STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES: THIS SIDE OF PARADISE (TV)
Summary
One in the series of science fiction programs about the voyages of the U.S.S. Enterprise. In this episode, the Enterprise arrives at the Omicron Ceti III planet to try to contact a Federation colony, alarmed that Uhura's transmission signals to them have continually gone unanswered. Kirk is told by Spock that the chances are "absolutely none" that the 150 men, women, and children of Omicron Ceti III's agricultural colony are still alive after the planet was showered with Berthold rays -- a newly discovered radiation that disintegrates living animal tissue under exposure. Kirk wonders if it's safe for the Enterprise to send a party to the planet. Spock explains that they could stay a week on the planet before they too would be harmed by the radiation. Beamed down to the surface, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and three crew members are startled to discover inhabitants, led by farmer Elias Sandoval. Kirk is taken aback by the cool and calm Sandoval and his fellow colonists, who should incontrovertibly be dead. When Sandoval takes the crew back to his abode, Spock is shocked to be introduced to another colonist, Leila Kalomi, a romantic interest of his from six years previous. A deeply puzzled McCoy decides to run medical examinations on the colonists and finds them in textbook-perfect health. Meanwhile, Sulu and Spock find the planet completely devoid of animal life, despite the fact that the colonists traveled to the planet with abundant livestock. Sandoval informs Kirk that they can grow any sort of crop on their "perfect" planet and that they are all vegetarians. As the Enterprise crew continues searching for clues to the colonists' mysterious existence, Leila shows Spock the planet's secret: strange flowers that shoot spores which give "life, peace, love." Spock finds the idea of a "happiness pill" quite illogical, until he is blasted with the spores and immediately exhibits emotions, going so far as to declare his love to Leila. As Kirk plans a full evacuation of the planet, a happy-go-lucky Spock defies Kirk's orders. Meanwhile, the rest of the ground crew become happy-go-lucky as well, though Kirk remains unaffected by the spores. Later, when Kirk is beamed back to the Enterprise, he finds it full of the strange flowers -- and a spore-affected crew staging a peaceful mutiny against him. Kirk is alone on the Enterprise after all ship personnel decide to stay on Omicron to live. Unable to control the Enterprise by himself, Kirk needs to figure out a plan to combat the spores' powerful effects. Kirk knows he must rescue his stupored crew, fully realizing that, despite the seemingly peaceful paradise of Omicron, man stagnates without ambition. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: March 2, 1967 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:50:19
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:64007
- GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (D. C. Fontana); Drama, fantasy/science fiction; Asian American Pacific Islanders Collection
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1966-1969
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Gene Roddenberry … Executive Producer, Created by
- Gene L. Coon … Producer
- Robert H. Justman … Associate Producer
- Ralph Senensky … Director
- D. C. Fontana … Writer
- Nathan Butler … Writer
- Alexander Courage … Theme Music by
- William Shatner … Cast, Capt. James T. Kirk
- Leonard Nimoy … Cast, Mr. Spock
- DeForest Kelley … Cast, Dr. Leonard McCoy
- Jill Ireland … Cast, Leila Kalomi
- Frank Overton … Cast, Elias Sandoval
- Grant Woods … Cast, Lt. Commander Kelowitz
- George Takei … Cast, Lt. Hikaru Sulu
- Nichelle Nichols … Cast, Lt. Nyota Uhura
- Michael Barrier … Cast, Lt. Vincent DeSalle
- Dick Scotter … Cast, Painter
- Eddie Paskey … Cast, Lt. Leslie
- Bobby Bass … Cast, Lieutenant #2
- Bill Blackburn … Cast, Lt. Hadley
- John Lindesmith … Cast, Engineer #2
- Sean Morgan … Cast, Engineer #1
- Ron Veto … Cast, Kelowitz's opponent
- Fred Shue … Cast, Crewman #1