Producer Roger Lay, Jr on bringing the crew of the NX-01 together again for "IN CONVERSATION: THE FIRST CREW"
Since we've now spent over two years on production for TNG Remastered we've gotten the opportunity to develop a fantastic working relationship with a great deal of the show's production staff. So, when it came time to release Enterprise on Blu-ray we were able to reach out to them once more and have their full participation on all the new special features -- from in-depth interviews and episode commentaries to our ongoing series of reunion pieces under the IN CONVERSATION title. After our wonderfully introspective and insightful on-camera conversation between creators Rick Berman and Brannon Braga on the season-one Enterprise Blu-ray set we knew the only way we could top the results of such a well-reviewed piece was to bring the crew of the NX-01 together for a candid look back on their tour of duty.
During the many months of Blu-ray production for Star Trek: Enterprise I've had the opportunity to reevaluate the show and to realize how much I love these characters. In my opinion, “Broken Bow” is one of the most effective Trek pilots. I think Jim Conway did a fantastic job working with a script from Rick Berman and Brannon Braga to launch the series with a great sense of urgency and excitement while successfully setting up the prequel concept and creating a really solid two-hour movie of the week (with the exception of getting to the Klingon homeworld in what seems like only a couple of days).
As we got closer to shoot date on our reunion, I was afraid we would not be able to get them all together at the same time due to their other professional and personal commitments. Fortunately, with only a day to go before cameras rolled, we got confirmation that each of the seven lead actors from the show was locked in, plus co-creator Brannon Braga agreed to moderate the piece, helping create an even more unique dynamic since each cast member gets the opportunity to share his or her thoughts on what worked and what they felt did not work out during the series' run with their creator -- something rarely ever seen by audiences.
Fans who pick up the complete second season of Enterprise can look forward to the cast addressing such topics as the difficulties the show faced on the network, their relationships with the show runners, an examination on the storylines the cast members felt did not quite work out, plus the story arcs they did enjoy portraying and even their negative reaction to the controversial series finale, "These are the Voyages…"
I'm very proud of all the Trek Blu-ray titles we've produced so far. With every new season we release we are able to share another important piece of Trek history with the fans. This one ranks right up there with TNG'S 25th anniversary special, "Reunification," and in my humble opinion might be even more special and unique since the TNG family has done a great deal of convention appearances together since the show went off the air, but the entire Enterprise cast hasn't even been in the same room since the series' final season. And, as Brannon says in the opening segment of the piece, this may very well be the only time this ever happens. If so, I truly hope fans everywhere get to enjoy and cherish it.
Star Trek: Enterprise -- Season Two will be available tomorrow. Click HERE to order.
