Set Phasers to Stun: 50 Years of Star Trek

Forty-seven years after NBC killed it off, Star Trek celebrates its half-century in a state of rude health. Boldly going where several other people have been before, Marcus Berkmann tells the story of this sturdy science fiction vehicle from its first five-year mission (rudely curtailed to three), through the dark years of the 1970s, the triumphant film series and The Next Generation, to the current 'reboot' films, with a younger cast taking on the characters of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and co. With wit, insight and a huge pile of DVDs, he seeks to answer all the important questions. Why did Kirk's shirt always get torn when he had a fist fight? What's the most number of times Uhura said 'Hailing frequencies open, sir' in a single episode? (Seven.) And what's the worst imaginable insult in Klingon? (Your mother has a smooth forehead.) Review For gossip and backstage inttrigue, the history and the myth, turn to Markus Berkmann's Set Phasers to Stun, a lively and witty history, The Times Marcus Berkmann extracts buckets of fun in this witty mixture of anecdote and episode guide . . . Berkmann's triumph is the way he evokes that time and sends the reader hurrying to watch the show again, Daily Mail Book Description Markus Berkmann's one-stop shop for all things Star Trek, published to celebrate one of the most iconic sci-fi series of all time. From the Back Cover Forty-seven years after NBC killed it off, Star Trek celebrates its half-century in a state of rude health. Boldly going where several other people have been before, Marcus Berkmann tells the story of this sturdy science fiction vehicle from its first five-year mission (rudely curtailed to three), through the dark years of the 1970s, the triumphant film series and The Next Generation, to the current reboot films, with a younger cast taking on the characters of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and co. With wit, insight and a huge pile of DVDs, Berkmann seeks to answer all the important questions: Why did Kirk's shirt always get torn when he had a fist fight? (To show off William Shatner's rippling abs.) What's the most number of times Uhura said 'Hailing frequencies open, sir' in a single episode? (Seven.) And what's the worst imaginable insult in Klingon? (Your mother has a smooth forehead.) 'Marcus Berkmann extracts buckets of fun in this witty mixture of anecdote and episode guide . . . Berkmann's triumph is the way he evokes that time and sends the reader hurrying to watch the show again'Daily Mail Author Bio Marcus Berkmann has spent more than thirty years sitting in front of various television screens swearing at incompetent England batsmen. In his leisure time he has written columns on sport for Punch, the Independent on Sunday and the Daily Express. He is a regular contributor to Private Eye and film critic of the Oldie, and writes book reviews for the Daily Mail. His books include Rain Men: The Madness of Cricket, Zimmer Men: The Trials and Tribulations of the Ageing Cricketer, Fatherhood: The Truth and A Matter of Facts: The Insider's Guide to Quizzing.