Fact-Checking Inside Star Trek: The Real Story

[Harvey]

While I'm on the subject. Does anyone know if the audio exists for the NBC announcement which went out on the first broadcast of The Devil In The Dark saying that Star Trek would return for a second season?

I'm somewhat skeptical that NBC made such an announcement in 1967 about season two. Currently, my thinking is that Solow and Justman misremembered that detail in their memoir, confusing what happened at the end of season two for something earlier. I've been wanting to write a fact check about this, but need to gather further material first.

I would love to hear the 1968 on-air renewal notice, though. I doubt it still exists, though, unless a fan-made audio tape exists. That wouldn't be found at CBS or Paramount, since it's something that would have been added by the network after the episode was delivered to NBC.

 

[urbandefault]

The current version of the series on DVD and Blu-ray was re-mastered in a way that brings out the green in Command shirts, a lot more than any previous versions ever seen. And it's not just WNMHGB, it's the whole series.

I prefer the yellow shade myself, which is how that yellow-green dye was always supposed to photograph under bright light.

That's an interesting take on the subject. Do you have any facts to support this theory — which goes against all documented evidence to the contrary?

I can't speak to the original intent, but in 1975 I went to a con (my one and only) with George Takei as a guest.

One of my friends had an avocado green pullover shirt to which his mom added a black collar and insignia and braid and he wore it to the con. When we got to the top of the autograph line (free in those days), with a big smile George congratulated my buddy on getting the color right.

Anecdotal evidence to be sure, but who knows?

 

[Christopher]

I would love to hear the 1968 on-air renewal notice, though. I doubt it still exists, though, unless a fan-made audio tape exists. That wouldn't be found at CBS or Paramount, since it's something that would have been added by the network after the episode was delivered to NBC.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were such a fan-made tape. Heck, the only way the soundtracks for all the erased episodes of Doctor Who still survive is because a lot of fans made off-air audio recordings. And I know Star Trek fans did the same. The problem is, there hasn't been a demand for fans to come forward with their recordings as there was for DW, because all the Trek episodes still exist. (Although the fact that our favorite show actually survives in a form we can watch is only a "problem" by certain narrow definitions of the word.) But maybe if the word could be put out in the proper forums (like, I dunno, this one?), people who have such surviving tapes might come forward with them.

 

[Harvey]

I wouldn't be surprised if there were such a fan-made tape. Heck, the only way the soundtracks for all the erased episodes of Doctor Who still survive is because a lot of fans made off-air audio recordings. And I know Star Trek fans did the same. The problem is, there hasn't been a demand for fans to come forward with their recordings as there was for DW, because all the Trek episodes still exist. (Although the fact that our favorite show actually survives in a form we can watch is only a "problem" by certain narrow definitions of the word.) But maybe if the word could be put out in the proper forums (like, I dunno, this one?), people who have such surviving tapes might come forward with them.

If such recordings do exist, they would be valuable on multiple levels. They would have the original on-air soundtracks, the original bumpers, the advertisements that ran in 66-69 -- there's a lot of value that could be found in them.

 

[Joe_Atari]

I always understood that the 16mm prints that were available throughout the '70s and early '80s (up until when the 1985 remastered tapes became available) were pretty representative of the originally aired episodes (any edits notwithstanding, which were usually crudely done by the local stations at their discretion). As far as studio alterations, we know the episode trailers for S1 & S2 were understandably changed for strip syndication, with the "Next Voyage" and Enterprise "Turn to Bridge" clip crudely superimposed over the original "Next Week" footage (and Nimoy's narration for The Menagerie Part 2 trailer had the word "week" crudely snipped from the line "You'll learn next week why returning Captain Pike..." As far as the audio tracks, aside from the WNMHGB opening titles and the Balance of Terror phaser effects, I also specifically recall the Enterprise flybys in S1 accompanied by an audible rumble but no rumble in S2 and S3. I personally didn't notice the change in the opening title theme in S1 back in the day (although strangely I did notice the difference between the S2 and S3 themes). With the 1985 remaster of course, the audio was significantly changed throughout the series, including the audible flybys, the torpedo effects in BoT, and the S1 title music. While I think there's written documentation of the theme music change in S1 from the original airing, the other changes are documented only by comparison to the syndication versions, correct?

My point is, in the absence of first hand evidence (documents, recordings, original broadcast prints, etc.) is it a Cushman-worthy stretch to assume that the pre-1985 syndication prints are basically faithful to the originally aired episodes? Given the state of the television business in terms of budgets and technology in the late '60s and early '70s when the syndication package was prepared, I don't see the studios going to the trouble to remix the audio for syndication (and as Maurice pointed out, the missing narration WNMHGB situation makes no sense; why remove it from just that episode?). I just don't think there's going to be enough evidence to show otherwise. In 1985 there was a business case for a thorough remastering (not the least of which was providing stations with professionally pre-edited versions of the episodes to allow for more commercial time) along with vastly improved transfer technology.

