What was the goofiest act break?

[JonnyQuest037]

I was rewatching "Charlie X" last night and I'd forgotten that the Act One break ended not on the revelation that the Antares had blown up, but on the revelation that the meatloaf in the mess hall had turned into turkeys... real turkeys!!! The horror!!

So it got me to thinking. What's the goofiest, most trivial thing that we've seen before going into a commercial break on Trek?

 

[Kor]

This is one of the structural constraints of the television format, as opposed to feature films.

If the beginning teaser is considered an Act in television production terms, one of my problems with Enterprise was that the teaser was usually really short, and ended on a light note, such as Archer floating around with water droplets in the shower in zero gravity and falling to the floor when gravity came back, instead of a situation of menace or danger that would compel the viewer to keep watching.

Kor

 

[Greg Cox]

If the beginning teaser is considered an Act in television production terms, one of my problems with Enterprise was that the teaser was usually really short, and ended on a light note, such as Archer floating around with water droplets in the shower in zero gravity and falling to the floor when gravity came back, instead of a situation of menace or danger that would compel the viewer to keep watching.

Kor

There was also an ENTERPRISE episode in which the pre-credits "teaser" consisted of Mayweather quietly reading a book until he's summoned, none too urgently, to the bridge--and not because of any vital "Red Alert!" type emergency. It's just "Mister Mayweather, please report to the bridge."

Granted, this scene plays out in zero-gee, which is kinda neat, but there's literally nothing exciting or cliffhanger-y about it. Mayweather puts down his book and heads for the bridge. Period.

I guess we were supposed to be so impressed by the zero-gee effects that we would overlook the fact that nothing actually happened in the scene. But that was supposed to be the teaser?

It was like they were making an effort to avoid being exciting!

 

[Stevil2001]

In "Marauders," isn't the whole teaser a shuttlepod landing on a planet?

 

[Captain Rob]

The very first time I saw TOS "Tomorrow is Yesterday" in the early 70's. I mistook the teaser as a commercial for the US Air Force. there's klaxons blaring while pilots rush to their planes. Followed by fighters taking off loaded with missiles. Only to end with a picture of the USS Enterprise climbing through the clouds.
Back in the very early 70's there was still a ADC base North of Dallas. And that's the typical thing you'd see there for their exercises. Sadly it's a municipal airport now.

 

[at Quark's]

This has nothing to do with Trek at all, but a very unlucky combination nonetheless:

Sometimes commercial channels available in my area announce the 'sponsor' of a movie whenever there's a commercial break ("this movie has been offered to you by company x!").

So a few years ago I was watching a disaster movie. I don't remember the scene exactly but it went something like this: an airplane crashes, local police happens to be in the neighbourhood and races to the spot, only to find people screaming from behind the airplane windows "let us out! Free us!"... before the airplane actually catches fire, and as heavy equipment to cut a hole in the aircraft body hasn't arrived on the spot yet, they can do nothing but watch in horror while they see the people inside burn to death -- horribly.

Fade out. Commercial break .

"This movie has been offered to you by airline company <X>!"

I believe the person responsible for putting the commercial break just there was fired over this incident.

 

[The Wormhole]

Goofiest act break without a doubt is Kirk acting like a horse in Plato's Stepchildren.

If the beginning teaser is considered an Act in television production terms, one of my problems with Enterprise was that the teaser was usually really short, and ended on a light note, such as Archer floating around with water droplets in the shower in zero gravity and falling to the floor when gravity came back, instead of a situation of menace or danger that would compel the viewer to keep watching.

Kor

There was also an ENTERPRISE episode in which the pre-credits "teaser" consisted of Mayweather quietly reading a book until he's summoned, none too urgently, to the bridge--and not because of any vital "Red Alert!" type emergency. It's just "Mister Mayweather, please report to the bridge."

Granted, this scene plays out in zero-gee, which is kinda neat, but there's literally nothing exciting or cliffhanger-y about it. Mayweather puts down his book and heads for the bridge. Period.

I guess we were supposed to be so impressed by the zero-gee effects that we would overlook the fact that nothing actually happened in the scene. But that was supposed to be the teaser?

It was like they were making an effort to avoid being exciting!

In "Marauders," isn't the whole teaser a shuttlepod landing on a planet?

Enterprise easily had some of the worst teasers in all Star Trek. Most of them clocked in under a minute and usually just consist of characters engaged in mundane tasks which ultimately have very little to do with the plot. Half the time I wondered why the even bothered with a teaser which contributed nothing to the episode.

 

[Kor]

Enterprise easily had some of the worst teasers in all Star Trek. Most of them clocked in under a minute and usually just consist of characters engaged in mundane tasks which ultimately have very little to do with the plot. Half the time I wondered why the even bothered with a teaser which contributed nothing to the episode.

I'm glad I'm not the only one to notice this.

At the time when Enterprise was on the air, I posted a thread critiquing this aspect of the show, and I was promptly accused of "nitpicking," "bashing," etc.

Kor

 

[The Wormhole]

Enterprise easily had some of the worst teasers in all Star Trek. Most of them clocked in under a minute and usually just consist of characters engaged in mundane tasks which ultimately have very little to do with the plot. Half the time I wondered why the even bothered with a teaser which contributed nothing to the episode.

I'm glad I'm not the only one to notice this.

At the time when Enterprise was on the air, I posted a thread critiquing this aspect of the show, and I was promptly accused of "nitpicking," "bashing," etc.

