Inside Star Trek The Real Story 1988 

Believe it or not... I was there. I was part of this time and this place. I was on the Star Trek sound stage Jan 9, 1969 and stood there in stunned amazement as the doors that separated the Trek stage from the Mission Impossible stage were pulled open and the entire cast and crew of Star Trek walked through them to pop Champaign corks for the series 'wrap party'. They were oblivious to the presence of the two teens on the stage (myself and a friend) so we were left all alone to explore. Amazing!

Just enjoyed this for the first time. Thanks for posting. And thanks to Herb Solow for acknowledging the contributions of regular office staff, Lucille Ball and other major people who have since died. Really enjoyed this.

This documentary was released on laserdisc in Japan in 1999 It was never distributed anywhere else. Justman and Solow wrote a book with their account of production of Star Trek TOS in 1996. They wrote it in part to get their version down on paper at a time when other people were doing the same thing. Neither their version of history or Roddenberry's version can be fully trusted. The truth is often somewhere between the two versions.

They did not have sophisticated ratings. Numbers only, not who was watching. The show is so good, Its hard to believe how good it was.

Wonder why D.C. Fontana was not mentioned. She wrote great episodes.

Read the book: Star Trek: The Inside Story by Herb Solow and Bob Justman. Simply the most authentic thing ever published on Star Trek. If you love the show and want to know how it was really created and why, you have to read this book. Astonishing. I am so grateful we finally got the real story before everyone died and left the truth about it unknown. Thank you Herb and Bob!

Thank you for posting this film. I'm very grateful to you. I get tired of seeing all of these actors who are on classic television shows tell us how they develop the characters, how they wrote the script, and how they came up with just about everything! I know production does not work that way. But the fans believe these stories. I hope that more of this through history of Star Trek will get out there.

In 2011, the decision to cancel Star Trek by NBC was ranked #4 on the TV Guide Network special, 25 Biggest TV Blunders

Trivia that I read about years ago: The medical thingys that Bones used in the field, the ones with the spinning actions (Before he'd say, 'He's dead, Jim'"), were battery powered gimmick saltshakers from a Spencer's gifts or whatever, and the phaser sounds were recordings of a stick hitting high tension wire.

This was a blessing message that made me want to share the episode with my family and friends. I wanted to feel that way all day. I loved it. Thanks.

This is my most favorite documentary on the original series by far. Thank God they did this before all these awesome people got too old to tell their stories/passed away. Even someone 30 years old at the time is now in their 80s! We already know about the cast and their stories but the writers, producers, behind the scenes, and sound engineers are sharing brand new information. Its amazing! The guy with the big dark glasses, white hair, and blue sports coat speaks like a pro-documentary speaker in a great way. In fact, most everyone here is so well spoken it makes me sad to feel we are losing this professional/formal presentation manner to these millennial children sinking into informal and an almost barbaric manner of presentation....I prefer the Dan Rather/Walter Cronkite style. Regardless, thank you AKSINET? for sharing this.

"Inside Star Trek - The Real Story" was a based on the 1996 reference book by Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman. The documentary looked at the development and evolution of Star Trek: The Original Series from the perspective of the production staff. Released as a single-volume VHS in the US on 3 November 1998,

"the network really supported the show" puts the show in the grave yard slot on friday nights at 10 for season 3... lol

Thank you for the information about this video.I didn`t have a time to post descrition for the new videos, but i will try later.

Nice to see the people who worked behind the scenes for a change.

I'd never seen this before; thanks VERY much for posting it.

I've enjoyed this ....thank you for sharing.....those hidden behind the scenes also needs recognition as well....HIGH 5 to all

Jefferies was characterized as cleverly creative. The "Jeffries Tube." He got frustrated every time he was told the budget had been cut. Peace

this was awesome! thanks for uploading. Although it couldn't have been from 1988 - Roddenberry died in 1991

In OKC, channel 4 (NBC affiliate) pre-empted Star Trek on Thursday nights with local programming or info-type commercials and ran ST at 10:30 Sunday night!

Fascinating! Thanks for this! I look forward to seeing more of your videos! You just earned a new subscriber! :)

IMDB reports the date of release as 1998, not 1988. The music for this production was lacluster to say the least, but the interviews were interesting.

Why D.C.Fontana was not mention? Because Dorothy Catherine is a woman. Sad but true.

