Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 3 [DVD]

Star Trek is a fantastic TV series and always was. The concept, the ideas and the story telling, make this compulsive viewing on the whole. In a way it's important to think about what was going on when this show was made and also to compare it to it's contemporaries. Only then can you see how forward thinking this show was and in a way it still is even today. However even if you have no knowledge of the events of the late 60s this show still works in many ways and on several levels. Very entertaining stuff. The show as presented in this box set can be described in one word, stunning! The new effects are very well done and the Enterprise looks finer than she ever has done. However in a world where special effects can sometimes dominate film and TV productions, the team behind this remastering effort have, I believe, been incredibly faithful to the original work. The team could have done much more than they have done and it is to the show's benefit that they have not. This show never relied on it's special effects too much, and thankfully it still doesn't. Much has been made of the new special effects, however possibly more praise is deserved when it comes to the live action footage. This has been remastered to an incredibly high standard; the colours are alive and vivid. The show looks like it was filmed just yesterday, and has the best overall visual quality of all Star Trek TV shows. Hats off to CBS Digital, you've done a remarkable job. The special features are good but I'd say nothing to write home about and the packaging looks great, I love the metal cases although the discs are a little fiddly to remove. Would of been nice to have had a small paper insert too. Overall a great product for a fine price too.

Excellent remastering of the original STAR TREK SEASON 3 source material. The new CGI Enterprise, planets and stars are seamlessly integrated and the 35mm episodes are given a vivid makeover. It all looks and sounds fantastic and there's no doubt that the visual impact on display here would have been just what the creators had in mind over forty years ago (despite lacking the technology and the budget to make it a reality at the time). Has it been worth the wait, then? Absolutely...and yet, in the cutting-edge 21st century, there's still a tiny part of me that can't quite let go of the old 15ft long starship model (complete with rubbish matte lines) in orbit above the same old alien world - Alpha 177 - every other week. Nostalgia can be a double-edged sword. .................. BEST USE OF CGI DEMONSTRATING What The Format Stands For: Episode 9 THE THOLIAN WEB LEAST WELL EXTRAPOLATED Sounds Of The Future: Episode 20 THE WAY TO EDEN MOST ALARMING ARGUMENT FOR The Torture Of Innocents: Episode 12 THE EMPATH OUCH! WORST CASE EVER OF Stereotype Reinforcement: Episode 1 SPOCK'S BRAIN FLIMSIEST-LOOKING SOLUTION TO END A WAR BETWEEN The Ground And Sky Dwellers Of A Mineral Rich Planet: Episode 21 THE CLOUD MINDERS LEAST FORGIVING CLOSE-UPS OF A NASTY COLDSORE ON The Lower Lip Of A Female Guest Artist: Episode 18 THE LIGHTS OF ZETAR COOLEST EXAMPLE OF SHATNER/KIRK FISTICUFFS DURING An Alien-Enforced Shootout At The OK Corral: Episode 6 SPECTRE OF THE GUN MOST UNINTENTIONAL LAUGHS ARISING FROM The Cliched Depiction Of Mental Instability: Episode 14 WHOM GODS DESTROY .................. Despite being hampered by budget cuts - resulting in a bit less action and a bit more standing around explaining things - Season Three is STILL nowhere near as bad as you may have been led to believe. Great fun throughout, in fact. The original STAR TREK remains the best sci-fi series of them all. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I've concentrated on the packaging for this Review, as 'Star Trek' (TOS) has such a tremendous following, there's little more that I can add to what has already been so well said in the numerous Reviews found all over the Internet. However; there were just a couple of things I picked up on here whilst reading what other people have said; One; people seem to be complaining that the order of the episodes here in these Sets are somewhat 'erratic' and are not placed in the correct order. Now; I either have a Set that was 'amended', or something is wrong here, as all my three Sets (Yellow 1, Blue 2 and Red 3) have all the episodes in their original airing order! I do believe that Gene Roddenberry had his own preference for the 'order' he would have 'liked' them to have been shown in - but they were never actually shown in that particular order at any time on TV, and so am unsure as to what people are meaning about these episodes not being in the original order that they are familiar with...? However; they