Commentary: Trek Stars: The Work of Star Trek Creators Outside of Star Trek (Ira Steven Behr)

Behr, Part 6: Recap.

Taking the dark horse of the Star Trek franchise and turning it into one the best TV shows ever made is a tough act to follow. Such is the life of Ira Steven Behr. This week, Mike and Max recap Behr's career as a showrunner, looking at each of his shows, including Star Trek: Deep Space NineBob PattersonThe Twilight ZoneThe 4400Crash, and Alphas. We also discuss some of his other work, including his upcoming series, Outlander

Direct download: ctrek-063.mp3
Category:Ira Steven Behr -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

Behr, Part 5: Alphas.

In 2011, Ira Steven Behr returned to the science fiction genre with Alphas. The series followed a group of super-powered mutants who helped the government solve crimes while coping with their unique abilities. 

This week, Max and Mike are joined by their Commentary Track Stars: Off Topic co-host Branden Myers to take a look at Behr's sixth show. We discuss the similarities to The X-Men, how the tone differs from other SyFy Channel shows, and the Behr-less second season. We also touch on Ronald D. Moore's recent Twitter activity, and the passing of Trek producer Marty Hornstein.

Direct download: ctrek-062.mp3
Category:Ira Steven Behr -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

Behr, Part 4: Crash.

After a less than successful first season, the Starz Network decided to give their television show Crash a second chance. It was decided that the series needed to be reinvented, and that the man for the job was Ira Steven Behr. 

This week, Mike and Max take a look at the second season of Crash. We discuss the changes that were made to the show, how the issue of racism is dealt with, and why we'll always give Behr the benefit of the doubt.

Direct download: ctrek-061.mp3
Category:Ira Steven Behr -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

Behr, Part 3: The 4400.

In 2004, Rene Echevarria and Scott Peters created The 4400. In the show, 4,400 missing persons from the past century spontaneously return with superpowers. Echevarria quickly handed over the writing staff to his Trek boss, Ira Steven Behr, who ran the series until its cancellation in 2007.

This Week, Max and Mike are joined by Trek.fm's very own Christopher Jones to talk about Behr's fourth show. We discuss the religious parallels of the story, the character development over time, and the moral ambiguity of the situations presented in the series.

Direct download: ctrek-060.mp3
Category:Ira Steven Behr -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

Behr, Part 2: The Twilight Zone. 

Perhaps the only science fiction television franchise which is more critically acclaimed than Star Trek is Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. And the only person in history who has run shows in both franchises is Ira Steven Behr.

This week, Mike and Max are joined by Tom Elliot of The Twilight Zone Network to look at Behr's third series, the 2002 incarnation of The Twilight Zone. We discuss how Behr's series compares to the original, the idea of a cohesive Twilight Zone multiverse, and what we can expect from future incarnations of the show.  We also debate whether or not the Steve Guttenberg vehicle Tower of Terror takes place in the Twilight Zone.

Direct download: ctrek-059.mp3
Category:Ira Steven Behr -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

Behr, Part 1: Trek. 

During the third season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Michael Piller "stepped back" from his daily duties and handed the writing staff to his Number One—Ira Steven Behr. It was at this point that Deep Space Nine went from being a great show to being the best show. Ever. 

This week, we begin a new series looking at Behr's career as a showrunner. In Part 1, Max and Mike are joined by Larry Nemecek to look at Behr's work on Star Trek. We discuss his origins on The Next Generation, how Piller lured him back to work on Deep Space Nine, and how he predicted fans would appreciate the show in later years. We also talk about how baseball was responsible for the best of Trek.

Direct download: ctrek-058.mp3
Category:Ira Steven Behr -- posted at: 8:00pm MDT

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