"Star Trek" Shore Leave (1966)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Robert Sparr

Writers:

Theodore Sturgeon (written by)
Gene Roddenberry (creator)

TV Series:

"Star Trek" (1966)

Original Air Date:

29 December 1966 (Season 1, Episode 15)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The past three months has left the crew of the Enterprise exhausted and in desperate need of a break...

Plot Keywords:

Federation | Space | Starship | Computer | Vulcan

Cast

William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
Emily Banks	...	Tonia Barrows
Oliver McGowan	...	Caretaker
Perry Lopez	...	Rodriguez
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
George Takei	...	Sulu
Bruce Mars	...	Finnegan
Barbara Baldavin	...	Angela
Nichelle Nichols	...	Uhura
Marcia Brown	...	Alice
Sebastian Tom	...	Warrior
Shirley Bonne	...	Ruth

Runtime:

50 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Africa USA - 6867 Soledad Canyon Road, Acton, California, USA

Company:

Desilu Productions

Trivia:

It is widely believed that actress Barbara Baldavin is playing Angela Martine, her role in the earlier episode, "Star Trek: The Naked Time (#1.4)" (1966). While her character is generally identified by only that same first name, even in the end credits' cast list, at one point Kirk addresses her as "Teller". This bit is among the material deleted from general syndication prints to clear time for additional commercial sales, allowing the assumption that Baldavin is again playing Martine to be made and accepted.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The tiger that appears to attack the crew clearly wears a chain around its neck.

Quotes:

Captain James T. Kirk: You follow the rabbit. I'll backtrack the girl. I'll meet you round the other side of the hill.
Dr. McCoy: Good. I got a personal grudge against that rabbit, Jim.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Brain That Wouldn't Die (#6.13)" (1993)

Star Trek Takes A Break

"Shore Leave" is mostly an average Star Trek adventure. Nothing wrong with the episode, though. I simply think that this is not the best representation of what the show had to offer to fans. It is lightweight entertaining, nothing more. However, I'm glad to see that a TV show of this type had enough good sense to take a break from serious intergalactic conflicts. In this episode, Kirk decides to grant his crew some time off, and a landing party is beamed down to a planet that looks like the perfect place for a vacation. As usual, the planet is not as peaceful as it appears to be. There are some action and tense moments, but most of the story is played for laughs. Good, but unexceptional.