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These Are The Voyages #2
These Are The Voyages: TOS Season Two
In the 1980s Gene Roddenberry and Robert H. Justman gave Marc Cushman permission to write the definitive history of the first Star Trek®. they backed their stamp of approval by providing documentation never before shared with the public. These Are The Voyages, published in three volumes -- one designated for each season of TOS (The Original Series) -- will take you back in time and put you into the producers' offices, the writers' room, onto the sound stages, and in front of your TV sets for the first historic broadcasts. Included are hundreds of memos between Roddenberry and his staff, production schedules, budgets, fan letters, behind-the-scenes images, and the TV ratings. Buckle your seat belts; the trek of a lifetime continues with Season Two.
688 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2014
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194 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 17, 2022
The second volume of Marc Cushman's These Are the Voyages offers a detailed look at Star Trek's second season, sharing much of the strengths and weaknesses inherent in his first book - I'm not going to repeat myself. What's interesting to me is how behind the scenes narratives, no matter how balanced (and these books are), create the sense of "heroes and villains". The still not guiltless Roddenberry was both in volume 1, but between producer Gene Coon having things well in hand and his own absence trying to develop other pilots (with Trek as unsure a bet as ever), these roles have migrated to others. As William Shatner's star rises, he becomes increasingly the "villain", his ego getting the better of him. Though Coon is an early hero, the most sustained is D.C. Fontana, in the long run probably the person most responsible for the show's quality, even after Paramount buys Desilu and the corporate mindset starts undermining the whole, lower-case, enterprise. Part of Fontana's appeal in the book is that her memos aren't full of sexist comments the way the male producers' are. The final frontier, for TOS' commitment to diversity, often seemed to be defined by gender, with women often put in menial positions aboard ship and their "illogical" minds taken as a given in many scripts. Internal communications expose how this was ingrained in the minds of the show makers, despite their great esteem for Fontana's opinions and abilities. When Coon quits and is replaced by John Meredyth Lucas, a change in office culture occurs that threatens to reduce or eliminate those internal memos - to save time, he replaced the back and forth with oral meetings - but while I don't know what that means for Volume 3 (under a third producer), I'm glad to see script development mostly occurred while Coon was still in the office, because much of the entertainment stems from those memos, especially Bob Justman's very humorous objections about the budget. There are gaps towards the end, but not too many. All in all, Cushman has kept Volume 2 of a piece with Volume 1, helped along by studio upheaval and drama.
December 24, 2018
Marc Cushman had access to all the files, memos, and notes that were retained by Gene Roddenberry for the series' second season. Cushman went further, accessing interviews from across the media and even the earliest fanzines, in an effort to properly reflect what happened, when, and by whom. Apparently, as thoroughly researched as this is, it remains a flawed work according to some. I didn't realize there were such sentiments until recently and then realized there are sites adding to the lore. That said, this book remains a solid read, especially watching things come together. This was the season that saw Paramount take over Desilu, Gene Coon gave way to John Meredyth Lucas, and Roddenberry largely kept his hands off most of the scripts.
While only for Star Trek fans, that audience will welcome this volume.
While only for Star Trek fans, that audience will welcome this volume.
September 4, 2019
Originally published online at BORG.com.
Marc Cushman’s second volume of These Are the Voyages, his unprecedented treatise on Star Trek, the original series, is an improvement on his first volume, reviewed last year here at borg.com, which was a thorough history of the landmark series’ first season. But where Volume 1 was a good read–an assemblage of facts from multiple sources not easily obtainable otherwise and an accounting of television history from 1966–Volume 2 qualifies a great read. With more in-depth stories, anecdotes and interviews, from original sources as well as recent reminiscences from actors and production staff, Volume 2 provides a superb history of the production of Season Two and the world of American TV studios in 1967-68.
Highlights of Season Two recounted by Cushman include key changes to the show, such as the introduction of Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov, which often led to the reduction in the roles of Sulu and Uhura. James Doohan’s Scotty was made third in command in Season Two, based on the writers’ efforts to keep Spock and Kirk together and expand the show to strange new worlds away from the Enterprise. The book includes modern accounts from the actors as they reflect back on their interpersonal relationships during production–everyone from George Takei to William Shatner seems surprised in retrospect by each other’s reported dismay during the series.
