CBS Action plucks Trek pundit out of a Comic Con queue
UK cable channel CBS Action has hired an unknown, Raules Davies, to front its major on-air campaign for Star Trek: The Next Generation which starts airing each weeknight from 20 July, 2011.
Hotel night manager, Davies, 36, will introduce the episodes and share his vast Star Trek knowledge with viewers, plus divulge all the trivia and gossip he’s picked up over the years, as a self-styled “Trekologist”. Davies, who lives in Manchester, was spotted by CBS Action at Comic Con last year. Raules explains: “I was approached by a CBS camera crew and asked questions about Star Trek. I remember the last thing I did, after they had concluded the interview, was turn to the camera and say, ‘Star Trek on CBS Action- to watch anything else would be... illogical!’”
Raules, who has no TV experience, is amazed that his life-long Star Trek fandom has led to his dream job: “I keep expecting to wake up. I’m elated and slightly scared. I’m incredibly excited about the whole thing. I’m in a position where I hope I can make a difference to Star Trek and its fans and how we’re perceived.”
Chris Sharp, Chief Programming Officer at CBS Action, said: “Raules is an absolute natural. We knew the moment we interviewed him that he was a star in the making. We wanted to put our fans at the heart of the marketing campaign, so we’re delighted to have Raules spearheading the activity.”
Raules is a life-long Star Trek fan with his own collection of memorabilia including genuine uniforms from the show, some of which will feature on-air. He watches a staggering eight hours of the sci-fi classic every day and estimates that, so far, he has spent more than 80,000 hours watching the iconic series.
During the first three episodes, Raules will be tweeting at @cbsaction, answering and posing questions, sharing trivia and giving other fans the chance to win some great memorabilia and other prizes.
CBS Action will show all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation from 20th July 2011.