But then the story lives on even today. Who could have known? The fans knew. The diversity of a crew who was passionate and held life at the highest level exploring our universe would excite our imaginations. The world had too many things to create from the simplified lives in a universe of the imaginative Star Trek. Too many wonderful gadgets, and who would have thought that the imagination of some would have sparked new, and even more diverse and creative starships, for generations to come. Ones that would emerge with their own gadgets to simplify our own world. I love the Original Series and am so glad it didn't die in the storage rooms of yesteryear!! The original crew was deep, sexy, strong, and compassionate. You can write a script, but it's the actors that breath life and believability into it, and they did just that!! Yes, there was drama, and people often make fun of Shatner with his form of acting, but can you imagine an actor not doing that? He put depth and life into the character. He was a captain, and someone with that title needed to weigh his every word. He needed to be strong, and the crew needed to feed off of his strength to be confident in following him. He was direct and to the point, expected respect and submission, yet was compassionate and gentle when the need arose. They all played their parts very well. I appreciate all the writers and what all the others did to bring Star Trek together. Music, sound effects, costumes, makeup, all these and more made it interesting and creative, but any other actors would not have made it what it has become today. They were the icing on the cake, they brought all the others imagination's to life. And they contributed ideas and spiced up what they were given with their own creative talents. So bravo to you, and an extraordinary bravo to the actors. Yes, we wouldn't have had Star Trek without the writers, but it would have sunk in the first few episodes without those perfectly matched actors. They brought the spice and the life and the charisma to the show, and that's what the fans craved when it ended.

Sandy Courage will be remembered for a lot of great television music including Star Trek.

Set model 22:19.

Hear, hear... Total agreement with you even though I'm not crazy about Marc Eliot's attack piece on Roddenberry. There's enough in the authorized biography of Roddenberry to show he was no angel but he wasn't demonic or a complete lush, slug, or whatever his worst detractors say, either. There's more to the story than you get from one person -- and certainly Harlan Ellison isn't the ultimate authority, either!

From what I heard Star Trek wasn't done any favours by the network that continuously cut the budget and moved it around the schedules which also damaged the shows popularity! however....for all I know it was just down to the lack of imagination of the public that has killed off so many sc-fi shows since.

Sorry if this was mentioned already but Herb Solow's book, "Inside Star Trek the Real Story" is a great read. I presume this video he's hosting is based on the book since it has the same title.

Interesting behind the scenes look at Star Trek: The Original Series.

I feel as if I'm watching an infomercial.

Oh 1988... A beautiful time in America... Wish we could turn back the clock.

Wow! Thanks for this.

1998 not 88. The fonts in the titling were not available in 1988.

Was definitely worth watching...

As I'm watching this, it is now stardate 201812.08!

NBC was right- it took almost twenty-five years before anybody had any interest in watching _The Cage._

The story about CBC not having trouble with tbe strong female or black crew member stikes me as true. After all shows like Buck Rogers had its very beautiful lead woman as head of Earth defense, and in charge of Rogers. So its strikes me that Gene went on a very clever, but dishonest, marketing campaign. Glad i watched this now

NBC may not have intended to, but without a doubt the network (who never allowed the show to build a following by repeatedly changing the shows airtime and day - in an era where shows were literally identified by their time slot: “same bat time, same bat channel”, “it’s Howdy Duty time”, “it’s time for the Brady Bunch” etc.) killed Star Trek. If you look at the Neilson’s, over week performance general trended upwards but it never stayed in a slot very long and took profound viewership hits each time it was moved. Why it kept being moved is the real question: my gut tells me, the network execs who did not understand the demographic kept trying to massage it into something it wasn’t.

I wonder how truly accurate the Neilson ratings were. When I was a boy our family was chosen for a time as a Neilson family.nothing electronic, they just gave you a journal to record your viewing in. I can say I just wanted the money they gave me for keeping the journal, about $5 I think. I just made up what I watched and wrote some times and shows down. It was a hassle I just wanted to be done with. I knew what shows were on at such and such time and day so I just filled out my weeks worth of viewing in around 15 min.

I found this video documentary to be .... fascinating.

Thank you Robert,Trek was put in the basement of time slots by NBC. Gene isn't here to defined himself and some people will say anything now to make them selves look good.

They paid a lady $350 to make 500 tribbles, that's how they got 'em.

Wow, NBC did a hit job on Gene Roddenberry. The "uninspired" writer...

