After highlighting clips from the Deep Space Nine episode Trials and Tribble-ations, which in turn pays tribute to David Gerrold’s The Trouble with Tribbles. The cast of DS9 talks about the work that went into the special episode, celebrating Star Trek’s 30th anniversary.
In today’s world, it seems trivial to pop people into scenes where they didn’t originally belong. Without the efforts of Woody Allen (Zelig, 1983) who did the work with bluescreen technology and Robert Zemeckis and Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) (Forrest Gump, 1994) I wonder whether the tribute would have been possible.
Even more remarkable: How many TV shows can you recall that were canceled after a three-season run, but had such an impact on our world that they would be resurrected four times, with multiple movies, and might receive such a tribute 30 years later? Again – what is it about Star Trek that keeps its fans moving forward?
Firefly might one day have such a following, but I doubt it. The same with Babylon 5 and Farscape (sad to say).
In any case, this episode remains one of my absolute favorites in nearly 50 years of television-watching experience; a stunning example of how the visual medium works to make the impossible possible.
And the link below does NOT go to YouTube, because the original videos are gone. Paramount has gotten evil about Star Trek clips, flying in the face of Star Trek fans everywhere. Can’t guarantee this will remain, but it’s here…for now. If you want to see the whole documentary, buy the complete DS9 set, I guess.
Making of Star Trek DS9 “Trials and Tribble… by limpshave