Original Star Trek Glows on Blu-ray

Our spring weather is finally starting to hint at summer, and Hollywood’s summer blockbuster movies are already battling for box office dollars. The newest “Star Trek” movie has been packing in crowds of fans new and old and was barely pushed out of first place in its second weekend by “Angels & Demons.”

It’s no coincidence that long-time Star Trek fanatics were treated to the entire 29-episode first season (1966-67) of the original series on Blu-ray three weeks ago and all six of the theatrical films featuring the original characters on Blu-ray last week.

Anyone who has not seen the original series, or who has only seen it in TV reruns, can now experience what all the fuss was about in high definition never before seen outside of studio screening rooms, as well as in new “digitally enhanced” versions of each episode. Most of the “classic” episodes are from the first of the three seasons, including the award-winning “City on the Edge of Forever,” written by sci-fi author Harlan Ellison and guest-starring future TV superstar Joan Collins.

A large percentage of the episodes, especially in the first season, used the science fiction genre as a pretext to explore timeless (and timely) moral issues about human nature, rather than merely to develop the characters or plug them into formula action-adventure plots. As the series continued, many episodes would revel in their own tongue-in-cheek melodrama, often while still presenting their authors’ serious messages, and others would put the characters into a purely comedic situation.

Because the series was shot on 35mm film, Paramount was able to go back to clean up and scan the original negatives for a high-definition image just as sharp as a movie shot today with startlingly rich color. Because the series had such a low budget, however, the HD transfer reveals details of the cheap sets and costumes as well as occasional focus mistakes that had been invisible or barely noticeable on standard TV sets. It also shows the very simple paintings and miniature models used for the special effects.

Due to the high profile name recognition of the series, as well as the more recent spinoffs that had larger budgets, the studio decided to redo all the special effects shots using modern digital technology. Apparently they felt that the now ultra-sharp live action footage needed to have crisp, new CGI effects along with rerecorded stereo music and sound effects to appeal to modern audiences.

The original orchestra arrangements were still on file in the studio, so the new music track sounds essentially identical to the old one except that it’s now in stereo. Luckily, the redone visual effects try to keep in the spirit of the original series while incorporating details and clarity far beyond what the 1960s TV budgets would permit. Longtime fans will find these an interesting curiosity, but thankfully, Paramount decided to include versions of each episode with the original visual effects and mono soundtracks to satisfy purists and anyone who would rather see a 1960s show look like it was made in the 1960s instead of the 2000s.

The seven discs in the set present the episodes in broadcast order, listing the “stardates” but neglecting to provide the original airdates. They also include several featurettes about cast members, the series phenomenon, and the digital restoration and updating process (although only this last one is in HD).

“STAR TREK: SEASON 1” Blu-ray Set at a glance:
Entertainment: A
Video: A
Audio: A
Extras: B
Overall: A