Apparently Bjo Trimble created the Stardate for the episode's entry into the Star Trek Concordence. I have no idea where the number came from, perhaps an earlier script draft or the novelisation?
TOS//TAS viewing order...
- Thread starter Warped9
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When I initially arranged the episodes by stardate I started with them in production order then one-by-one moved them accordingly. “The Cage,” which I haven’t bothered including here, actually has a stardate although it is never stated on screen. However, if you get a good look at the report Mendez shows Kirk in “The Menagerie” you can clearly see a stardate printed there denoting when Pike made his report on Talos 4.
Re: “Patterns Of Force.” I would need to watch the episode again to see if a stardate is ever stated in it. Not all stadates were given at the beginning of an episode.
Re: “Patterns Of Force.” I would need to watch the episode again to see if a stardate is ever stated in it. Not all stadates were given at the beginning of an episode.
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That example is exactly why I dislike Stardate order. At the beginning of "Amok Time," people are startled that Spock is acting out of character. And then in "This Side of Paradise," people are again startled that Spock is acting out of character. And no one makes a connection between the two, because TSOP was produced first. That alone proves to me that the two episodes are unrelated and are best spaced as far apart as possible. YMMV.
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^^ How odd! I swore it was there. I know I saw a stardate in relation to “The Cage.” Now where did I see it?
On another note: if there is no actual stardate given in “Patterns Of Force” then I would move it back to it’s place in production order and list the stardate as Unknown. That means it would follow “Return To Tomorrow” and be listed as one of three Unknown Stardates in sequence.
4768.3 - “Return To Tomorrow”
Unknown - “Patterns Of Force”
Unknown - “The Omega Glory”
Unknown - “Assignment: Earth”
On another note: if there is no actual stardate given in “Patterns Of Force” then I would move it back to it’s place in production order and list the stardate as Unknown. That means it would follow “Return To Tomorrow” and be listed as one of three Unknown Stardates in sequence.
4768.3 - “Return To Tomorrow”
Unknown - “Patterns Of Force”
Unknown - “The Omega Glory”
Unknown - “Assignment: Earth”
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If you're going to do it, might as well really do it and go for all of TOS/TAS strictly by Stardate Order; and not sort by seasons. Just to get a sense of the full wonkiness.
Arguably, you could start with "Assignment: Earth" since the entire episode takes place in 1968 from start-to-finish. But from the crew's perspective is probably better in that instance.
I have WNMHGB using the United Earth Stardate system since Starfleet was under UE command. At that time, each 1000 Stardates equals one Earth year which starts each cycle on Jan. 1. I put the end of WNMHGB, Stardate 1313.8 on April 24, 2265. The year 2265 is to keep in line with 300 years in the future since the pilot was filmed in 1965.
Starfleet assumed command of Federation's space operations circa May 11, 2265 and reset the Stardate clock at 0000.0. Since both Starfleet command and the Federation council are still stationed on Earth, all Federation members agreed to use 1000 Stardates equals one Earth year but just have a different "zero" cycle date. They also issued new uniforms, etc., but details of the transition of UFP members’ ships/starbases/assets are still in committee. By Stardate 3030, the UFP transition of Starbases/Outposts is completed, and the final transition of Starships to the UFP is around Stardate 3130.
After refit, the Enterprise was relaunch on its 5YM on Stardate 1300 (Sept. 1, 2266). The first documented event was Mudd's Women on Stardate 1329.1 (Sept. 10, 2266). The final recorded TOS mission is All Our Yesterdays on Stardate 5943.7. Depending on where you put Day of the Dove (Stardate unknown), it could be the last recorded mission based on Kang's "3 years" (3000 Stardates) comment which, if exact, puts this event around Stardate 6200. I prefer to put DOTD a little over ~2.5 years after Errand of Mercy (~Stardate 3200). Kang must have been rounding up or just not exact with Earth year nomenclature. <edit. Or Kang is using Klingon years which are about 80% of an Earth year.