can be purchased in Gene's 'preferred' order as a 'Part Works' Collection called: 'STAR TREK - THE ORGINAL SERIES - THE COLLECTOR'S EDITION' (I think the order was done as a sort of 'tribute' to him by the company - which was nice) The series by 'Fabbri' (that also included a great magazine) has now ended, but I'm sure back issues of this Set are still available for ordering. Two; regarding the designs of these Box Sets; I'm puzzled that more people have not commented more positively about them, as to be honest, in my opinion, these are SUPER! I really LOVE the look and the feel of these Boxes and how they open! Really cool, neat, and looks just like something any of the Crew would have been seen handling on the 'Enterprise'! Plus; they look very typical (in style and shape in particular) to what you might have purchased with a Sci-Fi theme back in the 60s when the series originally aired with their 'curvy' 60-ish design! I'm amazed no-one else has picked up on this... You wouldn't drag mine from me for any price!! The only slight 'niggle' I have (which quite honestly, is really hardly worth mentioning at all now - but 'I've started - so I'll finish'!) is the silver coating to the lettering and logos; some of the first Sets I received weren't quite covered completely - as if they'd been done in a rush. I did return them, and replacements were sent out, but after having had several Sets that were all the same (apart from some being worse than others) I guessed this was not a 'fault' as such, but just 'cheapo' methods that were used when the stuff was applied . It was a shame... In the end, I became so concerned at missing a chance to own them at all, I decided to keep the last lot. Anyway; I do have several Sets of 'Star Trek' (TOS), and so I will retain these for the look, feel and beauty they really are! My summing up of 'Star Trek' (TOS) is simply 'magic'! People can criticise the Special Effects, studios used etc., etc., (I don't really even wish to think about it as it's so absurd - cruel and painful...) but we should remember that this 'was' the 1960s after all! The 1950s and 60s in my opinion were the very VERY best time for 'Space' and 'Sci-Fi' stuff. I love the type of Special Effects that were used during that time. They got one excited, stimulated the imagination, and were truly 'magic' in a way that's beyond description... The trouble is nowadays, is that everything looks a great deal 'too' real - which just spoils everything for me... The sheer 'fantasy' element is completely lost as a result... Any 'genuine' Collector and 'passionate' lover of the TOS will be simply DELIGHTED with these!

The voyages of the Starship Enterprise, encountering new diverse cultures, life forms, adventures and dangers. On the surface, exciting space adventure centuries in the future, and just on that level, the show does it very well; on another level, a lot of the stories are morality plays, allegories of human problems on Earth in the 1960s and equally valid today. What makes the show so interesting is it's about humanity, character interaction, and how we deal with problems. The stories often question whether they (meaning we) have all the answers and do the right thing. Every episode has points of interest, great action, and exciting heroic and romantic incidental music. Who cares if a lot of planet surfaces are so obviously dressed sound stages. Because there wasn't a huge budget for sets and special effects, more emphasis had to be placed on story and characterisation. There are many terrific stories, and interesting main characters head up the show. Captain Kirk, a thoughtful, intelligent leader, often headstrong and very hands-on, not afraid to kick ass or question, even disobey, his orders, to do what's right. Spock, the cool, logical science officer, half human, half alien, but with probably more humanity than many. McCoy, the passionate, caring medical officer, the voice of compassion and impulse. Spock and McCoy make up and inspire opposing yet complementary sides of Kirk's character and motivation. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley are superb in the title roles, they work and blend together really well - and that's just a summary of the main characters and leading cast in a terrific show mixing adventure, philosophy and humour. In the words of the great visionary, show creator Gene Roddenberry: 'I realized that by creating a separate world, a new world with new rules, I could make statements about sex, religion, Vietnam, unions, politics and intercontinental missiles. Indeed, we did make them on Star Trek; we were sending messages, and fortunately they all got by the network.' Watching all 79 episodes (Seasons 1 - 3) reminded me just how good and enjoyable they are - it doesn't get much better than this! Star Trek was the first show I ever watched and enjoyed on TV and I still think it's great. The episodes stand up to repeat viewings and it is possible to find something to appreciate each time. There's humour, and while the stories are serious adventures, the show takes itself seriously but not too seriously, if that makes any sense. Of course, those who think it's silly, or camp, are welcome to their opinion, and will enjoy it too. A lot of critics deride Season Three, with Seasons One and Two on the whole the most satisfactory, but watching all 79 episodes of Seasons 1 - 3 back to back, I didn't notice a huge drop in quality. Compared with the first two seasons, there is less humour and philosophy in the mix in this final season, with more emphasis on adventure. There are also some scientifically very dodgy story ideas indeed in the otherwise decent stories 'Spock's Brain', 'The Mark of Gideon' and 'Wink of an Eye' - in the latter, just how does Deela, in the super-accelerated state, see the phaser discharge towards her when the beam is travelling at the speed of light? However there are several quality episodes to enjoy in Season Three, including 'Elaan of Troyius', 'All Our Yesterdays' and the Emmy Award nominated 'The Tholian Web', and on the whole the show is sound in terms of speculative science, authentic and credible. Please note this review was written for the 2009 restored DVD edition - Amazon have also linked the review to the 2004 edition so the following comments will not apply to the earlier edition, except for comparisons. Working from the original film negatives, the restoration / remastering has been lovingly and sympathetically executed, picture quality is sharp and pristine, belying the age of the originals. Scratches and damage to negatives, seen in the 2004 edition as occasional white lines and marks, have been removed. Colour is rich and vivid, having been enriched with a touch of added contrast in places, beneficial for the most part. The original optical external special effects have been replaced by CGI, so for example instead of the iconic model Enterprise passing a diffuse looking planet, there is a crisp detailed CGI Enterprise passing a detailed CGI planet. Though I strongly prefer the original optical effects asteroids in 'The Paradise Syndrome' and 'For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky' to the bland grey CGI ones. The main title music has been re-recorded with a new soprano, and with Shatner's 'Space, the final frontier ...' looped in. The restoration's attention to detail is seen in the main titles - the letter 'H' in 'Starring William Shatner' now has its bar upswept to match the font. Aspect ratio is 4/3 fullscreen. There are optional subtitles and plenty of featurettes of interest, these include two versions of the original pilot 'The Cage', one, restored to the standard of the main series and in colour throughout, the other, an archive version introduced by Gene Roddenberry in 1986, a composite, with the footage that was used in 'The Menagerie' in colour, the rest in black and white, with the voice of the Keeper, Malachi Throne, played at normal pitch in the b/w scenes, and pitch shifted to sound androgynous in the colour sections. My only grumbles of the DVD set are, the use of a horrid Scanavo DVD case means the episode list is obscured by the DVDs, and it is necessary to unclip one DVD to get to the one behind - this is not the case with my Season 2 set with the DVDs mounted on swivelling pages book style. Frustratingly, a used copy of this Season 3 set has been seen with a book style case, so that would appear to be arbitrary. At the time of writing at just under £16 - about 60p per episode - this DVD set is excellent value and will hopefully give a lifetime of viewing pleasure. Footnote: I have recently (2019) added the 2016 Blu-ray set, though not an Amazon purchase, thought it helpful to add a few comparisons. There is the invaluable option to watch all episodes restored, either with the enhanced CGI external effects, as seen on the 2009 DVD edition, or the original optical SFX and model Enterprise. There is also the option of either 7.1 sound, or the original mono soundtrack, the latter including the original recording of the main title music, where the soprano is steadier and so more ethereal. Blu-ray episodes run about a minute and a half longer than the same footage on DVD, presumably due to different frame rates (NTSC at 24 frames per second vs. PAL at 25 fps) with a corresponding difference in audio pitch. Comparing with official soundtrack CDs, Blu-ray NTSC is the correct speed and pitch. The discs are conveniently mounted on swivelling pages, book style.

