In 2001, the UPN network was getting ready to debut the next Star Trek series, Star Trek: Enterprise starring Scott Bakula. And the promo spots were on point like this one that starred Gillian Dobb, who played recurring character Agatha Chumley on the original Magnum, PI. You'll see why I mention this when you watch the video below.
How many times have we heard that Star Trek fans live in their mothers' basements and play dress up? Even William Shatner famously said "get a life" to Trek fans, but that hasn't stopped the franchise from growing stronger with each passing year. And this promo spot is the perfect depiction of how strongly we fans feel about it.
The hapless guy seeking signatures on a petition to stop the Space channel (which actually was a Canadian channel) from airing so much of Star Trek could never have expected to be face to face with one of those "people who play dress up." Whether it was "he lives in my basement," the impeccable Klingon cosplay, or the interactive Klingon communication between mother and son, it's hard to choose exactly which is my favorite part of this commercial!
Unfortunately, the promo spots didn't manage to draw the crowds to Star Trek: Enterprise as hoped, but the series did last for four seasons, and new fans are finding it now more than ever with its availability on streamiing.
UPN did release additional promo spots leading up to the September 26th premiere of Enterprise, like those in the video above, but none of them even came close to the sheer perfection of the nostalgic commercial that offered the promise of seeing more Klingons onscreen. This classic ad is nothing short of amazing, and it's a shame more commercials like this aren't made for Star Trek now!