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  • 07/07/2025
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00:00Behind the scenes of Star Trek now on BBC2 with Leonard Nimoy reminiscing about how the hit
00:08series was made and selecting his favourite episodes. Space, the final frontier. These are
00:20the continuing voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Her ongoing mission to explore strange new worlds.
00:33To seek out new life forms and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before.
00:50On September 8th, 1966, the Starship Enterprise launched its first adventure onto the screens of American television. Boldly we were going where no man had gone before.
01:16Unfortunately, the network selected as the opening show not one of several excellent episodes we'd completed, but rather our sixth one and our least favourite.
01:26They seemed to feel it was proper science fiction with a proper monster threatening folks.
01:32Well, the critics didn't like us, and rightfully so. But then as our other episodes appeared, and the true Star Trek format became apparent, dislike grew into acceptance. And then into affection among viewers and television critics across the surface of this planet.
01:50Hello, I'm Leonard Nimoy. During the next hour, I'll guide you on a very personalized tour of Star Trek. I'll tell you how it all began, and where it might be going.
02:04The first time I heard about Star Trek was in 1964. Gene Roddenberry was producing a television series called The Lieutenant. It starred Gary Lockwood as a Marine Corps officer, and I was hired to do a guest starring role.
02:20Gene Roddenberry was playing a flamboyant Hollywood actor who wanted to do a movie about the Marine Corps.
02:26When the job was finished, Gene called my agent, my agent called me, and they asked for a meeting.
02:32I went in to see Gene at what was then Desilu Studios, and he told me that he was preparing a pilot for a science fiction series to be called Star Trek.
02:41And he had in mind for me to play an alien character. As the talk continued, Gene showed me around the studio.
02:48He showed me the sets that were being developed and the wardrobe that was being designed, the prop department and so forth.
02:54And I began to realize that he was selling me on the idea of being in this series. Unusual for an actor.
03:00I figured all I had to do was keep my mouth shut. I might end up with a good job here.
03:05We're standing by on Vulcan hailing frequency, sir. Open the channel, Lieutenant.
03:12Vulcan Space Central, this is the USS Enterprise requesting permission to assume standard orbit.
03:17USS Enterprise from Vulcan Space Central. Permission granted. And from all of Vulcan, welcome.
03:29Gene told me that he was determined to have at least one extraterrestrial character prominent in the world.
03:34He'd like to have more, but making human actors into other life forms was too expensive for television in those days.
03:43Pointed ears, skin color, plus some changes in eyebrows and hairstyle was about all he felt he could afford.
03:50But he was certain that his Mr. Spock idea, properly handled and properly acted,
03:55could establish that we were in the 23rd century and that interplanetary travel was an established fact.
04:02This is the land of my family. It has been held by us for more than 2,000 Earth years.
04:11This is our place of Kunat Kalifi.
04:15And with this, our ship would not be the United States Ship Enterprise. It would be the United Spaceship Enterprise.
04:24Put out there in space by a federation of planets. And the crew would be interplanetary in nature.
04:29And in Spock, we'd have a character who reminded us of that constantly.
04:36The first pilot of Star Trek was filmed at Desilu Studios in Hollywood in 1965.
04:43It was the most expensive television pilot ever produced up to that time.
04:48It starred Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Christopher Pike.
04:51Steady as we go.
04:53It's a radio wave, sir. We're passing through an old-style distress signal.
05:09They were keyed to cause interference and attract attention this way.
05:14A ship in trouble making a forced landing, sir. That's it. No other message.
05:19I have a fix. It comes from the Talos Star Group.
05:23We've no ships or Earth colonies that far out.
05:25Their call letters check with a survey expedition. S.S. Columbia.
05:29Disappeared in that region approximately 18 years ago.
05:32It would take that long for a radio beam to travel from there to here.
05:35Records show the Talos group has never been explored. Solar systems similar to Earth, 11 planets. Number four seems to be class M. Oxygen atmosphere.
05:50Then they could still be alive, even after 18 years.
05:53If they survive the crash, we aren't going to go, to be certain.
05:58Not without any indication of survivors, no. Continue on to the Vega Colony and take care of our own sick and injured first.
06:04Do you have the helm? Maintain present course. Yes, sir.
06:15Well, as you can see, the cool, rational spark was yet to evolve.
