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Bread and Circuses Blog Post

Panem et circenses

Panem et circenses

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Red Shirt
Hi everyone,

I recently started a blog on Classical themes in popular culture and just published a post on Bread and Circuses, if anyone is interested in reading it. I got some good advice on Mark Cushman's books from this forum (part of which I included).

Read it here.
 
Panem et circenses said:
Hi everyone,

I recently started a blog on Classical themes in popular culture and just published a post on Bread and Circuses, if anyone is interested in reading it. I got some good advice on Mark Cushman's books from this forum (part of which I included).

Read it here.
Click to expand...
Nice job on your blog! :beer: Hope you get a lot of views. I also created a blog for my favorite TOS episode back in October. :)
 
...I think "Bread and Circuses" has always been an underappreciated segment. It has a lot going for it. Some fine guest performances. Kirk doing what he does best. Great Spock/McCoy interaction and even a great Christian message at the end which is surprising coming from Gene Roddenberry. Maybe Gene Coon or someone else snuck it past him some way, some how.
 
I always suspected network pressure with those Christianity moments... like "We find the one quite sufficient" in Adonais...It's an interesting risky SF question though... how do Christianity or Earth religions in general apply, in a populated cosmos? For Christianity to be real and universal, would it have to spring forth separately on each planet? Or would people find that idea blasphemous somehow? A great big powder keg of an issue I guess.
 
Panem, I look forward to more of your insights into this underrated episode. Glad there's a few of us in this thread that enjoy it!

Location filming (I've scouted the locations, if you want them for a blog post, just let me know), some sharp Spock/Bones stuff, Scotty and Uhura getting great moments, a couple of very slimy villains, commentary on TV networks, religion, slavery, and some really clever direction from Ralph Senensky, who did the best with the limited budget at his disposal.

Lots to talk about! Including :
  • Apparently tensions between the actors and producers were boiling during the shoot
  • Gene Roddenberry and Gene Coon had very different ideas for the episode in terms of the amount of comedy, and this episode often has the finger pointed at it for being one rewrite (disagreement?) too many for the overworked Gene Coon, who, unfortunately quit just before production started.
  • It's curious that this optical effects-light episode was filmed a massive six months before it was (deliberately?) aired on the ides of March, 1968. Without any evidence to support his assertion, Cushman said NBC weren't happy with the satire of TV networks/audiences, and tried to bury it. I've always thought the same thing, but it seems there's no memo to support this theory, or if there is, Cushman didn't reference it.
Keep up the great work. Looking forward to more!
 
Good writing. The theme you expound reminds me of The Running Man, and something that I've been ranting about for years: the loss of the written word. Since digital technology can alter images and definitions (and be hacked quite easily), we're slowing becoming a society that is controlled by technology. ( e.g. The definition of the word democracy. Webster's in 1985 has it defined as "mob rule." However, if you google it now, it's totally changed.) Once that occurs, then the only "truth" will be what is issued through the UN controlled Internet.


UnknownSample said:
or Christianity to be real and universal, would it have to spring forth separately on each planet? Or would people find that idea blasphemous somehow? A great big powder keg of an issue I guess.
Click to expand...

It may seem odd, but the idea of reconciling/connecting beliefs with science fiction has always been one of my favorite pastimes. CS Lewis, I think, did a pretty cool job in his Space Trilogy, and since the amount of knowledge we actually have about the cosmos is so infinitesimally small compared with what there is to know, the field's wide open. Aut viam inveniam aut faciam. Interesting blog.
 
I know it's not a big parallel between the 2 things, but the first time my niece had me watch The Hunger Games ( I didn't read the books until later) I was reminded of the Trek episode Bread and Circuses. Because of both having a technological society forcing the population to participate in and watch televised death matches.
 
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geotrek said:
Tracy Trek: I wonder if people still read Fahrenheit 451?
Click to expand...
I think I read it in high school, but it's been so long. I do remember reading Orwell's 1984 and I think I did a book report on it. Coincidentally 1984 was the year I graduated.
 
Me too (graduated in 1993 though ;-), but I try to re-read stuff that I just didn't fully comprehend (or care about) back then. The TV screens as the "family" recently struck me...especially as society depends on them to a greater degree. The changes over the last 15 years seem exponential.
 
Sorry for the late response to this, but its great to see everyone enjoyed reading it.

UnknownSample said:
I always suspected network pressure with those Christianity moments... like "We find the one quite sufficient" in Adonais...It's an interesting risky SF question though... how do Christianity or Earth religions in general apply, in a populated cosmos? For Christianity to be real and universal, would it have to spring forth separately on each planet? Or would people find that idea blasphemous somehow? A great big powder keg of an issue I guess.
Click to expand...

I originally thought the same, and about the line in Adonais. But there doesn't seem to be much evidence for network involvement in this. Also, the idea (i.e. Jesus on another planet) is one taken from the original Star Trek pitch, which makes me think the Christian elements were intentional. Also, Ralph Senesky mentioned that Roddenberry and Coon were working on these elements of the script right up to the wire. Its possible Coon had something to do with the positive portrayal of Christianity. Also though, I think there is some kind of statement being made by portraying Christianity as a religion of 'love and brotherhood', particular when the episode was written during the 'Summer of love'.

