Episode 8, "Miri"

[Nine of Four]

The planet is shown to look exactly like Earth, there are humans, and the architecture and technology is exactly like that of Earth in the 1960's. Kirk even says, "Not the Earth, another Earth........ Another Earth?". Yet that is never explained.

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[BillJ]

And?

 

[Commishsleer]

I've been thinking that they didn't really need to make the planet in Miri identical to Earth.
It could have easily been an Earth colony or an alien planet without changing the story too much.

However I think they wanted to make a message about science going out-of-control on Earth. If it were an alien culture then the message would have less impact. We could think we'd never do anything as stupid as that.

Of course in hindsight its ridiculous to have an 'identical' Earth.

 

[scotpens]

Kirk even says, "Not the Earth, another Earth........ Another Earth?". Yet that is never explained.

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Nor is it ever mentioned again. The whole "duplicate Earth" thing was just a cheap hook to get viewers to stay tuned and watch the episode.

 

[Melakon]

"Miri" was also one of the first episodes to present Roddenberry's concept of parallel cultural development, which was just an excuse to use existing sets and costumes in studio assets. Perhaps they were still trying to figure out how to present the parallel concept. The physically identical planet was a bit of a stretch, just like the word-for-word "We the people" documents and star-spangled banner in "Omega Glory".

 

[Gojira]

The parallel concept in Miri never bothered me. I always thought it was due to limitations of the budget. They had to explain why the planet looked like earth both on the ground and from space.

A bit of trivia for you: The scene in the picture I have posted on Miri's planet is actually the set from The Andy Griffith Show. You can see Sheriff Andy Taylor's court house on the left hand side of the picture.


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The thing I didn't care for about the show was the annoying kids that were yelling "bonk, bonk."

 

[Green Shirt]

^ Goober has his work cut out for him with all those broken down cars.

 

[Grant]

Thanks for mentioning 'episode 8' or else I wouldn't have known which episode 'Miri' refers to.

 

[Melakon]

. . .A bit of trivia for you: The scene in the picture I have posted on Miri's planet is actually the set from The Andy Griffith Show. . .

It's also in "City on the Edge of Forever" (Kirk and Edith walk past Floyd's Barber Shop), "Return of the Archons", and others. That's the famous "40 Acres" backlot, with several buildings constructed for Gone with the Wind.

http://www.retroweb.com/40acres.html

 

[Gojira]

. . .A bit of trivia for you: The scene in the picture I have posted on Miri's planet is actually the set from The Andy Griffith Show. . .

It's also in "City on the Edge of Forever" (Kirk and Edith walk past Floyd's Barber Shop), "Return of the Archons", and others. That's the famous "40 Acres" backlot, with several buildings constructed for Gone with the Wind.

http://www.retroweb.com/40acres.html

That makes sense. I will have to look for those things when I watch those episodes.

 

[mb22]

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=105882

 

[Nine of Four]

Kirk even says, "Not the Earth, another Earth........ Another Earth?". Yet that is never explained.

-

Nor is it ever mentioned again. The whole "duplicate Earth" thing was just a cheap hook to get viewers to stay tuned and watch the episode.

That is true. And we are talking about The Original Series here, which honestly wasn't known to have extreme amounts of continuity.

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[Grant]

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=105882

So you are trying to say there was a whole nother thread about that aspect of episode 8?

 

[Nine of Four]

Thanks for mentioning 'episode 8' or else I wouldn't have known which episode 'Miri' refers to.

You're welcome.

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[Grant]

Thanks for mentioning 'episode 8' or else I wouldn't have known which episode 'Miri' refers to.

You're welcome.

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May I ask when we will get a thread about episode 9--which has always been one of my most fondly remembered episodes?

 

[Melakon]

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=105882

So you are trying to say there was a whole nother thread about that aspect of episode 8?

Maybe he's suggesting posters should search the entire board before posting a new thread, even if that thread is years old. I usually just check to make sure it's not listed within an individual section's 2 or 3 pages of recent threads.

 

[Grant]

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=105882

So you are trying to say there was a whole nother thread about that aspect of episode 8?

Maybe he's suggesting posters should search the entire board before posting a new thread, even if that thread is years old. I usually just check to make sure it's not listed within an individual section's 2 or 3 pages of recent threads.

Yeah, i just take my chances. I post a new thread and if there is a similar recent thread I just expect someone will poke me and say so.

 

[Galileo7]

. . .A bit of trivia for you: The scene in the picture I have posted on Miri's planet is actually the set from The Andy Griffith Show. . .

It's also in "City on the Edge of Forever" (Kirk and Edith walk past Floyd's Barber Shop), "Return of the Archons", and others. That's the famous "40 Acres" backlot, with several buildings constructed for Gone with the Wind.

http://www.retroweb.com/40acres.html

Hogan's Heroes and Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. were filmed there in the '60s too. Sadly, the 40 Acres back lot was sold and has been an office industrial park for three decades. It suffered the same fate as the M.G.M. back lot back in the '70s.

 

[Nine of Four]

May I ask when we will get a thread about episode 9--which has always been one of my most fondly remembered episodes?

It has always been one of my favorites as well.

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[Melakon]

Hogan's Heroes and Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. were filmed there in the '60s too. Sadly, the 40 Acres back lot was sold and has been an office industrial park for three decades. It suffered the same fate as the M.G.M. back lot back in the '70s.

That link I posted to the backlot shows aerial views of Hogan's Stalag 13 and Gomer's Marine barracks.

I do miss backlots; I've only visited Universal City (in 1967, before it became an amusement park), Old Tucson Studios (before the big fire in the 90s), and a small independent backlot near me run by a stuntman (Ron Nix).