Ira Steven Behr

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Ira Steven Behr
Ira Steven Behr.jpg
Pictured at San Diego Comicon 2011
Born (1953-10-23) October 23, 1953 (age 70)
New York, New York
Occupation(s)Television screenwriter and producer
Known for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
SpouseLaura Behr

Ira Steven Behr (born October 23, 1953) is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his work on Star Trek , especially Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , on which he served as showrunner and executive producer. He was the executive producer and showrunner on Crash , executive producer on Syfy's Alphas and a writer and co-executive producer on Outlander .

Contents

Biography

Behr was born in New York City to a Jewish family. [1] He studied at Lehman College in New York City. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career writing comedies for television and film. [2]

Behr is married to Laura Feder, who is credited as choreographer on three episodes of Deep Space Nine and one episode of Voyager. [3] [4] [5]

Career

Early work

Behr's first writing job was on the dramatic series Bret Maverick. [2] Behr continued to work on television dramas, throughout the 1980s, among them:

Star Trek

After several years writing and producing television, and while still a staff writer at Beyond Reality , Behr was hired as a producer during Star Trek: The Next Generation 's third season.

Behr felt there were too many rules and regulations and felt creatively trapped, so he left The Next Generation after a year. [6] He remained good friends with Michael Piller and wrote the season 4 episode "Qpid" as a freelance writer. Piller persuaded him to join the new series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as a supervising producer. [6] At the start of the second season, Behr was promoted to co-executive producer. The following year, co-creator Michael Piller left to produce the next Star Trek series, Star Trek: Voyager and Behr replaced him as showrunner and executive producer. As showrunner, Behr reported to head executive producer and franchise chief Rick Berman. Although they would disagree on many things, Behr said they had a good working relationship. [7]

Behr went on to write a total of 53 out of 176 Deep Space Nine episodes, more than any other writer.

As executive producer, Behr was largely responsible for the story arc of the show, from Bajoran politics to the Dominion War. This complex serialized story was a departure from the traditional Star Trek episodic format, and the war narrative was a break from the typically hopeful Star Trek vision of the future. [7]

Behr wrote or co-wrote some of the most important episodes in the Dominion arc, including "The Jem'Hadar", "The Search", "The Way of the Warrior", "Broken Link", "Apocalypse Rising", "In Purgatory's Shadow", "By Inferno's Light", "Call to Arms", "Sacrifice of Angels", "Tears of the Prophets" and the final episode, "What You Leave Behind".

Developing the Ferengi

Behr also had a significant role in the development of the Ferengi alien race during his work on Deep Space Nine. [2] Although the Ferengi were first introduced in the first season of The Next Generation as a potential major antagonist, they proved unsuccessful, and in subsequent seasons became an occasional source of comic relief. But it was not until Deep Space Nine, which included a Ferengi character in its regular cast, that the Ferengi were truly explored in any depth. Behr was involved with most of the early Ferengi-related episodes, and introduced the concept of the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition and wrote most of the rules which appeared on the show. These rules were later published as The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition, by Quark as told to Ira Steven Behr ( ISBN   0-671-52936-6). Along with fellow Deep Space Nine producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Behr also co-wrote Legends of the Ferengi, a collection of short stories involving the Rules of Acquisition.( ISBN   0-671-57901-0)

Documentary

Behr was the driving force behind the documentary What We Left Behind . [8] [9]

Post-Star Trek

Behr left Star Trek following the completion of Deep Space Nine's seventh season in 1999. He again worked with René Echevarria on season two of Dark Angel (2000) as a consulting producer. Behr served as writer and executive producer on the short lived series Bob Patterson (2001), which was created by and starred Jason Alexander. [10] He returned to Paramount for the revival of The Twilight Zone (2002) as writer and executive producer. It aired on UPN directly after Star Trek: Enterprise , [11] and ran for a single season of 42 episodes. Behr described the fast production turnaround as insane but, despite the difficulty he found the camaraderie and the dedication in the writer's room rewarding, and said that almost all of the writers would have been willing to do it again for another season if they had been given the chance. He thought UPN did not really want the show, and that it was not a good fit for the network. [7] He also worked as writer and consulting producer on the series Dr. Vegas (2004). René Echevarria created the series The 4400 (2004–2007), which Behr joined as a writer and took over as executive producer. The series ran for four seasons, and Behr enjoyed the experience and thought "we did some really good episodes." [7] [12]

