Sci-fi fans have the Internet to thank for bringing back to life the most iconic TV series of them all: Star Trek? The sets, costumes and theme music are hauntingly familiar. Even the names of the characters are recognizable: “Spock”, “Bones”, “Captain Kirk”. But you're not watching a rerun of Star Trek TOS (The Original Series). What you're watching is an all volunteer production of “Star Trek: Phase II”.
Star Trek: Phase II is the brainchild of James Cawley, who made his fortune as one of the nation's top Elvis Presley impersonators. According to the Phase II FAQ page, Cawley began dreaming of putting together his own version of Star Trek in the 1990's after working with legendary designer Bill Theiss, who was responsible for many of the breathtakingly beautiful costume designs on the original show.
So far, the “Star Trek: Phase II” has cranked out 7 official episodes from their studios in rustic Port Henry, New York. While Cawley has played the dashing Captain Kirk alongside real life Doctor John Kelley as the crotchety ship's surgeon Leonard “Bones” McCoy several key supporting roles including Mr. Spock have been played by a variety of actors. The effect of having so many actors play the same character runs the risk of jarring viewers, but Cawley has a ready answer for that concern. “Star Trek: Phase II's producers/crew feel that Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest should be treated as "classic" characters like Willy Loman from Death of a Salesman, Gandalf from Lord of the Rings or even Hamlet, Othello or Romeo. Many actors have and can play the roles, each offering a different interpretation of said character. ”
Several episodes have been beefed up by guest appearances from Star Trek alumni such as Walter Koenig and George Takei, while scripts have been provided by original series behind the scenes luminaries such as script supervisor Dorothy Fontana and David Gerrold.
Like all fan productions based on commercially successful franchises, Star Trek: Phase II exists in a legal gray area. Technically it may violate the copyright held by CBS/Paramount, however Cawley's production is strictly non-profit and so far, CBS/Paramount has turned a blind eye to this and other fan based productions which play on the Star Trek name. The reason may be simple, with downloads and views in the hundreds of thousands the “powers that be” at CBS/Paramount may reason that they are getting a lot of free exposure for their syndicated TV shows, movies and books than they could possibly gain by cracking down on fans who simply want to see more of their heroes and heroines in action.
You can see the Star Trek: Phase II site and download their individual episodes by clicking here.
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