favorite TOS cliches

[Hambone]

Redshirts in the landing party.

Kirk: "Landing party will consist of myself, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Ensign Ricky."

Ensign Ricky: "Ah, crap."

 

[Mojochi]

The racist "Green Blooded" remarks by Bones. You'd think he'd shut up, after realizing that Spock was half human, & there wasn't a drop of red blood to be found in him. So much for the dominance of Human DNA

 

[The Squire of Gothos]

Kirk going around the galaxy making sure that every society is a free and vigorous society.

 

[MGagen]

Broccoli said:
the blatantly obvious stunt doubles

You mean, like this?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

There was a worse stunt double for Kirk in Where No Man Has Gone Before, wasn't there? I noticed him, and I wasn't even looking for that!

 

[Sephiroth]

the E-Z-Frag(TM) control panels that starfleet buys from the ferengi

Kirk boning an alien woman who is fated to die 15 minutes later

Logic save the day

 

[Alyssa]

Spock doing all the work in finding the solution to a problem and then Kirk blurting out the answer and taking all the credit!

 

[Basill]

Oooo, I just remembered one. The ever-present, alien-planet, ring tone! One of my favs.

First used in the Cage, and attributed to the vibrating metaloid leaves, it would eventually evolve into the regular-series transporter sound, which was very different in the first pilot. Not sure how many times they actually used it, though I'm sure it was more than once. It's got cliche buzzing all over it. Naturally, TOS fan films LOVE making use of it.

(I did a quick search through the thread for certain keywords in case it had already been mentioned but didn't find anything.)

 

[GMSkarka]

Let us not forget the tendency of alien planets to leave members of the landing party with multiple shadows....y'know, sort of like you'd get if there was studio lighting?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Boom mikes in scenes!

 

[Vulcanian]

Having a camera close up showing the sweat of the actor, usually Shatner's

 

[Sulu_Love_child]

The stringed puppets on Catspaw...
A dog with a horn on it's head in Enemy Within...
The great music that fits the scenes such as the "In a Pigs eye" speech from McCoy at th end of Journey to Babel.

 

[Basill]

Sulu_Love_child said:
The great music that fits the scenes such as the "In a Pigs eye" speech from McCoy at th end of Journey to Babel.

I think that was from Amok Time. But an easy confuse since both were stellar episodes with Vulcan themes, and both end with a humorous McCoy moment. Journey To Babel has him shhhhh'shing everyone in sickbay and gloating into the camera that he got the last word.

And I agree animals with weird horned attachments is a good TOS cliche.

 

[number6]

The Chess match:

Spock is this "master" of the game, but Kirk always kicks his green blooded, logical ass!!

 

[Brutal Strudel]

Red Ranger said:

-Uhura's red panties showing every other ep, showing her shapely caboose!

Oooooooh, how we hate hate HATE that.

If I wanted to see a pretty caboose, I'd watch Shining Time Station!

Um, what do you mean this isn't Opposite Day?

Never mind...

 

[Alyssa]

People been renderded unconcious by Kirk lightly hitting them on the shoulder!

 

[Plum]

^^^
That's a good ole 1960's judo chop!

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Alyssa said:
People been renderded unconcious by Kirk lightly hitting them on the shoulder!

I love the Kirk Judo Chop; it was apparently a common means of incapacitating people in 60s action-adventure. Jim Phelps used it in Mission: Impossible as did Jim West in Wild Wild West. In fact, a lot of 60s heroes were named Jim.

 

[Plum]

^^^
Oh yea, it was used just as you described. I guess it was the magical "martial arts" eastern mystic way of knocking out the bad guys in most media of the time! I think it was the Bond films of Sean Connery that made this a staple in pop culture.

 

[Plum]

Here's a pop culture example of the "judo chop" thing..,

The Flintstones - Dr. Sinister (judo chop!)

... ah judo chop chop!