In time for the release of Star Trek, the new franchise re-boot directed by J.J. Abrams, Paramount and CBS have released the first season of the original series on Blu-ray. The adventures of Kirk, Spock, & McCoy are splendidly rendered in high definition.
Wagon Train In Space
The original show, as legend says, ran on NBC beginning in 1966. Bold and brave, the show broke new ground in television storylines, topics of the day, and visual effects. Yet most television audiences didn’t quite get into the adventures of Captain James Kirk and the Starship Enterprise. The show was cancelled after only three seasons. Who knows what other adventures the crew of the Enterprise would’ve embarked on had NBC kept the show going?
Die hard fans managed to keep the original series alive in syndication. The voyages of the Starship Enterprise eventually found new audience members. Viewers discovered that the show was well-written and was a lot of fun to watch.
Great Casting in Original Star Trek Series
Though some of the visual effects may look phony today, and the sets were cheap looking, the show survived all these years because of its ideas, casting, and some very good scripts.
The main core of Star Trek is the dynamic trio of Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and McCoy (DeForest Kelly). Shatner has been lampooned (as has the show) since the show aired. He’s guilty of overacting. Yet there is no denying his presence on the original show. He’s commanding and credible as Kirk, and he even shows a bit of humor as the show went on.
Nimoy is unquestionably Spock. Half human, half Vulcan, he leans more on the personality (or lack of) an alien being without emotion. What’s interesting to see in Season One, Spock is not as stoic as he would be later on. In credit to both Nimoy and the writers, he is actually allowed to show his emotional range from time-to-time.
Kelly played the rational, yet often funny McCoy. The banter between he and Spock is priceless.
Great Stories Include Space Seed with Ricardo Montalban
The Blu-ray features some of the most iconic “Trek” episodes, including “Space Seed” in which Khan (Ricardo Montalban) shows his villainess side, and “Arena,” where Kirk battles the evil creature, Gorn.
Though the show was firmly rooted in 1960s, the writers used elements of time travel, shape shifting, and other science fiction ideas that have actually become reality. No, humankind still can’t travel through time, nor can it shape shift. But communicators on Trek are now known as cell phones, just as an example of the ideas of Star Trek that have become reality. Like many movies and shows of the era, Star Trek was also proactive in promoting equality in race and gender.
Excellent Blu-ray for Fans
Even for die hard fans who have watched Star Trek on television, owned the VHS tape, or have the DVD, the new Blu-ray is the ultimate way to watch it.
Blu-ray Features
The Blu-ray features an option to watch the original visual effects, or the new and “enhanced” digital effects by pressing the angle button on a remote control. There are also interviews and much more.
Blu-ray Picture Quality: Excellent
The Blu-ray has a pleasing high definition picture. Film grain and the original optical flaws of out-of-focus shots, or lens filters, are apparent. This is how the series was filmed and should not detract viewers. The show has never looked better.
Blu-ray Sound Quality: Good
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack offers a pleasing audio experience. Viewers can select to hear the soundtrack in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound with remixed music and sound effects. Or viewers can hear the show in Dolby Digital 2.0, which centers the original mono soundtrack between two speakers. Either option sounds very good, though the remixed audio sounds a bit out of place. The original audio has been remastered and sounds clear.
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