In 2017 Behr produced the feature film Lucky starring Harry Dean Stanton. [9]

Crash: Season 2

In February 2009, Behr was named head writer for the Starz TV series Crash (based on the Paul Haggis film) as it headed into Season 2, which aired in the fall of 2009. [13] [14] After his disappointment at the cancellation of The 4400, people were surprised that Behr chose to join the struggling show. He saw it as an opportunity, as they would be more open and willing to do things differently than if it had been a more successful show. [15] Lead actor Dennis Hopper died in May 2010 and the series was not renewed for a third season. [16] [7]

Alphas

In December 2010, Behr was appointed head writer, show runner, and executive producer for Syfy Channel's Alphas , for which a pilot, written by Zak Penn and Michael Karnow and directed by Jack Bender, had been produced. Behr oversaw the remaining ten episodes of the eleven-episode first season order. [17]

Outlander

From 2014 to 2016, Behr served as writer and co-executive producer on Outlander , alongside fellow Deep Space Nine contributor Ronald D. Moore. [18]

Related Research Articles

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the Star Trek media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from January 3, 1993, to June 2, 1999, spanning 176 episodes over seven seasons. Set in the 24th century, when Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, its narrative is centered on the eponymous space station Deep Space Nine, located adjacent to a wormhole connecting Federation territory to the Gamma Quadrant on the far side of the Milky Way galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferengi</span> Fictional Star Trek species

The Ferengi are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the American science fiction franchise Star Trek. They were devised in 1987 for the series Star Trek: The Next Generation, played a prominent role in the following series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and have made brief appearances in subsequent series such as Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Picard.

The Dominion War is an extended plot concept developed in several story arcs of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, an American science-fiction television series produced by Paramount Pictures. In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Dominion War is a conflict between the forces of the Dominion, the Cardassian Union, and, eventually, the Breen Confederacy against the Alpha Quadrant alliance of the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire and, later, the Romulan Star Empire. The war takes place in the final two seasons of the series, but is gradually built up to over the course of the five preceding seasons.

In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Rules of Acquisition are a collection of sacred business proverbs of the ultra-capitalist race known as the Ferengi.

Breen (<i>Star Trek</i>) Alien race in Star Trek franchise

The Breen are a fictional extraterrestrial species featured in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. They were first mentioned in "The Loss", a fourth-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation which first aired in 1990. References to them were made in several other Next Generation episodes, but they did not appear until the 1996 fourth season Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Indiscretion". On Deep Space Nine, they played a significant role in the final story arc of the series in 1999, during which much information about them was revealed. The Breen's true appearance remains unknown to viewers, as they have never been seen without their helmets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vic Fontaine</span> Fictional character from TV series Star Trek: DS9

Vic Fontaine is a fictional character who appeared in the sixth and seventh seasons of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Portrayed by James Darren, he is a holographic representation of a 1960s-era Las Vegas Rat Pack–style singer and entertainer, as part of a program run in the holosuites at Quark's bar. The character was developed from an idea by executive producer Ira Steven Behr, who had sought to introduce a character of that type during the fourth season to be played by Frank Sinatra, Jr. After Sinatra turned down the role, it was considered during the following season, to be played by Steve Lawrence, but once again was not used. Darren landed the role after Behr met him at a memorabilia show in North Hollywood and had him invited to audition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ezri Dax</span> Fictional Character

Ezri Dax is a fictional character who appears in the seventh and final season of the American science fiction TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Portrayed by Nicole de Boer, she is a counselor aboard the Bajoran space station Deep Space Nine. The character is a member of the Trill species, and is formed of both a host and a symbiont—referred to as Dax. Ezri was introduced to the series following the death of the previous Dax host, Jadzia at the end of season six. The producers made the decision that the new symbiont bearer would be female in order to ensure that Nana Visitor was not the only female member of the main cast. There were initial difficulties in casting, and the character changed from one intended to be "spooky" to one struggling to deal with all her previous personalities, having taken on the Dax symbiont without the usual preparation. De Boer was not considered for the part until co-producer Hans Beimler suggested that she submit an audition tape, which resulted in her meeting the producers in Los Angeles and subsequently gaining the role.

Ishka is a fictional character from the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9). A female Ferengi, she is the mother of Quark and Rom. Ishka appears in five canon episodes of DS9, and also features in seven licensed-but-non-canon Star Trek novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">René Echevarria</span> American screenwriter and producer

René Echevarria is an American screenwriter and producer. He has worked on a number of television series, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Dark Angel and Castle. He created The 4400 for USA Network, Carnival Row for Amazon, and was show runner on Terra Nova.

