Rating: 
Summary: Where no man has gone before!
Review: These were the first two with Captain Kirk. I have to admitt that I own all 40 volumes. Yet I still may get the box sets. Just as long as they stay in production order, including The Cage first this time.The Cage runs 63 minutes. Long aint it? The rest run 50 minutes. The Menagerie is suppose to be one Episode, but I'll believe it when they edit it. My Voyager Season 1 said the Original Series sets are going to be out in fall/winter 2004. I know what I'm buying with my PFD.
Rating: 
Summary: Review of Where No Man has Gone before
Review: This pilot episode deals with many of the themes that made the original Star Trek Series so enduring. Themes of conflict between friendship, and loyalty versus duty and commitment. Themes touched upon this episode actually have alot in common with the most beloved episode of the orginal series... City on the Edge of Forever. In this episode, Kirk is faced with the terrible decision of having to destroy his best friend who has become corrupted by a powerful force unwantingly bestowed upon him. Guest Stars Gary Lockwood and Sally Kellerman were wonderful. Gary Mitchell was Kirk's best friend. In the end a friendship dies, but another grows between Spock and Kirk. With only a 50 minute time to establish a story, Lockwood and Kirk are very effective at communicating the closeness and bonds of strong friendship that are gradually eroded and destroyed as one becomes corrupted by a force that he cannot control. It is touching and moving.. and set the tone for the entire series of what it could be at its best...
Rating:
Summary: original is best
Review: I have aleways loved both of these episodes. Gary Lockwood becomes so powerfull in his esp abilities he dares think of himself as a GOD. Of course Kirk has to take him out but its his best friend. Good writing. The other episode shows kirks wits as he "bluffs" an alien into thinking the Enterprize is far more powerfull than it is. By the way, only two episodes per disc is a shame why cant Paramount afford 6 shows a disc the dirty sons of...
Rating: 
Summary: NOT ENOUGH SHOWS!!
Review: I love this show and have all the episodes on tape from Columbia House...but I can't bring myself to buy these dvds. Yes I want them badly, but TWO episodes per disc?????? I'll wait till they bring them out in complete seasons, or when ever I hit the lottery.
Rating:
Summary: A winner right out of the gate!
Review: Star Trek: The Original Series Volume 1 presents two episodes from 1966: "Where No Man Has Gone Before:" Although this was the third episode aired, it's actually the pilot that sold the show to NBC. Many things make it obvious that this is the pilot -- e.g. no McCoy or Uhura, drab colorless uniforms, absence of skimpy miniskirts, ray gun rifle, etc. There's nothing childish about this episode. There's no kid or jokster robot as in, say, Lost In Space. Even the music is dramatic and powerful. The chemistry between Kirk & Spock is right there from the opening scene featuring the duo. The subject of "absolute power corrupts absolutely" is explored as the momentum of interest, mystery and suspense builds culminating in the action-filled climax. A one-of-a-kind debut adequately testifying that Star Trek was a winner right out of the opening gate. GRADE: A+ "The Corbomite Maneuver:" An excellent suspense-building episode with a simple moral: appearances can be deceiving. This segment would've made a great pilot as well with its excellent combination of space exploration, mystery, creepy aliens and characterization. McCoy, Uhura and Yeoman Janice Rand all make their debut here. It's obvious that this is the first episode produced for TV after the NBC executives approved the (second) pilot because most of the characters are still developing. For instance, you'll notice Spock's uncharacteristic shouting and almost-apology to Kirk for having no helpful suggestions, Uhura's one-dimensional dialogue ("Hailing frequencies open, sir") and Rand, who appears as little more than a Starship maid. Bottom Line: it's slow and ship-confined but somehow strangely fascinating. The baby-like Balok hiding behind a much more menacing facade is a great idea. The occasional visuals of the fearsome alien greatly add to the mounting suspense. The awe and mystery of space exploration is successfully captured. GRADE: A Incidentally, ever wonder who came up with the idea to dress the ladies in those ridiculously short miniskirt "uniforms"? When Grace Lee Whitney (Janice Rand) was hired on after the acceptance of the pilot they dressed her in the same black stretch pants seen in that episode. Whitney basically said "No way," insisting that the girls should look like girls. Her protests led to William Ware Theiss' design of the now infamous hotpants uniform.
Rating:
Summary: Everybody Calm Down!
Review: Paramount will re-release the original Star Trek TV series in season box sets in 2004. Be patient. It's coming.
Rating:
Summary: There are 40 volumes?
Review: That's $800! Who thought of that? Bad! There needs to be a box set! Who would buy all of these? It's absurd! I love the show but I have to give this collection a low rating.
Rating:
Summary: Need Season Series Boxed Sets!
Review: Well, maybe this isn't the best venue for this comment, but since others have weighed in, I will, too: I will not buy ANY of these TOST DVD's until they come out with a season series boxed set (priced in line with TNG; i.e. reasonably). They should have richer DVD add-ons, too (bloopers, anyone?). Season series releases of TV shows are doing quite well in the marketplace; Paramount is not maximizing their profits by dribbling out two episodes per DVD sold seaparately -- not from me, anyway! My theory is that they will inevitably release TOST as season series sets -- and finally add in enough extras that folks who bought a scattering of the 2-episode DVD's will pony up for the season sets as well. Shameless money-grubbing, this. Has Paramount been infiltrated by Ferengi?
Rating: 
Summary: no box set!!!
Review: First off I can't believe Paramount will not make box sets of the original series. I take points of this review for that. plus their is no retrospectives, documentaries, audio commentary.
I give the remastered sound an A+ and the remastered picture an A+. But as previous customers have said two episodes per disc is not exceptable. They are too expensive. You can get all seven seasons of next generation, for less than buying each of these original series dvd's separetely for only three seasons. Even the sci-fi network was able to get nimoy and shatner to do interviews for their "Star Trek special Edition", the first time it was aired remastered and uncut.
Rating: 
Summary: A solid start
Review: Where No Man Has Gone Before-The pilot that was accepted is a story about two crewmembers gaining extraordinary powers as they drive the Enterprise to the fringes of the universe. Watching early Trek episodes is a bit confounding since the characters and a lot of the kinks, hadn't been worked out yet. On the other hand, it is interesting to watch the show grow, and to see what might have been (an enterprise without Uhura and McCoy, for example). As far as content, this episode is pretty good. We see Kirk forced to choose between his loyalty to a friend and a growing threat to the Enterprise. Another theme explored at least allegorically is the tendency for the strong to not only seek dominion over the weak, but also to drum up paternalistic rationalizations for their actions. The episode is also helped by strong acting from both Lockwood and Kellerman, who are several cuts above your average Trek guest star. The pilot episode in many ways set the tone for season one. Many of the offerings would include an engaging but fairly simple and straightforward plot. Much attention was paid to little details during season one. This feeling of introspection generally led to stories that were coherent, plausible and consistent, despite being science fiction. (3 stars) The Corbomite Manuever-This episode, in which Kirk bluffs a frightening looking alien only to ultimately find out the joke is on him, was the fist produced in season one. The plot is pretty spare, and the episode has a far slower feel than later shows. Part of this can be explained by the fact that everything was new to us (the transporter scenes for example are slow), but there also seems to be a conscious effort to keep things simple for dramatic purposes. This episode does a nice job of demonstrating that the crew will encounter plenty of unknowns, many of them frightening. Kirk also proves himself to be courageous, resourceful, and ultimately compassionate. The episode also has a nice twist at the end, although the execution (particularly the dubbing) is less than perfect. Also somewhat unusual is the unambiguously happy ending; Most first season episodes had bittersweet and/or preachy endings. (3 stars)
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