I Am Not a Kook But I Play One on TV

Live long and prosper, Leonard Nimoy

(NEWSER) - Spock may live long and prosper, but he's had it with Star Trek conventions. Leonard Nimoy is ditching the Vulcan mind meld with devoted fans at the Trekkie fests now that he's 80 (in human years). The cosmic get-together over the weekend in suburban Chicago celebrating the 45th anniversary of the popular TV science fiction show is his last. Nimoy gave an impassioned farewell to aliens everywhere, who responded with a rousing send off. Nimoy has been committed to the series' fans and conventions for years, while Captain Kirk (aka William Shatner) has ridiculed them, notes Entertainmentgather.com . But we all knew Kirk wasn't nearly as evolved. More»

(NEWSER) - It’s been a long time since James Kirk set out on his 5-year mission, and those early voyages may look cheesy, low-budget, or even sexist now. But “the original Star Trek still has a passion and vitality,” writes Andrew O’Hehir of Salon. “It stands out, even after all this time, as something unique in television history.” With the Cold War raging, creator Gene “Roddenberry imagined a radical-progressive, Enlightenment-fueled vision of the human future.” More»

Shuttle leaves space station, set to land on Wednesday

(NEWSER) - Discovery left the International Space Station for the last time today, but not before getting a rousing send-off from Captain Kirk himself. As the astronauts woke, they were treated to the unmistakable voice of William Shatner. "Space the final frontier," the recording said. "These have been the voyages of the space shuttle Discovery. Her 30-year mission: to seek out new science, to build new outposts, to bring nations together on the final frontier, to boldly go and do what no spacecraft has done before." More»

At 79, he's leaving the stage for good

(NEWSER) - Don't expect to see Leonard Nimoy in the Star Trek sequel now in the works for 2012. The 79-year-old tells the Toronto Sun he's retiring from all acting gigs—including Spock—for good. "I've been doing this professionally for 60 years,” he says. “I want to get off the stage." After a few more sci-fi conventions he's got booked, he'll be done with those, too. More»

Justin Mentell dead at 27

(NEWSER) - Former Boston Legal actor Justin Mentell has been killed in a car accident in rural Wisconsin. The 27-year-old, who played attorney Garrett Wells in the show's inaugural season, died after his Jeep careened off a steep embankment around 3am Monday, according to E! Online. The actor wasn't wearing a seatbelt. More»