20 Things You Never Knew About Star Trek: Insurrection

4. A British Tar Is A Soaring Soul

There are a couple of conflicting accounts as to how Picard, Worf, and Data ended up singing Gilbert and Sullivan in the final film. All agree that Picard had to distract Data long enough for the other two to capture him. One suggestion had Picard and Data quoting King Lear, rather than singing together. This would call back to episodes of The Next Generation, while also serving as a nod to Stewart's Shakespearean pedigree, however, Stewart claimed he was against it.

He then said that he suggested something like Tony Bennett, which would give Brent Spiner a chance to show off his tenor. Berman and Piller felt that it was corny, and Stewart says that Piller suggested Gilbert and Sullivan, while Piller stated that it was the other way around. Both men agree however that Stewart was not a fan of the composers.

Despite his misgivings, Stewart agreed to HMS Pinafore, after his first idea (Three Little Maids) was shot down for being too vulgar! Once he saw the finished product, he admitted that, in the end, Berman and Piller had made the right call after all.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"