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Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:04 pm
by Graham Kennedy
Source
For years Star Trek fans – known as Trekkies – have been the butt of jokes about their penchant for wearing pointy ears and attending science fiction conventions.
But the police feared British fans of the cult American show might boldly go a little too far one day.
It has emerged that Scotland Yard kept a secret dossier on Star Trek, The X-Files, and other US sci fi shows amid fears that British fans would go mad and kill themselves, turn against society or start a weird cult.
The American TV shows Roswell and Dark Skies and the film The Lawnmower Man were also monitored to protect the country from rioting and cyber attacks.
The cast of the original Star Trek series (Rex)
Special Branch was concerned that people hooked on such material could go into a frenzy triggered by the millennium leading to anarchy.
An undated confidential report to the Metropolitan Police, thought to have been filed around 1998-99, listed concerns about conspiracy theorists who believed the end of the world was nigh.
"Fuel is added to the fire by television dramas and feature films mostly produced in America," the report said.
"These draw together the various strands of religion, UFOs, conspiracies, and mystic events and put them in an entertaining storyline.”
It added: "Obviously this is not sinister in itself, what is of concern is the devotion certain groups and individuals ascribe to the contents of these programmes."
Who knew I was so dangerous?!
Re: Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:13 pm
by Mikey
#1 - Really quite xenophobic. Why wouldn't some prominent BBC programs (Sorry, "programmes") be included? Gerry Anderson's shows had smaller but just as dedicated audiences, and Whovians are as cultist as fans get.
#2 - Let's just consider the last decade of the 20th century, as the quote above states that the report was filed in 1998 or 1999:
July 26, 1994: two terrorist bombings in London
January 13, 1997: letter bomb at al-Hayat HQ in London
April 17 - 30, 1999: David Copeland's series of nail bomb attacks against homosexuals and ethnic minorities in Brixton and East London
97 (yes, ninety-seven!) Irish republican terrorist attacks (95, if you take the three different days of mortar attacks at Heathrow as a single action) from 1990-1999.
But, yeah - make sure you're watching the nerds.
Re: Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 11:40 pm
by RK_Striker_JK_5
.... The timetable must be accelerated. Begin plans for Operation:Trelane.
Re: Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 12:16 am
by Mikey
I'd rather go with Operation: Flint. Then we'd have all the time in the world!
Re: Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 8:39 am
by Teaos
They know to much.
Lead us on our righteous campaign dear leader!
Re: Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 12:13 pm
by Coalition
The Trekkie revolution is actually a bunch of trekkies going in circles.
Now if it was a Trekkie Rotation they'd be spinning around.
Re: Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 2:53 pm
by IanKennedy
Surely, the "Trekkie revolution" would lead to an unlimited supply of free energy, instant point to point transportation. Harmony amongst the peoples of the world and an end to poverty. Plus, and this I think is the major benefit assuming Picard is a good example, the end of the French language. What more could anyone wish for.
It would be paradoxical to say 'Vive La Revolution"
Re: Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 2:59 pm
by IanKennedy
You can imaging the reports the MI6 people had to file.
Day 1: Suspect watched another 10 episodes of "Star Trek".
Day 40: Suspect watched another 10 episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation".
Day 500: Suspect watched another interesting episode of ST:TNG, Picard made some Earl Grey tea. I wish I knew the name of the fish in his ready room.
Day 501: After yesterdays report I think I am being watched by my colleagues...
Re: Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 5:19 am
by McAvoy
IanKennedy wrote:You can imaging the reports the MI6 people had to file.
Day 1: Suspect watched another 10 episodes of "Star Trek".
Day 40: Suspect watched another 10 episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation".
Day 500: Suspect watched another interesting episode of ST:TNG, Picard made some Earl Grey tea. I wish I knew the name of the fish in his ready room.
Day 501: After yesterdays report I think I am being watched by my colleagues...
Haha. I got a good internal chuckle out of that.
Re: Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 1:56 pm
by Graham Kennedy
I had an out loud one! Mostly because I happened to know the fish is called Livingston!
Re: Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 4:09 pm
by Mikey
Graham Kennedy wrote:I had an out loud one! Mostly because I happened to know the fish is called Livingston!
Really? Is there a snail in the tank named Stanley?
Re: Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 12:09 am
by Graham Kennedy
He was actually named for David Livingston, one of the producers
Re: Trekkie Revolution!
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 12:58 am
by Mikey
Graham Kennedy wrote:He was actually named for David Livingston, one of the producers
I was joking. I didn't know that particular factoid, but I do know that the Scottish explorer's name was not "Livingston," it was "Livingstone."