Star Trek: The Pod Directive

Where do fictional languages come from? How are they devised? Hear from the creator of the Klingon language, Marc Okrand, on his process of designing the famous conlang (constructed language) and his first few Star Trek gigs. You'd be surprised by the amount of vocabulary, syntax, and grammar that go into inventing the conlang. Host David Pogue also interviews language creator David Peterson on his conlangs, including Dothraki and High Valyrian from Game of Thrones, and Angela Carpenter, a linguistics professor at Wellesley College on the history of constructed languages. We'll be back with a new episode of the Pod Directive soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wondered how warping would work in real life? Astrophysicist Dr. Erin Macdonald knows. Erin takes the inner workings of science and makes them possible in the science fiction universe we love on Star Trek. She also highlights one of her favorite Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes, “The Magnificent Ferengi”, because everyone loves an Iggy Pop appearance. This episode originally aired on May 17, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quick, before this podcast self-destructs! Longtime “Mission: Impossible” obsessives, filmmaker Charles Hood and entertainment journalist Drew Taylor, are taking their love for the film franchise to the next level. They're bringing star-studded interviews, deep dives into the movies' daring stunts, and behind-the-scenes information you can't get anywhere else. You'll also hear from Ethan Hunt himself, Tom Cruise! New episodes every Tuesday, available wherever you get podcasts. See "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One ONLY in theatres July 12th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and actor John Hodgman is throwing it back with Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: The Original Series. He and our hosts analyze how these shows have impacted their views on interpersonal relationships and John dives into one of his favorite Next Generation episodes, “Lonely Among Us”. He is also desperately looking for a Judge Q costume if anyone has a spare! This episode originally aired on April 12, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Patrick Stewart makes a special appearance on The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert. Following Colbert's commentary, he and Stewart discuss the final season of Star Trek: Picard. Stewart also shares tidbits about himself including how he stays so young, his role as King Oberon, and what he sees as the best way to start your day. This is an episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert originally aired in February 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creator of “All the Asians On Star Trek” and the “Angry Asian Man” blog, Phil Yu, discusses Asian representation in Star Trek and beyond. He speaks to his own experiences from watching Rosalind Chao as a kid to making it a mission to interview every Asian actor who has appeared on Star Trek. Throughout the years diversity has developed, but we're also asking: What is meaningful representation? How is Asian representation doing in Star Trek and beyond? This episode originally aired on April 26, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The wonderful Michelle Yeoh, also known as Captain Philippa Georgiou, talks about her time working on Star Trek: Discovery and her experience with her Star Trek family. She gives us the background on her extensive career from dancing to acting, including how her inspiration for Georgiou came from contemporary dance. She also shares the things she wants to do in her career that she hasn't done yet! This episode originally aired on April 19, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer Christopher Cantwell joins the podcast as a fan and is greeted by fans of his own! Tawny and Paul are excited to welcome the creator of one of their favorite shows, Halt and Catch Fire, before diving into Cantwell's Star Trek fandom, his IDW comic series, Star Trek: Defiant, and why everything always comes back to Klingons… not that we're complaining. Check out a first taste of his next book, the crossover event "Day of Blood", in the Star Trek Free Comic Book Day 2023 one shot available for free at comic book shops across the country on May 6. