Top 10 Star Trek: The Original Series Episodes
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- čas přidán 7. 06. 2024
- Arm the photon torpedoes and set your phaser to stun. Join www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 "Star Trek: The Original Series" episodes. Special thanks to our users "jwiking62", "Andrew A. Dennison, Anthony Castaneda, Ltek28 and Shehbaz Ahmed for submitting the idea on our Suggestions Page at WatchMojo.com/suggest!
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One episode I feel could have been top 10 or at least an honorable mention was "The Enemy Within", where Captain Kirk gets "split" into two forms of himself due to a transporter malfunction, a "good" Kirk and a "bad" Kirk. That episode was one of my favorites. Great list, I agree with pretty much every episode on this one!
That, along with "The Doomsday Machine" and "The Tholian Web" are my favorites
Don't miss these other great videos,
Top 10 William Shatner's Captain Kirk Fight Moves
Top 10 Star Trek Video Games
Top 10 Star Trek Movie Moments
Top 10 Star Trek Villains
Star Trek Franchise Retrospective
Aw...no season 3 episodes? Not even any honorable mentions?
I can think of a few great ones. To give just one example: DAY OF THE DOVE-The Enterprise picks up some Klingon prisoners but also unknowingly brings along a mysterious alien entity that thrives on violence and aggression and amps up the hatred between the Klingons and Enterprise crew.
You got #1 right. "The City On The Edge Of Forever" is by far my favorite episode of all time. The ending, and Kirk's sacrifice for the greater good, is still heartbreaking.
Joan Collins was so pretty, I fell in love with her. Gut wrenching end.
Right with you on your selection,,,
McCoy: Do you know what you made me do?
Spock: He knows doctor. He knows.
You could have put in Kirk's reaction shot after he stops McCoy from saving Edith. The look on his face is probably the pinnacle of Shatner's acting career.
I love song my mom and me
This shall always remain THE "Star Trek" show for me :) I have come to enjoy the other ones but the original is the one to ultimately remember. A groundbreaking series.
McCoy: "You deliberately stopped me, Jim. I could have saved her. Do you KNOW what you just did?"
Spock: "He knows, doctor. He knows"
Incredibly powerful scene. Best episode by far
@Best Player On the field Yes. That's a great scene. Unlike the usual "on to the next mission".
Yes. Joan Collins totally rocked the role of Edith Keeler. You can see how she went on to bigger successes later in her career. She really made you feel that Kirk and Edith had made a soul-deep connection, which is impressive, given Captain Kirk's interstellar horn-dog reputation. The episode would have been much less moving had a less competent actress been handed the role.
I’m not a fan of these newer Star Trek movies or TV episodes. For me, the original TV series was indeed magic. Like a Gene Roddenberry painted masterpiece. What made it so special was not just Roddenberry but all those people that contributed their time and energies into making it what is was on NBC in 1966. Many people have tried but YOU CANT DUPLICATE THE ORIGINAL! 👍🏻😃
Roddenberry gets a little too much credit, as Gene Coon had more to do with what made Star Trek work, as well as writers like D.C. Fontana.
Roddenberry even infamously said, when TNG began production, that he had no desire to treat TOS as absolute canon. Is it any wonder that the very first TNG episode retcons away a sizable chunk of TOS' established pre-Federation history, and even the source of Khan's backstory.
TOS was more believable and gave more of a sense of what interstellar exploration might be like and had better stories and acting (even though the Gorn was a guy in a rubber lizard suit). The others score mostly on special effects. Captain Janeway is my second favorite captain though.
Oh god absolutly
I agree I only keep watching the original series... The new stuff was okvwell written .. but the chemistry of the original actors was awesome
It’s TOS and TNG for me
Time-Saver Summary:
#10 The Naked Time (0:42)
#9 The Trouble with Tribbles (1:31)
#8 The Doomsday Machine (2:25)
#7 Arena (3:24)
#6 Mirror, Mirror (4:21)
#5 Space Seed (5:09)
#4 Journey to Babel (6:09)
#3 Amok Time (7:10)
#2 Balance of Terror (8:14)
Hon. Mentions: The Cage, This Side of Paradise, Shore Leave, Where No Man has Gone Before, The Ultimate Computer, (9:04)
#1 The City on the Edge of Forever (10:24)
Strange that Errand of Mercy isn’t on this list
@@chitsb Or A Taste of Armageddon
Or Spock’s Brain - just kidding!
How in the world The Corbamite Manuver not on this list?
@@tonyb6007 You know, in my opinion, the greatest aspect of the "Corbamite Manuver,"was the use of a child actor to play the alien. What a cheap, but utterly convincing ploy, to create another life form. The only complaint I can think of, was the dubbing of the adult voice. Although it matched the kid's lips movements perfectly, it sounded like it was as coming from another room. (I know... critics, critics!) Still, I agree it was one of Trek's best episodes.