Volume 2 reveals Star Trek in its prime form—after a year of world-building in Season One, the first half of Season Two includes some of the best Star Trek episodes the series had to offer. Much of this was thanks to writer Gene L. Coon, whose selection of material lightened up the tone of the show, broadening appeal to viewers. Coon created the Klingons and the Prime Directive and the humorous relationship of Spock and McCoy. His influence can be seen in Season One’s “Space Seed” as well as Season Two’s classics “City on the Edge of Forever,” “Mirror, Mirror,” and “The Trouble With Tribbles.” Sadly his mid-season departure led to more campy elements seeping into the series toward the end of the season.
Many components spice up what could otherwise have been a bland, encyclopedic offering. The seemingly endless writing process during production that is recounted by Cushman is simply… fascinating. Robert Justman’s hilarious (but always spot-on) script notes alone make the book worth reading. The often eloquent and usually contentious back and forth battle on paper between Dorothy (D.C.) Fontana and Gene Coon and Robert Justman and Gene Roddenberry would make modern email battles seem lightweight.
The book is chock full of interviews with dozens of the guest stars, Nielsen rating statistics, press coverage, and fan club material. Although the general attitude of production staff is positive, we also get to see an almost universal raised eyebrow aimed at William Shatner for his abundance of ego, and Cushman includes pages of viewpoints based on the many one-on-one relationships of Shatner with guest stars and staffers. Cushman includes an early reference to Roddenberry seeing Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk as the Captain Horatio Hornblower of the space age, a concept picked up on by Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer years later.
One intriguing story includes the introduction of 23-year-old David Gerrold, who authored the first unsolicited script bought by the production for the series. Gerrold’s first story featured a “generation ship” called Voyager, launched from Earth more than a century before. Sound familiar? Gerrold then wrote the most famous Star Trek episode of all, “The Trouble with Tribbles,” which an NBC executive called “one of the most visually exciting and provocative Star Trek’s ever put on film,” based just on reading the screenplay. And a big reason the episode was so good? Roddenberry didn’t meddle in the script preparation because he was out of town during the production of that episode.
For some later episode accounts, Cushman could be accused of trying too hard—pushing forward the best parts of the worst episodes, when maybe the episodes should just speak for themselves. But he also knows he is writing for fans more than any objective audience, so the moderate grandstanding from time to time is excusable. And who is to say there are any “bad” episodes anyway? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or the original series Star Trek fan.
Lacking again is attention to costume preparation and design and props—there is little to no discussion included with propmaker Wah Chang or costumer William Ware Theiss, when all other grounds are well covered via archived interviews, other than some minimal commentary by guest actresses commenting on their skimpy outfits (like costumes literally glued to their skin to stay attached during filming).
Volume Two includes some real gems, like the text of a letter from Leonard Nimoy to Gene Roddenberry from 1967, after a visit to Goddard Space Flight Center in Washington, DC, where Nimoy was mobbed by droves a scientists wanting autographs, including one astronaut named John Glenn. “This was the first real taste that I had of the NASA attitude towards STAR TREK… I do not overstate the fact when I tell you that the interest in the show is so intense, that it would almost seem they feel we are a dramatization of the future of their space program… They are, in fact, proud of the show as though it in some way represents them…,” Nimoy wrote.
And did you know the AMT model kit of the Enterprise–the one kids of all ages had in the 1960s and 1970s and is still available today–was used for filming almost as much as the large production-made models?
The value of this book to any fan of the original series of Star Trek is too great to pass up. And you will find you can read a 688-page book cover to cover in only a few sittings as this reader did.
