NARRATOR: Despite
stellar box office,
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
fell short of
Paramount's expectations.
But the Wrath of Khan
and the Search for Spock
were hits,
proving that the franchise
could charm audiences
and critics.
But as big screen Star Trek
got bigger...
Boom.
... so did the egos.
He wanted to be in my shot
NARRATOR: The special effects.
That's one of the most
embarrassing work.
NARRATOR:
And the mounting pressure
on a risky fourth movie.
This might be it, you know.
This might be
the franchise k*ller.
NARRATOR:
So beam aboard,
and hold on tight
as we boldly go
into the depths of Star Trek.
And you can see it all
from here, in The Center Seat.
NARRATOR: After finding success
with the Search For Spock,
Paramount wanted
their biggest star
to direct the next movie.
Directing a motion picture...
is possibly the most
fulfilling thing I can do.
NARRATOR: No,
not William Shatner.
Not yet.
Their other biggest star.
Actor and Director
of Star Trek Ill,
Leonard Nimoy.
Jeff Katzenberg
tells Leonard Nimoy,
"We want you
to make Star Trek I V."
NARRATOR: Because Leonard
already had a big idea.
Leonard Nimoy had been
reading a book by Edward Wilson
called Biophilia.
NARRATOR: Whose powerful
environmental message
resonated with Nimoy.
TENUTO: There are
certain species on Earth
where, if they get pulled
out of the ecosystem,
it would be detrimental
to the entire ecosystem.
NARRATOR: Otherwise known
as Keystone Species.
The idea got Nimoy thinking
about how Star Trek
could save the world.
Maybe there is some problem
In the 23rd century,
that can only be solved
by going back
to the 20th century.
finding the species
that humans caused
to become extinct,
and bringing them back
so that they can help
solve the problem.
NARRATOR: So the crew
of the Enterprise
would help save
one of Earth's
most majestic creatures
in the ultimate
feel-good adventure.
It was just a matter of finding
the right animal,
one that everyone loves.
And the original idea
that gets bantered around,
and it's Harve Bennett's idea,
is to use snail darts
as the species.
NARRATOR: Sorry, was that
snails or darts?
Snail darts are very small.
NARRATOR: A s in very small
endangered fish,
which producer
Harve Bennett thought
would become big stars.
As a producer,
he says he liked the idea
because snail darts
wouldn't be very expensive.
NARRATOR:
But as far as director
Leonard Nimoy was concerned,
these snail darters
were small fry.
He had something else in mind
for the big screen.
Specifically, humpback whales.
NARRATOR:
Producer Harve Bennett
and Nimoy quickly devised
a story with all the classic
Star Trek ingredients.
And now, humpback whales.
BONES: You are proposing
that we go backwards in time,
and find Humpback Whales,
then bring them
forward in time,
drop them off,
and hope the hell
they tell this probe
what to go do with itself?
- That's general idea.
- Well, that's crazy.
I thought the story
was a little out there.
You know, It's like
"save the whales," okay.
NARRATOR: But things
were about to get
much further out there.
TENUTO: Jeffrey Katzenberg
calls up Leonard Nimoy
and tells him "I either have
what is the greatest idea
of all time
"or the worst idea of all time."
NARRATOR: Which was enough
to make Leonard's ears perk up.
TENUTO: That idea
is Eddie Murphy
has been mentioning
how much of
a Star Trek fan he is.
- I'm a Trekkie.
- Get out of here, I'm a Trekkie.
NARRATOR: So a script
for Star Trek IV
was commissioned
starring none other than
the biggest star
on the Paramount lot.
Eddie Murphy was going to play
an English professor,
who was a little bit different.
NARRATOR: A nutty professor,
you might say, who had a thing
for UFOs and whale songs.
Well, the crew of the Enterprise
searching for whales.
- NARRATOR: But...
- It just didn't work.
TENUTO: It was too convoluted.
How do you
balance out the comedy
with the science fiction?
NARRATOR: The one part
of the script that worked
was the whales.
With that piece of the puzzle
figured out, Harve Bennett
decided to bring in
a writer who he could
trust wholeheartedly.
TENUTO:
I got an emergency call
saying "Help! Help!"
"We had the script,
we threw it out.
We want to start over."
I said, "What's the story?"
And I remember
Leonard's first words.
He said, "something nice."
NARRATOR: That "something nice"
came with a catch.
And I was not allowed
to read their script.
'Cause I asked. I said,
"Should I read it?"
And they said,
"No, please don't."
NARRATOR: Harve had an idea
to speed things up.
What's your plan?
Harve said. "I'll write
the outer space parts
"and you write the Earth parts."
NARRATOR: It was
a kind of cosmic job share.
My first line in Star Trek I V
is "When are we?"
NARRATOR: A s in,
"What's the date?"
I believe we have arrived
at the latter half
of the 20th century.
That's where I came in.
And I went out when they
start talking about
D.H. Lawrence.
They say the sea is cold,
but the sea contains
the hottest blood of all.
NARRATOR: D.H. Lawrence was in,
Eddie Murphy was out.
And so was a storyline
that would have lit up
the tabloids on Vulcan.
We would have learned
that Saavik was pregnant
with Spock's child.
[BABY CRYING]
NARRATOR: Which was
the off spring of this encounter
with teenage Spock
in Star Trek Ill.
Arguably modern cinema's
most romantic high-five.
I have a telegram
that Harve Bennett sent me.
He says "I, too, am delighted
you are with us.
"Have a wonderful sh**t,
"and bring a Vulcan
obstetrician along
just in case.
"Love, Harve."
NARRATOR: But ultimately,
there was only room
for one Vulcan
on this trip back in time.
They ended the chapter,
so to speak.
This is goodbye.
But I was mystified
why she was so unceremoniously
booted out of IV.
Like, I didn't understand that.
NARRATOR: Ron Moore wasn't
the only one.
Many fans were left wondering,
"Had Star Trek's most famous
female Vulcan
"hit the glass ceiling"?
Or something more complicated?
Had they revealed that Saavik
was pregnant,
then you would have
had Saavik in the later films.
Because what are you gonna do?
Are you gonna have Spock
have a child and then
not deal with it?
NARRATOR: And producers felt
that wouldn't make
a good role model
for young Vulcans out there.
So Robin's role was
cut down significantly.
