My Saturday shock thanks to Star Trek
So the wife and kids went out for a quick drive on Saturday afternoon, and I found myself allowed to put on whatever I want on TV. A rare treat indeed. I browsed through the program guide, and found an episode of the classic Star Trek on one of the HD channels starting in a few moments. Not that a 60s era TV show on HD amounts to anything more that what I recall seeing on old-style over-the-air broadcast TV when I was younger, but I put it on anyways. The stories were always more engaging despite the not-so-special effects.
And my jaw dropped in utter shock.
In the opening of "Patterns of Force", the Enterprise enters the system that is home to the planets Zeon and Ekos. On a mission to ascertain the fate of a Federation scientist observing the primitive and violent culture of Ekos, the Enterprise is attacked by a thermonuclear missile launched from Ekos, an impossibility based on what they knew of Ekos. Dispatching it with a phaser blast, the crew of the Enterprise discovers just what has happened on Ekos.
So what was so shocking to me?
Well, in that opening sequence, the Enterprise does a slow pass past Zeon, a blue-green world with a single bright ring. Canting slighlty, the ship heads for Ekos. When the missile is detected, Kirk orders it displayed on the main screen. The metallic missile with the bright rocket plume alters direction a couple of times as it locks onto the Enterprise. When the phasers fire, we watch from over the saucer section behind the bridge. The blue-green pulse of the phaser blast emerges from under the saucer and lances into space at the unseen target. There is a flash, and an expanding globe of light washes over the detailed duraluminum saucer plating before the scene returns to the bridge.
What the...?
OK, I had no idea that Star Trek was being remastered for High Definition. Apparently, every special effects shot from the original 60s program has been chucked and replaced entirely with CGI. Even the "people shots" have had the colour balance reworked and enhanced for presentation on modern TVs.
Here is shot from a different episode, "Errand of Mercy", highlighting the new look of the old Enterprise in action:
Interestingly, the end credits are not changed to list who is responsible for the new work, other than a banner added after the theme completes attributing this episode to CBS Paramount Television.
You can find out about the project on Trek Movie, and sample some captured videos from episodes already released.
I guess I haven't been paying attention to things Trek, so I was quite shocked at what I saw. But pleased. I'm looking forward to seeing more. If you've got HD channels from your cable or satellite provider, look for Star Trek on Saturday afternoons on ABC HE starting at 7pm.
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Comments
You really didn't know about this? The startrek.com website did several specials on it last year. I'm just waiting for the remastered TOS stuff to show up on Space.
Posted by: Phantom_Observer at May 20, 2007 04:50 PM
Like I said, this came as a complete shock. Totally disconnected from this. I feel embarrassed.
Posted by: Steve Janke at May 20, 2007 08:57 PM
I was also surprised by this development. Most of the time I like what they've done, and they don't overdo it like a certain other sci-fi franchise did in 1997.
Posted by: strider at May 20, 2007 09:18 PM
Steve, if you want a real shock, how about previously unaired episodes of the fourth season of the original series?
http://www.newvoyages.com
OK, so it isn't an official Paramount production, and William Shatner isn't playing Kirk. James Cawley has taken over the center seat and the Kirk character, as well as personally building most of the sets and producing the episodes.
The thing is, these fan-made episodes are so good that the team involved has attracted the attention and the volunteer help of some of the people involved in the various incarnations of Star Trek. The guy who did the CGI for Enterprise basically gave them about a million dollars worth of special effects for free. D.C. Fontana wrote an episode. Every episode has had an actor who had appeared in the original series - Walter Koenig guest-starred in one episode, and George Takei is in the next one, currently in post-production.
It is definitely worth checking out if you're a Star Trek fan.
Posted by: Ed Minchau at May 21, 2007 12:43 AM
Ed, I've spotted some of these fan-made episodes and they've been impressive. Now I need to organize my time better to watch them.
Posted by: Steve Janke at May 21, 2007 08:35 AM
Next, they'll have to RE-PAINT the MONA LISA, to give her a BIGGER RACK....
Posted by: Feldwebel Wolfenstool at May 21, 2007 08:52 AM
Yes. I saw an episode over a week ago where the chronometer on Sulu's dashboard was now digital instead of the old rotating display.
So basically, whey you watch one of these episodes now, you're not watching completely original content.
I guess they were sensitive to the criticism that the special effects were cheesy.
Then again, they're tampering with historical classics, in a sense, aren't they?
Posted by: Dennis (Second Thoughts) at May 21, 2007 09:18 AM
I'd heard they were remastering the original episodes. I didn't realize there'd be that much of a difference though. I'll look forward to seeing them (especially the good shoot-em-ups like "The Doomsday Machine" and "Balance of Terror" -personal fave was "The Galileo Seven").
It's amazing what eventually grew out of an idea for a TV series that an obscure motorcycle cop from LA (Gene Roddenberry) dreamt up in his spare time.
Nice, diverting post, Steve. Thanks.
P.S. Historical note: James Doohan (Scotty) lost the middle finger of his right hand on Juno beach 6 June 1944 (that's D-Day: the invasion of Normandy for any libs reading this thread) while serving with the Royal Canadian Artillery.
Ubique!
Posted by: up north at May 21, 2007 11:34 AM
Up North, go to the Trek Movie website and be amazed by the new shots used for The Doomsday Machine.
Posted by: Steve Janke at May 21, 2007 01:14 PM
On the one hand, there's part of me that doesn't like the idea of messing with the original. On the other hand, they need to make the original Enterprise a little more hi-tech by our standards. (The biggest problem the most recent series, "Star Trek: Enterprise" had was: how do we make this series look like 100 years before Kirk et al, when now (in 2002) we ALREADY have half the stuff that was on the original series?)
Having looked at the site, I'll just say: THIS ROCKS!
Posted by: Tom at May 21, 2007 02:56 PM
Do you have SPIKE TV. They run back to back Star Trek episodes almost every day.
Posted by: maryT at May 21, 2007 09:23 PM
You gotta keep current with all things Trek, buddy!
Posted by: Werner Patels at May 21, 2007 09:34 PM
My mother upbraides me when I say "the wife..." :-(
Otherwise, great post Steve. :-)
Posted by: Phil at May 22, 2007 06:54 AM
I just bought the first seasons DVD and it hasn't been upgraded.
Not sure I would want it upgraded either. I like the hokey effects.
:)
Posted by: DrWright at May 22, 2007 10:24 AM
Wow. Thanks for the link, Steve. It looks like they've even added some scenes.
Definitely looking forward to watching these -I can revisit my childhood.
(all 42 years of it :-)
Posted by: up north at May 22, 2007 10:28 AM
...NANO NANO...
Umm...sorry, wrong flick.
Posted by: tomax7 at May 23, 2007 11:23 PM
 
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