Posted in: Paramount+, Star Trek, TV | Tagged: Dave Blass, paramount, star trek, Star Trek Picard, star trek: legacy, Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: Legacy "Just a Cool Idea" for Now; Could Be TOS "Phase II"

Star Trek: Picard production designer Dave Blass reminds us that Paramount hasn't given "Legacy" a go-ahead but sees the project's potential.

Production designer Dave Blass, like many Star Trek fans, has roots in watching the franchise in his childhood, starting with The Original Series. While he was too young to have experienced it during its original run on NBC, he caught it on reruns and developed a passion for science fiction like many in his generation thanks to the emergence of 20th Century Studios Star Wars. Despite the rivalry, the Gene Roddenberry franchise wouldn't have returned as triumphantly as it did in pop culture if it weren't for George Lucas's space opera. As Next Generation came out, it was the series that helped solidify his love for Star Trek. His biggest opportunity came when he came on board in season two of the Paramount+ spinoff series Picard in season two. Blass spoke to Warp Factor Trek about his journey in the franchise, filming seasons two and three, and what he thinks of the fan push to make the sequel series Legacy a reality.

As Picard season one was intended to bridge the gap between the events of 2002's Nemesis and 2009's Kelvin Universe soft reboot in J.J. Abrams's Star Trek, Jean-Luc (Patrick Stewart), now an admiral and riddled with survivor's guilt over Data's (Brent Spiner) sacrifice, found himself at odds with the Federation as we discover why he was forced into semi-retirement with the remnants of the Tal Shiar, the secret Romulan shadow organization, infiltrated the Federation to influence their ranks in an attempt to eradicate all synth-kind. Season two took the cast on a time travel journey as Jean-Luc's nemesis Q (John de Lancie) placed him and his crew into an alternate reality they must repair, and the third and final season took them into another compromised Federation as changelings infiltrated and conspired with the Borg in a last-ditch effort to eliminate humanity.

"We shot Seasons 2 and 3 back-to-back, and that was a challenge because, especially going into Season 3, there was not a lot of time to prep and design and focus," Blass recalled. "That was the initial plan, to do them back-to-back. So, we had back-to-back seasons on top of a pandemic, and that was a challenge." The requirements of the show changed in the third season. "As we moved into Season 3, the show became more starship central, so it was less about scouting locations and more about building the starship sets."

As the final episodes winded down, showrunner Terry Matalas postulated the idea of a sequel series Legacy that would resume the adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise-G with its new captain, first officer, and up-and-coming ensign with mysterious abilities. Even as cast and crew joined on the push including the TNG alum who would love to see additional adventures, much of the community forgets, it's not even something Paramount has taken any serious consideration to note as Blass serves a humble reminder. "Quoting Paramount, Star Trek: Legacy isn't a thing," he states, "So it's not in development, and it's not in any way moving forward. Until that changes, it's just a cool idea. It's like 'Phase II' of Star Trek: The Original Series. That actually got greenlit and was moving forward, but 'Legacy' is just a nice idea. It's great that the fans like it and want it, and maybe it will happen at some point. But right now, it's not remotely a thing. It's not happening unless something massive happens. Paramount is deep into production on 'Section 31' and 'Starfleet Academy.'"

As if that wasn't infuriating enough, Paramount has continuously teased another Kelvin Universe timeline adventure in Star Trek IV that would see the 2009 crew together, sans the late Anton Yelchin, one final time, but production has been caught in development hell without a director to commit to the project, but that isn't stopping them from announcing another prequel project that predates the events of the 2009 film. In regards to Phase II, there were plans following the events of The Animated Series, but the success of Star Wars cannibalized the TV series concept into 1979's The Motion Picture, which adapted the 'Phase II' monochromatic look, particularly in the uniforms. For more on Blass's inspirations, why he doesn't care for the term "Easter egg", reception, and more, you can check out the interview here.

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