We Love Leonard Nimoy: Our Favorite Spock-centric "Star Trek" Episodes

Please accept our apologies for delaying so long in bringing you another Leonard Nimoy tribute.  The loss of him has really sunk in during the past month and we will continue to honor him here.  The Flaming Nose TV Blog has always been close to everything Star Trek, and as you can see from our previous posts we are collectively and completely devastated by the recent passing of Leonard Nimoy.  Though we at the Nose have watched and loved everything else Nimoy ever did, Mr. Spock was and is my favorite TV character ever and I truly can't imagine living my life without the inspiration and entertainment provided by Nimoy's (and now Quinto's) artistry in bringing him to life.

Star Trek: The Original Series fans will argue forever about best episodes, but we'd like to put our two quatloos in and offer up our favorite Mr. Spock episodes.  They might be different from yours but they'll be guaranteed to offer you some prime Spock viewing opportunities.  Actually many of these would be among the best overall Star Trek episodes too, so even more reason to take a look.  Our choices, in no particular order, but the best is first!

1.  "Amok Time" --  Flaming Nose Logline:  Mr. Spock's Vulcan half takes over and he is forced back to his home planet to take part in a dangerous mating ritual.

Naturally this episode, the first of the second season, easily takes this position.  It's got everything -- Vulcan biology, plomeek soup (Vulcan comfort food), Kirk and Spock talking about the birds and the bees, T'Pau,T'Pring, Stonn, the lirpa, pon farr -- and the most famous musical theme possibly ever to come out of a TV show (click here for a fascinating post by Sean Munger on his website).  Jane has already declared this her favorite, and I can't disagree.  Here is the original trailer for the episode:



The trailer for the remastered version which was syndicated a few years ago:



The full episode:




I have to say this next video is quite charming and adorable.  Be warned!  Meet Sarai!




2. "The Naked Time" -- Flaming Nose Logline:  A strange virus infects the Enterprise crew, revealing hidden emotions and threatening to destroy the ship.

Early in the first season this episode revealed a hidden emotional side of Spock as the Vulcan, after being waylaid in Sickbay by a smitten Nurse Chapel -- it's the first time we learn that she has a big crush on him which is referenced in several episodes -- contracts the mysterious bug.  Despite all his attempts at control, he breaks down in a spectacular sobbing scene and it's not until Captain Kirk gives him a super pep talk that Spock gets it together again.  The entire ship is a madhouse albeit a sort of fun one...until the dire consequences rear up.  The original trailer for the episode:



The remastered version trailer:



The full episode from Hulu,  click here to watch and also available on Netflix.

"The Naked Time" is a nutty episode with wonderful Spock moments which put it on our list.


3.  "The Menagerie, Pt. 1 & 2"   Flaming Nose Logline:  Mr. Spock is put on trial for redirecting the Enterprise in an attempt to bring his disabled former commander to a forbidden planet.

Though I don't personally love this episode, it's important to Spock history as we get a chance to see via flashbacks the younger Spock (actually Nimoy as Spock in the 1st Star Trek pilot "The Cage") and learn about his service with Captain Pike.  Kind of an epic episode, two parts, with a taciturn Mr. Spock facing a court martial and a death sentence for hijacking the ship to the mysterious Talos IV.  Pike, played by the terrific actor Jeffrey Hunter (who would have made an awesome starship captain in the series but whose wife put the kibosh on his further Trek participation), is a great character and seeing "The Cage" is a lot of fun.  Here are the two trailers for the episodes, the second with a neat Spock narration:



The remastered Part 1 trailer:



The remastered Part 2 trailer:



You can watch "The Menagerie" on Hulu.com or without commercials on Netflix.

4.  "This Side of Paradise"  Flaming Nose Logline: A mission to relocate settlers from a farming outpost on Omicron Ceti III turns into a fight against alien spores; Spock reunites with a woman who was once interested in him romantically.

This was among the handful of Star Trek episodes (including the above discussed "Amok Time" and "The Naked Time") to deal with Spock and his interaction with females, a subject of much interest in Star Trek fandom for these past five decades. In "This Side of Paradise" the female from Spock's past is lovely botanist Leila Kalome played by actress Jill Ireland, at the time the wife of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. star David McCallum and later married to Charles Bronson; she was also known for her memoirs about her battle with breast cancer.  In contrast to the new Spock of the J.J. Abrams world, our original Spock wasn't a ladies man so when an episode came along with a hint of romance we were all over it.

