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my apologies if this has already been answered, but I just saw the TOS episode "Omega Glory" and ... what the hell?

is there _any_ explanation at all as to how a perfect replica of the United States spontaneously developed on an alien planet light years from Earth? anything at all? I mean, gangsters in space, sure, I can accept that: natural cultural evolution influenced by the Federation. space nazis? influenced as well. but this time, they didn't even bother making up an excuse! the yanks and commies just _happened to be_ there.

did I miss something, or were the writers taking harder drugs than usual?

Long lost space colony perhaps?

They were abducted by aliens?



I dont know.

Shok Teenik wrote:my apologies if this has already been answered, but I just saw the TOS episode "Omega Glory" and ... what the hell?

is there _any_ explanation at all as to how a perfect replica of the United States spontaneously developed on an alien planet light years from Earth? anything at all? I mean, gangsters in space, sure, I can accept that: natural cultural evolution influenced by the Federation. space nazis? influenced as well. but this time, they didn't even bother making up an excuse! the yanks and commies just _happened to be_ there.

did I miss something, or were the writers taking harder drugs than usual?

The episode might have made a lot more sense had the series timeframe been set much further into the future —something suggested in the script— and if enough had been left open to allow an explanation that the Yangs and Kohms were the degenerate remnants of Earth colony groups which ended up carrying the East/West conflict with them to space and actually fought it out on Omega IV. As it is, the infamous Hodgkins' Law of Parallel Planet Development is the plot device which was used to explain away these theme-park worlds encountered by the Enterprise crew in the Original Series (referenced in the Writers' Bible as the "similar worlds" concept).

"The Omega Glory" was actually one of the proposed second pilot scripts but got shelved until late in the production of season 2, when John Meredyth Lucas had taken over for Gene Coon as Producer, and was written early in the creation of TOS, before many of the series' concepts and timeframe were settled upon. I suspect the main reason it was produced was because they came up short of a script to fill out season 2 and the draft version was right on the shelf. Its flaws are self-evident and only the performance of Morgan Woodward as the deranged Capt. Ron Tracy makes it watchable.

Patrick Degan wrote:...As it is, the infamous Hodgkins' Law of Parallel Planet Development is the plot device which was used to explain away these theme-park worlds encountered by the Enterprise crew in the Original Series (referenced in the Writers' Bible as the "similar worlds" concept).

You actually have the writer's bible for TOS? What's it like? I haven't read a writer's bible before so I have no frame of reference. I'd love to read it (and the B5 one) just to see how TV shows are organised.

Patrick Degan wrote:Its flaws are self-evident and only the performance of Morgan Woodward as the deranged Capt. Ron Tracy makes it watchable.

He was quite a character, wasn't he? I liked how Kirk and Tracy were portrayed as two titans duking it out, with the little people watching on. Plus Tracy kicked Kirk's arse a few times, something which I appreciate - after all, if the hero always wins, where's the suspense? Oh, you also neglected to mention that redhead chick in the bikini - she's another reason to watch that episode.

Stofsk wrote:

Patrick Degan wrote:...As it is, the infamous Hodgkins' Law of Parallel Planet Development is the plot device which was used to explain away these theme-park worlds encountered by the Enterprise crew in the Original Series (referenced in the Writers' Bible as the "similar worlds" concept).

You actually have the writer's bible for TOS? What's it like? I haven't read a writer's bible before so I have no frame of reference. I'd love to read it (and the B5 one) just to see how TV shows are organised.

Parts of the Writers' Bible were reprinted in The Making Of Star Trek; Stephen Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry's book about the production of the series, from initial conceptualisation to the sale of the two pilots to the launching of the first season on NBC. Rather informative behind-the-scenes look at both the early series and the workings of network television at the time.

Why doesn't Paramount sell the Writer's Bibles, anyway? I'd imagine they'd be hot sellers.

Well, if it's the same writer's Bible that I have seen, Paramount doesn't even follow it. I remember one part where Roddenberry said not to use space as 'a big backyard' or something like that. It meant that space was supposed to be huge. On 'Enterprise,' they can travel to Qo'Nos in one day.

