by Sam Juliano
It was the brainchild of a moderately successful screenwriter who was hoping to achieve a moderate success with a genre program that was essentially aimed at young people, and fans of outer space shows. The idea was do well enough in the ratings to allow for an encore season and perhaps serve as a springboard for approval on other tentative projects. Of course back in the 60’s aventure and fantasy shows were plentiful and very few succeeded beyond a niche market. Expectations for a long run were virtually non-existent, and there was no persuasive reason to believe that providing viewers with a playground for the imagination, even with strange new worlds, expansive starships and compelling characters in the mix. Some program executives may have perceived the project as a hybrid between the popular guilty pleasures Lost in Space and the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. The early returns were modest enough, but few could have foreseen the phenomenon brewing, nor the influence it would exert over the medium. More series spinoffs and theatrical films have appeared as a result of the original series, and a multibillion dollar industry, a franchise, has spawned endless lines of merchandise, fan clubs and annual conventions around the world. After five highly successful television shows enjoyed impressive runs -three of those last seven years before syndication proved they were as desirable as ever- this incomparably unique franchise continues to earned millions on movie screens with a current slew of re-boots following nine movies. The cinematic incarnations began in 1979, and there is no sign of closure anytime in the foreseeable future. Only one property, Star Wars has matched it in a cultural sense, but it is hard to make the case that any television show has changed people’s’ perceptions, establishing a template for futuristic conjecture, while at the same time offering the strongest case for
Often referred to as “Wagon Train to the Stars”, “Horatio Hornblower in Space” or a more categorically as a science fiction space opera, Star Trek as per its famous tagline To boldly go where no man has gone before has achieved what no television show has managed. While timing and luck have played a major role in the show’s spectacular prominence in the entertainment industry, there have been some more tangible factors that paved the way for this singular kind of accomplishment. The idea of a spaceship traveling to the outer reaches of the galaxy and beyond has built-in intrigue and unlimited fascination not only for the adventures and fantasy it creates but for many a look at a future that may well conceivably occur. Most envision a day when spaceships will travel long distances and that life aboard will be comparable to that of a passenger train or an airplane flight. While Star Trek presented a scenario with many original ideas, it followed a long line of space stories, serials, novels, early films and television shows. George Melies’ A Trip to the Moon (1902), an eighteen minute silent film acknowledged as one of the form’s earliest entries, was based on one of the books from one of literature’s most celebrated science fiction figures, the Frenchman Jules Verne (From the Earth to the Moon). Space exploration books aimed at a teenage market were all the rage in the 50’s when Tom Corbett, Space Explorer and Digby Allen’s space adventures achieved considerable popularity. The decade also saw a bevy of science-fiction films set in space: low-budget pot boilers like First Men in the Moon based on H.G. Wells and classics like The Day the Earth Stood Still and Forbidden Planet, the film that most influenced Star Trek. The 60’s brought the master Czech work Ikarie XB-1, and Stanley Kubrick’s seminal 2001: A Space Odyssey, which released late in Star Trek’s three-year run. The grandest fantasy of all is deeply rooted in the “final frontier” that Star Trek frames in the opening narration.
Creator Gene Roddenberry with Shatner, Kelley and Nimoy.
Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of Star Trek’s success, was that the appeal was never restricted to the younger high school and college students. After the series was cancelled by NBC after two years, a throng of fans from all walks of life descended on the studio offices in southern California to demand the executives rescind their decision. Older University professors, blue collar laborers, housewives, airplane stewardesses, sanitation workers were just a small segment of the Star Trek universe. The fiercely loyal adherents referred to themselves as “trekkies” (later “trekkers”) and their fandom evolved into a cult extending to annual conventions, Star Trek themed stores, seemingly endless Star Trek paperback stories that in tandem forged a lucrative franchise rivaling that of Star Wars. There is very little dissent as to the reasons why the show reached a level of adoration few others in the medium achieved. In the end it was all about the humanity of its players. The scientific trimmings, the fantastical stories and special effects (primitive by today’s standards but ahead of their time back in the 60s) all colored the show, but trekkies till their dying day will talk about the ships’ crew, all of whom fueled the character-driven weekly scripts, and it was the identification with interracial fraternity, whether with one member or a group, that endeared viewers and brought them back for each airing. The market saturation of everything Star Trek has reached a point now where any discussion of the original series whether by way of a brief summary or deeper scholarship, nothing new is being brought to the table. Indeed, anything I say here in this essay will be rightfully coming off as old hat, and I can’t blame a simple person for thinking along the lines of been there, done that. More summaries of the seventy-nine original episodes are available on-line or in hard copy compendiums, concordances, or the seemingly unlimited line of biographies, autobiographies, show perspectives or interviews that have flooded the entertainment shelves of bookstores or libraries. There are more Star Trek volumes of all sizes and varying focus in the 791. non-fiction area of said libraries than any other single film or television series. Part of the mass can be attributed to the considerable success of the four spin offs: Star Trek: The Next Generation; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise, and to the original nine movie run, and continuing re-boots, but the literature on the original series remains the most expansive and scene-specific. Each of the episodes continue to be treated as separate movies. Even what is arguably the worst episode (the third season’s preposterous “Spock’s Brain”) has had more pieces written on it than many well-regarded film classics. Even casual television fans are able to vividly recall some of the more famous shows, while at least remembering scenes or story lines from some of the others. I can write 20,000 words on the original program without batting an eyelash, if I had the time or inclination, but I’ll leave the many show guides for that degree of comprehension. The purpose of this countdown was never to overload the space with rhetorical bombast or replication of plots or facts that are well known by the general population, but to provide a personal spin that would naturally include a section on favorite episodes and some revelations unique to work being examined. Hence, I don’t come to this entry intending to sell anyone on a transcendent property that is now less a classic television show than a venerated component of American culture, but rather how it helped to instigate obsessiveness of the highest order.
“City on the Edge of Forever”
I first registered as a bonafide trekkie in the early 70s, a few years after the original show was cancelled and syndication packages began airing on the local stations, one of which was WPIX in Manhattan. They offered the shows every weeknight at 6:00 P.M. and after a while some weekend slots were added. In those days as a teenager of sixteen and seventeen I worked pumping gas at a filling station in my hometown, owned by one of my father’s brothers who ran the place and worked as a mechanic. My shift was usually from 5:00 till 10:00 P.M. A 14 inch black and white television sat on a desk in the front office from where one could see the pumps from the wide window. I did my job well enough, and even swept the office and the garage areas near the lift when business was slow, but during the one hour Star Trek was on I was markedly irresponsible. My rapt attention to the adventures of the Starship Enterprise were of far more urgency than Fairview residents who needed their tanks filled, and on far too many occasions customers became testy because I found it so difficult to separate myself from the space drama unfolding. Eventually my uncle understood that the Starship Enterprise was bad for business. He confronted me in the office, squeezing my ear, while telling me he’d make me look like my “pointy-earred hero” Mr. Spock. Eventually I worked different hours that wouldn’t interfere with my daily Star Trek fix. It was the only logical thing to do.
“Amok Time”
But seeing the shows on television wasn’t enough for this impassioned trekkie. With the advent of home video came the gleeful opportunity to own every episode on video tape. First they were purchased on the smaller but better-quality betamax tapes, then when that format fell by the wayside, the shows needed to be acquired all over again, but heck when it came to the intergalactic fraternity budgets were indefinitely suspended. So VHS to the rescue. After the laserdisc format came upon the scene with its enhanced quality control it became necessary to again go where no consumer has ever gone before. Paramount released the shows over a few years going by the chronological release date, pairing off two episodes on every disc, meaning a total of forty discs in all. But permanence in the video business is about as likely a Klingon commander surrendering to a starfleet officer. DVD showed up in the 90’s, relegating the vinyl sized laserdiscs virtually obsolete. Trekkers used their phasers to annihilate their bank accounts with yet another purchase in the name of Gene Roddenberry. My fellow trekkie, longtime friend and writing colleague Dennis Polifroni, who had taken the plunge for the prior steps as well, brought the Star Trek universe into our living rooms for what purportedly the final word on physical media. But more was to come. On the horizon was a pristine format called blu ray, which allowed for full restorations of every episode and the result yielded rich and accurate colors that frankly weren’t seen in such splendor since their original broadcasts. In truth the blu rays even improved on those airings. Even when physical media becomes an exclusive for collector’s only, few will predict that Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty, Chekov, Ohora, Sulu, and Nurse Chappel won’t be a favored fellowship, rearing and ready to entertain new legions of fans. They are here for the long haul. The only real question remaining is the moment fiction intersects with reality. When will the exploits of these federation loyalists become factual if not in specifics, at least by way of technological advancement? Much like the venerated pilot of Star Trek, “The Cage” there could well be a time when the Enterprise’s voyages will be seen at the starting point. Many generations will no doubt pass before such an advance, but it difficult not to fathom the likelihood.
