A Canadian miniseries depicting with careful scientific accuracy the first manned mission to Mars, written by Star Trek authors Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, will premiere this Sunday on the Discovery Channel in that country.

"Race to Mars" takes place in 2030 (similar to the timeframe of "One Small Step") and follows the two-year journey of an international crew of six, capturing every detail of their journey from lift-off through touchdown on Mars to return to Earth, with dramatic obstacles at every step. The script was developed in collaboration with a team of scientific consultants and NASA engineers.

The first half of the four-hour movie will air this Sunday, September 23, at 8 p.m. (please check your local listings). The second half will air the following Sunday, Sept. 30. Broadcast in the U.S. is tentatively planned for January.

The Reeves-Stevens writing couple are well-known for their extensive work in the Star Trek realm, particularly their collaborations with William Shatner on original Captain Kirk novels — including "The Academy – Collision Course" due out October 16 (which, by the way, has nothing to do with the J.J. Abrams movie). They were also part of the writing staff of Star Trek: Enterprise in the fourth season, contributing such strong canonical fare as "The Forge."

But they are not limited to science fiction — in fact, they are quite seasoned in non-fiction science writing. They co-authored "Going to Mars," relating the stories of Mars exploration past, present and future. That 2004 book opens with a quote from Captain James T. Kirk: "Risk is our business."

One of the characters in "Race to Mars" is named "Hiromi Okuda" — no doubt after Gar & Judy's good friends Michael and Denise Okuda. That Japanese character is played by Kevan Ohtsji from Stargate SG-1.

A companion documentary narrated by William Shatner, called "Mars Rising," will follow the miniseries beginning Sunday, October 7, in six parts. It will present an in-depth look at the inherent hurdles facing a human expedition to Mars.

An extensive website devoted to "Race to Mars" has been established at www.RaceToMars.ca. Click on "About Race to Mars" in the menu for more detailed info about the miniseries.

On a similar note, "In the Shadow of the Moon" is now playing in limited release around the U.S. The documentary about the Apollo program — which includes spectacular never-before-seen footage from the Moon — features our good friend Buzz Aldrin, one of the first two men to leave footsteps on another world, along with several other astronauts. It's an absolute must-see for all space buffs. Visit www.InTheShadowOfTheMoon.com for more info including showtimes and theaters.

Spiner, McDonald Cast in "Superhero" Spoof

Dimension Films has announced that the cast of its new parody feature "Superhero!" will include Brent Spiner and another favorite from Star Trek: The Next Generation: Christopher McDonald, who was "Lt. Richard Castillo" in "Yesterday's Enterprise."

"Superhero!" — a send-up of films like "Batman Begins" and "Fantastic Four" — began production Monday (Sept. 17) and is targeted for release on March 28, 2008. No word yet on what types of characters Spiner and McDonald play.

Other announced cast members include Leslie Nielsen ("Airplane!"), Marion Ross (Happy Days) and Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development). The movie is produced by David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss, and written and directed by Craig Mazin, who cut his comedy teeth on the "Naked Gun" and "Scary Movie" films.

Klingon Joke Center of Controversy ... or Hoax?

Did you see the Klingon joke made by Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report on September 11? The one satirizing the use of the word "honor" in a recent Republican debate? Did you hear a similar joke made by a radio host named Cenk Uygur on September 7?

That joke is the subject of an apparent lawsuit by Uygur against Colbert. Or is it hoax to parody frivolous litigation?

Here's the gag in question: On September 5 during a Republican debate, Mike Huckabee and other presidential candidates made frequent use of the word "honor" in their arguments regarding the war in Iraq. Colbert observed this with a video montage, followed immediately by a clip from "Sins of the Father" with Tony Todd as "Kurn" saying, "A Klingon's honor means more to him than his life!" Colbert then goes on to liken Kurn to Rudy Giuliani. The segment closed on another clip from "Sins" of Picard, with Worf, exclaiming, "What does this say of an empire who holds honor so dear?" (You can see the segment at this ComedyCentral.com link.)

Now, Uygur — host of The Young Turks, a morning radio show syndicated by Air America and now XM Satellite — claims Colbert stole the Klingon observation from him. In a profane video tirade announcing he is suing Colbert for $65 million, Uygur presents his "evidence," starting with his own mockery of the Republican candidates in a Klingon voice, followed by the Colbert clip.

Why $65 million? "A judge in Washington D.C. sued a dry cleaner's for $65 million for a pair of lost pants."

So is this for real? Or a hoax to make some political point? Or a mere publicity stunt by a relative unknown? (We vote for the latter.)

You can see Uygur's video and press release at this link, but be warned, the language is unruly and offensive. However, it's apparent he's not being entirely serious.

But if this isn't a hoax, does this guy really think he has some exclusive claim to Klingon jokes? That he's the only one capable of associating the word "honor" with "Klingon"? C'mon, dude, we're everywhere...