullman) and Russel Casse (Randy Quaid).

Randy Quaid.

They made me feel safe and at times of strife in my life was an important reminder that despite all our differences, we all need each other to get through challenges in life, facing them with friends and family at our side.

This was also the first time I came into contact with Star Trek (though I didn't know it at the time) through the excellent Brent Spiner who played Dr Okun!

Brent Spiner (Dr. Okun)

As you know he played Data back in The Next Generation TV series, which had finished two years before, He who would go on to become a favorite character and inspiring role model for me.

This of course leads me onto the biggest influence (and still continues to be) in my sci-fi journey, Star Trek!

Star Trek

The first sci-fi TV show I got into through Simon and my father Chas was of course Star Trek, specifically The Next Generation with the movies and then the TV show followed by Voyager to start off with!

This has had the largest influence in shaping who I am today and how I tried to look at the world with a more objective eye with doing things I had never considered before including blogging and podcasting! Star Trek in essence is the exploration of one-self and how we can evolve to become a better human being!

The franchise also became the benchmark that led me to delve into other Science Fiction shows, the next being a franchise as popular and even longer running than Star Trek, and of course that is Doctor Who!

Doctor Who.

My first glimpse into Doctor Who, which formed my interest in it are those wonderful nemesis of the Doctors! I am of course talking about the Daleks!

A Dalek!

I loved them from the way they looked to how they talked and said "Exterminate!" No, please don't exterminate me! I just like the way you guys say it and...anyway.

Soon after Simon encouraged me to delve myself into Doctor Who from the Christopher Eccleston/Billie Piper era, straight through to Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman!

Christopher Eccleston (The Doctor) and Billie Piper (Rose) Season 1  

   

Peter Calpadi (The Doctor) and Jenna Coleman (Clara) Season 8 

I have watched most of the Doctor Who episodes from these two Doctors and David Tenant. But I still have most of the Matt Smith episode to watch (Seasons 5-7). What I love about Doctor Who is the notion of the Doctor living for so many centuries and traveling around in the TARDIS (A really cool way to travel!) and helping others from different periods of time. whether far in the past or million of years into our future!

It gave so much scope and possibility with all the different people and species the Doctor and his Companion encountered from all walks of time, which made the universe so open ended!

Battlestar Galatica.

For me Battlestar Galatica (2004-2009) was the antithesis of Star Trek, whereas for the most part humans have achieved evolving and enlightenment and had found their place among the stars. BSG was humanity struggling to pick up the pieces after using machines (the Cylons) to enrich their lives. It backfired as they developed an intelligence and started a war against the humans for making them their slaves (like the Terminator franchise). Humanity was trying to find it place in the world by trying to find Earth, so they could begin again.

The Cast of Battlestar Galatica.  

I loved watching BSG on Netflix for all on offering a edgier, more conflict aspect to the world in which human may inhabit in future. But like Star Trek it showed that we as all humans do make mistakes and have to continue to learn from them. Through struggles and times of strife whether with others or ourselves we all want to leave a lasting legacy in the world and learn what it truly means to be human.

V

I have currently only watched the first season of what would only turn out to be two season series, which I think has been underrated. V had a lot of promise with an interesting premise of like Independence Day, aliens appearing on Earth, but making their “intentions” known of wanting to contact a new species and get to know and help them, whilst really infiltrating and planning to destroy human kind.

Interstellar.

Movie advertisement poster

This was a sci-fi movie that I saw last year and like Star Trek gave a wonderful message of hope with humans having the potential to achieve with the characteristics they have. 

Guardians of the Galaxy

The cast of Guardians of the Galaxy

This wonderfully fun, bizarre movie features a group of criminals who become unlikely heroes. I went to see this last year and had a whale of a time. With being not just it being a great summer blockbuster movie, it also has that great simple message, that some of us have it in us to change for the better for the wrongs we commit. It is possible for those who lose their way to come back again and make a difference for their past mistakes.

So that it's Treksters with my sci-fi background. I hope you enjoyed reading and gained some insight into what the world sci-fi has done for me, until next time...

This is Jamie from the Engage Podcast warping off into the unknown! Punch it!    

       

Simon: My science fiction background!



Hi guys
In the hopes of giving you a better understanding of who you're listening to, I thought I would help giving you an idea where my love for science fiction grew from!
It means that I will have to travel back in time, which has the risk of crossing into my own timeline (let's just hope I don't contaminate it!).
I know I've already used this trick before in the Convention Guide Post...but I thought it works quite well last time!

As you can imagine, I'm going to make a few changes to the formula...so instead of traveling in the Tardis (sorry Doctor Who fans) I'm going to be using the Enterprise-E (my favourite star ship) traversing through time via the Slingshot effect!!!



As some of you may be aware I had a quite turbulent childhood. Because during that period in my life I was being bullied at Primary school and my parents were getting divorced.

Which drew me towards science fiction and the positive morals, messages and meanings (thank you Mission Log Podcast) it has!

I think the first place I would take the ship back to is around 1993-1995 where...

my first encounter with science fiction starts! Although it's with a set shows originally produced in the 1960's...I am of course talking about Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Stingray!



These three shows were repeated in the early nineties paving the way for my love of the genre!

Trivia: My favourite Thunderbirds craft is Thunderbird 2!

With they're bright colours and they're wonderfully simple filming techniques interested me straight away! I think the fantastic craft they use (in particular Thunderbird 2) formed the foundation for my love of starships and their design!

