star trek space nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was the fourth Star Trek series and entered production in 1992 . It was broadcast in first-run syndication from January 1993 until June 1999 .

It was the first Star Trek series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller rather than by Gene Roddenberry . It was also the only series to air alongside another Star Trek production throughout its entire run, airing alongside Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1993 until 1994 , and then with Star Trek: Voyager from 1995 until 1999 .

(Themes composed by Dennis McCarthy ).
1.1 The characters
1.2 Alien races
1.3 The mirror universe
1.4 Technology
1.5 Costumes
2.1 Development
2.2 Title sequence
2.3 Serialization
3.1 Starring
3.2 Also starring
3.3 Special guest stars
3.4 Special appearances by
3.5 Recurring characters
4 Executive producers
5 Staff writers
6.1 Season 1
6.2 Season 2
6.3 Season 3
6.4 Season 4
6.5 Season 5
6.6 Season 6
6.7 Season 7
7 Related topics
9 External links

Summary [ ]

Deep Space Nine goes where no Star Trek series had gone before – DS9 was the first Star Trek production not based on a starship , but instead, a starbase , known as Deep Space 9 (the starship USS Defiant was introduced in season 3, but the station remained the primary setting of the series). The show is known for its complex characters and storylines, engaging battle scenes and darker (less Utopian) atmosphere. Unlike its predecessors Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine tended to avoid an episodic format for most of its run and instead featured multiple-episode story arcs .

The show broke the "standard format" for Star Trek shows a number of times as well, with a direct, first-person narrative providing the commentary for the episode " In the Pale Moonlight ", a retelling of a classic TOS episode from a different angle in " Trials and Tribble-ations ", life in the racially segregated 1950s in " Far Beyond the Stars ", and a reintroduction of the concept of "black ops" to the Star Trek universe with Section 31 : " Inquisition ". The show also broke with tradition – and with the two Star Trek series that followed it – by featuring a commanding officer as the star of the show at the rank of commander, rather than captain, for a significant portion of its run, until Sisko was eventually promoted to captain in " The Adversary ". Additionally, a number of the episodes and main storylines focused entirely on characters who weren't members of Starfleet: for example, those revolving around Kira, Odo, Jake Sisko, and Quark. (" Progress ", " Shakaar ", " The House of Quark ", " Heart of Stone ", " Prophet Motive ", " Little Green Men ", " Bar Association ", " Body Parts ", " Nor the Battle to the Strong ", " The Ascent ", " The Darkness and the Light ", " Business as Usual ", " Ties of Blood and Water ", " Ferengi Love Songs ")

The characters [ ]

Unlike other Star Trek series, DS9 also had a large cast of recurring characters . Such characters included Nog , Rom , Elim Garak , Dukat , Vedek Bareil Antos , Winn Adami , Weyoun , the Female Changeling , Damar , Martok , Kasidy Yates , Leeta , Brunt , Ishka , and Zek .

Miles O'Brien , and later Worf , were two characters imported from TNG. Worf – a major character from TNG – played a large role on DS9. Several Next Generation characters also had recurring roles on the show, such as Keiko O'Brien and Gowron . Several other TNG characters made appearances too, such as Captain Jean-Luc Picard , Thomas Riker , Q , Lwaxana Troi , Kurn , Lursa , B'Etor , Admiral Alynna Nechayev , Vash , Toral and Alexander Rozhenko . In addition, Julian Bashir and Quark also had one-time appearances on The Next Generation , in " Birthright, Part I " and " Firstborn " respectively. Quark (and the station itself) also made a cameo in the pilot of Star Trek: Voyager , " Caretaker ". Characters from The Original Series were also re-introduced in DS9, including Kor , Kang , Koloth , and Arne Darvin .

The series also featured a number of episodes in which the character of Miles O'Brien was subjected to particular trauma. This became an in-joke among the DS9 writing staff, who called them "O'Brien Must Suffer" episodes and went to great lengths to produce at least one such episode per season. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. ? )

Alien races [ ]

The series focused on several races that were first featured on TNG, such as the Bajorans , the Cardassians , the Trill , and the Ferengi . Later, the Klingons and the Romulans (both created in TOS) became pivotal species in the series. Many other species made appearances on the series, including Vulcans , Bolians , and Benzites . The series also created many species of its own, most notably the Changelings , the Vorta , and the Jem'Hadar , who formed part of the Dominion .

Jadzia Dax and other Trills portrayed in DS9 were distinctly different from how Trills had been depicted in the TNG episode " The Host ". In DS9, the relationship between host and symbiont was described more as a truly symbiotic relationship rather than the symbiont dominating the host. Trills now having spots, rather than prosthetic make-up, was due to studio executives feeling that Jadzia Dax actress Terry Farrell was too attractive to cover her face up. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 23, No. 6, p. 21)

Another significant change was the relationship Ferengi had with Humans . The Ferengi on TNG had originally been intended to be a new adversary comparable to the Klingons in TOS, although the writers had quickly realized how ridiculous the Ferengi were as villains. In DS9, the Ferengi were mainly entrepreneurs and the Ferengi Alliance was a politically neutral economic power.

Deep Space Nine also featured several regular characters who were not members of Starfleet , with Kira Nerys , a member of the Bajoran Militia , and Odo , the station's chief of security , as well as civilians such as Quark and Jake Sisko .

The mirror universe [ ]

The series spent some time exploring the mirror universe , which had not been seen since the TOS episode " Mirror, Mirror ". The mirror universe was featured in five episodes of the series: " Crossover ", " Through the Looking Glass ", " Shattered Mirror ", " Resurrection ", and " The Emperor's New Cloak ".

Technology [ ]

The show also focused on a wider array of uses and depictions of functions for holographic simulations (known as a holodeck in TOS and TNG but as a holosuite in DS9). In addition to many obvious activities (such as those referenced by Chief O'Brien and Julian Bashir) which were completely in keeping with holodeck usage on The Next Generation , the numerous applications of the holosuites on DS9 included them being used as: a recurring background for people to hang out in, in the form of a 1960s Las Vegas lounge (in numerous episodes); a weapons showroom (by Quark); and the location for a baseball game between teams assembled by Sisko versus Solok , a long-time rival Vulcan captain (in " Take Me Out to the Holosuite ").

Costumes [ ]

DS9 initially featured a noticeable change in Starfleet uniform to a reversed color scheme of the TNG uniform, which is a black design with the division color on the shoulders and a grayish-indigo undershirt underneath the uniform, resembling the cadet uniforms seen on The Next Generation . This design is called the old DS9-style uniforms . It was mostly implemented as a continuation of Star Trek 's pattern of changing uniforms over time, although factors such as the discomfort of wearing TNG-style uniforms played a role as well.

What came to be known as the DS9-style uniforms were more of a variant than a switch, however, due to the cost of producing all-new uniforms. This is why, for example, the DS9 crew themselves wear old DS9-style uniforms from the beginning of DS9 pilot episode " Emissary " up to the fifth season episode " The Ascent ", and this style was also later used throughout Star Trek: Voyager . Meanwhile, even after TNG had gone off the air, the dress uniforms and flag officer uniforms on DS9 up until the sixth season (as well as uniforms on Earth , as seen in the fourth season episodes " Homefront " and " Paradise Lost ") were " TNG-style ".

These discrepancies were corrected with the later switch to a unified, "gray-on-black" format with the division color undershirts (known as the " DS9-style "), which was used through Star Trek Nemesis and were also used in this series, starting with " Rapture " and for the remainder of this series, though the old DS9-style uniforms in this series appeared four more times following the uniform change in the episodes, " In Purgatory's Shadow " and " By Inferno's Light " as well as seen on a photograph of " Field of Fire " and in the flashback scenes of " What You Leave Behind ".

Background information [ ]

Development [ ].

