Series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 1, Episode 1
Original Air Date: September 8, 1966
Star Trek first aired on a Thursday night. While not the first to be filmed, "The Man Trap" was the episode chosen to introduce the Enterprise and her crew to the NBC television audience. On board that first night were a few of what would become very familiar faces: Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Lt. Sulu (George Takei).
For its first televised adventure, the crew visits the planet M-113 for routine medical exams of an archaeologist and his wife. Not all is as it seems, however, as the wife is actually a shapeshifting monster who craves salt and is willing to kill to get it, sucking it out of her victims through her fingers - a sort of extra-terrestrial vampire. For me, the episode's most amusing moment is when Kirk says he doesn't like mysteries. Little did he know then, probably a majority of Trek episodes over the years to follow would essentially be mystery stories!
William Shatner was born to a Jewish family in Montreal in 1931. He, not Patrick Stewart, was the first Shakespearean-trained actor to play captain of the Enterprise, performing with the Stratford Festival of Canada beginning in 1954. He had his first big feature film role in 1958's The Brothers Karamozov, playing the part of Alexei. He gained a reputation for dependability and a willingness to take pretty much any part offered to him. He drew steady, though mostly low-profile work in both film and television before the role of James T. Kirk came to him in 1966.
There was an incredible energy in that 1st series. The bridge set had to be rebuilt several times because the original cast chewed it up. It was just chairs and a big view-screen really, but the cast sent our imaginations across galaxies. I was a teenager and had never seen the like.
ReplyDeleteIn my late '70s boyhood, Trek had stiff competition from Star Wars but I, too, enjoyed the original series in reruns. I don't know it as well as I know TNG so I'm enjoying exploring it again.
DeletePrior to Star Trek, didn't Shatner star in a movie with its dialogue spoken entirely in Esperanto? (Not able to check right now...) His several Twilight Zone appearences -- as well as an Outer Limits, I think -- were classic, too.
ReplyDeleteKudos on the restraint shown by not posting the obligatory pic of the salt-vampire... :-)
Why yes, he did! The film was called Incubus - 1966, just before Trek, in fact. No, I've never see it.
DeleteI remember that episode. The salt sucking always freaked me out when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteYes, definitely creepy.
DeleteAs small as my exposure has been to the series, I too have seen this ep. Not a fave.
ReplyDeleteI will say, though, that I really dig Shatner's Kirk. My husband recently read his memoir and thoroughly enjoyed the guy's worldview.
I do know there are better ones to come.
DeleteI love Kirk, too, though for me, the real star of the originals is Spock.
Ok, I need to visit the salt lick now.
ReplyDeleteHey, we just traveled through your part of the world. My wife is from northwest Indiana and we visited her family.
DeleteThis was one of my favorite episodes back in the day. I was fascinated by the salt vampire. I'm still very fond of Shatner's Kirk, though I no longer think I will marry him someday :-)
ReplyDeleteHe is currently taken. Too bad - great gold digger opportunity! ;)
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