Is the bridge at a funny angle?

[Admiral Archer]

"Is the bridge at a funny angle?"

Short answer: yes.

Long answer: The bridge set was obviously designed and constructed to be as easy to film in and around as possible, with as little getting in the way of the actor's movements or visibility as possible. As such, the door to the turbolift is set off center, so that Kirk doesn't block the entrance visibly, and the incoming and outgoing crew members don't trip over the captain's chair when moving about the bridge. In-universe, I have always pictured the bridge interior matching the exterior, with the turbolift directly behind Kirk's chair, which faces directly towards the viewscreen, pointed directly at the ship's foreward bow. It doesn't make sense for the viewscreen to be off kilter, or for the turbolift to be either. Sometimes the best solution is the simplest. When I get a chance, I'll post a diagram of how I imagine the bridge layout to actually be.

EDIT: I did a quick drawing of the TOS bridge in both configurations. Please forgive the crudeness of the drawing, I hope you can make out what I'm trying to illustrate. Figure A is the bridge set as it appeared in TOS. Figure B is the way I picture the bridge actually looked. The main difference is the turbolift has shifted from aft port to directly aft, although you'll notice Figure A has four bridge stations on one side and two on the other, while figure B has three bridge stations on either side. Also, figure B has rotated the bright red hand railings surrounding the central command area by 45 degrees. I much prefer Figure B myself, but it isn't exactly canon...oh well.

 

[BK613]

I think Ro Laren comes out of that in Disaster.

I think she crawls out of the top of a stuck turbolift but it's been a while since I've watched it.

 

[jackoverfull]

It’s possible, I’m don’t remember exactly either.

 

[Mytran]

"Is the bridge at a funny angle?"

Short answer: yes.

Long answer: The bridge set was obviously designed and constructed to be as easy to film in and around as possible, with as little getting in the way of the actor's movements or visibility as possible. As such, the door to the turbolift is set off center, so that Kirk doesn't block the entrance visibly, and the incoming and outgoing crew members don't trip over the captain's chair when moving about the bridge. In-universe, I have always pictured the bridge interior matching the exterior, with the turbolift directly behind Kirk's chair, which faces directly towards the viewscreen, pointed directly at the ship's foreward bow. It doesn't make sense for the viewscreen to be off kilter, or for the turbolift to be either. Sometimes the best solution is the simplest. When I get a chance, I'll post a diagram of how I imagine the bridge layout to actually be.

EDIT: I did a quick drawing of the TOS bridge in both configurations. Please forgive the crudeness of the drawing, I hope you can make out what I'm trying to illustrate. Figure A is the bridge set as it appeared in TOS. Figure B is the way I picture the bridge actually looked. The main difference is the turbolift has shifted from aft port to directly aft, although you'll notice Figure A has four bridge stations on one side and two on the other, while figure B has three bridge stations on either side. Also, figure B has rotated the bright red hand railings surrounding the central command area by 45 degrees. I much prefer Figure B myself, but it isn't exactly canon...oh well.

In-universe I think it would be option B as well.
I hadn't really thought about reconfiguring the rails before now but I can see the logic in arranging them that way - it's also more or less what they settle on in TMP

I think she crawls out of the top of a stuck turbolift but it's been a while since I've watched it.

The transcript indeed says she comes out of the turbolift (after forcing the doors open, because she's Ro!)
http://www.chakoteya.net/NextGen/205.htm

 

[jackoverfull]

Well, if we're going to change how things look it makes more sense to just add a second turbolift, as the ship has in the following appearances, IMHO.

 

[Mytran]

Well, if we're going to change how things look it makes more sense to just add a second turbolift, as the ship has in the following appearances, IMHO.

Several episodes had scenes which made it a point that there was only one turbolift to the bridge - none were dependent on its placement however.

 

[jackoverfull]

Several episodes had scenes which made it a point that there was only one turbolift to the bridge - none were dependent on its placement however.

can you quote an example?

 

[Mytran]

can you quote an example?

The most immediate one that comes to mind is The Naked Time and Kirk telling Uhura to clear the tube, banging his hands on the doors in frustration etc.
Such a scene would have been unnecessary if all Kirk needed to do was stroll over to the other turbolift!

 

[FormerLurker]

I think you meant Disaster but you are more likely thinking of Brothers when Riker and Worf try to climb back up to the bridge in order to re-take it from Data.

I think Ro Laren comes out of that in Disaster.

This. If Disaster is the title, thank you for the correction. I remember Ro coming out of that hatch in Disaster.

 

[Mytran]

This. If Disaster is the title, thank you for the correction. I remember Ro coming out of that hatch in Disaster.

Judging by these screencaps, it was the turbolift doors

 

[FormerLurker]

Judging by these screencaps, it was the turbolift doors

When I come here, I go pretty much exclusively on memory. If I make a mistake, that's the reason why. If she climbed out of the turbolift in the screencaps, then that's what she did. I admit I remembered it wrong.

