These Are the Voyages: Tos: Season 3 (Star Trek: These Are the Voyages)

This whole series goes above and beyond. This is NOT recycled stuff from other ST books, this is new stuff. This person took the time and energy to do it RIGHT.This is WORTH every fan of TOS to read. All three books. The first behind-the-scenes books in a LONG time I felt were truly worthwhile. So much so that I was waiting, and checking often, for the third season one to come out. And bought it the instant it did. I've been... less than complimentary about other ST books. For reason. You may or may not agree with my reasoning. THIS WHOLE SERIES... has been very good and a breath of fresh air. Offering NEW information. For a change. I have a huge problem with others just... feeding off the Star Trek food-tank WITHOUT actually creating anything NEW. So many so-called "authors" have just, well, for lack of a better term, regurgitated... information that is readily available in, in some cases, MANY other places. This ENTIRE SERIES does NOT do that. It does, from time to time, re-tell a few of the ST stories.But by and large, no. What you get is a different look at Trek and some of it will surprise you. It surprised me. LOVE this series of books.

Bought the Kindle version. There were a few minor errors, but nothing like the first edition of the first book. The only drag was the chapter in this book that drones on repeatedly about the Nielsen ratings on the show. All that really needed to be said is that NBC lied about the ratings to kill the show. I finally just skipped the rest of that section -- I couldn't stay awake. The funny thing is that though it's true that Freiberger helped kill the show due to his unfamiliarity, it was really Roddenberry that killed it by hiring Freiberger in the first place instead of promoting Justman, and then essentially ditched the show to write and produce the colossally bad film, Pretty Maids All in a Row. So it was a good but depressing book that shed light on how bad things really got in the 3rd season, and why.

Each of the three volumes of this series is the most incredibly detailed and nuanced episode-by-episode and blow-by-blow description of what went on behind the scenes of the making of the original 'Star Trek' TV series. Sometimes the accounts you've heard about the principals involved, good and bad, turn out to be overly simplistic. With access to all the original memos, and interviews both past and specifically for this book, a very complete picture is presented. What's impressed me in all three volumes is how much effort and trouble went into taking a good 'Trek' story and making it better, and still doing it affordably. In this, the third season, where several chances to get a better time slot than the Friday 10pm graveyard are one by one taken away by bad luck, and the network obviously wants to kill the show, you do see that start to slip. With a bare-bones budget, a new producer, and chances of renewal getting dimmer by the week, the principal players start to walk away, either fully or in a day-to-day sense. Still, the third season produced some real gems.

What an accomplishment! These three volumes go episode by episode in excruciating (or, for me, ecstatic) detail. I always thought these stories sprung from the author's head mostly fully formed -- this could not be further from the truth. Marc Cushman has put together a fascinating look at the creation of one of the most iconic TV shows of all time. Each volume is based on hundreds of sources, including magazine articles dating back to the 60s, his personal interviews with dozens of actors (even those with minor parts) and crew, and lots more. If you are a hardcore fan like me that is into this stuff, this, along with its two companion books, is the ultimate in behind-the-scenes Star Trek.

Cushiman completes his 1000+ page, three-volume magnum opus with this run-down of STOS's third season, which was awfully run down itself. In many ways this and his complementary volume on Season One are the most interesting: they detail how the series was born (in great travail) and died (with a whimper). A special feature of this volume, unprecedented in its predecessors but highly appropriate here, is a section Cushman crafts for chapters on particular episodes, such as the execrable "And the Children Will Lead" and the infamous "Spock's Brain," entitled "What Were They Thinking?" In brief he takes you from the germ of a decent, even good idea that made sense in 1967 and '68, then shows you all the twists and turns before those episodes flew straight off the rails. Also of value in this volume is the detail with which Cushman captures the anguish behind the scenes: Roddenberry, AWOL; Justman, finally so disheartened that he could no longer endure it; Nimoy's clever, legal stratagems to preserve the character of Spock despite the putrid script for "Whom Gods Destroy"; skinflint Douglas Cramer at Paramount (which, when it took over the series from Desilu, had as much to do as NBC with killing the show). Finally, I gained sympathetic insight into Fred Freiberger, who had done a masterly job of styling "The Wild Wild West" before being bathed in blame for STOS's third season. Cushman gives an even-handed portrait of a good producer who made mistakes but was handed an impossible job. At one point he (or his son) remembers Freiberger as saying that he had been captured by the Nazis during WW II and had endured the wrath of ST fans; the second was worst than the first, because the latter never ended. In a word: Cushman's volume is essential reading for fans and a lot more entertaining than "Star Trek" was in 1968-69.

