Scott Bakula on the set of ENTERPRISE
© 2001 Paramount Pictures

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Scott Bakula Promotes ENTERPRISE

In advance of today's episode of ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, the program's website has posted an interview with ENTERPRISE's Scott Bakula while giving us a first look at the new program's bridge set.

While talking to ET, Bakula spoke of where the series fits in the STAR TREK timeline, saying, "I am the first captain of the first Starship to go out into space... This is 150 years from today; this is 2151, 100 years before Kirk and Spock. So we are the first. We've just figured out how to use the propulsion system and we are going out in warp speed for the first time."

When asked about if the "beaming up" technology works on the series, Bakula says, "Oh no, I can't tell you about the beaming thing." He then adds, "There will be surprises. What's really fun about this is, because it's ahead of Kirk and Spock, there are references to things that, if you've seen the show, you'll get a kick out of. They're kind of inside things that people know what the outcome is, but we're still in the developmental stage of that. So you'll see some things and say, 'Oh, it's the first time they ever did that; it's the first time they thought of that.' There's that kind of fun stuff, which I think will be fun, not only for the people who know the show really well, but also for newcomers."

Bakula also addresses the fact that the ship looks much more high tech than the Enterprise of the original '60s series. On that point, he says, "It's kind of a tricky thing because we obviously have more technology now at our disposal in terms of the shooting of it, but we had to go back and make it look like it was before. So this has more of a submarine type of feel to it. You go in the submarines of today and there are a lot of similarities to their kind of stations and things. So projecting that ahead and still making it seem like it's before Kirk is complicated."

When asked if he wears a spacesuit, the actor says, "We have very cool -- they're kind of jumpsuit-y, but with pockets. Jonathan Frakes came by and was almost in tears, 'We would've killed to have pockets! And a zipper?' We have those things, so we're feeling pretty cozy in them, but they're not leotards, which is great. Again, that's another idea of bringing it closer to today, as opposed to the futuristic thing."

The site also features Bakula clowning around on the program's bridge set, which you can check out by clicking on the source link above and following the link on the page when you get there.

Today's ET will feature more of Bakula and the ship sets. Check local listings for you area to determine when it will be shown.