Live long and prosper,
Lieutenant.
Creatively,
would I have loved to play
a pregnant Vulcan?
Yes, very much so.
It didn't matter. It had been
so, so good to me
up until that point
that I think one can
only, you know, be so greedy.
NARRATOR: Instead,
the original crew
of the Enterprise
returned home on
an aquatic mission.
KIRK: Everybody remember
where we parked.
It was always intended
to be a fish out of water story.
Fish out of water is always
an interesting concept.
I'm from Iowa.
I only work in outer space.
NARRATOR: It seemed everyone
liked the script.
I thought it was great.
Chekhov had another good part.
We are in an enemy vessel, sir.
I did not wish to be shot down
on the way to our own funeral.
Good thinking.
It hit on all the right levels.
It was such a relatable story
with such beloved characters.
A storyline that really
resonated with what was
going on at the time.
NARRATOR: And even though
Star Trek creator
Gene Roddenberry
was mostly on the sidelines
these days,
it sounded like Star Trek IV
would be timely,
compelling science fiction,
exactly what Gene
always wanted
in the first place.
It just felt like it was kismet.
NARRATOR: sh**ting on
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
began on February 24, 1986.
Okay, now the question is,
tracking here with Bill...
So let me see you do
the walk and talk, please.
Hold it real quiet, Doug.
NARRATOR: But it didn't
take long for newcomer
and female lead Catherine Hicks
to realize she'd have to fight
not only for her whales,
but also for her space
in this newly crowded film.
Your friend was
messing up my tanks
and messing up my whales.
They like you very much.
But they are
not the hell your whales.
Bill Shatner, I love him,
I swear to God.
But he... You know, it's like
he is an annoying brother.
NARRATOR:
Like annoying brothers,
he had a habit
of getting in the way.
He wanted to be in my shot.
I want it all.
NARRATOR: And Catherine
wasn't giving it to him.
"Get him
out of my shot, Leonard!"
NARRATOR: Now a veteran
director, Leonard knew how to
handle his bickering stars.
I know Bill.
"He shows up to
not work, but when.
"Trust me, I know every angle,
and I'll protect you."
NARRATOR: But to be fair,
it wasn't just Bill
causing disruptions on the set.
One time, I remember
I had a moment with her.
We're in the bridge,
and all kinds of things
are happening
and the machines are going,
and the wind is blowing
and all the actors around
are working.
Sulu, that's all I can give you!
NIMOY: And right in the middle
of this big setup...
"Leonard, can we stop?"
She stops.
And he was like...
NARRATOR: And Catherine was
suddenly face to face
with a very stern Vulcan.
Yeah.
Something just
wasn't working for her.
And I'm yelling at her,
"Keep acting! Keep acting!"
Now we'll get this right.
NARRATOR: After the take,
the ever logical Nimoy
went over to have a talk
with his actors.
He said,
"Catherine, you can't do that.
"There's like a hundred
million things happening.
"Just play the scene out."
NARRATOR: Because
one of the unwritten rules
of working on
a Star Trek film is...
You don't stop an effects scene.
NARRATOR: And as stressful
as they were,
one big effects shot actually
put a smile on Leonard's face.
The diehards say
"Oh my God, Leonard smiled.
Spock never smiles."
NARRATOR: But accidental
smiles can happen
when you're all...
Having a bit of fun.
NARRATOR: Well, worrying
about die hards
and what they think
seems to be par for the course
on a Star Trek film.
Just ask associate producer
Brooke Breton,
who is getting
her first big break
on a feature film.
They brought me in
to create a lot of
the material
that would play
in Starfleet Command
when everything
was being disrupted
by the probe.
NARRATOR: Ah, the probe.
It appears to be
a probe, captain.
Everybody had warned me,
"Well, if you don't
get this right, you know,
you're in deep trouble."
Because they're
paying attention.
Those fans really pay
attention to everything.
And there are
a few nights where
I didn't sleep all that well,
thinking about, "Oh my gosh,
I hope the fans, I hope
they're good with this."
NARRATOR: But when it came
to the probe itself,
they could rest easy.
Because the movie's effects
were in the safe hands
of Industrial Light and Magic.
And as usual,
they were thinking big.
Or maybe not big enough.
I think it's one of those things
where you,
you come up with the idea
and you go,
Ooh, it's this big,
gigantic cylindrical thing.
It'll be like the Monolith,
in 2001.
But then there's nothing
to tell you how big it is,
and no matter
how you photograph it,
it doesn't seem to
improve it in any way.
NARRATOR: ILM's initial efforts
looked good on paper,
but only on paper.
Nimoy called in the cavalry,
asking ILM's top
visual effects guru
to drop everything and rush
to Star Trek's rescue.
I gotta call,
both from Leonard,
and Harve Bennett,
begging me
to take the show over.
It was a 911 call.
NARRATOR:
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
was in trouble.
I am receiving whale song.
NARRATOR:
The producers of Star Trek IV
had a whale-sized problem.
Well, it's not just the whales.
UHURA: We're tracking a probe
of unknown origin.
NARRATOR:
Their alien probe looked like
something else altogether.
All I saw was
a big water heater.
NARRATOR: This is just
one of the problems
Ken Ralston was brought in
to fix.
A big, dumb shape.
NARRATOR:
But he had to do it...
As cheaply as possible.
Conceptually,
they wanted the probe
to look like a whale.
Specifically, humpback whale.
BRETON: It looked
rather ridiculous.
It looked like a water heater.
NARRATOR: With no time
or money to burn,
Ken thought...
"I can't design another ship.
What am I going to do
to hide this thing?"
And you're just going to have
to take your best shot.
NARRATOR: The solution
had two parts.
- One...
- RALSTON:
I painted it glossy black.
BRETON: Making it look
almost greasy, watery,
giving it a lot more texture.
NARRATOR: Ah, much better.
- And two...
- RALSTON: Lit it in ways
where it kinda came and went.
NARRATOR:
Reminiscent of the Monolith
in Kubrick's 2001.
I hoped. No offense
to whoever designed it.
NARRATOR: But there would be
no hiding the whales.
There be whales here!
When you saw whales
look like they were
swimming in water,
they actually had
a whale puppet.
I remember there was a guy
named Walt Conti
who had designed these whales,
an animatronic puppet
that was remote-controlled.