In addition to Spock's smitten behavior we've got crewmen in mutiny, Dr. McCoy sipping on a mint julep and terrific moments from Kirk as a captain whose command is slipping away before his eyes.  Directed with finesse and thoughtfulness by Ralph Senensky, "The Side of Paradise" was from the pen of Star Trek story editor Dorothy Fontana and shows her deep care and understanding of the characters.  A really great episode which looks particularly great because it was filmed largely on location, "This Side of Paradise" is a must-watch.



The remastered trailer:



The Sci Fi Channel's wraparounds when they aired the episode:




You can watch the full episode on Hulu (click here) or on Netflix.

Sarai brings us her recap of "This Side of Paradise" here:




5.  "City on the Edge of Forever"  Flaming Nose Logline:  When a crazed Dr. McCoy escapes into the past via a time portal called The Guardian of Forever, Kirk and Spock must go back to Depression-era New York City.

One of Star Trek's best known and highly praised episodes (and written by Harlan Ellison), "City..." manages to combine amusing fish-out-of-water scenes with Kirk and Spock with cogent sociological insights and ultimately deep tragedy. One of the treats of this episode is actress Joan Collins guesting as social worker Edith Keeler, a progressive thinker who captures Kirk's heart.  It's hard to believe that so much story is crammed into a mere fifty minutes, so rich is the experience of "City on the Edge of Forever."  Overall terrific, great interaction between Spock and Kirk and also McCoy, and we get to see the guys in civilian clothes which is rare treat also.  Plus, who doesn't love time travel?

This is the original trailer:



Here's the trailer for the remastered version which was shown in recent syndication:



In 1991 on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of Star Trek, viewers named "City on the Edge of Forever" their 2nd favorite episode, as explained by the late great Leonard Nimoy:



You can watch the episode on Hulu (with commercials) or on Netflix.

6. "Journey to Babel"  Flaming Nose Logline:  A galactic treaty dispute puts the Enterprise and a shipload of diplomats -- including Mr. Spock's mother and estranged father -- in grave danger.

This is a very Spock-centered episode as we delve into his family and meet his Human mother Amanda and his Vulcan father Sarek.  From Star Trek's second season, "Journey to Babel" is another glimpse into the conflicted inner life of Mr. Spock.  It's an exciting episode with lots of exotic ambassadors in flamboyant get-ups, some great alien make-up, and a whole lot of backstory concerning Spock's decision to join Starfleet and his denial of his human half.

The veteran movie actress Jane Wyatt, a TV stalwart for many years as the mother of Princess, Bud and Kitten on Father Knows Best opposite Robert Young, guest stars as Amanda and she is delightful and effective in the role. (She reprised the role in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.)  Actor Mark Lenard (who had already guested in the series as a Romulan in the first season) gave a masterful performance as Sarek, a role he was to repeat in episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation as well as several of the big screen motion pictures.  Together they made you believe that a Vulcan could fall in...if not love, then something as good as...with a Human.

The original trailer:



The trailer for the remastered version:




 7. "The Enterprise Incident"   Flaming Nose Logline:  A covert mission involves Kirk and Spock in a dangerous encounter with a brilliant and alluring female Romulan commander.

A third season entry that manages to combine adventure, intrigue and sexual tension in a mix that showcases Spock's Vulcan heritage.  It's the one episode where Captain Kirk gets to try on a pair of pointed ears, a treat in itself.  The terrific actress Joanne Linville guest stars as the Romulan Commander, a formidable warrior, top-notch tactician and beautiful woman who is attracted to Mr. Spock.  Is Spock just playing with her emotions in order to complete his mission, or is there something more to his exotic flirtation with the lovely alien captain?  We think there is.

The original trailer for "The Enterprise Incident":



Full Episode:




8.  "Is There in Truth No Beauty?   Flaming Nose Logline:  A diplomatic mission to transport Kollos the insanity-inducing-if-seen Medusan Ambassador to his home planet creates rivalry between Miranda, the gifted and mysterious telepath assigned to the dignitary, and Mr. Spock.

Another good third season episode.  The tension which develops around the mental bond that Miranda hopes to consummate with Kollos -- and make no mistake, there is definitely a sexual aura around the joining -- but hasn't yet, and Spock who as a Vulcan can easily accomplish, is deep, real and troubling to Miranda.  She's played by the talented Diana Muldaur in her 2nd Star Trek appearance, the first one being 2nd season's "Return to Tomorrow" which almost made our list here (well worth watching, too).

