Moore, Part 8: Outlander.

In the years since Battlestar Galactica, Ronald D. Moore has struggled to find another hit on television. That search has ended with his latest series, Outlander. Based on the novel by Diana Gabaldon, the show tells the story of an English nurse from 1945 who is thrown back in time to 1743 Scotland.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max take a look at the first eight episodes of Moore's series. We discuss the strength of the characters, the use of time travel, and challenges of adapting a novel into a TV series. We also discuss the newest addition to the Star Trek family, Star Tr3k's cinematographer, Claudio Miranda.

Hosts

Mike Schindler and Max Hegel

Editor and Producer

Mike Schindler

Associate Producers

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Chapters

The Premise (02:00)

Thoughts on the Show (09:42)

Time Travel (27:14)

Adaptation (30:38)

Final Thoughts (39:51)

Claudio Miranda (41:11)

Closing (45:46)

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Moore, Part 7: Recap.

Ronald D. Moore's work as a writer on Star Trek gained the attention of many producers in Hollywood. Because of this, he has built a very successful career as a television showrunner.

This week, Mike and Max recap their series on Moore's career, looking at all of the shows he ran, including Roswell, Carnivale, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, and Virtuality. We also take a look at the future of Moore's career—with Helix and Outlander—as well as his unaired pilot, 17th Precinct.

Moore, Part 6: Virtuality.

After five and a half years of running the Sci-Fi Channel's most successful series, Ronald D. Moore began development on not one, but two new pilots. The first was Caprica, as discussed last week. The second was a science fiction show for Fox titled Virtuality.  

Co-created by Trek writer Michael Taylor, Virtuality follows the crew of a spacecraft on a ten-year mission to find an alternative to life on Earth, which only has 100 years left. The crew, which is being filmed for a reality television show, relaxes with the help of a virtual reality program. However, the program has turned dangerous, and it may not be the result of a simple glitch.

This week, Max and Mike take a look at the pilot. We discuss wether or not the answers to the questions asked would have been satisfying, why Moore chose to develop two virtual reality shows simultaneously, and how Moore assembled his crew, made up of past collaborators. We also wonder why Jamiroquai wasn't hired to perform the theme song.

Moore, Part 4: Battlestar Galactica. 

In many ways the nine years that Ronald D. Moore spent working on Star Trek prepared him for the show that very well may be his masterpiece, Battlestar Galactica. 

With his 2003 reboot of Glen A. Larson's classic series, Moore pushed boundaries that he wasn't allowed anywhere near on Star Trek. The end result is a heavily continuity-driven show that takes a hard look at politics, religion, and the human condition. 

This week, Max and Mike are joined by their co-host on Commentary Track Stars: Off Topic, Branden Myers, to take a look at one of the most significant science fiction works of the new millennium. We discuss what makes BSG stand out from other shows, how it differs from the original series, and the debt it owes to Star Trek. We also try to figure out whether or not Branden's a Trekkie.

Moore, Part 3: Carnivale.

A year after the cancellation of Roswell, Ronald D. Moore returned to television to run a new HBO series titled Carnivale.

Set against the backdrop of a traveling carnival during the Great Depression, the show follows two people—Ben (played by Nick Stahl) and Justin (played by Clancy Brown)—who are unknowing pawns in a battle between good and evil.

This week, Mike and Max chat about Moore's first solo effort. We discuss how the series came to be, why Moore left after one season, and what the show's existence means for the future of television. We also debate whether or not the terms "good" and "evil" apply to the main characters.

Moore, Part 2: Roswell.

After leaving Voyager, Ronald D. Moore was recruited by Jason Katims to work on the second season of Roswell. The series chronicles the lives of three teenaged aliens who are secretly living in the town where their spacecraft crash landed. 

Under Katims’s leadership, the first season of Roswell was primarily character driven, with the science fiction elements taking a back seat. But going forward, the network wanted the series to build upon its sci-fi mythology. And so, Moore was hired as a co-showrunner for the first time in his career. 

This week, Max and Mike are joined by Trek.fm’s Christopher Jones to take a look at the final two seasons of Moore’s first show. We discuss whether or not Moore’s contribution improved the show, how well the show holds up over time, and the strange connection the show has to Enterprise. We also fondly recall now-defunct ’90s television networks.

Moore, Part 1: Star Trek.

Many of the writers who began their careers on Star Trek have gone on to find great success outside of the franchise. But none have been more critically acclaimed than Ronald D. Moore. At the age of 25, Moore wrote his first teleplay, “The Bonding,” a spec script which was bought by Michael Piller for The Next Generation. He was quickly brought on staff, where he would write 60 more Trek adventures—including episodes for Deep Space Nine and Voyager, as well as the first two Next Generation movies.

This week, Mike and Max are joined by Matthew Rushing of The Orb to look at Moore’s work on Star Trek. We discuss his early work on The Next Generation, how his movies stack up to the others, what his contribution was to Deep Space Nine, and what led to his quick departure from Voyager. We also try to figure out who the Ringo of the DS9 writing staff was.