[CROWD GASPING]
GILLIAN: Beautiful, aren't they?
National Geographic
actually called
to find out how we had
photographed
real whales like that.
Perfect whales
right in our hands.
NARRATOR:
But there was one scene
that couldn't be done
even with
the best animatronics.
It was a sequence
that involved going
inside of Kirk's thoughts,
and there were these
blobby liquidy shapes.
It turns into this
surreal something or other.
It was trying to do something
artistic and interesting.
NARRATOR:
But what resulted
was more...
Artsy fartsy.
Ugh! I hated that sequence.
NARRATOR: The special effects
may have been special
in unexpected ways,
but under Nimoy's
diligent direction,
the film wrapped on schedule
and under budget,
a rarity for Star Trek films.
So perhaps it was
not a complete surprise
that when the film debuted
on Thanksgiving weekend
in 1986,
it was an instant hit.
This unlikely
comedic opera of whale song
and environmental messages
brought a whole new audience
to Star Trek,
breaking in
133 million dollars worldwide.
NEMECEK: For the first time,
Star Trek is on the cover
of Newsweek magazine.
This is like, awesome.
This is incredible.
All the geeks in the closet
all through the '70s,
you could only dream
of this moment.
Right? But that was
a real watershed moment,
showing where Star Trek was,
forget pop culture,
in the culture, period.
Everybody not going to Earth
had better get off.
Star Trek I V
is really a crossover movie.
A lot of fans who are starting
to show their new girlfriend
or boyfriend, Star Trek,
you start with Star Trek IV.
Our own world
was waiting for us to save it.
WINTER:
It was fun. The material
attracted people that were
outside of the Trek family
and Trek fans.
it's the least Star-Treky,
of all the Star Trek movies.
You're very perceptive.
It's ecological.
It's relevant.
If you do a Star Trek film,
that's the one to do
if you're not into sci-fi.
It is a compliment.
- It is.
- Oh.
And that's just good writing.
That's good writing
and good storytelling
on Harve Bennett's
and Nick Meyer's part.
But everybody was happy with it
made the studio money,
and they decided
to make another film.
[WHALE SONG]
NARRATOR: Thanks in part
to the whales,
Nimoy went on to have
a whale of a time
directing hit comedies.
But he was far from done
with Star Trek.
MOORE: Star Trek Il, Ill and IV
work so well, creatively
and commercially.
it's almost like
a foregone conclusion
that this is now a franchise.
NARRATOR: And that meant
the next movie was guaranteed.
It was written in the stars.
So, to direct, naturally,
they turned again
to one of Star Trek's
biggest stars.
Excuse me.
This time, the other
biggest star.
James T. Kirk.
NARRATOR: Because
William Shatner
had negotiated his way
to the real captain's chair.
Now Shatner had
the famous Favored Nations
contract With Nimoy.
NARRATOR: Which was
designed to guarantee
Nimoy and Shatner
each had their turn helming
a Star Trek movie.
MOORE: That deal was made
to let Leonard direct I V
and Bill could direct V.
So that Bill felt comfortable
with Leonard doing IV.
Very clever, Captain.
Shatner's claiming
the right to direct,
and everybody's like
"Sure, fine, go for it."
NARRATOR: And while it was
a contractual thing,
Shatner had earned
his directing wings,
small ones.
Shatner had directed
TV episodes. He wasn't like
a complete novice at that.
NARRATOR: If nothing else,
Shatner had proved adept
at directing himself
in the popular police drama
T.J. Hooker.
So, with his Favored Nations
clause in his back pocket,
Shatner was
given the green light.
With the team around him,
the camera team,
the support team,
the design team, the studio.
NARRATOR: Like Brooke Breton.
She was back.
And, of course, Harve Bennett
who'd been integral
to the success
of every Star Trek movie
since The Wrath of Khan.
Oh, and there was also
Star Trek alumnus Ralph Winter.
I was the post-supervisor
on Star Trek Il.
NARRATOR:
And he'd risen the ranks
to become producer.
So Shatner was in safe hands.
Everybody felt like
he was capable
of pulling it off.
Go for it, Bill.
NARRATOR:
Oh, and as for Leonard Nimoy...
I seem to remember
that Leonard was a little
reticent to even be in V.
NARRATOR: Since Paramount
owed him Star Trek
merchandising revenue.
So I remember that Harve and I
went to bat for that.
Harve prevailed.
NARRATOR: So the next time
the three met for lunch,
Harve made sure to bring
an extra brown paper bag.
We brought three bags
for lunch.
NARRATOR:
Bags one through three
were just ordinary lunch,
but Leonard spotted
a fourth bag.
"Who's that bag for?"
"Oh, it's for you.
Open the bag."
Million dollar check.
NARRATOR: After that,
Nimoy couldn't say no.
He starts laughing.
"Yeah, I'll be in the movie."
Let's go to work.
NARRATOR:
At the risk of biting off
more than he could chew,
Shatner took
the biggest bite he could.
He wanted to make
the biggest damn
Star Trek movie ever.
We'll need all the power
you can muster, Mister.
NARRATOR:
And thinking big meant
choosing an ambitious story
about the biggest
possible topic.
Something very big.
[ALL LAUGHING]
WINTER: I think we were
sort of smoking
our own press releases
when we went to do V.
Because we picked
the hardest topic
you can possibly pick.
NARRATOR:
Shatner wanted to return
to a favorite Star Trek theme.
I'm God.
Probably not a bigger topic
that you can tackle
than meeting God.
God?
Where is God? Who is God?
KIRK: God is a busy man.
Shatner's original story doc
was called "An Act of Love."
NARRATOR: But maybe
Shatner's script was not
inspired by God,
but rather by false prophets.
Not everyone can hear
the voice of God.
A commentary on crooked
televangelists.
In the name of Jesus...
NARRATOR: 1980s America had
no shortage of those.
This audience would warm you up
on a cold, chilly October day.
The people who were
hyping a flock.
Help me with
a thousand dollar gift,
Sucking people in
for their contribution money.
The movie was going
to be a commentary
on basically charlatans.
Why is God angry?
NARRATOR: It would tell
the story of a man on
a mission from God.
SYBOK: The greatest
adventure of all time.
After The Voyage Home,
it was time for a voyage
to the Promised Land.