The decision to set the series on a space station, rather than a starship, spawned when Brandon Tartikoff originally approached Rick Berman about the show, in 1991, and specifically said he wanted it to have a format that was new for Star Trek but was classically western; if The Next Generation was Wagon Train in space, Deep Space Nine was to be The Rifleman in space – a man and his son coming to a dilapidated frontier town on the edge of known civilization. Berman brought this concept to Michael Piller , and together they set about creating a western in space. As Robert Hewitt Wolfe later explained, " We had the country doctor , and we had the barkeeper , and we had the sheriff and we had the mayor , we had it all, it was all there. We had the common man, Miles O'Brien , the Native American, Kira . " Indeed, the producers initially discussed setting the show at a colony on an alien planet rather than on a space station. This idea was ultimately rejected because it was felt that it would involve too much location shooting, and because they felt that fans of Star Trek wanted to see story lines set primarily in space , not on a planet. ( New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine , DS9 Season 2 DVD special features)

The change of venue to a space station was largely intended to differentiate DS9 from The Next Generation , because the producers felt that having two shows about a starship airing simultaneously would be unacceptable. As co-creator and executive producer Rick Berman later explained, " Because there were two years of overlap with The Next Generation , we could not create a show that took place on a spaceship. It just seemed ridiculous to have two shows and two casts of characters that were off going where no man has gone before. It was a land-based show, it was a show that in a sense was taking place on a space station. So it had to be an entirely different concept. " ( Deep Space Nine: A Bold Beginning , DS9 Season 1 DVD special features)

The decision to set the show on a fixed station rather than a traveling starship was also based upon a desire to look deeper into the actual workings of the Federation and to see how it dealt with the type of problems one wouldn't find in a show set upon a starship. Michael Piller felt that, by having the characters standing still, they would be forced to confront issues not usually applicable to people on a starship. Whereas on The Next Generation , issues raised each week could simply be forgotten about the following week as the ship visited somewhere else, on a space station, events couldn't be forgotten or left behind but instead had to have implications for the future. As Piller explained, " We didn't want to have another series of shows about space travel. We felt that there was an opportunity to really look deeper, more closely at the working of the Federation and the Star Trek universe by standing still. And by putting people on a space station where they would be forced to confront the kind of issues that people in space ships are not forced to confront. In a series that focuses on a starship, like the Enterprise , you live week by week. You never have to stay and deal with the issues that you've raised. But by focusing on a space station, you create a show about commitment. It's like the difference between a one-night stand and a marriage. On Deep Space Nine , whatever you decide has consequences the following week. So it's about taking responsibility for your decisions, the consequences of your acts. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. ? ) Similarly, in 2002 , Piller stated, " If you look at The Next Generation , it's really about movement. You don't ever stay in one place long enough to get to know anybody. Well Deep Space Nine is a show where everybody is forced to stay week after week, so each episode, each show, is fundamentally dealing with the people who have to learn that actions have consequences, and they have to live with the consequences of their actions on a weekly basis. " ( New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine , DS9 Season 2 DVD special features)

Setting the show in a fixed location meant that a large cast of recurring characters could be built up with relative ease; much more so than in The Original Series or The Next Generation before it, or Star Trek: Voyager , Star Trek: Enterprise , or Star Trek: Discovery since. As Rick Berman, speaking in 2002, stated, " The show was land-based, but the benefit we got from that was that by staying in one place, it enabled us to create twenty or thirty secondary and recurring characters, which really enriched the show because of all the multi-layers of relationships that have existed over the years. It's a very character-driven show as a result, and I think that makes it quite unique. " ( Deep Space Nine: A Bold Beginning , DS9 Season 1 DVD special features)

The decision to set the show in a fixed location was regarded as a benefit by the series' staff writers. For example, Ira Steven Behr , speaking in 1996 , commented, " We have certain advantages that I think no other Star Trek series has had, because we do have a base of operations that doesn't travel through space, which is the space station. Every story we do, the repercussions, the consequences don't disappear. It's not like the other shows where you have an adventure and then you zoom off into the great unknown. We are here, we have made a home, what we do has consequences. And I think we're able to do this mosaic, this fabric of life in the future, which I like. " Similarly, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, speaking in 2002, stated, " I think if Next Generation and The Original Series were about going out there and discovering new things about other races, Deep Space Nine is about staying in one place and discovering new things about ourselves. Not that we didn't go out there and discover things, but we had the same characters, we didn't change location every week. Sisko couldn't just solve a problem and sail off into the sunset, and never have to go back to that place again. That place was always there, and that problem could always come back to haunt him. So, in a lot of ways, it was a more complex show. " ( New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine , DS9 Season 2 DVD special features)

The series was designed to have more interpersonal conflict than its predecessors, while still staying true to the universe that Gene Roddenberry had created. Rick Berman commented, " [Deep Space 9]'s an alien space station that doesn't work the way they want it to, and that in itself created a lot of conflict. At the same, our core characters are Starfleet officers; Sisko, O'Brien, the doctor and Dax in no way vary from The Next Generation in terms of the lack of conflict among themselves. That was a rule we had to follow. " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 5) Berman also commented, " What we wanted to do was something that was almost paradoxical – bring conflict but not break Gene's rules. They still play paramount importance in what we're doing. We created an environment where Starfleet officers were in a location that they weren't happy about being in, and they were in a location where the people who lived there weren't all that happy about them being there. " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 8)

The show's main cast was intentionally assembled to create conflict (Quark and Odo, Kira and Sisko, etc.), so as to contrast the relatively tranquil atmosphere aboard Federation starships. This was another very specific decision taken by the producers. Gene Roddenberry's golden rule was that there was to be no conflict among Starfleet characters, so the producers decided to introduce non-Starfleet characters so conflict could come from within the show rather than always coming from outside (as it did on TNG). Rick Berman recalled, " We [....] created a situation where we had people who were members of our core group who were not Starfleet: the security shapeshifter Odo; the Bajoran Major, Kira; the bartender, Quark. A group of our integral people are not Starfleet officers, and the ones that are Starfleet officers aren't crazy about where they are, so we have a lot of frustration and conflict. " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 8) Writer Joe Menosky explained, " You can see right away they're not the perfectly engineered Humans of TNG. They seem more real. I don't know if that makes them as attractive to viewers or not. But they are really different, and they represent a different way to tell a story. And it was definitely a conscious choice to create that potential for conflict. " Similarly, Berman stated, " Viewers didn't see that group of loving family members that existed on the first two Star Trek shows. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. ? ) Michael Piller also commented on this somewhat controversial aspect of the show; " One of the primary goals of the development process was to come up with a show that had more inherent conflict than The Next Generation . In order to do that, you have to understand that Gene Roddenberry had a very specific vision for Humanity in the 24th century. What that meant for The Next Generation was that everybody gets along remarkably well on the Enterprise . There's very little room for interpersonal conflict between those people. In this series, we set out to create a situation that would provide natural conflict. We've populated the show with several aliens, primarily Bajorans , as we are stationed on the edge of the Bajoran star system . And the Bajorans are very different people than we are. They are people who are very spiritual and mystical and have a whole different way of looking at life than the 24th century humanist views which many of our Starfleet people will have. So immediately, there are conflicts. And then there's additional aliens from elsewhere who are thrown into the mix. So, as regular characters, not all the people are Starfleet, not all the people are Human, and as a result, you have this continuing conflict, because people who come from different places, honorable, noble people, will naturally have conflicts. " ( Deep Space Nine: A Bold Beginning , DS9 Season 1 DVD special features)

Unlike with TOS and TNG, Gene Roddenberry wasn't directly involved in conceptualizing DS9. Regarding Roddenberry's involvement in the series, Rick Berman stated, " Michael and I discussed it with Gene when we were still in the early stages, but never anything conceptual. " " We never got a chance to discuss it (the concept) with Gene. By the time we had it to the point that it was discussable, he was in pretty bad shape and not really in the condition that it would have been wise to discuss it with him. On two specific occasions I was with him at his house and we tried to bring it up, but it wasn't really appropriate. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 328) Director Paul Lynch remarked, " My gut feeling is that Gene would be jumping up and down. This is definitely a different take on what Gene spawned, but I think he would love it [....] While it's quite different, Deep Space Nine is also, in many ways, quite the same. All of Gene's moral requirements are upheld in this show. If we've done anything, we've expanded on what Gene created. " ( The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine issue 1 , pp. 10 & 12)

Initially, Berman and Piller were at a loss for a title for the series and toyed with calling the series "The Final Frontier". During further development, the station was temporarily dubbed "Deep Space Nine", which not only stuck permanently as the name of the station, but also the title of the show itself. Despite this, the two co-creators were reportedly dissatisfied with the name. ( Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Unauthorized Story , pp. 17-18)

Miles O'Brien was brought aboard DS9 and made a part of the space station's senior staff because the producers felt that Colm Meaney was too talented an actor to confine his character to a transporter room . Additionally, they hoped the TNG crossover would help boost the new series' ratings.

