Walter Koenig, Raver, and Things to Come
Original Airdates: Nov. 6-8, 2026
TVC 754.1: TV Confidential remembers Walter Koenig, the actor known around the world to three generations of sci-fi fans as Alfred Bester on Babylon 5 and as Pavel Chekhov on the original Star Trek television series and the first seven Star Trek motion pictures, with an encore presentation of a conversation that originally aired in January 2012. At the time we spoke to Walter that year, he was about to release the graphic novel Things to Come and re-release the four-part comic book series Raver. Topics this segment include how Walter first got involved in the comic book industry.
Walter Koenig passed away on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026 at the age of ninety.
Walter Koenig on receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Original Airdates: Nov. 6-8, 2026
TVC 754.2: From January 2012: Actor, author, producer, novelist, and screenwriter Walter Koenig (Star Trek, Babylon 5, Raver, Things to Come, Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek) talks to Ed about his satiric, post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel Buck Alice and the Actor-Robot (a novel once described as “Douglas Adams on LSD”), and about receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Walter Koenig passed away on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026 at the age of ninety.
Walter Koenig: Life Before, During and Beyond Star Trek
Original Airdates: Mar. 5-7, 2021
TVC 529.4: Ed welcomes back actor, author, producer, director, screenwriter, and novelist Walter Koenig (Star Trek, Babylon 5). Walter’s latest book, Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek, is actually two books in one: Part One is a reissue of Walter’s memoir, Warped Factors (originally published in 1997), while Part Two includes nearly 100 new pages of material that brings you up to date on Walter’s life and career over the past twenty-five years.
Walter Koenig, Alfred Bester, and Babylon 5
Original Airdates: Mar. 5-7, 2021
TVC 529.5: Walter Koenig talks to Ed about the events that led to his being cast as Alfred Bester on Babylon 5. Walter’s memoir, Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek, walks you through Walter’s growing up years as the son of Russian immigrants in 1940s Manhattan; his formative years as an actor with the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York (where Walter learned his craft alongside such classmates as Christopher Lloyd, Brenda Vaccaro, Jessica Walter, James Caan, and Dabney Coleman); his lifelong love of theatre; and his deep appreciation for the many opportunities that Star Trek continues to give him. Beaming Up and Getting Off is available in hardcover and as an eBook through Jacobs Brown Media Group.
Walter Koenig on the Appeal of Star Trek IV
Original Airdates: Mar. 12-14, 2021
TVC 530.4: Ed plays Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Walter Koenig, the actor known around the world as Mr. Chekhov on the original Star Trek TV series (and the first seven Star Trek movies) and Alfred Bester on Babylon 5. Topics this segment includes what Walter describes as the “complexity of character” of actor William Shatner; why Leonard Nimoy was arguably the most indispensable actor on Star Trek; the broad audience appeal of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; and a funny story involving Walter, James Doohan, George Takei, and a personal appearance at a video store in Dothan, Alabama. Walter’s memoir, Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek, is available in hardcover and as an eBook through Jacobs Brown Media Group.
Walter Koenig on Joining the Cast of Babylon 5
Original Airdates: Mar. 12-14, 2021
TVC 530.5: Walter Koenig talks to Ed about how playing Bester on Babylon 5, in some ways, brought his career full circle. Walter’s memoir, Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek, walks you through Walter’s growing up years as the son of Russian immigrants in 1940s Manhattan; his formative years as an actor with the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York (where Walter learned his craft alongside such classmates as Christopher Lloyd, Brenda Vaccaro, Jessica Walter, James Caan, and Dabney Coleman); his lifelong love of theatre; and his deep appreciation for the many opportunities that Star Trek continues to give him. Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek is available in hardcover and as an eBook through Jacobs Brown Media Group.