The discovery of Sha Ka Ree.
NARRATOR: Which,
surprisingly, turned out
to have Scottish origins.
Because if you say it
in a certain way,
Sha Ka Ree.
- Sha Ka Ree sounds like...
- Sean Connery.
The quest for the Grail.
Who producers would have
loved to have played Sybok.
Again, it's Shatner
dreaming big.
And he was busy
and it was never going to work.
NARRATOR: So the closest
they got was...
Sha Ka Ree.
WINTER:
Sha Ka Ree was definitely
a reference to Sean Connery.
We really wanted Sean
in the movie.
NARRATOR: Instead, the role
went to an actor
who could be almost mistaken
for the man he stood in for.
Have faith, my friend.
Sha Ka Ree.
NARRATOR: Unable to
secure Sean Connery
for Star Trek V,
producers discovered
their charismatic cult leader
in Laurence Luckinbill.
It's me. It's Sybok.
Laurence Luckinbill
more than fills
the Vulcan bits
of what Sybok needs to be.
That's exactly
what I'm counting on.
Larry resonated with
Harve and myself.
We shall seek the answers.
Together.
And so we were fortunate
and pinching ourselves
that we got him.
NARRATOR: Actor David Warner
was cast as...
St. John Talbot,
the Federation representative
here on Nimbus Ill.
WINTER: David's a fine actor
and we were happy to have him.
He drank too much,
but he was a fine actor.
[SPEAKING KLINGON]
NARRATOR: Todd Bryant
and Spice Williams-Crosby
sported the foreheads.
[SPEAKING KLINGON]
Spice, you know, she was
a great bodybuilder,
weightlifter,
a lot of fun.
She has wonderful muscles.
NARRATOR: And for the
Romulan consul, producers
left no stone unturned.
I was Caithlin Dar
in Star Trek V.
I'm Caithlin Dar.
Casting director said
I was one of 2,000 people
that they auditioned
for this role.
Well, then it appears
I've arrived just in time.
It was a roller coaster.
I mean, there were
eight callbacks in the end.
NARRATOR: Cynthia was
a new kind of Romulan.
I know my character
didn't exactly look
like a Romulan,
NARRATOR: And it was all to do
with continuing the diversity
of the Star Trek saga.
CYNTHIA: The character
of Caithlin Dar was bi-racial.
I mean, her name, Caithlin Dar.
Very Irish-Terran,
and Dar, very Romulan.
NARRATOR: Romulan,
but only to a point.
I never got pointy years.
NARRATOR:
But why would producers hide
such an important detail?
Because it was too expensive
to do my ears every day.
NARRATOR:
Going au natural on the ears
was one money saver,
but producers applied
the same penny pinching logic
to visual effects,
where they made a brave call.
We're going to find
a cheaper vendor, basically.
We made a choice.
We didn't want to spend
the money the way we'd been
spending before.
NARRATOR: But producers
wouldn't be able to replace
ILM, the titan
of Hollywood effects,
as easily as they covered up
those Romulan ears.
They wanted
a number of companies
to do a test
and show us what, you know,
this imagination of God,
would be,
which is a tall order,
no matter what.
- NARRATOR: After all...
- How do you portray God?
We sought
only your infinite wisdom.
NARRATOR: The man that claimed
to have an answer
as splendid as his beard.
was special effects artist
Bran Ferren,
whose more traditional
live effects
had caught the eyes
of the producers.
He really fancied himself
an in-camera-effects person.
You doubt me?
I seek proof.
The character of God,
Bran showed us some stuff
that was really clever,
like taking silver-screen
material that you
project in a theater.
ripping it up,
putting it on a cylinder
and spinning it,
and then project God
down there with big lights,
and we've never
seen that before.
And we're watching it
in camera.
Bill,
and a number of others.
became very enamored with that
because it was going to be
an in-camera effect.
NARRATOR: Ferren was
no one-man ILM,
but his in-camera
effects were immediate
and tangible.
And that was
extremely appealing
to people who had
a very short schedule
and not much of a budget.
NARRATOR: And even though
the last time they didn't ILM,
things wound up
pretty expensive.
They decided to go
with Bran Ferren.
NARRATOR:
With this special effects
team onboard,
production was ready to roll.
Filming began
at Yosemite in 1988,
and on day one of sh**ting,
on his first feature film
as a director,
Shatner hit a wall,
but more specifically...
Uh, fiber-glass wall,
which I will climb.
They had to build
a side of a cliff
in a parking lot at Yosemite.
Theoretically, it's supposed
to look like El Cap.
NARRATOR:
Which it certainly did.
But this was only
the first part of the illusion.
[GRUNTS]
[SCREAMS]
Shatner falls at Yosemite,
and Spock goes after him.
[SCREAMING STOPS]
WINTER: That scene,
we just turned the camera
and build a set sideways,
so that the ground has rocks
and leaves glued to it.
and that's the ground.
Here's Shatner coming,
you know, this way,
to hit the ground.
Spock comes down this way
to catch him.
These are not fancy tricks.
And they don't look great
when you go back
and look at them now.
Hi, Bones! Mind if we
dropped in for dinner?
NARRATOR: Designing sets
on Terra Firma was
one thing, but in space...
There was
just so many concerns
about the ship shots.
Early tests showed
the in-camera effects
for the starship shots
had come a long way
since Star Trek IV.
A long way
in the wrong direction.
What was
particularly challenging
for Bran is
I think he thought it was
going to be simpler to do
and to replicate
the kind of work
that was being done at ILM.
That was a serious mistake.
NARRATOR: The magisterial
elegance of the Enterprise
in the previous films
had devolved into
something less nuanced.
The years of experience
of sh**ting the Enterprise
and the pearlescence paint
and all the fine details
is an accumulation
of years of experience,
and especially
on a tight schedule,
with Bran Ferren.
He had a lot of
technological know-how,
but it didn't necessarily apply
to how to get the show done.
NARRATOR: Bran Ferren wasn't
the only one struggling
to realize his vision.
That problem went
all the way up
to the director.
Me? What did I do?
Star Trek V's director
was pouring his heart
and soul into the project,
BRETON: Bill was
very passionate.
He brought a lot to trying
to make the story
something that he had
in his heart
and in his mind.