“This Side of Paradise”
The creator of this alternate world, one that has had millions take the transporter is named Gene Roddenberry, who would seem to be on the basis of his modest past credits and dubious over indulgence in substance abuse, a most unlikely architect of an enterprise (pun intended) which has had life-changing effects on much of the population. Roddenberry pitched his idea of story about a starship crew exploring new worlds first to CBS, but after a warm reception the network wouldn’t bite. Though Roddenberry has a few modest successes in police and western shows, his new idea was thought to be a major financial risk. Roddenberry invented the iconic characters, though it has long been contended that Isaac Asimov in the early stages recommended and convinced Roddenberry to make the interaction between Kirk and Spock the central dynamic. Of course in hindsight that was the game changer, even with some extraordinary early scripts like the Hugo Award winning “The Menagerie” based on the pilot.
Canadian William Shatner starred in many television shows prior to Star Trek including The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Thriller. When he was cast as Starship Captain James T. Kirk, the role he was and will be forever known for he entered television folklore. Women from all walks of life developed a crush on the handsome, athletic actor, and he turned out to be a perfect fit for the role’s unique mix of nationalism, bravado and sentimentality. There were starship captains to come, played by Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew and Scott Bakula. (It should be mentioned here that a brand new Star Trek series -the first since 2005- will be unveiled on September 24th, just days from now). But Shatner’s interpretation of the role while often corny was a camp delight, and no subsequent captain, not even the classically trained superior thespian Stewart could match Shatner for personal magnetism and sex appeal, nor for his acrobatics. Even when Star Trek erred to the point of absurdity like having Kirk, his second-in-command Spock and the ship’s doctor and engineer beam down to a planet all at the same time, Kirk is never less than commanding and affable, a sharp contrast to what his fellow actors aside from Leonard Nimoy have said about him during the show’s run and in the follow-up years. He was labeled as “ass” by James Noohan, was demonized by George Takei for his alleged gigantic ego and was even lampooned on a Saturday Night Live skit as telling fervent trekkies to “get a life” as a result of their uncontrollable mania. But Shatner has come around to the show’s astonishing staying power, and has long since accepted it is his singular claim to fame no matter what else his resume boasts. Episodes that explored Kirk’s psychology like “The Enemy Within” or his playful exasperation in “The Trouble with Tribbles” have long been favorites with the fans and even with Roddenberry himself, and of course the single most acclaimed and beloved episode of the series, “The City on the Edge of Forever” belongs to Kirk and Shatner’s heart breaking turn is one of the most romantically potent ever delivered in any television show. In an alternate universe in “Mirror Mirror” Shatner superbly displays an aching vulnerability and as his alter ego a pirate-like cut throat. Though his science officer Spock (Nimoy) eclipsed him in overall popularity, Shatner was the show’s force of nature and arguably his character the most emblematic in the long run from the originals to the many spin offs and theatrical re-boots.
“The Trouble with Tribbles”
So much has been written about Leonard Nimoy’s First Officer Spock, that I expect there is little I can say about him, his acting skills, the iconic status of one of television’s most beloved characters and the built-in fascination of a starship officer who is half Vulcan and half human. Though his unemotional, logic-prone, stoic Vulcan side is wholly dominant, his human side shows itself in cleverly staged intervals in the series, and for fans these instances were the most priceless in the plots. Nimoy’s alien demeanor, green blood, stronger physical capabilities (recalling Clark Kent’s real identity as a product of the planet Krypton) and ability to undercut unduly displays of emotional behavior with his cutting barbs made him a fan favorite from the get go, and along with Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley) he injected the show with some comic levity. Kelley’s Chief Medical Officer is a sometimes irritable and cantankerous medicine traditionalist who believes in the recuperative powers of the body. He sometimes serves as Kirk’s conscience against Spock’s sometimes exasperating logic. On a few occasions he also shows bigotry for Spock’s Vulcan heritage. There is something crude and homespun in Kelley’s portrayal that has always accentuated the humanity that was the show’s most beloved element. The ship’s Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, affectionately known as Scotty (Canadian James Doohan) is a the third-in-command after Kirk and Spock, and a fiercely paternal protector of the ship and its crew. Doohan’s thick Scottish accent was another contributing factor to the show’s international make-up, and an example of the selflessness that often defined a military unit. Communications Officer Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) is an African-American who also spoke swahilli. She was mainly seen on the bridge though she was often a central character in some of the plots. In “Plato’s Stepchildren” she and Kirk engaged in the first interracial kiss in television history. Nichols once considered leaving the show after the first season but changed her mind after being urged to stay on by none other than Martin Luther King Jr., who saw the need for racial diversity on the small screen. The remainder of the regulars include Lt. Sulu (George Takei); Ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Nurse Christine Chappel (Majel Barrett Roddenberry). Mark Leonard played Sarek (Spock’s father) and a Romulan Commander in “Balance of Terror”, Jane Wyatt portrayed Amanda, Spock’s mother, and Ricardo Montalban played Khan in a celebrated episode “Space Seed” which led to an encore portrayal in The Wrath of Khan, which is generally regarded as the best of the Star Trek movies.
