Your Favorite Re-Used Prop

Partly due to budget constraints, TOS was ingenious in reusing/reconfiguring props for different episodes. Here’s my fave:



Parts of The Changeling have been used to create the M-5 robot. Any others that you can point out?

 

Well, heck, isn't the Romulan cloaking device in there too?

 

Yup. It must be the sharing of technology.

 

The control panel from "The Return of the Archons" showed up later, all over hell and gone, including as part of the Romulan cloaking device, and on Elba II with Garth, Noman's console in "I, Mudd", and the Memory Alpha facility:

http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x21hd/thereturnofthearchonshd448.jpg

 

And "Whom Gods Destroy". That console gets around...

But let's be thankful that even in season 3, TOS never - for cost cutting measures - went to the level of LIS, where every week one would see the identical props re-used. Once, even the Jupiter II model was used as a prop in a cave (season 2, go figure) and they hoped nobody would notice it's the filming model for the bloomin' ship!

 

I love spotting that stuff. Lost in Space also used the "The Derelict" alien ship miniature as set dressing once or twice.

 

Once again, it's time for me to bring up the idea of this galactic "Acme Corp" which works behind the scenes to supply similar components and equipment to all the technologically advanced planets of the Milky Way.

Kor

 

I think I've always liked the Klingon disruptor despite us never seeing them use one!!! The Eminians had them and Kirk blasted one of the suicide stations with it or was it Spock?
JB

 

The Eminian sonic disruptor was very similar to the Klingon disruptor pistol, but the part that pointed forward was different. Of course, this means that "Galactic Acme" had a couple different configurations of that gun available in their catalog.

Kor

 

Where’s the damn trigger?

 

Slap warp nacelles on a Tholian ship, make it go backwards and voila! The space cruiser S.S. Aurora.

 

Upside down as well!!! What engineering!
JB

 

Nice, but nowhere as cool as (ahem) a phaser two.

 

Klingons must have some kind of taboo against using the index finger. They use the thumb to press one of those buttons above the grip.

Kor

 

Hey, look! It’s another part of the M-5 robot. This time it’s a wall decoration.

 

I think that's a retro-futuristic vacuum cleaner.

Kor

 

If that was part of the M-5 robot or even Nomad, then it was there first! So we should reference both machine beings to a wall decoration or a futuristic vacuum cleaner first! But I doubt it's the same contraption to be honest!
JB

 

Looks like the same silver disco ball to me, JB.

 

And just how many silver disco balls have you seen in your life my Lord?
JB

 

That's Elba II, as cited in your quote...