A documentary project dedicated to the divisive Star Trek: Deep Space Nine TV show has raised over $180,000 in just 24 hours. The project, What We Left Behind: Star Trek Deep Space Nine, only went live yesterday but it’s already seen donations to its Indiegogo page soar well beyond initial targets of $150,000.
Launched by DS9’s showrunner, Ira Steven Behr, the documentary promises to give a detailed look back at what made the show such a hot talking point among Star Trek fans. Most importantly, and probably the reason the campaign has been such a success, Behr teases that the documentary will see the show’s writers brainstorm storylines for a potential 8th season, possibly giving us an answer to what might have happened to Captain Sisko.
Adam Nimoy, who directed the wildly popular For the Love of Spock documentary, has signed on to direct the project. The talent doesn’t end there, though. A host of big DS9 names are also involved, including stars like Colm Meaney and Michael Dorn. Unfortunately, Avery Brooks is yet to join the project, but there’s still plenty for Star Trek fans to salivate over.
“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine first aired in January, 1993 well over a year after the death of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry,” reads the official description. “When compared to The Original Series and The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine was written off as too “dark,” “edgy,” and “the black sheep” of the Star Trek family, a show that did not fit Roddenberry’s vision of the future. But someone was still watching as the show lasted seven seasons. Now, over twenty years later, fans all over the world are rediscovering Deep Space Nine and embracing the show with an enthusiasm rivaling the affection they feel for any other Star Trek series. Critics are even calling the show the Jewel in the Crown and the best of the Star Trek franchise. A devoted sci-fi fan might rightly ask themselves; “What the hell happened?””
Given the documentary’s crazy crowd-funding success, a stretch goal is likely to be revealed very soon. Indeed, you can still donate your dollars to the project, getting exclusive T-shirts and early access as a reward for your help.
The irony of the documentary receiving such a rapturous response to funding has not been lost on fans. DS9 has famously failed to receive conversion to HD formats, despite its popularity. Many fans were quick to point out that this crowdfunding campaign should act as a nice barometer for CBS to finally give them what they want.
@DS9Doc @Indiegogo Now imagine if it were possible to crowdfund the full series on Blu Ray!
— William Beans (@Will_GTM) February 10, 2017
@DS9Doc @writergeekrhw @Indiegogo Keep raising money. Maybe CBS will see it as a proxy for real demand for a DS9 Remaster.
— Brian C. Bock (@BrianCBock) February 10, 2017
The documentary is scheduled for completion in early 2018.
Image Credits: CBS
