Trouble With Tribbles (Star Trek)

Rating:
Summary: The story of how David Gerrold wrote a "Star Trek" episode
Review: "The Trouble With Tribbles" is, by its own admission, "The Complete Story of One of Star Trek's Most Popular Episodes," which happens to have the same title as this book. The author is David Gerrold, who shares with us the story of his television script, including where it came from, how it was written, how it was eventually filmed and finally got onto the air as an episode of "Star Trek." Consequently, since this book is the true story of how a young college student earned some degree of fame and even fortune as the writer of what is clearly the funniest "Star Trek" episode of all time, it proves itself to be of as much interest to those interested in writing television shows in Hollywood as those who are confirmed Trekkies.

When "Star Trek" began airing on NBC in 1966 as the first intelligent science fiction series on television (keep in mind the competition was "Lost in Space") David Gerrold was a college student who decided he wanted to be a writer. His college professor in his television writing class suggested watching the new shows to come up with story ideas they might need when they decide the scripts they are getting are no good. What follows is a detailed account of how a television story gets sold, how the script gets written, how it is translated into a final script despite the lack of money and the censors. This story is as much about cutting, changing, and rewriting as coming up with the original creative idea in the first place. For those who want to hear about Gene Roddenberry, he is here and there, but Gene Coon is the one on the producer's side of the ledger that is going to impress you. The "Star Trek" cast is here as well, with William Shatner shooting down the young writer and Leonard Nimoy providing insights into the character of Spock, providing more than a few good behind the scene stories.

There is no small amount of biography involved in Gerrold's story, but mostly he lays out how he got from Ground Zero to the Promised Land. This means Gerrold provides a synopsis of "Tomorrow Was Yesterday," not the "Star Trek" episode of that name but a different story with the same title, which got him a visit with Gene Coon. That led to a series of story proposals for season two, one of which has disappeared from memory, a pair of which ("The Protracted Man" and "Bandi") are described in detail, and "The Fuzzies," which would be transformed into "The Trouble With Tribbles." Gerrold provides both the outline and the complete "final" script, carefully documented with footnotes that explain Coon wrote the teaser, what lines were added on set, and that he has no idea who came up with Scotty's final pun.

I am fascinated by how scripts are written, including the entire process by which everybody gets their finger in the pie. Gerrold certainly lays out a textbook case of how these things happen in Hollywood.... There are photographs showing how to make a Tribble walk, the "Star Trek" cast, and a lot of shot from the episode. Plus, Tim Kirk provides some cartoons to keep the emphasis on fun. The volume ends with fan and critical reaction to "The Trouble With Tribbles" episode and the story of "The Very Best Tribble Story Ever Told..." that provides the proper fairy tale ending to Gerrold's story.

Of course, there is another book devoted to the creation, production, and aftermath of a celebrated "Star Trek" episode, namely Harlan Ellison's "The City on the Edge of Forever." In fact, Gerrold devotes the seventh chapter of this book to covering the highlights of the story, doing a decent job of giving both sides of the story their say, although I think he grudgingly comes down on the side of economic and legal realities. "The Trouble With Tribbles" is much more about the entire creative process, in the broadest meaning of the term. Ultimately, it will speak to the wannabee writer in your more than the Trekkie. It has been three decades since this episode aired and certainly Gerrold was blessed with good fortune in his endeavor, but this is as still as fine a story of writing a specific television script as I have come across (and, yes, I have been looking).

Rating:
Summary: The story of how David Gerrold wrote a "Star Trek" episode
Review: "The Trouble With Tribbles" is, by its own admission, "The Complete Story of One of Star Trek's Most Popular Episodes," which happens to have the same title as this book. The author is David Gerrold, who shares with us the story of his television script, including where it came from, how it was written, how it was eventually filmed and finally got onto the air as an episode of "Star Trek." Consequently, since this book is the true story of how a young college student earned some degree of fame and even fortune as the writer of what is clearly the funniest "Star Trek" episode of all time, it proves itself to be of as much interest to those interested in writing television shows in Hollywood as those who are confirmed Trekkies.

When "Star Trek" began airing on NBC in 1966 as the first intelligent science fiction series on television (keep in mind the competition was "Lost in Space") David Gerrold was a college student who decided he wanted to be a writer. His college professor in his television writing class suggested watching the new shows to come up with story ideas they might need when they decide the scripts they are getting are no good. What follows is a detailed account of how a television story gets sold, how the script gets written, how it is translated into a final script despite the lack of money and the censors. This story is as much about cutting, changing, and rewriting as coming up with the original creative idea in the first place. For those who want to hear about Gene Roddenberry, he is here and there, but Gene Coon is the one on the producer's side of the ledger that is going to impress you. The "Star Trek" cast is here as well, with William Shatner shooting down the young writer and Leonard Nimoy providing insights into the character of Spock, providing more than a few good behind the scene stories.

There is no small amount of biography involved in Gerrold's story, but mostly he lays out how he got from Ground Zero to the Promised Land. This means Gerrold provides a synopsis of "Tomorrow Was Yesterday," not the "Star Trek" episode of that name but a different story with the same title, which got him a visit with Gene Coon. That led to a series of story proposals for season two, one of which has disappeared from memory, a pair of which ("The Protracted Man" and "Bandi") are described in detail, and "The Fuzzies," which would be transformed into "The Trouble With Tribbles." Gerrold provides both the outline and the complete "final" script, carefully documented with footnotes that explain Coon wrote the teaser, what lines were added on set, and that he has no idea who came up with Scotty's final pun.

I am fascinated by how scripts are written, including the entire process by which everybody gets their finger in the pie. Gerrold certainly lays out a textbook case of how these things happen in Hollywood.... There are photographs showing how to make a Tribble walk, the "Star Trek" cast, and a lot of shot from the episode. Plus, Tim Kirk provides some cartoons to keep the emphasis on fun. The volume ends with fan and critical reaction to "The Trouble With Tribbles" episode and the story of "The Very Best Tribble Story Ever Told..." that provides the proper fairy tale ending to Gerrold's story.

Of course, there is another book devoted to the creation, production, and aftermath of a celebrated "Star Trek" episode, namely Harlan Ellison's "The City on the Edge of Forever." In fact, Gerrold devotes the seventh chapter of this book to covering the highlights of the story, doing a decent job of giving both sides of the story their say, although I think he grudgingly comes down on the side of economic and legal realities. "The Trouble With Tribbles" is much more about the entire creative process, in the broadest meaning of the term. Ultimately, it will speak to the wannabee writer in your more than the Trekkie. It has been three decades since this episode aired and certainly Gerrold was blessed with good fortune in his endeavor, but this is as still as fine a story of writing a specific television script as I have come across (and, yes, I have been looking).

Rating:
Summary: Complete story of one of the best TOS episodes.
Review: This book is an in depth analysis of this signature TOS episode. Behind the scenes info, pictures and other tidbits about Tribbles.

Rating:
Summary: Complete story of one of the best TOS episodes.
Review: This book is an in depth analysis of this signature TOS episode. Behind the scenes info, pictures and other tidbits about Tribbles.