Robert April
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Template:Star Trek character Robert M. April is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe, who in some Star Trek media is portrayed as the first captain of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701). The character is commonly identified with the animated series of that franchise. Since it is unknown whether Paramount Studios considers the animated series to be part of the Star Trek canon (contrary to rumor, Paramount has never officially stated its position on the matter), many fans believe this is true of Robert April as well. The officially licenced reference work, The Star Trek Chronology, lists April as being the first captain, which has led to confusion among fans as the Chronology, while incorporating canon elements taken from the Star Trek Universe, is not itself considered canon and the inclusion of April (along with some other animated series details) did not indicate the sanction of Paramount any more than the numerous licensed novels by Pocket Books that featured April and other animated series characters. This is underlined by the fact that a photo of Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, doctored to appear as if he is wearing a Starfleet uniform, was used in the Chronology in a tongue-in-cheek fashion to represent Capt. April. However, the official Star Trek website lists April as the first captain of the Enterprise.
When Roddenberry submitted his first proposal for Star Trek to MGM Studios in 1964, his name for the starship commander was "Robert April" (another name, Captain Winter, was also considered). The proposal was rejected, and Star Trek did not become a television reality until later that year when NBC accepted the premise, by which time various changes to the premise had led to the captain's name being changed to Christopher Pike (with more changes to come before series finally began in 1966).
In 1974, the writers for the animated series picked up on this early legacy and included Robert April, now a Commodore, in the final episode of the series titled "The Counter-Clock Incident." The character's voice was provided by James Doohan, who also portrayed "Scotty". As mentioned above, Paramount Pictures, upon a request from Roddenberry, decreed that nothing in the animated series was to be considered canon. Since then, scriptwriters for several Trek series, most notably Star Trek: Enterprise have made sport of including subtle references to the animated series but, as of 2004, no official canon reference to Robert April has ever been made. Some sources have noted a Captain April was listed as the first commander of Enterprise in a background display listing ships histories in an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation". This is not yet confirmed. Similarly, there has been a claim that a background display in a Star Trek: Enterprise episode "In a Mirror, Darkly: Part II" also displays his name (or, rather, part of it). This has also not been confirmed.
Note: Some sources list the character as Robert T. April, including the official Star Trek website, maintained by Paramount Pictures. Most of April's appearances in Star Trek novels give his background as English, hailing from Coventry. April also wears various cardigan sweaters over his Starfleet uniform, due to a rare blood disorder which causes him to feel slightly chilly most of the time. Commander George Kirk, father of Captain James T. Kirk, serves as April's first officer in the early years of the Enterprise. One young adult novel, however, ("Crisis on Vulcan") portrays Pike as the first officer under April when Spock visits the ship.
Further reading
- Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future (Pocket Books, 1996; ISBN 0-67-153610-9)