Robert Hewitt Wolfe is an American television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as a writer on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and for developing and producing the series Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What You Leave Behind</span> 25th and 26th episodes of the 7th season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

"What You Leave Behind" is the series finale of the television show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 175th and 176th episodes, the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. The episode was written by showrunner Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler and directed by Allan Kroeker. It originally aired the week of May 31, 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Piller</span> American television producer and scriptwriter (1948–2005)

Michael Piller was an American television scriptwriter and producer, who was best known for his contributions to the Star Trek franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trials and Tribble-ations</span> 6th episode of the 5th season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

"Trials and Tribble-ations" is the 104th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the sixth episode of the fifth season. It was written as a tribute to the original series of Star Trek, in the year of that show's 30th anniversary; sister series Voyager also produced a tribute episode, "Flashback".

Family Business (<i>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</i>) 23rd episode of the 3rd season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

"Family Business" is the 69th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 23rd episode of the third season. It was written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe, and directed by Rene Auberjonois. The episode had Nielsen ratings of 6.9 points when it was first broadcast.

"Heart of Stone" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and originally aired on February 6, 1995 in broadcast syndication. The story was written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe, while the episode was directed by Alexander Singer and the score was created by David Bell.

"Tears of the Prophets" is the 26th and final episode of the sixth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 150th episode overall. It was first broadcast in broadcast syndication in the United States the week of June 15, 1998. It was written by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler, and directed by Allan Kroeker. The episode featured the death of the character Jadzia Dax and the final appearance on the series of actress Terry Farrell.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Space Nine (fictional space station)</span> Fictional space station in Star Trek

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<i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i> season 3 1989–90 season of American television series

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References

  1. ↑ Gershom, Yonassan (March 13, 2013). Jewish Themes in Star Trek. Lulu.com. ISBN   9781458397683.
  2. 1 2 3 "Behr". Star Trek.com.
  3. ↑ Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes: "Statistical Probabilities", "His Way", and "Badda-Bing Badda-Bang". Star Trek: Voyager episode "Someone to Watch Over Me".
  4. ↑ Erdmann (2000) page 514 "Laura Behr is a fabulous choreographer"
  5. ↑ Erdmann (2000) page 666 "His wife, Laura, once again served as choreographer"
  6. 1 2 Ira Behr (July 5, 2011). "Ira Steven Behr Remembers DS9, Previews Alphas, Part 1". StarTrek.com (Interview).
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Ira Behr (July 6, 2011). "Ira Steven Behr Remembers DS9, Part 2". StarTrek.com (Interview).
  8. ↑ "Ira Steven Behr on Passion Project That Dominated Six Years of His Life". StarTrek.com. May 9, 2019.
  9. 1 2 Brad Gullickson (July 13, 2019). "Ira Steven Behr Confronts His Legacy and Fandom in 'What We Left Behind'". Film School Rejects .
  10. ↑ "ABC Takes 'Patterson' Off Lineup". Los Angeles Times . November 3, 2001.
  11. ↑ Susan King (September 23, 2002). "UPN Hoping It Can Revive the Magic of 'Twilight Zone' Series". Los Angeles Times . pitching Twilight Zone as a companion piece to the UPN series Star Trek: Enterprise
  12. ↑ Pascale, Anthony (May 30, 2007). "Behr on Voyager, Trek XI & Future of 4400". TrekMovie.com. The 4400 has more Trek connections beyond Behr. The show was created by DS9 writer/producer René Echevarria.
  13. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 23, 2009). "Starz's 'Crash' getting retooled". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  14. ↑ Goldman, Eric (February 24, 2009). "4400 Executive Producer Will Crash". IGN.com. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  15. ↑ Jim Halterman (TFC) (September 18, 2009). "Interview: "Crash" Executive Producer Ira Steven Behr". The Futon Critic .
  16. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (January 13, 2010). "Starz mulling future of 'Crash'". The Hollywood Reporter .
  17. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (December 20, 2010). "Ira Steven Behr To Run SyFy Series 'Alphas'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  18. ↑ Blake Larsen (July 14, 2015). "Outlander Cast Chats w/ Outlander Executive Producer/Writer Ira Steven Behr - Episode 30". OutlanderCast.com (Podcast).
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