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Tehachapi Skywatch: “Star Trek Reborn”
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Posted by editor Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:21:37 PST
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0 responses 0 comments It is fair to say that anyone who hasn't heard of Star Trek has been living with very poor television reception in their cave. William Shatner tells the story of his visit to a small village in Afghanistan many years ago that didn't even have electricity. Nevertheless, they instantly recognized him and the word spread up and down the muddy streets that “Captain Kirk is here!” He was greeted and treated by the village elders as royalty, much to the satisfaction of Bill Shatner's (in)famous ego.

This was before any of the feature films or the spin-off television series. Today there are five different Star Trek television series spanning over seven hundred episodes and ten feature films with an eleventh in the works for release on Christmas Day of 2008, making it the most successful science fiction franchise, as well as the most successful television franchise, in history. (Star Wars is cool, but only a mere six movies.)

Indeed, there is so much Star Trek for a young person to catch up on that I've met quite a number who have never seen any of the original voyages of Captain Kirk and company. They're getting a chance to get caught up in a big way.

In the nearly thirty years that I've been waiting for the promise of high-definition television, I've been keenly aware that the original Star Trek series is on 35mm film (as opposed to many shows that are on videotape) and will look fantastic in high definition. However, I was flabbergasted to hear that the old series, now known as “The Original Series,” or “TOS,” would once again be broadcast on network television in prime time - by CBS, no less!

But that isn't even the half of it. A dedicated crew, financed by CBS, has gone deep into the Paramount vaults and found all of the original negative masters.  They are painstakingly applying the latest in computer technology to revive the brilliant colors, as well as clean up the dings and scratches in the film. They rescored the music in full stereo using the original sheet music, staying faithful to every note. The musicians are aware of the awesome responsibility of doing it right, knowing that millions of us know that music by heart. Indeed, they themselves describe the music as “sacred.”

They have also boldly replaced all of the exterior shots, including the scenes on the view screens, with new computer generated graphics that are just amazing.  They retrieved the original six-foot model of the Enterprise from the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum and created a 3-D high definition computer model of her. (Actually, they did this some years ago for the Deep Space Nine episode “Trials and Tribblations.”) And they have added exterior scenes that just couldn't be done in the 1960s.

In all of their work, they have been guided by the principle that they were trying to remaster a piece of history. No matter what, they mustn't screw up a masterpiece! They are guided by the principle of doing what the original crew would have done if they could have.

They intend to remaster all 79 episodes, which will all air on CBS through at least the next couple of years. And there is talk of upgrading Star Trek: The Next Generation next. 

I, not having HD-TV yet, hadn't seen the results of their work. (In tribute to their efforts, I have refused to watch it in low definition). I got my first chance last month, when for the first time ever, a Star Trek episode was distributed for theatrical release! The two-part episode “The Menagerie” was distributed to over a thousand theatres capable of uploading movies digitally, rather than relying on physical reels of film. Up to that time, the only fans that had ever seen a Star Trek episode on the big screen were those of us who attended the early non-profit fan-organized conventions,“fancons,” in the 1970s.

Fortunately, the Edwards Theater in Bakersfield was one of the digitally-equipped theaters. Unfortunately, they chose a Tuesday night for the single-showing event. So the crowd was small but enthusiastic. Nationally, it was so successful that it was held over for two more showings. I hope it is the beginning of the theatrical release of more Star Trek episodes.

Meanwhile, Paramount has released the entire first season (1966-1967) on HD-DVD. It includes awesome special features, including a computer program that allows you to pilot a shuttlecraft out of the Enterprise's hanger deck, fly around the ship as you please, and bring her in for a landing back on the flight deck.

All of this is more than I have ever dreamed, let alone hoped for. I've always had a sense of satisfaction that my beloved Star Trek would be well remembered. Now it appears it will be alive and well long after I'm dead and forgotten. For us first-generation Star Trek fans, it doesn't get any better than that.

By the way, Gene Roddenberry's The Making of Star Trek was the first of the many “making of …” books. I think it's time for someone to start writing The Remaking of Star Trek. I think I need to make some phone calls….

Manned Space Watch
Atlantis is on the pad preparing for a Thursday, Dec. 6, launch to deliver the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory module.

Night Sky Watch
With a new moon on Sunday, the ninth, the evening sky will be dark.
Comet 17P/Holmes is still bursting forth at second magnitude as of Nov. 26 and is still located in Perseus in the northeastern sky.

Jupiter is now quite low in the southwest in the early evening.

Mars is steadily brightening in the east in the evening as it approached opposition Christmas Eve. 

Venus is still eye catching in the eastern morning sky.

Sunrise/Sunset (PST)
6:48 AM/4:42 PM

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