06:20That first pilot had some great production values and it had some wonderful ideas.
06:25But NBC decided that it was too cerebral and it wouldn't sell.
06:30But this show that wouldn't sell went on to win some of science fiction's highest awards.
06:36And even the network had still liked it enough to order up a second pilot.
06:41We've settled into orbit, sir.
06:46Geological lab report complete, Captain.
06:48Preliminary lab survey ready, sir.
06:50Now what happened was that Jeffrey Hunter was not available for the second pilot.
06:54As a matter of fact, Spock was the only character to remain intact from the first pilot cast.
07:01All of the other roles were either recast or changed entirely.
07:04Pictography?
07:05Our reading shows an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, sir.
07:07Heavy with inert elements, but well within safety limits.
07:09Gravity?
07:100.9 of Earth.
07:11Captain?
07:12Reflections, sir, from the planet's surface.
07:17As I read it, they polarize out as rounded metal bits.
07:20Could be parts of a spaceship hull.
07:23Clipper landing party of six.
07:25You feel up to it?
07:27Yes, sir.
07:28Yes, sir.
07:33Sorry, Number One.
07:34A little information on this planet.
07:36We'll have to leave the ship's most experienced officer here covering us.
07:39Of course, sir.
07:41The network eliminated one character entirely, the role of Number One,
07:45in the belief that the audience in those days could not identify with a female
07:49as second in command of a starship.
07:51They told Gene to also get rid of the guy with the ears,
07:55insisting that neither could the audience identify with an extraterrestrial character.
08:04Gene battled this, but was finally forced into a compromise.
08:07He felt the format badly needed the alien Spock,
08:10even if the price was the acceptance of 1960s-style sexual inequality.
08:18A new pilot was written.
08:20Mr. Spock was in Number One's place as second in command,
08:23as well as having some of the woman's computer mind qualities.
08:27Vulcan unemotionalism and logic came into being.
08:32And that's when William Shatner came aboard as the new captain of the ship.
08:36And we've been friends ever since then.
08:39Bill Shatner's broader acting style created a new chemistry between the captain and Spock.
08:45And now it was quite different from that in the first pilot.
08:51Yes.
08:53So much for my theory.
08:54I'm still waiting to hear yours.
08:59Theory requires some facts, Captain.
09:03So far, I have none.
09:10And that irritates you, Mr. Spock.
09:14Irritation?
09:15Yes.
09:17I'm not capable of that emotion.
09:19My apologies, Mr. Spock.
09:25Once the series was launched on NBC, both the network and Desilu Studios wanted to make some use of the very expensive original pilot.
09:33Gene Roddenberry solved this problem in a very imaginative way.
09:38He created a story in which Jeffrey Hunter's character, Captain Pike, was crippled and scarred by radiation burns.
09:46Now he could be played by another actor.
09:48In a two-part story called The Menagerie, Spock hijacks the Enterprise as an act of mercy
09:54and transports his former captain to Talos IV, a planet where mind projections have replaced physical activity.
10:02Spock is court-martialed for mutiny.
10:05Now he uses the tapes or scenes from the original pilot for his defense.
10:11For me, in its new form, The Menagerie is Star Trek at its best.
10:15This is 13 years ago.
10:27The Enterprise.
10:32And its commander, Captain Christopher Pike.
10:45The Enterprise.
10:50Definitely something out there, Captain. Headed this way.
10:55Screen off.
10:58Chris.
11:00Was that really you on the screen?
11:04That's impossible.
11:07Mr. Spock.
11:09No vessel makes record tapes in that detail, that perfect.
11:12What were we watching?
11:13I cannot tell you at this time, sir.
11:16Captain Pike.
11:18Were any record tapes of this nature made during your voyage?
11:26The court is not obliged to view evidence without knowing its source.
11:30Unless the court asks a prisoner why, Commodore.
11:33You did ask that question.
11:35You mean I was maneuvered into asking.
11:38Your evidence is out of order.
11:39I am forced to contest that, Commodore. I want to see more.
11:41You have that right, Captain.
11:43But just because the prisoner is your first officer and your personal friend...
11:47That has nothing to do with it.
11:49Very well. Continue.
11:51Screen on, Mr. Scott.
11:55No, it's something else. There's still something out there.
11:58As I stated, gentlemen, this was 13 years ago.
