The First Season Re-Mastered. My Views

[Emerald Trekker]

Yesterday I finally got my hands on the complete first series (Re-mastered, not the BluRay one) and I am amazed by the incredible work the restoration team have put into it, so full credit to these guys for doing what is an amazing job and ensuring TOS is fresh and exciting for a whole new generation and generations to come.

I have however two concerns. I have watched the first 4 episodes so far and noticed they are out of sequence with the way they originally aired back in the 60s. I personally think this to be a flaw as I’d like to have watched the episodes as they first hit the TV screens, I guess I could always do this myself but that’s beside the point as it would have been a simple straightforward procedure for the producers to have compiled the episodes in the correct order.

My other concern is the compilation does not include the original pilot called The cage. Yes, it’s there in the Menagerie but it would have been nice to see how it was originally shown.

But all in all I am delighted with the first season and will soon be purchasing 2 and 3. I may eventually get the Bluray version as I have leaned there’s the option to watch the un improved quality version.

 

[Eddie Roth]

On my set, and therefore on yours too since we're both in Region 2, the episodes are in the correct airdate order. You probably confuse this with production order, which is in fact vastly different. But Star Trek always aired The Man Trap - Charlie X - Where No Man Has Gone Before - The Naked Time etc...

I personally love the remastered DVDs as well. The colors look just amazing, and there's a sharpness to the image, wow. And this isn't even Blu-Ray. A very good job. The new effects aren't as intrusive as I thought they might be, and in some cases, they contribute very nicely to your immersion in the story. I'm thinking The Galileo Seven for example.

I don't miss The Cage here. It's going to be on the Season 3 set, and besides, I've always regarded it as a bonus feature really (on the previous DVD release) since The Cage in its original form didn't ever air, or at least not until the late 80s or so. Not watching The Cage first only makes one more appreciative of what I consider to be one of TOS's very best episodes, The Menagerie, that made the good pilot into an excellent two-parter of the series. I really think Menagerie is the way to watch The Cage.

Love the extras too. The documentary on the Christie's auction is inspired and sums up very well why Star Trek is still so popular. Something like that was missing from previous releases.

 

[Emerald Trekker]

Thank you Eddie for your insightful comments and indeed for pointing out that in our neck of the woods [Europe] the order is correct; to be honest although I have reached the grand old age of 51 [last March] I never saw the series when it was first aired, we didn't even have a television until we moved to London in 1969! So, what I was referring to was the order it was aired in the USA, which I presume is the correct sequence according to how it was made and then subsequently aired. Hope I am making sense.

As I mentioned previously I have only recently got my hands on the first series and have only watched 4 episodes so far, I was going to watch four more this evening but my wife and are ore off the see the new movie and we are naturally excited about that

As for the Menagerie I now look forward with anticipation to watching this when it come up.

 

[Penhall99]

Yeah, it bugs me that they arent in production order. The airdate order was really screwy, and TOS really should be seen in production order, in my opinion.

Anyway, I cant wait to get the sets myself.

 

[Rackon]

Has anyone seen the Blu-Ray yet?

 

[Emerald Trekker]

Yeah, it bugs me that they arent in production order. The airdate order was really screwy, and TOS really should be seen in production order, in my opinion.

Anyway, I cant wait to get the sets myself.

As you will have heard TOS has been incredibly re-mastered and to such an extent it looks like it's just been made. My kids absolutely love it and are amazed to learn it was first shown way back in 1966, which demonstrates to me that new generations are ready to embrace this wonderful series therefore ensuring its longevity for a long, long time to come.

When you finally get your hands on TOS you will not be disappointed.

Tell you what, there are some really cool documentaries on this too, one explaining how they actually set about cleaning the whole thing up which make one even appreciate more the efforts gone into this.

Go get it!

 

[RobertScorpio]

Has anyone seen the Blu-Ray yet?

I just got it, along with KHAN-SEARCH FOR SPOCK and VOYAGE HOME. We just watched KHAN/SEARCH FOR SPOCK today..and wow..I know some others are nitpicking at the quality..but I think they are great. Incredible how CLEAR they are and the resolution and the..well..whatever.

And TREK movies, being as old school as they are, are just the tip of the iceberg. I cant wait for JURASIC PARK or other big FX movies come out down the line..

Will be watching TOS episodes tomorrow (memorial day) and will let you know what I think of them then...til then..ta ta..

