Monday 5th April sees the return of First Contact Day, a key date for fans of Star Trek to celebrate the franchise we love. Startrek.com today released a schedule of events to celebrate the day including panels and episode marathons.
As all Star Trek fans are probably aware, April 5th marks First Contact Day. For younger fans new to the franchise, I will just elaborate. In Star Trek lore in the year 2063, not long after a third world war has left the human race fractured, the scientist Zefram Cochrane breaks the light barrier and travels at warp speeds using a reconditioned nuclear missile, it’s during this light speed test that he attracts the attention of passing Vulcans, who make first contact with the human race. This first contact proves that we are not alone in the universe and ushers in the end of poverty, disease, and war. It is a pinnacle moment in Star Trek and offers a glimpse of what our future can be, which is why First Contact Day is so well celebrated in the fandom.
Over the years, the likes of Startrek.com and ViacomCBS and now Paramount+, have used First Contact Day to celebrate with the fans and this year is no different. With a whole host of panels lined up to revel in the day that includes a retrospective look back at Star Trek: First Contact, discussions on visual effects, humour-filled look at second contacts brought to you by Lower Decks creator Mike McMahan and Kevin and Dan Hagemen, joined by Kate Mulgrew, will also take us through the upcoming Star Trek: Prodigy. All in all, it should be a very good day for fans. Best of all, it’s all free AND will be hosted by regular panel hosts Wil Wheaton and Mica Burton.
Paramount+ invites fans from around the world to a virtual celebration of First Contact Day on Monday, April 5. As depicted in the film Star Trek: First Contact, April 5th, 2063 is the day that humans first make contact with Vulcans, marking a pivotal moment of exploration and acceptance in Star Trek history. The virtual event will honor and commemorate this future date by providing Star Trek fans exclusive programming, including themed panels with the cast and creatives from classic and current Star Trek television series and cast from Star Trek: First Contact, exclusive news from the Star Trek Universe on Paramount+, curated episode marathons, the return of the #StarTrekUnitedGives initiative and more. Additional information on free First Contact Day programming and initiatives can be accessed at StarTrek.com/FirstContact.
Below is the full schedule and times (in brackets we have the UK times)
First Contact Day Global Panels 12:00-2.30PM PT/3:00-5:30PM ET (8:00PM – 10:30PM UK)
First Contact Day Panel 1 – Special Presentation
A special announcement and presentation by Sir Patrick Stewart
12.00PM PDT (8:00PM UK)
First Contact Day Panel 2 – Revisiting Star Trek: First Contact
Featuring cast members Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner and Alice Krige as they discuss behind-the-scenes memories and the film’s importance 25 years after its premiere.
12.20PM PDT (8:20PM UK)
First Contact Day Panel 3 – Creating First Contacts
Costume Designer Gersha Phillips (Star Trek: Discovery), Senior Concept Designer Neville Page, VFX Supervisor Jason Zimmerman and Make-up & Prosthetics Department Head James Mackinnon (Star Trek: Picard) come together in conversation about creating the incredible worlds of Star Trek, as seen in Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard.
1:00PM PDT (9:00PM UK)
First Contact Day Panel 4 – Women in Motion
Featuring Star Trek: Discovery’s Sonequa Martin-Green, Star Trek: Picard’s Michelle Hurd and Isa Briones, and Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Dawnn Lewis as they look back at how Star Trek: The Original Series actress Nichelle Nichols helped pave the way for women of color on television and overall, her lasting impact on not only Star Trek, but science and culture.
1:30PM PDT (9:30PM UK)
First Contact Day Panel 5 – Second Contact
Mike McMahan, the creator of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Paul F. Tompkins, the co-host of Star Trek: The Pod Directive and Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes discuss how some of the hilarious B-stories from past series like Star Trek: The Next Generation paved the way for new iterations of Star Trek, including Star Trek: Lower Decks, the Star Trek franchise’s first animated comedy.
2.00PM PDT (10:00PM UK)
First Contact Day Panel 6 – First Contact with Star Trek: Prodigy
Series executive producers Kevin and Dan Hageman are joined by Star Trek: Voyager’s Captain Kathryn Janeway herself, Kate Mulgrew, who is reprising her role in animated form in Prodigy, as they talk about the highly anticipated upcoming CG-animated kids series.
2.30PM PDT (10:30PM UK)
Paramount+ will also be streaming the best of first contacts episodes marathon.
9:00 AM, PT/12:00 PM, ET (4PM – 8PM UK) – Best of First Contacts Star Trek Episodic Marathon, Part 1 begins and will conclude when the panels begin
2:45 PM, PT/5:45 PM, ET (9.45PM to 12.45AM UK) – Best of First Contacts Star Trek Episodic Marathon, Part 2 begins and will conclude around 6:00 PM, PT/9:00 PM, ET when replays of the First Contact Day panels will be available.
The episodes featured during the marathon will be:
Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 1, Episode 18 – “Arena”
Star Trek: Lower Decks: Season 1, Episode 1 – “Second Contact”
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season 4, Episode 7 – “Little Green Men”
Star Trek: Short Treks: Season 2, Episode 6 –“Children of Mars”
Star Trek: Voyager: Season 4, Episode 1 – “Scorpion, Part 2”
Star Trek: Discovery: Season 2, Episode 2 – “New Eden”
Star Trek: The Animated Series: Season 1, Episode 7 – “The Infinite Vulcan”
Star Trek: Enterprise: Season 1, Episode 6 – “The Andorian Incident’
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 4, Episode 15 – “First Contact”
Star Trek: Picard: Season 1, Episode 8 – “Broken Pieces”
The streams will be free to view on StarTrek.com/FirstContact, Pluto TV and the Paramount+ Twitch page.
Finally, on a really positive note, as part of the First Contact Day celebrations, Paramount+ will be bringing back its #startrekunitedgives campaign which will see Paramount+ donate $1 for every tweet that bears the hashtag.
For more information on First Contact Day visit StarTrek.com/FirstContact.
Also, from Trek Central:
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