As a director. he was
generous, compassionate,
kind, supportive
of all the actors,
NARRATOR:
But Shatner's acting instincts
were not helping him
direct his first feature.
All the other staging things
in terms of transitions
and the way
you're telling a story,
and the way it plays out...
Yeah, he wasn't
disciplined about that.
NARRATOR: Now his film was
coming apart at the seams.
RALPH:
Two thirds of the way through.
And in Southern Ridgecrest
when we're filming
all the stuff with God,
that it starts to just be...
It's a mess.
NARRATOR: It seems Shatner's
style of directing,
involved almost as much
ad-libbing as his acting.
WINTER: You know,
having people running a camera,
then while they're
running with camera,
well, some of you fall down.
NARRATOR: But no one
did fall down, because...
WINTER: Normally you would
prepare that ahead of time.
What do you expect to happen?
NARRATOR:
And while they were
having trouble falling down,
Nichelle Nichols
was having trouble
staying on her feet.
Do you know what happens
when you're on a dune?
The sand does
what it wants to do,
and it's not always
what you want it to do.
NARRATOR: It seemed like
every day there were some
unexpected challenges.
Production at times
seemed a bit shaky.
And we're trying to help
with a cameraman,
trying to help out
with the First AD,
trying to help out
in all the other areas.
But you know,
there's only so much you can do.
It didn't gel.
NARRATOR: Producers
had seen enough,
and convened
for an emergency summit.
What are we gonna do about this?
How are we gonna control this?
NARRATOR: A s panic set in,
Paramount contemplated
the unthinkable,
demoting the captain.
But was anyone willing
to take the wheel?
Harve Bennett had asked me
if I would take over
directing it.
And I said, "What is it about?"
And they said, "It's about
the search for God."
NARRATOR: Presented with
the chance to get back into
the director's chair
of one of cinema's
biggest franchises,
Nicholas said...
"I don't think so." You know,
I just, I didn't like the odds.
NARRATOR:
Neither did Paramount,
but two thirds of the movie
was already in the can.
The die is cast.
NARRATOR:
And with little time
to course correct,
one thing was becoming
very apparent.
Holy... We're really
gonna hit the wall.
With what little time
they did have,
drastic changes were ordered
to at least rein in the budget.
Everything ended up
being simplified.
NARRATOR:
For example...
Creating what should
have been a much bigger town,
I must have taken
every bit of stock scenery
that was in the backlot
out to the desert
to build that little city.
And given that it was
expensive to build,
when it came time
to tear it all down...
The town mysteriously burned.
I don't know what happened,
but I know that it's cheaper
than striking it.
NARRATOR: I guess it must've
been an act of God.
Because, ultimately,
even God himself was forced
to bow to budget cuts.
The scaled back special effects
went a bit Old Testament.
Here is the proof you seek.
Bran Ferren's special effects
were so short of the mark,
they were mistaken for tests.
It was childish,
and we all really did believe
that that was just
a preliminary,
and that the good stuff
was coming later.
But it didn't really evolve
all that much past that.
NARRATOR: And it wasn't just
sets and special effects
that were feeling budget cuts.
So were the costumes.
The Rock Man was
a rock monster
that comes together
out of living boulders
on this planet of weird stuff.
Bill really wanted that.
NARRATOR: But in 1988,
the technology
just wasn't there
to make it happen.
It looks amateurish,
because it is.
The rock creature
was a disaster.
Boop.
NARRATOR:
But on the bright side...
If that had worked, then
we wouldn't have had the great
homage in Galaxy Quest.
NARRATOR: That's right.
This grumpy customer
is a loving nod
to William Shatner's ambition.
The rock monster he never had,
and we never saw.
But despite all of
the setbacks, Bill Shatner,
still very much believed
in the picture.
I remember he came to us
three weeks
after the picture ended,
and said, "I'm done.
I've edited the picture.
We're all done."
And he leaves the room
and Harve and I looked
at each other
and go, "Holy...
We're in trouble."
Because you can't possibly
edit the movie that quick.
NARRATOR: Sure enough,
after viewing a rough cut
rougher than most,
- producers were left asking...
- What's going on?
It was a mess.
It didn't make any sense.
It was like this giant puzzle
laid out in front of you.
I was like, "All right,
how do we fix this?"
NARRATOR: A radical makeover
was in the cards.
We were grasping at straws,
trying to figure out
how can we beef this up?
I'd put lipstick on the pig
so that, you know,
it's more attractive.
NARRATOR: Desperate
to beautify their pig,
Jerry Goldsmith was brought in
to apply some musical lipstick.
So, you know, we were
hoping that the music's
gonna elevate it.
NARRATOR: The music was good,
but not that good.
BRETON:
If a project is stumbling
and disappointing,
it's not going to be saved
by a terrific score.
NARRATOR:
It needed major surgery.
And so we had to recut it.
And the emergency surgeon
was Harve Bennett.
Harve was really known
in his writing
as a structuralist.
He knew how to
structure a story.
And so, Harve just went at it
in the cutting room for a while.
NARRATOR: And quickly
came to the realization
he would need
more than just edits.
NEMECEK:
The whole Klingon scene
at the end on their bridge
was added to kind of clean up
the ending of Kirk's rescue
and being reunited with Spock.
Our new gunner.
NARRATOR: And even if you can't
work a miracle,
you can still act like
you're about to reveal one.
Spock.
NARRATOR:
Paramount's marketing arm
went into overdrive
asking audiences
to strap themselves in.
You saw the teaser poster
with this row of theater chairs.
And the caption says,
"Why are they installing
seat belts in movie theater
chairs this summer?"
Everyone's like,
"Oh, it's exciting.
The movie's opening."
And I was like...
You know,
[MUMBLING]
You know, you're just like
you're, you're sweating
because you know
what's going to happen.
You know it's not up to snuff.
NARRATOR:
Oh, come on. That's up to
the audience to decide.
Premiering on June 9th, 1989,
it raked in 17.3 million
in its opening weekend
box office.
It actually opened
a half million
more than IV had opened,
which was a big, great sign.
NARRATOR: But week two was
a different story.
It just sunk like a rock
after that.
NARRATOR:
Box office fell 59%
in the second week,
to just over $7 million.
Like the rogue rock monster,
Star Trek V had come
crashing down to earth.
