Star Trek was a pivotal series for many reasons. The most obvious is for its contributions to science fiction. However the most important aspect of its contribution to society may have been it's near death and resurrection, which resulted in a third and final season.
While the show started with a bang, the second and third seasons were nothing short of a miracle. However we all know now how the show faired in the long term of things. Star Trek The Original series is finally on DVD as a complete season and we couldn't be any happier.
For those of you who may be clueless, Star Trek stars William Shatner as Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. Kirk and his crew's five year mission is to explore space and boldly go where no man has gone before. Kirk is part of a trio of stars that includes Leonard Nimoy as the Vulcan Spock and as Bones McCoy, physician of the ship. These three get into so big trouble over the season as audiences are introduced to the various aliens out there.
The cast also broke out with its diversity including Lt. Uhaura as a black female office, the chinese traced Sulu and of course everyone's favorite Engineer, Scotty the scotsman to boot. Possibly the most fun of the characters was Chekov who could barely say Vessel with his Russian accent amidst the real life cold war.
Season 1 like the other seasons isn't technically advanced nor is the writing that solid. Kirk was well known for his roguishness and it shows best of all in this first season. Fans will rejoice that the entire season from episode 1 to 29 is here finally. Paramount has finally given us Trekkers what we wanted from the outset of the DVD format.
The Disc:
First let me say the casing is marvelous. It's simply beautiful with a plastic housing that opens up like a tricorder. While Deep Space Nine and Voyager failed to match the beauty of the Next Generation sets packaging, The Original series outdoes them all. Paramount truly deserves kudos here.
While the show remains presented in its original 1:33:1 format, the sound has been bumped up to 5.1 for the first time ever. Boy is it ever delicious too, as Space for this series has never sounded better.
Extras on the season begin with Text commentary by Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda on Where No Man Has Gone Before, The Menagerie Part I, The Menagerie Part II, The Conscience of the King. These are fairly interesting since they are more thought out than random audio conversation recorded for a track. In fact this is much more interesting due to the nature of the mythology of Star Trek.
Next up is a series of features beginning with Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner which explores the phenomenon of trying to find work in a world where everyone knows you as Captain Kirk. This is a really interesting portrait and I hope they continue this for further seasons with other stars.
Next is To Boldly Go which as the title suggests explores just how bold the producers and Gene Roddenberry were in their quest to bring something totally new to television audiences. Next you have Reflections On Spock which broadens our understanding of the Vulcan who is also half-human. Leonard Nimoy pretty much invented most of the folklore for these people including the now famous live long and prosper V handshape.
Next is The Birth of Timless Legacy which attempts to explain why after forty years Star Trek is still popular. The show airs daily all over the world and shows no signs of ever slowing down. Finally there's a piece of Scifi Visionaries which is worth a look.
bottom line:
This is a must have with one of the coolest packagings imaginable. This show is a classic and deserves a spot on every scifi fans dvd rack. I can't imagine Paramount doing a better job than they did with this. Definitely worth the money!
5 out of 5
By - Brian Gray
