Star Trek TOS Gets an FX Makeover
Going back to where no man has gone before!
Looks like the original Star Trek series is getting a special effects makeover to appeal to a whole new generation of young video game zombies!
The press release with all sorts of details is reprinted at the end of this entry. I can’t say I am happy with this: I like the originals just the way they are. Paramount has figured out that they can keep tweaking and repackaging the same old stuff and people will keep buying it. Just greed at work here.
Also, something that hasn’t been broached yet is what will be edited out of the original series. Late 1960s tv programs were formatted for fewer commercials than the 21st century television world. While I am sure the packaged DVD version will have no substantive edits, the televised version will almost certainly have scenes cut to fit into the 44 minutes of modern 1-hour programs.
Wait and see.
Here is the press release with some details. Be sure and tune in on Saturday September 16th!
“STAR TREK” ENTERING A NEW FRONTIER
The Original Series Returns To Broadcast Syndication For The First Time In 16 Years With Brand-New Digitally Remastered Episodes To Celebrate Its 40th Anniversary
Hollywood, Calif. — STAR TREK is getting a 21st century makeover. CBS Paramount Domestic Television is releasing digitally remastered episodes of the iconic 1960s sci-fi series, with all new special effects and music, to celebrate the groundbreaking series’ 40th anniversary, it was announced today by John Nogawski, president of CBS Paramount Domestic Television.
The new episodes also mark the first time in 16 years that the original STAR TREK series can be seen in broadcast syndication. The episodes will begin airing on the more than 200 stations that own the rights to the weekend broadcast syndication window starting Sept. 16 (check local listings for station and dates). All 79 episodes of the original STAR TREK series will eventually be remastered, with the first batch of episodes chosen from a list of STAR TREK fans’ favorite shows.
“STAR TREK redefined science-fiction and constantly pushed the envelope with concepts that were ahead of their time,” Nogawski said. “By giving the series a digital upgrade using the best technology available today, it will continue to be a leader in cutting-edge television programming as we introduce the series to a new generation of viewers.”
The most noticeable change will be redoing many of the special effects, created with 1960s technology, with 21st century computer-generated imagery (CGI). That includes:
• Space ship exteriors — The space ship Enterprise, as well as other Starships, will be replaced with state of the art CGI-created ships. The new computer-generated Enterprise is based on the exact measurements of the original model, which now rests in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
• Show opening — The Enterprise and planets seen in the main title sequence will be redone, giving them depth and dimension for the first time.
• Galaxy shots — All the graphics of the galaxy, so frequently seen through the window on the Enterprise’s bridge, will be redone.
• Exteriors — The battle scenes, planets and ships from other cultures (notably the Romulan Bird of Prey and Klingon Battle Cruisers) will be updated.
• Background scenes — Some of the iconic, yet flat, matte paintings used as backdrops for the strange, new worlds explored by the Enterprise crew will get a CGI face-lift, adding atmosphere and lighting.
The refurbished episodes also feature higher quality sound for the famous opening theme. The original score by Emmy Award-winning composer Alexander Courage has been re-recorded in state-of-the-art digital stereo audio with an orchestra and a female singer belting out the famous vocals. A digitally remastered version of William Shatner’s classic original recording of the 38-word “Space, the final frontier…” monologue continues to open each episode.
Also of interest:
This is one of those things that could be fantastic or a complete disaster. It’s not a bad thing to expose new audiences to a classic however, part of the charm in the original Star Trek episodes was the cheesy “special effects.” We will have to wait and see.
Please tell me “Star Trek ENHANCED” won’t be the official name of this so-called improvement. Isn’t this precisely the New Coke vs. Classic Coke situation all over again? As with the soft drink, these enhancements only serve to demean both versions. You’re not watching the same show anymore! And won’t the cheesy costumes and aliens still be cheesy? Or are they gonna “fix” that digitally, too? ThelmaSFL is right in that to all the purists this could be a disaster, but only to the completely uninitiated could this be fantastic. Vinnie is right that the broadcast version may suffer even more edits, but the real point of this revision is to sell more box sets again, where you’ll be compelled (they hope) to yet again purchase the version with all the footage edited out for extra commercials. If I haven’t made it already clear, I consider this an act of desecration to our culture, and our history. For shame. I pity all those who follow us, who’ll never have had the chance to see the real show.
You guys are right. To quote another SF hero, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this!” You know, someone is going to get the bright idea to redo Star Trek: The Next Generation one of these days! Maybe when they fix the FX on TNG, they can actually re-edit the episodes down to about 15 minutes each and actually make them interesting!
I just got an email from a friend regarding the FX enhancements, “Ranging in number from 15 to 70 per episode, the CGI enhancements at most amount to ‘maybe a minute and a half’ in screen time.”
I added another clip of FX ‘enhancements’ so take a look at the link again!