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Remastering a Classic – Is it Necessary?
by First Officer R. P.
Paramount is digitally remastering the Original Star Trek series. Adding new special effects, new backgrounds, “sprucing up” the spaceships.” I am against this. Why? Because I like Star Trek just the way it is. Having seen Trek in it’s original run from summer 1966 to spring 1970. I cut my science fiction teeth on it. I watched it in black and white, as we did not have a color television. I never owned a color tv until 1980. And yes, the color did much to increase my enjoyment of it, but to be tampering with the essence of the film goes against the grain.
Paramount is digitally remastering the Original Star Trek series. Adding new special effects, new backgrounds, “sprucing up” the spaceships.” I am against this. Why? Because I like Star Trek just the way it is. Having seen Trek in it’s original run from summer 1966 to spring 1970. I cut my science fiction teeth on it. I watched it in black and white, as we did not have a color television. I never owned a color tv until 1980. And yes, the color did much to increase my enjoyment of it, but to be tampering with the essence of the film goes against the grain.
I recently bought the DVD sets of the entire Original Series. Today I watched “The Doomsday Machine.” This episode, one of Trek’s finest, shows just what Star Trek is about.
The Enterprise has received a distress signal from another Constitution class starship, The Constellation, commanded by Commodore Matt Decker. Upon rendezvousing with her, Kirk and company find a smashed and deserted ship. Although she has sustained much damage, life support is functioning throughout most of the ship. Com. Decker is found in a state of shock in a briefing room. He explains what happened to his crew. He had all 400 of them beamed to a planet below, but then the “planet killer” that had attacked the Constellation returned and demolished the planet, killing all 400 of his crew. Kirk, Scott and a damage control party remain aboard the Constellation, while Dr. McCoy returns to the Enterprise with the Commodore.
As they beam over, the Planet Killer returns and Com. Decker assumes command of the Enterprise. Spock objects and after Kirk gets communications working again, orders Spock to relieve Decker of command. Decker hijacks a shuttlecraft and commits suicide by steering the shuttlecraft directly into the Planet Killer. The energy output of the Planet Killer, which is an old abandoned “Doomsday Weapon” of an alien race, has diminished slightly, giving Kirk the idea of setting the damaged Constellation on a self destruct mode and steering it into the Planet Killer, effectively stopping it. This episode was first aired on October 20, 1967, and it is still fresh and exciting, 39 and a half years later. The horror and grief shown by actor William Windom as Com. Decker as he tells Kirk about the death of his crew, the professionalism shown by the crew of the Enterprise, the exciting buildup and climax of the story, why would anyone want to tamper with it? I found the sequence of Kirk killing the Planet Killer very intense. There are 5 scenes: The Constellation and the Planet Killer, Kirk on the Constellation waiting to be beamed over to the Enterprise, Transporter Chief Kyle in the transporter room, Scotty in the Jeffries Tube trying to repair the transporter circuits, Spock on the bridge, everyone working together to get the Captain back to the Enterprise in 20 seconds before the Constellation explodes. Intercutting between these 4 men, were scenes of the Constellation getting closer and closer to the Planet Killer. And in the background – exciting action music.
This is a classic. It is Star Trek at its best. It is superior in it’s storytelling, the acting is superb, even by the guest actors. Elizabeth Rogers as relief Communications Officer Lt. Palmer, John Winston as Transporter Chief Lt. Kyle, and the series regulars, George Takei, who doesn’t have many lines, but his emotions show on his face and body language.
The shot of the exterior of the damaged Constellation, a sister ship of the Enterprise is heartbreaking. Yet the powers that be feel that it was not enough. They had to stick their mitts in it. Here are 2 pictures, the original and the remastered.
What is wrong with this? First, the angle of the ship has changed, and the damage is shown reaching up to the NCC of her serial number. The saucer section is seen now with much more damage. With this extensive damage, how could all 400 of the Constellation crew have survived? Yet Decker says he beamed 400 of them to the third planet. Spock also reports that “life support is operable throughout most of the ship.” With this much damage, how could it? Making a prettier picture here has compromised the content of the story. I don’t like it.
What is wrong with this? First, the angle of the ship has changed, and the damage is shown reaching up to the NCC of her serial number. The saucer section is seen now with much more damage. With this extensive damage, how could all 400 of the Constellation crew have survived? Yet Decker says he beamed 400 of them to the third planet. Spock also reports that “life support is operable throughout most of the ship.” With this much damage, how could it? Making a prettier picture here has compromised the content of the story. I don’t like it.
Here is a remastered shot of the Constellation going into the Planet Killer. The original had the interior power plant as a white hot generator inside. This is now shown as orange. Again, this is not just “sprucing up” of the Planet Killer, this is totally changing it’s appearance. Why? Well, others may disagree with me, but as I said, I like my Star Trek just the way it is. Leave it alone.
