I watched Star Trek only occasionally when it was on NBC; I was more interested in shows like Combat! and The Rat Patrol. By the time I was in junior high, I was into science in general and astronomy and the space program in particular (thanks largely to watching The Time Tunnel).
Star Trek had been on WTCN 11 in Minneapolis ever since it went into syndication, five days a week and always in the late afternoon. The first episode I watched in 1969 was “The Doomsday Machine,” largely because it was a boring, gloomy afternoon (the day after Thanksgiving, IIRC) and nothing else was on. I watched the next episode, and the next one after that, and finally found myself hooked. From that time on I watched it whenever it was on and didn’t miss an episode until I took a trip to Chicago in May 1973.
I was lucky to start watching it in the middle of the second season, since that’s when some of the series’ best episodes were produced.
Time Tunnel is so inaccurate in terms of both science and history that it should be classified as fantasy, rather than science fiction. But I still get a kick out of watching it, even with all its silver-skinned aliens and Doug and Tony’s clothes that never got dirty.
I first realized (at the age of 12) how surreal Time Tunnel was when I was watching the “Battle of Jericho” episode, and that week’s guest star strode into his tent and said “I am Joshua, commander of the Israelites!”
Uh, wait a minute … how come you speak perfect 20th century American English?
I guess the Tunnel provided automatic translations along with visuals in the Image Area.
Star Trek: The Motionless Picture
Star Trek II: Spock Dies
Star Trek III: Spock Gets Laid
Star Trek IV: Save the Whales, Man
Star Trek V: Shatner Happens
Star Trek VI: The Apology
School didn’t let out until 3:35 and I was lucky if I got home before 4:15-4:20*, so I missed the beginning of every episode for quite a number of years. They made a lot more sense once I saw the whole episode!
*I rolled my eyes at “after school specials” that started at three. Maybe those la-di-da big city kids have short days, but we had things to learn!
I don’t know if Reed was the critic in the OP, but I lost all respect for him when he declared River’s Edge one of the worst movies of the year because it was just so depressing that he didn’t want anything to do with it. Shallow moron.