STAR TREK
THE ORIGINAL SERIES
SEASON 3

"I'm a doctor Jim"

Dr McCoy

Space...The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise. Its 5-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Spock's Brain
The Enterprise is intercepted by a starship of unknown design and a woman from the ship beams directly into the bridge and uses a device to render the Enterprise's crew unconscious. She then walks over to Spock... When the crew awakens, McCoy summons Kirk to sickbay and informs him that the alien visitor apparently removed Spock's entire brain without even performing surgery.

The Enterprise Incident
Captain Kirk, acting tense and irrational, orders the Enterprise straight into the Neutral Zone for no reason. Romulan warships capture the Enterprise, and Kirk and Spock beam aboard the Romulan flagship.

The Paradise Syndrome
Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to a planet to inform any inhabitants that they must evacuate the planet due to an approaching asteroid's imminent collision. A society similar to Native American Indians has arisen on the planet, but near their villages, the landing party finds a strange obelisk whose design and construction is far beyond the capabilities of the planet's natives.

And the Children Shall Lead
Kirk and the crew, visiting a scientific colony manned by several human families, are shocked to find that all but the children have died violently - and the children do not seem to care about anything but playing.

Is There In Truth No Beauty?
...or is there in beauty no truth? Miranda Jones, a telepath who studied mental disciplines on Vulcan, arrives with Ambassador Kolos, a Medusan - an alien life form whose physical form is so hideous, humanoid life forms are driven insane if they look upon him.

Spectre Of The Gun
A Melkotian warning buoy is unwittingly destroyed by Kirk and the Enterprise. When Kirk beams down with a landing party, the owners of the buoy, fearing that a pointlessly violent race has entered their space, trap the Enterprise officers in a replica of Tombstone, Arizona (drawn from Kirk's mind) and force Kirk and company to play out the roles of the Clanton Gang - doomed to lose the gunfight at the O.K. Corral at sundown!

Day Of The Dove
Having both received distress calls from a besieged planet, the Enterprise and a Klingon ship arrive simultaneously, and Kang, the Klingon captain and his crew capture the landing party and force Kirk to beam them aboard, but Kirk gives the emergency signal and the Klingons do not re-materialize. Little do they know that, an alien being has also beamed aboard the Enterprise when they brought the Klingons on board.

For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky
McCoy tells Kirk that the most recent routine medical exams of the entire crew have revealed a case of a terminal but non-contagious disease. The victim is McCoy himself. Kirk recommends that the doctor resign immediately, but before the discussion gets any further, Kirk leads Spock and McCoy on a landing party mission to the asteroid-like vessel called Yonada, carefully disguised inside to make it appear to the humanoid inhabitants that they are on the surface of a planet.

The Tholian Web
The Enterprise arrives at the last known position of the U.S.S. Defiant (NCC-1764), an area of uncharted space, to search for the missing starship. When the Defiant appears on the viewing screen enshrouded in a strange green glow, Spock is unable to scan the vessel on his sensors. Kirk beams over to the Defiant with a boarding party to investigate and finds the entire crew dead.

Plato's Stepchildren
The Enterprise is summoned urgently to assist the seriously ill Parmen, head of the planet Platonius. After McCoy manages to give Parmen the necessary elixirs, Parmen and his fellow Platonians use immense telekinetic powers to force Kirk, McCoy and Spock to stay on the planet and behave as puppets to Parmen's whim for their amusement. The only Platonian showing disgust at the others' abuse of their power is Alexander, but he is also apparently the only Platonian incapable of telekinesis, and he cannot assist the landing party as they try to escape Parmen's control.

Wink Of An Eye
When a landing party investigating Scalos begins to vanish one by one, Kirk, Spock and McCoy try to find out what is happening before more of the crew disappears, until Kirk himself is abducted. Kirk finds the cause to be a group of endangered Scalosians who move faster than human sight or hearing can detect.

The Empath
Kirk, Spock and McCoy search for two missing scientists on a planet whose sun is about to explode, but they only find visual logs that show the scientists disappearing. Then the landing party disappears as well, finding themselves trapped by two aliens who snatched the scientists away and experimented on them until they died.

Elaan Of Troyius
The Enterprise is ordered to ferry Ambassador Petri of Troyius to up the dohlman of Troyius's sworn enemy, the world of Elas. The dohlman turns out to be Elaan, one of the most striking examples of the women of Elas, whose tears, according to legend, leave any man susceptible to her charms.

Whom Gods Destroy
The Enterprise is carrying a new drug to the mental hospital on Elba II, where it is hoped that the last dangerously insane patients in the Federation can finally be treated. But when Kirk and Spock beam down, they do not realize that the facilities have been taken over by the inmates, led by Garth, a former Starfleet captain who has also become a shape-shifter.

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
Two natives of the planet Cheron are brought aboard after one of them helps the Enterprise chase the other down after he had stolen a shuttlecraft from a Federation starbase. Bele and Lokai, however, have a dispute that goes far beyond a simple pursuit of a criminal. Their hatred - and, indeed, the entire shuttlecraft incident - is rooted in a deep racial prejudice, which threatens to engulf not only them, but also the Enterprise and Kirk's crew.

