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Far Beyond the Stars
  
File Photo || Mission Review || Trailer & Images
Production Number: 538
Original air week: 2/09/98
Originally Titled: Cold and Distant Stars
Written by: Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler (Teleplay);
Marc Scott Zicree (Story)
Directed by: Avery Brooks
Starring:
- Avery Brooks as Bennie Sadler
- René Auberjonois as Pabst
- Michael Dorn as Willie [Mayes?]
- Terry Farrell as Secretary
- Cirroc Lofton as Jimmy
- Colm Meaney as ???
- Armin Shimerman as Herbert
- Alexander Siddig as ???
- Naná Visitor as ???
Guest Stars:
Spellings: none
Notes:
- Marc Alaimo (Dukat), Jeffrey Combs (Weyoun), J.G. Hertzler (Martok), and
Aron Eisenberg (Nog) guest star as humans, and naturally all appear without
their usual Cardassian, Vorta, Klingon, and Ferengi make-up.
René Auberjonois (Odo), Michael Dorn (Worf), Armin Shimerman (Quark),
and Naná Visitor (Kira) also play humans rather than Changelings,
Klingons, Ferengi, and Bajorans.
Penny Johnson guest stars as Cassie;
Brock Peters will also appear as a preacher.
- Pocket Books description:
Benjamin Sisko is no longer a Starfleet
Captain--he is a struggling science fiction writer by the name of Benny
Sadler. Benny has a dream of a place called Deep Space
Nine and a man called Ben Sisko. But is the world ready for a black
science fiction hero? Benny thinks "yes" and, one way or another, he will
tell the story.
- Sisko falls ill, dreams he is a science fiction writer in 1953 Manhatten,
currently working on a series strikingly similar to "Star Trek: Deep Space
Nine". Nobody will buy his stories, however, because he is a Negro (or
Colored, African-American, Black, or whichever term was in common use at
the time). ALT-Kasidy Yates, ALT-Sisko's girlfriend, falls for ALT-Worf.
The Author's Keyboard:
- Marc Scott Zicree (with John Ordover):
Q: What's it like to pitch either a story plot for an episode or a
pilot for a TV show?
Marc: Julie, it's very fun. The most important thing, expecially
with pitching a series, is to know the series--to know what stories
they've done and haven't done. Look for a way to take the
characters to places they haeven't gone. For instance, the story
that I just sold to DS9, entitled Cold and Distant Stars deals with
the world of SF writiers in 1950's New York. This is a time and a
subject that I love and that they had never touched on before.
John: It's a great story... blew me away.
- [[2/2]] Ira Steven Behr:
Marc Alaimo will not be playing Gul Dukat in "Far Beyond the Stars".
He'll be playing a 1950s New York City detective.
NONE of the actors will be playing characters based on their DS9 personas.
Trust me, it works.
Production Crew Comments:
- [[12/5]] Denise Okuda:
So about how many hours a week do you put in on the sets?
It varies. If we have a difficult episode (like the one we are
filming right now on DS9) we'll have more on-set duties. As video
supervisor, I run between both Voyager and DS9 and if we are
filming a heavy story specific video day, I might spend most of the
day on set.
- [[12/5]] Denise Okuda:
Which is more difficult--a futuristic set, or something period
like Ship in a Bottle?
In fact, we are currently filming a Deep Space Nine episode that
takes place in 1953. It's been a lot of fun and something we don't
get to do that often. Our set decorator, Laura Richarz, has really
knocked herself out and come up with some really cool stuff.
- Program Highlights
- STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE: "Far Beyond the Stars" -- Sisko
envisions he is a science-fiction writer encountering racism in
1953 America.
- TV Guide Ad
- PAST IMPERFECT
Trapped in time. Living another life.
Sisko faces his greatest enemy... racism.
- TV Log Listing
- Sisko encounters racism in 1950's America/STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE.
DETAILED REPORT
After a friend's ship is destroyed and Sisko considers leaving Starfleet, he begins having visions of his crew as 1950s Americans. Bashir's examination reveals unusual synaptic patterns, but before Sisko can discuss treatment, he finds himself in 1953 New York City as Benny Russell, a writer for a science-fiction magazine. Fellow staffers resemble O'Brien, Kira, Bashir, Dax, and Quark in human form, and their editor, Pabst, looks like a human Odo. Writing assignments are given as illustrations, and each writer creates a story to fit their drawing. Benny's illustration is a crude version of Deep Space Nine.
Benny writes of Captain Benjamin Sisko and his space station, Deep Space Nine. He shows the story to his girlfriend, Cassie (Kasidy Yates) and to the others at work. While everyone is impressed, Pabst refuses to publish it, telling Sisko that his readers will not accept a Negro man as the head of a space station.
That night, Benny encounters a preacher (Joseph Sisko) who urges him to "write the words." He pens another story starring Ben Sisko, forgetting all about his date with Cassie. Later, she arrives at Benny's apartment and coaxes him to dance with her. Suddenly, he is Sisko again, dancing with Kasidy on the station. Back as Benny, he tells Cassie he fears he is becoming Captain Sisko.
Benny returns to work determined to see his stories published. Albert (O'Brien) suggests making the first story a dream, and Pabst agrees that a young Negro man's vision of a better future is acceptable. That night, Benny's celebration with Cassie turns ugly. First, the preacher warns him of trouble ahead. Then, after two malicious police officers (Dukat and Weyoun) kill a Negro teenager (Jake Sisko), they turn on Benny and beat him mercilessly.
Weeks later, the day Benny's story is to be published, Pabst breaks the news that the magazine's owner refused to distribute the issue -- and that Benny has been fired. Devastated and at the breaking point, Benny tearfully declares that Ben Sisko and his future are real and cannot be destroyed. He is taken away in an ambulance, where he finds the preacher comforting him, then he wakes up on Deep Space Nine as Sisko again. Told he was unconscious only a few minutes, his brain readings have now returned to normal. Encouraged by his dream and its message, Sisko decides to stay with Starfleet and Deep Space Nine.
COMING SOON!
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