I want to watch TOS, but I'm having some difficulty

Discussion in 'Star Trek - The Original & Animated Series' started by Swarm Emperor, Jan 5, 2017.

  1. Noname Given

    Noname Given Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Hey, don't forget the Hospital/Doctor shows where in the first 5 minutes you had the accident/diagnosis that the lead characters would agonize over curing for the next 45 minutes. ;) [And often involved finding the 'black sheep' family member, who mhadn't been seen/talked to for years because of <plot device situation X> but was the only one with the right blood type/needed for some sort of prpcedure/transplant to save the patient.]
     
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  2. Tracy Trek

    Tracy Trek Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Yep, there were quite a few of them also.
     
  3. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

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    I can understand where you're coming from, but there's a lot more western in Trek than you're giving it credit for.

    In addition to westerns, another '60s show that's a good primer for TOS is the one and only, original Twilight Zone.
     
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  4. Spock's Barber

    Spock's Barber Commodore Commodore

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    Yes, one of my favorite TZ episodes was Nightmare at 20,000 Feet with good old Shatner.
     
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  5. ian128K

    ian128K Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    I especially love the Burgess Meredith episodes. Too bad they never got him on Trek.
     
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  6. Spock's Barber

    Spock's Barber Commodore Commodore

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    No disrespect to Elisha Cook, but I think Burgess Meredith would have been very good as Sam Cogley in Court Martial.
     
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  7. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    "Wagon train" was direct reference to the show Wagon Train, one of the Adult Westerns Roddenberry was trying to emulate. To put a modern humorous twist on what Gene was pitching "Wagon Train...IN SPACE!!!!"
     
  8. ian128K

    ian128K Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    That would have been amazing!
     
  9. UnknownSample

    UnknownSample Commodore Commodore

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    As I said, he said that to sell the show to network executives who wanted more of what was already popular. Rod Serling also had to mislead the network to get Twilight Zone in this way, presenting it as a very safe, conventional show. A trick, basically. GR didn't want it to be like a Western.
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2017
  10. Andrews

    Andrews Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

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    Once you look past it's age TOS just has some incredibly good stories and the acting can be really top notch. I find it hard to watch more than an episode or two because of the age, but those two episodes are fun to watch. Just take it with a grain of salt.
     
  11. Forbin

    Forbin Admiral Admiral

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    Wasn't there a story that Lucy misinterpreted the "Wagon Train to the Stars" pitch and thought Gene was talking about a western featuring all big name actors? :lol:
     
  12. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    Sure he did. Just not of the Lone Ranger and Roy Rogers variety, He wanted to tell adult stories in a Science Fiction setting, just as the people behind shows like Bonanza, Gunsmoke and yes, Wagon Train set out to tell to tell adult stories in a Western setting. Star Trek did stories about wiving settlers and attacks on frontiers forts. Kirk's sidekicks are a crusty doctor and a wise "native". There are Western fingerprints all over Star Trek.
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2017
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  13. Spock's Barber

    Spock's Barber Commodore Commodore

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    ....and then they got carried away with the pseudo-Western theme and gave us Spectre of the Gun. :crazy::ack::wtf::eek:
     
  14. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    I love the minimalist set design. No idea if it was a budget or creative decision but it gave the episode that alien, yet familiar vibe. Despite the set and costumes it wasn't really "Westernish",
     
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  15. Spock's Barber

    Spock's Barber Commodore Commodore

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    Justman said that because of the low 3rd season budget, the crew couldn't afford to go on location, so Jefferies designed the indoor Western type sets.
     
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  16. Markonian

    Markonian Fleet Admiral Moderator

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    Watch the Remastered version. Had the same issue, this cured it.
     
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  17. Emperor Norton

    Emperor Norton Captain Captain

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    It really isn't about special effects, spaceships or ray guns. TOS is mostly about the story. TOS-R is nice, but if you cannot tolerate it without TOS-R, I think you're missing the point.
     
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  18. J.T.B.

    J.T.B. Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    ^Basically beat me to everything I was going to say. Gunsmoke is seldom a procedural about Matt doing his job as marshal, it's about him coming into contact with different kinds of people who come through Dodge or live in the area, people with different problems and backgrounds and stories. Gunsmoke and Wagon Train and Maverick and Cheyenne and Have Gun Will Travel and Rawhide used and sometimes subverted the conventions of the genre to tell adult, dramatic stories that could also reflect on the issues of the day. Sounds familiar to me.

    And if anyone thinks Spock and McCoy invented sidekick bickering, Chester and Doc had it elevated to another plane.
     
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  19. geotrek

    geotrek Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Loved that show!
     
  20. UnknownSample

    UnknownSample Commodore Commodore

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    Just about anything ST and westerns have in common, ST would also have in common with non-westerns. If you like westerns and want to make that connection, you can. You could also make a list of things that make ST unlike westerns.