Fans were disappointed.
NARRATOR:
And they weren't the only ones.
Star Trek V is so slow
to get moving, and so
confused in its plotting...
I had a stern talking to
from the studio afterwards,
and saying,
"Don't ever do this again."
This is not good.
Star Trek V looked
for all the world
like it might end careers.
When it was over, I thought,
"Well, they'll never offer me
another picture after this."
NARRATOR:
And even hastened the end
of something much bigger.
We all kind of thought
"This might be It."
You know, this might be
the franchise k*ller.
[KIRK SCREAMING]
NARRATOR: Star Trek V
was a box office b*mb.
I am hardly
in a position to disagree.
NARRATOR: But its failure
was not fatal.
The franchise had something
a single dud film
could not erase.
NEMECEK: All of those say
Hollywood, and the franchise,
and the films are all totally
about the bottom line.
There was a lot of affinity
beyond budget dollars
for Star Trek.
And a lot of affinity
for those actors.
NARRATOR: And with a growing
and vocal fan base in mind,
Paramount executives
asked themselves...
"Do we really want to end
Star Trek movies
and the Kirk era,
"with that movie?"
Your pain runs deep.
NARRATOR: While the answer
was obvious,
the story for
the next film was not.
WINTER: Harve had proposed
to Paramount
to do a movie
about young Kirk
and young Spock, etc.
at the Starfleet Academy.
And he had developed this
in some detail.
You want to go back?
NARRATOR:
With an aging original cast,
producer Harve Bennett
had his eye on the future.
Maybe they're throwing us
a retirement party.
That suits me.
I just bought a boat.
NARRATOR: Harve Bennett
and Ralph Winter teamed up
for the proposed prequel.
We developed a screenplay
with David Loughery,
who wrote five,
and Harve really
wanted to make that.
Still think we're finished?
More than ever.
NARRATOR:
A changing of the guard
was being conceived
to allow the original cast
a graceful exit.
You and I have grown so old
and so inflexible.
They're going to age out of
being able to do this.
Here you go, Paramount.
Here's a perfect way
to continue the franchise.
- NARRATOR: But...
- The studio didn't wanna do it.
NARRATOR: In fact, just about
no one wanted to do it.
NEMECEK: Gene,
the studio, the fan base.
And the actors.
They're all saying,
"No, we're not quite ready
to go out to pasture yet."
People can be
very frightened of change.
NARRATOR: Paramount was
not quite ready for the future
because they were
not done with the past.
They said they weren't happy
with the fifth Star Trek movie.
My pain, it runs deep.
And they didn't want to
go out on that note
with the original cast.
I wouldn't.
NARRATOR: There was a legacy
that needed to be honored.
WINTER:
Frank Mancuso and studio
wanted to capitalize
on the 25th anniversary
from the marketing
and distribution aspect.
It was a nice ending
to all of this.
There was
so much more momentum
on a larger scale.
KIRK: This is the final cruise
of the Starship Enterprise
under my command.
They decided there was
going to be a Star Trek VI
with the original cast.
MAN: The Undiscovered Country.
NARRATOR: Everyone was
on board for one last blast
with the original cast,
barring one key crew member.
Harve really just
didn't want to do that.
He really wanted
to make the prequel.
He left very upset
and very disillusioned
and feeling very manipulated
by Paramount.
"After all I've done for you?"
And they're like, "Sorry, no."
So he's like, "Okay, then
I guess our time together
is at an end."
NARRATOR: Ralph Winter
would stay on as producer.
But the biggest
personnel question was...
Who's been
the most successful with
our Star Trek movies so far?
I think my passion
is directing.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Leonard directing...
NARRATOR: And...
And Nick Meyer
writing-directing.
NARRATOR: After Shatner's
mismanaging of Star Trek V,
the studio wanted
a safer pair of hands.
NARRATOR: They certainly
went back to Nick,
to be sure. [CHUCKLES]
"Here's the guy
that directed Il,
and did a lot of writing on IV.
And let's do this
the way we know that works.
"Let's not take any chances
like we did on V."
I got to sit down.
"You know, we're not gonna
screw this up.
"This is the 25th anniversary.
"This is the one
we've got to deliver on.
"We've got to go out
with a bang."
NARRATOR:
Nicholas Meyer had not only
worked on Star Trek films,
but he had also saved them
and even done
some writing for free.
But this time,
it was all about money.
They said they wanted to do it
for about 30 million bucks.
And would I be interested?
And I said, "Sure."
NARRATOR: Paramount
had already confirmed
the other member
of their dream team.
I assume command of this ship.
MEYER: I get a call
from Leonard.
"Can I come and talk to you
about a Star Trek VI movie,
"which I'm gonna
executive produce?"
And I said, "Sure."
It's a case of Leonard and Nick
kind of saying,
It's up to you and me, buddy.
NARRATOR: Leonard
already had a concept.
He said,
"Star Trek has
always reflected
"things that are going on
on Planet Earth,
inevitably."
NARRATOR: And in 1989,
what was happening
on Planet Earth
was about to change everything.
I'm Peter Jennings in New York.
Just a short while ago,
astonishing news
from East Germany,
where the East German
authorities have said,
in essence,
that the Berlin Wall doesn't
mean anything anymore.
NARRATOR: Nimoy saw
the fall of the Berlin Wall,
and the collapse
of the Soviet Union,
as a potential
turning point for Star Trek,
a show originally conceived
at the height of the Cold w*r.
We Klingons have a reputation
for ruthlessness.
MEYER: The Klingons
have always been
our stand-ins for the Russians.
"What if the wall
comes down in outer space?"
And that was all I needed.
You primed my pump.
Okay, great.
NARRATOR: The starting point
for the story was inspired
by another Cold w*r flashpoint.
JENNINGS: There has been
a nuclear accident
in the Soviet Union.
One of the atomic reactors
at the Chernobyl
atomic power plant
in the city of Kiev was damaged.
We start with
an intergalactic Chernobyl.
Like a nuclear meltdown,
and their moon has exploded,
their energy source.
[MAN SCREAMING]
MEYER: And suddenly,
the Klingon Empire
is no more
and all these immigrants
are gonna be
trooping to Planet Earth
and other places, disperse,
because their planet
is collapsing.
The Klingons have
never been trustworthy.