I suggest adding to the title:... PART 1. PART 2 can mention: • Makeup • Prop construction (large and small) • Syndication • Fan support in Conventions (not fan 'harassment' of NBC) • Path to Motion Pictures

Imagine Alex Kurtzman calling CalTech to make sure something in Discovery or Picard was scientifically accurate

But who added the most famous split infinitive in the English language: "...to boldly go.."?

This video was released in 1998, not 1988 -- typo.

Tinker on the letter campaign, an NBC computer used to tabulate the number of letters crashed at one Million. Memory servers it's own master, would anyone consider renewing a canceled series on the basis of 10,000 letters?

Thanks. I knew it was around then.

The backround Music sounds like something I would make lol

Ah how the past holds on to you and squeezes out fond memories. "......." Star trek !

Thank you kindly for uploading this video. I think, like the fable of the three blind men and the elephant, the truth lies in the hands of the man who is telling it. Really poking up a hornets' nest here, worse than the one over the Desilu soundstage: who assaulted Grace Lee Whitney? She writes about it in her autobiography, but only refers to him as "The Executive." I've always wondered if it wasn't Roddenberry himself. Anyway, thanks again for this peek from a different perspective into TOS. LL&P 🖖♥️

A piece of the action was fabulous

Interesting watch. I was a pre-teen when I watched Star Trek original airings. I remember my mom watching a talk show when we lived in Mission HIll's CA and Lenard Nemoy dropped in while still in his makeup and ears! I continued to watch the re-runs in the 70's on a black and white TV as my dad didn't get a color TV until mid-late 1970's. I really wish the Star Trek Phase II would have been produced because we would have gotten weekly episodes, but sadly they went for the $$ and produced Star Trek: The Motion Picture instead.

Interesting perspectives. This must have been done in the 90s though; it said Roddenberry himself was gone, but he didn't die until '91 or '92.

Why are they downplaying the letter writing campaign? If it was only a few thousand then how come they actually had an announcement at the end of the second season asking people to stop writing because the show had been renewed? And Roddenberry had no gratitude? NBC deliberately put the third season in the Friday night 10 PM death slot after promising him a Monday night time slot. Nothing like leaving out uncomfortable truths. I don't know where this ever aired (other than in Japan) or else it would have received a lot of criticism for elevating the backroom guys and playing down the creative people on the show.

This should’ve been an extra on the Blu-ray

Jesus Christ Deforest, spit it out!

To be honest, I have the audio book version of the original book this video was adapted from... I think the audio book version is better than the video. Too bad they never released it in audio CD but I imagine most of us that have the means HAVE captured the cassettes and mastered our own CD's!

Pretty authentic compare to Discovery channel version. Good stuff.

I think the actual truth is somewhere between Roddenberry's and NBC's versions.

Needless music, needless shrinking of the screen to give their name each and every time. "Attention deficit disorder" was invented by the "entertainment" industry.

Grant Tinker, since when do 10,000 letters to Desilu constitute "a few thousand"? Just curious.

Wow. So heavy handed. Why use the TNG graphics for a video about TOS. And the music... Who thought that was needed throughout.

That constant trumpeting and awful background music is very grating. :(

RIP Herbert Solow

I can dig it!

Not as good as the amazing book, but still good!

Excellent Concept. Excellent Execution.

I would sure love to fly in space aboard A spacecraft like the Enterprise In the original series. I would like to have Tricorder, and phaser and and A walkie talkie like those on the original series. I also like the computers on the original series. You can talk to them and they can understand you.

What was this initially produced for and where was it shown? It is dated 88, so it couldn't be for t interweb.

These people do not tell the truth, Mystery Babylon.

I never have seen this!

October 24, 1991.

Laserdisc yaay

Right... because Gene always told the truth, huh?

Fascinating. ^b-

The 1995 Paramount logo plasters the 1987 logo.

Obviously these are NBC cronies talking , there is far too much evidence of the real stories , NBC gave Roddenberry so much grief , it made him sick , NBC was responsible for his early demise , finally , switching the time slot for the third season in favor off laugh in ( which was absolute garbage ) was intentionally done to sink the star trek series , what more does anybody need to know ?

I believe they are not being honest entirely here. They did put it in the death slot for programming.

You know if you're going to call someone on something, at least given an explanation. Your kind of response just screams 2- or 3-year-old who's upset because reality doesn't match up to what you think it is!