Just started watching Star Trek recently and the original series is definitely my favorite so far. This Side of Paradise is easily my #1 favorite episode. Any episode/movie when Spock feels emotion is just amazing. Glad it made it into the honorable mentions.
The huge amount of honorable mentions truly shows how great this show was. Not a single episode felt like a bad one.
Not even "Spock's Brain"? :P
When Leonard Nimoy died, The New York Times cited TSP as an example of Nimoy's acting talent.
@@mrz80 Brain and Brain! What is brain?
Oh my... the 3rd season had plenty of bad episodes. So bad, in fact, as to be almost laughable! I think it can be attributed to Roddenberry having given up control of the show that final, basically disastrous, final season.
The city on the edge of forever was just absolutely brilliant, i loved it
One thing---I caught a discrepancy near the end of the episode. It would seem that Edith Keeler brought her demise on herself, when after Kirk told her to stay put she wandered out into the traffic, not watching where she was going.+ No wonder she got hit by the truck!
Heartbreaking It ALWAYS MAKES ME CRY💙😇😁😀
@@zitacarno4443 Well, in my book, the biggest discrepancy is this-- Kirk could have had the Guardian send him back a month before he and Spock first appeared in the past; Her could have re-met Edith, whooed her all over again, then brought her back to the future to live happily ever after... Lol!
@@williamanthony9090 William.. how do you know it's ok to take people from the past to live in the future? I don't recall that being an option and it does not sound logical.
@@thecatvirusgotme889 - That's why it's called Science FICTION!
Star Trek was magic back then.
It still is.
Not with the new movies it is
Exactly.. You can watch them again and again
John Smith
Did I mention the new movies? No, my response was to what you said. Besides, I love the new movies. If you don't, fine, but they are good entertainment.
Gordon Freeman I ..don't ...know, did I say something wrong?
The end scene from "City On The Edge" says it all. Kirk (sadly): "Let's get the hell out of here."
Michael Bruner- Kirk should have had the landing party beam up first, then had The Guardian transport him back a year before McCoy arrived... lol!
"Do you know what you just did?!?!"
"He *knows*, Doctor. He knows."
Heartbreaking all around.
It's the only time he says hell in the entire series. The less you use strong language, the more powerful it becomes.
Yeah, tragic romance.
Yes, you really feel it when he says it!!!
I still remember the excitement I felt as a young boy watching these shows on TV. Thank you Gene!
Gene Roddenberry deserves the lion's share of the credit for launching Trek, promoting it, writing it, and keeping it flying, but it was a work of one heck of a lot of very talented and creative people, not the least some great science fiction writing talent. Herb Solow and Robert Justman explore some of those topics in a CZcams video (3 hours, and worth every minute) titled Inside Star Trek: the Real Story.
"Mirror Mirror" should be #1 for one reason alone. Nichelle Nichols in that outfit. DAMN!!!
an outfit they had to hide from network producers on set because exposed navels on women was a BIG no-no on network TV at the time, LOL
Navel or not, she is one beautiful woman.
@@lakecountynaturalist7617 No doubt. And extremely well-built too. that rock hard abdomen though… mmmh
'Mirror, Mirror' is one of my favorites. Nichelle Nichols was insanely buff for a actress of the time. Those abs would get rave reviews even today. 'The Trouble with Tribbles' was unique in its concept. 'Journey to Babel' puts forward the idea that politics never change. 'Balance of Terror' is a thinly disguised modernization of the WWII destroyer vs submarine movie 'The Enemy Below'. Amazingly, the show almost always had top-notch writing.
I was eight years old when Star Trek first aired. To this day, I remember Uhura's and Marlena's outfits in "Mirror, Mirror" making me... _nervous_ in ways that were confusing to me at the time.
Well... That top notch writing fell to the wayside in the third season.
Did you know that showing a woman's navel on network TV was a big no-no at the time? They had to actually hide it, and the subsequent dailies from the network producer while they were filming the episode. Of course, once it was in the can, it was too late to change it. Its too bad they chickened out on the Kirk-Uhura kiss the following year
I approve this message.
Nichelle Nichols' belly button will always have the "Mirror, Mirror" episode foremost in my memory.
The Devil in the dark is my personal favorite episode, I'm surprised it wasn't even an honorable mention. The gamesters of triskellion, The Galileo 7 and the enemy within are also great episodes.
I love that episode, too.
I’ve watched the original Star Trek repeatedly since their original airing. Back in the sixties most people had B&W televisions. I vividly remember some of my classmates wanting to know what color the laser beams were. Star Trek introduced various devices and concepts of space travel and communications that were very intriguing. I do believe that if it were not for Star Trek we would not have cell phones, personal computers, tablets, and other devices commonly in use today. I hope that one day there will be an actual USS Enterprise NC-1701 and the realization of Warp drive allowing for actual real time exploration of distant stars and planets.. Ahead Warp Eight.🌏
Agreed Star Trek gave us the technology we enjoy today.
