# Settle a "Star Trek" argument **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 27, 2007, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731 "2007-09-27T20:48:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/1 "2007-09-27T20:48:12Z")
My roommate asserts that early episodes of Trek in the first season were originally shown in black and white, and later colorized. He also said he owns a DVD with b&w episodes. I say he’s crazy-- although the pilot MIGHT have been in black and white, I’ve never seen a b&w TOS episode unless it was in on a b&w TV set, and since Trek was in the late '67s, I was pretty TV shows were in color by then. Tell me I’m right. TELL ME. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/2 "2007-09-27T20:54:07Z")
I saw them in black and white – but only because we had a black and white TV\*. I fairly certain that they always broadcast Star Trek in color. \*Watching Star Trek on a black and white TV ids like readinf E.E. Smith by gaslight, which I’m sure was done. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/3 "2007-09-27T20:54:26Z")
There’s just the black and white pilot, The Cage, which was not aired in the 60’s. Footage of it was used in the episode The Menagerie but it was in color. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/4 "2007-09-27T20:56:31Z")
What **JSG** said. Seems that only the [pilot](http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/DVD) episode was originally B&W. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/5 "2007-09-27T20:58:30Z")
My roommate and I are both very stubborn when we’re convinced we’re in the right. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/6 "2007-09-27T21:13:30Z")
My family motto is “Often wrong, but never uncertain.” ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/7 "2007-09-27T21:29:55Z")
[QUOTE=C K Dexter Haven] My family motto is “Often wrong, but never uncertain.” [/QUOTE] [Gratuitous political potshot] Yeah-- and Bush’s too.[/GPR] :: rimshot :: ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/8 "2007-09-27T22:47:43Z")
“The Cage” on the DVD set is in black & white because they used Roddenberry’s work print of the episode. The only parts of “The Cage” that were ever aired on broadcast (shown as portions of an actual episode (“The Menagerie”)) were in color. Therefore there never was any B&W Star Trek (except, as noted, on B&W televisions). By 1966 (Star Trek’s premiere season), all 3 networks had full prime-time lineups of color programs. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/9 "2007-09-27T22:55:03Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] \*Watching Star Trek on a black and white TV ids like reading E.E. Smith by gaslight, which I’m sure was done. [/QUOTE] Dang, that was FUNNY! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/10 "2007-09-27T23:04:32Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] “The Cage” on the DVD set is in black & white because they used Roddenberry’s work print of the episode. The only parts of “The Cage” that were ever aired on broadcast (shown as portions of an actual episode (“The Menagerie”)) were in color. [/QUOTE] Now that is not quite true. While The Cage was never broadcast during the show’s original run, it was included in syndication in 80’s. So black and white version of The Cage has been broadcast. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/11 "2007-09-27T23:07:53Z")
[QUOTE=Just Some Guy] Now that is not quite true. While The Cage was never broadcast during the show’s original run, it was included in syndication in 80’s. So black and white version of The Cage has been broadcast. [/QUOTE] True. I had assumed that **Askia’s** roommate was talking about original-run, but there’s really nothing in the OP that necessarily limits it to that. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/12 "2007-09-27T23:14:42Z")
[QUOTE=Just Some Guy] Now that is not quite true. While The Cage was never broadcast during the show’s original run, it was included in syndication in 80’s. So black and white version of The Cage has been broadcast. [/QUOTE] It’s usually the colour version that’s aired, IME. I’ve never seen it in black and white. (And, no, I am not conflating it with The Menagerie.) ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/13 "2007-09-28T02:26:40Z")
I saw it in black and white at a lecture given by Roddenberry in the 70s. At that time, he said that the B&W version was the only one in existence. Which has turned out to be untrue. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/14 "2007-09-28T02:34:14Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] \*Watching Star Trek on a black and white TV ids like readinf E.E. Smith by gaslight, which I’m sure was done. [/QUOTE] If a Coleman Gas Lantern counts, I have done both. [QUOTE=Askia] Tell me I’m right. TELL ME. [/QUOTE] Only because you insisted: YOU ARE RIGHT! ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/15 "2007-09-28T03:00:32Z")
I remember seeing a special showing of The Cage that switched back and forth from color to black-and-white. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/16 "2007-09-28T03:05:46Z")
IIRC, The Cage was made in color. By the mid-1970s the color print had been lost. I attended a Roddenbery lecture which concluded with a showing of “The Cage” in black and white, because that’s all they had. They have since found a color copy. I’m pretty sure I have a copy. I KNOW I’ve seen it available, and I’m pretty sure it was broadcast in color several years back. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/17 "2007-09-28T04:05:58Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] IIRC, The Cage was made in color. By the mid-1970s the color print had been lost. I attended a Roddenbery lecture which concluded with a showing of “The Cage” in black and white, because that’s all they had. They have since found a color copy. I’m pretty sure I have a copy. I KNOW I’ve seen it available, and I’m pretty sure it was broadcast in color several years back. [/QUOTE] I saw it in black and white also, when Gene was touring campuses trying to stir up interest in the still to come movie. Plus that was the first time I saw the blooper reel, which was in color. 🙂 Has anyone tried to retcon Spock’s big grin? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/18 "2007-09-28T04:33:02Z")
[QUOTE=Askia] My roommate and I are both very stubborn when we’re convinced we’re in the right. [/QUOTE] You are right. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/19 "2007-09-28T05:02:48Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] IIRC, The Cage was made in color. By the mid-1970s the color print had been lost. I attended a Roddenbery lecture which concluded with a showing of “The Cage” in black and white, because that’s all they had. They have since found a color copy. I’m pretty sure I have a copy. I KNOW I’ve seen it available, and I’m pretty sure it was broadcast in color several years back. [/QUOTE] “The Cage” was filmed in color, although workprints were created in black and white. Later, when the production company decided to reuse footage for “The Menagerie” the original color print was used, leaving B&W workprints to be the only intact copies. Later, a reel of the edited footage was found and splice back into the main print to create an (almost) complete print of the episode. (I believe there are still a couple of minor scenes that are missing.) A retrospective broadcast in 1988 and subsequently made available on VHS tape was in all color. The [Wikipedia article on the topic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cage_(TOS_episode)) has a not-too-inaccurate history on the episode. Gene Roddenbery was a noted revisonist of his own history and that of his productions, and nothing that he is quoted as claiming should be taken at face value without corroborating evidence. I thought this was all fairly common knowledge; I’m not even a _Star Trek_ fan (well, except for Gates McFadden, who I had a serious crush on as an adolescent and refused to watch the second series of _The Next Generation_ on the basis of her unceremonious departure) and I knew this. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731/20 "2007-09-28T15:25:48Z")
Actually a friend of mine, and a huge Trek geek, has an ad for color televisions that play on the fact that Star Trek is “In Color!” and that is the way to see it. He also states that a reason for the bright color design of the costumes is to take advantage of the color TVs. So, I say, the show, TOS was in color. He may a dvd of one episode, that was never an episode of the original run of the show that is in b&w but he needs to suck it up and deal with the fact that he is wrong and you are right. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-star-trek-argument/420731.md?page=2)