In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. ? , Michael Piller explained the rationale behind each of the principal cast members, why each character was chosen, and what each one was to bring to the mix;

Jadzia Dax: " The Trill is a great race. They had some interesting ramifications on TNG. A Trill character would provide great potential for dichotomy and paradox. "
Odo: " We knew that we needed some kind of Data / Spock character who looks at the world from the outside in. And the idea that an alien entity would have to find some way to pass as Human was fascinating, and seemed to give us an avenue into the kind of 'complexion of Humanity' stories that we wanted to tell. "
Quark: " A Ferengi would provide the show with instant humor and built-in conflict. I saw Quark as the bartender who is a constant thorn in the side of law and order, but who has a sense of humor about it. He'd be someone who could obviously throw lots of story dynamics into play. "
Julian Bashir: " We decided to create a flawed character. He'd have to be brought down to size in order to grow. And we wrote him as kind of a jerk for much of the first season . "
Miles O'Brien: " After we decided we were bringing him over to the new show, we thought, 'How do we use him?' We'd already decided to focus on Bajor, with this long backstory, establishing his bitterness towards the Cardassians , so it worked very nicely together. "
Kira Nerys: " We liked the idea of having somebody working with the commander of the station who would be a thorn in his side, who would represent a different point of view. We knew we'd get conflict and interesting dynamics between the two characters. "
Benjamin Sisko: " Every hero needs a journey. You want to take your leading man on a quest where he has to overcome personal issues as well as whatever space stuff happens to be out there. The idea of a man who is broken and who begins to repair himself is always a great beginning for drama. "

The first officer aboard DS9 would have been Ro Laren , but she was replaced by Kira Nerys ( Nana Visitor ) because Michelle Forbes did not want to commit to a six-year contract working on DS9. Indeed, the reason the producers had decided to set the show on Bajor in the first place was because of Ro.

Following the highly rated appearance of James Doohan as Montgomery Scott in TNG : " Relics ", it was reported, in 1993, that Doohan had been urging Paramount to add him to the cast of DS9. It was also rumored that William Shatner had expressed interest in participating in DS9 in some capacity. ( Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Unauthorized Story , p. 15)

During pre-production for the series, the producers were especially keen to ensure that the aesthetic of the show was very different from anything yet seen in the Star Trek universe. For example, Director of Photography Marvin Rush said the producers told him that they wanted "a darker, more sinister place" than the Enterprise -D. Rush himself described the final look as "dark and shadowy." Similarly, Herman Zimmerman said, " The marching orders for the station were to make it bizarre. " Finally, Supervising Producer David Livingston summed up the differences between DS9 and TNG by comparing the Enterprise 's bridge with Deep Space 9's Ops ; " The bridge is a very easy set to shoot. It's a three-wall open set with a lot of room, big and cavernous. Ops, on the other hand, is a multilevel set with a lot of cramped areas and very contrasty lighting. It's more interesting visually. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. ? ) As Colm Meaney elaborated, " Because it was an alien space station, it gives the whole thing a very different feel I think to Next Generation or the original show, where you have the Enterprise , which is this very perfect environment. This is much more kind of dark and eerie, and also nothing works, the whole thing is a terrible mess. " ( Deep Space Nine Scrapbook: Year One , DS9 Season 1 DVD special features)

From the very beginning, DS9's darker aesthetic, more antagonistic characters and less Utopian setting were somewhat controversial among die-hard fans of Gene Roddenberry's universe. As Ira Steven Behr, speaking in 1996 (about halfway through the show's seven-year run), stated, " At the beginning of Deep Space Nine 's life, there was feelings that this was not a show that Gene would approve of by some of the fans, feeling that, you know, we had gone away from the image of the future as a paradise, that we had much more conflicts between our people, life isn't always great. But I think Gene, just by his very nature as a creative individual, as a writer, as a forward-thinking person, knows that any franchise has to move forward like a shark, or it dies. And I think he would understand what we're doing, and I think he would like what we're doing, and I think we're in the pocket of the Star Trek universe, and we try to push the envelope. And I see nothing wrong with that, and I have a hard time believing that Gene would see anything wrong with that. " ( New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine , DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) The sense that DS9 was too "dark" to be a Star Trek show only increased over the years, with episodes such as " Nor the Battle to the Strong ", " In the Pale Moonlight " and " The Siege of AR-558 ", and topics such as Section 31 charting territory never before seen on a Star Trek show, and creating a great deal of controversy among fans of both The Original Series and The Next Generation .

Robert Hewitt Wolfe recalled that Sisko holding the rank of commander led to unfavorable comparisons to the other series. " Whenever people would do articles about Star Trek they would talk about the three captains: Kirk , Picard , and Janeway . " The decision to promote Sisko to captain was prompted by the producers feeling that he deserved the higher rank as much as the other lead characters. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 253)

Identifying one way in which he believed DS9 differed from TNG, Colm Meaney stated, " On Next Generation they were dealing with more philosophical ponderings where we on DS9 tend to deal with more hands-on immediate crises that I think of as more resonant with the problems we have in the world today [….] I think that's probably the single main difference. We connect more with contemporary issues, issues relevant to the 1990s, than did Next Generation." ("Mr. Goodwrench", Star Trek: Communicator issue 105 , p. 20)

Title sequence [ ]

Dan Curry commented on the title sequence: " With DS9 I wanted a ballet around the space station, with elegant moves that wove in and out of each other ". ( Cinefantastique )

Serialization [ ]

The series is best remembered for an approach to serialization, predating the format of the late-2010s Star Trek series. Ira Behr commented: " The fact that Discovery is serialized or that Picard is serialized doesn't mean much to me, because how could they not be serialized in 2019? They get to just stay with the times. It's easy to be serialized now. Thank God they're doing that, but it would only be worthy of discussion if they didn't do it. The serialization was a bold move. I look back at it now and I was really a bit of an asshole, because everyone was saying people can't keep up with it. The show was syndicated and on at different times. I didn't care about any of that. I just wanted to do the best show we could do. I could understand why certain people involved and other producers and studios would feel that that was a little bit of an annoying take, because it did hurt the fan base, but at the time, I wasn't thinking about the future. I just wanted to do the best show we could do ". [1]

Ron Moore commented, " I think a lot of Battlestar was born at Deep Space Nine in that Deep Space started as much more episodic because of the nature of the show, it became more a continuing serialised structure. I really liked that, and I discovered I really liked that style of storytelling, and also particularly when we got into the later years of Deep Space , and we started telling the Dominion War story (1997-99), we would sit and argue and fight with the powers that be at Trek about making it a more realistic war, about making it grittier, and ugly; adding more ambiguity to the characters, and roughing it up a little bit, and I kept bumping my head against the strictures at Trek . What Star Trek is could not accommodate things that I wanted to do, so I started to have this sort of pent up frustration about 'well if we were really going to do it right', these ideas would sit in the back of my head so when Battlestar came along, I could now do all of those things that I was never allowed to do at Deep Space . " [2]

Due to the non-episodic nature of DS9, some of the series was lost on the casual viewer when it first aired. Many also believe that the changing television landscape contributed to DS9's ratings trouble, as local TV stations which had aired TNG in prime time became WB and UPN affiliates and pushed syndicated programming to the margins. Subsequent Star Trek shows Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise had network support from UPN and a guaranteed time slot. DS9 was also the only series to run opposite another Star Trek show (first The Next Generation , then Voyager ) for the entirety of its run (the first twelve episodes of the third season aired without another series on). Additionally, certain markets, notably in the UK, would only play one Star Trek series, in its entirety, at a time. Thus, events alluded to in The Next Generation or Voyager that happened in Deep Space Nine took months to "sync up."

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was nominated for 32 Emmy Awards , mostly in "technical" categories such as visual effects and makeup. It won four: "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music", "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects", and "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series" (twice).

Deep Space Nine remained a fan-favorite series throughout its seven-year run, with reviewers consistently lauding the series for its bold shift in tone from The Next Generation . Most notable among such changes was the concept of inter-personal conflict – something which Gene Roddenberry himself was said to have forbidden.

Said Ronald D. Moore , DS9 producer and screenwriter:

"I'd like us to be remembered as the Trek series that dared to be different. We took chances in a franchise that has every reason to play it safe and spoon-feed the same old thing to the audience week after week. We challenged the characters, the audience, and the Star Trek universe itself. Sometimes we failed (sometimes spectacularly) but we never stopped trying to push the show into new directions."

