Wesley Britton's Blog - Posts Tagged "walter-koenig"

For seven years, Wes Britton was co-host of online radio’s “Dave White Presents” for which he contributed hundreds of audio interviews with musicians, actors, producers, and all manner of entertainment insiders. During its original run, the show was broadcast every other Tuesday night over KSAV.org before being permanently archived at www.audioentertainment.org.

Many of Wes’s interviews were with participants in science fiction films, TV shows, novels, and comics. Below is a list of these interviews which, happily, are not dated because most of the actors, writers, or producers were talking about classic projects they had been involved with decades before. Every one of these shows is still available as a podcast, mp3 download, from itunes and through TEVO, or on the player at www.audioentertainment.org.

I provided direct links to specific shows when I had them in my files. I don’t have specific links here for older broadcast that aired before I started keeping better records. You can use the dates provided to find them in the directory at the website.

Please know, “Dave White Presents” was all about Variety Entertainment, so each interview was only a part of each 90 minute show. There are comedy songs, short comic bits, and other interviews in each broadcast. Most listeners will want to use a slider to move to the specific conversation you want to hear and ignore everything else. Also know most of these interviews are very in-depth and on the long side, up to 45 minutes in the case of very special guests. We had, as you can see below, many very special guests.

Here we go—

Star Trek

Walter Koenig with Marc Cushman.
http://tinyurl.com/ovyla5x

Marc Cushman on his Star Trek books.
http://tinyurl.com/qeorz83

Writer/producer John D.F. Black
http://tinyurl.com/nlbz847

June 24-July 8, 2009 (two parter): Ron Moore (special effects for Star trek and GHOSTBUSTERS)
www.audioentertainment.org/dwp

Actors from Sci Fi TV and Films

Dee Wallace (E.T., Scream Queen)
www.audioentertainment.org/dwp

June Lockhart (Lost in Space)
http://tinyurl.com/k7z6v4m

Tippi Hedron (The Birds)
http://tinyurl.com/87lxu8o

William B. Davis (“Cigarette Smoking Man” on THE X-FILES)
http://tinyurl.com/6neds9v

Bill Gray (The Day the Earth Stood Still)
http://tinyurl.com/nxsh7jo

Lochlyn Munro (Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island)
http://tinyurl.com/86y58d5

Writers, Producers, and Film Makers

Author Jay Bonansinga on The Walking Dead
http://tinyurl.com/cs2r6jy

Peter Ernest of the International Spy Museum on espionage in Harry Potter books and films.
http://tinyurl.com/po7lbx2

Author Greg Cox on Godzilla novelization.
http://tinyurl.com/mzmvns2

Documentary filmmaker Patrick Meany on his film about X-Men writer Chris Claremont, creator of "Days of Future Passed."
http://tinyurl.com/ontgfat

Producer Paul Davids, the Sci-Fy documentary, The Life After Death Project.
http://tinyurl.com/m6gw9rg

Older Shows still available

March 30, 2011. Singer/producer Philip Margo of The Tokens talks music and his sci fi novel, The Null Quotient.

Sept. 1, 2010. Mark Goddard (Lost in Space)

Sept. 16, 2009. Actor and musician Bill Mumy (LOST IN SPACE, BABYLON 5)

Oct. 28-Nov 11, 2009 (two parter). Author Bruce Scivally (SUPERMAN)

Aug. 19, 2009. Script writer Alan Katz (TALES FROM THE CRYPT)

April 29, 2009. Author Diane Cachmar (THE FLY AT 50)

March 18, 2009. Author Martin Grams (THE TWILIGHT ZONE)

Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and After Star Trek
Walter Koenig
Publisher: Jacobs/Brown Press (April 24, 2020)
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
ASIN: B087N1HHFC

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087N1HHFC/...

Reviewed by: Dr. Wesley Britton


Without question, the primary audience for Walter Koenig's new update to his 1999 memoir, Warp Factors, will be Star Trek fans who remember Koenig best for his role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek along with aficionados of his role as the evil Alfred Bester in Babylon Five. Such fans shouldn't be disappointed, even those who previously read Warp Factors.

There may be those who question the value of a new version of Koenig's autobiography as it might not seem, at first glance, all that much has happened in the actor's life in two decades. Well, that's only if you are looking for insights into popular screen roles. In fact, Koenig has much to talk about in an additional 100 pages that is new and does so with his very engaging writing style. In fact, I'd say Chekov and Bester aside, any reader wishing for insights into an actor's life in Hollywood from the '50s to the present should easily enjoy Beaming Up.

That's mainly because Koenig is a very expressive writer, his story full of self-deprecating humor, lots of colorful imagery, and the fact he doesn't merely recite events and anecdotes but shares his feelings and reactions to the moments, people, triumphs and missteps that impacted his life. Among other topics, He discusses his Jewish cultural background and his work ethic, his lesser known projects, including those never produced or those seen by small audiences. But never does the reader sense an agenda, a venting, a man settling any scores. We meet a man presenting himself openly and honestly with a wisdom accrued from experience with a lively approach to his craft and behind-the-scenes life.

I'll admit, the story lags from time to time, mostly during his recounting of his appearances at fan conventions. Those were anecdotes he couldn't not include, of course, and I noticed one story he told an audience at a convention I attended wasn't included in the book. He did retell it later in a radio interview I had with him and hope to get him to retell in a similar interview soon. As they used to say, stay tuned . . .

True, Koenig's descriptions of his early years as Chekov on Star Trek are not the long heart of the book some might hope for. But that is more than made up for in his tales regarding later projects, such as his working in fan-made web-episodes and his thoughts about Anton Yelchin taking over the Chekov role in the 2009 reboot trilogy. I think I already knew this, but I was surprised to read Koenig was 31 when he was cast to be Star Trek's answer to Davy Jones of The Monkees. Among the disappointments of his professional life, the purpose of his casting became a bit muted when CBS shifted the show's time slot to Friday nights when the young audience Chekov was supposed to appeal to weren't watching. At least, not then.

But any reader interested in an autobiography well-told that is guaranteed to be entertaining should give this one a try, whether or not you're a fan of sci-fi television. There's so much more to the life and times of Walter Koenig and so much surprising wisdom to enjoy. Beam on up and get off with Walter Koenig for your summer reading and beyond--


This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on May 29, 2020:

https://waa.ai/e0S9