As any Star Trek fan is undoubtedly aware, the original series has been released in countless DVD formats. From its late 1990s single disc, two-episodes-per-disc DVD release, to its more recent HD presentation, the Enterprise and her crew have never found the definitive home-entertainment release. Until now.
Blu-ray was meant for Star Trek. The series’ first season in the high definition format should satisfy die-hard fans, new fans and casual observers. With the option to toggle between the remastered and original effects, along with a reference-quality transfer that puts all other 40-year-old shows to shame, TOS: Season One is arguably one of Paramount Home Entertainment’s best catalog releases on the format, joining The Godfather set at the top of the list.
Star Trek was created by Gene Rodenberry; an admitted science fiction fan, in 1960, he put together a proposal for a television series set on board a large interstellar space ship dedicated to exploring the galaxy. Rodenberry sited various influences including, A. E. van Vogt’s tales of the Space Beagle, Eric Frank Russell’s Marathon stories, and the 1956 science fiction film Forbidden Planet. Rodenberry also had a lot of experience writing the kind of westerns that were popular on television at the time (he wrote episodes of The Virginian, Boots and Saddles) and he pitched the show to the network as a “Wagon Train to the stars.”
The USS Enterprise was captained by James Kirk (William Shatner), a brash, romantic, adventurer, modeled on C.S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower. Initially, Rodenberry thought that Kirk’s most important relationship would be with his third-in-command, Chief Engineer, Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (James Doohan). However, Rodenberry and his fellow producers soon realized that there was really no justifiable reason to have Scotty on the bridge that often. As a result, Vulcan first officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) was made Kirk’s closest confidant.
It seems odd now but the character of Spock was initially rejected by nervous network executives, who were concerned that his vaguely “satanic” appearance could alienate viewers. As it turned out, Along with Kirk, Spock became and remains a kind of sex symbol, for many Star Trek fans.
Though, I really didn’t become a Star Trek fan until I saw Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as a ten-year-old, when I started to watch the show in reruns I remember being impressed with the ethnic diversity. At a time when racial segregation was still a hot button issue throughout the United States, Rodenberry assembled a multi-racial and mixed-gender crew, based on his assumption that racial prejudice and sexism would not exist in the 23rd century. In addition to the American mid-west captain and southern doctor (Leonard H. “Bones” McCoy) , Scottish engineer, and alien first officer, the principal characters included African communications officer Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Asian helmsman Sulu (George Takei), and beginning in season two, Russian navigator Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig).
Through the fictional world of Star Trek, Rodenberry attempted to address many of the political issues that were plaguing the world during the Cold War. Several episodes contain thinly veiled references to the relationship between the two Superpowers during that period. Star Trek proposed that Earth had experienced World War III in the 1990’s that nearly destroyed all of mankind. However, out of the dust of that experience, humanity was finally united as one. In this new world order everyone’s basic needs are fulfilled, money has no value and racial and gender equality have been achieved.
No matter what the episode, Star Trek never fails to entertain. While it may be true that William Shatner has a tendency to overact and pronounce some of his sentences rather oddly, James T. Kirk is one of the most endearing and enduring characters in television history. He managed to be a hero, teacher and a friend. Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, James Doohan and Nichelle Nichols are all very important cogs in the Star Trek machinery but it’s Shatner who brings everything together and makes the series and subsequent films, the classics they are.
The episodes contained in this Season One collection are arranged as follows:
Disc One:
The Man TrapA
Charlie X
Where No Man Has Gone Before
The Naked Time
Disc Two:
The Enemy Within
Mudd´s Women
What Are Little Girls Made Of
Miri
Dagger of the Mind
Disc Three:
The Corbomite Maneuver
The Menagerie, Part I
The Menagerie, Part II
The Conscience of King
Disc Four:
Balance of Terror
Shore Leave
The Galileo Seven
The Squire of Gothos
Disc Five:
Arena
Tomorrow is Yesterday
Court-Martial
The Return of the Archons
Disc Six:
Space Seed
A Taste of Armageddon
The Side of Paradise
The Devil in the Dark
Disc Seven:
Errand of Mercy
The Alterative Factor
The City on the Edge of Forever
Operation: Annihilate!
Star Trek comes to Blu-ray with an impressive 1080p, 1.33:1-framed transfer. This aspect ratio retains the show’s original 4:3 television presentation, resulting here in vertical black bars on either side of the image when replayed on a 1.78:1-sized television set. The first thing that many viewers may note is the presence of grain in most every shot. The film elements have been cleaned up nicely, though, with only a few speckles to be seen here and there. Colors are strong in each episode; the red, blue, and gold crew shirt uniforms are strong and distinctly reproduced, each shade bold and true to the original intent. Likewise, the various doodads found scattered about the ship — particularly the bridge — and the many locations visited throughout the season, from a replica of 1960s Earth to the many barren planet surfaces populated by Styrofoam rocks and matte paintings, all offer standout color reproduction. Detail is remarkably high; viewers will see plenty of sweat glistening on character faces, the stitching and fabric on the clothing and Starfleet patches, and the small details that make up communicators, tricorders, and phasers. The Enterprise’s bridge looks better than ever, with even the bad paint jobs on the ship’s conn standing out as plainly visible. Flesh tones and black levels are both solid. Save for the outdated sets and costumes, Star Trek looks almost brand new on Blu-ray.
