I was just thinking about The Motion Picture and how it feels a bit like a regular episode of TOS stretched out to movie length, compared to the other movies which are larger scale and have more action. But that got me thinking about the reverse. Which episode of The Original Series do you think would have worked the best as a feature length film (or even a two-parter, like TNG "Best of Both Worlds" which is around the length of a shortish movie) In other words, which one had a plot that could have been explored in at least twice as much runtime without getting boring?
Which episode would have made the best movie?
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Though it bears remembering that "Balance of Terror" was itself a retelling of stories seen a few years earlier in The Enemy Below and Run Silent, Run Deep.
The Changeling plot closely mirrored ST:TMP. Neither that episode nor the movie were my favorites.
I would have liked to seen ‘The Doomsday Machine’ filmed in 70mm IMAX 3D Mega Dynamic Dolby Superama Lucasfilm Industrial Light and Magic knock your socks off extravaganza vision.
I would have liked to seen ‘The Doomsday Machine’ filmed in 70mm IMAX 3D Mega Dynamic Dolby Superama Lucasfilm Industrial Light and Magic knock your socks off extravaganza vision.
I don't know about that. I always felt that episode, and "Charlie X", were both re-treading Forbidden Planet, allegorically at least.
I think "A Private Little War" could be expanded with perhaps a bigger C-plot for Scotty in command of the Enterprise and battling a Klingon ship. I love that episode though, so perhaps beefing it up would remove some of the charm and make it more serious.
I said in another thread that "Tomorrow is Yesterday" could be beefed up with more scenes of the plane getting broken up by the tractor beam and more intrigue for the infiltration of the army base. I keep having this image of the Enterprise hiding in a canyon in Nevada while it waits to restore main power, almost like a premake of Star Trek IV.
I said in another thread that "Tomorrow is Yesterday" could be beefed up with more scenes of the plane getting broken up by the tractor beam and more intrigue for the infiltration of the army base. I keep having this image of the Enterprise hiding in a canyon in Nevada while it waits to restore main power, almost like a premake of Star Trek IV.
What Are Little Girls Made Of?
Begin with Old Ones backstory, then main episode, then android infiltration led by android Kirk. Similar to novel Double, Double.
Begin with Old Ones backstory, then main episode, then android infiltration led by android Kirk. Similar to novel Double, Double.
More Ruk and more Andrea! I can just imagine what a skimpy costume they would put her in today.
More Ruk and more Andrea! I can just imagine what a skimpy costume they would put her in today.
Her and Ruk would be in black leather, to make sure that the audience knows that they are evil.
I'm not that deep.
I see Forbidden Planet as almost a template for the whole series. Lost in Space had already snagged the robot and the idea of a flying saucer for us instead of aliens, and nobody wanted the alcoholic cook. 
The remainder was still enough for a great series premise."Charlie X," and to a lesser extent WNMHGB, may have been inspired by "It's a Good Life." I've said it before and always encounter resistance, but The Twilight Zone was a big influence on ST's early first season.
That makes me wonder why Rod Serling never submitted any prospective scripts for TOS. He was still a prolific Sci-Fi writer who co-wrote the original Planet of the Apes (1968).
That makes me wonder why Rod Serling never submitted any prospective scripts for TOS. He was still a prolific Sci-Fi writer who co-wrote the original Planet of the Apes (1968).
You can't just write for someone else's TV series. You have to do all the rewrites they put you through, and then accept it when Gene Roddenberry does the final rewrite and makes changes you don't like.
Harlan Ellison and John T. Dugan (as John Kingsbridge) come to mind for their famous anecdotes about it. Both of their episodes turned out fantastic from our POV, but they were NOT happy as writers. And I think a big name like Rod Serling would be unwilling to put himself through it for one TV sale.
I'm not that deep.
Without a doubt. My favorite bit is when Chief Quinn is reporting damaged equipment. Commander Adams interrupts his spiel about how difficult it will be to fix with, "All right, it's impossible! How long will it take?" That is pure Kirk and Scotty right there! And we have all the navy parlance, the "DC stations" were the transporter (converted to energy to survive deceleration to sub-light), and even the template of mid-western US as alien planets. Lost in Space picked up on that one, too.
and nobody wanted the alcoholic cook.
No, just an alcoholic engineer who drinks Kelvins under the table, and kills brain cells with Klingon nerve agents mixed with Tang. That is, when he's not getting into saloon fights with Klingons.
Full agreement there. The faceless woman in the "No laughing!" scene from "Charlie X" really stands out as un-Trek-like and more Twilight Zonish. Then again, the librarian killed by the "Lights of Zetar" was pretty damn creepy.
Ben Brady, the producer of 'The Outer Limits' second season had this to say about Harlan Ellison and his story 'Soldier' in 'The Outer Limits Official Companion' - "Ellison got as close as a TV writer can get to having complete control over his material," said Brady. "He was truculent, and extremely difficult; he vanished all the time. It took him weeks and weeks to deliver a script, but once we got it, it would be pretty goddamned exciting. If we wanted to change it, he'd be dying to do, and what are you going to do with such a talented writer - let someone else screw around with the dialogue?"
Seeleg Lester, 'The Outer Limits' script editor during the second season had this to say about Harlan and 'Soldier'. "Harlan could pitch the idea, but he couldn't get the script in on time," said Lester. "He thought the concept of 'Soldier' was novel and earth-shattering, and the whole thing is just about this guy who becomes an automation and follows orders. The production company was entitled to one rewrite. If we wanted any more, we'd have to pay Harlan some more, and when I turned in the second draft, Ben would have shot me if I'd called Harlan back. It still needed work!" Lester would end up doing a top to bottom rewrite of 'Soldier' while Harlan started work on 'Demon with a Glass Hand', his second story contribution to 'The Outer Limits', which would encounter the same difficulties when Harlan was late in turning in his rewrites.
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^ That sounds similar to what Justman and Solow said about their experience with Ellison.
THE NAKED TIME. R-rated.
The Doomsday Machine, or "City." Both would require a bit of fleshing out.
Sir Rhosis
Sir Rhosis
Balance of Terror, that could have been an excellent choice. Instead of the Romulans testing a new weapon, Maybe somebody who had a vengeance against the Federation.
Bread and Circuses, land on the world and instead of becoming prisoners right away they use their phasers, well hey to me, that would make a good action episode.
Mirror Mirror, I think I mentioned it somewhere else there was a very very good graphic novel written about the bad Kirk wanting to come into this universe. Darn interesting story.
Star Trek the motion picture was visually stunning but quite frankly the story was kind of boring.
Bread and Circuses, land on the world and instead of becoming prisoners right away they use their phasers, well hey to me, that would make a good action episode.
Mirror Mirror, I think I mentioned it somewhere else there was a very very good graphic novel written about the bad Kirk wanting to come into this universe. Darn interesting story.
Star Trek the motion picture was visually stunning but quite frankly the story was kind of boring.
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