There's a scene in The Simpsons in which Bart is grumbling to a pal about how disappointed he is with the latest issue of his favourite comic. His friend wonders whether he'll refuse to buy it. "What?" says Bart. "And leave a gap in my collection?" To be frank, a dislike of gaps was my main motive in buying this final Original Series Blu-box. Star Trek's third season saw it losing a hefty slice of its budget and several of its ablest writers and producers, and the quality of the show inevitably suffered. The infamous Spock's Brain gets the season off to a blush-making start, and there are several other episodes in which the suspension of disbelief becomes more than a little difficult; you may recall the red eyeshades that warded off insanity, or the way the Enterprise's masters of antimatter and space-warps were awestruck when they encountered an alien ship with an ion drive. As for the procession of guest starlets and their ever skimpier costumes, I can only hope that the studio wasn't draughty. This said, the season has many more good episodes than I remembered from my childhood. I enjoyed revisiting the Enterprise's strife with a female Romulan, Kirk's time as an amnesiac Amerindian shaman, the re-enactment of the gunfight at the OK Corral, another tussle with our dear old Klingons, an irritable royal fiancee, battling piebalds, space-faring hippies, a caveman-reverting Spock, a very old Leonardo da Vinci and a decidedly vengeful ex-girlfriend of James Tiberius. And I respected the writers for being willing to take on serious social issues like racism, over-population and inequality. All in all, I ended up feeling that the gap between this season and its more successful predecessors wasn't quite the chasm that we Trekkies sometimes imagine it to be. Whatever one thinks of the stories on these discs, the excellence of their presentation on Blu-ray is surely beyond question. The purity of the video and audio streaming down your HDMI cable will astonish you, and the optional CGI sequences offered as alternatives to the 1960s visual effects are, I think, masterpieces of their kind. The matte images of Leonardo's palace or the Eden of the questing hippies would do credit to a modern blockbuster. Extras include interesting interviews with Walter Koenig, Bill Shatner, Nichelle Nichols, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei and a painfully elderly James Doohan, as well as an amusing glimpse of the convention subculture, a featurette about Trek collectibles and many other odds and ends beside. Also provided are the unaired pilot and an extended version of the aired one. Before I ordered this set, I was afraid that I might regret it. I needn't have worried. Reboarding the Enterprise has been a joy, and even the weakest moments of the season have had a nostalgic sweetness. I only wish that Buffy, Angel, Roswell, Babylon 5, The Dead Zone, Joan of Arcadia and my other favourite old TV shows could be reissued on Blu-rays as lovingly luxurious as these.

As I was a fan of the original series when it first came out, it was fairly likely I'd enjoy the new, remastered version. And indeed, I wasn't disappointed. What stands out now is just how much stronger the stories were back then, when there was far less reliance on special effects to bolster a flagging script - now, of course, the norm in many sci-fi productions. Camp, lurid, sexist and in some small ways racist, but very much of it's time, this was a groundbreaking series which did it's part to address some of society's concerns back in the 60's. And for that reason alone, it's at the very least a great way to examine the ways that things have changed over the last 40 to 50 years. As entertainment, of course, it certainly doesn't get any better, and the newly cleaned up picture as well as the revamped CGI effects makes for a very enjoyable viewing experience. On the minus side, the box sets could use a fold-out insert or index of some kind to give a listing of the episodes on the disks. As it is, you have to empty the box of all the disks to read the playlist printed on the inside of the plastic container - some of which is obscured by the disk housing. Given the sheer number of episodes involved, this can make finding any particular episode a frustrating experience. But aside from this relatively minor gripe, it's a wonderful set, worthy of any sci-fi enthusiast's collection.