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Debut author and science journalist Jaime Green is bringing her expertise and passion for life on our planet and others! Our hosts get a chance to ask her about evolution on earth and beyond, chat AI, revisit their conversation on SETI and METI from season 2, and discuss the uniqueness of alien life on Star Trek, in science fiction, and in the real world. Jaime's book, The Possibility of Life, is out today and available from booksellers everywhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedians, married couple, and -- most importantly -- friends of our hosts, Moshe Kasher and Natasha Leggero join the pod to help us find out what happens when a Trek fan marries someone who couldn't care less. Listen in as Tawny, Paul, and Moshe introduce Natasha to the classic DS9 episode, Trials and Tribble-ations. Want more Natasha and Moshe? Listen to their relationship advice podcast, Endless Honeymoon. You can also catch them in Honolulu at the Blue Note on May 19, and doing Endless Honeymoon live on June 29 at Polaris Hall in Portland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Science, space, and gaming journalist and StarTrek.com contributor Swapna Krishna helps Paul and Tawny answer one very important question about the sky above: ‘What's all goin' on up there?' They talk through the latest news in space and interstellar travel; including NASA's plans for 2023 and beyond, the future of space tourism, and more. Finally, Swapna recommends our hosts watch two of her favourite DS9 episodes and we learn why those Kira/Damar scenes leave her wanting more every time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And… action! Jonathan Frakes joins Paul and Tawny for the Season 3 premiere to discuss his first exposure with Trek and how he came to act and direct over 100 TV episodes along with the film “Star Trek: First Contact”. Plus, he talks about his experience being an official Marvel character actor as Captain America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Tawny Newsome (Beckett Mariner on Lower Decks) and Paul F. Tompkins (Doctor Migleemo on Lower Decks) for another season of Star Trek: The Pod Directive. You'll hear a wide-ranging and often hilarious take on the Star Trek universe in every episode. Paul and Tawny will also be joined by fellow Trekkies, from cast members to diehard fans. This season, go behind the scenes of hit shows with guests from Deep Space Nine and The Next Generation and explore the impact of the franchise— including Picard season 3! New episodes every other Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In case you missed it at Star Trek Day, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan writer and director, Nicholas Meyer, surprised the audience with the announcement of a new podcast, Star Trek: Khan – Ceti Alpha V. The scripted podcast will examine what happened in the years after Captain Kirk left Khan on the untamed world of Ceti Alpha V and tells the story of Khan and his followers prior to the iconic film. Additionally, Star Trek: The Pod Directive hosts Tawny Newsome and Paul F. Tompkins announced the third season renewal of their podcast. Learn more at StarTrek.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the last pod of the season, and Tawny and Paul are sitting down with producer and StarTrek.com Managing Editor Kendra James. Together, they're recapping season 2 of The Pod Directive, talking shop, Star Trek News, and more before leaving listeners with a few Trek-centric recommendations to tide us all over until season 3. See you in a few months, everyone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tawny Newsome (Beckett Mariner, Star Trek: Lower Decks) and Paul F. Tompkins (Dr. Migleemo, Star Trek: Lower Decks) are joined by Jack Quaid (Brad Boimler, Star Trek: Lower Decks) for a… well, you can probably guess what we're talking this week. Get some exclusive insight on the Lower Decks' audition process, listen as the trio discusses Jack's Star Trek learning curve, what it's like being the representatives of major fandoms, and even drop a few clues about Lower Decks season 2 (August 12, 2021)!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Tawny and Paul sit down with the architect behind the modern Star Trek Universe, Alex Kurtzman. In an hour-long conversation, the three discuss what it takes to build a franchise, the amazingly talented people in front of and behind the camera who make the shows come to life, and why in 2021 Star Trek is now more important than ever when it comes to understanding the world we live in. It's an episode fans won't want to miss! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vox TV Critic Emily VanDerWerff drops by the pod to talk about what it's been like rewatching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for the first time, not only as an adult, but during a global pandemic with her newly minted TV ‘book club.' Together, Emily, Paul, and Tawny discuss DS9's enduring legacy and why it speaks to so many LGBTQ fans, Emily's very first experiences with Trek, and dip into the state of media criticism before leaving listeners with some great recommendations for what to watch next! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Director Justin Simien (Dear White People, Bad Hair, and the upcoming Lando Calrissian series for Disney+) joins Tawny and Paul this week to talk all things Trek and nostalgia. From stories of Simien’s childhood in the American South watching The Next Generation on an antenna TV, to learning all the, er, creative ways he figured out to make his own amateur sci-fi adventure, and the beauty of TNG’s series finale, this episode is one you won’t want to miss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talia Lavin spent months immersing herself in the internet’s darkest corners, becoming an expert on how white supremacists organize online and what that means for the rest of us. After publishing Culture Warlords: My Journey into the Dark Web of White Supremacy, she went for a palate cleanser and started watching Star Trek for the very first time. This week, Talia joins Tawny and Paul to discuss what it was like to watch Star Trek during the pandemic and her hopes for making a more Trek-like future out of our current reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Erin Macdonald is living any Star Trek fan’s dream, going from working on her doctorate in astrophysics while watching Star Trek: Voyager in the background to serving as a science consultant for the whole franchise. This week, the doctor joins Paul and Tawny to talk Iggy Pop, “Threshold,” Trek Tech, and everything in between. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The hosts of Newcomers, Lauren Lapkus and Nicole Byer, have turned their fandom curiosities to Star Trek in this podcast crossover. Watch the Deep Space Nine episode “In the Cards” and join us for a hilarious conversation that asks important questions like: Why have an auction if there’s no money? Is it cool for a child to sneak into a grown woman’s bedroom to steal a teddy bear? Why is baseball the chosen sport of the 24th Century? And, apropos to nothing, why does Data look like that?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re celebrating Mother’s Day with Tawny’s moms: Her TV mom, Dawnn Lewis (Captain Freeman, Star Trek: Lower Decks), and her real life mom, Stephanie! We’re talking all things Lower Decks, Enterprise, and Tawny Newsome (much to her dismay and Paul’s delight) on this week’s episode of Star Trek: The Pod Directive! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil Yu has set out on his own five year mission. In 2020, the Star Trek fan -- who blogs under the name Angry Asian Man -- started his own podcast All the Asians on Star Trek where he, as the title says, plans to interview every Asian actor who has appeared on Star Trek. It’s a lofty goal, but Phil’s already made big strides, and this week he’s sitting down with Paul and Tawny to talk about his podcast, some of his favorite interviews, and the Next Generation episode that hits him in the feels every time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michelle Yeoh! Tawny Newsome! Paul F. Tompkins! Need we say more? Join us for a wide ranging conversation with Phillipa Georgiou herself, spanning the world from Malaysia, to Toronto, to Paris, and of course talking about everything Star Trek: Discovery, but also so much more. Star Trek fan or not, this is an interview you don’t want to miss! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're welcoming John Hodgman (The Daily Show, Judge John Hodgman, and more) to the show! John joins Paul and Tawny to talk about classic 1990s Trek and to make a very important request of our listeners -- can someone please find John some Judge Q robes?! All of this and more in this week's installment of The Pod Directive! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anson Mount (Discovery and Strange New Worlds) and Dr. Doug Vakoch make first contact with Paul and Tawny in their first appearance on The Pod Directive! Together, our guests walk listeners through METI's mission and what we Earthlings can and should expect from the First Contacts that might just happen in our own lifetimes! Celebrate First Contact Day with this chat that presents the perfect mix of science and science-fiction that us Star Trek fans are known to love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson (co-hosts of Earwolf's Unspooled podcast) kick off season two with all things "Space Seed," Ricardo Montalban, and Qanon in space?!, as they discuss the cinematic classic, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan with our favorite hosts Tawny Newsome and Paul F. Tompkins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tawny Newsome and Paul F. Tompkins are back for Season 2 of Star Trek: The Pod Directive. This season, journey even further behind-the-scenes through discussions about Star Trek's influence on culture and space exploration. Guests include Trek icons and superfans like Paul Scheer, Amy Nicholson, Michelle Yeoh, John Hodgman, and more. Starting March 29, hear brand new episodes of The Pod Directive every Monday wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We couldn’t have asked for a better guest for the final episode of Star Trek: The Pod Directive! Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard composer Jeff Russo joins Tawny and Paul in the studio. A former member of the rock band Tonic, Russo walks us through his transition from studio albums to film and television composition, and the trio discusses what makes Star Trek’s music so iconic.  Stay subscribed! Star Trek: The Pod Directive will return to this feed soon for season 2, featuring all new episodes, out of this world guests, and your favorite hosts: Tawny Newsome and Paul F. Tompkins!

