Blu-ray: Star Trek The Original Series 2nd Season

Lucille Ball, the star of I love Lucy, was the head of Desilu Studios. She was who saved Star Trek when it premiered in 1966 on NBC. Rating were so low that advertiser weren’t very interested. Ball kept Star Trek from being dropped by NBC.

After season two, fans managed to save it from being cancelled. However, NBC disliked Star Trek so much it moved the show to Friday night at 10pm. The third season was its last. A total of 79 episodes were produced. It was when the show was syndicated that it became hugely popular.

In the Guinness book of world records, Star Trek is recognized as having the most spin-offs in TV history. That includes five TV series and eleven movies, the latest being the May 2009 feature Star Trek directed by J.J. Abrams.

The original Star Trek shows the voyages of the Starship Enterprise with Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), First Officer Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), the Chief Medical Officer Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Commodore Scotty Enwright (James Doohan) and Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols).

The seven-disc Star Trek season two Blu-ray set has the original broadcast versions as well as enhanced visual effects HD versions. Visually this Blu-ray set is fantastic. Unfortunately, the flaw is the menu. It’s difficult to read and navigate. The titles for each show are not listed on the discs. There’s a listing of what is on each disc if you know where to find it. It’s on the inside back of the insert for the cover. You have to pull out the box’s cover to find what’s on each disc!

Star Trek always seemed a bit campy, but that’s what makes it so endearing and enduring. All 26 episodes are presented in their original broadcast format. Originally shot on film, the visuals are crisp and clear. If you’re a die-hard fan of Star Trek you will be a very happy camper to be able to watch the second season in it’s entirety. The Blu-ray navigation is no problem when watching end-to-end.

If Paramount had labeled each disc this set would have gotten closer to a four stars across the board. These Blu-ray discs are also some of the slowest to load, at least on our Sony S350 player. Rather than swapping out discs to find an episode, you’ll want to use this guide:

Disc 1: Amok Time, with Starfleet Access, / Who Mourns for Adonais? / The Changeling / Mirror, Mirror / Preview of episode trailers / Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest Rare home movies and Special memories, Part 2 (HD)

Disc 2: The Apple / The Doomsday Machine / Catspaw / I, Mudd / Metamorphosis / Preview trailers

Disc 3: Journey to Babel / Friday’s Child / The Deadly Years / Obsession / Wolf in the Fold / Preview trailers

Disc 4: The Trouble with Tribbles, with Starfleet Access and audio commentary by David Gerrold, / The animated series Episode one- More Tribbles, More Troubles. (HD) with audio commentarty by David Gerrold / Trials and Tribble-ations (Star Trek Deep Space Nine Ep #503(HD) / Trials and Tribble-ations: Uniting Two Legends / Trials and Tribble-ations: An Historic Endeavor / STAR TREK: The Original Series on Blu-ray

Disc 5: The Gamesters of Triskelion / A Piece of the Action / The Immunity Syndrome / A Private Little War / Preview trailers / To Boldly Go…: Season 2

Disc 6: Return to Tomorrow / Patterns of Force / By Any Other Name / The Omega Glory / Preview trailers / Designing the Final Frontier

Disc 7: The Ultimate Computer / Bread and Circuses / Assignment: Earth / Preview trailers / Star Trek’s Favorite Moments / Writer’s Notebook: D.C. Fontana / Life Beyond Trek: Leonard Nimoy / Kirk, Spock, and Bones: Star Trek’s Great Trio / Star Trek’s Divine Diva: Nichelle Nichols / Enhanced Visual Effects Credits

There are twelve hidden features. Here are clues to get to the hidden features:

Disc 1

#1 – Clue: The year Star Trek first aired on TV (4-digit number)

Disc 2

#2 – Clue: The first year of Enterprise’ five-year mission (4-digit number)

#3 – Navigate right from Communication

Disc 3

#4 – Spock’s birth year (4-digit number)

#5 – Navigate right from Communication

Disc 4

#6 Original air date (month/day) of The Trouble With Tribbles (4-digit number)

Disc 5

#7 – Registry number of the Enterprise (4-digit number)

#8 – Navigate right from Communication

Disc 6

#9 – The year Shakespeare died (from the episode By Any Other Name) (4-digit number)

#10 – Navigate right from Communication

Disc 7

#11 – The year the crew returns to in “Assignment Earth”(4-digit number)

#12 – Navigate right from Communication

Total running time is 21 3/4 hours. Soundtracks: English DTS HD 7.1 Master Audio, Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono. Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Portuguese, Spanish.

Included in the set is a one-sheet showing all the Star Trek Blu-ray releases to date. There’s a set of cards from the new Star Trek Continuum Edition of Monopoly. There’s also a possibility of winning the game.

BD-capability gives access to bonus features online। Currently online are development of the new visual effects for The Doomsday Machine and Journey to Babel, and also the alternate universe Mirror Mirror.

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