There is just enough here to recommend you purchase this book. It has a lot of fluff such as episode synopsis, quotations, ratings, reviews, etc. It has a lot of substance, too, such as script evolutions, stories about episode production, etc. But the part that makes it worth the price is a lot of good information such as guest star biographies plus their comments about working on the show and interactions with the Star Trek actors. You also get the dirt, come on you know you want it, yes the dirt from the Star Trek actors including their comments about working on the show and interactions with others. A lot of it is very candid. A lot of it is not nice, that is what you want, isn’t it, be honest. My knowledge of Star Trek is probably not up there with a fanatic who may find nothing new here, but for a near fanatic there is a lot of stuff you probably didn’t know. One thing I learned that surprised me was how Shatner was much more disliked than I thought but I actually saw it from his side when I finished the book. I came to understand why he the way he was and why it rubbed the others wrong but it wasn’t because he was a jerk. Read all three books and see if you agree. I won’t get detailed to avoid spoilers.

This series of books are excellent historical reference books on the true making of the original Star Trek episode by episode. The third season reference book appears,from my quick overview ( I am still reading the second season volume), not to disappoint. This three volume set of reference books are THE Gold standard reference publications of the "real" day to day and episode to episode making of a new and ground breaking 1960’s science fiction series called Star Trek. These 3 volume publications are a serious eye and mind opener. For those original series Trek fans who think they know everything about how this series was made, you only know a small percentage of information and some of what you think you know may only be based in just years and years of fan perpetuated rumors and errors in information and facts. Buy and read these books. You will NOT be able to stop reading these once you start and you will learn what really happened everyday on producing and airing the original Star Trek on a weekly schedule.

For many fans, the third season of Star Trek did not seem to be as high a quality as the first two. There are many reasons this was so, and this book dives into them all. It's done with great care and love, however, absolving, for the most part, the new producer who was charged with putting the show out ON BUDGET, and been scapegoated every since. It does not wholly absolve "Saint Gene" Roddenberry, who made some questionable decisions which also impacted the quality of the show. But it finds something praiseworthy in every episode, even "Spock's Brain" and "The Turnabout Intruder." If you read this book, and then watch each episode, as I did (yay streaming video!) you will get a lot more appreciation for the show, the writers, the cast, the crew. Truly an extraordinary voyage.

Being a long time fan of Star Trek's original series, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the behind the scenes activities that helped produce the show that we still love today. No punches are pulled when it comes to Roddenberry's relationships with writers or actors with each other. A good read!

I have read most books about Star Trek, including some of the stars autobiographies. Marc Cushman gives you so much fascinating information about each episode with out being mundane. I really enjoyed reading this and the other two seasons that he wrote about. Would I buy this again, ABSOLUTELY. I can't say enough how much I learned and enjoyed by reading this book. All three books are a must for any Star Trek fan.

This whole series goes above and beyond. This is NOT recycled stuff from other ST books, this is new stuff. This person took the time and energy to do it RIGHT.This is WORTH every fan of TOS to read. All three books. The first behind-the-scenes books in a LONG time I felt were truly worthwhile. So much so that I was waiting, and checking often, for the third season one to come out. And bought it the instant it did. I've been... less than complimentary about other ST books. For reason. You may or may not agree with my reasoning. THIS WHOLE SERIES... has been very good and a breath of fresh air. Offering NEW information. For a change. I have a huge problem with others just... feeding off the Star Trek food-tank WITHOUT actually creating anything NEW. So many so-called "authors" have just, well, for lack of a better term, regurgitated... information that is readily available in, in some cases, MANY other places. This ENTIRE SERIES does NOT do that. It does, from time to time, re-tell a few of the ST stories.But by and large, no. What you get is a different look at Trek and some of it will surprise you. It surprised me. LOVE this series of books.