This week on Star Trek: The Pod Directive, Tawny and Paul meet up for a quick chat before Paul dives in solo with renowned environmentalist and professor Bill McKibben. From rainstorms and earthquakes on Risa to a quest to save two whales, Star Trek has always paid attention to issues of the environment, and McKibben has taken note. Together, Paul and Bill talk through issues of Global Warming, what makes environmentalism so crucial, and what Star Trek has done right that we can actually do and apply here in the real world. Remember to subscribe to Star Trek: The Pod Directive and, if you like what you hear, leave us an Apple review.

This week, Tawny and Paul sit down with someone who's been closer to the stars than most people will ever get. You may know Samantha Cristoforetti from her famous cosplay of Kathryn Janeway on the International Space Station. Calling in from Germany, she talks to our hosts about what it's like to be a fan of Star Trek while also working towards the future of space exploration the show so clearly envisions. Remember to subscribe to Star Trek: The Pod Directive and, if you like what you hear, leave us an Apple review.

This week, Paul F. Tompkins sits down with his old friend Tig Notaro. They talk about her role as Jett Reno on Star Trek: Discovery, adapting to Trek Tech Talk, their mutual loves of comedy, and more. Remember to subscribe to Star Trek: The Pod Directive and, if you like what you hear, leave us an Apple review.

We could not have asked for a better guest in this last month before the 2020 election, than Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate Stacey Abrams. After running a hard fought campaign for governor, Abrams went on to found her organization, Fair Fight. Somehow, this powerhouse finds time between fighting for voter rights, delivering political commentary, and, yes, writing romance novels, to also maintain her status as a massive fan of Star Trek. Hosts Tawny Newsome and Paul F. Tompkins talk to Abrams about politics, ethics, and one of her favorite episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Remember to subscribe to Star Trek: The Pod Directive and, if you like what you hear, leave us an Apple review.

It’s always a great time when a buddy drops by the studio! This week, Tawny introduces Paul to her friend (and showrunner!) Mike McMahan. The trio sits down for a hilarious discussion of all things Star Trek, comedy, and how the two have always been in lock step with each other, even before the premiere of Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Flying solo with hosting duties this week, Tawny is joined by Michelle Hurd (Raffi, Star Trek: Picard), Angelica Jade Bastién (Staff Writer, Vulture), and Kendra James (Managing Editor, StarTrek.com) for an hour long, roundtable conversation about Black stories, Black culture, and Black lives in Star Trek. Remember to subscribe to Star Trek: The Pod Directive and, if you like what you hear, leave us an Apple review.

Tawny and Paul sit down with religious scholar, writer, and commentator Reza Aslan to discuss religion and Star Trek. Sound scary? Don't worry, this week's episode is filled with humor and dry wit as our hosts broach this fascinating topic, and Reza takes us on a deep dive on the symbolism behind a fan favorite, Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Darmok."   Remember to subscribe to Star Trek: The Pod Directive and, if you like what you hear, leave us an Apple review.

In their debut episode, hosts Tawny Newsome and Paul F. Tompkins sit down with actor, director, and producer Ben Stiller to talk all things Star Trek memorabilia. The trio go deep into Stiller's Trek collection, his childhood memories of the show, and the way his fandom pops up in many of his projects - even to this day! Remember to subscribe to Star Trek: The Pod Directive and, if you like what you hear, leave us an Apple review.

Join Tawny Newsome (Star Trek: Lower Decks) and Paul F. Tompkins (BoJack Horseman, Comedy Bang Bang) in a wide-ranging and often hilarious take on the Star Trek universe. With unparalleled access to Star Trek luminaries, celebrity superfans, and behind-the-scenes creative professionals, The Pod Directive takes a smart, witty and thoughtful look at all things Trek – both old and new.   Starting September 14th join Tawny Newsome and Paul F. Tompkins as they talk with Ben Stiller, Reza Aslan, Michelle Hurd, Stacey Abrams, Tig Notaro and more.