Warp Five 30: Put Another Zipper On It

Prequel Design. How do you imagine a future that’s closer to our reality than what Gene Roddenberry was imagining for a show set three centuries from now? And how do you remain true to the franchise and all those elements created for The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager—whilst still making it mesh with what is to come later on the timeline? This is the challenge that faced the creative team when they began creating Enterprise. It was the Ultimate Prequel Design Challenge. And to say that it was daunting would be an understatement. In this episode of Warp Five, Christopher Jones and Tyler Johnson take a look at key areas that had to address the prequel nature of the series and bridge the gap between not only the 22nd century and the 24th, but between the audience's perception of what "future" meant in 1966 and 2001. From the NX-01's exterior to the bridge to the engine room—to alien ships and beyond—we explore the visual design of Star Trek's prequel. We even find out why you can never have too many pockets and zippers.