12:01We were on routine patrol when the ship's sensors detected something ahead.
12:05At first, we were not certain what it was.
12:08Star Trek was in production as a television series for only three seasons.
12:131966, 67, and 68.
12:16A total of 78 one-hour episodes were filmed.
12:19And yet, because of the immense popularity of the series in reruns, many people thought there were a lot more.
12:27In fact, some people think we're still making them.
12:30What's your favorite episode?
12:32It's a question that comes up all the time.
12:34Well, I do have some favorites. A number of them.
12:37Some because they brought new dimensions to Spock.
12:39And others because they're wonderfully written stories.
12:43City on the Edge of Forever is a classic Greek tragedy.
12:48A man trapped by fate in circumstances from which there's no escape.
12:52Dr. McCoy jumps through a time gate and finds himself in New York in the 1930s.
12:58Kirk and Spock follow him to prevent any alterations in history.
13:03Kirk meets Edith Keillor, played by Joan Collins, and they fall in love.
13:07And they fall in love.
13:09He learns that she's going to die.
13:11And there's nothing he can do about it.
13:13He can make no changes.
13:18You know, Dr. McCoy said the same thing...
13:20McCoy!
13:22Leonard McCoy?
13:24Yes.
13:26He's in the mission.
13:27Stay right here.
13:29Spock!
13:30Stay right there.
13:34What is it? McCoy, he's in...
13:35Boat!
13:36Boat!
13:37Boat!
13:42No, Jim!
13:43He doesn't...
13:59Deliberately stop me, Jim.
14:02I could have saved her.
14:04Do you know what you just did?
14:11He knows, Doctor.
14:13He knows.
14:31What happened, sir? You only left a moment ago.
14:37We were successful.
14:39Let's get the hell out of here.
14:45I've always been moved by that story.
14:47The Devil in the Dark is a morality tale.
14:59Something we did very well on Star Trek.
15:03The story takes place on a planet that contains a valuable mineral.
15:07And some of the miners underground searching for this mineral have been attacked by some unknown menace.
15:13The Enterprise is called in to help.
15:15Kirk and Spock discover that the menace is actually a rock-like creature which lives in tunnels under the planet's surface.
15:23And in this scene, Spock attempts to make telepathic contact.
15:27The End
15:31The End
15:35The End
15:45The End
15:47The End
15:49The End
15:59The End
16:01The End
16:02The End
16:03The End
16:04The End
16:05The End
16:06Where are you?
16:07Where are you?
16:08We're at the end of the tunnel.
16:09Now, Mr. Vandenberg and his men are here.
16:11And they're pretty ugly.
16:12Shall I let them through?
16:13Under no circumstances.
16:14Allow them in here yet.
16:16The minute Doc McCoy gets there, send him through.
16:19Aye, aye, sir.
16:26Murder!
16:31For thousands
16:34Devils
16:38Eternity End
16:40The End
16:41The End
16:45The Chamber of the Ages
16:48The Altar of Tomorrow
16:56Murderers
17:00Stop them
17:02Kill
17:04Strike back
17:05Crash
17:08Monsters!
17:16What in the name of...
17:19And that was the first time I ever played a scene with a rock.
17:24Spock discovers that the creature is actually a mother which has been trying to protect your eggs.
17:30The miners have been destroying the eggs inadvertently.
17:32Now the creature and the miners make peace.
17:35The eggs are protected.
17:37And the creature in turn helps the miners to find the minerals they're looking for.
17:42They say that necessity is the mother of invention.
17:46And she certainly was when it came to developing the powers of Mr. Spock.
17:50People often ask me, how was the Vulcan death grip developed?
17:54Well, the fact is, there really isn't any Vulcan death grip.
17:57You see, it was a ploy that we used when we wanted some enemy of ours to believe that Dr. McCoy was dead and that Spock had killed him.
18:05And what I did was simply place my hand over McCoy's face like that.
18:09He fell to the ground and acted as if he were dead.
18:12Later, of course, all he had to do was stand up and come back to life at the proper moment.
18:15But what we did develop was a little number called the Vulcan neck pinch.
18:21Now this started the first time it was used in an episode called The Enemy Within.
18:27This was our version of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story.
18:30What happened was there was a malfunction in the transporter.
