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For the ILM crew member on Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, please see David Carson (ILM).

David Carson is a director of four episodes each of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, including the latter's pilot episode, "Emissary". Carson also directed Star Trek Generations, his first feature film effort. He and Jonathan Frakes are the only people to direct Star Trek television and film productions. He was interviewed by Lee Goldberg for the article "David Carson – Captain of "Yesterday's Enterprise", published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine issue 19, pp. 31-35.

Carson is married to actress Kim Braden who had a guest role in the fourth season episode "The Loss" and in the feature film Generations. Carson enjoyed being part of the process creating the episode "Yesterday's Enterprise". When he arrived at the studio for he took part in the concept meetings for the episode due to time pressure. He also cites this episode as a favorite. (The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine issue 19, pp. 32-33) David Livingston stated about Carson, "He is a terrific director." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 32)

Carson was interviewed by former Deep Space Nine showrunner Ira Steven Behr on his part in that series for the latter's 2018 documentary, What We Left Behind. He had previously appeared in the Syfy documentary Star Trek: Return of The Next Generation in 1994.

Career[]

English-born David Carson relocated to Los Angeles in 1988 with his wife and their two children. Before the move though, he had worked with Marina Sirtis on an episode of Sherlock Holmes in his home country.

In addition to Star Trek, English-born Carson has directed episodes of such shows as L.A. Law (starring Corbin Bernsen and Larry Drake), Doogie Howser, M.D. (starring Lawrence Pressman and James B. Sikking), Alien Nation (starring Gary Graham, Eric Pierpoint and Michele Scarabelli), Northern Exposure, Beverly Hills, 90210, One Tree Hill, Smallville, and the pilot for Manny Coto's Odyssey 5, which starred Peter Weller, Tamara Craig Thomas and Leslie Silva. He also directed the pilot of Robert Hewitt Wolfe and Hans Beimler series The Dresden Files and two other episodes of its first season, just like he did with DS9's first season. He was a producer on the series, as well.

Carson directed Bruce McGill in the 1993 television movie Shameful Secrets and the 1998 film Letters from a Killer. He also directed part ten of the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, directed the 2000 miniseries The 10th Kingdom (starring John Larroquette and Dawnn Lewis), helmed the 2002 television adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie, and directed Scott Bakula in the 2007 Lifetime movie Blue Smoke.

Carson cast Andreas Katsulas for a role in the 1989 Alien Nation episode "The Game" and went on to cast Katsulas in the role of Tomalak for the TNG episode "The Enemy". For another episode of Alien Nation, Carson cast Armin Shimerman, who became the first actor to read for the role of Quark during the casting process for DS9's pilot, which Carson directed. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 7))

Directing credits[]

Star Trek award[]

For his work on Star Trek David Carson received the following award nomination

Hugo Awards[]

Carson received the following Hugo Award nomination in the category "Best Dramatic Presentation"

External links[]

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