The Monster Maroons

[Therin of Andor]

This has been the myth for a long time but is this actually factual. Is there anything backing this story about?

They definitely did uniform tests to work out who looked best in which colour. Spiner, with his metallic sheen makeup, looked better in mustard than teal. Stewart looked better in wine than mustard. The thought was that. due to the maroon jackets of the movies, "command had become associated" with that dark red colour. [Paraphrased from interviews of the day.] I don't recall the actual sources now, but William Ware Theiss (TOS) came back for TNG (and Robert Blackman not taking over until Season Three), so it would have been an interview with Theiss, maybe "Starlog"?

And on the subject of monster maroons, it turns out that they (or minute variations thereof) were the longest-lasting Starfleet uniforms ever. They started in TWOK in 2285 and lasted right up to the first season of TNG in 2364. That's 79 years!

Memory Alpha says, "Chronologically within the Star Trek universe, these uniforms appeared as early as 2353, in a photograph of Connor Rossa, holding baby Jeremiah Rossa, in 'Suddenly Human'. It was also worn by the crew of the USS Stargazer as early as 2355, as seen in 'The Battle'."

 

[Dukhat]

Memory Alpha says, "Chronologically within the Star Trek universe, these uniforms appeared as early as 2353, in a photograph of Connor Rossa, holding baby Jeremiah Rossa, in 'Suddenly Human'. It was also worn by the crew of the USS Stargazer as early as 2355, as seen in 'The Battle'."

Yep. The earliest we see the maroons was the Bozeman crew from 2278, and the earliest time we see the S1 TNG uniforms was 2353. So that's give-or-take 75 years that the maroons were used.

Now, seeing the history of Starfleet uniforms, both before the TOS films and then from TNG onwards, having the same uniform (or minor variations thereof) for three-quarters of a century is pretty unrealistic. But that's what happens when a production goes from the late 23rd century to the late 24th in the blink of an eye without anything really changing during that stretch of time in-universe.

 

[Nerys Myk]

which are better?

In no particular order.
TOS
ST09
BEY
1/3 of TMP
ENT
VOY
DISCO ENT

 

[diankra]

They definitely did uniform tests to work out who looked best in which colour. Spiner, which his metallic sheen makeup, looked better in mustard than teal. Stewart looked better in wine than mustard. The thought was that. due to the maroon jackets of the movies, "command had become associated" with that dark red colour. [Paraphrased from interviews of the day.] I don't recall the actual sources now, but William Ware Theiss (TOS) came back for TNG (and Robert Blackman not taking over until Season Three), so it would have been an interview with Theiss, maybe "Starlog"?



Memory Alpha says, "Chronologically within the Star Trek universe, these uniforms appeared as early as 2353, in a photograph of Connor Rossa, holding baby Jeremiah Rossa, in 'Suddenly Human'. It was also worn by the crew of the USS Stargazer as early as 2355, as seen in 'The Battle'."

IIRC, the attitude was that Data looked bad in anything, so they put him in gold, while putting anyone else in other colours (aside from Tasha).
Then Geordi and Worf ended up in gold in season two.

 

[NCC-73515]

In no particular order.
TOS
ST09
BEY
1/3 of TMP
ENT
VOY
DISCO ENT

disagree on all of those XD

 

[STEPhon IT]

IIRC, the attitude was that Data looked bad in anything, so they put him in gold, while putting anyone else in other colours (aside from Tasha).
Then Geordi and Worf ended up in gold in season two.

Sigh, Geordi and Worf were not wearing gold in season two of TNG, they were wearing green based on colors designed in Star Trek. When the designers re-designed TNG uniforms for season 3 these characters and others in that division were wearing a mustard yellow not GOLD.

 

[Tomalak]

Sigh, Geordi and Worf were not wearing gold in season two of TNG, they were wearing green based on colors designed in Star Trek. When the designers re-designed TNG uniforms for season 3 these characters and others in that division were wearing a mustard yellow not GOLD.

But in canon the TOS uniforms were gold - as stated by Sisko in Trials and Tribbleations.

I think the horse you're flogging died a long time ago.

 

[Warped9]

But in canon the TOS informs were gold - as stated by Sisko in Trials and Tribbleations.

I think the horse you're flogging died a long time ago.

Technically speaking if you go by the Bluray transfers where we see the actual colour then It’s not so settled. The command tunics were supposed to show as green and on the Blurays we see that strange green/gold hue.

I wouldn’t accept anything from Berman Trek on the canonicity of what is in TOS.

 

[Maurice]

But in canon the TOS informs were gold - as stated by Sisko in Trials and Tribbleations.

That's a retcon, like saying Klingons don't take prisoners (they did in TOS, and stuffed them in Mind Sifters).

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

But in canon the TOS informs were gold - as stated by Sisko in Trials and Tribbleations.

And as shown by Pike in DSC

 

[valkyrie013]

Gold, green, muave, cyan.. Blahh.

Well if they do a series or movie that is set in the lost era, they will probably make there own uniform decision hopefully based on the maroons and the tng uniform but who knows.

 

[Warped9]

And as shown by Pike in DSC

Sure. Right. Whatever.

They have fucked over supposed canon so often none of it means anything.

I’ll stick with the original source materiel.

 

[BillJ]

Sure. Right. Whatever.

They have fucked over supposed canon so often none of it means anything.

I’ll stick with the original source materiel.

I’m torn on the TOS command color. From 1975, when I started watching, until 2009 when the Blu-Ray’s came out, they were gold. Now? They’re greenish-gold.

So who the hell really knows?

 

[Warped9]

I’m torn on the TOS command color. From 1975, when I started watching, until 2009 when the Blu-Ray’s came out, they were gold. Now? They’re greenish-gold.

So who the hell really knows?

True enough. Thing is the gold colour we see in later series and films doesn’t look like the gold we were familiar with. It looks off and almost orange like in tone.

 

[BillJ]

True enough. Thing is the gold colour we see in later series and films doesn’t look like the gold we were familiar with. It looks off and almost orange like in tone.

I agree they don’t quite match, but I’ve never thought the newer stuff looked orange. I guess that falls under all of us not seeing color quite the same way.

 

[Warped9]

I agree they don’t quite match, but I’ve never thought the newer stuff looked orange. I guess that falls under all of us not seeing color quite the same way.

No, it didn’t look orange (or yellow) exactly, but it was off. It wasn’t the right tone.

 

[NCC-73515]

It's the Trekkie version of the black and blue dress XD

 

[J.T.B.]

I’m torn on the TOS command color. From 1975, when I started watching, until 2009 when the Blu-Ray’s came out, they were gold.

Yep, but the wraparounds, dress uniforms and coveralls always looked more greenish than the regular pullovers.

 

[BillJ]

Yep, but the wraparounds, dress uniforms and coveralls always looked more greenish than the regular pullovers.

Yeah, but we saw far more of the gold tunic than the green variants. So I can see how a person could go either way on them.

 

[Tomalak]

That's a retcon, like saying Klingons don't take prisoners (they did in TOS, and stuffed them in Mind Sifters).

If it's a retcon it's only because they always appeared to be gold.

The point is gold is a perfectly valid description, certainly for the TNG costumes. To insist they are "mustard" is to split the finest of hairs. And they certainly are not green!