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Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

The Galileo Seven

Star Trek ClassicStardate 2821.5: A shuttle commanded by Spock crash-lands on a savage planet where members of the shuttle crew are in immediate danger from the local life forms. The Enterprise must leave the area as soon as possible to deliver a much needed vaccine to a plague-stricken planet, and Commissioner Ferris insists that Kirk leave the Galileo crew for dead and get underway to the Enterprise’s next destination. Meanwhile, Spock faces a command situation where total logic and rationality may be of no use if the crew of the shuttle is to return to the Enterprise.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by Oliver Crawford and S. Bar-David
story by Oliver Crawford
directed by Robert Gist
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Don Marshall (Boma), John Crawford (Commissioner Ferris), Peter Marko (Gaetano), Phyllis Douglas (Yeoman Mears), Rees Vaughn (Latimer), Grant Woods (Kelowitz), Buck Maffei (Creature), David Ross (Transporter Chief)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

The Squire of Gothos

Star Trek ClassicStardate 2124.5: The Enterprise crew discovers that the ship cannot escape orbit of a planet that doesn’t even exist on the star charts. Kirk and a landing party beam down to the surface of the mysterious planet and their captor is revealed to be the immature but powerful Trelane, who initially seems to be a student of ancient Earth history (as demonstrated by his 17th century mansion, clothes and furnishings). Kirk, discovering that Trelane’s hold on the Enterprise comes from a power far beyond 23rd century technology, must try to beat Trelane at his own game, but Trelane rewrites the rules constantly to make sure he’s winning.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Paul Schneider
directed by Don McDougall
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), William Campbell (Trelane), Richard Carlyle (Jaeger), Michael Barrier (DeSalle), Venita Wolf (Teresa)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

Arena

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3045.6: Arriving at a Federation planet at the request of a starbase director, the Enterprise finds a devastated world with only one survivor, who reveals that any summons Kirk received to visit the planet must have been a trap. The Enterprise locates and pursues an alien vessel right past the borders of the apparently omnipotent Metrons, who halt the ensuing battle and force Kirk and the captain of the other vessel – a huge, reptilian Gorn – to settle their differences in hand-to-hand combat…a prospect which immediately leaves Kirk at a disadvantage. Should he lose, the crew of the Enterprise will be destroyed.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by Gene L. Coon
from a story by Frederic Brown
directed by Joseph Pevney
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Jerry Ayres (O’Herlihy), Grant Woods (Kelowitz), Tom Troupe (Lt. Harold), James Farley (Lang), Carole Shelyne (Metron), Sean Kenney (DePaul)

Notes: This episode was already in pre-production by the time the producers realized that it closely paralleled Frederic Brown’s novel “Enemy Mine”; they offered him screen credit and payment to ensure that their use of the story was above-board, and he happily accepted. “Enemy Mine” itself was later adapted into a movie.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

Tomorrow Is Yesterday

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3113.2: Accidentally swinging around the sun into a time warp, the Enterprise’s crew recover from their turbulent journey and find themselves in Earth’s atmosphere in the 1960s over North America. Jets are dispatched to bring the “UFO” down, and one is caught in the ship’s tractor beam and begins to break apart. The pilot, Captain John Christopher, is beamed out of his plane before it disintegrates and is welcomed to the Enterprise as the crew prepares to return to the 23rd century. Kirk tells Christopher that he cannot be returned to his own time because he has seen too much of the future, but Spock discovers that Christopher will have a son who will be very important to the history of the space program and Christopher must be returned to 20th century Earth.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by D.C. Fontana
directed by Michael O’Herlihy
music by Alexander Courage

Star TrekCast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Roger Perry (Major Chistopher), Hal Lynch (Air Police Sergeant), Richard Merrifield (Technician), John Winston (Transporter Chief), Ed Peck (Col. Fellini), Mark Dempsey (Air Force Captain), Jim Spencer (Air Policeman), Sherri Townsend (Crew Woman)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

Court-Martial

Star Trek ClassicStardate 2947.3: Kirk is accused of murder when the Enterprise’s records officer, Lt. Commander Finney, is apparently jettisoned during a violent ion storm which threatened the ship. Kirk insists that he gave Finney even more time than safely allowed to get out of the jettisoned ion pod, yet the Enterprise computer’s records show that Kirk discarded the pod, and Finney, while only at yellow alert when there was no sign of actual danger. Kirk challenges the findings of the computer and is court-martialed, with accusations that earlier rivalries with Finney when both were new officers caused Kirk to act maliciously – and even Kirk’s attorney, Cogley, may not be able to convince the court that the error may have been the computer’s.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by Don M. Mankiewicz and Steven W. Carabatsos
story by Don M. Mankiewicz
directed by Marc Daniels
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Percy Rodriguez (Portmaster Stone), Elisha Cook (Samuel T. Cogley), Joan Marshall (Areel Shaw), Richard Webb (Lt. Commander Ben Finney), Hagan Beggs (Helmsman), Winston DeLugo (Timothy), Alice Rawlings (Jame Finney), Nancy Wong (Personnel Officer), Bart Conrad (Krasnovsky), William Meader (Board Officer), Reginald Lal Singh (Board Officer)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