Great memory about BW sets...what an era! Something only us old farts can appreciate!
Okay, guys, I don't want to downplay the influence of Star Trek, but to say they'd be no cell phones, tablets, and so forth, is giving the show a little bit too much credit. The producers of Trek, like the producers of the cartoon Johnny Quest before them, used to read the magazines "Popular Science" and "Popular Mechanics" to come up with ideas for their two show's technology. They may have brought that technology to the attention of wider audiences, but readers of both those magazines in the 1960s were aware of futuristic technologies that eventually evolved into things we have today. Just saying...
Nobody's gonna do it? Ok.
Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnn!!!!!
How to get a horrible sore throat...
RainStormGames Yesssssss!!!!
Missing the episode with GARY SEVEN
Unfortunately... I feel that leading toward Wrath of Khan is the worst thing about the episode, and its not even that episode's fault. While, when written, it was never intended to be revisited, as Spock's line "to return to that world in a hundred years..." would put it well beyond the life span of the characters.
But at the same time, it was implying that something would grow from "the seed you planted today", hence the episode name - Space Seed
But instead, what we got was a fairly simplistic revenge plot. Pointless revenge too, as Kirk had given Khan everything he always wanted - "A world to win, an empire to build" but instead of seeing an empire... we get an absolutely nonsensical explanation for ruining the world, an even more nonsensical way of finding it again, and one of the most infamous canon flubs of all time "I never forget a face, Mister... Checkov"
Wrath of Khan was clearly made to appeal more to the general audience, when Paramount felt The Motion Picture was too cerebral (boy, where has Star Trek heard THAT before), and lets be perfectly honest with ourselves here... we only watch that movie time and time again for the space battle. Is it any wonder Paramount thinks revenge plots and space battles are what we want most? Perhaps if Voyage Home got the love and respect it deserves, we'd get less pew-pew and more fun adventure with relevant social commentary.... you know, like TOS was best known for.
"Errand of Mercy" is often overlooked, but it's a must watch episode just to see John Colicos as Commander Kor. Great performance.
Not to mention that this episode introduced the Klingons.
Thank You! Yes, an overlooked classic. Colicos is superb...my favorite Klingon. Love him threatening Kirk with the "mind scanner"..."I have no desire to see you become a veg-i-table"...wonderfully sinister with the Fu Manchu facial mustache!
I remember growing in the 80s and after I would come home from being a kid and doing kid stuff, I would go home and watch star trek at night. It was such a memorable series. I cant really explain it but it had me watching it every Saturday. Such a good time with other great shows as well. Stay safe out there people 🙏
yes you are right agreeing with you 100% all the way from Baton Rouge Louisiana 2022 please be careful and safe 😊
The City on the Edge of Forever is timeless. I have watched it so many times. I was 9 years old when I first saw it. The acting was superb. It still haunts me to this day. Bravo!
A nice list. So many other great episodes such as "The Apple," "The Changeling," "Day of the Dove," "Devil in the Dark," "Obsession," "The Corbomite Maneuver," and "Ellaan of Troyius" were left off, but that is how much quality Star Trek had in its first series.
Am I the only Teenager Currently Growing up to like this show?????
Jimmy George Im 16 right now and I fucking love this show
No im 14 and its my favorite
Jimmy George I'm Twelve Years Old and What is This?
Jimmy George Nope. I love it.
Amen To Us all!
The original star trek series seen on tv today ,I believe still is the magic,like voyage to the bottom of the sea,Lost in space, never gets old.
"The enemy within" should have least gotten an honorable mention
Well, it was just a knock off of the Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde story. Some think The Enemy Within, and Wolf In The Fold, which brought Jack The Ripper to the Star Trek World, were two basic examples of "lazy" writing. I'm not one of those, but I've heard both episodes described that way by the so called experts. My big question about The Enemy Within is why they just didn't use the shuttlecraft to rescue Sulu and the landing party after the transporter was deemed too dangerous to use!
Windom's Commodore Decker was an incredible performance.
He should have won an award for that episode, for sure.
He really should have. It’s easily my favorite episode.
The episode stood out for me as a child.
Matt, where's your *crew*?
On Planet 4
There *is* no Planet 4
Don't you think I **KNOW** that?!?!?
That exchange still tears me up
@@mrz80 Agreed, William Windom hit that role right out of the park, but in the dialogue, it was planet 3, not four. The dialog goes:
Decker: They say there's no devil, Jim, but there is. right out of hell. I saw it!
Kirk: Matt, where's your crew?
Decker: On the third planet.
Kirk: There IS no third planet.
Decker: Don't you think I KNOW that? There was, but not anymore!
