Culver City P.O.: STLV 2017

Thursday, August 10, 2017

STLV 2017

The big annual Star Trek convention in Las Vegas is akin to a celebrity cruise: Even though you're confined to the same space with the same 5000 people for five days, you're never bored thanks to a jam-packed schedule of activities that include panel discussions, interviews, trivia contests, costume competitions, photo opportunities, and lively nighttime entertainment. Plus there's always the chance you'll share an elevator ride or two with your favorite stars.

Karen and I enjoyed last year's convention, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the original Star Trek (ST) TV show, so much that we decided to return again last week. This year's theme: the 30th anniversary of our favorite and arguably the best of all the ST series, Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG). Even Tim decided to tag along and took many of the photos below.

TNG anniversary logo

Arriving at the con

Convention highlights included: a museum of costumes and artifacts from the upcoming new TV show Star Trek: Discovery; behind-the-scenes slides narrated by ST creator Gene Roddenberry's assistant; an early morning program featuring concept art for new ST starships (I was one of the few women in the audience!); Klingon karaoke; a panel discussion of my favorite TNG episode, "The Inner Light;" a mash-up costume contest, where cosplayers cleverly used iconic non-Trek elements to create new ST characters (see several examples below); competitive compilation of Sir Patrick Stewart's top-ten non-Trek roles (our nominations did not win); and a closing night concert by the Rat Pack, several "minor" ST actors who wear tuxedos and sing standards with a special—and usually very funny—twist. And, yes, we did get to ride the elevator with a couple of our fave ST actors: John deLancie, who played Q on TNG and Star Trek: Voyager, and Robert Picardo (twice!), the Doctor on Voyager.

Celebrating ST:TNG