Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One [8 Discs]

"Star Trek: The Original Series -- Season One makes its bow to DVD with a sleek set whose packaging flair is untouched when it comes to inventive box sets in the DVD marketplace. Presenting 29 episodes in their original broadcast order and mastered for only the best in quality, this release comes from the same digital print that the single original series DVDs were cut from, though the advantage definitely is in this set's favor. One look at the previews for each episode will prove just how well the picture has been tweaked, which, along with the new 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround tracks, creates a new world for Trek fans to jump into. Considering that many of the shows in Season One are widely regarded as some of the best, this set is a sure buy for anyone looking for classic Trek in a small box. From Ricardo Montalban's first appearance as Khan to some smoking Gorn action in ""Arena,"" this set has all the good stuff and more. Carrying on the tradition of extras-laden Star Trek sets, Paramount throws viewers a few new bits here and there. The 24-minute ""Birth of a Timeless Legacy"" featurette starts things off with a little look back at the origin of the show and its various incarnations before hitting its stride on the airwaves. A featurette is given to both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, with Shatner discussing his affinity for horses and the latter dishing out the dirt on contract obligations, book deals, and everything in between. The 19-minute ""To Boldly Go...(Season One)"" featurette skims over the best of this season, while the 16-minute ""Sci-Fi Visionaries"" delves into the fantastical concepts that made the series a hit. Featuring interviews with the remaining group of cast members, along with the producers and archival footage of creator Gene Roddenberry, the bonus features on this set are crammed with stories and sound clips from most all involved, although curiously missing is footage of DeForest Kelley (Walter Koenig didn't join in until the second season, thus he's also missing here). With its yellow hard plastic egg shell that houses the small booklet-style DVD case, the packaging is a home-run, as are the liner notes that point the viewer to various points of interest in the show that either lead to movie sequels or other episodes in later shows. With two more sets to come from the original series, you can bet that these collections will be a hot item for a long time to come."