The deep remorse, guilt, and regret for his failure to save his crew, William Windom's acting burrowed right into the audience's psyche and made them feel it.
Live long and prosper to all Trekkies!!
...and Trekkers and just plain everyone who loves the series---like me. I will add the following: Sochya eh dif (Peace and long life).
Live long and prosper
It’s Trekkers not Trekkies. It asalways “Live long and prosper.”
There can’t be enough credit given to the team that practically seamlessly remastered this icon of television. Making something great, new again.
unfortunately they sucked at remaking the ships
they look like toys in the remastered ones
I remember as a kid being so excited to watch the very first episode on TV. It was so awesome. The whole family couldn't wait to see more.
These episode clips reinforce for me the emotional and intellectual depth of this TV show - head & shoulders above the rest. Many to choose from, but I might add "Bread and Circuses," "All Our Yesterdays,"and "Tomorrow is Yesterday" to the list.
For sure.
my only issue with Bread and Circuses is, they try to shoehorn not only religion, but Christianity specifically into it. This despite how the rest of the franchise at the time had promoted the idea of science over religion.
Where No Man Has Gone Before has got to be my favorite
I wished they would bring Gary Mitchell on as a bad guy in one of the movies.
@@289cobra9 holy crap I wrote this comment 7 years ago
@@benirw1n
And you’re back to comment 👍
"The Doomsday Machine", deserved to be higher on the list.
"The Doomsday Machine" is probably my favorite.
Matt Decker's disintegration is one of the best dramatic performances in ST history. And yeah, an automated planet-eating monstrosity from another galaxy gave me my share of OMGWTFBBQ EARTH IS DOOMED nightmares as a little kid.
Clearly.
No.1 because of Windom
Agreed. See Shem von Schroek's "The Doomsday Machine Revealed" demo documentary (20 minute CZcams video) for a great account of why that episode worked so well. Norman Spinrad was close on the heels of Fred Saberhagen in exploring the concept of a "Berserker" with this Trek episode.
The Original series is not only a classic, it's also the romantic age of Star Trek. Much love.
The story lines are great, as well as the acting...however the music REALLY makes the series!!!!
"Devil in the Dark" is a great episode. My number 1 by far.
The one time, as Leonard Nimoy explained, that he played a scene with a rock. That was beautiful, and it demonstrated how to do a mind-meld with a non-human.
That thing's killed a dozen of my men!
And you've killed *thousands* of her children!
"The Devil In The Dark" helped establish the duties of the Enterprise within the Federation, introduced the Vulcan Mind Meld, and addressed the question of communication between vastly different species of intelligent life.
Very much agree. How it's not on here and the tribble episode is... Stupid
Piece of the Action, The Deadly Years, and I, Mudd will always be my favourites
I remember recounting favorite scenes from "Naked Time" with my friends as we waited for the school bus the morning after it was broadcasted. We sang "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" on the way to school. Those Friday mornings after the Thursday night show were always fun.
"Dammit Jim I'm a doctor not a bricklayer" (The Devil in the Dark)
honorable mentions for episodes 1 thru 79 =))
And Kirk said, "You're a healer..."
Friday's Child: "Dammit, Jim I'm a doctor, not an escalator" (trying to help a pregnant Julie Newmar down a hill.
"I'm a Doctor, not a mechanic" - The Doomsday Machine
Uhm.... not 79, that was a horrible episode LOL
Also omit "The Alternative Factor"... that was just boring and poorly put together
Bones was my second favorite after Spock.
I think "Galileo 7" deserves an honorable mention, it's a favorite of mine.
dratheart Mine top, I think it belongs to the “acclaimed, but not as much as it deserves” kind of episode
That's the first episode I remember seeing
dratheart arena did not belong there. That Gorn always reminded me of a cheap plastic godzilla
David James I undestand why people like Arena, but I still think it is overrated
Late to the party: I was thinking the same thing.
The doomsday machine is my all time favorite. It was my dad’s favorite and he always loved hearing the music whenever the planet water came on screen.
This show had some of the most weird, odd, unnerving and mind twisting episodes on television with its only competition being The Twilight Zone and maybe The Outer Limits.
What's about the kiss between Kirk and Uhura?
It was considered quite daring, even for a progressive like Roddenberry, to portray a kiss between a white man and a black woman on broadcast at prime time on TV.
Kirk was such a badass! That styrofoam boulder didn't even phase him!
He is basically a Styrofoam bender
Wouldn't you be? Now, if you were to try and pick up the real thing, which weighs a ton or two...and try to throw it...
The Greatest Science Fiction show ever on Television💙😇😁😀
Next generation too
I think that the corbomite maneuver should be on this list
It was really one of my favorite episodes and the one that hooked me to the series
Also the doomsday machine should be higher
Honourable mentions *forgotten!* are as follows: Tholian Web, Galileo 7, Devil In The Dark, Operation: Annihilate.
