Live Long and Prosper
I have a major confession to make. I’m Molly Pesce and I am a Star Trek geek. Now I want to make one thing perfectly clear; I have never been to a “trekker” convention though I have seen all the episodes several if not many times. I can quote a lot of the shows. It is embarrassing but true, so when I found out George Takei, who played Mister Sulu on the series, was going to be on “iVillage Live”, needless to say I was thrilled. There is something truly iconic about Star Trek and its cast and it was intriguing to see what he would be like.
George Takei was coming on our show to talk about Heroes, NBC’s new hit series about regular people with super powers. He plays the father of the character named Hiro and has a pivotal role as the mastermind behind the destruction of many of the Heroes. I knew he would talk about his new show, but what about Star Trek? Many times celebrities grow to hate the characters they have previously played. The role that defines their career may also be the one that kept them from doing other things later on. It is kind of like a singer who gets sick of singing their biggest hit. George Takei had none of these issues. He was completely gracious and truly made my nerdy day when he realized I was a fan. He held up his hand, parted his two middle fingers and said, “Live Long and Prosper.”
Thinking about Star Trek makes me wonder if there is a current show that could spawn that kind of loyalty or spin off four other series and many movies. Will we be watching Jack Bauer go through a hellish 24 hours well into his 80’s? Will those poor Lost souls still be battling “the others” on the big screen 10 years from now? All I know is that I enjoy watching TV and since becoming a Mom, my Tivo/DVR is a lifeline. I’m sure I could be working on the scrapbooks I am always trying to finish or taking up sewing, but by the time my 5-year-old is in bed each night, I am fried! All I want is a good show and my PJ’s. So bring on the next iconic hit. I will learn the salute, memorize some shows and go to every movie that comes out because, truthfully, when it comes to TV… I’m Molly Pesce and I am a TV-aholic.
Comments
"It is kind of like a singer who gets sick of singing their biggest hit."
That reminded me of a quote I read from Mick Jagger saying he'd rather be dead than singing "Satisfaction" at the age of 40...
Tivo is the greatest thing ever for working parents, plus I can watch Food Network late at night when no one is looking. :)
Hey fellow Trekker, nice to meet cha!
Another Star Trek fan here. And I was at a con once, but I was mostly there for Anthony Stewart Head. Which brings me to Joss Whedon and Buffy.
I think Buffy has much of the same iconic status as Star Trek. It's a show with a message, and well thought out, consistent mythology. It's spwaned countless pop culture ripples, and is taken seriously in academic circles. I definitely think it's as close to Star Trek status as a show can get.
I used to be a tv addict, but it's become less so over the years. Right now Heroes is probably my only "must see" show.