Bought the Kindle version. There were a few minor errors, but nothing like the first edition of the first book. The only drag was the chapter in this book that drones on repeatedly about the Nielsen ratings on the show. All that really needed to be said is that NBC lied about the ratings to kill the show. I finally just skipped the rest of that section -- I couldn't stay awake. The funny thing is that though it's true that Freiberger helped kill the show due to his unfamiliarity, it was really Roddenberry that killed it by hiring Freiberger in the first place instead of promoting Justman, and then essentially ditched the show to write and produce the colossally bad film, Pretty Maids All in a Row. So it was a good but depressing book that shed light on how bad things really got in the 3rd season, and why.

Each of the three volumes of this series is the most incredibly detailed and nuanced episode-by-episode and blow-by-blow description of what went on behind the scenes of the making of the original 'Star Trek' TV series. Sometimes the accounts you've heard about the principals involved, good and bad, turn out to be overly simplistic. With access to all the original memos, and interviews both past and specifically for this book, a very complete picture is presented. What's impressed me in all three volumes is how much effort and trouble went into taking a good 'Trek' story and making it better, and still doing it affordably. In this, the third season, where several chances to get a better time slot than the Friday 10pm graveyard are one by one taken away by bad luck, and the network obviously wants to kill the show, you do see that start to slip. With a bare-bones budget, a new producer, and chances of renewal getting dimmer by the week, the principal players start to walk away, either fully or in a day-to-day sense. Still, the third season produced some real gems.

What an accomplishment! These three volumes go episode by episode in excruciating (or, for me, ecstatic) detail. I always thought these stories sprung from the author's head mostly fully formed -- this could not be further from the truth. Marc Cushman has put together a fascinating look at the creation of one of the most iconic TV shows of all time. Each volume is based on hundreds of sources, including magazine articles dating back to the 60s, his personal interviews with dozens of actors (even those with minor parts) and crew, and lots more. If you are a hardcore fan like me that is into this stuff, this, along with its two companion books, is the ultimate in behind-the-scenes Star Trek.

Cushiman completes his 1000+ page, three-volume magnum opus with this run-down of STOS's third season, which was awfully run down itself. In many ways this and his complementary volume on Season One are the most interesting: they detail how the series was born (in great travail) and died (with a whimper). A special feature of this volume, unprecedented in its predecessors but highly appropriate here, is a section Cushman crafts for chapters on particular episodes, such as the execrable "And the Children Will Lead" and the infamous "Spock's Brain," entitled "What Were They Thinking?" In brief he takes you from the germ of a decent, even good idea that made sense in 1967 and '68, then shows you all the twists and turns before those episodes flew straight off the rails. Also of value in this volume is the detail with which Cushman captures the anguish behind the scenes: Roddenberry, AWOL; Justman, finally so disheartened that he could no longer endure it; Nimoy's clever, legal stratagems to preserve the character of Spock despite the putrid script for "Whom Gods Destroy"; skinflint Douglas Cramer at Paramount (which, when it took over the series from Desilu, had as much to do as NBC with killing the show). Finally, I gained sympathetic insight into Fred Freiberger, who had done a masterly job of styling "The Wild Wild West" before being bathed in blame for STOS's third season. Cushman gives an even-handed portrait of a good producer who made mistakes but was handed an impossible job. At one point he (or his son) remembers Freiberger as saying that he had been captured by the Nazis during WW II and had endured the wrath of ST fans; the second was worst than the first, because the latter never ended. In a word: Cushman's volume is essential reading for fans and a lot more entertaining than "Star Trek" was in 1968-69.

There is just enough here to recommend you purchase this book. It has a lot of fluff such as episode synopsis, quotations, ratings, reviews, etc. It has a lot of substance, too, such as script evolutions, stories about episode production, etc. But the part that makes it worth the price is a lot of good information such as guest star biographies plus their comments about working on the show and interactions with the Star Trek actors. You also get the dirt, come on you know you want it, yes the dirt from the Star Trek actors including their comments about working on the show and interactions with others. A lot of it is very candid. A lot of it is not nice, that is what you want, isn’t it, be honest. My knowledge of Star Trek is probably not up there with a fanatic who may find nothing new here, but for a near fanatic there is a lot of stuff you probably didn’t know. One thing I learned that surprised me was how Shatner was much more disliked than I thought but I actually saw it from his side when I finished the book. I came to understand why he the way he was and why it rubbed the others wrong but it wasn’t because he was a jerk. Read all three books and see if you agree. I won’t get detailed to avoid spoilers.