The Mark Of Gideon
Kirk is planning to beam down to the overpopulated planet Gideon to meet with the leaders, but apparently arrives at the wrong place in a transporter malfunction. Kirk finds himself aboard the Enterprise, but cannot locate anyone else aboard except for Odona, who offers no answers to his bafflement at why no one is aboard the ship but him.

That Which Survives
Kirk leads a landing party to do a geological survey of an unexplored planet, but before they beam down, they see a woman appear out of nowhere in the transporter room and kill a crewman simply by touch, and then she disappears. Her appearance also affects the Enterprise, sending it well out of communications range, trapping Kirk and his team on the planet's surface.

The Lights Of Zetar
En route to Memory Alpha, the home of the Federation's largest library/computer banks, the Enterprise is transferring Lt. Romaine to her next assignment, overseeing refits and new installations on Memory Alpha. A cloud of energy intercepts the ship and wreaks havoc with the Enterprise's instruments and crew, affecting various crewmembers' brains in different ways and causing Lt. Romaine to pass out.

Requiem For Methuselah
On an urgent mission to procure the antidote to a serious plague which threatens the entire crew of the Enterprise, Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to Holberg 917-G to contact Flint in hopes of finding either the remedy or the raw material from which to extract it. Flint's lovely female android, Rayna, begins to create a rivalry between Kirk, for whom she begins to feel true love, and Flint, who created Rayna to provide him with companionship.

The Way To Eden
Pursuing the USS Aurora, which has been stolen, Kirk beams the Aurora's crew aboard the Enterprise when the sustained high-speed pursuit overloads the stolen vessel's engines, destroying the ship. The thieves turn out to be a motley assortment of "hippies," including noted scientist Dr. Sevrin. Another of the throwbacks is the son of a Federation ambassador, leading Starfleet Command to order Kirk to allow his new passengers to roam the Enterprise freely.

The Cloudminders
Beaming down to pick up a consignment of zenite from the planet Ardana, the home of Stratos, a city that floats above the surface of the planet, Kirk and Spock, who are there to pick up a consignment of zenite, are ambushed by mineworkers known as Troglytes. The attack is cut short by the arrival of Plasus, a high advisor from Stratos, who says that a disruptive group of protesting Troglytes probably stole the zenite shipment, which was missing.

The Savage Curtain
Over the planet Excalbia, the Enterprise is intercepted by who appears to be Abraham Lincoln, floating through space. Beaming aboard, Lincoln is welcomed by Kirk, who is somewhat awed by the presence of one of his most revered figures of history. "Lincoln" extends an invitation to Kirk and Spock to visit the planet, whose normally lava-covered surface sprouts a zone of Earth-like safety just for the landing party.

All Our Yesterdays
Arriving at the moon Sarpiedon, whose mother planet is due to explode in three hours, Kirk, Spock and McCoy find just what the ship's sensors indicated on the surface - no life forms, though an advanced civilization obviously once existed. But they then find several copies of Sarpiedon's librarian, Mr. Atoz. Some of the clones are helpful, others belligerent, but they all tell the landing party that all the people of Sarpiedon have already escaped to safety, and Atoz, thinking that Kirk and the others are natives who arrived late, advises them to do the same.

Turnabout Intrude
Visiting Dr. Coleman and the ailing Dr. Lester, a colleague of Kirk's from Starfleet Academy who has always envied him due to her inability to achieve a captaincy in a male-captains-only Starfleet, Kirk is rendered unconscious by Lester. It turns out to have been a trap, and Lester puts herself and Kirk into an unknown device that transfers their minds into one another's bodies.

The Cage
The United Space Ship Enterprise (NCC-1701), commanded by Captain Christopher Pike, discovers an old-style radio distress signal from the Talos star group. Upon investigation, the landing party discovers survivors of an expedition whose ship crashed on Talos 18 years ago. Among the group is a young female woman, Vina. Pike and the landing party soon discover that the survivors and their encampment are only an illusion placed in their minds by the Talosians who manage to capture Captain Pike. While being imprisoned, Pike uncovers the Talosian's plans to repopulate their war-ravaged planet using himself and Vena as breeding stock.

On 3rd June 1969 the third series of a Star Trek ended after US network NBC finally decided to pull the plug but was the last season of the legendary that bad to the point that the executives would cancel the show? Definitely not.

The final season of the Original Series on Television wasn't as good as the previous two but it was still extremely good science fiction. After been saved from cancellation at the end of the second season by the show's passionate fan base, NBC commissioned a third series but didn't really know what to do with it. Moving the show from its regular 8pm Monday slot to 10pm Friday was really the kiss of death for the series as most of its core audience (12-35 year olds) would either be in bed or out at that time. Because of this series creator Gene Roddenberry gave up creative control of show after been disillusioned with the network's decision and a new show-runner was bought on board, taking the show in a slightly different direction.