Superman wrote:On 'Enterprise,' they can travel to Qo'Nos in one day.

Yeah, but "Enterprise" isn't Star Trek. It's not... 'cause, it can't be. *starts going catatonic*It'snotIt'snotIt'snotIt'snotIt'snotIt'snot *whimpers*

Superman wrote:Well, if it's the same writer's Bible that I have seen, Paramount doesn't even follow it. I remember one part where Roddenberry said not to use space as 'a big backyard' or something like that. It meant that space was supposed to be huge. On 'Enterprise,' they can travel to Qo'Nos in one day.

Which is fucking bullshit, the Ent-refit or even the Ent-D couldn't possibly make it in one day. No, it's clear that B&B were trying to distance themselves from the conventions of Star Trek with 'Enterprise' while still trying to cash in on the franchise icons.

I think we should consider 'Enterprise' the "Galactica 1980" of Star Trek... canon in nobody's eyes but the pigfucking producers'.

In the teaser of "Miri", the Enterprise discovers a planet that is the exact duplicate of Earth, though this is forgotten about in the rest of the episode. Perhaps the best explanation for this planet, the 20th century Roman Empire of "Bread and Circuses" and the Yangs and Kohms in "The Omega Glory" is that some Q-level species copied Earth several times in different ways as part of an experiment or joke. (The idea comes from the Reeves-Stevens novel, oh, I mean Shatner novel, Preserver.)

There is some canon evidence for the Preservers. See "The Paradise Syndrome".

Perhaps the best explanation for this planet, the 20th century Roman Empire of "Bread and Circuses" and the Yangs and Kohms in "The Omega Glory" is that some Q-level species copied Earth several times in different ways as part of an experiment or joke.

I guess this would be the only logical in-universe explanation.

however, it should be noted that if this is the case, then the Federation Earth as we know it might not be the original Earth at all, but simply one of the copies, since the oldest Kohms were at least a thousand years old, and it was implied the big war took place before they were even born. that means their United States existed a long before the europeans even found America on Earth.

of course, a Q-level entity might've possibly travelled in time and inserted the copies of Earth in different points in the timeline in a non-chronological order ... or something ...

I think I'll be better off just forgetting this little detail.

The theory the show uses (which I think is referred to in Bread and Circuses) is "Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Development." They would have us believe that with the vastness of the universe, some planets evolve similarly, so more than one planet could develop human or very human-like people with a culture similar to one on Earth. It doesn't explain how it is that several similar planets all appear in the same galaxy. It would have made more sense if they had established for certain that some advanced group a long time ago dispersed humans on many planets, or made time travel a little more commonplace. The point of this silly parallel development idea seems to have been a way to explain away the cheapness of a science-fiction show reusing items from more conventional genres.

Eframepilot wrote:In the teaser of "Miri", the Enterprise discovers a planet that is the exact duplicate of Earth, though this is forgotten about in the rest of the episode. Perhaps the best explanation for this planet, the 20th century Roman Empire of "Bread and Circuses" and the Yangs and Kohms in "The Omega Glory" is that some Q-level species copied Earth several times in different ways as part of an experiment or joke. (The idea comes from the Reeves-Stevens novel, oh, I mean Shatner novel, Preserver.)

Or, it might have been the duplicate Earth commisioned by the mice. Next time "Miri" airs, look for fjords along the African coastline.

Patrick Degan wrote:

Eframepilot wrote:In the teaser of "Miri", the Enterprise discovers a planet that is the exact duplicate of Earth, though this is forgotten about in the rest of the episode. Perhaps the best explanation for this planet, the 20th century Roman Empire of "Bread and Circuses" and the Yangs and Kohms in "The Omega Glory" is that some Q-level species copied Earth several times in different ways as part of an experiment or joke. (The idea comes from the Reeves-Stevens novel, oh, I mean Shatner novel, Preserver.)

Or, it might have been the duplicate Earth commisioned by the mice. Next time "Miri" airs, look for fjords along the African coastline.

I though it was "Slarteybartfast" along the Norwegian coastline?

Matt Huang wrote:
I though it was "Slarteybartfast" along the Norwegian coastline?

Nah that was first edition earth.

Now a very rare collectors item.