Marc Cushman’s second volume of These Are the Voyages, his unprecedented treatise on Star Trek, the original series, is an improvement on his first volume, reviewed last year here at borg.com, which was a thorough history of the landmark series’ first season. But where Volume 1 was a good read–an assemblage of facts from multiple sources not easily obtainable otherwise and an accounting of television history from 1966–Volume 2 qualifies a great read. With more in-depth stories, anecdotes and interviews, from original sources as well as recent reminiscences from actors and production staff, Volume 2 provides a superb history of the production of Season Two and the world of American TV studios in 1967-68.
Highlights of Season Two recounted by Cushman include key changes to the show, such as the introduction of Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov, which often led to the reduction in the roles of Sulu and Uhura. James Doohan’s Scotty was made third in command in Season Two, based on the writers’ efforts to keep Spock and Kirk together and expand the show to strange new worlds away from the Enterprise. The book includes modern accounts from the actors as they reflect back on their interpersonal relationships during production–everyone from George Takei to William Shatner seems surprised in retrospect by each other’s reported dismay during the series.
Volume 2 reveals Star Trek in its prime form—after a year of world-building in Season One, the first half of Season Two includes some of the best Star Trek episodes the series had to offer. Much of this was thanks to writer Gene L. Coon, whose selection of material lightened up the tone of the show, broadening appeal to viewers. Coon created the Klingons and the Prime Directive and the humorous relationship of Spock and McCoy. His influence can be seen in Season One’s “Space Seed” as well as Season Two’s classics “City on the Edge of Forever,” “Mirror, Mirror,” and “The Trouble With Tribbles.” Sadly his mid-season departure led to more campy elements seeping into the series toward the end of the season.
Many components spice up what could otherwise have been a bland, encyclopedic offering. The seemingly endless writing process during production that is recounted by Cushman is simply… fascinating. Robert Justman’s hilarious (but always spot-on) script notes alone make the book worth reading. The often eloquent and usually contentious back and forth battle on paper between Dorothy (D.C.) Fontana and Gene Coon and Robert Justman and Gene Roddenberry would make modern email battles seem lightweight.
The book is chock full of interviews with dozens of the guest stars, Nielsen rating statistics, press coverage, and fan club material. Although the general attitude of production staff is positive, we also get to see an almost universal raised eyebrow aimed at William Shatner for his abundance of ego, and Cushman includes pages of viewpoints based on the many one-on-one relationships of Shatner with guest stars and staffers. Cushman includes an early reference to Roddenberry seeing Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk as the Captain Horatio Hornblower of the space age, a concept picked up on by Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer years later.
One intriguing story includes the introduction of 23-year-old David Gerrold, who authored the first unsolicited script bought by the production for the series. Gerrold’s first story featured a “generation ship” called Voyager, launched from Earth more than a century before. Sound familiar? Gerrold then wrote the most famous Star Trek episode of all, “The Trouble with Tribbles,” which an NBC executive called “one of the most visually exciting and provocative Star Trek’s ever put on film,” based just on reading the screenplay. And a big reason the episode was so good? Roddenberry didn’t meddle in the script preparation because he was out of town during the production of that episode.
For some later episode accounts, Cushman could be accused of trying too hard—pushing forward the best parts of the worst episodes, when maybe the episodes should just speak for themselves. But he also knows he is writing for fans more than any objective audience, so the moderate grandstanding from time to time is excusable. And who is to say there are any “bad” episodes anyway? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or the original series Star Trek fan.
Lacking again is attention to costume preparation and design and props—there is little to no discussion included with propmaker Wah Chang or costumer William Ware Theiss, when all other grounds are well covered via archived interviews, other than some minimal commentary by guest actresses commenting on their skimpy outfits (like costumes literally glued to their skin to stay attached during filming).
Volume Two includes some real gems, like the text of a letter from Leonard Nimoy to Gene Roddenberry from 1967, after a visit to Goddard Space Flight Center in Washington, DC, where Nimoy was mobbed by droves a scientists wanting autographs, including one astronaut named John Glenn. “This was the first real taste that I had of the NASA attitude towards STAR TREK… I do not overstate the fact when I tell you that the interest in the show is so intense, that it would almost seem they feel we are a dramatization of the future of their space program… They are, in fact, proud of the show as though it in some way represents them…,” Nimoy wrote.