The dynamic between Miranda and her ex-fiance (played by David Frankham) who is also on the mission is complicated and ends badly both for him and the entire ship.  When the Enterprise is thrown into a mysterious void from from which only the superior navigational skills of Kollos can possibly extricate them, Miranda's jealousy of Spock makes the mind fusion a move fraught with danger.  Great Spock moments here and also the appearance of the IDIC pendant which supposedly was a symbol of the Vulcan philosophy, or maybe it was just a marketing idea from Gene Roddenberry to sell necklaces...?

The original trailer for "Is There in Truth No Beauty?":



Full episode:




9.  "Mirror, Mirror"  Flaming Nose Logline:  A strange electromagnetic storm sends Enterprise crew members into a vicious alternative universe where loyalties are unknown and violence is the norm.

Spock with a beard.  That's basically the chief attraction of "Mirror, Mirror" and it's a great reason to watch.  Alternative universe Spock is piratical, sexy, determined, brutish yet still retains the great cool of a Vulcan. Everybody else gets a chance to play outside of their usual boundaries and wear flashier uniforms than usual, too.  It's an exciting episode with lots of action and character moments.

The original trailer for "Mirror, Mirror":



The trailer for the remastered version:



You can watch the episode here:



Here is Sarai's review of "Mirror, Mirror":




 10.  "All Our Yesterdays"   Flaming Nose Logline:  Spock, McCoy and Kirk are thrown back and trapped in the past history of a planet on the verge of being destroyed by an exploding supernova.

This next-to-the-last episode of classic Star Trek is a melancholy one, a mostly successful time-travel tale with no scenes on the Enterprise at all.  Kirk is sent back to a Musketeer-like era where they finger him as a witch, and Spock and McCoy end up in an ancient Ice Age where they encounter a woman exiled there in a solitary existence.  "All Our Yesterdays" gets put on best-of-Spock lists because it's one of his rare romantic outings, made more interesting and sympathetic by the presence of the lovely actress Mariette Hartley as the lonely Zarabeth.  It's basically Spock's "City on the Edge of Forever" moment and even within the time constraints of an hour show there is a deeply tragic note to the proceedings.  Also some good testy Spock-McCoy dialog going on!

The original trailer:



The remastered trailer:



You can watch the whole episode here:




That's all for now.  A mere 10 of the 79 episodse produced are in this list, but there are amazing Spock moments in every episode.  More of those later!

For now, remember how much Leonard Nimoy gave us when he became Mr. Spock.

Unforgettable.  Fascinating.

Remembering Bill Bixby, Born Jan. 22, 1934

He would have turned 81 last Thursday.

One of TV's most beloved and familiar faces was actor/director Bill Bixby whose long TV career as a personable star of several popular series made him an audience and industry favorite for decades.  Bill passed away from cancer on November 21, 1993 at the age of 59, and the loss of this talented TV veteran has been keenly felt ever since. (Interestingly, his death followed by two years that of equally beloved TV icon Michael Landon who also died of cancer well before his time at age 55.)

His was a career based primarily in television from beginning to end.  Blessed with All-American good looks and a likable demeanor, Bixby became a popular guest star on many early 1960s series including The Joey Bishop Show, Dr, Kildare, and this 1962 episode from The Andy Griffith Show:




Bill Bixby moved between drama and comedy with ease, a skill that eventually brought him one of the starring roles on the CBS sitcom My Favorite Martian which debuted in 1963.  Co-starring with veteran actor Ray Walston for the three year run of the show, Bixby played reporter Tim O'Hara whose close encounter with a Martian visitor he passed off as his "Uncle Martin" made for 107 episodes of well-regarded classic TV comedy.





After the end of My Favorite Martian Bill Bixby turned to the big screen to co-star in a pair of Elvis Presley movies and continued to make guest starring roles on series TV.  You'll enjoy this groovy 1968 clip from The Dating Game where Bill and Richard Dawson were contestants:



 In 1969 he landed the starring role of Tom Corbett in the ABC TV adaptation of the 1963 Glenn Ford movie comedy The Courtship of Eddie's Father; Ron Howard played his son Eddie in the film.  For the TV version seven year old child actor Brandon Cruz was tapped to play Bixby's son and Academy Award-winning Asian actress Miyoshi Umeki played their housekeeper Mrs. Livingston .  Their genuine onscreen chemistry between all three of them immediately captured the hearts of viewers and the show lasted three seasons for a total of 73 episodes.  Adding to the warm & fuzzies was the charming theme song by composer Harry Nilsson.