Kor

It definitely was a far cry from DS9's days where the teaser went for 7-8 minutes and was basically another act to the episode.

Teasers were getting progressively shorter throughout Voyager's run, but at least there they did something related to the episode's story or provided some hook to continue watching.

 

[Greg Cox]

Re: ENTERPRISE:

"Well, our audience isn't getting any younger, so we probably don't want to do anything too exciting too fast. Might be bad for their health . . . . "

 

[The Wormhole]

Re: ENTERPRISE:

"Well, our audience isn't getting any younger, so we probably don't want to do anything too exciting too fast. Might be bad for their health . . . . "

Unfortunately, I have very little trouble believing that was the rationale discussed in a board room meeting.

 

[Cyke101]

So not technically the break, but an act start: DS9's The Sound of Her Voice. The crew are trying to keep the lonely Cusek on the audio-only comm line, but they hear of a dangerous, snarling creature getting closer, and closer, inches away from devouring Cusek! Cut to commercial!

And when we return... Cusek says, "Hahajustkidding."

Ugh.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

There was also an ENTERPRISE episode in which the pre-credits "teaser" consisted of Mayweather quietly reading a book until he's summoned, none too urgently, to the bridge--and not because of any vital "Red Alert!" type emergency. It's just "Mister Mayweather, please report to the bridge."

Granted, this scene plays out in zero-gee, which is kinda neat, but there's literally nothing exciting or cliffhanger-y about it. Mayweather puts down his book and heads for the bridge. Period.

I guess we were supposed to be so impressed by the zero-gee effects that we would overlook the fact that nothing actually happened in the scene. But that was supposed to be the teaser?

It was like they were making an effort to avoid being exciting!

When I was introducing a friend to ENT earlier this year, we started making humorous note of just how many teasers in the first two seasons were really mundane. This particular example was probably the crown jewel, but it seemed like, for a time, the show's writers were consciously fighting against the idea of intriguing openers.

EDIT: Oh, several of us have already tackled this discussion. :P

 

[FormerLurker]

Re: ENTERPRISE:

"Well, our audience isn't getting any younger, so we probably don't want to do anything too exciting too fast. Might be bad for their health . . . . "

Unfortunately, I have very little trouble believing that was the rationale discussed in a board room meeting.

"And since we're not going to allow Enterprise to have an episode longer than 39 minutes, EVER, we might as well cut time out of every segment."

John Billingsley told a convention audience about the 39 minute mandate at his first visit there, in answer to a question about why the episodes seemed so short, and had no B stories.

 

[The Wormhole]

Re: ENTERPRISE:

"Well, our audience isn't getting any younger, so we probably don't want to do anything too exciting too fast. Might be bad for their health . . . . "

Unfortunately, I have very little trouble believing that was the rationale discussed in a board room meeting.

"And since we're not going to allow Enterprise to have an episode longer than 39 minutes, EVER, we might as well cut time out of every segment."

John Billingsley told a convention audience about the 39 minute mandate at his first visit there, in answer to a question about why the episodes seemed so short, and had no B stories.

Thing is, Enterprise was the same length as every other TV show airing in one hour time slots back then. They all managed to make their teasers count, even the ones which still did opening credits.

 

[martok2112]

I thought the goofiest act break was when I was watching "Balance of Terror".

In the opening moments, Kirk is giving his little speech about "the days of the first wooden sailing ships" and "happy privilege of ship captains" and all that... and then, just when he announces the names of the happy couple, bam, immediate cut out.

I was like....WTF?!

And then I noticed something else. My lights had gone off momentarily. The digital clock on the stove was blinking. And the AC suddenly kicked back on.

Damned power cut out.

To be honest, I never really paid much attention to goofy act breaks, even when the shows were properly airing.

 

[LadyT'Anna]

I thought the goofiest act break was when I was watching "Balance of Terror".

In the opening moments, Kirk is giving his little speech about "the days of the first wooden sailing ships" and "happy privilege of ship captains" and all that... and then, just when he announces the names of the happy couple, bam, immediate cut out.

I was like....WTF?!

And then I noticed something else. My lights had gone off momentarily. The digital clock on the stove was blinking. And the AC suddenly kicked back on.

Damned power cut out.

Hmm . . . life imitating art? "We bring you the suspenseful air of a sudden power cut to the Enterprise--all in the comfort of your very own home."

 

[martok2112]

I thought the goofiest act break was when I was watching "Balance of Terror".

In the opening moments, Kirk is giving his little speech about "the days of the first wooden sailing ships" and "happy privilege of ship captains" and all that... and then, just when he announces the names of the happy couple, bam, immediate cut out.

I was like....WTF?!

And then I noticed something else. My lights had gone off momentarily. The digital clock on the stove was blinking. And the AC suddenly kicked back on.

Damned power cut out.

Hmm . . . life imitating art? "We bring you the suspenseful air of a sudden power cut to the Enterprise--all in the comfort of your very own home."

Indeed. I thought I was watching Balance of Terror in 3D.

 

[Kor]

They should make TV a fully interactive experience, with shaking chairs and other physical sensations, and water to simulate rain, odor sprays (smell-o-vision?), etc.

Kor

 

[Greg Cox]

They should make TV a fully interactive experience, with shaking chairs and other physical sensations, and water to simulate rain, odor sprays (smell-o-vision?), etc.

Kor

The first time I watched John Carpenter's THE THING in a theater, the bottom of my large soda cup tore open, spilling cold ice and Coke into my lap.

Never has horror been more chilling . . . .