Raules Davies fronts CBS Action‘s Star Trek: The Next Generation broadcasts. The “Trekologist” steps up to the task by using the @cbsaction Twitter account to answer questions, award prizes and discuss the show.
Here at Geek Native we’ve landed an interview with this TV star in the making and have lined up a few questions to beam at him.
Q1. How old were you when you started watching Star Trek? What was your first experience of the show?
Hello. :) A double barrel to start! My first conscious memory of watching the show was when I was about 4 in 1977 at my Grandmother’s house in Thomasville, Georgia.
What was my first experience of the show? Obviously I was far too young to understand all the dialogue but my fascination was gripped, as I sat on the floor about two feet from the TV, by the USS Enterprise herself.
Q2. How did you get into Twitter?
Hahahahahaha. I’m not sure I’m actually “into” Twitter yet! It’s certainly a medium that targets those with smart phones that are always running off somewhere yet still have a lot to say. :) I will confess, I’m not one ohem yet, but I found Twitter has allowed me to reach those people without CBS Action with my televised factoids.
Q3. Do you think there’s anything like social networking in the Star Trek Universe?
No…… Well, maybe…. I doubt such a thing would exist within the service. I imagine there may be something like it for the civilian population of the 23rd and 24th centuries, but I really think that the social dynamic will shift again and people would make more vid-calls and would meet up in person more often.
Q4. What’s it been like hosting Star Trek for CBS Action?
It’s been incredible! As one fan said to me over the weekend- “The best. Job. Ever!” I think the only thing that could be better would be appearing in Star Trek itself. It’s also been a heck of an eye opener about how television works. I love it.
Q5. Can you give us an example of one of your favourite tweets from a fan during the show? Why did you like it?
A couple of weeks ago, Joshua Bell asked “If a photon torpedo travels faster than the speed of light, how do Chang, Duras sisters etc., watch it coming towards them?” It’s always something that people don’t think about because most sci-fi has us whizzing around space at an incredible rate! I liked this question/ tweet because it shows that Star Trek’s viewers aren’t just watching a TV show- they’re thinking and asking questions as well. The answer to the question is that torpedoes don’t travel at FTL speeds. Their propulsion is governed by the speed the ship is moving at the time it’s fired. In Star Trek all battles are fought at sub light speeds.
Q6. I’ve seen a press release that suggests you watch 8 hours of Star Trek every day. Press releases are known to stretch stats a little bit. How much Star Trek do you really watch?
Yes. This statement raised a few eyebrows. Obviously I don’t sit down every day at midday and watch Star Trek ‘til 8pm. I still work at the hotel and I have other things I need to do, but I can watch up to 8 to 10 hours of Star Trek in a day. My work with CBS has increased my amount of Star Trek viewing- that’s true and I do seem to spend every available hour in front of the TV. The accompanying statement of watching up to 80,000hrs is in fact a gross understatement… and the actual figure is in excess of 180,000 hours.
Q7. Can you give us an example of some Star Trek trivia that Geek Native readers might not have known before but is still impressive?
That’s a tough one. Hmmm… I don’t know how much your readers know, but I imagine anyone who reads Geek Native has got to be pretty clued in… still, off the top of my head, most people aren’t aware that Star Trek III was supposed to introduce the Romulans to the films. The Klingon Bird of Prey was originally Romulan… With wings on the underside included. They lost out to the Klingons when some bright spark pointed out, after the ship model was built and painted, that although the script called for a fist fight between Kirk and the Romulan commander, it is unlikely the Romulan would partake in such action. So instead of changing it to a phaser battle on a disintegrating world, as I would have done, they substituted the Romulans for Klingons and repainted and dirtied the ship. And the poor Romulans had to wait until Nemesis to appear properly.
Q8. Is there any rivalry between Trekkies over who watches the most or knows the most?
Not at all! If you meet another Trekkie who watches as much as you do or even more than you do rather than have a “Trek off” the normal response is that you’re so happy about meeting another geek because it means you can have a full “no holes barred” Trek conversation about anything from the apparent sexual appeal of green skinned women to the maximum safe cruising speed, at warp, of an Intrepid class Starship. There is a healthy rivalry within Star Trek mainly between generations ie. Kirk vs. Picard. Even the apparent Star Trek/ Star Wars rivalry that is supposed to exist is mainly in the US and, certainly where the UK is concerned, mostly tongue in cheek anyway. It’s like two brothers fighting over the better super hero.
Q9. Who’s the most famous Trekkie that you know?
Apart from me you mean? Hahahaha… Unfortunately I don’t know any famous people… yet. I wouldn’t go as far as to say I know him, as I haven’t met him yet, but we have communicated via email, and I hope to meet him in person soon. Larry Nemecek: the world’s most foremost Trekkie.
Q10. Would you like to see a new series of Star Trek?
Absolutely!! I don’t know a single Star Trek fan that doesn’t want it back on television… And if at all possible would love to be in it. Hope you’re listening CBS!!