Return of the Archons

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3156.2: Sulu and another crewman are investigating a primitive but ancient-Earth-like alien culture incognito, but their disguise is blown and they’re running for their lives. The Enterprise can’t beam Sulu up in time, and he is hit by a weapon on the planet which leaves him under the control of something or someone called Landru. Kirk and Spock beam down, finding the planet’s people engaged in unusual rituals, and also finding out from some of the locals that Landru has complete control over most everyone on the planet, aside from a small resistance effort. What begins as an effort to free the people on the planet becomes a matter of survival when Kirk and Spock become hunted by Landru’s “puppets.”

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by Boris Sobelman
story by Gene Roddenberry
directed by Joseph Pevney
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Harry Townes (Reger), Torin Thatcher (Marplon), Brioni Farrell (Tula), Sid Haig (First Lawgiver), Charles Macaulay (Landru), Jon Lormer (Tamar), Morgan Farley (Hacom), Christopher Held (Lindstorm), Sean Morgan (O’Neil), Ralph Maurer (Bilar), David L. Ross (Guard)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

Space Seed

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3141.9: The Enterprise discovers a derelict vessel which turns out to be an Earth ship dating back to a series of wars in the 1990s in which Earth’s population was threatened by a group of genetically engineered superhuman beings. The inhabitants of the rogue ship, though they try to conceal the fact at every opportunity, are the only surviving oppressors from that war. Their leader, Khan, wishes to resume their reign of terror, beginning with a takeover of the Enterprise.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilbur
story by Carey Wilbur
directed by Marc Daniels
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Ricardo Montalban (Khan), Madlyn Rhue (Marla), Blaisdell Makee (Spinelli), Mark Tobin (Joaquin), Kathy Ahart (Crew Woman), John Winston (Transporter Chief Kyle)

Note: This story was the basis for the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Also, at some point during this episode, a pregnant tardigrade arrives aboard the Enterprise, unnoticed by any of the ship’s crew (Short Treks: Ephraim And DOT).

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

A Taste of Armageddon

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3192.1: The Enterprise visits the twin planets of Eminiar VII and Vendikar so Ambassador Fox may approach their governments about joining the Federation. When they beam down to Eminiar 7, Kirk, Spock and the rest of their landing party are informed that the Enterprise has been struck by enemy missiles and Kirk’s party, along with the rest of the crew, have been declared casualties. Investigating further, Kirk discovers that the war between the two planets is controlled by computers, which determine the damage done and the fatalities caused by the attacks, and assigns citizens to report to disintegration machines, which they do willingly. Kirk is trapped on the planet, but Ambassador Fox thinks he can remedy the situation and beams down unarmed against Scotty’s advice.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by Robert Hammer and Gene L. Coon
story by Robert Hammer
directed by Joseph Pevney
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), David Opatoshu (Anan 7), Gene Lyons (Ambassador Fox), Barbara Babcock (Mea 3), Miko Mayama (Tamula), David L. Ross (Galloway), Sean Kenney (DePaul), Robert Sampson (Sar 6)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

This Side Of Paradise

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3417.3: Investigating a colony whose settlers should be, but for some reason are not, threatened by radiation, Kirk and a landing party beam down to investigate. McCoy diagnoses the colonists as being in fine health and none of them wish to leave, no matter how much danger they are in. Spock, with Leila, an old acquaintance who has a crush on him, is infested by spores from a plant while examining the colony grounds. McCoy also soon falls victims to the spores, which leave their victims – even Spock – in a stupor with no desire to leave…and Kirk is left with a ship and no crew.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by D.C. Fontana
story by Nathan Butler and D.C. Fontana
directed by Ralph Serensky
music by Alexander Courage

Star TrekCast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Jill Ireland (Leila), Frank Overton (Elias Sandoval), Grant Woods (Kelowitz), Michael Barrier (DeSalle), Dick Scotter (Painter), Eddie Paskey (Crewman)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

Devil in the Dark

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3196.1: A mining colony reports a number of mysterious deaths just after they successfully dig to a lower level of a planetoid believed to be uninhabited. The Enterprise arrives, and Kirk, Spock and security officers from the ship begin a hunt for whoever or whatever is responsible for the growing body count. An amorphous creature capable of burning through the indigenous rock is found to be the cause of the deaths as well as a very well-thought out sabotage of the miners’ life support systems. Through a mind-meld, Spock communicates with the being – known as the Horta – and finds that it is the last of its kind, a mother laying eggs in the tunnels and caves it builds for itself. But the humans have been discovering and destroying the eggs, and if the Horta cannot bring herself to negotiate with the miners, one party or the other faces extinction.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Gene L. Coon
directed by Joseph Pevney
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Ken Lynch (Vanderberg), Brad Weston (Appel), Biff Elliot (Schmitter), George E. Allen (Engineer #1), Jon Cavett (Guard), Barry Russo (Giotto)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

