Please no spoilers! So that I can provide my best and most honest reaction, please do not mention the names of any future characters, events, or episode titles (this goes for future series as well). Please do not say which upcoming episodes are good or bad, otherwise I will have trouble forming my own opinion! Thank you, and enjoy!
"The Trouble w Tribbles" is generally considered one of the best of Classic Trek episodes. One of the things that makes Classic Trek stand out among all the Trek series after all these years is one week could be an action adventure, the next week. Mystery, the next week, heavy drama, or the next week a comedy episode. Such a fantastic show and to think this was made 50 years ago when westerns were the most popular kind of show on TV, it still blows me away
It’s a great argument in favor of bottle episodes, something contemporary TV has abandoned for shrinking season lengths full of plot-burdened episodes. It’s sad to think that we won’t get episodes like this or "Data’s Day" any more unless something changes.
Well, given the wholesale collapse of Hollywood right now, things HAVE to change, somehow. Personally, I'd love to reverse course back to the 1980s era model... apart from the rampant closet pedophilia, of course. The best TV, the best movies... all seem to come from that era. Right now, my wife and I just started rewatching "Moonlighting" on Hulu. It's been a loooong time since anything new came out which could make me smile so easily!
Another fun fact: this is one of only a few Trek episodes in which James "Scotty" Doohan's middle finger is shown to be missing. In most other episode's they found creative ways to hide it, but it's clearly visible in the scene where he's carrying an armful of Tribbles. James Doohan served in the Canadian military and was on the beach on D-Day when he was shot six times by a nervous Canadian sentry. His middle finger had to be amputated, and the only thing that saved his life was a cigarette case in his shirt pocket that took the impact of a bullet that would otherwise have pierced his heart.
Jimmy Doohan was never shy about it. He treated it as a badge of honor... amd I agree. I served in wartime, but no one I know ever served in quite as serious of a situation as the soldiers who served in WWII. I served well, and honorably, and have some medals and awards for my service, but I don't consider myself a "hero." ANYONE who served on D-Day, or at Bastogne, or pretty much throughout most of the European theater... or who ever set foot on a pacific island... qualifies as a hero in my eyes. So, I give Jimmy Doohan tremendous credit for his having served on D-Day. That his injury ended his combat career was no fault of his own.
23:20 Sherman's planet was a neutral planet that both the Federation and Klingons wanted to colonize. The quadrotriticale was important because it was the only Earth grain that would grow there. The Klingons poisoned the grain to try to sabotage their colonization effort so the Klingons would get the planet.
Fun fact for this episode. The line where Checkov recognized the grain was actually intended for Sulu. An interest in horticulture was part of Sulu’s character. However,, George T. was filming a movie at the time, so he was released.
The actor who played the admiral was the spokesman in the Allstate commercials at the time. There's an outtake in the bloopers of his scene where someone threw him a tribble and he said "remember, you're in good hands with tribbles."
Here is that blooper right at the beginning of this video. The original commercial line was actually "you're in good hands with Allstate." ruclips.net/video/rMfSgDt3gyc/видео.html You can watch just the first part and then nothing else so you don't see anything that you might consider a spoiler.
There is an anecdote about filming the scene where Shatner reads the line, “Who put the tribble in the quadrotriticale?” One of the film crew piped up: “I don’t know, but if you hum a few bars, I’ll sing along.” (When I was in grade school, the song “Who put the overalls in Mrs Murphy’s chowder?” was popular to teach in music class. I don’t know if that is still true.)
Wow! I've known that blooper for more than thirty years (it's on the Star Trek 25th Anniversary documentary video, hosted by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, of which I bought a copy when I was twelve or thirteen)-but only now do I see the Allstate connection. Thanks for making it even funnier!
Fun fact: The look of frustrated defeat on Kirk's face when the mass of tribbles rained down on his head was geniune. That the the EIGHTH time Shatner had to endure it, as there'd been a problem with every take they tried before it. 🤣
David Gerrold also authored a book about writing this "Star Trek's most popular episode". Apparently, James Doohan came up with the parting line, "I transported the whole kit and caboodle into the Klingon engine room, where they'll be no tribble at all!".
As funny as that was... I can imagine giving them all to the Klingons was probably even less Humane then just beaming them into space. We... dare not ask how.
I read that book! Back in the 1970s! I loved the way that it was mostly a primer on how to write a screenplay, and included the script for the episode in the latter part of the book. When I was young, that was a great tutorial on how to write a good story, and put it into a screenplay format. I later wrote stage plays, and did fairly well for a while, but it was that book that really set me on the path.