NARRATOR: This existential
threat to the Klingons
would also prove
an existential crisis for Kirk.
They are dying.
Let them die.
Who am I,
if I have no enemy
to define me?
Would you and your party
care to dine this evening?
We would be delighted.
Kirk's assigned to escort
the Klingon Chancellor.
[CLEARS THROAT]
We must do this again sometime.
The Klingon Chancellor
gets assassinated...
[SCREAMS]
...due to Kirk's negligence.
What happened?
Because he hates Klingons.
- They're animals.
- Because they k*lled his son.
KIRK: I can never forgive
them for the death of my boy.
They're all unfurled,
you know, in a big, "ugh" gush.
Tell us that you plan
to take revenge
for the death of your son.
It parallels a great deal
of what's going on today
in this universe
and a more or less
a quest for peace.
NARRATOR: Leonard Nimoy
liked Nicholas idea.
And he said,
"Great, this is great."
NARRATOR:
But there was one opinion
that had to be heard,
even if no one
wanted to hear it.
MEYER:
I met Gene Roddenberry
when the script was finished
and he had
a lot of objections to it.
Some surprise that Roddenberry
would be dissatisfied
with the script
because that means
he's got to fix it.
That means he gets paid.
NARRATOR:
One of Gene's objections
had to do with the traitor
the producers decided
should be...
Lieutenant, are you wearing
your hair differently?
NARRATOR: Lieutenant Saavik.
Out of the gate, they wanted
to bring Saavik back.
Originally played
by Kirstie Alley,
and later by Robin Curtis.
But how could they have
evolved so quickly?
MEYER: Ideally, it was
to have been Saavik.
It was to have been somebody
that you liked, trusted,
whose tragedy was
this terror of the unknown,
of change.
And that made the whole story
more complicated.
NARRATOR: But complicated
was not how Gene
saw his beloved Vulcans.
He did not like the idea
of making her a traitor.
Lie?
A choice.
MEYER: We had a meeting
with a lot of other people
in the room, in his office,
I had so much
raining down on me.
We just created
another character.
So there are
a lot of forces here
that aligned
to have the turncoat
be someone that you just met.
- Lieutenant...
- Valeris, sir.
NARRATOR: An all-new Vulcan.
She's a Vulcan, all right.
NARRATOR: And there was
one other element
to the story
that Gene found objectionable.
The Federation
is no more than
a h*m*-Sapiens only club.
MEYER: He,
in retrospect, perhaps, was
understandably mortified
to find that the crew
of the Enterprise was r*cist.
They all look alike.
What about that smell?
MEYER: Which was sort of
the point I was trying to make,
but it was absolutely
antithetical to his view
about the perfectibility
of people.
We were at loggerheads.
AZETBUR: He's r*cist.
NARRATOR: But at least everyone
could agree on the budget,
because what's not to like
about $30 million?
When VI was proposed
to me in London
by Frank Mancuso,
he said "$30 million."
NARRATOR: But having already
moved his family to LA...
I rented a house
for my family.
We're all there.
NARRATOR:
Nicholas attended
a Hollywood meeting
and found that something
had been lost in the trip
across the Atlantic.
I was in a meeting
with Ralph Winter,
Steve Jaffe, Leonard Nimoy
and Paramount.
NARRATOR:
In other words, the bigwigs.
MEYER: And we're all excited
to be making this movie.
Now we're talking about
a budget of 25 million
and I go, "Wait, wait.
"We're not talking about 25,
we're talking about 30.
"Because Frank said 30
when I agreed to come here."
NARRATOR: It seemed
Paramount now had
a new vision for the film.
MEYER: "Well, Frank
has this vision,"
and I said "Stop!"
NARRATOR: That turned out
to be the trigger word.
"Don't talk to me
about Frank and his vision.
"I'm the artist.
I have the vision.
"And I want to
give you some math,
"which shouldn't be
my responsibility.
But I'm going to do it."
NARRATOR: Stand by
for a lesson in basic
film production accounting.
You have the cast,
you have the script,
producer's fees,
director's fees,
all of that is 14 million
before you've put
any film in the can.
And back then, it was film.
NARRATOR: Expensive film.
Then there's the small matter
of post-production.
You've got $2.5 million
in post-production or something.
You have $4 million
in special effects.
We're now up to, I don't know,
$19 million.
I can't remember.
I added it all up.
NARRATOR: Actually,
we're already over 20 million.
But the point is...
Where's the movie?
NARRATOR: In Hollywood,
everyone lies,
except the numbers.
Numbers don't lie.
I see we have a long way to go.
"Would you excuse us
for a minute?"
And we sat there
and they went into another room
and we waited
for about 20 minutes.
And they came back
and they said,
"$27 million."
And I said, "Guys,
you're confused.
"I'm not negotiating.
"I'm going to see Frank Mancuso.
"I'm going to explain it to him.
"We're going to settle
this whole thing."
So I go see Frank Mancuso,
and he cordially hears me out,
and he said,
"Thank you very much,
Mr. Meyer for explaining this."
I leave,
and he cancels the movie.
The operation is over.
NARRATOR: With Star Trek VI
canceled over
budgetary concerns,
Nicholas Meyer suddenly had
a lot of time on his hands
to think about
where it all went wrong.
I am in total shock,
wandering around the lot
like a lost soul.
And I would stand around
an empty sound stage,
and I thought, "Oh, yeah,
this is where
the peace conference
"was supposed to be."
NARRATOR: When out of nowhere,
the phone rang.
There's no one else there.
I pick up the line, "Hello?"
And this voice says "Nick?"
And I said, "Yeah."
He said, "This is
Stanley Jaffe."
NARRATOR: Stanley Jaffe was
the super producer
behind some of Hollywood's
recent big box office hits.
MEYER: Now, Stanley Jaffe
and Sherry Lansing
had made Kramer vs. Kramer,
and they had made
Fatal Attraction.
NARRATOR: But it was
Stanley Jaffe's new job,
not his track record,
that was about to make
Nicholas's day.
He said. "Frank Mancuso
is not with the studio anymore.
"Sherry Lansing and I
are running the studio.
And I hear you have a problem."
And I said, "Yeah,
I need $5 million."
And he said, "You got it."
And he hung up.
And suddenly, we were back on.
