
 On Sunday, June 21st, 1992, the Creation Con in New York City.

 (B) DEEP SPACE NINE INFORMATION FROM ERIC STILLWELL.

I don't consider anything below on DS9 to be spoilers.  You would hear about this more and more in the coming
months.  Read ahead safely.  I have to apologize ahead for the misspellings of DS9's characters -- I took them
all from listening to an old microcasette recorder.  You probably all know by now that the main idea of DS9
revolves around a space station manned by the Federation.  Their mission is to bring peace to a world full of
conflicts and different races.  The world was left by the Cardassians.  After the Federation takes over the station
a stable wormhole is found (just to make things more interesting.)

The opening episode of DS9 will be a 2-hour long one.  Captain Picard makes a guest appearance on this
premiere.  We were promised to find very interesting facts about Picard's Borg-sy past (as Locutus) and The
Borg in general. (Wow!)

Gene Roddenberry was hardly involved with DS9.  He knew of the general idea, but that was it.  At the time,
there was really not much more known about DS9.  Gene, however, approved of DS9.  He always said that he
does not mind if others will come later and make a new Startrek series/movies, hopefully better ones. Therefore
DS9 can be viewed as the creation of the "next generation" of trek producers, with the seal of approval from the
Big Bird himself.

Paramount decided on mostly all new actors and actresses for DS9 because for one thing, new people are
cheaper.  TNG's actors have been getting more and more famous from season to season and thus have been
receiving larger salaries.   Most channels who carry TNG now will also carry DS9 (true for NY.)  There are only
two cases in some cities (one is Oklahoma City) where a competing channel won the bid for DS9.  Eric hoped
they don't broadcast DS9 at the same time TNG is shown by their competitors.

Midway through the 6th season of TNG O'Brien, Kaiko and their baby will move over to DS9.  Here is a
description of DS9's crew:

The commander of the space station is called Benjamin Cisco.  He was serving on board of the USS Saratoga
three years ago during the Borg invasion.   During that battle at Wolf 359, Cisco's ship was attacked and his wife
was killed.  He still blames Picard for the death of his wife.  Paramount is considering casting an
African-American for the part of Cisco.

The first officer will be female [cheers from the crowd.]  They wanted a Bjoran for that part, so they asked
Michelle Forbes who plays Ensign Ro.  She said she was not sure because she wanted to take some time off to
pursue her "movie career."  TNG producers told her just two words -- "Denise Crosby".  Eventually Michelle
decided to stay on TNG as a recurring role.

Paramount now had to find someone to fill the place of the Bjoran first officer on DS9.  The part was changed
to be filled by a Major in the Bjoran army named Sharon Garrens.  A high-ranking Bjoran army officer was
chosen because as the story goes, the Cardassians have abandoned that system and gave it to the Bjorans with
their independence.  The Federation was called in to help until the Bjorans can get their act together.  Cisco is
not the only one with a chip on their shoulders.  Sharon fought for so long to have independence for her people,
and she does not think that the Federation has any business being there.

Miles O'brien is the Chief Operations on the bridge.  He becomes an officer when he is transferred, with his
wife and kid.

The security officer is a shape-shifter!  He is an alien character who lived on Bjoran for many years.  He was
previously a security officer on the station when the Cardassians where still in control.  They decided to go ahead
with such a character because (a) the technology is available today to have convincing and cheap shape-shifting
pecial effects, and (b) if the character does not work, they can always replace him...  The security officer was
found as a small child floating in an asteroid belt.  He does not know where he comes from and is in search of
his own identity.  He also tries to be human, much like Data.

The science officer is a Trill (the "parasitic" worm race from "The Host".)   (Whomever gets cast for the part
can be easily changed if they don't work out...)  Cisco knew the Trill when it was in a body of a very old man,
but now it has a new host body (a 28 year old woman.)  Cisco refers to him as "the old man", much to the
surprise of everyone.  Originally they wanted the science officer to be from a planet of light gravity.  That means
that while on the space station she would feel very heavy and would have to be confined to a wheelchair.
However, in her quarters they would have special arrangements for "regular" gravity.  This would make it
interesting and uncomfortable for others to visit the science officer's quarters as they would float.  The point was
to show that everyone can be handicap in one situation or another.  The idea was canceled because it would cost
too much.  (Shape-shifting special effects are easily achieved on computers today--floating regular characters does
not.)