And did you know the AMT model kit of the Enterprise–the one kids of all ages had in the 1960s and 1970s and is still available today–was used for filming almost as much as the large production-made models?
The value of this book to any fan of the original series of Star Trek is too great to pass up. And you will find you can read a 688-page book cover to cover in only a few sittings as this reader did.
October 19, 2016
It was just as informative and entertaining as the Season 1 volume. I'll be starting Season 3 the next time I'm in a waiting room or movie theater. (I can't be the only person who deliberately arrives early at the movies to maximize reading time, right?)
Some of the glitches I mentioned in the Kindle version of the first volume have been cleared up. The only thing that would make it better would be color pictures instead of black and white-- though there's a certain appropriateness to the lack of color, since color tv did not arrive at my house until 1974.
An audio version would be awesome, too, with picture files included.
Some of the glitches I mentioned in the Kindle version of the first volume have been cleared up. The only thing that would make it better would be color pictures instead of black and white-- though there's a certain appropriateness to the lack of color, since color tv did not arrive at my house until 1974.
An audio version would be awesome, too, with picture files included.
July 19, 2015
I'm not sure Star Trek has ever had a "definative" history series of books before. Doctor Who did in the 90's with the Howe, Stammers and Walker Handbooks, as well as their 60's, 70's and 80's books. Maybe you can only write a really great history when the series is out of the heights of popularity.
Anyway, it's a HEAVY read (literally, the book weighs about as much as a college chemistry text), but a must read for any serious fan of the original series.
Anyway, it's a HEAVY read (literally, the book weighs about as much as a college chemistry text), but a must read for any serious fan of the original series.
June 27, 2014
Absolutely loved the first installment, and love the Season Two version as well. Can't wait for the book about Season Three. A must-read for any true Star Trek fan.
July 24, 2020
If you love “Star Trek,” and I mean REALLY love it, then you can’t miss this series by Marc Cushman.
In the second volume of “These Are The Voyages,” Cushman thoroughly and tediously profiles the story behind “Star Trek’s” second season in excruciating detail, warts and all.
And while Cushman’s writing can become redundant—see the last section on the letter writing campaign where we’re beat of the head with quotes and letters, I’m like “I get it, Marc!”—and full of typos and some questionable grammar, I gotta cut the guy some slack for the sheer amount of combing through memos and piecing together a thorough history of one of the most important shows in TV history.
Cushman also adequately defuses the myth that “Star Trek” 1) a poorly rated show and 2) that it was cancelled after the second season. During the second season, “Star Trek” was moved from the comfortable Thursday night slot to Fridays at 8:30 p.m. to face off against the juggernaut of “Gomer Pyle” and the unstoppable “CBS Friday Night Movie.” And more often than not “Trek” came in second in the ratings for at least half and in most cases its whole hour on TV. What I find interesting, that for its average of forty-something percent in the ratings across households watching in America, no one still talks about “Gomer Pyle.” Who wants to live in a world of 60 years of “Gomer Pyle” spinoffs anyway, although that may be where we’re at now in real life, but I digress.
Also interesting was that NBC never officially cancelled “Star Trek.” It wasn’t on the schedule after the second season finished, and according to Cushman, the network was still debating on making the call to cancel or renew, although Roddenberry was pretty good at digging himself a grave with the network. And in spite of second place ratings, it’s surprising to learn that NBC rarely if ever did any promotion for the show.
An intense and meticulous read not made for the casual Trek fan, Cushman’s work serves as a college course in not only “Star Trek,” but the making of television and television history.
Four stars.
In the second volume of “These Are The Voyages,” Cushman thoroughly and tediously profiles the story behind “Star Trek’s” second season in excruciating detail, warts and all.
And while Cushman’s writing can become redundant—see the last section on the letter writing campaign where we’re beat of the head with quotes and letters, I’m like “I get it, Marc!”—and full of typos and some questionable grammar, I gotta cut the guy some slack for the sheer amount of combing through memos and piecing together a thorough history of one of the most important shows in TV history.