Robert Hewitt Wolfe remarked, " The truth of DS9 is, we had a great ensemble cast. Michael Piller created all these terrific characters [with the exception of Worf]." ("Flashback: The Way of the Warrior", Star Trek Magazine issue 127 )

Several former producers and head writers from DS9 have been involved in other sci-fi series, including the creation of the "re-envisioned" Battlestar Galactica , as well as The 4400 , Farscape , Medium and Outlander .

In 2019, the documentary What We Left Behind was released. The documentary featured interviews with the actors, writers, production staff and fans, as well as featuring segments in which the writers pitched a new episode.

There was also a rivalry with another popular and critically acclaimed television series, Babylon 5 , created and produced by J. Michael Straczynski for Warner Bros. The two productions, which ran largely concurrently, were observed to be so similar that Babylon 5 fans accused Paramount, to whom Straczynski had previously pitched his series, of plagiarism. Considering how fellow Star Trek alumni like Walter Koenig and Andreas Katsulas had major roles in the rival series, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry agreed to a guest appearance in Babylon 5 as a gesture of goodwill to encourage a reconciliation between the two sets of fans. Rick Berman commented that rivalry was: " purely a fan thing, " adding: " there was a time when, I don't know whether it was specifically Straczynski or other people, it was implied that he had pitched an idea similar to DS9 to Paramount and that it had been rejected and that, lo and behold, a year or so later DS9 came about. The implication being that Michael Piller and I perhaps stole all or part of his idea, which was always amusing to Michael and I because it was completely untrue. We had no knowledge of this gentleman. If he did pitch something to Paramount, we never heard about it. DS9 was a show that was created by Michael and me and Brandon Tartikoff, who was the recent head of Paramount at the time, without any knowledge of Straczynski or of anything that he had ever pitched. So when we were accused of stealing his idea it was a little sad but at the same time a little comical to us. " [3]

Main cast [ ]

The first season promotional image of the cast of Deep Space Nine

Starring [ ]

Avery Brooks as Commander / Captain Benjamin Sisko

Also starring [ ]

Rene Auberjonois as Odo
Nicole de Boer as Ensign / Lieutenant jg Ezri Dax ( 1998 - 1999 )
Michael Dorn as Lt. Commander Worf ( 1995 - 1999 )
Siddig El Fadil as Doctor Bashir

Beginning in 1995, El Fadil was credited as Alexander Siddig and moved between Shimerman and Visitor in the opening credits.

Terry Farrell as Lieutenant / Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax ( 1993 - 1998 )
Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
Colm Meaney as Chief O'Brien
Armin Shimerman as Quark
Nana Visitor as Major / Colonel Kira

Special appearances by [ ]

Bernie Casey as Calvin Hudson
James Darren as Vic Fontaine
Robert Picardo as Lewis Zimmerman / Emergency Medical Holographic program
Chris Sarandon as Martus Mazur
Vanessa Williams as Arandis

Recurring characters [ ]

Cecily Adams and Andrea Martin as Ishka
Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat
Philip Anglim as Vedek Bareil
Casey Biggs as Damar
Jeffrey Combs as Liquidator Brunt
Max Grodénchik as Rom
Aron Eisenberg as Nog
Hana Hatae as Molly O'Brien
J.G. Hertzler as General Martok
Barry Jenner as Admiral Ross
David B. Levinson as Broik
Kenneth Marshall as Michael Eddington
Chase Masterson as Leeta
Robert O'Reilly as Chancellor Gowron
Duncan Regehr as Shakaar
Andrew J. Robinson as Elim Garak
Mark Allen Shepherd as Morn

Executive producers [ ]

Rick Berman – Executive Producer
Michael Piller – Executive Producer (1993–1995)
Ira Steven Behr – Executive Producer (1995–1999)

Staff writers [ ]

Ira Steven Behr , Staff Writer
Hans Beimler , Staff Writer (1995–1999)
René Echevarria , Staff Writer ( 1994 –1999)
Ronald D. Moore , Staff Writer (1994–1999)
Bradley Thompson , Staff Writer ( 1996 –1999)
David Weddle , Staff Writer (1996–1999)
Robert Hewitt Wolfe , Staff Writer (1993– 1997 )

Episode list [ ]

Season 1 [ ].

DS9 Season 1 , 19 episodes:

Season 2 [ ]

DS9 Season 2 , 26 episodes:

Season 3 [ ]

DS9 Season 3 , 26 episodes:

Season 4 [ ]

DS9 Season 4 , 25 episodes:

Season 5 [ ]

DS9 Season 5 , 26 episodes:

Season 6 [ ]

DS9 Season 6 , 26 episodes:

Season 7 [ ]

DS9 Season 7 , 25 episodes:

External links [ ]

List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine characters at Wikipedia
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at the Internet Movie Database
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at TV.com
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes at the iTunes Store
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at StarTrek.com
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at Wikiquote
1 Bell Riots
2 Obi Ndefo
3 Gabriel Bell

Cast & crew
User reviews

Episode list

Star trek: deep space nine.

S1.E1 ∙ Emissary

Nana Visitor in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E3 ∙ Past Prologue

Armin Shimerman and Peter Vogt in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E4 ∙ A Man Alone

Avery Brooks and Alexander Siddig in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E5 ∙ Babel

S1.E6 ∙ Captive Pursuit

Armin Shimerman and Jennifer Hetrick in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E7 ∙ Q-Less

S1.E8 ∙ Dax

Terry Farrell, Nana Visitor, Avery Brooks, and Alexander Siddig in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E9 ∙ The Passenger

Rene Auberjonois and Cirroc Lofton in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E10 ∙ Move Along Home

Aron Eisenberg and Cirroc Lofton in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E11 ∙ The Nagus

Terry Farrell, Nana Visitor, and Avery Brooks in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E12 ∙ Vortex

S1.E13 ∙ Battle Lines

Kay E. Kuter in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E14 ∙ The Storyteller

Nana Visitor and Alexander Siddig in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E15 ∙ Progress

Rene Auberjonois in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E16 ∙ If Wishes Were Horses

S1.E17 ∙ The Forsaken

Terry Farrell, Colm Meaney, Nana Visitor, Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, and Tom Towles in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E18 ∙ Dramatis Personae

S1.E19 ∙ Duet

Avery Brooks in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

S1.E20 ∙ In the Hands of the Prophets

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Welcome to Vibes, TMDB's new rating system! For more information, visit the contribution bible .

Play Opening Credits

At the edge of the Final Frontier, the Universe's greatest mystery is about to unfold.

At Deep Space Nine, a space station located next to a wormhole in the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, Commander Sisko and crew welcome alien visitors, root out evildoers and solve all types of unexpected problems that come their way.

Gene Roddenberry

Michael Piller

Rick Berman

Series Cast

Avery Brooks

Benjamin Sisko

176 Episodes

Nana Visitor

Colm Meaney

Miles O'Brien

Alexander Siddig

Julian Bashir

Cirroc Lofton

Armin Shimerman

René Auberjonois

Terry Farrell

150 Episodes

Michael Dorn

Worf, Willie Hawkins

105 Episodes

Full Cast & Crew

Last Season

Original Air Date
DVD release (DVD)

1998 • 26 Episodes

Season 7 of Deep Space Nine marks the end of the series, as it concludes the Dominion War arc and the saga of the characters and their relationships. The Federation and its allies face the final showdown with the Cardassian-Dominion alliance, which is aided by the Breen. Sisko and his crew must also deal with the threat of the pah-wraiths, the evil counterparts of the Prophets, who are unleashed by Kai Winn and Dukat.

What You Leave Behind (2)

View All Seasons

Discussions 52

A review by GenerationofSwine

Written by generationofswine on january 11, 2023.

Wait, this was Star Trek set on a space station? I mean, sure it was a good show, I can respect it for what it was, but TNG came out when I was 7 and, well, the 7 year-old in me would have LOVED THAT.

Had it come out when I was 7, it would have been better than TNG. I would have taken the Pepsi Challenge and gone DS9 all the way.

But... it dropped when I was 13. The 13 year old version of me loved it, I mean, there were some morally unscrupulous characters. There were some serious,y flawed characters, and they were all thrown together in a Space Station... yeah, that works and it works we... read the rest.

