Summary
- Actor James Darren went from T.J. Hooker to Star Trek: DS9, adding a musical touch to the holosuite scenes.
- T.J. Hooker aired on ABC and CBS from 1982 to 1986 while William Shatner was starring in Star Trek movies.
- Vic Fontaine's character created controversy with extended musical numbers.
William Shatner’s T.J. Hooker show featured an actor from Star Trek. During the first few Star Trek movie sequels, William Shatner starred in his hit ABC and CBS series T.J. Hooker. This American police drama TV show featured Shatner in the starring role, a 15-year veteran police sergeant. Interestingly, Shatner's T.J. Hooker also starred a future Star Trek actor.
Actor and singer James Darren appeared in T.J. Hooker as Officer Jim Corrigan and later in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as the iconic but controversial holodeck singer Vic Fontaine. However, James Darren becoming part of Star Trek after working with William Shatner isn't necessarily a surprise — after all, the Star Trek timeline is long and storied, spanning various TV shows and movies. Darren following in Shatner's footsteps and joining Star Trek makes their T.J. Hooker connection even more interesting.
James Darren From William Shatner’s T.J. Hooker Became Star Trek: DS9’s Vic Fontaine
The 1980s cop drama featured both a Star Trek icon and a future Star Trek recurring guest star
There was certainly not a shortage of American cop dramas in the 1980s, and William Shatner's T.J. Hooker came along to join those ranks. Shatner's Star Trek fame boosted the show's popularity. Among the cast was notable actor and legendary singer James Darren, who played veteran police officer Jim Corrigan. TJ Hooker ran for five seasons and switched networks from ABC and CBS before ending in 1986. In 1993, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine premiered, and Darren found a recurring place on board the Deep Space Nine space station during the show's sixth and seventh seasons.
DS9 episodes with Vic Fontaine often featured many songs performed by James Darren, recreating the energy of early 1960s jazz that became popular again in the 1990s.
The Deep Space Nine space station's holosuite sported an often-used program set in 1962 Las Vegas. In this setting, Vic Fontaine's hologram was a staple. A singer in a Las Vegas nightclub that was aptly named Vic's Las Vegas Lounge, Fontaine became a friend and confidant of many of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's characters. DS9 episodes with Vic Fontaine often featured many songs performed by James Darren, recreating the energy of early 1960s jazz that became popular again in the 1990s. However, these musical episodes weren't always a fan-favorite — and often, neither was Fontaine.
Why Star Trek: DS9’s Singing Hologram Was Controversial
Episodes featuring the holodeck crooner were often criticized
While Star Trek: Deep Space Nine never had an actual musical like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the show still featured music by Vic Fontaine in the holosuite. Vic's performed jazz music helped immerse Deep Space 9's crew in the 1960s and even offered a friend through Fontaine. However, many fans still argue that the full-length renditions of songs by Darren were overdone and often interrupted the show's pacing. At times, the extended musical numbers don't add much to the plot and come across as the show's creators being fans of old Frank Sinatra standards and James Darren.
Vic lacks the same past that made Guinan's advice so believable.
Vic Fontaine also supported the senior staff on the Deep Space 9 space station, and these relationships often came under fire for being too convenient. At times, Vic Fontaine feels a little like an attempt to create Star Trek: The Next Generation's Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) through sage guidance, but Vic lacks the same past that made Guinan's advice so believable. Nevertheless, the unlikely connection between TJ Hooker and Star Trek is an interesting one.
