This Sunday, February 26, Nichelle Nichols ("Uhura") will serve as Honorary Chair of a special benefit gala in Houston commemorating one of the astronauts of the Space Shuttle Challenger, Dr. Ronald E. McNair. McNair was one of many minority and women astronauts recruited into the space program by Nichols when she was actively working for NASA in the 1970's and 80's. The event marks the 20th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy (January 28, 1986) which took the life of McNair and six fellow astronauts.

The $100-a-plate gala will take place at NASA's Space Center Houston, and features a tribute concert by jazz legend Kirk Whalen. Proceeds will fund a two-week science academy for teachers and inner city youth, run by the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Educational (D.R.E.M.E.) Science Literacy Foundation. For more information visit www.dremefoundation.org.

"TMP" Cinematographer Kline to be Honored

Richard H. Kline, director of photography on "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," will be recognized by his guild, the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), with a Lifetime Achievement Award this Sunday during the 20th annual ASC Awards.

Kline has compiled more than 50 narrative film credits beginning in 1964 with the television series Mr. Novak. He earned Oscar nominations for "Camelot" in 1968 and for "King Kong" in 1977. His other memorable credits include "The Andromeda Strain" (with "TMP" director Robert Wise), "Soylent Green," "Battle for the Planet of the Apes," "The Terminal Man," "All of Me," "Breathless," and "Body Heat."

"Richard Kline has made an indelible impression on the art of cinematography," said Russ Alsobrook, chair of the organization's awards committee. "He is an innovative artist who had the courage to explore and open new frontiers, and the talent to succeed in those endeavors."

Kline commented, "Critics tend to praise cinematographers for beautiful pictures, especially sunsets, but our real job is to visually enhance the story, create moods, properly capture the actors' performances, and especially protect their image. This has to be done seamlessly without stealing the audiences' attention from the drama or action."

For more about Kline and the ASC Awards, visit www.theasc.com/awards (see articles dated 9/20/05).

Ellison, Bradbury Among "Masters"

ABC has given the greenlight to a new anthology series called "Masters of Science Fiction" which will present the works of some of the genre's seminal writers such as Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury and the late Isaac Asimov.

IDT Entertainment and Industry Entertainment are producing the series, and are in discussions to adapt Ellison's short story "The Discarded" and Asimov's "The Last Question" into one-hour episodes. The producers also hope to sign Bradbury to adapt his short story "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed" himself.

The network has committed to air four episodes, but the producers plan to go ahead and shoot at least six, and as many as 13. The show is targeted to air in the 2006-07 season, but could launch as early as this summer. IDT and Industry also produced "Masters of Horror," another anthology which is going into its second season on Showtime.

Ellison wrote "The City on the Edge of Forever," one of the most highly acclaimed episodes of Star Trek ever. Bradbury, most famous for authoring "The Martian Chronicles" and "Fahrenheit 451," has an indirect connection with Star Trek — he was a friend of Gene Roddenberry, and had a starship named after him. Nichelle Nichols once christened him an "honorary crew member of the Starship Enterprise" (related story).

Culp Lands in Thriller Pilot

Steven Culp, who played MACO leader "Major Hayes" in the third season of Enterprise, is used to seeing his characters killed off after one season. Similar to Hayes, his recent part in Desperate Housewives met an untimely death in the first season. But maybe he'll have better luck with a new pilot he's just been cast in for ABC.

The show is called Traveler, and it's a thriller about three Yale graduate students who become wrapped up in a national security emergency after one of them frames the other two for the bombing of a New York art museum, according to The Hollywood Reporter. No word yet on what part Culp will play, or when or if the series is slated to air.