Moving forward a few years to 1997, where I got to see...Star Wars! As in his ultimate wisdom (which is debatable!) George Lucas decided to remaster and re-release Episodes IV through VI in a Special Edition box set (which we owned). My love for starships and their design grew once again...when my Mum bought me multiple Galoob Action Fleet starships, which I imagined 'flying' them home in my hand! Along with those I also managed to get The Death Star Playset. To my knowledge they are all still in our loft!!!

 Trivia: My favourite Star Wars character is R2-D2!

Moving towards the noughties to around 1998. This is when the science fiction genre started to make an impact on an young impressionable Simon Cordell, as this is when I saw my first Star Trek: The Next Generation. I watched it every Wednesday night on BBC2 at 6pm, this lead me to buying Star Trek video's (which are still in our loft).
Around this time I also caught glimpses of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine on Thursday nights and Voyager on the Sunday nights.

Three years go by and we are introduced to  a new form of Star Trek, in the form of Enterprise! Not on the friendly Aunty Beeb (BBC) this time...but to Channel 4 where it ran modestly until the season four finale in 2006.

Trivia: Don't bring up "These are the voyages..." with Jamie, as it doesn't exist to him!

Trivia: Phil's favourite character is Marvin the robot!

Then another few years pass...until 2005 when The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was released in the cinema's. To me and Phil, this was something we had to see!
As both of our Dad's had heard the radio plays when they were younger, and encouraged us to see it. So I think we went and saw it in the cinema  (I can't remember...Phil?) and loved it!

We loved it so much, that we bought The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Trilogy of Four: A Trilogy in Four Parts, and then travelled up to London in order to visit the Science Museum's exhibition on the film.

2005 was also the year that  I was formally introduced to another British science fiction classic Doctor Who.


Trivia: The Tenth Doctor is my favourite!

It's not until 2006 when my love for Star Trek is rekindled, after painstakingly introducing Jamie to the Star Trek franchise! This took quite a while as Jamie had his own preconceptions about science fiction. Once that happened Though his subsequent discovery and enjoyment of the series meant that I could relive the thrill of exploring the franchise for the first time!
As I was initiating a new Trekkie I thought it was about time I reviewed some of my old preconceptions about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Voyager. So we (me and Mum) started to buy the DVD box set's to both, which I watched from start to finish. This is where my 1998 conceptions evaporated.

Three years later (2009) a new form of Star Trek is revealed with Star Trek '09 (or if you prefer Star Trek XI). The first of the Abramsverse films, when I saw the film (3 times in total) I was always struck by the drastic changes made in the film. To point that I was just speechless, due to all the thoughts running around my head surrounding all the implications from the film!

The other amazing thing to come from this film is the fact that I managed to finally introduce Phil to the Star Trek franchise through by this film and playing Star Trek Online! Once again I felt the thrill of discovery coming from Phil!

A year (2010) goes by and another science fiction series arrives, this time it's the remake of V! A very overlooked series, which is well worth a watch...although I have got to admit that I've only seen the first season. Apart from that, I'm really glad I can add another 'string to my science fiction bow'!

2011 is when I finally got to see a series I was longing to get many hands on...I am of course talking about the remake of Battlestar Galactica.
Which (unlike the V remake) is a series that is not overlooked. if you haven't seen this series then definitely check it out, as you won't regret it at all!!!

Another twelve month's passes by, landing us in 2012. This the year that I finally saw the Remastered Star Trek: The Original Series Season three and Star Trek: The Animated Series.
Just like everyone else I assumed that season three was a lost cause...but watching it, and then hearing what morals, messages and meanings John Champion and Ken Ray got out of them. I don't think it deserves the reputation it has been given over the years!
The same is said about The Animated Series, as everyone think's it isn't part of cannon...but why not? It's got as much right to be a part of cannon as any other show! Well worth a watch, even if you only see it once!
This was also the year that the three of us attended Destination Star Trek London, which was absolutely amazing! It is hopes that at some point in time you'll be able to hear our 'practise' episode covering the event!!!

Going back to last year (2013) the big event that occurred in the Abramsverse was Star Trek Into Darkness, which...again I saw 3 times in total! This was the first Star Trek film I'd seen in the cinema with Phil and Jamie making it quite a big event for us. We were able to see it the second day of release, making us very excitable!
Just like Destination Star Trek London 2012, we recorded an episode giving our thoughts on the film. Which we hope you'll be able to hear sometime in the near future!

What can I say about 2014...well it's been quite a year!
In February I went alone to Destination Star Trek Germany in Frankfurt, which was absolutely awesome and amazing! If you were unfortunate not to go, then you missed out big time!!!

Met up with the lovely Trekkie Girls (hi girls!) while I was there, and ended up 'briefly' on stage at the Trek Radio's Transmitting Trek: Taking Entertainment to the Final Frontier talk on the Sunday. Once I got home we recorded an episode giving my opinions on the convention. Which we hope you'll be able sometime soon!

Last month we also attended Destination Star Trek 3, where we hosted our Borg Fan Panel (see The Engage Podcast at DST3 part 1) with the aid of our first 'Honouree' member of the podcast Neil Green (hi Neil!).

On the same day we also launched podcast, by covering all three days of the event...again will an episode giving our thoughts and feelings on the convention (see The Engage Podcast at DST3 part 2).

I hope you found this blog post interesting!
This is Simon from The Engage Podcast signing out!