Star Trek comes packaged with an impressive selection of audio presentations, including a DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless option. Music and sound effects are heard subtly but distinctly across the front and occasionally in the rears, though much of the track is focused straight up the middle. During the show’s famed opening title sequence, however, sound swoops nicely across the soundstage. The effect is much more pronounced when viewed during the remastered version of any given episode; the path of the Enterprise is practically felt as it moves throughout the listening area, featuring much more volume and presence than that accompanying the original title sequence. On board the Enterprise, the hums of the various gizmos and gadgets, from Spock’s bridge science station to the beeps, hums, and thuds of the transporter room, are heard clearly and distinctly, even under dialogue and music. Bass is never particularly powerful but nonetheless suitable. Star Trek’s classic score as presented here sounds sharp and crisp, with excellent fidelity across the board. Most of the track remains focused in the front channels, the quartet of rear speakers coming into play for atmospherics and only a few discrete effects. Dialogue, the heart and soul of the show, is always heard distinctly and clearly.
This Blu-ray release of Star Trek has a impressive set of special features spread across all seven discs in the set. The following is a disc-by-disc breakdown of features.
Disc One
Disc One begins with Starfleet Access for the episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” a feature that “grants you security clearance to explore Starfleet Command’s Database.” This supplement features a diverse selection of Trek Producers, Writers, Historians, and Authors, including Michael and Denise Okuda, appearing throughout the show in a picture-in-picture window discussing the story, props, characters, score, updated effects, and more. Also included is a text-based pop-up trivia track, often appearing simultaneously with the secondary video presentation. Next up is Spacelift: Transporting ‘Trek’ Into the 21st Century (1080i, 20:10), a fascinating look at the restoration process used to clean up the video, re-record the score, and the creation of the updated visual effects. Also included on disc one is the trailer for the upcoming Star Trek film (1080i, 2:08) and 480p previews for each episode appearing on disc one — “The Man Trap,” “Charlie X,” “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” and “The Naked Time.”
Disc Two
Disc two features only 480p previews for the five episodes included on the disc — “The Enemy Within,” “Mudd’s Women,” “What Are Little Girls Made Of?,” “Miri,” and “Dagger of the Mind.”
Disc Three
Disc three once again features Starfleet Access, this time accompanying “The Menagerie, Part 1” and “The Menagerie, Part 2.” Reflections on Spock (480p, 12:03) is a piece featuring Leonard Nimoy recalling his character and his career, discussing, among other things, his book, I Am Not Spock. Finally, 480p previews for “The Corbomite Maneuver,” “The Menagerie, Part 1,” “The Menagerie, Part 2,” and The Conscience of the King” round out the third disc.
Disc Four
Disc four once again features Starfleet Access, this time accompanying “The Balance of Terror.” Also included is Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner (480p, 10:18), a short extra featuring Shatner discussing his love of horses. Once again, the disc is concluded by a quartet of 480p previews for “Balance of Terror,” “Shore Leave,” “The Galileo Seven,” and “The Squire of Gothos.”
Disc Five
Disc five contains a pair of featurettes. To Boldly Go…Season One (480p, 18:52) features Trek cast and crew, including William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, recounting the history of the first season. The Birth of a Timeless Legacy (480p, 24:07) is a piece that looks at how Star Trek came to be, with attention paid to the show’s dual pilot episodes, “The Cage” and “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” Finally, 480p previews for “Arena,” “Tomorrow is Yesterday,” “Court Martial,” and “The Return of the Archons” conclude this disc’s extra materials section.
Disc Six
Disc six sees the return of Starfleet Access, this time accompanying the episode “Space Seed.” Sci-Fi Visionaries (480p, 16:30) looks at what makes for good Science Fiction — and why “Star Trek” works so well in the genre, with special attention paid to several episodes. Interactive Enterprise Inspection (1080p) takes viewers inside a shuttlecraft and outside the Enterprise for a formal and informative tour of the vessel. Concluding the supplements on this disc are 480p previews for “Space Seed,” “A Taste of Armageddon,” “This Side of Paradise,” and “The Devil in the Dark.”
Disc Seven
Disc Seven also features Starfleet Command, this time attached to “Errand of Mercy.” Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories (1080i, 13:23) features the actor recounting his small roles on Star Trek and sharing his experiences on the sets of many of the classic episodes, all intercut with behind-the-scenes footage. Kiss ‘N’ Tell: Romance in the 23rd Century (480p, 8:24) looks at the many lovely ladies of Star Trek and the romances between characters. Also included on disc seven are 480p previews for “Errand of Mercy,” “The Alternative Factor,” “The City on the Edge of Forever,” and “Operation — Annihilate!” Rounding out this final disc are Enhanced Visual Effects Credits and BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) functionality.