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The Late James Darren Played One Of The Strangest Star Trek Characters Ever

Children of the 1960s might recognize the late actor James Darren from his role as Moondoggie, aka Jeffrey Matthews, from the hit 1959 beach party movie "Gidget." Darren reprised his role in "Gidget Goes Hawaiian" and "Gidget Goes to Rome." Darren, however, was massively prolific in film, TV, and music, and his decades-long career was only cut short this week when the actor passed away at the age of 88. He left behind a sizable body of work that includes 14 studio albums, dozens of appearances in TV shows, and movies beyond Gidget. He shared the screen with future "Gilligan's Island" stars Bob Denver and Tina Louise in "Those Who Think Young," popped up in Jess Franco's 1969 version of "Venus in Furs," and most recently appeared in the Harry Dean Stanton film "Lucky" (one of the best films of 2017).

To Trekkies, Darren is best known for playing Vic Fontaine, the holographic Rat Pack-era lounge singer on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Vic Fontaine was a fascinating and weird character in a series jam-packed with fascinating and weird characters. Vic wouldn't just croon American standards in his 1960s Las Vegas lounge, but often stepped off the stage to give sage, one-on-one advice to any curious seekers. Strangely, even the non-Earthling characters came to love Vic and his vintage Vegas home. Vic only appeared in seven episodes, but he was incredibly memorable. He even got to sing a gorgeous rendition of "The Way You Look Tonight" in the series finale.

The character became so beloved by the denizens of DS9 that he was eventually taught that he was indeed a hologram (most holodeck characters exist only within their programmed scenario). Vic became the station's ersatz counselor, offering legitimate psychological analysis to characters when they were recovering from trauma. Most notably, he comforted Nog (Aron Eisenberg), who moved into the holographic 1960s Las Vegas setting after having his leg blown off in combat.

Vic Fontaine, the crooning shrink

According to the lore of "Deep Space Nine," Vic Fontaine was a special request of Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig), and he was programmed to be sentient by an engineer named Felix, often mentioned by never seen. The 1960s Las Vegas setting offered an element of visual variety to the show, as it often bored the showrunners to film episodes on the same eight sets day in and day out. Also, it was established on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" that starships employ full-time counselors to aid Starfleet officers through their personal issues and sci-fi trauma, so it seemed unusual that Deep Space Nine wouldn't have a counselor on board. This would have been wholly appropriate, given that it was a series about a wounded planet recovering from a genocidal military occupation.

Vic Fontaine, who first appeared in the sixth-season episode "His Way" (April 22, 1998), quickly took up that role. He offered romantic advice to Odo (René Auberjonois) after intuiting the varied relationship strife among the gathered DS9 crewmembers. He saw that Odo was in love with Major Kira (Nana Visitor), but was unable to express himself openly. Vic walked Odo through typical human romance, offering pointers.

As mentioned, Vic also had an interesting relationship with Nog, the Ferengi officer who was drafted into the war effort. Nog lost his foot in an explosion, but modern medicine was able to grow a new one without too many issues. Regardless, Nog was horrified by being mutilated in the war and required a constant escape. In "It's Only a Paper Moon" (December 30, 1998) Nog is seen repeatedly rebuffing the advice of his flesh-and-blood contemporaries, content to live in an artificial Vegas lounge indefinitely. Only the holographic Vic can approach Nog gently and point out that living in a fantasy isn't a good way to heal. It may be a good temporary salve, but one must reenter the real world eventually.

The inception of Vic Fontaine

The idea of Vic Fontaine was conceived by "Deep Space Nine" showrunner Ira Steven Behr . In Terry J. Erdmann's invaluable sourcebook "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion," Behr is quoted as saying that he wanted a character that was kind of like of Yoda, but who could be played by Frank Sinatra, Jr. Behr reportedly asked Sinatra to appear in the show (it seems that Sinatra was a Trekkie), but that he wanted to play an alien, not a '60s lounge singer. Darren was eventually approached and it was a wonderful match, as he brought an uncharacteristic warmth to an otherwise terse "Star Trek" series.

The way Behr approached Darren was also amusing. It seems that Behr was visiting a memorabilia convention, hoping to find a birthday present for someone, and Darren happened to be there signing autographs. Behr's friend, Fred Rappaport, knew Darren and wanted to talk to him. It turned out that Rappaport had the ideal ice-breaker all ready to go: ask James Darren about his short-live line of pasta sauces. That was enough to arrange an audition ... which Darren nailed. According to Behr:

"Jimmy Darren comes in, and he's talking about how he owns a pair of Dean Martin's shoes, and he knows where to get the right tuxedos, at Sy Devore's store, and all of that stuff, and he's being great. We're all listening to him. And suddenly he starts talking about him and Frank and Dean and gambling and making all this money, and suddenly we realize that he's doing the part. It catches us totally by surprise. We're sitting there with the script pages and don't even realize it! He had gone right from being Jimmy to being Vic — without a beat.

Darren was perfect for Vic Fontaine. Behr suggested a few other actors be auditoined just in case, but no one would hear it. James Darren was Vic Fontaine. The singer became an installation on Deep Space Nine, and everyone — viewers and characters — loved him.

R.I.P. James Darren.

What were the Bell Riots in the greatest 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' time travel episode?

As history catches up with a pivotal moment in the "Star Trek" timeline, we look back at the events of "Past Tense," which took place on Aug. 30, 2024.

people walk through dilapidated city streets lined with garbage and unhoused people

Along with First Contact Day on April 5, 2063, Friday Aug. 30, 2024 is one of the most important dates in " Star Trek " history.

It's the day Commander Benjamin Sisko got to ask that immortal sci-fi question – "What year is this?!" — after he and fellow time travelers Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax and Dr. Julian Bashir made a bumpy landing in 21st century San Francisco. It's also the eve of the Bell Riots that would shape the future of Earth , the Federation and the Alpha Quadrant as a whole.

First broadcast in January 1995, the "Past Tense" two-parter is widely regarded as one of the best stories from " Deep Space Nine ." It's also among "Star Trek's" most politically charged adventures, set in a compassion-free 2024 where Sisko and Bashir find themselves trapped in an internment camp-like "Sanctuary", and Dax gets to see how the other half live when she's taken under the wing of a media mogul. So, to mark the anniversary of the history-shaping (but fictional) Bell Riots, we explain one of the most important events in the "Star Trek" timeline .

What were the Bell Riots?

Described by Commander Benjamin Sisko as "one of the most violent civil disturbances in American history", the Bell Riots took place in San Francisco during the first week of September 2024.

The disturbance was centered on the city's Sanctuary District A, one of many Sanctuaries found in major US cities in the "Star Trek" version of the early 2020s. Their original aim was to help unemployed or homeless citizens to find work or accommodation, but that vision was soon corrupted. The settlements were overcrowded and violent, and — with walls erected around them — effectively became internment camps. They also became a convenient way for wealthier members of society to ignore the problems on their doorstep.

Related: The best Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes ever

Things came to a head when residents seized control of Sanctuary District A, taking guards and other administrative staff hostage in the Security Bureau. The government sent in troops to restore order, and hundreds were killed in the subsequent skirmishes.

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The authorities responded to rumors that the hostages had been killed by storming the building, but they soon learned that none of them had been harmed. They'd been protected by a certain Gabriel Bell, the man who gave the riots their name, and sacrificed himself to save the prisoners.

He would become a national hero, his death generating such public outrage that the Sanctuary program was abolished. The riots would be seen as one of the pivotal moments in American history, as the US government acted to repair social issues they'd previously dismissed, paving the way for the more utopian future we'd see in TV shows and movies across the franchise. (We'll try to ignore the fact that "Trek" lore tells us World War III is just a few short years away.)

How did Sisko, Dax and Bashir end up in 21st century San Francisco?

It's down to the sort of transporter accident that makes you wonder why anyone in the 24th century risks beaming anywhere. Sisko, Dax and Bashir were on their way to a symposium in San Francisco to discuss the Dominion threat when they were transported back in time to 2024 — a case of right city, wrong century.

Chief Miles O'Brien quickly identified the cause of the problem. The USS Defiant's hull was polarized with chroniton particles, a by-product of the ship's Romulan cloaking device. When an explosion in a microscopic singularity passing through Earth's solar system "shifted the chroniton particles in our hull into a high state of temporal polarization", the transporter beam was refocused back in time.

How did the Starfleet officers impact the events of the Bell Riots?

Starfleet directives state that officers must not, under any circumstances, alter past events. So when Sisko, a keen student of early 21st century history, realized they'd arrived in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024 — the eve of the Bell Riots — he told Bashir it was imperative that they avoid interfering with a pivotal period in American history. This order proved particularly distressing for the doctor, who pointed out how many people in the Sanctuary required treatment for mental illness.

