Trekkin’ on, but with a tinge of sadness
I’VE been a huge fan of Star Trek since I was six and watched the original series with my dad.
I had a big crush on Mr Spock, one of the most interesting characters ever to grace the screen.
At a time when it is was illegal for black and white people in some parts of the USA to share a meal in a restaurant we had Lieutenant Uhura on the bridge of The Enterprise.
At the height of the Cold War, the Russian, Chekov, was one of the starship’s navigators.
This year, Star Trek celebrates its 50th birthday with a new film, Star Trek Beyond and I was lucky enough to see it this week.
I also interviewed my favourite of the new stars, Zachary Quinto, who does a brilliant Spock in the rebooted franchise.
I was a bit worried when they announced a complete cinematic overhaul of my most beloved TV show, but the movies have been respectful of the past while carving out their own future and identity.
In this world, Spock and Uhura are an item and I was a bit shocked when I saw them kiss each other.
Essentially, though, the characters are the same, but this latest film is tinged with sadness.
Last month, 27-year-old Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov, was killed in a freak car accident.
Zachary told me it made the release of the film bittersweet and they kept thinking Anton was going to bounce into the room to help them all with the rounds of promotional interviews.
He is also still mourning his great friend Leonard Nimoy, the original Spock, who died last year. The two became great friends and Leonard gave Zachary a lot of support with his portrayal of Spock.
The new movie has astonishing special effects, Idris Elba is a suitably frightening baddie with a twist in his story, and there are some lovely references to the original Trek.
Fittingly, it is dedicated to Leonard Nimoy and to Anton Yelchin, both of whom are sadly missed.