Each episode of The Courtship of Eddie's Father began with a heart-to-heart talk between Eddie and Tom which led into the opening credits.  Here are a few different versions:










You will also enjoy this clip from 1989 from The Arsenio Hall Show when guest Bill Bixby had a surprise visitor:




After the 1973 cancellation of The Courtship of Eddie's Father Bixby returned to more guest roles in popular series and along the way gave a much-lauded performance in the racy 1973 PBS adaptation of Bruce Jay Friedman's darkly absurd play Steambath. 








Bixby, as always constantly working in guest roles and TV Movies, again landed a series lead as he took the title role in NBC's The Magician which debuted in the fall of 1973.  He played a rich playboy whose hobbies were sleuthing and magic, both interests leading him into a season's worth of adventure and intrigue. Stylish and sophisticated, The Magician didn't have the staying power NBC was looking for but audiences responded warmly to Bixby's finesse with legerdemain -- a real interest of his -- and the series is far from forgotten.




After The Magician Bixby once again continued to be a sought-after TV face, including an Emmy-nominated supporting role in the groundbreaking miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man in 1976.




1977 brought him the title role of Dr. David Banner in the TV adaptation of comic book character The Incredible Hulk; actually he shared the role with bodybuilder actor Lou Ferrigno who played the post-transformation Hulk. The show lasted five seasons and a total of 83 episodes, ending its CBS run in 1982.  The continuing popularity of the show with fans and in syndication spurred rival network NBC to reunite Bixby and Ferrigno for three follow-up movies seven years after the series cancellation.  We highly recommend visiting the terrific website The Incredible Hulk TV Series Page created by Mark Rathwell for extensive information and valuable insight; click here.  Episodes are also available for viewing on NBC's website, click here.



Here's a trailer for one episode that clearly used footage from the TV Movie Duel:



And here is a documentary on the making of the still popular series:



In 1981 Bixby was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his hosting duties on the PBS show Once Once a Time.




Post-The Incredible Hulk, in 1983 Bill Bixby starred opposite actress Mariette Hartley in the situation comedy Goodnight, Beantown where they played Boston TV news anchors. The series started as an April '83 five episode run, returned in the fall for an additional 13 episodes and left the air in January of 1984.  Bixby and Hartley and CBS had been banking on the actors' proven personal acting chemistry to propel Goodnight, Beantown to success; Hartley had won a Best Actress Emmy Award in 1979 for her work in the two-part The Incredible Hulk episode "Married" where she was an ailing research doctor who falls in love with and marries David Banner.  No such luck, alas, this time around.  Check out the wonderful Goodnight, Beantown analysis on the Friday@8 Central website written by Tim Rose; click here to read it.



We need to also remember Bill Bixby's extensive TV directing career, beginning when he directed several episodes of The Courtship of Eddie's Father.  He proved to be as talented in back of the camera as in front of it and continued to helm episodes in both comedy and drama including Mannix, Charlie's Angels, Mr. Merlin, Sledgehammer and many others.  At the end of his life he was busy directing episodes of the series Blossom.

Bixby made a commercial for Tandy computers back in 1986, too:



Though no more series leads were to come his way after Goodnight, Beantown, Bill Bixby continued making many guest acting appearances and as mentioned above was simultaneously involved in his successful TV directing career. His cancer diagnosis came in 1991 and ultimately led to his death on November 21, 1993.

We highly recommend taking a good look at his extensive IMDb credits, click here -- he was as prolific as he was versatile.  In terms of a great biography, you won't find a better one than this one from Mark Rathwell's above mentioned The Incredible Hulk TV Series Page -- click here to read it. The Find a Death website has an excellent page on Bill Bixby and also much info on Miyoshi Umeki -- click here to access.  You can click here to read The New York Times obituary on Bill Bixby.  The Los Angeles Times obituary is available by clicking here.  Great Britain's The Independent reported Bixby's death, click here to read.

Of course Wikipedia gives a nice overview of Bixby's life and career, click here.  For a nice article on the continuing influence on Bill Bixby on his many fans, you should read this article from The American Spectator website by Aaron Goldstein, click here.  Here's another tribute article, click here. Also highly recommended is the extensive Bill Bixby website created by JH Harison containing information on his life and career plus great quotes and other background material, access by clicking here. There is also an active The Incredible Hulk discussion board available by clicking here.

Bill Bixby, January 22, 1934 - November 21, 1993.  One of TV's greatest, always remembered.

Farewell to James Garner, TV's Most Dashing Leading Man April 7, 1928 - July 19, 2014

Whether on the big screen or television, James Garner was a winner.  So talented, so handsome, so disarmingly charming -- James Garner had it all.  His career path took him from TV to huge movie stardom and then back to TV again where he never stopped pleasing audiences with his rugged visage, no-nonsense acting style and a twinkle in his eye.