NARRATOR: And just like that,
all of Nicholas's problems
were the kind
with creative solutions,
like casting,
which stretched
all the way back
to the original series.
Mark Leonard as Spock's father.
That was a no brainer.
Quite logical.
NARRATOR: Having appeared
as Spock's father,
Mark Lenard was an old hand
at playing a Vulcan.
While Kim Cattrall was new
as Lieutenant Valeris.
Sir, I address you
as a kindred intellect.
NARRATOR:
Star Trek V's David Warner
underwent a makeover
and re-emerged as
the cultured Chancellor Gorkon.
You've not experienced
Shakespeare
until you've read him
in the original Klingon.
Kurtwood Smith played
the Federation president.
I have ordered
a full scale investigation.
And Nicholas Meyer
had only one actor in mind
to play the rambunctious
General Chang.
I have so wanted
to meet you, Captain.
When the time came, I said
to my casting director,
Mary Jo Slater,
"Don't come back
without Christopher Plummer,
"or we're sunk."
Cry havoc!
And let's slip the dogs of w*r.
And his only thing was,
"You know, don't strangle me
with makeup."
So he wound up being
sort of a modified Klingon look.
NARRATOR: When it came
to Klingons,
Nicholas's biggest problem
is figuring out
how to assassinate one
in space.
One of the things
that always struck me is,
when you watch Star Wars
or any outer space movie,
nobody's ever floating.
They all walk down
these corridors
like they're in a Holiday Inn.
And I'm thinking,
"Ooh, what a cool idea.
"They knock out
the gravity machine
"and two guys in magnetic boots
go in and blast away."
NARRATOR: Which leads to...
Floating blood. Ooh.
NARRATOR: Which raised
a surprisingly vexing question.
What color should
Klingon blood be?
Originally, I thought about it.
It should be green.
And Leonard nixed that.
I'm not sure why,
but he didn't,
didn't like it.
NARRATOR: Possibly because
Vulcan blood is green.
So producers went
to the other end
of the spectrum.
On Next Generation,
Klingon blood had seemed to be
just kind of a dark red brown.
NARRATOR: But that sounded
a little dull.
And we just wanted it
to be different.
- And so...
- I chose this pink.
We retconned that as saying,
Well, when Klingon blood
is in no-gravity,
then it turns that way.
NARRATOR: But if gallons of
floating pink blood
were unsettling for some,
not to worry.
I didn't think about
Pepto-Bismol,
and I wish I had.
NARRATOR: So Klingon blood
looked a little bit
like indigestion medicine,
But producers were occupied
with a bigger challenge.
WINTER: Which was, the guy
being shot in the hallway.
NARRATOR: Producers
were stumped about
how to create Zero-G effects
on a shoestring budget.
How do we get
the impact of this guy,
to take the phaser hit,
and then, in a weightless
environment, push him
down the hallway.
NARRATOR:
No CGI would be necessary,
since veteran
production designer
Herman Zimmerman
had an old-fashioned solution.
And we take the whole scene,
the hallway that
we're gonna build
and we built it like this.
So that the guy
who's gonna be shot is hanging.
And now we yanked the guy up
towards the ceiling,
and it looks like
he's weightless
going down the hallway.
NARRATOR: The visual effects
were stunning.
But were they convincing enough
for Star Trek's creator?
Gene Roddenberry still had
a contractual guaranteed say
on Star Trek.
They had basically
the completed cut.
Gene is in his wheelchair,
having had his mini strokes.
He's having good days
and bad days,
more bad days than good days.
NARRATOR: They had
a special screening
just for him
at Paramount Studios.
Producers anxiously waited
for his reaction.
I'm thinking in my head,
"If there's a problem,
A: He gets more money.
"and B: we've got to
deal with that problem."
NARRATOR: And so,
an ailing Gene was seeing
his characters behave
in ways he would
never have imagined.
Like Spock mind-melding
in anger.
It's waterboarding
by sci-fi means,
and it ain't pleasant.
NARRATOR: And yet Star Trek VI
was pleasant enough for Gene.
As they were wheeling him
out the theatre,
he said, "No, I liked it.
Thanks very much."
NARRATOR:
Until he thought about it.
A couple of days later,
here comes a whole list
of complaints and comments
and demands that Gene
wants changed.
NARRATOR: But before
they could get to
the bottom of it...
Gene dies within days.
NARRATOR: And the notes were
never brought up again.
It's kind of an odd
last moment
for Gene and the characters
that he created.
NARRATOR:
Star Trek VI premiered
December 6, 1991.
and The Undiscovered Country
discovered $96 million
worldwide
on its budget of 30 million.
It did well, yes.
For Paramount,
it was the best possible way
to celebrate the franchise's
25th anniversary.
Here's to 25 years,
of joy and happiness,
fussing and fighting.
Yeah.
NARRATOR: But what this
really meant was...
We were done with that cast.
That was, that was the end.
NARRATOR:
At the end of the film,
each actor's signature
appears on the screen.
Signing off both on the roles
they had shaped
into iconic characters...
and also signaling
the end of an era.
Your heart's in your throat
watching those signatures
go up at the end.
NARRATOR: And although it was
the end of an incredible era,
there would be a small return
to the silver screen
for some of
the original cast in 1994's
Star Trek Generations.
And even though Captain Kirk
had clearly lost his place
at the center seat,
he did leave us
with this final moment.
[SIGHS]
It was...
fun.
NARRATOR: While that was
the end of Captain Kirk,
that wasn't the end
of Star Trek.
Quite the opposite.
Because the staggering success
of Star Trek IV
had not only done its part
in saving the whales,
it also saved
televised Star Trek
from extinction.
In 1986, The Voyage Home
is a huge hit,
and the local stations
are saying, "Guys, can you
please do something?
"We've had the same damn little
"we've been showing
for 15 years now,
"but if you would just
make some more Star Trek
for us on TV,
"we'd all make more money."
And it's within several months
of the film's success
that they announce
that Next Generation
is going to be a reality.
NARRATOR: And believe me,
that is quite a story.
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01x05 - Whales, God and Pepto Bismol
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Chronicles rare and fascinating details of how "Star Trek" began, where it's been, and how it's going where no television series has gone before.
Chronicles rare and fascinating details of how "Star Trek" began, where it's been, and how it's going where no television series has gone before.