The doctor is a recent academy graduate who finished in the top 2% of his class.  He was given an assignment
choice of any place in the federation.  He chose DS9 because he wanted to be "out there on the frontier, because
that's where heroes are made."  He is going to be a bit disappointed with what he encounters, and Cisco has to
put him in his place.

The station is civilian for the most part so the civilian administrator is a Ferengi named Gork.  There are
supposed to be lots of running jokes on that character, due to the Ferengi nature.  Gork has a kid named Naam
on board who befriends Jake, Cisco's son.  Together they get into lots of trouble.

Another character is the Bjoran spiritual leader.  He stays on the planet's surface.  The Bjoran are supposed to
be very mystic and spiritual.  We will find out a lot more about Bjorans from DS9.  (Remember that Ro kinda
denies her heritage so you won't learn much about them from her.)

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more info from another source
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Hold it, everyone, put your guesses to rest!  There is no more need to
speculate about the third series in the Star Trek line!

    On the local evening news, I saw a report on the National Association of
Television and Program Executive convention (NATPE). This is where producers
and companies go to sell their series into syndication. The first words of the
report were the Paramount had unvieled its third Trek series entitled:

         Star Trek:  Deep Space IX
    The series will follow the adventures of Starfleet personnel stationed on
a permanent Starbase.

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From:  New Orleans Times-Picayune  1-21-92; by Mark Lorando, TV Editor

*******Trekkies headed for deep space*******

First there was "Star Trek," then "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and
beginning in January 1993, Paramount Pictures Television will introduce the
third series in the Starfleet collection, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."

Paramount Television Group President Kerry McCluggage announced a June
production start-up for the new series, which is among hundreds of shows
studios are trying to sell to stations at the National Association of
Television Program Executives convention, which begins here today.

The series has not been cast, but co-executive producers Rick Berman and
Michael Piller said Monday that "Deep Space Nine" with be set in the 24th
century, same as "The Next Generation," and will feature some of the
characters seen on the other show.

"Deep Space Nine" is a dilapidated, abandoned alien space station taken over
by Starfleet officers.  The star base is located next to a "wormhole," a space
corridor that provides a light-years shortcut to other parts of the galaxy.
The base is surrounded by hostile alien empires.  The Starfleet's mission:
To restore peace to the region, and boldly go . . . well, you know.

"The space station will be as much a character as the Enterprise is in other
shows," Berman said.

Three of the main characters, Berman said, will be the Deep Space Nine's
captain, an officer who "has a sour space for Capt. Picard," the lead
character played by Patrick Stewart in "Next Generation";  a "shape-shifter"
that has the ability to change shapes at will, but in its natural state
looks like a "giant bowl of oatmeal," Berman said;  and a female alien
who comes from an environment with no gravity, and therefore is confined
to a wheelchair.

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After reading numerous speculations on this sub 'bout the possibility of a new
tv series or tv movie or whatever... I happened to see in the 1-21-92 San
Diego Union and article announcing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. it will occur
at the same time as ST:TNG with an entire new cast, stationed at a space
station that keeps falling apart. No regulars will be spunoff, but recurring
characters such as Wesley will appear on both shows.

Note: The article also mentions (although we all knew it) that "Next
Generation" is the highest-rated non-network drama on TV.

Well that's the scoop.. you probably didn't hear it here first... but that's
what's happening...

Headline: Star Trek:The Next Series

     There's another "Star Trek" series on the horizon, er, edge of space.
"Stark Trek: Deep Space Nine" debuts next January. Like "Star Trek: The Next
Generation," it is set in the 24th Century, so characters can be beamed
between shows. This show will be about officers at an alien space station near
a wormhole, a shortcut through space.

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        This is from the San Jose Mercury News, page 8E:

     "Paramount... already has broken some major syndication news for
the benefit of convention delegates: It will offer stations a two hour block
of first-run programs for January 1993, featuring a one-hour spinoff of
the studio's hit "Star Trek: The Next Generation" series and an all-new
hour version of "The Untouchables."

        I guess this proves that the rumor is no rumor, but rather an
interesting fact.  Some people on the net have already mentioned the
possibility of this new series being a "prequel" to TNG.  I have also heard
the possibility of a series dealing solely with Klingons, however, I doubt
that to be true.  A prequel to TNG would probably be the best thing for
Paramount to make since they could theoretically have "younger"
characters from the TNG appear as well as older members from TOS.  I
wouldn't mind seeing a series about Captain Sulu either.  However, if the
new series is to be totally new, I think that this would be a good chance
for the studio to really show that Star Trek is supposed to be portraying
most of humankind as being equals to each other, gender-wise and race-
wise. I'd like to see the series have a woman as Captain, or at the very
least, a woman as first officer.  But, that's just my opinion. Comments?