This series of books are excellent historical reference books on the true making of the original Star Trek episode by episode. The third season reference book appears,from my quick overview ( I am still reading the second season volume), not to disappoint. This three volume set of reference books are THE Gold standard reference publications of the "real" day to day and episode to episode making of a new and ground breaking 1960’s science fiction series called Star Trek. These 3 volume publications are a serious eye and mind opener. For those original series Trek fans who think they know everything about how this series was made, you only know a small percentage of information and some of what you think you know may only be based in just years and years of fan perpetuated rumors and errors in information and facts. Buy and read these books. You will NOT be able to stop reading these once you start and you will learn what really happened everyday on producing and airing the original Star Trek on a weekly schedule.

For many fans, the third season of Star Trek did not seem to be as high a quality as the first two. There are many reasons this was so, and this book dives into them all. It's done with great care and love, however, absolving, for the most part, the new producer who was charged with putting the show out ON BUDGET, and been scapegoated every since. It does not wholly absolve "Saint Gene" Roddenberry, who made some questionable decisions which also impacted the quality of the show. But it finds something praiseworthy in every episode, even "Spock's Brain" and "The Turnabout Intruder." If you read this book, and then watch each episode, as I did (yay streaming video!) you will get a lot more appreciation for the show, the writers, the cast, the crew. Truly an extraordinary voyage.

Being a long time fan of Star Trek's original series, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the behind the scenes activities that helped produce the show that we still love today. No punches are pulled when it comes to Roddenberry's relationships with writers or actors with each other. A good read!

I have read most books about Star Trek, including some of the stars autobiographies. Marc Cushman gives you so much fascinating information about each episode with out being mundane. I really enjoyed reading this and the other two seasons that he wrote about. Would I buy this again, ABSOLUTELY. I can't say enough how much I learned and enjoyed by reading this book. All three books are a must for any Star Trek fan.

This is a great book in a great series. It almost goes without saying that you have to be a devoted fan to want/need this level of detail, but if you're not a devoted fan you're probably not reading this. There are issues: typos, weirdness with the formatting switch to Kindle, etc, and the author's opinions sometimes seem like he's trying to justify some of Trek's production decisions. None of them get in the way of making this a great read and a valuable resource for Trek historians.

Third volume in this excellent series covers the final season of the original show. Again packed full of information you cannot get anywhere else, blowing apart old myths & adding more insight. Included are details on the IDIC revolt and a close up of the women writers who worked on the show. Very sad to see what was happening behind the scenes during the last season, if you bought the other two, buying this is of course a "no brainer".

Continuing into his third opus, Marc Cushman delivers on his promise in the first two volumes to accurately chronicle all the sordid details associated with the original 3rd and final season of the original STAR TREK television series. A "Must Read" for any serious fan of the show, it is without doubt the closest thing to actually being there short of getting in a time machine, with plenty of rare photos, interviews, and documentation that set this series head and shoulders above all the other supposed "Truths" about this science fiction cornerstone! Highly HIGHLY recommended (along with the previous two volumes) :-D

Really good book to complement Seasons one and Two. He certainly gives you an excellent view of the series episode by episode. It is interesting to see how the network is focused on the series cost and weekly ratings (except in the case of NBC which lied about the ratings). Creativity was the last thing they had in mind. I hope Marc continues his books on the Star Trek movies and the other series.

Only if you are a huge fan of series - if you are, these books give you a tremendous insight into how each show's script was written and produced; as well as the overall history of the series. Describes how challenging it was for the show given the reluctance of NBC and Paramount (who had just acquired the Desilu Studio) to support the series, and the loss of some of the key writers/producers who had sustained the show in it's first two seasons.

I've really enjoyed reading this whole series of three books (one for each season). I've watched Star Trek (TOS) hundreds of times, but after reading these books, I had to re-watch them all again! This is a book I've liked having in electronic form- It is too heavy and awkward to read the hard copy version laying down. If you really want the hard copy, you might search for the author's website- He'll send you a signed copy for the price of only the text.

