TMC
2010-09-27 06:40:39 UTC
http://trekmovie.com/2009/08/26/rick-berman-talks-18-years-of-trek-in-%20extensive-oral-history/
Berman on DS9 [1:17:15 - 1:43:10]
* Berman "never got a chance" to talk to Gene Roddenberry about DS9,
but feels it "stayed true" with Roddenberry’s vision
* Paramount chief Brandon Tartikoff (sp?) first broached idea for
another Trek series to coincide with TNG
* Tartikoff suggested "The Rifleman in Space" with father and son
righting wrongs, kept idea of father and son, but not much else
* Because show to run along with TNG "we really couldn’t plop another
seven people on a space ship…had to do something different"
* Using Bajorans and Cardiassians to create conflict allowed them to
stay within the Gene rules of no conflict between the Starfleet people
* Co-creator Michael Piller suggested idea of black Captain, resulting
casting of Avery Brooks
* DS9 was meant to be "darker and edgier", partially in response to
critique that TNG was "too soft and too white bread"
* Berman notes that veterans feel Sisko is "the most believable" as a
military commander of the Star Trek captains
* Berman calls Colm Meaney his "favorite actor on Earth" and named
character Miles O’Brien after his nephew
* Alexander Siddig initially considered for Sisko, but too young
* Dax hardest to cast because it is hard to find actresses who are
beautiful and can act who will do television
* Michael Dorn’s Worf brought over in the fourth season because
"ratings were slipping", but he isn’t sure it made a difference in the
ratings except maybe "a little"
* Berman sometimes questioned if Roddenberry would have gone along
with spiritual elements of the show, but felt it had enough of a sci-
fi element
* For "Trials and Tribble-ations" they could only do half of the
"Forest Gump" type shots mixing DS9 and TOS characters
* Paramount execs loved to show off the Promenade sets when visitors
came to the lot
* DS9 (and VOY) was created to run 7 seasons
Berman on DS9 [1:17:15 - 1:43:10]
* Berman "never got a chance" to talk to Gene Roddenberry about DS9,
but feels it "stayed true" with Roddenberry’s vision
* Paramount chief Brandon Tartikoff (sp?) first broached idea for
another Trek series to coincide with TNG
* Tartikoff suggested "The Rifleman in Space" with father and son
righting wrongs, kept idea of father and son, but not much else
* Because show to run along with TNG "we really couldn’t plop another
seven people on a space ship…had to do something different"
* Using Bajorans and Cardiassians to create conflict allowed them to
stay within the Gene rules of no conflict between the Starfleet people
* Co-creator Michael Piller suggested idea of black Captain, resulting
casting of Avery Brooks
* DS9 was meant to be "darker and edgier", partially in response to
critique that TNG was "too soft and too white bread"
* Berman notes that veterans feel Sisko is "the most believable" as a
military commander of the Star Trek captains
* Berman calls Colm Meaney his "favorite actor on Earth" and named
character Miles O’Brien after his nephew
* Alexander Siddig initially considered for Sisko, but too young
* Dax hardest to cast because it is hard to find actresses who are
beautiful and can act who will do television
* Michael Dorn’s Worf brought over in the fourth season because
"ratings were slipping", but he isn’t sure it made a difference in the
ratings except maybe "a little"
* Berman sometimes questioned if Roddenberry would have gone along
with spiritual elements of the show, but felt it had enough of a sci-
fi element
* For "Trials and Tribble-ations" they could only do half of the
"Forest Gump" type shots mixing DS9 and TOS characters
* Paramount execs loved to show off the Promenade sets when visitors
came to the lot
* DS9 (and VOY) was created to run 7 seasons