Tholian Web, Galileo 7, Devil In The Dark Yes!!! Operation: Annihilate. is good only when my taste for pancakes is so great I must have them fly across the room to me.
Fred Klein I think it was pancake day, yesterday. Thank God I got home, quickly, to the safety of the indoors!
Lol. You too huh! I put Operation:Annihilate on on Pancake Tuesday.
Yes, Tholian Web, very cool I used to get permission to watch this show because it was past my bedtime..
Omg yess I loved The Tholian Web
My #1 favorite is the City on the edge of forever! The best episode of all!
Without question
It doesn't really belong with the others, because it was so good. Great writing
Mr Niceguy Best episode definitely!😀👩🚀🛸🌑⭐
Space Seed is great too though
The City on the edge of forever is good but far better episodes
Shore Leave is my all time favorite episode. I’ve loved it since I was a kid and my dad introduced me to the show.
"You deliberately stopped me Jim? I could have saved her. Do you know what you just did? ..... "He knows Doctor, he knows"
Powerful scene
Mark Lenard is the only actor in STAR TREK to have played a Vulcan (Ambassador Sarek), a Romulan AND a Klingon!
A little known fact about Star Trek: TOS...During the run of the series three different stars from the series "Here Come The Brides" made appearances...Of course there was Mark Lenard and his two appearances in Balance of Terror and Journey to Babel ...There was also Robert Brown as Lazarus in The Alternative Factor and also David Soul as one of the feeders of Vaal in The Apple...
Kurt Neumann- Yes. Arron Stemple, and Jason and Joshua Bolt.
Sadly, he was unrecognizable in that TMP Klingon makeup,... and he wasn't given a chance to shine, as we all know he can. Thank goodness we saw him again in Search for Spock in another incredible performance (not to mention his two additional film returns and two appearances on TNG)
screenrant.com/star-trek-actors-next-generation-voyager-deep-space-nine-multiple-roles/7/?v=8
I'll have to watch for the Klingon.
No mention of "The Enterprise Incident"? I love that one, been my fave for many years.
YES!
Missing the episode with GARY SEVEN
Yup!
That was a good one. It's hard for me to pick a favorite episode.
The problem with "The Enterprise Incident" is that if they can beam undetected onto Romulan ships, presumably they could just beam explosives or even nukes onto those ships, once they gotten the cloaking device.
The original series will always be my favorite due to the story and characters and due to the unexpected hilarity from William Shatner's performance. My second favorite series is Voyager.
Story and character is why I put Deep Space Nine at the top of my list,... and why Voyager frustrated me so much. DS9 had shown that you could have characters that change, grow, and evolve over the seven years, only for Voyager to become locked behind a stricter episodic format than TNG. The individual Voyager episodes were good (well... most of them anyway), but the series at large just feels like such a missed opportunity and a victim of the old ways of thinking.
TOS, #1, TNG, #2, Voyager, #3, Enterprise, #4. My least favorite was DS9, but it still was good.
yes yes you are right I grew up watching the rerun of this show and I loved it all the way from Baton Rouge Louisiana 2022 please be careful and safe 🫂💕
I like every episode of Star Trek! Grew up watching the entire series! 💘 💘 Love it!
Me too!
Seriously, where's "A Piece of the Action" or "Assignment: Earth?"
loved a piece of the action
The Enemy Within, Miri, The Changeling, The Empath and Metamorphosis were all great too!
Yes, they are all good
The Changeling basically was borrowed by Star Trek I: the Motion Picture, however, the changeling was surprisingly not on the list
The Empath was stupid.
I liked The Empath!!
Miri was good. So was the Changeling. The Empath was too brutal for me as a child and I still don't like it.
Love this compilation.
Empezé a ver startrek en 1969. Y sigo haciéndolo con gran entusiasmo!!! Buen video, gracias🖖 !!
I absolutely agree; in fact, I say "The City On The Edge Of Forever" is one of the greatest episodes on any TV series in history...
its just too bad the original author got upset about the re-writes, and was bitter at Roddenberry and Star Trek in general ever since
@@k1productions87 K1.. well in Ellison's story,, the Captain decides to save his love and doom his world history. . Roddenberry flipped it 180 degrees, where the Captain allows his love to die, saving his history. Anyone might be upset if they re-wrote a story to have an opposite ending. Fortunately, both endings are interesting but they make different points.
@@thecatvirusgotme889 Well,... going the original way would completely erase the series,... and the world
@@k1productions87 k1.. True. But that is what he wrote. I can understand it. I recently had a best friend unexpectedly die. If I had the choice, I would sacrifice the planet to bring him back. Ellison's point was that sometimes our love for one person is greater than our love for everybody else. As you noted, the story had to be changed to keep the series going.
