Ceti Alpha 3: A Star Trek Podcast

An Interview with Darren, Daniel, and PhillipPhillip sits down his co-hosts and strandees of 100 episodes of Ceti Alpha 3 to talk Star Trek. He asks them about podcasting, which Trek character would make the best professor, what piece of technology fascinates them the most, and what their hope & fears of the franchise are. Join this trio as they embark on a moment of reflection before beginning their next string of 100 episodes from Ceti Alpha 3.

Are They Really That Bad? - "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier"In their first movie installment of this Ceti Alpha 3 infamous series, the trio tackles the often-maligned William Shatner directed TOS-era film. Does a surprise step-brother for Spock ruin or enhance this odd search for God? Do rebellious Klingons, Scotty-Uhura romance, and Romulan ambassadors combine for a fun feature film? They attempt to answer this, as well as ... is it really that bad?

Starfleet Academy PitchAs Phillip studies for his officers exam he is joined by Daniel and Darren to pitch a new Star Trek show for CBS. This Starfleet Academy show has some interesting ideas baked into a familiar format. Listen to our pitch as well as our coverage of the first Short Trek: Runaway.

Creating Short Treks. “Star Trek: Discovery” begins its second season with a series of “Short Treks,” featuring smaller stories focused on singular characters. What would this type of storytelling look like for the earlier Trek series? And what would be their method of release in the pre-streaming era? Phillip, Daniel, and Darren pitch their ideas for new, shorter episodes for the crews of “Enterprise,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” Let us know which is your favorite!

Are They Really That Bad? - Sub RosaIt's because of that cahn-dehl! "Star Trek: The Next Generation" provided fans with a seventh season episode that reached infamous status. "Sub Rosa" is a Dr. Beverly Crusher Gothic romance/ghost story that ... may have some issues. The trio let the power of the story wash over them is determining, was the episode really that bad?Let us know your memories of "Sub Rosa" and whether your opinion has changed over time.

Holographic Supplemental Characters. "Star Trek: Voyager" first showed us the powers of an emergency medical hologram. However, what other areas of a Starfleet vessel could use some holographic help? Darren, Phillip, and Daniel put on their Jupiter Station thinking caps and design other holographic programs for other divisions areas in Star Trek.

Fantasy Star Trek Draft PicksSports has its fantasy teams, why not Star Trek? Phillip organizes the Inaugural Fantasy Star Trek Voyager Draft with Daniel and Darren. Which Delta Quadrant crew members will they choose to carry their teams to the win? And will there be some surprising performing "players"?Who is your fantasy team for this season two-based" Star Trek: Voyager" fantasy league?

Are They Really That Bad - These Are the Voyages... Star Trek: Enterprise’s finale is much debated in fan circles. Did it do justice to the prematurely cancelled series? Did Tripp have to die? Was it necessary to make it a Next Generation episode? The trio revisits the episode to see if it deserves all the controversy. What do you enjoy about this series finale?

Contrasting DS9 & Babylon 5The battle of the space stations raged in the 1990s. Darren and Phillip introduce Daniel to "Babylon 5" thru the first season episode "Believers." They examine the "faith vs. science" story thru the lens of how "Deep Space Nine" might tackle a similar conundrum with Dr. Julian Bashir. Are you a fan of "Babylon 5"?

CA3 RPG, Part Two"And now, the conclusion..."Last week left Lt. Hegg and Lt. (jg) Thovin captured by Dominion forces. In this part two of Ceti Alpha 3's inaugural roleplaying game, Darren and Daniel have to figure out how to escape a Dominion prison and return to Starfleet forces. Or will another adventure be their fate? Join them as they face down a Vorta, conduct a fire fight with the Jem'Hadar, and using their cunning with GameMaster Phillip.

Building the Gamma Quadrant. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine introduced us to the Gamma Quadrant. It's controlled by The Dominion, with Founders, Vorta, and Jem'Hadar. But surely there's more to the quadrant than one regime? We explore what more we saw, and what we could have seen, other than hunting Tosk and dealing with  game board shilling aliens. What would a Gamma Quadrant-based Star Trek series look like? Join us through a journey down the wormhole in exploring the Gamma Quadrant.