“Let That Be Your Last Battlefield”
The Star Trek vernacular is often just as recognizable as the characters and stories. Beam me up Scotty is perhaps the most celebrated in its stand alone usage, but Spock’s “Fascinating” and “Highly Illogical” are just as identifiable as his soulful “Live long and prosper,” “Set phasers to stun,” “I’m giving her all she’s got, Captain” and “I’m a Doctor, not a bricklayer” are also instantly ubiquitous to trekkers, and virtually not a single adherent doesn’t fondly remember Spock’s neck pinch to paralyze a threatening person, his vulcan mind meld to read one’s thought patterns or the signature variation on the V for victory salute, the finger separation for the aforementioned “Live long and prosper.” With all cylinders clicking even a device fashioned to save money turned into an especially brilliant touch – the transporter room, which allowed the cells of any living being to be transferred through the air by a transporter beam from the Enterprise to the world below. Minimalist sets and decor somehow spurred the imagination to greater heights. Even multi-level chess boards, and multi-colored food blocks were all-too-real. Some of the monster costumes were cheesy, but as always the script inventiveness made these aspects moot.
Some of the show’s greatest episodes have won Hugo and Emmy Awards, and are legitimately among the best shows even when the full run of the spin-offs are included.
City on the Edge of Forever
The Enterprise is in the midst of studying time disturbances in the area of a particular world, when McCoy accidentally injects himself with an overdose of cordrazine. As a result he is transformed into a paranoid madman, beaming down to the planet’s surface to avoid everyone’s attempts to sedate him. Kirk and Spock lead a landing party in pursuit, and there they find an ancient stone structure which identifies itself as the Guardian of Forever, a time portal into the past. Based on a story by science fiction master Harlan Ellison, this is the episode that is regarded by most as the show’s greatest hour. I concur with that assessment. Kirk must let a woman (Edith Keeler) he has fallen in love with die or the result of the war and the entire future will be altered. One of the most romantic scripts ever shown on television. Period details and script are first-rate. More has been written about this episode and the alleged re-write by Roddenberry of Ellison’s script, but there still isn’t any full agreement among those familiar and still living to confirm anything concrete.
Amok Time
Spock begins to lose control of himself as he is overtaken by pon farr, the Vulcan mating cycle that occurs every seven years in which the affected male must return to the home world to mate or die. As Enterprise is in the midst of a mission, Kirk – who believes that Spock merely needs shore leave – is unable to divert to Vulcan for several days. Spock, in the midst of his madness, countermanded the captain’s orders and has a course laid in for his home planet. Eventually Kirk comes to understand what is going on and disobeys Starfleet orders to lay in a course for Vulcan. Chekov laughs at the back and forth orders. Once on Vulcan, madness takes its full control on Spock and through the manipulations of his supposed betrothed he is pitted against Kirk in a battle to the death. The reddish atmosphere and sets are striking, Arlene Martel and Celia Lovsky are terrific as Vulcans and Theodore Sturgeon’s masterful script won a Hugo. This is the episode with Spock’s emotional outburst when he finds out Kirk is alive. Many trekkies count this as the show’s finest hour.
Balance of Terror
The premiere Romulan episode and one of the most brilliantly orchestrated and paced of all the shows. Riveting and pulse pounding for its entire duration, the episode introduced us to an enemy of the Federation, and a longtime one at that. It’s established that it’s been 75 years since the last military contact between the Federation and the Romulans, and that neither race has seen the other. What they do know is that Romulans are an off-shoot of the Vulcan race, which provides some wonderful moments as Lt. Andrew Stiles, who lost family members in the Federation’s last battle with the Romulans, turns his prejudice on Spock, accusing him of being a spy.
