Question: Did actor Robert Lansing ever make any comments on Star Trek in general or "Assignment: Earth" (TOS S2E26) in particular? His co-star in this episode/pilot, Teri Garr, had a sour, cynical and dismissive opinion of "Assignment: Earth" and Star Trek fandom (Starlog #173). But what was Robert Lansing's feeling about his experience on Star Trek? Did he like it, hate it, was he excited about the prospect of entering into the new "Gary Seven" series; or, like Teri Garr, was Lansing glad to put it behind him? I've never seen or heard anything about Lansing's personal views on the show.
Charles Austin Miller
4th Aug 2020
Star Trek (1966)
26th Mar 2018
Star Trek (1966)
Continuity mistake: An Orion spy (disguised as an Andorian) attacks Captain Kirk in the corridor on Deck 5 and plainly stabs Kirk in the back on the right side. As he staggers to his feet, Kirk first reaches to the wound with his right hand, indicating that it is, indeed, on the right side of his back. He then reaches far across his back with his left hand to touch the wound, and we see blood on the back of his hand (but not on his sleeve). So, it is visually established that the wound is on the right side of his back. But, a few moments later in SickBay, Dr. McCoy announces that Kirk's wound is a "puncture to the left lung." Then, later in the episode, Kirk his holding his left arm as though he is suffering pain on the left side.
26th Mar 2018
Star Trek (1966)
Trivia: This episode (which first aired on October 27, 1967) was the only "holiday-themed" episode of Star Trek TOS. It was supposed to be a Halloween-ish story with witches, a spooky castle, black cats, skeletons and zombies, and there are repeated references to Halloween and "Trick-or-Treat" throughout the episode.
25th Mar 2018
Star Trek (1966)
Deliberate mistake: At the very end, the Talosians send a final visual transmission of Vina and Christopher Pike, now whole and happy and reunited after 13 years, holding hands as they enter the Talosian elevator in the hillside. However, in this last shot, the elevator is still half-disintegrated, exactly as it was 13 years earlier when the Enterprise crew destroyed the hillside with a laser cannon. Within the context of "The Menagerie" storyline, this suggests that the Talosians never attempted to repair the elevator for 13 years (even though they continued using it). This incongruity is due to Gene Roddenberry cannibalizing his Star Trek pilot "The Cage," which contained zero footage of Jeffrey Hunter and Susan Oliver entering the intact elevator together (only the destroyed elevator). So, Roddenberry deliberately tried to "slip one by" the audience in this brief shot.
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Suggested correction: There are reasons why the elevator would appear damaged. As the Talosians were in control of everything shown on the ship's viewer, the entire scene could be an illusion, or at least the elevator's condition may have been, with the Talosians choosing to allow the viewers to see the elevator in the same condition they last saw it. Just as likely, however, is that the Talosians truly never did reconstruct the elevator, as the whole point of their having a menagerie of other beings was an attempt to breed a race that could physically serve them, for their concentration on their mental powers had led to a complete inability and unwillingness to perform physical tasks (like repairing an elevator).
Still, as long as the Talosians are creating the illusion of Christopher Pike and Vina in their "restored" bodies, why not create an illusion of the elevator and hillside restored, as well? One big illusion of restoration, rather than a composite of dismal reality and happy-ending illusion? Again, to the point of my original post, the obvious incongruity is due to Roddenberry using the only happy-ending footage he possessed, that of Pike and Vina entering the half-obliterated elevator as they did at the end of "The Cage." Certainly, if Roddenberry only had the foresight to shoot Jeffrey Hunter and Susan Oliver entering the intact elevator, he would have used that footage instead. Any attempt to explain away the 13-year incongruity is mere wishful thinking.
This would qualify as a question, not a mistake. It is entirely plausible that the Talosians wouldn't bother to repair the elevator. It's also possible, as the previous correction points out, that the entire scene is an illusion. Remember, Captain Kirk sees Vina and Pike together on the planet literally moments after Spock wheels Pike out of the room. It's unlikely Pike had already been beamed down.
25th Mar 2018
Star Trek (1966)
Revealing mistake: When the Talosians place Christopher Pike and Vina into the "picnic" illusion (in the countryside on Earth), Pike wanders around marveling at how real it all seems. Well, "real" except for the fact that Pike's body is casting 4 distinct shadows in 4 different directions on the ground, the result of studio set lighting.
30th Nov 2016
Star Trek (1966)
Factual error: In the opening sequence, Spock identifies the alien ship as possessing "ion propulsion" which he says is "unique technology." Scotty is similarly impressed and says, "They could teach us a thing or two!" Kirk later comments that "Advanced ion propulsion is beyond even our capabilities." However, even back in the 1960s, ion propulsion was physically feasible, while Warp propulsion was complete fantasy. Ion propulsion of any kind could never even reach lightspeed and would be incredibly primitive compared to Warp technology. In fact, we in the 21st Century have already developed ion propulsion, but it will probably take many hundreds or thousands of years to develop anything even close to Warp technology.
10th Oct 2016
Star Trek (1966)
Continuity mistake: In the 40th Anniversary release of the complete original series, this episode opens with Scotty at the conn, making an extended log entry, wearing his third-season swept-back hairstyle, and it is very obvious that he is visually mouthing several completely different sentences than we hear in the audio. After the opening credits roll, we next see Scotty wearing his more typical relaxed hairstyle with slight bangs. It is apparent that, in remastering and editing this episode, they inserted footage of Scotty from another episode altogether. For whatever reason, it is a glaring mistake of both continuity and audio editing.
10th Oct 2016
Star Trek (1966)
Continuity mistake: Just before Parmen starts mind-controlling Kirk, McCoy and Spock, he presents them with three gifts. Kirk receives a large, gold Greek shield, which the captain holds with both hands, in front of him, as the lengthy scene continues. In the wide shot, Kirk is holding the shield high up on his chest, completely obscuring his Federation insignia. In subsequent close-ups, Kirk is holding the shield down low, around waist-level, fully exposing his chest and insignia. Every time the camera cuts back to wide-shot, Kirk is again holding the shield up high on his chest.
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Answer: Robert Lansing said, in an interview, he was reluctant to a television series. He was a Broadway actor and was snobbish about T.V. Especially science fiction shows, which were considered cheesy kiddie programs. But Gene was a friend of his and wrote the part specifically for him. So he did it and admitted to having fun with it.
Thank you, I've always wondered about that. Is there a link to the Robert Lansing interview? I'd be very interested to read it or view it (if it's a video).
Charles Austin Miller