 

[Ssosmcin]

The phaser sounds weren't added to BoT until the 1999 remaster. Most of the sound mix issues apparently started with the original DVDs, although some sounds were altered for the 1985 prints.

 

[Harvey]

My point is, in the absence of first hand evidence (documents, recordings, original broadcast prints, etc.) is it a Cushman-worthy stretch to assume that the pre-1985 syndication prints are basically faithful to the originally aired episodes? Given the state of the television business in terms of budgets and technology in the late '60s and early '70s when the syndication package was prepared, I don't see the studios going to the trouble to remix the audio for syndication (and as Maurice pointed out, the missing narration WNMHGB situation makes no sense; why remove it from just that episode?).

What you suggest appears perfectly logical to me.

I can't personally speak to the pre-1985 syndication versions (I was born in '87, and have never heard them).

Memory Alpha suggests there was a US VHS release of "Balance of Terror" in 1980. It also indicates a UK VHS tape was released for "Where No Man Has Gone Before" in 1981. Does anyone here have either tape? I'd be curious to know what version of the titles is on them (electric violin vs. cello; narration vs. no narration).

 

[Joe_Atari]

The phaser sounds weren't added to BoT until the 1999 remaster. Most of the sound mix issues apparently started with the original DVDs, although some sounds were altered for the 1985 prints.

Yep, you're right -- when they were remixed for 5.1. The main benefit of the 1985 remaster was the (for the time) remarkable picture quality. I basically stopped watching broadcast TOS for almost 20 years because of the edits, and I couldn't afford all of the tapes and laserdiscs struck from those masters, so I really don't have a lot of experience with that transfer. As far as the 16mm syndication prints, I remember the ones I saw so well I distinctly recall my local channel crudely cutting scenes from the episode to use for commercial promos and then reinserting them back into the aired print (the splices were very noticeable). I even remember a specific sprocket slip at the beginning of The Doomsday Machine like it was yesterday.

Does the 1985 version of WNMHGB have Shatner's narration? I know the 1999 version does.

 

[Indysolo]

Does the 1985 version of WNMHGB have Shatner's narration? I know the 1999 version does.

No.

Neil

 

[Ssosmcin]

The 1999 DVD version doesn't have the Shatner narration ether. I never heard it on WNMHGB until TOS-R.

 

[Warped9]

The 1999 DVD version doesn't have the Shatner narration ether. I never heard it on WNMHGB until TOS-R.

Same. My DVD clamshell sets don't have the narration either.

 

[Indysolo]

They don't have the ship "whooshing" by effect either, do they?

Neil

 

[Harvey]

They don't have the ship "whooshing" by effect either, do they?

Neil

Missing both the narration and the sound effects sounds less like a "deliberate creative decision," and more like an audio track that was accidentally dropped at some point.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

If such recordings do exist, they would be valuable on multiple levels. They would have the original on-air soundtracks, the original bumpers, the advertisements that ran in 66-69 -- there's a lot of value that could be found in them.

Ever think of contacting NBC in New York about their archiving practices for announcements? It is known that networks have archived some audio-only announcements for major news stories from that decade (e.g. the major assassinations, Civil Rights breaking news, etc.), so that might be a starting point.

 

[Joe_Atari]

The 1999 DVD version doesn't have the Shatner narration ether. I never heard it on WNMHGB until TOS-R.

Same. My DVD clamshell sets don't have the narration either.

Damn, two TOS errors in one day; I think I need a rewatch marathon. Too bad there's not a special occasion to justify such a thing...

Missing both the narration and the sound effects sounds less like a "deliberate creative decision," and more like an audio track that was accidentally dropped at some point.

I agree, but it's an odd coincidence that this happened on the 2nd pilot episode.

Is there any record that WNMHGB was even considered (by the creators if not the network) for the premiere episode? It's well known NBC chose The Man Trap and that Shatner's narration was recorded very close to the airdate. Is there any indication that WNMHGB -- with no additional filming required -- was perhaps finalized for broadcast before The Man Trap, possibly with the intention of using that as the premiere episode? For that matter is there a record of when the editing of WNMHGB from it's pilot version to series version took place? I understand NBC wanting a "monster show" and a "planet show" for the premiere, but WNMHGB would've kicked off the series well and showing it first rather than third would've been less jarring and confusing for the audience.

 

[Joe_Atari]

By the way, for those who didn't have the (ahem) pleasure of watching TOS in syndication back in the day, here's a good example of what it was often like (skip to 0:34):

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The horror.

 

[Christopher]

By the way, for those who didn't have the (ahem) pleasure of watching TOS in syndication back in the day, here's a good example of what it was often like (skip to 0:34):

"We are experiencing technical difficulties. Please stand by."

Now we just have different technical difficulties, though. Like how my local CW affiliate just completely froze for several minutes during the Flash season finale, then went totally black for nearly a day thereafter. And when I checked my DVR recording of the episode on the off chance that it had gotten the complete feed, the glitch was so severe on the recording that it froze the entire DVR and I had to unplug it to reboot.