Cushman also adequately defuses the myth that “Star Trek” 1) a poorly rated show and 2) that it was cancelled after the second season. During the second season, “Star Trek” was moved from the comfortable Thursday night slot to Fridays at 8:30 p.m. to face off against the juggernaut of “Gomer Pyle” and the unstoppable “CBS Friday Night Movie.” And more often than not “Trek” came in second in the ratings for at least half and in most cases its whole hour on TV. What I find interesting, that for its average of forty-something percent in the ratings across households watching in America, no one still talks about “Gomer Pyle.” Who wants to live in a world of 60 years of “Gomer Pyle” spinoffs anyway, although that may be where we’re at now in real life, but I digress.
Also interesting was that NBC never officially cancelled “Star Trek.” It wasn’t on the schedule after the second season finished, and according to Cushman, the network was still debating on making the call to cancel or renew, although Roddenberry was pretty good at digging himself a grave with the network. And in spite of second place ratings, it’s surprising to learn that NBC rarely if ever did any promotion for the show.
An intense and meticulous read not made for the casual Trek fan, Cushman’s work serves as a college course in not only “Star Trek,” but the making of television and television history.
Four stars.
December 23, 2017
A fascinating inside look at the making of one of the best tv series of all time (this volume focusing on the second season and the fan campaign to keep the show on the year for a third). But it’s for the true fan (or the television historian). The details are a double edged sword and are both the book’s advantages and disadvantages.
July 7, 2017
As with the first installment covering the first season of Star Trek, this one was just as good with the behind the scenes look at each episode and how it came to be.
Definitely a book for Star Trek fans and highly recommended.
Definitely a book for Star Trek fans and highly recommended.
November 2, 2017
A great follow up to the first volume. More of the same in depth coverage of the development of each episode, along with some chapters on other topics dealing with the second season, including the letter writing campaign that saved the show from cancellation after the second season.
May 14, 2020
Again, much like the first, the best behind the scenes book of Star Trek TOS out there. Many consider the second season the best and after reading this book, it's amazing that the season even got done.
January 16, 2019
Again, good writing makes this such a better book than it has any right to be!
January 14, 2021
Great inside look, background, cast, etc. of each episode in Season 2 of Star Trek: The Original Series
June 30, 2025
More of the same with this detailed fine tooth combe dissection of Star Trek’s second season. The creative team are fully into their stride with this season.
December 30, 2020
Recommended to anyone wanting a deep dive into either Star Trek TOS or the tv production process. Raises good questions about the purpose of commercial tv.
July 17, 2015
That not all has been said about Star Trek is proven by this book by Marc Cushman and, like all good historical studies, it nearly took us 50 years to finally come closer to the truth. For about 5 decades all people who have been involved in the making of the series have had their say, rehashing the same old anecdotes and rumours, a certain Mr Shatner on top.
The rumour that Trek was a failure in the ratings is debunked by Cushman who actually looked them up. In those days the guest stars were well-known actors, although they nowadays are just a name from a list. Thanks to Cushman to put them again in the spotlight. Seen with sixties glasses the stories were often, but not always, interesting, thought-provoking and even controversial. By quoting from the internal production memos between the holy trinity of Trek I learned that the team was well aware of those flaws in the scenarios we still nit-pick about on forums today.
These internal memos are witty, ironic, sardonic at places and pretty insulting for the original writer of the script. Official memos to the authors invariably started with the fact that their story was excellent, but these internal documents tell something else. Huge rewrites were done, mostly for the better, but this wasn't always liked by the original authors. And of course Rodenberry's ego and self-esteem had the dimensions of a Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal.
The main question is: if the show was that successful why on earth would someone try to torpedo a hit? Roddenberry’s biggest enemy was himself. He was a big mouth, he pissed TV executives and script writers off and that was enough to put him and his series on a virtual blacklist, despite a million letters 'save Star Trek' campaign.
The rumour that Trek was a failure in the ratings is debunked by Cushman who actually looked them up. In those days the guest stars were well-known actors, although they nowadays are just a name from a list. Thanks to Cushman to put them again in the spotlight. Seen with sixties glasses the stories were often, but not always, interesting, thought-provoking and even controversial. By quoting from the internal production memos between the holy trinity of Trek I learned that the team was well aware of those flaws in the scenarios we still nit-pick about on forums today.