This being "Star Trek", however, it didn't take long for Sisko and Bashir to make drastic changes to the timeline. While waiting for food, the pair were involved in an altercation with Biddle "BC" Coleridge, one of the ringleaders of the impending attack on the Security Bureau. They were ultimately saved by the intervention of another resident, who was stabbed by BC and subsequently died from his wounds. The name of that man? Gabriel Bell.

Back in the 24th century, the crew of the Defiant soon learned how pivotal Bell really was, as all evidence of the Federation — Starfleet headquarters, the spacedocks, the Utopia Planitia shipyards on Mars, the lot — vanished. O'Brien theorized that the explosion in the singularity created a subspace bubble around the ship that protected the Defiant from the altered timeline.

Following the real Bell's death, Sisko assumed his identity to ensure that history got back on track. He was shot in the military's assault on the hostage takers, but the wound was not fatal. He and Bashir were helped to escape by Sanctuary guards who saw what Bell/Sisko had done, planted Bell's ID on a dead body, and promised to tell the world what he'd done. Dax, meanwhile, successfully lobbied media mogul Christopher Brynner to restore computer access to Sanctuary District A, allowing residents to spread their story outside its walls.

How did they get back to the 24th century?

O'Brien worked out how to use the chroniton particles to focus the transporter beam towards different points in history. Unfortunately, he had no idea when Sisko, Dax and Bashir had landed — beyond narrowing it down to "a dozen different possibilities" — and only had enough polarized chronitons to take five or six trips back in time.

He and Major Kira made several fruitless jumps, taking in (seemingly) the 1920s, the 1950s and a 2048 that was "nothing like the mid-21st century I read about in school". On their final trip they struck lucky, making contact with Dax's combadge in 2024.

They all returned to a restored 2024, with one crucial difference: Sisko's face now appeared in the history books alongside Gabriel Bell's name.

What is "Past Tense"'s legacy in "Star Trek"?

As well as being widely regarded as one of the best stories from "Deep Space Nine"'s seven-season run, "Past Tense" continues to have an influence on "Star Trek" lore. Indeed, in "Prodigy" season 2 episode "Who Saves the Saviors", Vulcan cadet Maj'el makes a direct comparison with the events of 2024.

Referring to the Protostar crew's interaction with their own history, she points out that, "it would not be the first instance of a causal time loop in Starfleet history: the Bell Riots, the Cochrane warp test..." (The latter event occurred in "First Contact", when the "Next Generation" crew intervened to ensure Zefram Cochrane's first warp flight in 2063 wasn't derailed by Borg interference.)

That said, "Star Trek" mythology may be more malleable than it initially appears. The 2024 Los Angeles visited by Jean-Luc Picard and co in "Picard" season 2 doesn't feel quite as dystopian as the San Francisco of "Past Tense", while the "point of divergence" mentioned by the Borg Queen is Renée Picard's space flight, rather than the Bell Riots. (Few "Trek" shows have embraced the past as "Picard" did, so it's surprising that show did so little to acknowledge the franchise's previous trip to 2024.)

Also, when La'an Noonien Singh visited 2022/23 Toronto with an alternative James T Kirk in "Strange New Worlds" episode "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow", they rescued a boy named Khan from the Noonien-Singh Institute — even though the infamous Khan originally left Earth to escape the Eugenics Wars of 1996. This suggests that, even if the core building blocks of the mythology remain in place, the order they occur — and the specific dates — may be open to reinterpretation as the real-life calendar catches up with its equivalent stardates from the final frontier.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Richard's love affair with outer space started when he saw the original "Star Wars" on TV aged four, and he spent much of the ’90s watching "Star Trek”, "Babylon 5” and “The X-Files" with his mum. After studying physics at university, he became a journalist, swapped science fact for science fiction, and hit the jackpot when he joined the team at SFX, the UK's biggest sci-fi and fantasy magazine. He liked it so much he stayed there for 12 years, four of them as editor.

He's since gone freelance and passes his time writing about "Star Wars", "Star Trek" and superheroes for the likes of SFX, Total Film, TechRadar and GamesRadar+. He has met five Doctors, two Starfleet captains and one Luke Skywalker, and once sat in the cockpit of "Red Dwarf"'s Starbug.

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DEEP SPACE. ENDLESS ADVENTURE. Relive all seven seasons of the series that took the Star Trek franchise into uncharted territory. Commander Benjamin Sisko is in charge of a diverse crew aboard the Deep Space 9, a space station in a constant power struggle with rival species due to its strategic position close to a nearby wormhole, which allows speedy travel to the far reaches of space.

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Product Description

The crew and residents of Federation space station Deep Space Nine let the wonders-and dangers-of the galaxy come to them in this hit syndicated series, the third entry in the "Star Trek" universe, that ran from 1993-1999. Avery Brooks stars as DS9 commander Benjamin Sisko, along with Rene Auberjonois, Alexander Siddig, Terry Farrell, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, and Nana Visitor.175 episodes on 47 discs. 135 1/2 hrs. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: English; featurettes; interviews.

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MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.8 x 5.83 x 4.61 inches; 1 Pounds
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, NTSC
Run time ‏ : ‎ 133 hours and 6 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ November 2, 2021
Actors ‏ : ‎ Cirroc Lofton, Nana Visitor, Avery Brooks, Armin Shimerman, Rene Auberjonois
Studio ‏ : ‎ Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09DMXRCYL
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 47
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Published Sep 3, 2024

Remembering James Darren, 1936-2024

StarTrek.com honors the late actor and his contributions to the Star Trek universe.

Black and white photo of James Darren performing on stage with a mic in hand

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StarTrek.com is saddened to report the passing of James Darren, who played the charismatic lounge singer, Vic Fontaine, across seven episodes for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's last two seasons. He passed away on September 2, 2024, at the age of 88.

Born June 8, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as James William Ercolani, Darren knew early on he wanted a career in show business. His father would take him to local bars and nightclubs in Philly where he would get up on stage and sing a song or two.

Darren would go on to have a multifaceted career spanning film, television, and recording music. His teen heartthrob image landed him the breakout role as the leading man, the surfer/singer Moondoggie, in Gidget (1959) alongside Sandra Dee and Cliff Robertson. Following his crooner role in Gidget , which included the film's theme song, Darren would go on to record several pop hits for Colpix Records, garnering a gold record for his "Goodbye Cruel World." He would reprise the role in Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) and Gidget Goes to Rome (1963). Other noteworthy theatrical films during this time included All the Young Men (1960), Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960), The Guns of Navarone (1961), and Diamond Head (1962).

"It's Only A Paper Moon"

StarTrek.com

Darren would soon pivot to the small screen, starring as the leading actor in the sci-fi, time-traveling series The Time Tunnel . He would continue to book guest star roles in a number of popular series such as S.W.A.T. , Police Woman , Charlie's Angeles , Police Story , Hawaii Five-O , The Love Boat , Fantasy Island , and Melrose Place , while he pursued his love of live musical performances. Darren would then try a hand at directing television episodes for series such as The A-Team , Walker, Texas Ranger , Silk Stalkings , Beverly Hills, 90210 , Savannah , and Melrose Place .

Darren would secure a regular role on the police drama T.J. Hooker , from 1983 to 1986, playing the role as Officer James Corrigan, alongside William Shatner, who shared a tribute on X (formerly Twitter) , "What a wonderful man – so talented; so loving. I had the best time with him. The world is less because of his loss."

Fans of Star Trek knew Darren best as the fan-favorite Vic Fontaine, an entertainer who ran the popular holoprogram at Quark's, Vic's Last Vegas Lounge , in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . His warm, self-aware, and sophisticated programming made him a favorite among the crew of Deep Space 9, most notably providing Dr. Julian Bashir dating advice, and helping Nog cope with PTSD following his service in the Dominion War.

In a 2019 interview with StarTrek.com , Darren expressed, "Vic Fontaine was like – what can I say? – it was a dream come true for me. It was one of the most enjoyable roles for me to have played."

On recording the series finale with the cast, he shared, "The finale was hard to do. The cast had been there forever, so it was hard for them, and it was hard for me, too, because my relationship with everyone had grown instantly. I loved that entire cast. When it was ending, it was so sad, sad for them and extremely sad for me, too. I’d sing that song ("The Way You Look Tonight") to Nana Visitor... and she'd start crying. And when she'd start crying, I'd start crying. It was tough getting through it."