Like the books for Seasons One and Two, I found this book impossible to put down. And like most Star Trek fans, I've always discounted the dreadful Season Three as being, well dreadful. This book, however, made me appreciate Season Three more and helped me to realize that there were some wonderful episodes therein. Even the clunkers such as "Plato's Stepchildren" and "And the Children Shall Lead" were well intended, even if the execution was not well done. And some of my favorite episodes were third season-- "The Tholian Web" for one, "The Paradise Syndrome" for another. This book very handily dispels the story that has always been put out by NBC-- that the ratings for Star Trek were dismal. In fact, a show today that holds the network share that Star Trek had would be a sure bet for renewal. There is a lot of sadness in this book, however, as the original creators, people who poured their heart and soul into Trek, pulled away, tired after years of being jerked around by the network and fighting against impossible budgets and unbelievable network restrictions. Gene Roddenberry actually had more to do with this season than I'd always heard, but he did so in secret, not wanting the network to know that he was still pulling the strings. However, with a producer, Fred Freiburger, who was unfamiliar with the show and a script consultant, Arthur Singer, who was also unfamiliar with the show, Star Trek lost some of its best writers-- DC Fontana and Gene Coon, for instance. I gained new respect for the actors who valiantly car5ried on even as their show was being canceled. And I gained new respect for everyone involved with the show who carried off a small miracle every week in bringing in the show with very little money and no network support. From the hindsight of time, I think that Star Trek's cancellation might have actually been a good thing, because it left millions of fans who desperately wanted more. Fans who wanted more and were frustrated because the Enterprise had not been able to complete her five0year mission. Fans who were so devoted to the show that they insisted the original cast be brought back to star in the movies, rather than having the iconic parts be played by iconic actors such as Paul Newman instead of William Shatner. These fans kept the show alive through fanzines and conventions-- conventions organized by fans rather than the slick, professional cons that are held today. Fans who flocked to see even Star Trek guest stars when they came through town. Fans who made anyone who had anything to do with Star Trek famous. If NBC had not canceled the show, it possibly would have died a natural death, Sure, it might have been brought back to life as a reboot, much as Battlestar Galactica was brought back to life, but it would not have maintained the iconic status that it has today. This book is a must read for any Star Trek fan. I came away with even more appreciation for the show which has had such an influence on my life.

These books are GREAT and a must-have for any die-hard fan of TOS, or those who enjoy reading books that pull back the curtain on television/movie productions. The most amazing part of all three of these volumes are the research that went into revealing the devilish details that went into making some of our favorite (and not-so-favorite) episodes. It's even more daunting when one considers all the writing/re-writing/revising/rescuing that went into these scripts - all done WITHOUT the aid of computers in those days. The artists behind Star Trek had to not only be creative, but well organized before putting their ideas down on paper. Excellent Books, all of them!

This is the detail nitty-gritty of each episode. If that's what you're looking for - this is it.

This was a fascinating view into the backstory of producing the original Star Trek episodes. Many unexpected tidbits of information, and a lot of previously unknown truth about what happened with this TV series.

I'm old enough to remember watching TOS on my dad's lap, and I've been a fan ever since. It's wonderful to have the story of ST:TOS written by someone without a personal ax to grind. All three books are well-written and backed with facts that no one else has bothered to investigate in all these years. I recommend all three volumes as must-reads for anyone interested in ST or, for that matter, in TV in the late Sixties.

Lots of pictures and information on Star Trek.

As with his other two books for seasons 1 & 2 Marc Cushman has written a very informative book about the making of Star Trek's final, and in some ways most difficult season. I enjoyed the episode by episode analysis. How the story developed from idea to final shooting script, and how it faired when it aired, and in the overall history of the series. All of these books a definite good read for any Star Trek fan, our anyone interested in TV production and it's history.

This is the ultimate guide for any star trek TOS fan. Get all 3 volumes. It's worth your time.

Marc Cushman did a brilliant job of all three books. Don't waste your time reading my opinion, get the books and enjoy the trip. Five stars hardly does these books justice.

Excellent Book on the third season. It gave me a better understanding of what went on behind the scenes during the show. It told me how Fred Freiberger Handled the show the best he could do. Really a good read for those who Like star trek.