Errand of Mercy

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3198.4: A sudden attack by the Klingons on a vulnerable neutral sector – a location of great strategic importance – puts the Enterprise on red alert, as the threat of another catastrophic war between the Klingon Empire and the Federation looms. Kirk and Spock beam down to Organia, the planet whose security is at risk due to the Klingon threat, and find that the inhabitants, who appear to be humans who have reached the medieval period of sociological and technological development, are not at all concerned that their world is currently being overrun by Klingon troops. Kirk and Spock try to conceal their identities, but fail, leaving Kirk and Klingon Captain Kor at each others’ throats – until the Organians reveal their true nature and intervene in the impending war.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Gene L. Coon
directed by John Newland
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), John Abbott (Ayelbourne), John Colicos (Kor), Peter Brocco (Claymare), Victor Lundiw (Lieutenant), David Hillary Hughes (Trefayne), Walt Davis (Klingon Soldier), George Sawaya (Second Soldier)

Notes: This episode introduces the Klingons to Star Trek. John Colicos makes two further appearances in the role of Kor in the Deep Space Nine episodes Blood Oath and The Sword of Kahless. The first bloody war between the Klingons and the Federation is chronicled in the first season of Star Trek: Discovery, and one of its chief combatants was Kol, a member of the Klingon House of Kor; Kol’s death (Into The Forest I Go, 2017) may explain some of Kor’s warlike zeal here.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

The Alternative Factor

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3087.6: The Enterprise encounters brief but intense turbulence after entering orbit above an uninhabited world. Kirk leads a landing party to the surface to investigate any possible connection between the planet and the disturbance, and they find a man named Lazarus, who, though he seems healthy and normal, claims to be fighting his own equivalent from a universe of antimatter. Lazarus proves to be a threat to the Enterprise’s security, and the increasing blasts of turbulence seem to confirm Lazarus’s story that he has a powerful enemy in another dimension.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Don Ingalls
directed by Gerd Oswald
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Robert Brown (Lazarus), Janet MacLachlan (Charlene Masters), Richard Deer (Barstow), Arch Whiting (Asst. Engineer), Christian Patrick (Transporter Chief), Eddie Paskey (Lesley)

Notes: Robert Brown had to take the role of Lazarus on very short notice; actor John Barrymore was originally contracted to play the part, but failed to show up on the shooting dates, earning a rare censure from the Screen Actors’ Guild and putting himself out of work for months. In the end, The Alternative Factor guest starred an alternative actor.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

The City On The Edge Of Forever

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3134.0: McCoy accidentally receives an overdose of cordrazine as the Enterprise encounters turbulence. He beams down to an unexplored world where he enters a time-travel device known as the Guardian of Forever and changes history in the 1930s. Kirk and Spock also return to the 30s, where Kirk falls in love with peace activist Edith Keeler. When McCoy is finally located, Kirk must allow history to run its course, resulting in Edith’s death, or he will leave history altered irrevocably, with no chance of returning to the future or the Enterprise.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Harlan Ellison
directed by Joseph Pevney
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Joan Collins (Sister Edith Keeler), John Harmon (Rodent), Hal Baylor (Policeman), David L. Ross (Galloway), John Winston (Transporter Chief Kyle), Bartell La Rue (Guardian voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

Operation: Annihilate!

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3287.2: The Enterprise witnesses a smaller ship diving into the sun of Deneva under the control of a pilot who seems to have intentionally killed himself. This confirms Kirk’s worst fears, that a seemingly contagious outbreak of insanity on several other worlds has spread to Deneva, where his brother lives. On the surface, many are found to be dead – including Kirk’s brother – and an unknown species of alien parasite is found to be responsible. In trying to gather data on them, Spock is attacked and taken over by one, and, like the people of Deneva and several other planets, starts to go mad. Spock’s condition also presents McCoy with the first opportunity to learn more about both the creature and its victim, and Spock may have to die if the crew is to learn any more about the creatures to prevent them from spreading further into human territory.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Steven W. Carabatsos
directed by Herschel Daugherty
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Joan Swift (Aurelan), Maurishka (Yeoman Zahra), Majel Barrett (Christine Chapel), Craig Hundley (Peter), Fred Carson (First Devenvan), Jerry Catron (Second Denevan)

Notes: Craig Hundley appeared again in Star Trek’s third season before embarking on a career as a musician; he would go on to create (and play) an unusual instrument called the Blaster Beam, whose distinctive sound was used heavily in the first two Star Trek films.

LogBook entry by Earl Green