Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 5, 1994 TAG: 9404050129
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Ian Spelling
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Though he's just 28, the Bozeman, Mont., native has written many of ``Next Gen's'' most highly praised episodes, risen to the position of co-producer and co-written both the two-hour ``Next Gen'' finale (``All Good Things ...'') and the screenplay for the upcoming feature film, tentatively titled ``Star Trek: Generations.''
Not bad for a guy who had never seen an entire ``Trek''-classic episode and had watched only a few ``Next Gen'' hours before beginning an internship with the show's writing staff in 1990.
At that time Braga, who had attended Kent State University and the University of California, Santa Cruz, considered himself a music-video producer. But he was placed as an intern on ``Next Gen'' after winning a fellowship from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
``I was here for about eight weeks and going through a lot of the experiences a staff writer goes through, not knowing much about television production at all,'' Braga says as he relaxes in his Paramount Pictures office, which is filled with a variety of unconventional books, artwork and furnishings, including a lamp with a wood base in the shape of a female torso.
``I was learning about `Next Generation,' the show itself. I was given an assignment to rewrite [the fourth-season episode] `Reunion.' It received a very favorable response, and after that I just never left.''
During his tenure Braga has written or co-written more than 20 episodes. He is known for some of the more surreal hours, such as ``Realm of Fear'' and ``Phantasms,'' and for such time-travel adventures as ``Cause and Effect,'' ``Timescape'' and "Parallels.''
Perhaps the ultimate time-travel episode is ``All Good Things ...,'' which will air in late May. The series' finale contains a little bit of everything that makes ``Next Gen'' great, says Braga, who co-wrote the episode with Ron Moore.
``It's got time travel, in-depth and intricate character explorations, space battles and some familiar faces.
``Picard finds himself inexplicably jumping between the past, present and future, and you'll get to see our characters in each of those time periods.
``You'll see them seven years ago, as they are now and the way they'll be in the very distant future. I can't tell you any more than that, but it's just full of surprises and it will be great.''
When asked about the hotly anticipated ``Generations'' feature, which he also co-wrote with Moore, Braga must battle his enthusiasm to keep from giving away the film's secrets.
``I can't tell you much, but I'm dying to tell you everything,'' he says.
``It does involve some of the original crew [William Shatner, James Doohan and Walter Koenig], but at its heart and core it's a `Next Gen' film.''
The film's story is a mystery spanning 80 years, Braga says.
``It begins with the original-series crew and picks up later with the `Next Gen' crew. And, in a strange way, the two crews connect.
``I won't reveal how, but the two generations will work together to solve the mystery.''
As for life after ``Next Gen,'' Braga, who is single and lives in Hollywood, says he will probably join the writing team for ``Voyager,'' the new ``Trek'' series set to debut in January.
And beyond that?
``I hope to direct someday, to produce other series. And I'm sure I'll keep writing,'' he says. ``I just want to progress creatively.
``Maybe I'll even still be with `Star Trek,' which I'm sure will be around in some form for a very long time.
``And that would be fine, too.''
Con calendar
April 15-17
Bride of Con-Troll at the Clarion Inn in Houston. (Call 713-895-9202.)
Technicon 11 at the Donaldson Brown Center in Blacksburg, Va. (703-951-7232)
FilkOntario at the Regal Constellation in Toronto. (800-268-4838)
Creation at the Tyee State Hotel in Olympia, Wash., featuring Nichelle Nichols. (April 16-17 only; 818-409-0960)
Trek alert
If you have Trek news or trivia to share - or if you have questions relating to ``Star Trek'' - write to Ian Spelling, care of the features department, Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491. Be sure to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you would like a reply.
by CNB