Late Season 2 and Season 3

[LJones41]

During my last rewatch of the TOS, I found my disappointed by the storytelling in the second half of the series' Season Two and all of Season Three. It seemed to me as if the show had began losing its momentum.

How would you have fixed it?

 

[UnknownSample]

Late season two actually had a Space Earth episode every third episode...

 

[Spock's Barber]

It seems to me that GR and Bob Justman were constantly exchanging memos about the lack of quality, shootable scripts. That problem appeared to affect the show from the latter half of the 2nd season and into the 3rd season.

 

[Noname Given]

During my last rewatch of the TOS, I found my disappointed by the storytelling in the second half of the series' Season Two and all of Season Three. It seemed to me as if the show had began losing its momentum.

How would you have fixed it?

I would have found a way to get Gene L. Coon to stay with the production.

 

[KirkusOveractus]

I would have found a way to get Gene L. Coon to stay with the production.

This, to me also, is one factor in how the series could have stayed on track as much as possible. You also had Roddenberry not as dedicated to the series as he was in the beginning, and a lot of other production people leaving for other series or movies.

 

[CrazyMatt]

Finding a way to keep Gene was one way. Then keeping DC Fontana.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Finding a way to keep Gene was one way. Then keeping DC Fontana.

Bob Justman stated that Coon was just burned out by the pressures of writing and producing TOS.

 

[UnknownSample]

Hmmm. You still have to work. Was It Takes a Thief really that much easier to work on?

 

[BillJ]

Was It Takes a Thief really that much easier to work on?

It probably was. You didn't have to reinvent the wheel every single week. Just nice simple straight forward 60's TV.

 

[Not Herbert]

As far as late season 2 goes, I think that John Meredyth Lucas and Justman did a fine job. The problem with season 3 may be blamed on the budget cuts coupled with the increase in the salary for the big three. Fred Freiberger and Arthur Singer may also share some blame but I wasn't there. Herb Solow had supported the show when Desilu ran things, but it seems as if the suits at Paramount were just bean counters and not fans. Many of Trek's best directors were either sacked or didn't wish to return.

In retrospect, we should be happy that season 3 was mediocre. If the show had run for 5 seasons with the same or better quality as season 1, we probably would never have had the features and spinoffs. IMO, TOS was unfulfilled potential that died a premature death, and THAT left us wanting more.