Star Trek (TOS) S1 - Narration on First 2 Episodes (1 Viewer)

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

Not quite sure what you mean here, but I assure you that the originally syndicated episodes through much, if not all, of the seventies were the same as that broadcast by NBC including the 3rd season bumpers with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy reminding viewers that the episode will continue after the station break and to stay tuned for scenes from next week's episode. Nothing was changed including the opening credits.
The original Where No Man Has Gone Before (not a TV movie) had a completely different theme. The aired Where No Man, Man Trap, Charlie X, Mudd's Women... all used the same theme music. It was the narration (or lack thereof) that made the versions different.

Here's the comment from John80220 (in the link above) that is mystifying me...

This is the opening version with the titles re-dubbed when the show was remastered for video in 1982. The original 1966 NBC version used Shatner's voiceover, but with the opening music from the second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (the cadence Shatner uses in reading the lines is also slightly different than it would be for the later Season 1 shows.

Now, I already know about the slightly different version of the audio recording of Shatner's narration (on the episode in question, it's the speedy version without the pause between "These are the voyages..." and "Its five-year mission," but it's what he says about the music from the unsold version of Where No Man Has Gone Before that has me scratching my head about this...

~Ben

 

[Joel Fontenot]

Here's the comment from John80220 (in the link above) that is mystifying me...

Now, I already know about the slightly different version of the audio recording of Shatner's narration (on the episode in question, it's the speedy version without the pause between "These are the voyages..." and "Its five-year mission," but it's what he says about the music from the unsold version of Where No Man Has Gone Before that has me scratching my head about this...

~Ben

Me too.

 

[Wiseguy]

Here's the comment from John80220 (in the link above) that is mystifying me...

Now, I already know about the slightly different version of the audio recording of Shatner's narration (on the episode in question, it's the speedy version without the pause between "These are the voyages..." and "Its five-year mission," but it's what he says about the music from the unsold version of Where No Man Has Gone Before that has me scratching my head about this...

~Ben

What really isn't a part of this discussion (differences in the AIRED versions) but what possibly is being referred to is the original version of "Where No Man has Gone Before" didn't use the now-famous theme introduced in "The Cage" but a different piece of music, part of which was used to end the teaser in the aired version. The complete original score can be found on the CD (also vinyl) from GNP Crescendo. This opening also featured a longer narration by William Shatner detailing the mission of the Enterprise. It can be found on YouTube.

 

[Wiseguy]

Well guys, I took a little time to listen to my cassette audio tape recordings I made of the syndicated broadcasts of Star Trek off the air. These tapes were made in the early to mid 1970’s...

I found tapes for Charlie X, Mudd’s Women, Tomorrow is Yesterday and Galileo Seven. I also tried City on the Edge of Forever.

1. On Charlie X, the theme is the electronic violin. For the narration, the difference is subtle, but I could hear it;

2. On Mudd’s Women, it’s the electronic violin version of the theme. Longer narration, and he says, civi-la-zations.

3. On Tomorrow is Yesterday, it’s the cello version of the theme. This is the longer narration ans when he reads, It’s five year mission, it’s a similarly low key reading like Charlie X.

4. Galileo Seven, cello and longer narration and civi-la-zations.

5. For The City on the Edge of Forever, it’s the cello theme. He reads, It’s Five Year Mission with heavier emphasis on Five Year amd more up tempo. Plus he actually pronounces; civi-li-zations. More like the English do. This is probably the final version.

So without an actual film on hand of the opening titles, I have audio proof. Wish I had film to see the visual difference. This is pretty subtle stuff and in my mind, it shows the production staff doing their best to fine tune the opening. Maybe it’s was Roddenberry who wanted to improve it, or Justman. This is like alternate takes for a song you’ll hear on a special edition remastered box set.

Edit: I found The Man Trap tape and the narration does sound the same as the Charlie X tape.

Forgot to mention another difference. In what was supposed to be the premiere episode, Charlie X*, the Desilu logo plays a bit of Mission: Impossible music instead of the usual Desilu music. This was also heard at the end of the premiere of Mission: Impossible.

*NBC had been advertising the premiere of Star Trek to be 9/15/66. The promos can (or could) be found on YouTube. Sometime later it was decided to add a "preview" episode a week earlier. This turned out to be "The Man Trap." I think it should have been "Where No Man Has Gone Before," but that's a different topic.

 

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

Forgot to mention another difference. In what was supposed to be the premiere episode, Charlie X*, the Desilu logo plays a bit of Mission: Impossible music instead of the usual Desilu music. This was also heard at the end of the premiere of Mission: Impossible.

*NBC had been advertising the premiere of Star Trek to be 9/15/66. The promos can (or could) be found on YouTube. Sometime later it was decided to add a "preview" episode a week earlier. This turned out to be "The Man Trap." I think it should have been "Where No Man Has Gone Before," but that's a different topic.

I wonder if the logo theme error was due to this episode and the season premiere episode of M:I both having aired the same week of September 11-17, 1966 ("Charlie X" on 9/15/66, and M:I pilot on 9/17/66)?

~Ben

 

[Wiseguy]

I wonder if the logo theme error was due to this episode and the season premiere episode of M:I both having aired the same week of September 11-17, 1966 ("Charlie X" on 9/15/66, and M:I pilot on 9/17/66)?

~Ben

Possibly, although I didn't mean to imply it was an "error." Clearly it was intended, although they apparently changed their minds about its continued use almost immediately.

(It may have something to do with a law/rule that I'm not too clear about, something about if a piece of music is contracted and recorded, it has to be used at least once or for some time period. Some possible examples come to mind: in the middle of M*A*S*H's first season a new theme was introduced (a more jazzy arrangement) and was used for three episodes then dropped and the usual theme returned; also, the premiere of M*A*S*H's ninth season ("The Best of Enemies") featured a theme with a trumpet solo that was only heard once. In the second season of Tony Randall's Love, Sidney series, the first season theme with the cast singing the lyrics was changed to a Gladys Knight recording. The producers didn't like it and the original opening was returned but they were forced to continue using the Gladys Knight closing theme.)

 

[bmasters9]

If you don't see the Gene Roddenberry credit, you're not seeing the original video.

So the remastered O-R first-season NBC Trek doesn't have that Roddenberry credit on those two first-season episodes? Interesting.

 

[Wiseguy]

So the remastered O-R first-season NBC Trek doesn't have that Roddenberry credit on those two first-season episodes? Interesting.

The original episodes after the first two had the created by Gene Roddenberry notice at the end of the episode ("Produced and Created by Gene Roddenberry" at the end of the fourth act*). They may have redone the in-episode credits for those two episodes and added the info there.

*When Gene Roddenberry became executive producer, the credit at the end of the fourth act became "Executive Producer Gene Roddenberry" and the Created by credit moved to the closing credits under the title Star Trek.

(By the way, isn't saying O-R and NBC redundant? Like saying Mardi Gras day or ATM Machine?)

 

[bmasters9]

(By the way, isn't saying O-R and NBC redundant? Like saying Mardi Gras day or ATM Machine?)

It probably is, but I say it that way because NBC is a network, and syndication is a whole different idea than networks.