I watch all the shows originally in the student common room(black and whit 21 inch tv) when at college 68-72. It was one of only three programmes watched religiously by the entire student body, Top of the Pops and DrWho being the others. Watching these revitalised versions of all three seasons has made me realise what an extraordinar achievement the whole concept of Gene Rodenberry's was.(interesting to note the 'Cloud City' in one episode .... so who got that idea first , Rodenberry or Lucas. I have been absolutely stagered by the scripts and story lines, just so 'fascinating' as Spock would say. I have watched all episodes of all three seasons as they occur on the discs and the quality of image is as if they were made yesterday(and I have a 65 inch Plasma). I have only one tiny critisism, I am now rewatching the whole lot in original broadcast order(the imformation for which I guess I gleened from Wickiwhatever) I would urge anyone thinking of buying, you wont be disappointed, it is staggering and I only have the DVD sets at the very low price currently on Amazon.I'm finding the broadcast order far more satisfactory, its only nuances but it doeas feel better from small eliments in the script.As actors I think Bill Shatner and Leonard Nimoy may have brought more joy to more people through their performances here than many of the so called hollywood greats in a number of feature films. I think the Star Trek ethos is a very worthwhile set of values delivered impecably in what is aurguable the greatest Scfi franchise ever invented( sorry Mr Lucas but I think you picked up a lot of ideas from it). Just buy it and enjoy it over and over again!! in glorious quality now.

When Star Trek, on the brink of cancellation, was yet again rescued by the fervent campaigning of its ever-faithful fans, Season Three emerged. Although lacking for the most part the healthy mix of message-bearing moralising with straight shoot-'em up phaser-firing and stylised fisticuffs that made the first two years such a winning combination, this season has much to recommend it and, with exception of maybe a couple of episodes, can never be accused of being boring. Even when veering towards the realms of the absurd and tacky, it never forgets TO BE FUN ( something which the more sententious spin-offs of the franchise - Deep Space Nine take note ! - might have done well to remember ). And yet, for all that, there are some genuinely great episodes here which astound, move and satisfy to the core, my own personal favourite being "The Paradise Syndrome" which demonstrates Shatner's wonderful - and yes, subtle - acting skills, with the episode ending atypically on a beautiful downbeat note of tragedy. If it's suspense-ridden sci-fi you're after, "The Tholian Web" hits the spot, while the premise of "Spectre of the Gun" is the perfect merging of eerie surrealism with the Western. Not to mention the Original Series most convincing Klingon in "Day of the Dove" as played by Michael Ansara. Yes, there are guilty pleasures like the loopy "Spocks Brain" replete with kinkily-clad alien brain-nappers, the controversial "Turnabout Intruder" which some accuse of sexism and bad acting ( although I disagree on both counts ) and wacky science in "Wink of an Eye" ( you'll enjoy this a lot if you don't analyse the logistics ) But what the hell? It's Kirk, Spock and McCoy doing their thing - and here in Season Three, they do it so well !

Bra serie till bra pris. Skivorna var fina och hela, bra packat.

El envío perfecto, el paquete me llegó un día antes de lo previsto. Las tres temporadas a pesar de venir de procedencias diferentes me llegaron en un único paquete. Respecto al producto, sólo puedo decir que es una maravilla, calidad de imagen y sonido muy buena. Hay algunos efectos especiales nuevos que no alteran el desarrollo de la historia. Idioma castellano (de España) y otros audios, al igual que los subtítulos. Hay muchos extras, tipo reportajes y entrevistas muy entretenidas, y incluye los trailers originales de la época. Un auténtico chollo!

nonostante fosse scritto "usato ma in buone condizioni" la confezione di carta è arrivata molto molto rovinata dal viaggio, il porta dvd all'interno (quei pirulli di plastica nel centro del cerchio per intenderci) sono quasi tutti rotti e i dvd scivolano via che è una meraviglia se non lo si apre in modo orizzontale e si presta attenzione. pacco arrivato con 3 settimane di ritardo...