Botany Bay said:
I look forward to more of your insights into this underrated episode. Glad there's a few of us in this thread that enjoy it!

Location filming (I've scouted the locations, if you want them for a blog post, just let me know), some sharp Spock/Bones stuff, Scotty and Uhura getting great moments, a couple of very slimy villains, commentary on TV networks, religion, slavery, and some really clever direction from Ralph Senensky, who did the best with the limited budget at his disposal.

Lots to talk about! Including :
  • Apparently tensions between the actors and producers were boiling during the shoot
  • Gene Roddenberry and Gene Coon had very different ideas for the episode in terms of the amount of comedy, and this episode often has the finger pointed at it for being one rewrite (disagreement?) too many for the overworked Gene Coon, who, unfortunately quit just before production started.
  • It's curious that this optical effects-light episode was filmed a massive six months before it was (deliberately?) aired on the ides of March, 1968. Without any evidence to support his assertion, Cushman said NBC weren't happy with the satire of TV networks/audiences, and tried to bury it. I've always thought the same thing, but it seems there's no memo to support this theory, or if there is, Cushman didn't reference it.
Keep up the great work. Looking forward to more!
Click to expand...

Glad you enjoyed it Botany! That is some really interesting stuff, particularly about the tensions between Genes and a rewrite on this. Senesky seems to indicate that both were working on the script just before filming.

I feel much the same about Cushman's assertion. It seems to fit with the previous episodes they didn't like (e.g. Alternative Factor), but there doesn't seem to be any evidence for it. But on the other hand, they also didn't promote the fact that an episode featuring Romans was being aired on the Ides of March. It seems strange that they didn't promote this at all considering the popularity of ancient epics in the early Sixties. Especially since Romans would have been a rare sight on television.
 
Botany Bay said:
It's curious that this optical effects-light episode was filmed a massive six months before it was (deliberately?) aired on the ides of March, 1968. Without any evidence to support his assertion, Cushman said NBC weren't happy with the satire of TV networks/audiences, and tried to bury it. I've always thought the same thing, but it seems there's no memo to support this theory, or if there is, Cushman didn't reference it.
Click to expand...

The evidence suggests that airing the episode on March 15, 1968 was not the original plan. In a January 4, 1968 memo from Bob Justman to Gene Roddenberry, the episode was slated to air last (on March 22, 1968) with "Assignment: Earth" in the penultimate position. A revised schedule in a memo from Justman to Roddenberry on February 12, 1968, however, flopped the broadcast order of "Assignment: Earth" and "Bread and Circuses" (with an NBC preemption now between them on March 22).

If NBC wanted to bury the episode, I've seen no evidence of it in the files at UCLA, but it does look like the episode was held back. A first trial print of "Bread and Circuses" was ready on November 24, 1967, and it could have been delivered to NBC for broadcast at that time. It's actual airdate, however, would not come until four months later.

The one real piece of evidence we do have regarding the sequencing of the final six episodes of season two is Justman's January 4 memo. In that memo, he told Roddenberry that he was separating "Patterns of Force," "The Omega Glory," and "Bread and Circuses" because all three were "shows in which a member of the Federation has interfered in the internal affairs of a particular civilization." It's possible the producers did not like the show (let's be honest - it isn't very good), but it's also possible that it was a victim of being too similar to other shows that were also ready, and therefore pushed back even further (it's clear from internal memos that one of Stan Robertson's biggest concerns was that the series was repeating itself; he really wanted strange new worlds each week).
 
Excellent work.

When does the Spock's Brain blog debut? Blog and blog, what is blog?!?!

"If you prick us, do we not bleed?"
 
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Harvey said:
If NBC wanted to bury the episode, I've seen no evidence of it in the files at UCLA, but it does look like the episode was held back. A first trial print of "Bread and Circuses" was ready on November 24, 1967, and it could have been delivered to NBC for broadcast at that time. It's actual airdate, however, would not come until four months later.

The one real piece of evidence we do have regarding the sequencing of the final six episodes of season two is Justman's January 4 memo. In that memo, he told Roddenberry that he was separating "Patterns of Force," "The Omega Glory," and "Bread and Circuses" because all three were "shows in which a member of the Federation has interfered in the internal affairs of a particular civilization." It's possible the producers did not like the show (let's be honest - it isn't very good), but it's also possible that it was a victim of being too similar to other shows that were also ready, and therefore pushed back even further (it's clear from internal memos that one of Stan Robertson's biggest concerns was that the series was repeating itself; he really wanted strange new worlds each week).
Click to expand...

Excellent information as usual Harvey. I think this is definitely the best explanation for the late air date. Though I guess I still wonder what made them choose to put 'Bread and Circuses' last of the three. I personally prefer it over 'The Omega Glory', but it might be possible the satire had something to do with it.

I am also very jealous that you have accessed the files at UCLA, what I would give to see the original memos!
 
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