Hi Everyone,
I recently became acquainted with a remarkable podcast that debuted last year and I am enjoying it SO MUCH!
Enterprise Incidents with Scott and Steve, is the best thing to happen to Original Series fans since Star Trek Continues! No, it’s not a fan series, but even better; two super Trek fans ‘deep diving’ into all of the original 79 episodes.
Scott Mantz is an award winning Film Critic and host of moviemantz.com. Steve Morris is a Film maker and film historian as well as the host of The Cine-Files. Between these two movie-loving wizards, one gets insights into TOS that they may have never considered before!
And best of all, they are reviewing each episode in production order; that is the way they were originally produced, not aired. (Like the way I created all my Star Trek posters!) This gives the listener a chance to grow along with Trek as it buds into the first real adult-themed science fiction drama. This was no Captain Video or Lost in Space, it was truly first drama series set in space, often mirroring the turbulent times in which it was created, with with modern commentaries wrapped in the wings of sci-fi. We see how the characters develop week to week, and how (thankfully) some ideas were rejected (so glad Spock was not painted red!).
Scott and Steve are several years younger than I am, and like them, I am part of what they have cleverly dubbed “The Syndication Generation”. These were the middle-schoolers and teens that caught up with Star Trek when it first hit syndication in the early 70s. And as you may know, it was the syndication of Trek that launched it into the TV legend it is today!
I totally identify with these guys. When I hear their excited and almost brotherly banter, I’m thinking – “Yes! Yes! That’s what I thought too!” They each have a backlog of Trek minutiae, but their clear love and devotion to TOS will make any fan feel right at home. But the most astonishing thing about these dives is how much even die-hard fans will find new and enlightening about Trek.
Consider this — You learn not only what went on during productions of TOS, but what real-life events were happening the week of that production and sometimes how it affected the stories. I have also learned some of the production lingo – like a musical “sting” which is when you hear a blast of music at a tense time in the drama (often just before a commercial break).*
They also consider points like the following:
How different the series was in The Cage and what a different series it would have been had the the first pilot had become the series. (Honestly, although The Cage was brilliant, Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Pike would have given it a totally different vibe).
What would have happened to Yeoman Rand if Grace Lee Whitney wasn’t (shamefully) fired? Consider all the stories that involved Yeoman’s in season 1 after she left; a LOT of these stories were originally written for Yeoman Rand, which surely would have given her a much stronger presence, not to mention a closer relationship with Captain Kirk.
What single direction did Leonard Nimoy receive early on gave him great insight into the Spock character?
Was Lieutenant Charlene Masters supposed to fall in love with Lazarus?
Was Lt. Kevin Riley supposed to be a regular character?
Why didn’t they just use a shuttlecraft in The Enemy Within? (that’s easy!)
One thing I really love about the podcast is how these two dive into the often incredible dialogue and mindsets of the characters that one may have never noticed before or forgot. You’ll be delighted to hear their insights into how and why episodes were written and produced, and these guys pull no punches either. If there is an episode they love, you’ll know, and if it’s one that that they consider the worst, they tastefully and succinctly describe how and where it went wrong and how it could have been so much better under different circumstances. But regardless of quality, they clearly LOVE The Original Series.
I do wish we could also have a female point of view here — but they have occasional guests, and I haven’t heard all the episodes yet** so they might have a woman on in the future. — Heck, I’d LOVE to have a deep dive into TOS with these guys! Gentleman, I congratulate you on this fine euphoric podcast!
So hop on board with Scott and Steve – you’ll be in Trekkie heaven!
Drinking game – You’ll have to swig a Tranya whenever you hear “You’re so right!” and “I agree 100%!” 😉
- * My Son is taking film-making and it helps me to understand his courses!
- **I’m up to episode 15 – Court Martial.
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