Great perspective

There are more bits of information in these three books, These Are The Voyages, Seasons One, Two and Three than can be remembered in a lifetime of watching Star Trek. Excellent series! Excellent books! Live long and prosper!

If you've read the first one you know how great these books are. It's an excellent study not only of Star Trek but how TV series are written and produced.

Great book series (this is the third) to tell you all about how this show came to be, was made, and why is has such long life.

So much information from sources that are undeniable. Sure there's quite a bit of repetition, but the data is there. You will experience Trek in a new way, something I'm sure we all dreamt of as kids

Great, really enjoyed!

Excellent book if you love "Star Trek"

Lots of background that clarifies what it's like to try to work in the system for TV.

Probably the best BTS book out there for the original Star Trek Series. The depth of information here is truly remarkable. An excellent book - recommended for any Star Trek fan. Lots of great pictures and interviews with guest stars.

Marc Cushman's third volume probably casts the most new light - which is saying something. The roles of writers, producers, directors of the episodes are examined in details. The forces that led to the decline in the last year are shown to me more complicated than previous narratives suggest. Well researched and a good read - as there is more than a bit of drama in the struggles within the series and with the network and studio.

reference

Informative, entertaining, and with tons of revealing and myth-shattering facts. Please do a series on Next Generation!

Great read same quality as the first 2 other books! Now you really know why the third season was the way it was no Shugar coating the way it was!

Great for any TOS fan! Lots of info.

Growing up with Star Trek when it first aired I have always been a fan. I purchased TOS I and II and now book III, awesome books added to my collection. No regrets buying them, the amount of research, interviews, memo's dealing with day to day operations of the Star Trek series are in theses books. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy!

As a Star Trek geek I love all that is Star Trek. This series of books dispels a lot of the myths of the show and especially the third season.

enjoyed, not quite as interesting as the first two installments, but that was the real situation being reported, not the writing.

Great book filled with fascinating details about the making of Star Trek the original series.

awesome!

Great for any Star Trek fan. Bought all 3 seasons for my husband and he could not read them fast enough.

Great book. Very, very in depth for those curious about the who, what, when where and how of the series and how it ever got on in the first place.

Learned so much I had not known before.

Wonderful read, and so much information about each episode. Really enjoy reading this book!

My husband gave these to me for Christmas. A big kiss to him!

The inside scoop from the people that were there making the greatest TV show of all time.

A+

Outstanding! Can't wait for the next one! And, yes, Virginia, there will be a next one...

All three volumes are a must for TOS fans!

Very interesting in many respects, but particularly in it's explanation of how devastating the departure of producer Gene Coon was to TOS.

Book was for my brother who is a trekie. He loves it, gave it 5 stars.

Great beyond expectations. Fascinating behind scenes look. Get a real sense of how much work went into preserving the integrity of characters and vision of Star Trek episode by episode. Historical treasure for all fans

These are the go-to books for fans who know everything else already. Like me.

Got this for my husband for Christmas. He loved it! Couldn't put it down until it was finished.

Arrived promptly and is an awesome book. My trekkie dad is SO EXCITED to read it. He says these books are incredibly detailed and provide so much history that he wants to read them over and over again.

The last in an engaging series of books hopefully the author will continue with the books regarding the other Star Trek series

Very good must read for fans of Star Trek TOS

Very interesting read.

I've just sampled it because I'm still working on volume 2. But it's every bit as well-researched and reader-friendly as the other books in the series. I expect it will be as illuminating and entertaining as the other two books have been. Perhaps even moreso as there are things about Season 3 TOS that have long been left unrevealed to the general public. Although it is often regarded as the least liked year of the classic series, the reasons for this must be "fascinating..."

excellent set of books

Fascinating read!

Great book the best of the 3 volume set hopefully next mark will do books on the movies get this book a must for any Trekkie

Husband hasn't finished reading it yet but was very excited to receive it

Chuck full of all the details you would love to read about!!

If you like Star Trek get these books

Great seller. Highly recommend.

Great stories! I'm really into that stuff.

Great behind the curtain stuff.

All three volumes make for a thoroughly researched, interesting read. The author corrects many myths concerning the series. Worth the investment.