muy

Mit viel Mühe kämpfte sich Star Trek 1968 in die dritte Season: bereits zum zweiten Mal waren es die loyalen Fans selbst, die mit einer noch gewaltigeren Briefaktion als vor der zweiten Season NBC überzeugten, die Verlust eintreibende Serie fortzusetzen. Bei der gewaltigsten Fanreaktion auf eine TV-Serie aller Zeiten, begleitet von Demonstrationen hunderter von Studenten vor den NBC-Studios, musste NBC zwei zusätzliche Kräfte einstellen, nur um der Fanpost Herr zu werden. Der aufkommenden Euphorie - Star Trek- Schöpfer Gene Roddenberry selbst wollte sich sogar erstmals seit Beginn der Serie wieder stärker um sein 'Kind' kümmern und wieder selbst produzieren - folgte bald die große Ernüchterung: Der schlechte Sendeplatz, seit Season 2 freitags um 18.30 Uhr, wurde noch schlechter: freitags um 22.00. Jeder wusste, dass die Serie, die ihr Zielpublikum damit kaum noch erreichen konnte (von Episode 1 bis 79 sanken die Zuschauerzahlen dann auch um über 50 %) , endgültig auf der Abschussliste stand. Statt eines verstärkten Engagements zog sich Roddenberry als "ausführender Produzent" noch mehr zurück. Season 3 erreichte unterm Strich nicht mehr ganz die Qualität der ersten beiden Staffeln, die von vielen Höhen und manchen Tiefen geprägt waren, sondern schleppte sich über weite Strecken im Mittelmaß durch. Ein Grund hierfür war, dass der 'auslaufenden' Serie nochmals bei steigenden Schauspielerbezügen und weniger inklusiven Leistungen das Budget gekürzt wurde (von 193 500 $ in der 1. über 187 500 $ in der 2. auf 178 500 $ in der 3. Staffel). Man musste noch stärker auf "Location"- Drehs verzichten, Drehbücher vereinfachen, weniger Sets einsetzen... Noch schwerwiegender war aber der Substanzverlust hinter den Kulissen. Schon seitdem Drehbuchgenie Gene Coon während Season 2 ausstieg hatte man Probleme mit kreativen Skripts. Vor Season 3 kündigte Herbert Solow, der von Beginn an für Produktion, Qualität und Verkauf der Serie zuständig war, wegen des kommerziellen Drucks und der daraus erwachsenen Querelen mit einem neuen Management. Das Herz war weg, und die Seele folgte: nach zwei Dritteln der dritten Season ging ausgepowert und demotiviert durch den stetigen Qualitätsverlust der Serie auch Co-Produzent Bob Justman, der die komplette Serie de facto als Produzent pflegte, aber nie offiziell als solcher ausgezeichnet und gewürdigt wurde. Seit Beginn von Season 3 bekam er den sehr fähigen Fred Freiberger als Produzenten vorgesetzt, der aber, unerfahren mit Science Fiction, nicht das notwendige Gespür und Herzblut für die Star Trek- Philosophie mitbrachte und das wankende Schiff Star Trek schließlich ins Trockendock führte. Ein Glücksfall für Season 3 war jedoch, dass Gene Coon, der mit seiner Kreativität für viele der besten Episoden und Konzepte in Season 1 und 2 verantwortlich war (er erfand u.a. die Klingonen), vor seinem Abschied zugesichert hatte, noch ein paar Drehbücher abzuliefern. Unter dem Pseudonym Lee Cronin schrieb er z.B. SPECTRE OF THE GUN, das in einer unwirklichen Westernkulisse spielt. Einfache Hausfronten ohne Seiten machten die Budget-Not zur Tugend, indem sie sogar die gewollt surrealistische Atmosphäre verstärkten. Zusätzlich war es die erste Episode, die Chekov in den Vordergrund rückte. Und gerade in dieser Hinsicht, der tiefer gehenden Behandlung von Charakteren, zeigte die 3. Season einige Stärken. Das außergewöhnliche ALL OUR YESTERDAYS z.B. haben sich die Bewohner eines Planeten kurz vor ihrer Auslöschung durch eine Supernova durch ein Portal in verschiedene