18:34And when Captain Kirk was being beamed aboard the ship, the transporter split him into two personalities.
18:41So we had two Kirks on board now, one evil and one good.
18:45There was a scene written where there was a confrontation between the two.
18:49And the evil Kirk was holding a phaser on the good Kirk and was going to kill him.
18:53Now the writer had intended that Spock would sneak up behind the evil Kirk and hit him over the head with the butt of his phaser.
19:01I was a little offended by that.
19:03I thought this is the 23rd century and playing a Vulcan, we should have some more sophisticated way of rendering a person unconscious.
19:11And I said that to the director.
19:13He said, what do you have in mind?
19:14And I said, well, Mr. Spock has gone to the Vulcan Institute of Technology and he studied the human anatomy very carefully.
19:19Also, Vulcans have the ability to project a certain kind of special energy from their fingertips,
19:26which if it's properly applied to certain pressure points on the human neck and shoulder, the human will be rendered unconscious.
19:33He said, let's try it.
19:35I discussed it with Bill Shatner and he knew exactly what I had in mind.
19:38And when I came up behind Bill and I put my hand on his neck and shoulder, he really sold it.
19:43It was his reaction that makes you believe that it really works.
19:45So in this scene, watch Bill.
19:48You can't hurt me.
20:02You can't kill me.
20:06You can't.
20:15Don't you understand?
20:17I'm part of you.
20:21You need me.
20:25I need you.
20:26I don't need you.
20:35I don't need you.
20:42Well, that's how it all began.
20:46In the scripts, the writers began referring to it as the FSNP, the famous Spock neck pinch.
20:52And it served two valuable purposes.
20:55It added to the magic and the mystery of Mr. Spock.
20:58And it also made it possible for Leonard Nimoy to avoid a lot of running and jumping and fighting.
21:04Now, how about the famous Vulcan mind meld?
21:07How did that come into being?
21:08As we've already seen in the episode with the rock creature, Gene Roddenberry had already written into the Star Trek writer's guide, you might call it the show's Bible, that Mr. Spock had the unique ability to mate his mind with that of a creature or another person in order to implant or extract important information.
21:27Come on over, Mr. Spock.
21:31And as in the case of the Vulcan neck pinch, he'd always encouraged everyone to expand his ideas, to think creatively.
21:38I saw a chance to do that again in an episode in which we had on board the ship a man who was mentally disturbed, but he had information that we vitally needed.
21:47Well, it was decided that Mr. Spock would be able to mate his mind with that of this man, penetrate the disturbance and get the information directly.
21:58Dangerous thing to do in this case because, of course, Mr. Spock's mind might become disturbed as well in the process.
22:05The scene is from an episode called Dagger of the Mind.
22:08This is the first time it was done. Pay particular attention to Spock's hands.
22:18Enterprise Log. First Officer Spock, Acting Captain.
22:23I must now use an ancient Vulcan technique to probe into Van Gelder's tortured mind.
22:28Spock, if there's the slightest possibility, it might help.
22:32I've never used it on a human, Doctor.
22:33If there's any way we can look into this man's mind to see if what he's saying is real or delusion...
22:38This is a hidden personal thing to the Vulcan people.
22:41Part of our private lives.
22:44Now look, Spock. Jim Kirk could be in real trouble.
22:48Will it work or not?
23:03It could be dangerous.
23:06Do you understand?
23:08It requires I make pressure changes.
23:11Your nerves.
23:13Your blood vessels.
23:15You must open my mind.
23:18Let me warn you, explain to you.
23:23This will not affect you, Doctor McCoy.
23:26Only the person I touch.
23:28It is not hypnosis.
23:30I understand.
23:31Good.
23:33The reading's leveling.
23:35You'll begin to feel a strange euphoria.
23:37Good.
23:38The reading's leveling.
23:40You'll begin to feel a strange euphoria.
23:43Your body...
23:44You'll begin to feel a strange euphoria.