Are They Really That Bad? - Threshold"Star Trek: Voyager" gave the franchise one of its most infamous episodes in 50 years with "Threshold." Is it so bad, it's good? Or just bad? The trio is joined by Voyager-expert Charlynn to help determine the answer. Are they diamonds in this rough? What can be saved? And what makes Team Lizard Babies so iconic.Let us know where you rate "Threshold," based on it's reputation.

The Return of Jean-Luc. With the revelation that Star Trek fans will see the return of Jean-Luc Picard to the small screen, the trio is a-Twitter with excitement, mixed feelings, and speculation. They look at what possibilities await our favorite captain on CBS All-Access, and what it could mean for the future of the Trek franchise. What are you looking forward to with a future Picard series?

CA3 Role Playing Game (RPG)It was only a matter of time - in this episode, Phillip, Darren, and Daniel talk general Trek & their thoughts about season two of "Star Trek: Discovery," after the teaser trailer dropped (00:00 to 24:51). The trio then begins (24:52) their inaugural RPG campaign: Darren and Daniel reprise their previously used characters in other Star Trek RPG formats - Lieutenants Hegg and Thovin, respectively. The two junior officers find themselves on a special mission to Gorn territory during the middle of the Dominion War. Will the Andoran and Bolian make their rendezvous at Cestus III? Or will their drink orders get them into trouble before they even leave the safety of their starship?Join the trio in this first installment of CA3RPG - what do you think will happen in part two?

Are They Really That Bad?Move Along Home. Daniel continues his series of giving those "bad reputation" episodes another look. In this second installment, the trio looks at Deep Space Nine's entry, "Move Along Home." This season one episode is considered to be among the pantheon of terrible episodes - but is there more to this Gamma Quadrant alien board game demonstration? From increasing the difficulty of levels, to writing more of a story, to considering how many contributions the chu-la Kickstarter would get, move along home to this critical examination of this infamous DS9 story.

Original Star Trek Stories on Big FinishThis month marks the debut of "Star Trek" on Big Finish productions (https://www.bigfinish.com). The first set of stories are an audiobook - but what could this mean for original audio dramas? Phillip, Daniel, and Darren pitch different ideas that incorporate Star Trek actors and continue the stories of "lower decks" characters. They also discuss the different approaches to canon and the Trek novel-verse.What story would you pitch as an original Star Trek audio drama?

Star Trek at HogwartsDarren, Daniel and Phillip imagine a far of world where Hogwarts has been populated not by witches and wizards but by Star Trek characters. Listen as we try to see just how far we can stretch this idea.

Are They Really That Bad? - Spock's BrainDaniel kicks off his series, focusing on so-called infamous Star Trek episodes. But are they really that bad?The trio begins with The Original Series entry "Spock's Brain." A mix of odd camera angles, a focus on secondary characters, and an episode title that just can't be ignored, this third season opener becomes a mixed bag. But Daniel, Darren, and Phillip discuss whether it deserves the title of worst episode ever.What's your most memorable part about "Spock's Brain?"

Proposed Star Trek Spinoffs, Part 2Star Trek is wonderful - fans are gifted with so many series (and movies) to watch, from the 22nd to the 24th Century. But - what if there was MORE Star Trek? Phillip, Daniel, and Darren take another meeting and pitch their ideas for more spinoffs from the existing Star Trek live series. What if we finally saw a “whatever happened to Prime Lorca?” series from “Star Trek: Discovery”? What about a show about intergalactic con men and women “cleaning up” from Voyager’s adventures in the Delta Quadrant? Or a Starfleet Academy series that fills in the gap between The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan?Join this network meeting of the minds, and let us know - which spinoff concept deserves to be greenlit?

Proposed Star Trek SpinoffsStar Trek is wonderful - fans are gifted with so many series (and movies) to watch, from the 22nd to the 24th Century. But - what if there was MORE Star Trek? Phillip, Daniel, and Darren take a meeting and pitch their ideas of spinoffs from the existing Star Trek live series. What if Star Trek: The Next Generation led to a medical drama starring Nurse Ogawa? What if Star Trek: Deep Space Nine saw an "Office"-like comedy prequel based on Utopia Planetia? A "Saved by the Hail: A New Class" from Star Trek: Enterprise with some familiar Starfleet officers as instructors with new students from alien worlds?Join this network meeting of the minds, and let us know - which spinoff concept deserves to be greenlit?