This have never been shown in Danish television, I’m sure of it.

I have the book!!!!

What. Episode is stark trek cont up to now ?

Please help, im going NUTS, I do NOT recall the uniforms having GOLD arm bands, just plain tighter fitting arms, yes ive been to the library as I thought this was a huge psyop on the internet by AI computers run by the ellites. my past has changed, Prince used to sing dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate this this thing called life.. Celebrate NOT get through! Maddonna's here real name?? not in my world. the list goes on and on and Quantum Physics says its possible.. so why are the Non affected so aggresive and dismissive as if they have Never seen any quantum physics.

What a load of BS, Tinker either does not know what he is talking about, or is liying through his teeth. The letter writting campain to save the show was not done by Roddenbery or anyone connected with the show, it was done by the fans. And Tinkers clai it was less then 10,000 lettrs is a crock. It's a fact NBC got so much mail at that time, they had to put additional personal on in the mail room to handle it all. In fact NBC got so much mail demanding Star Trek be renewed that it overloaded some of the equipment used to handle all that mail and a repairman had to be called in. That repairman latter confirmed that NBC recevied a lot more mail then they will admit, Way more they the 10,000 Tinker claims, hundreds and hundreds of thousands, maybe even close to a million. (It would take that much to overload those machines and require the addition of several extra people to handle the mail, surely 10,000 pieces of mail would not have caused that much trouble). Also Tinker seems to forget about the infamous promotional posters that the NBC art department airbrushed spocks ears and eyebrows, to make him look human. No one at NBC would take credit for that, but the art department would not take it upon themselves to do that without being given instructions to do so.

Self-serving suit writes a book, then 7 years later the screenplay for this. I watched almost ten minutes and all I saw were suits justifying themselves.

Oh I get it now. Gene Roddenberry didn't have anything to do with creating Star Trek. It was created by a team of NBC executives. Gene just showed up to collect the pay checks. Hm. I never knew that before. Interesting.

boring, actually boring - incredible

Ib Melchior & Vic Lundin? Nothing?

Interesting that the revisionist history came out after the principals were unavailable to comment, e.g. Gene Roddenberry's role in the creation and launching of Star Trek certainly takes a pounding because apparently Solow and Justman both had this need deep down to expand their roles...and it could only be done after Gene Roddenberry was dead....I'm frankly surprised that Solow didn't announce that he might have mentioned the concept for Star Trek in casual conversation with Gene and that Roddenberry just kinda stole it from him...I think that Solow and Justman deserve a lot of credit for their contributions, but its certainly self serving after the fact that all this revisionist history takes place....The Making Of Star Trek by Stephen Whitfield was written before the show was even cancelled, and apparently no one who appeared in this abortion seemed eager to "correct the facts" at the time or immediately after the book was published, but once Gene was cold,...hell, plenty of accolades for all of us.....

Fred Freiberger made the 3rd season crap.

Syndication is a horrible death? Well if you don't have or sold your residuals maybe.

If they supported the show why was there only three seasons 🙄

*1998 not 1988 - fix the title !*

A science fiction situation comedy in a semi family setting....MADE IN THE USA...

Gene loves to sell himself as the great big one man show but there are a lot of FACTS that disagree. For instance, he was already checked out and trying to develop other pilots during Star Trek's third season.

Terrible late-80s editing choices aside, and there are many, this is a fascinating film. Like, silicone-based life forms, a major scifi staple now, came about when a nerd did his job really well. This is a Star Trek treasure trove of a film. A really ugly treasure trove that wont stop singing shit music at you.

The Ten Best Episodes of Star Trek, in my not so humble opinion. 1) City On The Edge Of Forever; (1) 2) Mirror, Mirror; (2) 3) Balance Of Terror; (1) 4) The Doomsday Machine; (2) 5) Bread And Circuses; (2) 6) This Side Of Paradise; (1) 7) The Corbomite Maneuver; (1) 8) Journey To Babel; (2) 9) Space Seed; (1) 10) The Devil In The Dark; (1) Six of these episodes are from the first season, four are from the second season. None of the third season episodes make my list. It's my contention that only one third season episode actually stands up to the quality of Star Trek's first two seasons--That being the often overlooked, underappreciated, Day Of The Dove. Please feel free, fellow viewers, to add your own top ten lists of what *you* think are the best Star Trek episodes!