23:48good the readings leveling begin to feel a strange euphoria
24:01your body floats
24:14yes i began to feel it open your mind
24:24we move together
24:28spock's hands became increasingly important as the character developed in fact in an episode called
24:36the enterprise incident there was a love scene between spock and a female romulan
24:40and the entire physical contact was simply a stroking of each other's fingertips
24:45now what about this the famous vulcan hand salute how did that start we were doing an episode called
24:53a mock time spock had to get back to his home planet of vulcan because as a child he'd been
24:58betrothed in marriage and now it was time to fulfill that commitment we arrived on the planet
25:04the three key figures captain kirk mr spock and dr mccoy and we were greeted by a procession coming
25:10out from the city when the procession arrived we discovered that vulcan is a matriarchy the head of
25:16the planet is being brought out carried in a sedan chair by some bearers the character was named tipow
25:22played by celia lofsky wonderful actress and she was to be seated and i was to approach her and we
25:29were to say some nice things to each other and i thought here's a special opportunity to create
25:33something special in the way of a vulcan greeting some kind of a signal that they have between each
25:38other and i said to the director humans shake hands when they meet and military people salute each other he
25:46asked me what i had in mind i was raised in an orthodox jewish family and during the high holidays i'd go to
25:52temple with my parents i'd sit with my father and my brother and at a particular point during the
25:58service the kohanim who are the priests of the hebrew tribes would bless the congregation with a
26:04blessing that's familiar to all of us from the old and new testament may the lord bless you and keep
26:08you and so forth when that time comes during this ritual the congregation turns their back and does not
26:15look at these men i'm not sure of the reason for that but in any case children are taught not to
26:20look at the kohanim while they're performing this blessing my father would say don't look turn away
26:26and of course being a curious eight or nine year old child i peeked what i saw was this
26:33these gentlemen were holding their hands in this position while they were giving this benediction
26:38to the congregation i've never been able to find out for sure exactly why they do that but i think
26:43it probably has to do with the fact that this is the shape of the letter shin in the hebrew alphabet
26:49machine is the first letter in the word shaddai which means the almighty and these gentlemen are
26:54probably using a symbol of the almighty's name in blessing the congregation i was fascinated i thought
27:01i've got to learn how to do that and i worked long and hard to accomplish it so now i suggested to the
27:07director that perhaps balkans do that when they greet he was intrigued liked the idea and he went to
27:13see yulofsky the actress in the scene explained to her what we would do she would be carried in sat down
27:18she would raise her hand in salute i would respond the problem was that celia couldn't do it something
27:25like that is what we got so we worked at it pretty hard we figured out a way through a kind of a simple
27:30camera trick to get it done the camera moved in fairly close on her and below the camera frame just as
27:36i'm doing now she got her right hand into the proper position and when the time came she was ready
27:42she got that hand up there and the balkan hand salute was born when you see this piece of footage
27:48now watch carefully and you'll notice that her hands are below the frame line and then the hand pops up
27:54watch this
28:16bones you know who that is
28:24the power the only person to ever turn down a seat in the federation council to power officiating
28:37at spock's wedding he never mentioned that his family was this important
28:54so
29:07so
29:11Just a few days after that episode aired,
29:31I was in Cleveland doing a personal appearance.
29:34And we were in a car stopped at a traffic light
29:36when a car pulled up beside us
29:38and a young lady looked over and recognized me.
29:40She did that.
29:42I was delighted to see it coming back at me so fast.
29:45I rolled down the window and I said to her,
29:47can you do it with your left hand?
29:49And she tried and she got about that far
29:50and she said, I speak it with an accent.
29:55I can't tell you how many times I've been asked,
29:57is it difficult to play a character without emotions?
30:01Well, it's a misconception.
30:03Spock is not a character without emotions.
30:05Spock is a Vulcan who has learned to control his emotions.
30:08And in his particular case, even more difficult
30:11because of the fact that he's half human
30:13and he has that side to control as well.
30:17And believe me, 12 hours a day,
30:19five days a week of controlling your emotions
30:21can have some strange effects on you.
30:23I remember one time in a meeting room,
30:25having a conference with a couple of writers
30:27and suddenly finding myself crying for no reason at all.
30:31The emotion just had to come out somewhere sometime.
30:33So I welcomed opportunities to do scenes or episodes
30:37where Spock had some kind of emotional release.
30:40We had one in an episode called The Naked Time.
30:44It was a story where a virus had come on board the ship
30:46and this virus was passed from crew member to crew member,
30:50each of us being affected in a similar way
30:53in that our suppression of our fantasies or emotions
30:57was destroyed and all this stuff
30:59that was inside of us came pouring out.