“Balance of Terror”
The Menagerie
The only two-parter of the series is based on “The Cage” (Star Trek’s pilot) features an aged and wheelchair bound Captain Christopher Pike, and flashbacks that depict an advanced alien race known as the Talosians (who reveal illusionary powers) and tug-of-war where Spock invites a court martial. A deeply moving episode that some consider the show’s pinnacle. Without a doubt the most ingenious use of old footage ever devised for the series, effectively utilizing Star Trek’s rejected pilot and expanding this brilliant idea.
Errand of Mercy
A beautifully conceived and written anti-war episode that exposes both humans and the Klingons as guilty, regardless of extent. Tensions between the Federation and one of their arch enemies, the Klingon Empire, are growing more intense, and Kirk is told to secure an alliance with the people of the strategically located Organia. No sooner have Kirk and Spock beamed down than the Klingons arrive, with their military commander Kor, commandeering the world as the latest possession of the Empire. The seemingly backward hermetic people who inhabit the planet are eventually shown as far more advanced than the Klingons and the Enterprise crew, and they halt the hostilities. Kor as always evokes Genghis Khan.
“The Menagerie”
This Side of Paradise
Spores cause complete change in personalities for all those who are sprayed. Spock goes on an emotional tear falling in love with Leila Kalomi (Jill Ireland) until a violent surge is employed to get his back to normal. The achingly beautiful score by Alexander Courage is one of the series’ finest, and Spock fans are treated to that rare story where their hero vacates his normal behavior for an extended period.
The Devil in the Dark
When miners on Janua VI are being murdered by a creature that can move through solid rock, chief engineer Vanderberg contacts the Enterprise and asks for assistance in hunting it down and putting an end to the threat. The starship arrives with Kirk and Spock leading a landing party to investigate the situation. What they discover is that this creature is actually an intelligent being known as the Horta, and that it has only killed to protect its young, which are encased in silico shells that the miners mistook for worthless rocks. One of the best-written shows (Gene L. Coon) and the one with the famous line from McCoy: “I’m a doctor, not a bricklayer.”
Journey to Babel
The Enterprise serves as a transport for various alien races who are en route to the planet Babel and the signing of an important peace treaty. Murder and intrigue ensue, as well as a glimpse into the relationship between Spock and his parents, the Vulcan Sarek and the human Amanda. Great makeup with the alien humanoids, and sustained tension throughout. The bar sequence must have been an inspiration for Star Wars.
The Truble with Tribbles
Especially significant episode, as it proved the show could do comedy with the characters remaining true to themselves. More than any other installment, it probably influenced the tone of the fourth Star Trek movie, The Voyage Home. After Ohura is handed a furry “tribble” by space trader Cyrano Jones and the creature multiplies over and over. In a short time they are all over the Enterprise and station. Even a Klingon conspiracy is included for good measure. Written by David Gerrold, it is along with “Shore Leave”, the most delightful episode on the show.
Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
The Enterprise finds itself in the midst of a chase between an alien law enforcement officer named Bele and his prey, Lokai. Half the face of each man is white while the other half is black. The only difference is the side on which the particular color is. Bele reveals that on their world Lokai is a criminal and lower life form because his colors are on the wrong side. ultimately Kirk makes the discovery that the aliens are sole survivors of their home world, the population having killed itself. A superb take about racial intolerance, which critics had once dismissed as heavy handed, but the show has steadily gained in appreciation. It is in fact William Shatner’s personal favorite episode of the show. “Bele” is nicely played by Frank Gorshin (The Riddler on Batman). This is the only third season episode to make my Top 10.
There are a number of well-regarded episodes that are arguably as excellent as the Top 10, and as always it depends on what day of the week I am asked to come up with the ten. These are such great episodes:
The Corbomite Maneuver; The Man Trap; Shore Leave; Space Seed; Mirror Mirror; The Naked Time; A Piece of the Action; Charlie X; Arena; Where No Man Has Gone Before; A Taste of Armageddon; The Doomsday Machine; Spectre of the Gun; The Return of the Archons; Tomorrow is Yesterday.
Nichelle Nichols with President Obama in the Oval Office.