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Normally, I don't bother with TAS, but if I did, I'd put the last three TAS episodes by Stardate just after the 5YM while the ship awaits its refit. Overall, Stardate order is not without problems, and there are four or five episodes where we must assume a script error. YMMV
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Starfleet assumed command of Federation's space operations circa May 11, 2265 and reset the Stardate clock at 0000.0. Since both Starfleet command and the Federation council are still stationed on Earth, all Federation members agreed to use 1000 Stardates equals one Earth year but just have a different "zero" cycle date. They also issued new uniforms, etc., but details of the transition of UFP members’ ships/starbases/assets are still in committee. By Stardate 3030, the UFP transition of Starbases/Outposts is completed, and the final transition of Starships to the UFP is around Stardate 3130.
After refit, the Enterprise was relaunch on its 5YM on Stardate 1300 (Sept. 1, 2266). The first documented event was Mudd's Women on Stardate 1329.1 (Sept. 10, 2266). The final recorded TOS mission is All Our Yesterdays on Stardate 5943.7. Depending on where you put Day of the Dove (Stardate unknown), it could be the last recorded mission based on Kang's "3 years" (3000 Stardates) comment which, if exact, puts this event around Stardate 6200. I prefer to put DOTD a little over ~2.5 years after Errand of Mercy (~Stardate 3200). Kang must have been rounding up or just not exact with Earth year nomenclature. <edit. Or Kang is using Klingon years which are about 80% of an Earth year.
>Normally, I don't bother with TAS, but if I did, I'd put the last three TAS episodes by Stardate just after the 5YM while the ship awaits its refit. Overall, Stardate order is not without problems, and there are four or five episodes where we must assume a script error. YMMV
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I also think this is a good reason for Roddenberry's handwave of it being dependant on the star system you're in. It's not supposed to correlate with Earth dates. Yet another aspect of the original series that was ignored in later versions, starting with TMP if I'm gonna be honest, but brought to ridiculousness with the Bad Robot films which made a strong effort to tie then in with Earth years. If EVERYONE in the Federation uses stardates, why would they connect it solely with Earth? The Romulans wouldn't buy that for a moment.
I would imagine every Federation world has its own time keeping system, but there could be a Federation standard (stardates?) for starships particularly Starfleet. There has to be some kind of standard or it would become hopelessly complicated and only computers could make any sense of it.
You may be right in-universe, where the laws of Star Trek physics are so forgiving, but in the real world it appears we can't synchronize our watches between star systems:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativity_of_simultaneity
Something I always thought was interesting about The Practical Joker is that Kirk's Enterprise had a holodeck. Shuffling the episode in stardate order means the Enterprise had a holodeck much earlier than I thought.
In The Making Of Star Trek the section describing the Enterprise references an area where crew can interact with holographic images as a form of recreation. Given how TOS handled depicting illusions it’s quite possible this could have been shown if called for in a story, and given the requisite time and budget. So the idea of a “holodeck” was conceived during the production of TOS only it was never explored. Same with the life support belts—conceived during TOS, but not seen until TAS.
I'm glad TOS never did that stuff, trying to portray the "final ultimate everything" of human technology. It allowed us a gritty frontier feeling with little luxury, and it gave the franchise someplace to go. TNG can have that holodeck jazz, along with its preposterously comfortable Enterprise-D. Kirk and Spock are beaming down with their boots on.
My impression has long been that the early idea of a holodeck or room was meant to be more like watching a movie (like very advanced 3D) or communicating by 3D with someone back home. Maybe thats what was meant when a “stargram” was referenced once or twice in TOS.
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A stargasm? Kirk had those a lot.
Holodecks were just a way to make cheaper episodes using existing sets and costumes. While it may have been silly on occasion, I'll echo @ZapBrannigan and say I prefer TOS visiting weird planets filled with gangsters, Roman's, Nazis, etc.