#Strange New Worlds’ Admiral Robert April

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“Strange New Worlds’ Admiral Robert April”

In the season premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, titled “Strange New Worlds,” the main character of the series and current captain of the starship Enterprise, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), receives his orders from a character named Admiral Robert April (Adrian Holmes). Who is Admiral April, and what is his crucial connection to the five-year mission on which the Enterprise just embarked? Before he was promoted to the rank of Admiral, Robert April was the Captain of the Enterprise, and Pike was his Number One. When April left the position of Captain, Pike was promoted and took command.

The character first appeared in the second season of Star Trek: The Animated Series in an episode called “The Counter-Clock Incident.” The episode was written by Fred Bronson, using the nom de plume “John Culver,” a name that references the fact that Bronson grew up in Culver City, California. Bronson had been working at NBC at the time, and since it was, therefore, a conflict of interest to write for TAS, Bronson used the pseudonym.

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Speaking of names, the designation “Captain April” does go back a little further. In Gene Roddenberry’s original pitch for Star Trek, the Captain was initially named “April” before later being redubbed “Pike.”

Fred Bronson Thanks Adrian Holmes for Bringing Character to Life

Admiral April (Adrian Holmes) on Strange New Worlds — Paramount+

In a tweet sent on May 2nd, after the premiere of the first two episodes of SNW in New York City, Bronson thanked Holmes for bringing the character of April to life in live-action, saying, “In 1974, I created the character of Robert April when I wrote the final episode of the animated #StarTrek series, ‘The Counter-Clock Incident.’ I’ve been waiting ever since for someone to bring him to life. Thank you!”

Some fans have long considered TAS “dubious canon,” even though many storylines are crucial to character development for the bridge crew from Star Trek: The Original Series. Additionally, many species of aliens who made their debut in The Original Series animated follow-up appeared in Star Trek: Lower Decks. In addition, more recent Star Trek canon has brought the TAS-originated Captain April into the live-action canon, having referenced him in two Star Trek: Discovery season two episodes: “Choose Your Pain,” in which he was noted to be one of Starfleet’s most decorated captains, and “Brother,” which confirmed April as the previous captain of the Enterprise (as well as Pike’s relationship to him as his former Number One).

As for Holmes, the Canadian actor was born in Whales and currently plays the role of Uncle Phil on Bel-Air, Peacock’s reboot of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Holmes also appeared on Arrow in a recurring role as Frank Pike, the police captain.

There is one other place that April previously appeared in the Trek universe: in the Star Trek Encyclopedia. According to a Tweet sent by Michael Okuda, who co-authored the book with his wife Denise Okuda, the photograph of Captain April included in the Encyclopedia was created by photoshopping Gene Roddenberry’s face onto a photo of William Shatner playing James T. Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series.