Great detail about season 3

I have just finished reading the third book in this series on Star Trek The Original Series, by Marc Cushman, and want to again thank him and all who worked with him on bringing this great information resource forward. I'm not sure anyone who didn't watch this show during its prime time run on television can understand the utter joy we felt watching this show which was like no other on television, or understand the utter desolation we fans felt when the show effectively vanished after the Spring and Summer of 1969. After three years of wondering if we had simply imagined such a great show, a weak-signaled UHF station from a nearby city finally began running the show in daily reruns every afternoon as part of the resurgence of the show which unexpectedly swept the whole nation. We wanted to know what was done to us and who did it, and we devoured the Stephen Whitfield and David Gerrold books, what fanzine information we could find, and we also got caught up in the resurgent marketing of fan fiction, the cordance, ship blueprints, costumes; various memoirs from the persons involved with the show came forth; we found out who hated who, divergent tellings of numerous legends and myths. What was missing was the facts and timelines which would provide a wide and accurate portrayal of what had happened. These books provide that vital level of detail. In this third season volume, Cushman's week-to-week collation of the popular culture, world events and television industry pressures affecting the cast and crew are here for us to digest in detail, interspersed with pertinent essays and comment on tangential issues of industry firsts for women and minorities, and the role Star Trek played in breaking down a large number of societal barriers. While the book very effectively brings back the memory of the desolation we all felt, the information, names and events told also help to fill in the gaps, and to tell truth from the many rumors that have circled around the topic of Star Trek and NBC. Many have written books which seem to press this or that personal agenda, to tell their own version of what role they played in the Star Trek saga; Cushman's only agenda seems to be providing all the facts that can be verified and separated from myth. These books are a blessing, and if catharsis is too histrionic a term to use, given the forty-plus years since these events, they certainly leave a peaceful feeling in their wake.

Absolutely amazing!

I'm almost done with the Season 3 edition. There is a an ERROR in the "Plato's Stepchildren" text. Michael Dunn did NOT win an Oscar. He was NOMINATED for an Oscar.

The book is filled with behind-the-scenes information about what was going wrong during Star Trek's third year. It paints Fred Freiberger as a sympathetic human, even though I wound up not agreeing with many of his choices. Unfortunately, the book repeats itself, and repeats the earlier two books, in places. The fixation on dissecting ratings must have felt cathartic when the author wrote them, but it's dull and the ratings don't vary much for most episodes. Constantly reminding the reader that NBC did not pay for advertisements for Star Trek is unnecessary flogging. The book is still interesting, in spite of those flaws.

Good stuff.

TOS! TOS! TOS! TOS! TOS! TOS!

I have had the chance to read these books from the very beginning, courtesy of the publishing group. Lucky me. I have also posted this review under the first two volumes of this trilogy, so if you've read those reviews, then this will just be a reminder of how essential these books are to the real Star Trek mavens. History is hard to pin down, especially when it can be viewed from so many perspectives. With that in mind, Marc Cushman has done the most remarkable history of “Star Trek TOS” that I’ve read in my long association and love affair with iconic Trek. Marc has talked to those who were really there in the trenches during the three seasons that Trek graced prime time NBC television. He has read thousands of documents and reconstructed how this show began, its initial growing pains, and the harshness of its last gasps for life. Riddled with quotes from Bobby Justman’s infamous memos and crackling with notes from actors, writers, directors, ADs (assistant directors, the heart of the set) and countless other production folk, Marc’s trilogy of “These are the Voyages” books read like high drama. We are brought right into studio and sound stages as the show is conceived, reconceived, cast, recast, and finally bursts into the world’s consciousness. I was lucky enough to have written for Star Trek, and even luckier to have had a thirty year television writing and producing career jump-started by breaking into Trek with “The Tholian Web”. I went through the process of “spec-ing” a script, selling the idea and then writing the script through a final draft. I was amazed that Marc seemed to have been in the script editor’s room as that script was pounded into the episode that was finally shot. I know from first-hand experience that he has captured the whole process as no other Trek historian has been able to do. That doesn’t mean that other books haven’t brilliantly elucidated some aspect of Trek, whether as actors, writers, producers and below the line talent, but it does mean that Marc has given us a PH.D. quality analysis of the whole enchilada. Sometimes this set of books show us things we might not want to know, such as realizing that Harlan Ellison’s original wonderful script, “City of the Edge of Forever,” did NOT make it to the screen. That much loved show was dismantled piece by piece as the producers tried to fit the story into a budget that could not handle Harlan’s concept. Even with a WGA award winning sci-fi writer, the exigencies of money and production won out, and yet we still got one of the best Star Trek episodes ever aired. We learn, step by step, how that script morphed, and sometimes that learning is painful. On the other hand, Marc displays much grace and veracity in showing that the much maligned writing and producing staff members of the third season were not the failures they have often been rumored to be. I knew Fred Freiberger and Arthur Singer. I worked with them throughout my career, and I found them to be both knowledgeable and creative writers. They were bound by network demands, budget chains and Paramount disinterest in ways that former producers and writers were not, or at least not to the same extent. I watched the wonderful director Ralph Senensky get fired from “The Tholian Web” for taking the time he had to have and doing the job they were paying him to do, when shows from the first two seasons went over in days and dollars and did not lose their directors. One of the major difficulties for any writer is accepting criticism. We all take it personally, even if the comments are usually offered with the best intentions. After working in Hollywood for years, I taught screenwriting at UCLA and UCR. If Marc’s books had been available when I was teaching, I would have required all three books as reading for my classes because of the wealth of script critiques held in the memos and letters sent between production, studio and writers. If you are thinking of buying a “how-to” book on scripting or production, buy these books. You will find a treasury of information between the book covers. Finally, in summation, Marc Cushman has reported the problems of the third season with a wise eye and deft pen. He’s commented on Trek in perhaps the most riveting account of a show we thought we already knew and taught us there was so much more for us to learn and love. Thanks for all those hours, Marc Cushman. This is the ultimate Trek Bible.