31:01Here's a scene where the two sides of Spock
31:04are in conflict with each other,
31:06his logical side and his emotional side.
31:09I am in control of my emotions.
31:34I am in control of my emotions.
31:37I am in control of my emotions.
31:43I am an officer.
31:46I am an officer.
31:55My duty.
31:57My duty.
31:58My duty is too late.
32:19My duty is too late.
32:25Too late.
32:29I'm sorry.
32:35Two.
32:37Two.
32:39Four.
32:41Six.
32:45Six.
32:48Six times.
32:50Six.
32:51Six.
32:52Six.
32:53Six.
32:54Six.
32:59Six.
33:00Six.
33:01Six.
33:02Six.
33:03Six.
33:04Six.
33:05Six.
33:06Six.
33:07Six.
33:08Six.
33:09Six.
33:10Six.
33:11Six.
33:12Six.
33:13Six.
33:14Six.
33:15Six.
33:16Six.
33:17Six.
33:18Six.
33:19Six.
33:20Six.
33:21Six.
33:22Six.
33:24Six.
33:25Six.
33:26Six.
33:27Six.
33:28Six.
33:29Six.
33:30Six.
33:31Six.
33:32Six.
33:33Six.
33:34Six.
33:35Six.
33:36Six.
33:37Six.
33:38Six.
33:39Six.
33:40Six.
33:41Six.
33:42Six.
33:43The fact that he had
33:44them.
33:46We couldn't play that
33:47he was cool and in
33:48control.
33:49She said that she had
33:50an idea that she hoped
33:51would work.
33:53The emotions are alien
33:54to me.
33:55I'm a scientist.
33:56Someone else might
33:57believe that.
33:59Your shipmates your
34:00captain but not me.
34:03Come.
34:05She wrote a very
34:06lovely story called
34:07This Side of Paradise.
34:09And the lady in the story
34:11is a character named Layla
34:12that one looks like a dragon the highly talented Gene Kuhn now the Star Trek producer and Gene
34:24Roddenberry now executive or supervising producer thought that Dorothy could make
34:28the idea work and she did but I've never stopped to look at clouds before or rainbows
34:42you know I can tell you exactly why one appears in the sky but considering its
34:47beauty has always been out of the question not here
35:12spark yes what did you want spark is that you yes captain what did you want where
35:20are you I don't believe I want to tell you as spark I don't know what you think
35:29you're doing well this is an order report back to me of the settlement in ten
35:34minutes we're evacuating all colonists to starbase 27 no I don't think so you
35:41don't think so what I don't think so sir spark report to me immediately spark
36:01the frequency is open but he doesn't answer that didn't sound at all like
36:12spark Jim no I thought you said you might like him if you mellowed a little I
36:19didn't say that you said that I not exactly I might be in trouble yes take over
36:27the landing party detail start getting those colonists aboard well how do you
36:31find spark the frequency is open it'll act as a homing device contact us I'll have
36:36them meet you here make sure the landing party works in teams of two I don't want
36:40anybody left alone down here
36:47I don't want
37:17Mr. Spock?
37:22Star Trek was my first full-time series as an actor,
37:25and it was hard work.
37:27It was five days a week, 60 hours a week, 12 hours a day.
37:31But it was very rewarding.
37:32It was a tremendous sense of family,
37:34a connection with the cast and the crew.
37:36We all enjoyed each other, enjoyed working together.
37:39And when it was over, there was a sense of loss.
37:42We were canceled after three seasons,
37:44and the show went into syndication.
37:45We were never a tremendous success on network,
37:49but now in syndication,
37:50the show started to build an enormous new audience.
37:53And about three or four years
37:55after we'd been canceled by the network,
37:57pressure started to build for more new Star Trek,
38:00television shows, movies, whatever.
38:03Around 1978, about 10 years
38:06after we'd finished making the original series,
38:09Paramount reassembled the cast,
38:11and we made Star Trek the motion picture.
38:13It was a very finely crafted film,
38:17and it did well.
38:18But from the actor's point of view,
38:20frankly, it was frustrating.
38:22We didn't feel that we were getting to play
38:23the characters that we enjoyed playing
38:25in the way that we knew how to play them.
38:28And it was frustrating for Gene Roddenberry, too.
38:31It wasn't the story or script he had wanted,
38:33and the gaps seemed filled with too much emphasis
38:36on special effects.