Epochen ihrer Vergangenheit befördert. Nachdem Kirk durch das Tor springt, wollen Spock und McCoy helfen, landen anders als ihr Captain aber in der Eiszeit, wo Spock selbst von früheren Evolutionsstufen seines Volkes erfasst wird und starken Emotionen verfällt. Auch für McCoy gibt es eine starke Episode mit FOR THE WORLD IS HOLLOW AND I HAVE TOUCHED THE SKY. Davon überzeugt, unheilbar krank zu sein, verliebt er sich auf einem Asteroiden, der sich als gewaltiges Generationenschiff entpuppt, in eine Frau und ist in Versuchung, nicht zur Enterprise zurückzukehren. Eine weiter starke Folge, und wieder auf einer Idee von "Lee Cronin" beruhend, ist LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD. Bereits früh in der Tradition, ganz irdische und menschliche Probleme symbolisch auszudrücken, zeigt Star Trek hier die Unsinnigkeit rassistischen Hasses: Zwei Welten haben sich gegenseitig ausgelöscht, nur, weil die einen auf der linken und die anderen auf der rechten Seite ihres Gesichts schwarz bzw. weiß sind - wiederum also stark und symbolträchtig ausgedrückt durch einfachste, budgetfreundliche Mittel. Rassismus wird auch in PLATO'S STEPCHILDREN, einer der berühmtesten Episoden der Serie, zum abseits der eigentlichen Handlung vieldiskutierten Thema. Die Episode brach mit dem ersten TV-Kuss zwischen einem weißen Mann und einer farbigen Frau ein Tabu, obwohl die Intimität zwischen Kirk und Uhura unter Zwang von Telekinese stattfand. In einigen Südstaaten der USA wurde die Episode nicht ausgestrahlt. Trotz einiger Lichtblicke, darunter auch das spannende THE THOLIAN WEB, wo Kirk auf der driftenden Defiant in eine fremde Dimension gerissen zu werden droht, während die Enterprise von den geheimnisvollen Tholianern bedroht wird, oder THE MARK OF GIDEON mit dem interessanten 'Problem' einer überbevölkerten Gesellschaft, in der keine Krankheiten existieren, erinnert man sich bei Season 3 auch an Ausfälle wie der flachen und nervigen Folge AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD, SPOCK'S BRAIN, das mit der legendären Gehirnmopserei eine unterirdisch schlechte Science Fiction- und erst recht Star Trek- Episode darstellt oder THE WAY TO EDEN mit Weltraum-Hippies auf der Suche nach dem Paradies (zudem später Inspiration für den schwächsten Trek-Film "Star Trek V - The Final Fontier"). Natürlich ist Season 3 natürlich ebenso Kult wie alle 79 Episoden. Und was zunächst für viele Unbeteiligte als überfälliges Ende einer erfolglosen Serie erschien, war lediglich die Geburt eines Phänomens. Star Trek wurde zum Selbstläufer, als die billig verkauften Episoden Anfang der 70er von immer mehr regionalen TV-Stationen zielgruppengerecht täglich am frühen Abend immer und immer wieder ausgestrahlt wurden, von Mal zu Mal erfolgreicher. Der rasante Wachstum der Fangemeinde zeigte sich im Januar 1972 bei der ersten Star Trek-Convention, als statt wie erwartet einiger hundert über 3000 Fans herbeiströmten - und das war erst ein ganz kleiner Anfang. Die Desilu-Studios, in denen Star Trek geboren wurde, wurden für 17 Millionen Dollar verkauft. Allein bis 1994 hatte Paramount durch die Vermarktung des einstigen Schnäppchens mitsamt Büchern, Fanartikeln, Kinofilmen und Nachfolgeserien schätzungsweise mehr als 1,4 Milliarden mit Star Trek verdient. Übrigens: Ironischerweise sechs Wochen, nachdem TURNABOUT INTRUDER ausgestrahlt wurde, die letzte Episode von Star Trek, das in seinen Beginnen von Kritikern seinerzeit als unendlich unrealistisch abgetan wurde, landeten die ersten Menschen auf dem Mond...