Star Trek - Original Series

[BerringerX]

Star Trek purists, take a deep breath! On Sept. 16, the iconic ‘60s series will return to syndication for the first time since 1990, but with a startling difference: All 79 episodes are being digitally remastered with computer-generated effects not possible when Gene Roddenberry created the show 40 years ago. The news could cause Roddenberry loyalists to have a collective cow, but the longtime Trek staffers in charge of the makeover say they're honoring the late maestro's vision, not changing it.

"We're taking great pains to respect the integrity and style of the original," says Michael Okuda, who spent 18 years as a scenic-art supervisor on Star Trek films and spin-offs. "Our goal is to always ask ourselves: What would Roddenberry have done with today's technology?" Okuda's teammates on the two-year project are his wife, Denise Okuda, with whom he's authored several Trek reference books, and 14-year Trek production vet David Rossi.

The upgraded episodes — to be shown out of order and one per week — will kick off with "Balance of Terror," a big fan favorite "that gives us a chance to really show off the ‘new' Enterprise," says Okuda. "The exterior of the ship now has depth and detail, and it will fly more dynamically." (Click here for a larger version of the image at left.) Painted backdrops will also be brought to life: Once-empty star bases will have CGI people milling about, while static alien landscapes have been given slow-moving clouds and shimmering water. Okuda notes that a view of Earth in the 1966 episode "Miri" has been "replaced with a more accurate image, now that we've gone into deep space and looked back at ourselves."

Trek's opening theme is also getting an overhaul: The music has been re-recorded in stereo, and a new singer has been hired to wail those famous but wordless vocals. And goofs will be corrected: In "The Naked Time," there was no beam coming out of Scotty's phaser when he tried to cut through the bulkhead outside Engineering. Now there is.

The "new" Trek debuts Sept. 16. Check the TVGuide.com listings when the date nears for times and channels.

[TobalRox]

I read about this on Digital Bits last week... kind of interesting. I also read that they have to redo the special effects for all the shows after this before HD came around, since they were all produced 4x3. They were shot on film, so you can remaster them from the original negative, but that doesn't have any of the SE shots since those were added once it was mastered 4x3 video.

[Mr-K]

I'll watch it. Just as long as they don't add song and dance numbers I should be okay with this.

[bahn]

Agreed. When G4 currently airs the shows in what they call "Star Trek 2.0", which is full of useless bits like a "ticker" and a shoutbox.

[voltz]

That new look for the original enterprise is fantastic, I'm just hoping the rest of the film can match up.

[cka]

holy shit

I'll watch it. Just as long as they don't add song and dance numbers I should be okay with this.

I want that space hippie episode in 5.1 surround

HERBERT HERBERT HERBERT

[animegirl]

Wow, I will be checking this out.

[GohanX]

This sounds pretty awesome. Hopefully it avoids adding any shittiness like...some other remade scifi movies we know of, but it seems like the guys redoing it are trying to do it right.

I just hope the really bad alien masks still look terrible. That was always excellent.

[Revoltor]

So this is gonna be like the Star Wars SEs?

[gamevet]

What affiliate is broadcasting this, CBS?