Darren is survived by his wife Evy; sons Jim Moret, Christian Darren, and Tony Darren; five grandchildren, and one goddaughter.

The entire Star Trek family sends their condolences to Darren's family, friends, loved ones, and fans around the world.

Vic Fontaine - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Most Famous Hologram

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‘Gidget’ ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ actor James Darren dies

Sandra Dee And James Darren In 'Gidget' FILE PHOTO: Sandra Dee and James Darren running on the sand in publicity portrait for the film 'Gidget', 1959. Darren died on Sept. 2, 2024, at the age of 88. (Photo by Columbia Pictures/Getty Images) (Archive Photos/Getty Images)

A teen heartthrob from the golden age of surfer movies has died.

James Darren was 88 years old.

Darren was probably best known as Moondoggie in the “Gidget” film series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

His son, Jim Moret, confirmed his father’s death, saying the actor died in his sleep at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Darren had been hospitalized for an aortic valve replacement but was too weak to undergo the surgery so he was sent home. He had to return to the hospital shortly after.

“I always thought he would pull through,” Moret told The Hollywood Reporter , “because he was so cool. He was always cool.”

Darren was born in Philadelphia in June 1936 and named James Ercolani. His father would take him at a young age to perform in local bars and nightclubs, according to the “ Star Trek ” official site’s obituary for the actor.

His first role was in “Rumble on the Docks” in 1956 and had appeared as Greek soldier Spyros Pappadimos in “ The Guns of Navarone .” but his biggest casting was for the three “Gidget” films.

Darren played Moondoggie whose real name was Jeff Matthews, a surfer and singer despite Darren not knowing how to surf in real life. He would star opposite Sandra Dee in 1959′s “ Gidget ,” Deborah Walley in 1961′s “ Gidget Goes Hawaiian ” and Cindy Carol in 1963′s “ Gidget Goes to Rome .”

He appeared on the small screen in ABC’s “The Time Tunnel” from 1966 through 1967 and “ T.J Hooker ” opposite William Shatner and as the partner of Heather Locklear.

Shatner spoke of his former co-star’s death on X.com , writing, “What a wonderful man – so talented; so loving. I had the best time with him. The world is less because of his loss.”

Jimmy Darren; I worked with him for several years and then we’d see each other on occasion. What a wonderful man - so talented; so loving. I had the best time with him. The world is less because of his loss. — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) September 3, 2024

He also directed an episode of the Shatner cop drama in an emergency and ended up being behind the camera for “Hunter,” “Melrose Place,” “The A-Team” and “Beverly Hills 90210.” On “ Melrose Place ,” he reunited with Locklear in front of the camera as Tony Marlin.

Darren also appeared on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” as holographic lounge singer Vic Fontaine in seven episodes of the show’s final two seasons, according to Startrek.com . He called the role “a dream come true. It was one of the most enjoyable roles for me to have played.”

He was on the final episode and sang “The Way You Look Tonight” to actress Nana Visitor.

He said recording that episode was difficult to film, “she’d start crying. And when she’d start crying, I’d start crying. It was tough getting through it.”

His final role was in 2017′s “ Lucky .”

Darren had a couple of hits in his singing career over the years, including “Goodbye Cruel World” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961 and the next year with “Her Royal Majesty” which also made the top 10, according to The Hollywood Reporter .

Darren leaves behind his wife Evy, three sons and five grandchildren, Variety reported.

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James Darren, Teen Idol and Singer Who Starred in ‘Gidget’ and ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,’ Dies at 88

James Darren, who became an instant teen idol as the boyish surfer Moondoggie in the “Gidget” movies and went on to a prolific career in TV and music, has died. He was 88.

Darren went to a Los Angeles hospital for scheduled heart surgery last week but was considered too weak to proceed and was sent home, his son Jim Moret told multiple media outlets. But his failing health forced a return to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died in his sleep surrounded by family.

Born James Ercolani in Philadelphia, Darren was already using a stage name when he starred in “Gidget” in 1959 and its sequels. His fame was secured instantly by the ’50s surf-culture hit, and he soon parlayed that notoriety with a number three hit single with “Goodbye Cruel World” in 1961.

Darren charted several other pop hits, including “Her Royal Majesty” and “Conscience,” but soon transitioned to TV, starring in the science fiction series “The Time Tunnel” from 1966-1967; as a police officer on “T.J. Hooker” from 1983 to 1986; and as Vic Fontainel in the 1998-1999 spinoff “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”

Darren kept his acting and singing career active as he transitioned into directing TV episodes, including installments of “Hunter,” “The A-Team” and “Silk Stalkings.”

Darren married Gloria Terlitsky in 1955, and the couple had one son, James Jr., before divorcing in 1958. Two years later, he remarried Evy Norlund, the former Miss Denmark, and they had two sons, Christian and Anthony.

The post James Darren, Teen Idol and Singer Who Starred in ‘Gidget’ and ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,’ Dies at 88 appeared first on TheWrap .

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Jeri ryan’s seven of nine needs to have this iconic star trek captain moment.

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Strange New Worlds' Pike Is Trek's 12th Character To Repeat A Classic Line

Star trek officially brands a surprising deep space nine hero as a war criminal, star trek's new warp drive breaks the prime directive in a way no-one expected.

Jeri Ryan's Captain Seven of Nine needs to have an iconic Star Trek moment to follow in the footsteps of previous Captains of the Starship Enterprise . In the epilogue of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Seven of Nine became Captain of the USS Enterprise-G , itself formerly known as the USS Titan-A. Seven spent two years at the rank of Commander thanks to a field commission from Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and served as the Titan-A's First Officer, under the command of Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick). Commander Seven attempts to resign from Starfleet following the Titan's harrowing fight against a new form of Borg but accepts Shaw's recommendation for promotion.

Star Trek: Picard season 3's epilogue neatly sets up Star Trek: Legacy , a potential sequel series featuring Jeri Ryan as Captain Seven of Nine. Other alumni from Picard season 3 that would also appear in Legacy include Michelle Hurd as Seven's First Officer (and on-again, off-again love interest) Commander Raffaela Musiker, Ed Speleers as Ensign Jack Crusher, and Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut as Lieutenant Sidney La Forge. Although Star Trek: Legacy isn't included on the slate of upcoming Star Trek shows just yet, there's a particular role that Captain Seven of Nine needs to fulfill should Star Trek: Legacy hit our screens.

Captain Pike opens Strange New Worlds with the famous "Space, the final frontier..." speech, making him the latest Star Trek icon to say the lines.

Captain Seven Of Nine Needs To Give Star Trek’s Iconic “Space… The Final Frontier…” Speech

These are the voyages of the starship enterprise.

Captain Seven of Nine needs to give Star Trek 's iconic "Space, the final frontier..." speech. The iconic opening monologue is featured in three different Star Trek shows about the USS Enterprise , so it's become a tradition for the Enterprise Captain to open their Star Trek show with it. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) all recited the familiar monologue over their show's opening credits. Should Star Trek: Legacy get made, Captain Seven of Nine needs to follow in their footsteps with her own version of Star Trek 's narrative introduction.

Opening Star Trek: Legacy with the traditional monologue would help cement Seven of Nine as Captain of the Enterprise . After Star Trek: The Next Generation included a slightly revised version of the opening monologue from Star Trek: The Original Series , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager did away with opening speeches altogether. Star Trek: Enterprise 's lyrical theme song negated the need for a monologue, and instead made the famous speech unique to captains of ships named Enterprise by attributing the in-universe words to Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). Star Trek: Strange New Worlds confirmed the tradition with Captain Pike bringing "Space, the final frontier..." back at long last.

Captain Pike's version of the introduction in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds retains Kirk's description of the "five-year mission" from TOS , while also preserving Picard's more inclusive "where no one has gone before" from TNG .

When Will Star Trek Fans See Captain Seven Of Nine Again?

The fate of star trek: legacy remains in limbo.

It will probably be a long time before Star Trek fans see Captain Seven of Nine again. There are no current plans to make Star Trek: Legacy in any form. An ongoing USS Enterprise-G TV show was clearly set up in Star Trek: Picard , and showrunner Terry Matalas would still make Star Trek: Legacy even if it takes a while. Paramount's ongoing budgetary concerns, pending studio sale, and Legacy 's potential cast scattered to new projects mean it's more likely that Star Trek: Legacy might be a Paramount+ streaming movie , especially if Michelle Yeoh's Star Trek: Section 31 does well enough to warrant further ventures into a long-form format.