Rob

 

[Emerald Trekker]

Has anyone seen the Blu-Ray yet?

I haven't but I can't see how it's going to be any better visually than the one we're discussing. However, I have heard that one of the cool options the Bluray version provides is the ability to watch the original, unremastered version if you want so you can easily switch between the two versions, this might be handy for the ultra purists who only want to watch TOS in its original condition.

 

[Mr. B]

Has anyone seen the Blu-Ray yet?

I haven't but I can't see how it's going to be any better visually than the one we're discussing. However, I have heard that one of the cool options the Bluray version provides is the ability to watch the original, unremastered version if you want so you can easily switch between the two versions, this might be handy for the ultra purists who only want to watch TOS in its original condition.

Film is naturally high-def, so the difference is substantial IMO.

 

[Eddie Roth]

Thank you Eddie for your insightful comments and indeed for pointing out that in our neck of the woods [Europe] the order is correct; [...] So, what I was referring to was the order it was aired in the USA, which I presume is the correct sequence according to how it was made and then subsequently aired. Hope I am making sense.

You misunderstood. What's on the discs is the US airdate order. I should've specified that. If they had gone, in my case, by German airdate order... Oh my! There would be no season sets since our ZDF aired all three seasons completely at random. No, actually, only half the episodes, we only got the other 40 in 1987.

 

[Emerald Trekker]

Thanks for the clarification and the correction. I now appreciate what you meant.

It's the "random" part that irks me, as I believe that's the way it was aired in the UK, where I first saw TOS, but I wish to God I had the chance to see each episode as they were originally shown in the USA and as said earlier this is one of the flaws in this compilation.

Just my views but otherwise this new updated TOS is truely amazing.

 

[ATimson]

It's the "random" part that irks me, as I believe that's the way it was aired in the UK, where I first saw TOS, but I wish to God I had the chance to see each episode as they were originally shown in the USA and as said earlier this is one of the flaws in this compilation.

You are seeing the episodes in the order they were originally shown in the US. That order simply makes no sense, so you got the "one of the flaws in this compilation" part right.

 

[Emerald Trekker]

But the thing is the episodes are not in the order as originally shown in the US so yes this is I believe a flaw in respect to the compilation.

This link shows the order as shown State side: http://www.treknation.com/episodes/tos/ but the compilation I have is different. For example mine starts off with Man Trap.

 

[Skywalker]

Are the episodes presented in production order on the Blu-ray set? I've been thinking about buying it now that I have a PS3 (and since I've seen only a few TOS episodes all the way through), but it'd be a lot better if they were presented in their proper order.

 

[Eddie Roth]

But the thing is the episodes are not in the order as originally shown in the US so yes this is I believe a flaw in respect to the compilation.

This link shows the order as shown State side: http://www.treknation.com/episodes/tos/ but the compilation I have is different. For example mine starts off with Man Trap.

Yes.The episode guide you link to is in production order. The DVD is in airdate order. The Man Trap was the first televised Star Trek episode, September 8, 1966. In the United States, mind you.

 

[Emerald Trekker]

Ah, thanks Eddie. I hadn't spotted that.

Skywalker, The Bluray version is the same as the one I have. Check out this link but scroll down to see the list:

http://www.play.com/DVD/Blu-ray/4-/8986090/Star-Trek-Original-Series-1-Remastered/Product.html

 

[Skywalker]

Curses! Why is it so hard to organize the episodes properly?

Thanks for the link.

 

[Emerald Trekker]

You're welcome

 

[Eddie Roth]

Well Skywalker, there really is no "proper" order. Or, one might say, airdate is the proper order. Production order is meant only for production and doesn't always make sense. In the case of TOS, yes it does, but if they did that order for the DVDs, they would've needed to do the same for TNG, DS9, etc. Which would cause problems there: Would you like to have Unification Part 2 on your DVD ahead of Unification Part 1? Or seeing Tasha Yar mysterioulsy resurrected for one episode after she was killed off?

I suppose the general reasoning for airdate orders on DVD is to reproduce the show as it appeared to audiences in its day. I personally don't mind that. Although, to be fair, Spectre of the Gun would be a better beginning for Season 3 than Spock's Brain...

 

[Skywalker]

Well, by "proper" order I mean the order a show's producers intend it to be viewed in. I know sometimes that's not necessarily production order.