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You've probably already received this, but in case you hadn't, here goes...

In the Wednesday, Jan. 8th edition of USA Today, the Inside TV Column by Peter
Johnson states:


                 New 'Star Trek' Series may be in the future

      Get ready for _Star_Trek:_Two_Generations_Removed.  A spinoff of the
      successful syndicated _Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation_ reportedly
      is being shopped around to station representatives in anticipation of
      an announcement in two weeks at the National Association of Television
      Program Executives convention in New Orleans.  No one at Paramount,
      home for the _Trek_ franchises, would comment, nor would _Next_
      _Generation_ producers.  _Electronic_Media_ describes the project as
      a "prequel," and reports it may be sold in tandem with a new
      _Untouchables_ series with a January 1993 target.  But there's no
      word if _Trek_'s late creator Gene Roddenberry, who died in October,
      had any hand in the development. And it's unclear if any
      _New_Generation_ (sic) hands will be involved in the new _Trek_.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

...this from a source at Paramount yesterday:

1) The new series now has a working title: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

2) As the title would suggest, it is about a starbase as earlier reports either
denied or confirmed.

3) Latest rumor is that Denise Crosby may have a regular spot on this series,
but not as Sela.

4) DS9 would be featured first on TNG, with the premier/crossover concluding
the following week on DS9 itself.

5) Tenative premier date is now set for January of '93, although there are
concerns that production may get pushed ahead depending on how the upcoming
"Babylon 5" looks as it proceeds to a premier this fall.

"More news as it happens..."

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*From another board, source usuually excellent*
                        STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE

 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was officially announced at a press conference on
Monday by Paramount officials.  Michael Piller, co-exec producer of both
shows, said that "If Star Trek is "Wagon Train," then "Deep Space Nine" can be
compared to a wild west town on the edge of the frontier with all the
excitement and adventure that kind of locale can generate."

 The series will involve a brand new cast and crew, and feature a group of
characters on a space station on the frontier that sits next to a wormhole, a
way of moving rapidly through space.

 The continuity will be very much alive with ST:TNG, taking place in the same
universe, using the same technology, etc.  The show will run concurrently with
the current season of ST:TNG.

 Although not mentioned in the report, plans are to move several minor
characters from TNG to this series, including Colm Meaney (Chief O'Brien),
Rosalind Chao (Keiko O'Brien), Michele Forbes (Ensign Ro) and maybe one or two
others...

 ST:DS9 will begin in January 1993 with a two-hour pilot and 19 one hour
episodes.  The fall 1993 season will see 26 hour long episodes.

 Casting will begin in April for an early June filming date.  The series will
be filmed at Paramount Pictures' studio in Hollywood.

 "Setting 'Star Trek: Deep Spaced Nine' at the same time as 'Star Trek: The
Next Generation' will allow an exchange of characters and occasional
storylines between each show," said Rick Berman, Executive Producer. DEEP
SPACE NINE will, again, begin in January 1993.  Start looking for promotional
items and casting news around April.

 (This was garnered from word we've received in the past 24 hours, including a
report from CIS Newsgrid (TM) ).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welp, on the net (Internet), there's a !^%$load of people ragging about how
lame it'll be. And then there's those who say things like, "YOu know, that's
probably what you guys were saying when TNG came out - What?!? no Kirk, Spock,
or McCoy??! It WON'T work... Now it's like WHAT?!? No Picard, Data, blah, blah
blah??!? It won't work" TO those people, I'll just say hold your breath...
wait and see... then you can trash or applaud it. interesting reading, that
net... jolantru.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

...According to both _Entertainment Media_ and _US News and World Reports_,
Paramount is going ahead with a spin-off series from TNG. The show will NOT be
a prequel, as previously reported, but will occur in the same time frame as
TNG.

...Two rumors have since surfaced as to the content of the show:

1) A show starring John DeLancie as...well, take a wild guess.:-) The basic
concept would be similar to Dr. Who, with Q's powers in a constant state of
periodic dysfunction. Vash would be there to tag along and bail Q out of jams,
etc.

2) A show featuring at least one of the current TNG cast members, and would be
a smaller, tighter-knit group of characters. The basic plot would be similar to
"Mission: Impossible", with the crew being assigned to troubleshooting and
trouble prevention missions.

...note that these are not confirmed, but are rumors coming from a couple of
Paranoidmount sales reps who'd like to keep their jobs.

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