11/05/01 New Series Enterprise & New Captain - Bakula

According to a Paramount press release, Scott Bakula (best known for his lead role in Quantum Leap) has signed on to captain the brand new Star Trek show, titled Enterprise.

Golden Globe Award-winning actor Scott Bakula has signed on to star as Captain Jonathan Archer in the new Paramount Network Television drama series Enterprise. In addition, Bakula has extended his first-look development deal with the studio, announced Garry Hart, president of the Network Television Division of the Paramount Television Group.

In the fifth installment of the landmark Star Trek franchise, Bakula will portray Captain Jonathan Archer, a physical and intensely curious captain with a bold personality. Although he has a strong sense of duty, he is a bit of a renegade and is not afraid to question or even disobey them if he feels in his gut that he is right.

"Obviously, I love the genre and am a long-time fan of Star Trek. I am also thrilled to be working on a TV series again wtih Kerry McCluggage and Garry Hart, a relationship that dates back to 1988 with Quantum Leap," says Bakula.

Under his newly extended deal with Paramount Network Television, Bakula, along with partner Tom Spiroff, will continue to develop projects that will encompass series, telefilms, features and specials.

"We couldn't be happier," says co-creator and executive producer Rick Berman. "Scott personifies the charm and intelligence that the role calls for."

The accomplished actor, who appeared in the 1999 Oscar-winning Best Picture "American Beauty," recently concluded filming the New Line Cinema feature film "Life As a House," directed and co-produced by Academy Award-winner Irwin Winkler.

Bakula is best known for his five-year stint on the innovative drama series Quantum Leap for which he earned a Golden Globe Award in addition to four consecutive Emmy nominations and three more Golden Globe Award nominations.

More news on the rest of the cast will be announced soon.

11/05/01 More Enterprise Crew Members Announced

While the actors playing crew members on the Enterprise ship are preparing to start their tour of duty, behind-the-scenes crew members on the Enterprise show are busy at work creating the new Star Trek universe.

In the Art Department, James Martin, Anthony Fredrickson and Denise Okuda are helping the new series come to life visually. Martin previously worked as an Illustrator on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. Fredrickson was a Scenic Artist on DS9 and the last three Star Trek movies. Okuda just concluded a stint as Scenic Artist and Video Supervisor on Voyager, and served a similar role on DS9 and the last four movies. She is continuing to work alongside her husband, Scenic Arts Supervisor Michael Okuda, with whom she co-authored "The Star Trek Encyclopedia" and "The Star Trek Chronology."

Also contributing to the look of Enterprise in the form of set dressing and props are Jim Meesand Craig Binkley. Mees was Set Decorator for six seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation and one season of Voyager. Mees was part of the team that earned an Emmy for Outstanding Art Direction in 1990 for TNG's Klingon-themed "Sins of the Father" along with five other Emmy nominations. Binkley is new to the Star Trek world, but he is no stranger to television. His extensive credits date back to 1954 when he was an Assistant Property Master on Lassie and then Gunsmoke. He has been Propmaster on dozens of TV shows including The Rockford Files, Magnum P.I., L.A. Law, Alien Nation, The Flash, Weird Science, The Pretender and the more recent FreakyLinks.

Joining Makeup Supervisor Michael Westmoore in creating a look on the actors themselves, Robert Blackman stays as Costume Designer and Michael Moore is back as Hair Stylist. Moore returns to the Star Trek fold after doing Hair on TNG and DS9. Blackman has fashioned otherworldly garb on all the Star Trek series since the early days of TNG, earning a total of eight Emmy nominations for outstanding costume design, with two wins. He also designed the Starfleet uniforms on all three TNG movies.

The new Paramount Network Television series Enterprise, the fifth installment of the Star Trek franchise, stars Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer.

23/4/01