With the performances of William Shatner (James T Kirk) and Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard) catapulting their roles to legendary status, it seemed like a hard task for Paramount to find a lead actor for Series V that could match their calibre. Fortunately, the studio appears to have succeeded in this, as sources suggest that veteran sci-fi actor Scott Bakula is up for the lead role in the next Star Trek series.

Apparently, Bakula is currently negotiating for the role of Jackson Archer, who in the Series V casting sheet is described as a physical, intensely curious captain with a bold personality. "Unlike the Starfleet captains in centuries to come," the casting sheet reads, "he exhibits a sense of wonder and excitement, as well as a little trepidation about the strange things he will encounter. He holds a grudge against the Vulcans, who he blames for impeding humanity's progress. But his science officer is Vulcan, and he's struggling to reconsider those preconceptions. Although he has a strong sense of duty, he's a bit of a renegade - he's not afraid to question orders or even disobey them if he feels in his gut that he's right... "

46-year old Bakula is best known for his role as Doctor Sam Beckett on 'Quantum Leap', the time-travel TV series from the early 1990s. His performance as Sam Beckett landed him two Emmy nominations, a Golden Globe award and no less than four consecutive Viewers for Quality Television Awards for Best Actor in a TV Series. After 'Quantum Leap', he had a recurring role on 'Murphy Brown' and a starring role in the 'Invaders' miniseries. Most recently, he appeared in films such as 'American Beauty' and 'Luminarias', which also starred Robert Beltran (Chakotay).

If negotiations work out, Bakula should prove to be a valuable asset for the next Star Trek series. Recent SF shows such as 'Stargate SG-1' (with Richard Dean Anderson) and 'Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda' (Kevin Sorbo) have shown the drawing power major stars can have. With so much riding on the success of Series V, Paramount would certainly love to see Bakula have a similar effect on the next Star Trek show.

Thanks go out to the Internet Movie Database for the above photo! As usual, please do keep in mind that the above has not been officially confirmed by Paramount, who have a policy of not commenting on Series V news, and so the above should still be treated as you would any rumour. Fortunately official casting info from the studio isn't too far away, as in Friday's Rick Berman interview it was stated that "casting is soon to be announced."

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