These internal memos are witty, ironic, sardonic at places and pretty insulting for the original writer of the script. Official memos to the authors invariably started with the fact that their story was excellent, but these internal documents tell something else. Huge rewrites were done, mostly for the better, but this wasn't always liked by the original authors. And of course Rodenberry's ego and self-esteem had the dimensions of a Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal.
The main question is: if the show was that successful why on earth would someone try to torpedo a hit? Roddenberry’s biggest enemy was himself. He was a big mouth, he pissed TV executives and script writers off and that was enough to put him and his series on a virtual blacklist, despite a million letters 'save Star Trek' campaign.
May 24, 2015
I found this book impossible to put down. It's a wonderful tribute to a show that has made a huge impact on my life, and to everyone involved with it. Even the guest stars talk about what a wonderful experience it was for them to be on Star Trek, and how even now they are still recognized for the parts they played.
Cushman describes the show from every angle, through interviews with cast members, fans, and people involved with the production, articles, advertising, production notes, script notes. In short, he examined everything he could get his hands on to try to present as balanced a view of the series as possible. He makes no bones about the fact that Gene Roddenberry may have been blinded by his love for Majel Barrett in making decisions about his company, Lincoln Enterprises, that he set up to sell Star Trek souvenirs, nor that Roddenberry was always looking out for a way to make money from the show. At the same time, he acknowledges Roddenberry's creative genius and life force that carried the show forward despite constant battles with the network and the studio.
He examines the complaints against William Shatner by members of the supporting cast, some of which are supported by guest stars, while at the same time presenting examples fo Shatner's genius as an actor and his dedication to the show as well.
This is a wonderful book and a must for any Star Trek fan who wants to know more about the story behind such wonderful episodes as "The Trouble with Tribbles," "Journey to Babel," and Amok Time."
Cushman describes the show from every angle, through interviews with cast members, fans, and people involved with the production, articles, advertising, production notes, script notes. In short, he examined everything he could get his hands on to try to present as balanced a view of the series as possible. He makes no bones about the fact that Gene Roddenberry may have been blinded by his love for Majel Barrett in making decisions about his company, Lincoln Enterprises, that he set up to sell Star Trek souvenirs, nor that Roddenberry was always looking out for a way to make money from the show. At the same time, he acknowledges Roddenberry's creative genius and life force that carried the show forward despite constant battles with the network and the studio.
He examines the complaints against William Shatner by members of the supporting cast, some of which are supported by guest stars, while at the same time presenting examples fo Shatner's genius as an actor and his dedication to the show as well.
This is a wonderful book and a must for any Star Trek fan who wants to know more about the story behind such wonderful episodes as "The Trouble with Tribbles," "Journey to Babel," and Amok Time."
May 5, 2015
This is a bittersweet one. It covers the "good season" of Star Trek, and provides legit insight into exactly why it was so good: basically the troika of Gene Coon, Bob Justman, and DC Fontana, in a series of acerbic memos all lovingly reproduced, destroyed one another's egos and constructed taut, funny, weird scripts from the ashes of failed premises, all under the increasingly paranoid/megalomaniacal supervision of Gene Roddenberry and his requests to make the scripts more weird and sexual/sexist. It is the story of a show that is working very well, collective creativity as it kind of should happen always, and the story of the weird sacrifices of health, energy, and ego necessary to keep the show working very well despite the network's undisguised efforts to kill it off in order not to have to work with Gene Roddenberry anymore. The abrupt and furious departure of Coon and the shifting power dynamic--Roddenberry's "catspaw," John Meredyth Lucas, shoved into the mix, to uncertain results--sets an ominous tone for the third book.
Marring the glory is a lot of material about Star Trek merchandising and different magazine articles that were published about the principal cast, all of which seems hateful and depressing. I was interested in the parts about Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley's "man's lunch" behind various soundstage buildings, eating barbecue from a horrible cauldron, and would have liked more of this material.