These Are the Voyages: TOS Season Three is finally in release! This monumental book series by Marc Cushman illuminates the background and creation of the world-bestriding colossus that is Star Trek. The reason these books take so long to produce is the miles-deep research involved. Over a span of years (and in some instances, decades), Cushman was able to interview the principal creators, and also achieved access to tons of studio paperwork, story proposals, casting lists, budget memos, and other original documents. He puts this together with contemporary press coverage and retrospective quotations from cast and crew, and, hey presto! the answer to every TREK or pop culture fan’s dream! We have in-depth descriptions of each episode’s genesis, development, and production; narratives of crew and cast changes; and for me the most interesting of all, the part telling the day-to-day stuff. We learn how much time was spent on this stage or that; the changes in a character’s name or which directors were sure-footed or floundering; and about a gazillion other details that make you feel like a tribble on the wall. As I noted in my reviews of the first two books in this series, another mind-blower is the inclusion (and explanation) of the TV ratings for Star Trek’s NBC run. Contrary to the popular narrative that Trek flopped in the ratings, we are shown that nearly every week, the show either won or took second place in one or both of its half-hour segments. My own conclusion is that show creator Gene Roddenberry was too much of an irritant to NBC, Desilu, and Paramount executives. (Read these books for plenty of ammunition for this opinion.) As I wrote in 2013 to Marc about this topic: “GR’s behavior once again proves that, while some idols have feet of clay, others replace clay with something more nasty. This kind of behavior – me-first; willing to cross ethical and legal boundaries to benefit yourself; fire good, loyal, devoted employees to install others you like better – makes me sad.” Also, Star Trek was (of course) an expensive show to produce, nearly bankrupting Desilu before the production company was sold to Paramount. So, the factors of expense plus “that darn Roddenberry” and his rebellious attitude were a couple of the major factors that doomed the series. As I pronounced when I encountered the first book, “TOS One,” this is going to be the primary research document for future researchers. The only thing to be wished for is an index of names. But, so loaded is every page, any index would be about as long as the book! Now, I consider myself an original Trekker. I watched the show on NBC and in syndication; I taped episode audio from TV speakers on my “cassette-corder”; I’ve had TREK nonfiction published in several volumes of the “Best of TREK” book series; I have about a hundred books and magazines concerning the whole TREK thing. Still, I can about open any of these books at random, point a finger on any page, and find something I didn’t know. You cannot be knowledgeable about TV production in the 1960s, and about the peculiarly American phenomenon known as Star Trek, unless you have read these books. TRUTH IN REVIEWING: I am an editor for this book series.