 

[Mytran]

When I come here, I go pretty much exclusively on memory. If I make a mistake, that's the reason why. If she climbed out of the turbolift in the screencaps, then that's what she did. I admit I remembered it wrong.

I apologise if I came across as overly picky, that was certainly not my intention
Having re-read your post, I realise now you were just stating a memory, not stating a position. Given how dark those scenes were (and the other mentions of a hatch behind the rear stations) I probably would have made the same recollection!

 

[jackoverfull]

The most immediate one that comes to mind is The Naked Time and Kirk telling Uhura to clear the tube, banging his hands on the doors in frustration etc.
Such a scene would have been unnecessary if all Kirk needed to do was stroll over to the other turbolift!

Makes sense, thanks.

 

[drt]

Easier to have a trap door in the floor, perhaps between the helm and main view screen.

This idea was used in a set of fanon 1701 blueprints back in the 70s/80s, it's been my headcanon secondary exit ever since.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Kirk could have momentarily ignored an inconvenient emergency exit (hidden door or trapdoor) in "The Naked Time," but "Space Seed" and "Day of the Dove" make it pretty clear that if the one turbolift is out of order, you are trapped on the bridge.

Then "Wink of an Eye" portrays accelerated Kirk and Deela getting to and from the bridge without using the turbolift. We hear the off screen footsteps of someone apparently going down a staircase.

A strikingly similar thing happened on Lost in Space. When the Jupiter 2 interior was moved to a different sound stage for the third season, the upper deck's elevator and wall-mounted ladder no longer sank below the floor. So the actors sometimes ducked into the door to the left of the ladder and pretended there was a down staircase back there. Because you need a third route downstairs within a distance of three feet. It was a rare crack in the show's airtight architectural realism.

 

[Mytran]

Kirk could have momentarily ignored an inconvenient emergency exit (hidden door or trapdoor) in "The Naked Time," but "Space Seed" and "Day of the Dove" make it pretty clear that if the one turbolift is out of order, you are trapped on the bridge.

Then "Wink of an Eye" portrays accelerated Kirk and Deela getting to and from the bridge without using the turbolift. We hear the off screen footsteps of someone apparently going down a staircase.

A strikingly similar thing happened on Lost in Space. When the Jupiter 2 interior was moved to a different sound stage for the third season, the upper deck's elevator and wall-mounted ladder no longer sank below the floor. So the actors sometimes ducked into the door to the left of the ladder and pretended there was a down staircase back there. Because you need a third route downstairs within a distance of three feet. It was a rare crack in the show's airtight architectural realism.

In Naked Time using an emergency gangway wouldn't really have helped Kirk - he needed a turbolift to speed him down to engineering. In either case he would have had to wait until the turbolift traffic jam had cleared.

In Space Seed and Day Of The Dove the bridge had been deliberately sealed off by intruders, both of whom had gained technical knowledge of the ship. There's no reason to think they wouldn't have sealed off the emergency access bulkheads as well.

Interesting titbit about Lost In Space, I will now have to watch for that next time!

 

[Henoch]

Then "Wink of an Eye" portrays accelerated Kirk and Deela getting to and from the bridge without using the turbolift. We hear the off screen footsteps of someone apparently going down a staircase.

The "off screen" direction was toward and possibly into the open turbolift, putting the mythical escape ladder in the turbolift (floor hatch?). Seal off the turbolift doors, and it seals off the ladder route, too. Poor planning. Hence the technical reason why the Scalosians opened ALL the doors including the turbolift doors; it gave necessary routes to climb between decks.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

The "off screen" direction was toward and possibly into the open turbolift, putting the mythical escape ladder in the turbolift (floor hatch?). Seal off the turbolift doors, and it seals off the ladder route, too. Poor planning. Hence the technical reason why the Scalosians opened ALL the doors including the turbolift doors; it gave necessary routes to climb between decks.

We knew the Scalosians opened all doors because otherwise they would open too slowly for People of Speed, but that's a new wrinkle.

 

[Mytran]

The "off screen" direction was toward and possibly into the open turbolift, putting the mythical escape ladder in the turbolift (floor hatch?). Seal off the turbolift doors, and it seals off the ladder route, too. Poor planning. Hence the technical reason why the Scalosians opened ALL the doors including the turbolift doors; it gave necessary routes to climb between decks.

Yes, Kirk clearly appeared to be heading towards the open turbolift doors. I think the presence of an emergency escape hatch in the floor (and perhaps ceiling) of an elevator is also a good idea and I think this system can work in conjunction with a more standard gangway access behind the Nav-subsystem console. It just means that the gangway wasn't open during the events of Wink Of An Eye and Kirk did not want to wait around for it once he got hyper accelerated

 

[publiusr]

How could you say that? There were crucial indicator lights and even a set of rocker switches!!!
http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/2x06hd/thedoomsdaymachinehd0049.jpg

Ugh!

I don’t mind the switches, but too bare!