Re-master of a classic

Obviously, the superinformation highway doesn't pass me at more than an idle speed. This morning, I caught a glimpse of an episode of the original Star Trek series, and it was markedly different than when I've seen then before: the special effects have been improved ten-fold.

"The Doomsday Machine", one of my personal favorite episodes, was the one played (it's the one about the giant planet killer which featured Commodore Decker), and all the outer space effects looked as if they came out of Star Trek: Enterprise, produced 30-plus years later. I saw updated phaser effects and a much-improved shuttlecraft launch sequence, which I always thought was poorly portrayed & laid out in its original incarnation.

The "cliffhanger" of the episode always surrounded the Enterprise transporter malfunctioning while Captain Kirk is trying to beam back aboard. With the improved effects comes another reason to raise the pulse: you really get a birds-eye view of both the shuttlecraft and the disabled starship Constellation veering so close to the planet killer, as if you are really seeing the action from Kirk & Decker's vantage points.

Modern technology has enabled older television series to improve small things like effects and musical backgrounds without destroying the plot or pacing. Yet, an unwritten rule forces me to miss the old effects, even if they are cheesy. People always say that you shouldn't mess with a classic. But I think in this morning's case, change actually is for the better. As well-preserved as the show's picture quality has become, the new scenes fit right over the old footage, as if it were designed to fit in like a glove.

I was very impressed, and also surprised that the show aired on my ABC affiliate in Detroit. I never recall ABC claiming ownership rights to any show in the series. But perhaps that superinformation highway grinds to a halt for me on occasion, too.

Very well done, effects people! Star Trek will always be an important franchise to preserve no matter which series airs. You've done what you wanted to do, and it only added to the quality of the show - I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope my ABC affiliate doesn't do this as a "once-and-done" proposition. I wish I had my VCR set up to tape it.