He passed away yesterday at the age of 86 at his home in Los Angeles.

Though his movie career was as big if not bigger than his decades-long TV presence, we'll concentrate on just his small screen work here.  We recommend reading something about his interesting life to get a better sense of what James Garner brought to the table.  It was considerable -- no pampered Hollywood brat was he -- and it will make you appreciate the journey he took to get into acting and then to delight us for the next 60 or so years.

James Garner was Maverick from 1957 - 1962:







(You should watch Garner's full interview from the Archive of American Television here.)

In 1971 he came back to series TV in the one-season Nichols co-starring Margot Kidder:



And then came The Rockford Files from 1974 - 1980:



We'll also show you a big selection of Garner's very popular TV commercials for Polaroid, some solo and others co-starring actress Mariette Hartley.  The Garner-Hartley teaming became a phenomenon for the affectionately snarky chemistry between them and some viewers thought they actually were married to each other.  No, they were just acting like a bickering couple...



















































In 1981 Garner brought back his Bret Maverick character for 18 episodes in the series of the same name:




In 1991 he had a short-lived series Man of the People:



In 1999 he starred in the TV adaptation of Larry McMurty's Streets of Laredo:




James Garner's long, distinguished and enjoyable career made him a favorite of millions.  We'll continue to enjoy his performances for years to come.  Real life is temporary -- TV and movies are forever.

James Garner, 1928 - 2014.

Happy Birthday to Actress Mariette Hartley!

Anybody who knows me or has worked with me probably is aware how much I like actress Mariette Hartley. I always have, and I always will. I've got original Star Trek to thank for my interest in her, after her wonderful appearance as Zarabeth in the third season episode "All Our Yesterdays" where she fell for an ice-age trapped Spock. Who wouldn't, I ask? You'll enjoy this video of Mariette's appearance 2 years ago at her first Trek convention, talking about her episode:




Ms. Hartley celebrates her 70th birthday today as a veteran and survivor of Hollywood's changing tastes -- always classy, always elegant, always intelligent and always so watchable. More a television face than a big-screen personality, though she's done her share of exciting movie parts, including her debut in MGM's stunning Sam Peckinpah-directed western classic from 1961, Ride the High Country. She's a freckle-faced red-headed tomboy in the film, ably holding up her end against acting stalwarts Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott in what is now considered a masterpiece of the genre.

Mariette appeared in a lot of Western TV shows, too, when they were a mainstay of the tube. Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Virginian, Death Valley Days, Daniel Boone, Cimarron Strip and other popular skeins all featured Hartley guests roles, as did almost every other important or lesser-known series since the early 1960s. Some of her more memorable roles, besides that romantic Star Trek, are her haunting Twilight Zone episode "The Long Morrow" where she falls for an astronaut (Robert Lansing) who's about to take off for a decades-long spaceflight; her emotionally-overwrought doctor in a season of TV's smash primetime soap Peyton Place; her fine TV movie work such as in M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk Driving; the lesbian love story My Two Loves opposite the late Lynn Redgrave; the great episode of M*A*S*H where she's a liberated Swedish doctor who catches Hawkeye's roving eye, and so many more, including her double-naveled alien warrioress in the TVM Genesis II.

Anywhere I've worked in Programming I always tried to feature Mariette Hartley performances on her birthday, but these days I just have to content myself with writing about her. She's one of the faces that television fans have grown up with and loved for decades. Just yesterday I came across one of her very early TV roles, from a live Chicago drama program, where she played a harrowing Joan of Arc, back in 1961. Unbelievable! Such talent! (Search in the archives at the Museum of Broadcast Communications here.)

I almost forgot to mention her history-making Polaroid commercials with James Garner that really put her on the map in a big way, back in the late 1970s. This was the heyday of Mariette's public fame, and also about the time she won an Emmy for playing the bride of The Incredible Hulk. She also had a short-lived stint as the most of CBS' The Morning Show, and she was everywhere, her quick wit and everywoman quality -- every liberated woman, at least -- was in high demand.

TV isn't the same anymore; bigger ensemble casts gradually cut down on the guest stars on series episodes, but Mariette has always continued working and also writing and performing onstage. Her 1988 autobiography Breaking the Silence was an incredibly honest (and often very funny) account of Mariette's sometimes troubled life and family history. She's become an outspoken advocate for people with Bipolar Disorder, and also works tirelessly for understanding for those touched by suicide.

Mariette Hartley will always be my favorite actress, and I don't think I could have picked a more worthy subject for my adoration. What a gal!

Happy Birthday, Mariette!