@@thecatvirusgotme889 To get mad over that change though is absolutely asinine. Obviously if he approved his story being used for a TV series, then obviously the ending is going to have to be changed. If that changes the principal source of his bitterness, then he needs to get a friggin life
"Miri" should have gotten a honorable mention...
That was a great episode, very suspenseful. And oddly you mentioning it makes me miss Janice rand lol.
It's one of my favorite episodes... There were a few Janice Rand moments in that episode...
Jim Gorr Bonk Bonk on the head!
The Doomsday Machine is my favorite Classic Star Trek episode. Glad it made the list, but it really should've taken the #1 slot. Its the original series' "Best of Both Worlds". Loved the scene where Capt. Kirk invoked his Executive Privelege as Captain of the Enterprise to have Mr. Spock assume command of the Enterprise over Commodore Decker.
Arena showed Capt. Kirk act ala MacGyver when he improvised that cannon to defeat the Gorn.
Agree with all the episodes that made this list.
"Assignment: Earth" anyone? It has everything: Humor, time travel, a relevant message (about the danger of nuclear weapons), rocket tech, a tense climax where Kirk has to make one of the hardest decisions of his career, and even a hook that was being considered as the basis for a spinoff series. Oh yes, and Teri Garr. Not to mention a cat who could become a woman...
I'll also upvote "The Enterprise Incident" - that was a big miss in this list.
Obviously a lot of debate on what should be in the top ten, but like most people I completely agree with the choice for number one.
Aaaaaannnd a cat. Isis
Assignment Earth isn't considered by most as an important Trek episode, yet I've noticed over the years it has a rather strong cult following.
the issue with Assignment: Earth is how the breakaway slingshot maneuver for time travel has not only become a regular thing,... but Starships are actually sent by Starfleet to conduct historical studies using said time travel.... but where the heck was this in TNG when it was needed most? Do you have any idea how useful a solar slingshot for time travel could have been at Wolf 359?
@@k1productions87 Maybe, by the time of TNG, they'd had some "accidents" and deemed it too dangerous to keep doing?
@@tome57a that wouldnt matter when it comes to saving the lives of those lost in the masacre of Wolf 359. Hell, I’d accept a court martial, throw me in the stockades, I’m SAVING these LIVES
Yuss! Finally a Star Trek one! I've been waiting for this for a while. But I have a few things to say:
1. Somehow I knew that was going to be your top pick, no idea how
2. I think the list is backwards. Naked time, tribbles, and doomsday are the best
3. Somehow, I've seen all of the top ten yet none of the honorable mentions. Is this bad that I'm skipping around and only watching the good ones?
4. Where's the Devil in the Dark?!?
IMO, "A Piece Of The Action" needed to be somewhere in there.
Agreed!
Absolutely- YES! YES! YES! Space Seed is overrated. So is Amok Time.
The Chawman Channel - My Epic Life
One of my favorite
This was a treat. Thank you.
grew up on these episodes. A lot of good morality skits. Love it!
Ah, "Balance of Terror"! With the great quote "You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you 'friend'."
Although it is really iconic, i much prefer "The Enterprise Incident"
Mark Lenard was really magnificent as the Romulan commander in "Balance of Terror"---and as all the other roles he played in the series. His show of resignation as he said "Now I go home" was especially poignant.
"the enemy below" Kurt Jurgens i think
RIP Only true Spock (Nimoy).
Spock will live on somewhere in our hearts.
Live long and prosper!
I'll add: Sochya eh dif. (Peace and long life) Spock was my practically favorite character in the whole series, in large part because of his telepathic abilities. That always got me. Still does.
YUP! Nimoy rules, Quinto can suck it.
Great Selection! Personally, The Doomsday Machine is my own #1 fave Classic Trek episode.
I still watch the original star trek series to this day,seven nights a week to be exact ,in new york.
No mention of the uncanny resemblance between #2's Romulan commander and Spock's dad? LOL
azapota1 They were both played by Mark Lenard.
azapota1 I was always so confused by that, and then this list didn't even mention anything about it.
Mark Leonard plays Spock's father. Spock is played by Leonard Nimoy. And then there's the character Leonard McCoy, who has a very tenuous relationship with Spock. What is it with Star Trek and Leonards?
+Son of Tiamat (formerly known as tiakpark) You mean Mark LENARD...
Janet Cooper Right, my mistake. Still funny though.
I loved that episode of Deep Space Nine when they went back in time to the Trouble with Tribbles episode, a nice blend of classic and new footage
love that episode!
That...was great!!!
Fantastic series!Difficult to choose for many of the episodes had their own customs as well.
It's really impossible to have a list of the Top 10 Star Trek TOS episodes, since so many more than 10 are equally excellent.
What are some you would recommend?
You do raise a valid point, Bill - there are so many more episodes that are well worth mention.
