‘New Voyages’ Treks New Frontier

Leave it to the fans of the original Star Trek to not only spend the kind of time and money it takes to recreate the original show, but to bring back some of the groundbreaking storylines and characters that made the original so compelling to a generation of outsiders.

The latest episode of Star Trek: New Voyages, a fan funded and produced continuation of the original series, will be based on a script written by Next Generation veteran David Gerrold called “Blood and Fire” and will feature the homosexual nephew of Captain Kirk, Peter Kirk, in a plotline about a blood-borne pathogen that’s intended as an allegory for HIV.

The last episode, “World Enough and Time,” starred none other than George Takei. Takei made news two years ago when he came out, and has since become an activist and spokesperson for gay causes and issues. Recently, he appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show in a hilarious send up of NBA star Tim Hardaway’s homophobic rant.

According to the After Elton article, Gerrold says that he got permission years ago from creator Gene Roddenberry, who felt that it was due time to feature gay characters in the universe. The episode is planned to commence production in June, and will include contributions from other show veterans such as visual effects guru Daren Dochterman and director Charles Washburn.

The ultimate goal is to produce a full, 22 episode ’season’ of the show — though at the current production rate, they won’t be done until 2020 at the earliest.