A series of streaming Star Trek movies starring Jeri Ryan as Captain Seven of Nine might just be the best option for Star Trek: Legacy at this point. With serialized movies, audiences could check in on the continuing mission of the USS Enterprise-G on a semi-regular basis , not unlike the serialized story told in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan through Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Whatever format sees Captain Seven of Nine return to Star Trek , it'll be great to hear Jeri Ryan giving Star Trek 's iconic opening speech as the brand-new Captain of the USS Enterprise-G.

Star Trek: Picard

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James Darren, ‘Gidget’ and ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ actor, dies at 88

Nancy Sinatra, center, and Claudia Martin chat about their film debuts in For Those Who Think...

LOS ANGELES (AP) - James Darren, a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget,” died Monday at 88.

Darren died in his sleep at a Los Angeles hospital, his son Jim Moret told news outlets.

Moret told The Hollywood Reporter that Darren was supposed have had an aortic valve replacement but was too weak for the surgery. “I always thought he would pull through,” his son told the entertainment trade, “because he was so cool. He was always cool.”

In his long career, Darren acted, sang and built up a successful behind-the-scenes career as a television director, helming episodes of such well-known series as “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Melrose Place.” In the 1980s, he was Officer Jim Corrigan on the television cop show “T.J. Hooker.”

But to young movie fans of the late 1950s, he would be remembered best as Moondoggie, the dark-haired surfer boy in the smash 1959 release “Gidget.” Dee starred as the title character, a spunky Southern Californian who hits the beach and eventually falls in love with Moondoggie.

“I was in love with Sandra,” Darren later recalled. “I thought that she was absolutely perfect as Gidget. She had tremendous charm.”

The film was based on a novel that a California man, Frederick Kohner, had written about his own teenage daughter and helped spur interest in surfing — one that influenced pop music, slang and even fashion.

For Darren, his success with teen fans led to a recording contract, as it did with many young actors at the time, among them Tab Hunter and Annette Funicello. Two of Darren’s singles, “Goodbye Cruel World” and “Her Royal Majesty,” reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. (“Goodbye Cruel World” also appeared in Steven Spielberg’s 2022 semi-autobiographical film, “The Fabelmans.”) Other singles included “Gidget” and “Angel Face.”

Darren was the only “Gidget” cast member who appeared in both its sequels, 1961′s “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” and 1963′s “Gidget Goes to Rome.” Dee was replaced by Deborah Walley in the second film and Cindy Carol in the third. (“Gidget” later became a television show, launching the career of Sally Field.)

“They had me under contract; I was a prisoner,” Darren told Entertainment Weekly in 2004. “But with those lovely young ladies, it was the best prison I think I’ll ever be in.”

As a contract player at Columbia Studios, Darren appeared in grown-up films, too, including “The Brothers Rico,” “Operation Meatball” and “The Guns of Navarone.”

By the mid-’60s, when Darren appeared in “For Those Who Think Young” and “The Lively Set,” his big-screen acting career was almost over. He appeared in just a handful of movies after the 1960s ended, last appearing in 2017′s “Lucky,” directed by John Carroll Lynch.

But he remained active on television, appearing as a lead on the sci-fi show “The Time Tunnel” in the late 1960s, and doing guest spots and small recurring roles in TV shows such as “The Love Boat,” “Hawaii Five-O” and “Fantasy Island.”

Darren was a series regular for four seasons of the William Shatner-starrer “T.J. Hooker” in the 1980s. While appearing on the show, he noticed that no director was listed for an upcoming sequence and asked if he could try out for it.

“When it was shown, I got several offers to direct,” he told the New York Daily News. “Soon I was getting so many offers to direct, I kind of gave up acting and singing.”

For almost two years, Darren directed episodes of “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “Hunter,” “Melrose Place,” “Beverly Hills 90210” and other series. He returned to acting in the 1990s with small roles in “Melrose Place” and “Star Trek, Deep Space Nine.”

Darren was born James Ercolani in 1936 and grew up in South Philadelphia, not far from such fellow teen idols of the 1950s and ’60s as Fabian and Frankie Avalon. Singing came easy to him, and at 14 he was appearing in local nightclubs.

“From the age of 5 or 6 I knew I wanted to be an entertainer, or famous maybe,” he said in a 2003 interview with the News-Press of Fort Myers, Florida. He noted that such luminaries as Eddie Fisher and Al Martino had lived in the same area as he did, “a real neighborhood. It made you feel you could be successful, too.”

According to a 1958 Los Angeles Times profile, he got a break when he went to New York to get some pictures taken and the photographer’s office put him in touch with a talent scout.

He was soon signed by Columbia Pictures, and the newspaper said that after a few appearances, his fan mail at the studio was running “second only to Kim Novak’s. ... The studio now feels that the young man is ready to hit the jackpot.”

Darren married his first wife, Gloria, in 1955 and together had Moret, an “Inside Edition” correspondent and former CNN anchorman. After a divorce he married Evy Norlund, who came to the U.S. as the Danish entry in the Miss Universe contest. They had two sons, Christian and Anthony.

He was also the godfather of Nancy Sinatra’s daughter A.J. Lambert. Sinatra, his “For Those Who Think Young” co-star, posted The Hollywood Reporter obituary on her X page, with a broken heart emoji.

Bob Thomas, a longtime Associated Press journalist who died in 2014, was the principal writer of this obituary.

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the Star Trek media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from January 3, 1993, to June 2, 1999, spanning 176 episodes over seven seasons. [2] Set in the 24th century, when Earth is part of a ...
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Fans of Star Trek knew Darren best as the fan-favorite Vic Fontaine, an entertainer who ran the popular holoprogram at Quark's, Vic's Last Vegas Lounge, in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. His warm, self-aware, and sophisticated programming made him a favorite among the crew of Deep Space 9, most notably providing Dr. Julian Bashir dating advice ...
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Jadzia Dax
Jadzia Dax / dʒ æ d ˈ z iː ə ˈ d æ k s /, played by Terry Farrell, is a fictional character from the science-fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.. Jadzia Dax is a joined Trill.Though she appears to be a young woman, Jadzia lives in symbiosis with a long-lived creature, known as a symbiont, named Dax; Jadzia is Dax's eighth host.The two share a single, conscious mind ...
James Darren, 'Gidget' and 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ...
He returned to acting in the 1990s with small roles in "Melrose Place" and "Star Trek, Deep Space Nine." ... Sinatra, his "For Those Who Think Young" co-star, posted The Hollywood ...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Summary [ ]

The characters [ ]

Alien races [ ]

The mirror universe [ ]

Technology [ ]

Costumes [ ]

Background information [ ]

Title sequence [ ]

Serialization [ ]

Main cast [ ]

Starring [ ]

Also starring [ ]

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Special appearances by [ ]

Recurring characters [ ]

Executive producers [ ]

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Episode list [ ]

Season 2 [ ]

Season 3 [ ]

Season 4 [ ]

Season 5 [ ]

Season 6 [ ]

Season 7 [ ]

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Episode list

S1.E1 ∙ Emissary

S1.E3 ∙ Past Prologue

S1.E4 ∙ A Man Alone

S1.E5 ∙ Babel

S1.E6 ∙ Captive Pursuit

S1.E7 ∙ Q-Less

S1.E8 ∙ Dax

S1.E9 ∙ The Passenger

S1.E10 ∙ Move Along Home

S1.E11 ∙ The Nagus

S1.E12 ∙ Vortex

S1.E13 ∙ Battle Lines

S1.E14 ∙ The Storyteller

S1.E15 ∙ Progress

S1.E16 ∙ If Wishes Were Horses

S1.E17 ∙ The Forsaken

S1.E18 ∙ Dramatis Personae

S1.E19 ∙ Duet

S1.E20 ∙ In the Hands of the Prophets

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

At the edge of the Final Frontier, the Universe's greatest mystery is about to unfold.

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1998 • 26 Episodes

A review by GenerationofSwine

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The Late James Darren Played One Of The Strangest Star Trek Characters Ever

Vic Fontaine, the crooning shrink

The inception of Vic Fontaine

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What were the Bell Riots?

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How did Sisko, Dax and Bashir end up in 21st century San Francisco?

How did the Starfleet officers impact the events of the Bell Riots?

How did they get back to the 24th century?

What is "Past Tense"'s legacy in "Star Trek"?

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