@@MegaJustGeorge Definitely true, George. Season 1 is especially difficult, since I think it had more great episodes than the other two seasons., On the other hand, Season 2 had some real block-busters (e.g."Mirror, Mirror," "The Doomsday Machine," "Amok Time," and "Journey To Babel").For me, the original Star Trek will always be the best show I ever saw on TV!
@@MegaJustGeorge Always loved "The Corbomite Maneuver".
@@permiek With special guest star William Windom.
Much better than Star Wars
I completely disagree. I like Star Trek, but I think Star Wars is better.
Funny thing, noticed how much of Star Wars was found on Star Trek? Boy I could go on for hours on how Star Wars in a way is a restitching of Star Trek.
Star Wars better Eric Melendez
***** Luc-ass stole from everybody.
Eric Melendez Let's agree to disagree, k?
No love for "Devil In The Dark"?
+Dissent1 I loved that episode.
+Dissent1 That's one of my favs! Love it!
Dissent1- One of the things I liked about, "The Devil In The Dark," was how it showed the crew of the Enterprise being called in to solve problems within the Federation.
Or Corbomite Manouvre!
The thing I REALLY like about TOS is that you can pick a whole grab bag of really GOOD episodes. A "top ten" doesn't come near being enough. Occasionally you get somebody complaining about "cheesy special effects", but it was 1966-ish fer cryin out loud....
Regardless, many of the plots and the characters still hold up well today 50+ years later.
Excellent list.
I remember watching Startrek with my neighbour and best friend in 1968/9 was an absolute fan in my childhood (about 9 at the time) we were totally absorbed , brings back my happy times watching
We were blessed having parents who were science fictions fans. We didn't have a second television until 1969, so before that we watched what our parents watched. Monday nights were about "The Outer Limits." Thursday nights were about "Star Trek."
The original pilot "The Cage" should have been in the top ten.
Agreed. That's the quintessential Star Trek episode.
+Son of Tiamat (formerly known as tiakpark) It was essential, but it wasn't one of the best in the series. My personal favourites is _Conscience of the King_, _Arena_, _The Trouble with Tribbles_, _The Corbomite Maneuver_, _Mirror, Mirror_, _Amok Time_, _Journey to Babel_ and _The Enemy Within_. _Arena_ is what introduced me to _Star Trek_ and what got me interested.
The Cage as it was first produced was never aired as part of the original series. Instead it was later re-edited into the only two-part Star Trek episode called The Menagerie. It was a discarded, unaired pilot and didn't show up until they showed it for the first time as part of some big anniversary special many years after Star Trek had been off the air. I like both.
The best things about "The Cage" are its total lack of lulls (there's always something interesting happening!), the elaborate sets, and Susan Oliver. Looks like they spent more money on this episode than on the entire third season! In the top ten? Maybe. Has its share of problems. And it wasn't an aired episode on its own, so some might disqualify it for that.
To me, it was a great piece of science fiction!
This ( for its time and yes the effects are dated) is the greatest leap into science fiction in TV/Film history. Ever. And Spock is the best character ever created in a science fiction enactment. Regardless of medium. Period. Live long and prosper...unless you argue. Then you are illogical and in your teens haha
Nathan George- I'm a big Star Trek Fan, but The Outer Limits, which debuted three years earlier, made a Giant Contribution to science fiction as well.
This teen right here agrees
...or a disguised Tellarite. That species argues just to argue. Or maybe you're a Klingon?
I'd say it shares the crown with Dr Who although as a kid my first love was TNG and then Star Trek.
I remember "Outer Limits" very well. And there was one story I remember very well---"Arena", written by Fredric Brown, which it seems Star Trek picked up later.
I love star trek so much that I watch it every day
"Errand of Mercy" and "The Squire of Gothos" deserve to be in there as well. Too many great episodes!
I've often thought about the differences between a top ten list of best episodes, as opposed to a list of favorite episodes. Sometimes a really bad episode can show up on someone's favorites list.
"And The Children Shall Lead" is genuinely regarded as one of Star Trek's worst episodes, yet it's one of my personal favorites. I especially like Kirk's nervous breakdown in the lift with Spock.
Another cruddy episode was the hippies in space show, but it had a brief, yet fascinating back story, about Pavel Chekov.
The ending to The Squire Of Gothos is what made that entire story worthwhile, something that is often lost on people who absolutely hate that episode.
Do you think there's a substantial difference between best and favorite?
I still use that quote: "You shall hang by the neck until you are dead, dead, dead"
@@williamanthony9090 I like "Children" too! The kids are great in it with their pumping fists and the mayhem they create. Definitely not as bad as some think.
Balance of Terror was the perfect Star Trek episode.
Balance of Terror is #1 for me. And Spock's father being the commander..yeah.
Great episode base on the Robert Mitchum, Curt Jurgens 1957 war movie, "The Enemy Below". Playing a game of cat and mouse trying to find and destroy each other.