38:37But the film did very well,
38:40and Paramount decided they'd like to try again.
38:43They and Roddenberry agreed to bring in a new producer,
38:46a man named Harv Bennett,
38:47to see if he could bring back together
38:49the original elements that gave us the fun,
38:51the excitement,
38:52and the chemistry between the cast,
38:54while keeping the special effects
38:56in their proper perspective.
38:58Harv Bennett did two very bright things.
39:01The first thing he did was to screen for himself
39:03all 78 episodes of Star Trek.
39:06And when he found Space Seed,
39:08the episode with Ricardo Montalban,
39:10he decided that this was a wonderful platform
39:12for a sequel.
39:14Terrific idea,
39:15and it involved a terrific actor.
39:17Here's Ricardo Montalban as Khan,
39:20first as we saw him in 1967,
39:23and then coming after us for revenge in 1982.
39:29I know something of those years, remember?
39:33It was a time of great dreams,
39:37of great aspiration.
39:40Under dozens of petty dictatorships.
39:43One man would have ruled eventually,
39:46as Rome under Caesar.
39:49Think of its accomplishments.
39:55Then your sympathies were with...
39:57You are an excellent tactician, Captain.
40:00And you let your second-in-command attack,
40:03while you sit and watch for weakness.
40:07You have a tendency to express ideas
40:09in military terms, Mr. Khan.
40:16This is a social occasion.
40:17It has been said that social occasions
40:24are only warfare concealed.
40:30Many prefer it more honest,
40:32more open.
40:34You fled.
40:34Why were you afraid?
40:36I've never been afraid.
40:38But you left at the very time
40:39mankind needed courage.
40:40We offered the world order.
40:44We.
40:52Excellent.
40:54Excellent.
40:54But if you will excuse me, gentlemen and ladies,
41:06I grow fatigued again.
41:09With your permission, Captain,
41:10I will return to my quarters.
41:11There she is.
41:23There she is.
41:28The bait to stop her.
41:32Scotty.
41:33I need warp speed in three minutes
41:35or we're all dead.
41:35I shall leave you as you left me.
41:40My room for all eternity.
41:42Married alive.
41:44Sean!
41:46Sean!
41:50Now, the second bright move
41:52that Harv Bennett made
41:53was to tantalize me
41:54with an intriguing question.
41:56He said to me,
41:57how would you like to have
41:58a beautiful death scene?
42:00No!
42:01You'll flood the whole compartment.
42:02You'll die.
42:03Son!
42:04He's dead already.
42:05It's too late.
42:34Spock!
42:35You'll die.
42:35He's dead already.
42:35He's dead.
43:06A ship out of danger?
43:11Yes.
43:16Don't grieve, Admiral.
43:21It is logical.
43:26The needs of the many outweigh...
43:31The needs of the few.
43:33Or the one.
43:44I never took...
43:47The Kobayashi Maru test.
43:51Until now.
43:52What do you think of my solution?
44:00Spark.
44:01I have been and always shall be your friend.
44:18I've long.
44:26I've long.
44:28And prosper.
44:29Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most human.
44:57My most difficult decision on the Wrath of Khan concerned the death of Spock.
45:15There are times, yes, that an actor tires of continually playing even the greatest of characters.
45:21And the death scene was powerfully written, a difficult kind of thing for an actor to turn down.
45:28There is, of course, a catch that I'm sure all Star Trek fans have realized.
45:33In science fiction, is death the final chapter of life, or just the beginning of another story?
45:40Captain's log, Stardate 81 41.6.
45:47Starship Enterprise departing for SETI Alpha 5 to pick up the crew of USS Reliant.
45:53All is well.
45:54And yet I can't help wondering about the friend I leave behind.
46:00There are always possibilities, Spock said.
46:07And if Genesis is indeed life from death, I must return to this place again.
46:13I thank you for listening to my stories and watching some of my favorite moments from Star Trek.
46:28Live long and prosper.
46:49From the land of endless night come I, an alien from afar, spewn forth upon your pleasant sphere,
46:58so much like you, and yet so unalike.
47:10Leonard Nimoy returns as Mr. Spock this Wednesday at six when there's mutiny in Star Trek here on BBC Two.
47:19...
47:29...
47:40és
47:42este
47:46You