Honestly, I prefer the old analog days in a lot of ways. At least when there was interference in an analog signal, you could still more or less see and hear what was happening, rather than the image or the sound just freezing.

 

[Joe_Atari]

"We are experiencing technical difficulties. Please stand by."

Of course the 1987 film "Amazon Women on the Moon" did a spot-on send up of this:

Clip #1

Clip #2

Clip #3

 

[Harvey]

Is there any record that WNMHGB was even considered (by the creators if not the network) for the premiere episode? It's well known NBC chose The Man Trap and that Shatner's narration was recorded very close to the airdate. Is there any indication that WNMHGB -- with no additional filming required -- was perhaps finalized for broadcast before The Man Trap, possibly with the intention of using that as the premiere episode? For that matter is there a record of when the editing of WNMHGB from it's pilot version to series version took place?

The earliest airdate memo in the UCLA collections (August 4, 1966) lists "The Man Trap" as the first episode to be aired. All subsequent airdate memos also list it in first position. An August 1, 1966 memo from Bob Justman to Gene Roddenberry indicates similar thinking:

And since this ["The Man Trap"] is liable to be our first or second show on the air, I think it would be wise to establish where we are and what we are doing, over these opening shots. Therefore, feel free to write a lengthy narration for Captain Kirk. It could run as much as half a minute, if you wished it.

The episode status reports up to the report for the week of August 23, 1966 indicate that "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was "to be re-cut for airtime," but this did not actually happen until the week of August 29, 1966, the report for which indicates they were finally "re-cutting for footage." By the next report (the week of September 6, 1966), "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was listed as being "completed."

Note that "The Man Trap" was wrapped up first-- as of the report for the week of August 29, 1966, it was listed as being "completed."

William Shatner's narration was finalized on August 10, 1966. According to Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, the narration was recorded that same day -- several weeks before any episodes were finalized.

Ever think of contacting NBC in New York about their archiving practices for announcements? It is known that networks have archived some audio-only announcements for major news stories from that decade (e.g. the major assassinations, Civil Rights breaking news, etc.), so that might be a starting point.

I haven't given it much thought, but this is a good idea.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I always understood that the 16mm prints that were available throughout the '70s and early '80s (up until when the 1985 remastered tapes became available) were pretty representative of the originally aired episodes (any edits notwithstanding, which were usually crudely done by the local stations at their discretion). As far as studio alterations, we know the episode trailers for S1 & S2 were understandably changed for strip syndication, with the "Next Voyage" and Enterprise "Turn to Bridge" clip crudely superimposed over the original "Next Week" footage (and Nimoy's narration for The Menagerie Part 2 trailer had the word "week" crudely snipped from the line "You'll learn next week why returning Captain Pike..." As far as the audio tracks, aside from the WNMHGB opening titles and the Balance of Terror phaser effects, I also specifically recall the Enterprise flybys in S1 accompanied by an audible rumble but no rumble in S2 and S3. I personally didn't notice the change in the opening title theme in S1 back in the day (although strangely I did notice the difference between the S2 and S3 themes). With the 1985 remaster of course, the audio was significantly changed throughout the series, including the audible flybys, the torpedo effects in BoT, and the S1 title music. While I think there's written documentation of the theme music change in S1 from the original airing, the other changes are documented only by comparison to the syndication versions, correct?

My point is, in the absence of first hand evidence (documents, recordings, original broadcast prints, etc.) is it a Cushman-worthy stretch to assume that the pre-1985 syndication prints are basically faithful to the originally aired episodes? Given the state of the television business in terms of budgets and technology in the late '60s and early '70s when the syndication package was prepared, I don't see the studios going to the trouble to remix the audio for syndication (and as Maurice pointed out, the missing narration WNMHGB situation makes no sense; why remove it from just that episode?). I just don't think there's going to be enough evidence to show otherwise. In 1985 there was a business case for a thorough remastering (not the least of which was providing stations with professionally pre-edited versions of the episodes to allow for more commercial time) along with vastly improved transfer technology.

I was watching it in syndication throughout the 1970s, and I agree with you.

It is definitely my understanding as well that local stations received 16mm film prints and cut them for time as they saw fit, usually chopping out whole scenes. Then they were supposed to splice the cut parts back in, or at least include them, when they returned the film to the distributor. My Dad and I visited a station and were given a tour, and their handling of Star Trek was the first thing I asked about. I checked on the possibility of them giving me the film segments they cut out, and they said it all had to be returned. Worth a shot, right?

The cuts really hurt, too. I would sit at the TV with my tape recorder hoping to capture a particular music cue, and all too often it was chopped out. The best music scenes were low on dialogue, and thus became the juiciest targets for the local film "editors." Like in "The Naked Time" when Kirk has caught the bug from Spock and goes to the bridge. They'd cut it. Okay, well that music will play again in "Return of the Archons" when Kirk's landing party beams down. And they'd cut that too. It was frustrating. The GNP albums could not have been more welcome, but I didn't discover them until about 1990.