Release News

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2 Press Release Suggests Studio Preparing Animated Series, DS9 for Blu-ray

By brenden ⋅ August 6, 2009 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Has anyone else been talking about this online? I haven’t seen a single post about the fact that the Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2 Blu-ray Box set includes an episode of the Star Trek Animated Series in HD! Holy crap!

This show was so cool back in the day. Never mind that the actual animation was complete garbage. Never mind that Chekov was suspiciously absent from the show. Focus instead on the awesome stories crafted by the team that made the original series and the fact that almost all the actors from the live action show returned to voice the animated versions of their characters! So cool.

So, it looks like this new Blu-ray set from Paramount devotes an entire disc to the famous Trouble with Tribbles episode of the Original Series. And as part of the celebration of said episode, they include the “sequel” animated episode, More Tribbles, More Troubles (watch a preview up above). Both were written by David Gerrold who provides commentary for each episode (watch the Comic-Con preview in our previous post).

Another Blu-ray first in this box, as well as another celebration of everything Tribble is the first ever Deep Space Nine episode in HD. While I’m far from being a fan of this show, I’m more than happy to have the excellent Trials and Tribble-ations included in this set. It took a cross-over episode featuring Kirk and Spock to make DS9 palatable for me. But wow, what an episode!

Paramount isn’t missing a step here. I still marvel at the near-perfect Season 1 box set on an almost daily basis. The inclusion of the tribble sequels, both animated and DS9 just seals the deal for me. This box set just may be my pick for best of the year!

Now, I eagerly anticipate the release of all 22 Star Trek Animated episodes on Blu-ray. C’mon Paramount. Don’t be a tease! I’m waiting…

UPDATE: Bill Hunt at The Digital Bits has confirmed with CBS/Paramount that “this is merely a 1080p upconvert from the original 480 digital master - not a full HD rebuild, a la TOS Remastered” Sigh. Oh well. I’m assuming he’s talking about the DS9 episode here, seeing as how it was originally rendered out at 480p and that the Animated Series can be easily transfered to HD from its original film elements. Still pretty happy to have the content, despite the original resolution…

STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SEASON TWO

Street Date: September 22, 2009
Pricing: $118.99 US/ $136.99 CAN
Runtime: Approx. 22 hours

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Experience one of the greatest action-adventure sagas like never before when the thrilling second season of STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES blasts onto Blu-ray disc September 22 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment.

The seven-disc set features all 26 sophomore season episodes, each with superior picture and pristine audio, bringing fans closer than ever to the history and characters of STAR TREK®. An entire disc is dedicated to “The Trouble With Tribbles,” arguably the franchise’s most famous episode for its depiction of the cute and fuzzy, though ultimately quite dangerous, creatures.

Starring one of the most endearing casts in television history - led by William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan and Nichelle Nichols - STAR TREK® is a worldwide phenomenon and served as a launching pad for numerous television series and feature films, including this year’s J.J. Abrams-directed mega-blockbuster.

Offering the best of both worlds, the second season Blu-ray release of STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES features Seamless Branching technology that allows fans to toggle between the newly-enhanced and original special effects. In addition, the series is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, the best sound format possible, with the option to select mono as heard on the series’ original television airings.

Beyond the Tribble-specific bonus disc, this set also includes “Starfleet Access” content on select episodes which provides fans with special pop-up trivia and picture-in-picture video commentaries, rare on-set home movie footage and new special features on BD Live. Also, every disc is Mobile Blu™ enabled. Once downloaded, Mobile Blu™ allows Trekkies to turn their iPhones into Blu-ray player remote controls and download exclusive featurettes for on-the-go entertainment. The definitive release that fans have been waiting for, STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SEASON TWO BLU-RAY will be available for the suggested retail price of $118.99 US and $136.99 CAN. Exclusive Star Trek Monopoly cards will also be included in early shipments of the Blu-ray set, while supplies last.

STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SEASON TWO BLU-RAY is a seven disc set presented in the original 4:3 aspect ratio with English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Original 2.0 Mono, Spanish 2.0 Mono and French 2.0 Mono sound. STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SEASON TWO BLU-RAY is not rated in the U.S. and rated G in Canada. The total running time is approximately 22 hours. The Blu-ray disc breakdown is as follows:

• Disc 1:
  • Amok Time
  • Who Mourns for Adonais?
  • The Changeling
  • Mirror, Mirror
  • Special Features:
    • Preview trailers for each episode
    • Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories Part 2 (HD)
  • Starfleet Access episode - Amok Time
  • BD Live and Mobile Blu™ enabled
  • Content To Go™ exclusively via Mobile Blu™
    • Writing Spock

• Disc 2:
  • The Apple
  • The Doomsday Machine
  • Catspaw
  • I, Mudd
  • Metamorphosis
  • Special Features:
    • Preview trailers for each episode
  • BD Live and Mobile Blu™ enabled
  • Content To Go™ exclusively via Mobile Blu™
    • Creating Chekov

• Disc 3:
  • Journal to Babel
  • Friday’s Child
  • The Deadly Years
  • Obsession
  • Wolf in the Fold
  • Special Features:
    • Preview trailers for each episode
  • BD Live and Mobile Blu™ enabled
  • Content To Go™ exclusively via Mobile Blu™
    • Listening to the Actors

  Disc 4:

  • The Trouble With Tribbles
    • Special Feature: Brand New Audio Commentary by David Gerrold
  • Special Features:
    • The Trouble With Tribbles preview trailer
    • More Tribbles, More Troubles Episode From Star Trek®: The Animated Series (HD)
      • Audio Commentary by David Gerrold
    • Trials And Tribble-ations From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine® (HD)
    • Trials And Tribble-ations: Uniting Two Legends
    • Trials And Tribble-ations: An Historic Endeavor
    • Star Trek®: The Original Series On Blu-ray
  • Starfleet Access episode - The Trouble With Tribbles
  • BD Live and Mobile Blu™ enabled
  • Content To Go™ exclusively via Mobile Blu™
    • Spock’s Mother

  Disc 5:

  • The Gamesters Of Triskelion
  • A Piece Of The Action
  • The Immunity Syndrome
  • A Private Little War
  • Special Features:
    • Preview trailers for each episode
    • “To Boldly Go…” Season Two
  • BD Live and Mobile Blu™ enabled

  Disc 6:

  • Return To Tomorrow
  • Patterns Of Force
  • By Any Other Name
  • The Omega Glory
  • Special Features:
    • Preview trailers for each episode
    • Designing the Final Frontier
  • BD Live and Mobile Blu™ enabled

  Disc 7:

  • The Ultimate Computer
  • Bread And Circuses
  • Assignment: Earth
  • Special Features:
    • Preview trailers for each episode
    • Star Trek®’s Favorite Moments
    • Writer’s Notebook: D.C. Fontana
    • Life Beyond Trek: Leonard Nimoy
    • Kirk, Spock & Bones: Star Trek®’s Great Trio
    • Star Trek®’s Divine Diva: Nichelle Nichols
    • Enhanced Visual Effects Credits
  • BD Live and Mobile Blu™ enabled

CBS Home Entertainment manages the worldwide DVD and Blu-ray businesses for the CBS Corporation across all lines of content including current hits and classic series from the vast CBS library, as well as new releases from Showtime Video.

Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. PHE is responsible for the worldwide sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products on behalf of various parties including: Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Studios, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS, PBS and Hasbro and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment.

Tags: Animation, Box set, David Gerrold, Paramount, Star Trek, Trouble With Tribbles, TV, TV Shows