I had a "D'OH" moment when she said submarine chase. It honestly had never occurred to me that that's what it was all about. smh
simply the best one
I enjoy that one too.
All fans if the original series should check out STAR TREK CONTINUES almost flawless in capturing the feel and flavor.
Yes, a GREAT tribute series! ST Phase 2 is very good too. Sister shows.
Indeed, made by folks who know and adore Star Trek. And Vic and Michelle are without doubt two of the most beautiful, generous and warm people I have ever met. Star Trek Continues is a complete joy.
I'm a big fan of Star Trek Continues, but truthfully... They need some better writers!
Bill Anthony I think the most recent episode was not the highest quality in the writing.
Bill Anthony
Original series writers NOT good enough?
The Amok Time fight music was originally from Spartacus, before Star Trek aired
Good list. I would replace #10, "The Naked Time," with "The Enterprise Incident," because Joanne Linville is iconic as a Romulan commander, But, overall, you nailed everything else and it was like you were reading my mind!
A good selection, though I'd probably have put Balance of Terror at #1.
It was indeed a great episode. Definitely a highlight of the earlier episodes.
Same here! It was breathtaking and the one that made me LOVE TOS.
AntiBunny Studio my favorite episode!!
Is there anyone else who loves "Who Mourns for Adonais?"
+MrPjw5 My favourite.
+MrPjw5 Yep. Me.
No.
Yes it's one of the best ever! This episode if you are smart enough to read between the lines was made to show how mankind really did worship beings from other worlds and that they really did exist. Watch the show Ancient Aliens and see how everything correlates with that episode and what has been discovered around the world from ancient times.
This should be number 1 on the list and didn't even make honorable mention? Who's the idiots that picked that list?
Yes. I like how they kept to the idea of it being Apollo and not just some illusion or pretender (like the Wizard of Oz) he is THE Apollo, although despite his great power he is no where near omnipotent and has the same emotions and needs as man. Most of the ancient gods where never portrayed perfect.
The intro song alone brought me back into time ,it really did
Dump 2024, lets go!!
Seeing this 9 years after release lol...
But I agree especially the top 2. Such excellent and legendary episodes that added a lot of depth and detail to the overall Trek universe only then in it's earliest beginnings.
Brilliant stuff.
"Doomsday Machine" is my fave.
Bought a copy of the script for $5.50 from a Star Trek catalog in 1974, and had it signed by Nimoy same year at a Seattle TV station telethon in studio lobby.
I sold it 10 years later for $20. Freakin' idiot. Beam me out !
"The Doomsday Machine" was good, and showed what a quality episode could look like within the confines of the ship.
TacomaPaul
Tellin' me
Yeah you're a moron, but I once spent a silver dollar
Noooooooooooooooooooooooo! My heart goes out to you. Doomsday was always my favourite episode
The Trouble with Tribbles is the funniest! I love that one!
Undoubtedly their best attempt at comedy, although "A Piece Of The Action", and the second episode with Harry Mudd, both made game attempts.
Agreed
"The Enterprise should be hauled away AS garbage!"
Oh-oh---we have a Klingon on the premises...
All Our Yesterdays? The Conscience Of The King? The Devil In The Dark? Fridays Child? Galileo Seven? Errand Of Mercy? Whom The Gods Destroy? None of them were even mentioned but would be on my top ten list. Doomsday Machine is my favourite episode by far. David Windoms acting is superb. "Matt, where is your crew?" - "O-on the third planet!" -"There is no third planet" - "Do you think I dont know that? There was. But not anymore. The begged me for help, the cried but I just couldn't..." My second favourite is All Our Yesterdays. Mr. Atoz is the appropiate name for a librarist.
Great List Wonderful show
My all time favorite is The Doomsday Machine.
Balok Tralaine, Landru, these characters were genius.
Balok was okay once you got to know him. But Trelane was the quintessential spoiled brat, and Landru was a computer, all that was left of the original.
They say Tralane was a child Q
"Tomorrow is Yesterday" 👍
Good list. Hard to argue with these choices. I might include 'The Enterprise Incident" in my list.
Mirror, mirror. Reason: Uhuru's abdomen.
Ansonidak- Not to mention the chick Kirk was shacked up with... And moved in on, back in his own universe. Wonder what the Hell THAT led to...lol!
Notice that in the mirror universe Sulu has a thing for Uhura?
Star Trek is so great that everyone knows the titles of all the episodes. Incredible really
And the prize for greatest title of the entire series has to go to: "For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky."
Too bad the actual episode turned out being such a snoozer!
what about balok with clint howard as the alien. that was great
@@markv.5962 that was called the Corbonite Manuever
@@chrismartino3519 thats right, thanks
Good list. My favorites are "The Trouble With Tribbles", "Balance of Terror", "Journey to Babel" and "Shore Leave".
Thank you Mr. Nimoy for teaching me the Spock shock when I was a kid. RIP!