While at the Creative Arts Emmys, Bill Nye was there to say a few words before the Governor’s Award was presented to ‘Star Trek.’ Hayma Washington introduced Nye, who had the following to say about ‘Star Trek:’
“It may have started off as an entertainment series but it changed the world — and I feel that it changed the world for the better.”
Nye also said that the iconic series looked at the universe and beyond in “perfect and imperfect harmony.” After a reel was played featuring footage from across the entire ‘Star Trek’ franchise, Nye brought out several members of the cast and crew from the six ‘Star Trek’ TV series.
During the emotional reunion, Nye introduced Alex Kurtzman (EP, ‘Discovery’), Levar Burton (‘The Next Generation’), Linda Park (‘Enterprise’), Jeri Ryan (‘Voyager’), Walter Koenig (the original ‘Star Trek’), and Terry Farrell (‘Deep Space Nine’). Sonequa Martin-Green from ‘Discovery’ and the original Captain Kirk, William Shatner, were also there to accept the award.
Shatner spoke about the gratefulness of everyone involved in ‘Star Trek’ over its 52-year lifespan. He said ‘Star Trek’ is a “phenomenon” and “represents an idea that is greater than all its parts.” Shatner said:
“I accept this award for all of the artists who have worked to make this show a success.”
Backstage, Koening, Burton, Ryan, Shatner, Martin-Green, and Kurtzman all agreed that the show still resonates after all these decades. Koening, who played Chekov, said:
“It resonates because we were talking about topical issues and socio-political content.”
Burton chimed in, saying:
“It’s all about good storytelling.”
Koening added:
“We still worry about living together and having a fruitful and joyful experience. We are beset with problems that we had in the ’60s.”
Martin-Green, being the newest of the crew, said that she hopes ‘Discovery’ does the franchise justice, saying:
“It was very important to us anew, but be our own at the same time.”
Kurtzman adds that ‘Star Trek’ “has been a beacon of hope for so many people for so long,” and said:
“In dark times, we need that hope.”
You can watch the tribute below:
The latest installment in the Star Trek franchise, ‘Star Trek: Discovery,’ returns to CBS All Access in January 2019.
