
Show Notes
Star Trek: The Motion Picture was the first big-screen adventure for the Star Trek crew, with Kirk’s return to the Enterprise leading to problems in the chain of command as Earth faces an existential threat. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss killer clouds and old friends.
Alerted to the approach of a deadly cloud, presumed to be masking some kind of weapon, Admiral Kirk wrestles control of the Enterprise away from Commander Decker (Stephen Collins) and sets an intercept course, stopping along the way to put the band back together.
With Decker’s former lover Lt. Ilia (Persis Khambatta) aboard and the commander smarting over losing his vessel, there is tension in the air even before the strange entity is encountered. Kirk and his crew must find a way to prevent Earth’s destruction and persuade the entity to stand down before it is too late.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture was directed by Robert Wise, his only work for the franchise. The teleplay was by Harold Livingston from a story by Alan Dean Foster.
In this episode Gerry and Iain considered whether a refit is as good as a rest!
The discussion continues in the comments below and please keep in touch with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where we’re @trekpodcast.
You can listen to the show here on the website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Stitcher, Google or wherever you find your podcasts.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture was released in 1979. It is 2 hours and 12 minutes long. It can be viewed on Paramount+ in the United States and is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries.
More from Fascinating? - A Star Trek Podcast
This special update episode marks ten years since we published Episode One of the Columbo Podcast – Murder by the Book. In this episode, Gerry and Iain look back on ten years of podcasting together and announce their plans for the Columbo Podcast in 2025.
This final wrap-up brings together our thoughts on the show and the movies. We look back on our high and low points and answer some last listener questions. In this episode Gerry and Iain firm up their plans for the future.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was the sixth and final big-screen adventure for the Star Trek crew, with peace talks between the Klingons and the Federation threatened by a high profile assassination. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss whether peace is possible without trust.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier was the fifth big-screen adventure for the Star Trek crew, with Spock’s secret half-brother leading his cultists on a mission to find God. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss the difference between the family you’re born with and the family you choose.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was the fourth big-screen adventure for the Star Trek crew, with the group forced to travel back in time to the 1980s to recover a pair of humpback whales. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss defunct donut chains and timeless landmarks.