Star Trek (DVD) ReviewPosted by Nick Niesen on October 27th, 2010 Nominated for four Emmys, including Outstanding Dramatic Series two times in its short three-year stint, Star Trek is a true legend of television history. The brainchild of former L.A. policeman Gene Roddenberry, the show premiered in Fall 1966 only to be cancelled after three seasons due to lackluster ratings. But it may well have been NBC's network executives who were the cause of the low ratings as they allotted a less than desirable time slot for the show. When Star Trek moved into syndication, its reruns captured the science-fiction imagination of an entirely new audience, catapulting the Star Trek franchise to new heights. Its newfound popularity would, in the decades to come, spawn novels, comic books, six full-length feature films, and reams of merchandise as fans clamored for anything Star Trek-related. Beginning in the 1980's, spin-offs of the show began to appear such as Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise? Star Trek, the original TV series, follows the adventurous exploits of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise as they "boldly go where no man has gone before?" The spaceship Enterprise is led by Captain James Tiberius Kirk (William Shatner), an Earth-born astronaut who often exhibits the charm, leadership, and creativity necessary for the mission's survival. Kirk is joined by Lt. Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy), a Vulcan-born retired commander and theoretical scientist. Chief medical officer Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) rounds out the main cast of Star Trek which includes a plethora of supporting crew with multiple guest appearances and cameo roles. Together, the crew of U.S.S. Enterprise seeks to carry out its mission: "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations?" It's this pioneering attitude, coupled with imaginative sci-fi worlds, that provides Star Trek with its nostalgic allure - especially these episodes from the original TV series, widely regarded as the most popular of all the TV series? The Star Trek DVD features a number of action-packed episodes including the series premiere "The Man Trap" in which the crew of the Enterprise visits the planet M-113 for an annual check on the residents of its colony. But during the initial landing phase, a crew member turns up dead. Kirk orders an investigation and the crew soon learns that a deadly predator that can assume the shape of any life-form is murdering humans, and the creature now has its sights set on the crew of the Enterprise? Other notable episodes from Season 1 include "Balance of Terror" in which a wedding between two crew members is interrupted when the Enterprise is forced to defend an Earth outpost from an attack by an unknown spacecraft, and "A Taste of Armageddon" in which the Enterprise encounters a pair of "war computers" that carry out an unorthodox form of warfare? Below is a list of episodes included on the Star Trek (Season 1) DVD: Episode 1 (The Man Trap) Air Date: 09-08-1966 Like it? Share it! More by this author |