The Original Series. So much a product of its time; a combination of the optimism of the mid-to-late 1960s and the overly rose-tinted vision of the future of its creator, Gene Roddenberry. Again, this is a series I watched in the UK in the early 1970s, as that optimism gradually faded into cynicism. The USA stopped travelling to the Moon and space no longer had the shine of Apollo 11's reflection.
Yes, it's dated and there are far too many polystyrene boulders. More than a few of the episodes are very poor, but they appeared that way when first watched and were the subject of much earnest discussion with fellow viewers. The 3rd season, in particular, suffers from massive reductions in budget, production values and the indifferent quality of the scripts.
To modern eyes, there could be said to be too much misogyny. Kirk almost always gets the attractive female; the mini-skirt as female Starfleet uniform.
If you are a fan of later Trek & so started with, for example, TNG or DS9, then I think you have to watch some of TOS.
I would particularly recommend the following episodes:
The Corbomite Manoeuvre (S01E10); The Menagerie (S01E11 & E12) (contains footage from the original pilot, The Cage) Balance of Terror (S01E14) The Galileo Seven (S01E16) Tomorrow is Yesterday (S01E19) The Devil in the Dark (S01E25) The Changeling (S02E03) Mirror, Mirror (S02E04) The Doomsday Machine (S02E06) The Trouble with Tribbles (S02E15) The Immunity Syndrome (S02E18) The Ultimate Computer (S02E24) Assignment: Earth (S02E26) The Tholian Web (S03E09)
These will give both a flavour and clues about where plot lines in other series in the franchise came from.
I have rated it 8, with just a hint of nostalgia. :-)
Review by robinm0VIP BlockedParent2024-03-16T12:59:33Z
The Original Series. So much a product of its time; a combination of the optimism of the mid-to-late 1960s and the overly rose-tinted vision of the future of its creator, Gene Roddenberry. Again, this is a series I watched in the UK in the early 1970s, as that optimism gradually faded into cynicism. The USA stopped travelling to the Moon and space no longer had the shine of Apollo 11's reflection.
Yes, it's dated and there are far too many polystyrene boulders. More than a few of the episodes are very poor, but they appeared that way when first watched and were the subject of much earnest discussion with fellow viewers. The 3rd season, in particular, suffers from massive reductions in budget, production values and the indifferent quality of the scripts.
To modern eyes, there could be said to be too much misogyny. Kirk almost always gets the attractive female; the mini-skirt as female Starfleet uniform.
If you are a fan of later Trek & so started with, for example, TNG or DS9, then I think you have to watch some of TOS.
I would particularly recommend the following episodes:
The Corbomite Manoeuvre (S01E10);
The Menagerie (S01E11 & E12) (contains footage from the original pilot, The Cage)
Balance of Terror (S01E14)
The Galileo Seven (S01E16)
Tomorrow is Yesterday (S01E19)
The Devil in the Dark (S01E25)
The Changeling (S02E03)
Mirror, Mirror (S02E04)
The Doomsday Machine (S02E06)
The Trouble with Tribbles (S02E15)
The Immunity Syndrome (S02E18)
The Ultimate Computer (S02E24)
Assignment: Earth (S02E26)
The Tholian Web (S03E09)
These will give both a flavour and clues about where plot lines in other series in the franchise came from.
I have rated it 8, with just a hint of nostalgia. :-)