Marring the glory is a lot of material about Star Trek merchandising and different magazine articles that were published about the principal cast, all of which seems hateful and depressing. I was interested in the parts about Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley's "man's lunch" behind various soundstage buildings, eating barbecue from a horrible cauldron, and would have liked more of this material.
August 4, 2014
The second volume of Marc Cushman's labor of love regarding Star Trek: The Original Series is as amazing as the first ... if you have any interest in Classic Trek, or in how television was produced and brought to air in the 1960s, you will love reading these books.
I have nothing but praise, and I'm going to basically reprint my review of Volume One (Season 1) with minor changes to reflect this second book / (Season 2).
"Words fail me ... but I'll do my humble best. What you have here is the undeniable masterful result of years of interviews and research, along with unfettered access to the memos of the producers, writers and creators of STAR TREK during the three years of production. And it is an addictive read that will make you instantly want to re-watch Trek's second season.
Yes, that's right. This is only Volume Two of Three. Over 2,000 pages or more will be on display at the close of the project.
As a young adult, I treasured books such as THE MAKING OF STAR TREK and THE WORLD OF STAR TREK, but I have to say ... this one has both of them beat.
And Robert "Bob" Justman, one of Trek's producers, should have a collection of nothing but his smart-ass memos collected. He's laugh out loud funny as he offers up suggestions, critiques, and worries regarding production costs of each and every Trek episode. I enjoyed his voice tremendously!
I have nothing but praise, and I'm going to basically reprint my review of Volume One (Season 1) with minor changes to reflect this second book / (Season 2).
"Words fail me ... but I'll do my humble best. What you have here is the undeniable masterful result of years of interviews and research, along with unfettered access to the memos of the producers, writers and creators of STAR TREK during the three years of production. And it is an addictive read that will make you instantly want to re-watch Trek's second season.
Yes, that's right. This is only Volume Two of Three. Over 2,000 pages or more will be on display at the close of the project.
As a young adult, I treasured books such as THE MAKING OF STAR TREK and THE WORLD OF STAR TREK, but I have to say ... this one has both of them beat.
And Robert "Bob" Justman, one of Trek's producers, should have a collection of nothing but his smart-ass memos collected. He's laugh out loud funny as he offers up suggestions, critiques, and worries regarding production costs of each and every Trek episode. I enjoyed his voice tremendously!
October 9, 2014
This is a must-have for fans of the show, or even those interested in the workings of television, the pop culture of the time. (Noting in passing, I KNEW they must have had to clear legal with Robert Heinlein to do The Trouble with Tribbles, who sounds like he was very gracious about it.)
It continues with a very deep drill-down on each show, a little bit about the scripts that didn't pass muster, the guest stars, and ends with the incredible letter-writing campaign by fans that helped convince NBC to NOT pull the plug on the show, and that whole, tense, are-we-being-cancelled-or-not waiting period for the crew and production team.
It doesn't hesitate to point out the flaws in people like Gene Roddenberry and his obsession with making certain episodes, like The Omega Glory, which would come around and bite him later.
Like I did when I read the first volume, I'd read a chapter, then watch the episode, so it took me a long time to get through it, but added immeasurably to my enjoyment of the program.
Disclaimer: Marc Cushman and Sue Osborn are personal friends, but I don't give five star reviews to just anyone, friend or not. This is truly a fact-filled, interesting and informative read.
It continues with a very deep drill-down on each show, a little bit about the scripts that didn't pass muster, the guest stars, and ends with the incredible letter-writing campaign by fans that helped convince NBC to NOT pull the plug on the show, and that whole, tense, are-we-being-cancelled-or-not waiting period for the crew and production team.
It doesn't hesitate to point out the flaws in people like Gene Roddenberry and his obsession with making certain episodes, like The Omega Glory, which would come around and bite him later.
Like I did when I read the first volume, I'd read a chapter, then watch the episode, so it took me a long time to get through it, but added immeasurably to my enjoyment of the program.
