Star Trek’s Third Season Beams Down on Blu-ray

Star Trek: The Original Series: Season Three gets its Blu-ray debut on December 15. Even though the U.S.S. Enterprise was on a five year mission to explore the final frontier, NBC executives mothballed the ship at the end of this third mission. The Blu-ray accompanies these 24 episodes are supplemented with two edits of the original pilot, “The Cage.” They also have an early cut of the second pilot: “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” There’s also the final installment of “Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest.” He performed numerous roles on the series from silent helmsman to rubber suit aliens. These are his 8mm home movies he shot during the production. Here’s the press release from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment:

NEVER BEFORE RELEASED ALTERNATE VERSION OF
STAR TREK PILOT TO DEBUT ON BLU-RAY Unearthed After 40 Years, The Episode Anchors Bonus Features Of
STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SEASON THREE Blu-Ray Release
On Sale December 15

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (November 6, 2009) – An unaired alternative version of the original STAR TREK pilot, found after 40 years, will be available to the public for sale for the first time ever as part of the STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SEASON THREE Blu-ray disc collection.

The newly discovered version of the original pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” includes an alternative monologue by William Shatner, as well as different theme music and closing credits. It is presented in three parts with 1970s-style act breaks and was obtained from Magic Picture Home Entertainment GmbH. The Blu-ray set will be released on December 15 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment.

Featuring all 24 episodes of the legendary third season, the six-disc set is presented in pristine 7.1 DTS-HD Master audio and superior picture quality offering the best possible home viewing experience. The BD-Live enabled discs also offer seamless branching allowing fans to toggle between watching these classic episodes as they were originally broadcast, or the newly remastered versions with enhanced special effects and sound for the best of both worlds. Also, every disc is Mobile BluTM enabled. Once downloaded, Mobile BluTM allows fans to turn their iPhones and iPod Touchs into Blu-ray player remote controls and download content for on-the-go entertainment.

In addition to the alternate version of the show’s original pilot and interaction via BD-Live, the set includes new featurettes from Star Trek-themed panels at ComicCon International 2009 including “The Anthropology of Star Trek” and “The World of Rod Roddenberry,” plus a 20-minute piece hosted by David Gerrold, the writer behind the classic episode “The Trouble With Tribbles.”

Premiering in 1966, STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES aired for three seasons and launched a worldwide phenomenon for numerous television series and feature films that continues today. The series starred one of the most pivotal casts in television history including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig.

STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SEASON THREE BLU-RAY will be available for the suggested retail price of $118.99 US and $136.99 CAN. The set is presented in the original 4:3 aspect ratio with English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Original 2.0 Mono, Spanish 2.0 Mono and French 2.0 Mono sound. The DVD is not rated in the U.S. and rated G in Canada. The total running time is 22 Hrs., 31 Min. The breakdown is as follows:

Disc One:
Spock’s Brain
The Enterprise Incident
The Paradise Syndrome
And the Children Shall Lead
Is There In Truth No Beauty?
Special Features:
Preview trailers for each episode
BD Live enabled, Mobile-Blu™ enabled

Disc Two:
Spectre of the Gun
Day of the Dove
For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky
The Tholian Web
Plato’s Stepchildren
Special Features:
Preview trailers for each episode
BD Live enabled, Mobile-Blu™ enabled

Disc Three:
Wink of an Eye
The Empath
Elaan of Troyius
Whom Gods Destroy
Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
Special Features:
Preview trailers for each episode
BD Live enabled, Mobile-Blu™ enabled

Disc Four:
The Mark of Gideon
That Which Survives
The Lights of Zetar
Requiem for Methuselah
The Way to Eden
Special Features:
Preview trailers for each episode
BD Live enabled, Mobile-Blu™ enabled

Disc Five:
The Cloud Minders
The Savage Curtain
All Our Yesterdays
Turnabout Intruder
Special Features:
Preview trailers for each episode
Life Beyond Trek: Walter Koenig
Chief Engineer’s Log
Memoir From Mr. Sulu
Captain’s Log: Bob Justman
BD Live enabled, Mobile-Blu™ enabled

Disc Six:
The Cage
The Cage (Extended Version)

Special Features:
Where No Man Has Gone Before (The Unaired Alternate Version of the Pilot)
David Gerrold Hosts “2009 Convention Coverage”
“The Anthropology of Star Trek” Comic-Con Panel 2009
“The World of Rod Roddenberry” Comic-Con 2009
Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories
Part 3
“To Boldly Go…” Season Three
Collectible Trek
Star Trek’s Impact
BD Live enabled, Mobile-Blu™ enabled

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