The original Star Trek television show aired its last episode over 46 years ago on June 3, 1969. But thanks to a lifelong fan named James Cawley, the Trek nostalgia lives on in a fan-created and now fan-funded digital series called Star Trek: New Voyages, a long-term project which began back in April 2003.
Cawley, who serves as New Voyages executive producer, grew up watching Star Trek syndicated re-runs and told The New York Times he knew the original show lines “forward and backward.” Cawley started New Voyages (also known as Star Trek: Phase II) as a continuation of the original series. The web version centers around the crew of the starship Enterprise in the final year of its five-year assigned mission. Soon after Cawley launched his New Voyages project, Jack Marshall joined as a producer and suggested the show be made into a free-to-view web series, to avoid legal conflicts with Star Trek franchise owner CBS. With consulting producer Eugene Roddenberry Jr. (the son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry) on board, the first episode of New Voyages was released in January 2004.
According to a blog post on the project’s official site, the majority (97%) of New Voyages’ production costs have been funded by cast and crew (in no small part thanks to Cawley’s career as an Elvis impersonator). Cawley and his crew only recently started running Kickstarter campaigns in 2014 to help fund new episodes, which are produced and released about once a year, so the entire series boasts only nine total installments (plus some behind-the-scenes extras and vignettes). One more New Voyages episode arrives in December 2015 and an eleventh episode is planned for release in 2016.
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The first few episodes of Star Trek: New Voyages starred Cawley as Captain James T. Kirk; Cawley was later succeeded by Brian Gross. Brandon Stacy plays the role of Spock, and John Kelley is Dr. McCoy. Supporting roles are filled by global Star Trek fans who volunteer their time freely to take part in the series’ filming. New Voyages has also attracted guest appearances from the original series such as George Takei (Sulu) and Walter Koenig (Chekov).
“People come from all over the world to take part in this — Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia and every state in the union,” said Cawley to The New York Times. “That’s the magic of Star Trek. It’s spawned this whole generation of fans who went on to professional careers — doctors, lawyers, engineers — who are now participating in that shared love here.”
Star Trek: New Voyages initially filmed in an old car dealership in Port Henry, New York, before moving to a shuttered Dollar General in Cawley’s hometown of Ticonderoga. There, the New Voyages crew has set up a near-perfect replica of the original series’ Enterprise bridge, medical bay, and transporter room. Cawley even gave 300 fans the chance to tour the studio at the first-ever Trekonderoga convention from September 4-6, 2015.
“Having the sets in a small town keeps them away from casual curiosity-seekers and gives the production crew the privacy necessary to film an episode,” said contributing writer and producer David Gerrold, who wrote the popular Star Trek episode “The Trouble With Tribbles.” “I am most impressed by the enthusiasm, the commitment, and the spirit of everyone who volunteers just for the fun of working their butt off. That’s what makes it special.”
The New Voyages team is currently working on its fall 2015 fundraising campaign, which encourages fans to become monthly supporters. If you’re a Trekkie, or just think what Cawley and the New Voyages crew are doing is awesome, you can visit the series’ site to donate.