Disclaimer: Marc Cushman and Sue Osborn are personal friends, but I don't give five star reviews to just anyone, friend or not. This is truly a fact-filled, interesting and informative read.
February 21, 2015
If you liked the first book, then reading this one is a no-brainer. I've always loved this series but I was too young to experience it when it first aired: these books take you back to that time. In this second volume, Mr. Cushman does another great job of describing the story evolution and the filming process for each of the second season episodes. He gives details of behind the scenes conflicts between the two Genes, Coon and Roddenberry, and between the show's producers and the studio. Perhaps more impressively he addresses many things that have been said over the years about William Shatner's relationships with guest stars and other actors in a balanced and even-handed manner. I will most definitely be on board when the third book is launched.
September 6, 2014
Another excellent book in this series on Star Trek's original TV show. I honestly can't wait to read the third volume.
I gotta say though that I have a hard time seeing how Trek lasted as long as it did; Gene Roddenberry really hamstrung himself with his ego. I had read brief glimpses of that in some of the cast memoirs, but if this hadn't been such a revolutionary concept, it would have been DOA after season one.
This book has the same, balanced attention to detail as the previous volume. Recommended!
I gotta say though that I have a hard time seeing how Trek lasted as long as it did; Gene Roddenberry really hamstrung himself with his ego. I had read brief glimpses of that in some of the cast memoirs, but if this hadn't been such a revolutionary concept, it would have been DOA after season one.
This book has the same, balanced attention to detail as the previous volume. Recommended!
October 2, 2014
Above all else, this book is a lot of fun to read. Even the most ardent Star Trek fan will find something new and exciting about their favorite entertainment in the pages of These Are the Voyages. And, as mentioned above, season 3 has even more to talk about. I am very fascinated to learn more about that troubled season, and I am very much looking forward to the third and final volume of These Are the Voyages: TOS.
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2014/09/t...
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2014/09/t...
April 21, 2016
I can't say how much I enjoyed this book. As with the first one, it taught me a lot that I never knew about the making of Star Trek. It got into a lot of detail on the struggles with the authors, the network, and do usual bugaboo money. If you're A fan of the original Star Trek, and even if you have read numerous making out books and heard stories, you owe it to yourself to read this series. I've been a fan for my entire life and I learned a lot from these.
July 27, 2014
As with the first, an absolutely mind-boggling amount of information and detail covering the creation of the second season of Star Trek's original series. If you're the kind of hardcore trek geek that might find this behind-the-scenes stuff interesting, these books are the top of the stack. Looking forward to the third volume when it's released.
July 27, 2014
This follow up to Volume 1 recaps all of the second season episodes of Star Trek, the original series. Like volume #1 ,it's an essential read for all ST fans. Filled with incredible detail, it also exposes the widely believed myths that the show had low ratings and had did not have a huge fan following from the get go.
March 26, 2016
Very informative book on what happened behind the scenes
The level of detail can be somewhat overwhelming, especially when it comes to the frequent dissection of the ratings. There are also parts that are repetitive. The book does do an excellent job dissecting the development notes between the writers, producers, and the network executive.
The level of detail can be somewhat overwhelming, especially when it comes to the frequent dissection of the ratings. There are also parts that are repetitive. The book does do an excellent job dissecting the development notes between the writers, producers, and the network executive.
November 28, 2015
Read all about it! Star Trek picked up for a third season!
Man! Finding out and learning about each episode of Star Trek is so exciting! I can't wait for the third book. Already have it to read it!
This is an excellent series!
Man! Finding out and learning about each episode of Star Trek is so exciting! I can't wait for the third book. Already have it to read it!
This is an excellent series!
September 8, 2016
Just as he did in the first volume, Cushman gives a detailed account of the production of Star Trek's second season, and he doesn't shy away from controversy. Again, a must for those interested not only in ST, but also in the history of tv production.
December 5, 2015
Gritty technical and anecdotal detail behind the making of every episode of ST TOS. Includes backstories, period context, budgets, evolution of stories from drafts to screenplay, etc... Very satisfying if you are a Star Trek loving, obsessive completist!
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