Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Ensign Ricky

Following the revelation that I’m a filthy Star Trek fan, I thought you might like to see this.

Look closely at the list of names on the screen that Seven of Nine is looking at and you’ll see what is probably the closest I’ll ever get to actually being in Star Trek.

Yes, I’m dead.

Actually, Crewman Timothy Lang is dead, but he did appear in a few episodes of Voyager (‘Warhead,’ for example) before being bumped off. I distinctly recall the moment we first heard his name mentioned while watching an episode fresh from the States in the office. I was sitting towards the back of the office (as I’m always conscious of other people not being able to see past my noggin) when someone in the episode said his name. I’m not lying when I say that everyone turned round to look at me like I knew it was going to happen. I did not, and what they saw was probably something very much like the face a stunned young starlet might make upon being told that, against all the odds she’d somehow won the Oscar.

A little bit of detective work subsequently threw up the closest bit of confirmation I’d ever get on the matter: to save time and effort, the writers would often pull names for background characters from whatever books or magazines they had to hand (and they had plenty of copies of the Fact Files sent to them over the years), change them a little, and put them onscreen. Don’t believe me? Timothy Lang is listed above two characters from The West Wing.

21 comments:

Inexplicable DeVice said...

Ha ha! First!!

Do you know, I was only wondering just the other day if your name has made it on screen in Star Trek somewhere for the very reason you've just explained?

I was going to phrase that better, and possibly even use some punctuation, but, dammit, I couldn't be arsed!

Dinah said...

That's so awesome! I think we should start lobbying now for the next Star Trek movie to be a look back into Tech. Timothy Lang and his life!

All of the ones in the right hand column are from The West Wing, too.

missyandchrissy said...

like a stunned oscar-winning starlet, we all expect you to make a shaky - yet heartwarming - acceptance speech.

Tara said...

May I have your autograph?

How tall are you, by the way? I'm not doing a census, I'm just curious.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe they bumped you off. The swines!

You are now my claim to fame. I know a guy off Star Trek, suck it up!

BEAST said...

How did they bump you off ????

CyberPete said...

I'm with WPD on that. You are my claim to fame.

That's awesome though, I've personally been a comedian and gameshow host on national television here. So I'm not a complete nobody either.

eroswings said...

That is pretty cool! Well, with CP here, it's true that celebrities like to flock together!

Your character probably got killed because of a bad transporter connection...

Hope your internet problems are over...

CyberPete said...

Well Bingowings, I think Timothy got killed off because he asked for more money.

They opted to kill the character instead of making an explosion on some planetary oil rig and have him come back 10 inches taller

eroswings said...

Well, CP, being killed off for wanting more money is a lot better than being replaced by a hotter actress, like that Kes character in Voyager who got booted out for a hotter Seven of Nine!

Miss Smuggersham said...

That's awesome! Now, what would be really impressive... Ensigns of the Coven. Can you swing that one for us, what with all the pull you have?!

And Petra: For reals! You have been a gameshow host/comedien? Please tell me it was one of those awesome 'open up the suitcases' games!

I love gameshows.

Tim said...

Inexplicable Device - And there you go - BAM! I was. Sort of.

Dinah - Could you imagine? Me in my very own Star Trek movie!?

Missy&Chrissy - Of course I would! I might even cry!

Tara - Of course you can! As for my height… I actually don't really know, but I'd hazard a guess at around 1.8 metres or thereabouts.

Watch*Paint*Dry - I know, it's just rude!

Beast - I don't know, it was done offscreen. If I had to guess though, I'd like to think that I died saving the ship from a spatial anomaly or attacking force. I stayed at my post when all the other officers ran, and was incinerated when the magnetic constrictors on the warp core failed and warp plasma vented throughout engineering.

Either that or I beamed down to a planet and was eaten.

Cyberpete - Ooooo, tell more!

Ersowings - A transporter accident would be an interesting way to go… Maybe melded into one being with Seven of Nine?

Cyberpete - How could you think I'm motivated purely by cash?!

Eroswings – Mmmm… Seven of Mine…

T-Bird - HA! Yeah, maybe we could get our own spin-off?

CyberPete said...

I'll let you all know about my celebrity status later. Right now I'm trying to look very busy and important.

Well Tim, not at first. But after doing a couple of episodes where you get a following you start to feel that maybe. Just maybe. You are paid well below what you deserve.

Apparently Timothy weren't.

I'm sure you'd do it for a slushie or mocca frappa latta.

Tim said...

I do it for my art.

Miss Smuggersham said...

Re: the spinoff - there's bound to be lots of carrying on and cusp interfaces and bookwyrms. I can't wait!

Re: Petra the Celebutante - you can't hold out on us like that!

CyberPete said...

I've changed my mind, I'm not going to blog about it.

There is this guy who's name is the same as mine. Although his last name misses a 'j'. He was part of a comedy team and was the host of the Danish 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'

He is quite funny actually.

Timothy: Of course you do

BEAST said...

I am still struggling with the idea of a tim/7 of 9 mash up .
Tim with 7's mamouth hooters and severe bun prehaps would be the best we could hope for

Tim said...

T-Bird - Damn right there will be. Although we won't be casting IDV in the Seven of Nine role.

Cyberpete - Don't blog about it then. But it's still a good story! You should try to get into restaurants using his name.

Beast - I'd love to mash up against her.

CyberPete said...

great idea!

Although they'll be very disappointed as I look nothing like him.

It's not just that he is about ten years older than me

Tim said...

Well you could book it in his name… And when you turn up - well, it's not your fault your name is so similar!

CyberPete said...

true I could do that. In fact I must do that