Beam Me Up Sulu – premieres tonight on SBS2 with the story of a lost George Takei fan film rediscovered decades after it was made.
The documentary has a playful Star Trek hook, but its wider interest sits in representation, student filmmaking and the durability of fan culture.
Beam Me Up, Sulu has an unusual cultural hook because it begins with a small fan-made project and expands into a story about visibility. George Takei’s presence gives the documentary a direct link to Star Trek, while the recovered footage gives it a rare archival surprise.
The lost-film element gives the story an unusual sense of discovery. What might have remained a small piece of fan history becomes a wider account of who gets to participate in science fiction culture and why that matters.
What to expect in Beam Me Up, Sulu
In 1985, George Takei joined a group of students and fans in a California forest to make a science-fiction short inspired by the Star Trek universe.
The footage disappeared for nearly 40 years before the lost film was uncovered and its backstory brought back into view.
Takei’s involvement gives the program a direct link to Star Trek history, while the rediscovery turns it into a story about community and cultural memory.
The rediscovered film gives the documentary an archival mystery as well as a celebration of fandom.
When to watch Beam Me Up, Sulu
Beam Me Up, Sulu airs tonight, Tuesday 8 September, at 7.25pm on SBS2 and SBS On Demand.
For more free-to-air coverage, visit TV Central’s SBS news and highlights. You can also catch up through SBS On Demand.