The third season was a very mixed bag when it came to storylines. There are some shows that fans remember very fondly. 'Spectre of the Gun' sees Kirk and the crew transported into a virtual recreation of Tombstone and they have to fight for their lives at the OK Corral. This is an episode that gave Walter Koenig's Chekov the chance to shine and was probably his biggest participation in the series entire run. 'Plato's Stepchildren' continued Star Trek's reputation for breaking boundaries. The show included the first ever interracial kiss seen on US television between Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura. In the 1960s, when racial tension was extremely high, this was a groundbreaking piece of television but it wasn't a publicity stunt to boost rating, it was an integral part of the episode's plot. The episode that the third season is mostly remembered for is 'Spock's Brain', in which the first officer's brain is taken by a female alien invader. This was science fiction as its most kooky and fun for Star Trek and while you might laugh at the episode, you can't help but like it.

The Original Series of Star Trek is classic science fiction television. While the third series might not be as groundbreaking as the previous two, there was still enough good material here for the show to have completed its five-year mission. You have to ask yourself however, if NBC hadn't cancelled it however would we have had all the spin off movies and TV series?

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in full frame 4:3 with a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track, the transfer is very good, especially when you take into account that the show is almost forty years old. There are some slightly grainy scenes, mainly during the special effects shots, but not enough to derail your enjoyment. Aside from that, the picture quality is very sharp, enhancing the exuberant colours of the era. The sound is also very good, with clear dialogue and a real chance for the trademark music to fill the speakers.

BONUS FEATURES

To Boldly Go… Season Three (22.27 mins)
Producer Robert Justman, Star Trek novelist Bjo Trimble and stars William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig talk about the third and final season of the Original Series. The group reveal their theories about why the series was cancelled and how it affected them at the time. They also talk about their favourite shows from the season including Spectre of the Gun, Plato's Stepchildren and Spock's Brain.

Life Beyond Star Trek: Walter Koenig (10.48 mins)
Pavel Chekov himself, Walter Koenig talks about what Star Trek meant to him and his career. He discusses what he did after the show and his great passion in life, collecting. He gives you a tour around his huge collection of Star Trek memorabilia and his other collections.

Chief Engineer's log (6.01 mins)
James Doohan talks passionately about his role as Scotty in the series. He reveals how Gene Roddenberry and he created the character and his nationality. He talks about his favourite episodes that include 'Wolf in the Fold', 'Doomsday Machine' and 'Trouble with Tribbles' and he also discusses what it was like to appear on The Next Generation.

Memoir from Mr Sulu (8.32 mins)
The man who played the Enterprise helmsman and Excelsior Captain, George Takei talks about what Star Trek means to him and how the series has affected his life. He also reveals how his profile has allowed him to be associated with the Japanese/American Museum and how he would like to see a Captain Sulu series.

Production Art
Your chance to view original set and gadget designs by Star Trek Art director Matt Jefferies

Star Trek's Impact (8.53 mins)
Gene Roddenberry's son Eugene 'Rod' Roddenberry reveals how he sees the series. He talks about his favourite episodes 'The Cage', 'Devil in the Dark', 'Catspaw', 'City on the Edge of Forever', 'Shore Leave' and 'Trouble with Tribbles. He also discusses his father's philosophy behind the show and the impact it had on television.

Collectible Trek (14.26 mins)
Star Trek archivist Penny Juday, model and miniature designer John Long, Eugene 'Rod' Roddenberry and star Leonard Nimoy reveal what is the most sort after Star Trek memorabilia and how much it is worth. The group take us through the hundreds of Star Trek merchandise items and original props from the series that are how worth thousands of dollars. We also get to see some of the new merchandise that is been produced by Art Asylum.

A Star Trek Collector's dream come true (6.56 mins)
Model and miniature designer John Long reveals how he got the job of replicating the original series props for merchandise sale. Items include the Phaser, communicator and the original series phaser rife.

Easter Eggs - Red Shirt Logs (12.54 mins)
Hidden featurettes featuring stars William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and George Takei revealing secrets from the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek Deep Space Nine DVD Trailer (4.49 mins)
An extended preview of the third Star Trek series as it hits DVD. With interviews of executive producer Rick Berman and stars Avery Brooks, Nana Visitor, Michael Dorn, Terry Farrell and Andrew J. Robinson.

Star Trek: The Next Generation DVD Trailer (1.10 mins)
A short trailer advertising the DVD release of the first Star Trek spin-off series

Star Trek: Voyager DVD Trailer (2.20 mins)
A preview of the DVD release of third spin-off series as the crew of the Starship Voyager tries to get home.

OVERALL

Paramount has done an excellent job with the Original Series on DVD. Star Trek fans can rejoice in the knowledge that the third series is just as good as the previous two. The standard of the extras is again extremely high, offering not only an insight into the series but a look at the lives of the actors that played the parts as well. It was extremely moving to see an ill James Doohan talk so passionately about Scotty. The only real shame is the omission of any commentary tracks as it would have been a real bonus to listen to the crew comment on their favourite episodes. This aside, the package is another fine example of how a classic TV show should be treated on DVD. Take an away team down to your local DVD supplier and beam it into your collection.

DVD

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