After much online speculation about when in the future Enterprise will take place, Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer) told fans at last weekend's Orlando Leap exactly when the series will be set.

"It's only a hundred and fifty years from now in 2151 - that's just around the corner," he said with actress Natasha Pavlovich. Pavlovich was one of five guest actors who appeared at the Orlando Leap, an event dedicated to Bakula's former series. As the actor himself was unable to attend, Pavlovich had taped the interview so that he could still greet his fans.

"It's a really great part. I was really excited when I got the script because it's the first Starship and I'm the first Captain and it's right from the beginning," he said. "Even if you don't know Star Trek and you haven't followed the other series this is basically the first one, so you don't need to come to it with lots of lore in terms of what Star Trek is or was."

The actor also gave a summary of what the new series will involve. "It's basically these people are getting on a ship and going out to explore for the first time. It's very much like 'The Right Stuff' or any of those kind of movies, where it's much more humanly based in terms of emotion and seeing this Universe for this first time. Which I think is really exciting."

As well as Enterprise Bakula will soon be appearing on TV screens in a new Showtime TV movie, What Girls Learn. The film stars 'Moonlight and Valentino' actress Elizabeth Perkins. "It's a really beautiful story I know everyone's going to love," Bakula commented. "We're hoping to get an October airdate. Its geared to a younger audiences and is really exciting."

Bakula mentioned that he does read some of his fan mail, but he doesn't get on the internet to read the news and rumours about him. "[I use the internet] very seldom," he said. "If I go on it's for research."

Bakula laughed when asked just what his role as Captain of the Enterprise will involve. "It means that I sit in the middle of the Bridge and I give all the orders, and everybody follows me," he said wryly.

The full interview with Bakula, in which he talks about his work on Quantum leap can be downloaded as a 3 MB mp3 file from Jo's Quantum Cafe. Many thanks go out to Pam of Bakula News for sending us news of this interview.

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