The genius behind this comedy episode is that all the character stayed in character--even Spock. They did not have to change the characters to make them funny.
Particularly Mr. Scott's typical professionalism, right up to the point that the Enterprise's capabilities are concerned then it becomes personal. One of the best things about the franchise is that with scripts being submitted by so many different writers the actors themselves became the experts on their characters and were given a fair amount of deference as to how those characters would or should behave. Of course, Gene and other script supervisors had a show "bible" to smooth that process in the rewrites.
Indeed. There is an interview with Nichelle where she tells a story in which a director (working on a different episode than "Tribbles") wanted Uhura to throw her pen out of frustration, and Nichelle insisted that Uhura wouldn't do that. (Uhura is way too professional to vent her emotions on the job, of course.) The director was furious and went to Gene to complain about this "uncooperative actor". Gene backed up Nichelle, and that was the only episode that director worked on.
Fun Fact: Doohan (Scotty) heard how much the stunt men were getting for the fight. He asked if he would get extra pay for doing the fights himself. They said yes, so that's Doohan actually in the bar fight scene. All the more reason Scotty (Doohan) Rules.
Best Guy Moment On The Series? Kirk,"Here, let me try," to the guard. "I'll do exactly the same thing as you just did, but I'm Captain Kirk so I'll get a different result." Only thing missing? The guard saying "I loosened it for you."
TRIBBLES! We have Tribbles! Props designer Wah Chang had come up with some magnificent creations during his time working on "Star Trek." The post-pilot phaser, the tricorder, the Vulcan lute, even the basic designs of the salt vampire and the Gorn. I'm glad this was the episode Chang gets to go out on before his dismissal from the series. Wah Chang was one of the unsung heroes in early Hollywood props designs, having built the maquette used for live-action referencing for the title character of "Pinocchio," the headdress worn by Elizabeth Taylor in "Cleopatra," and the titular contraption itself in "The Time Machine." "Star Trek" producer Bob Justman sought him out after getting into an argument with the props union members over at Desilu because Chang came up with far better designs than they ever could (the initial phaser design from Matt and John Jeffries was flat-out rejected by Gene Roddenberry). Because Chang was nonunion, Justman had to get clever, and made it appear that he was buying "preexisting, off-the-shelf" items from Chang because hiring him outright to manufacture props would have been against union rules. The same union rules also meant that Chang could not be properly credited for his work on "Star Trek." On December 29, 1967 (the exact date "The Trouble with Tribbles" aired), Desilu Studios, which produced "Star Trek," was acquired by Gulf+Western from Lucille Ball (yes, THAT Lucille Ball) and incorporated into Paramount Pictures to serve as their television production arm. Looking through the numbers, G+W saw how much "Star Trek" was hemorrhaging money, and cuts needed to be made. Unfortunately, Wah Chang turned out to be an easy target by these cuts. The FIVE HUNDRED tribbles created for this episode cost quite a lot (including the hiring of an assistant "tribble-maker" Jacqueline Cumeré) and by this point, the props guild had started to catch on to Justman's ruse. Because of the situation between Justman and the props union, Wah Chang could not be credited for any of his work on "Star Trek." He was not even mentioned in the 1968 reference book "The Making of Star Trek," despite covering the very props he crafted. Fortunately, "Star Trek" has a large fan base. A fan base that corresponds frequently in the convention circuit. Through a lot of digging on the part of the fan base, Chang's contributions became more well-known. By 1996, Bob Justman and Herb Sollow published a tell-all memoir that told the story of their grievances with the propsmasters, the hiring of Chang, and which specific elements of the show were his contributions. And it's good that Chang gets the credit he deserves. Good creative minds like that should never be forgotten. Fans deserve to know who to thank when they hold a phaser or a tricorder, dress up as a Gorn...or pet a stuffed tribble (which thankfully doesn't multiply!).
Speaking of props, in the episode “The Man Trap” Gene Roddenberry told the prop designer to come up with some futuristic salt shakers for a scene. The designer came back with a few different designs for Gene. Gene looked at them and said they wouldn’t be recognizable as salt shakers unless the actor picked one up and said “This is a salt shaker.” But Gene did say they would be nifty medical instruments for Dr. McCoy. They ended up borrowing some salt shakers from the NBC commissary. So when McCoy is scanning you he is actually seasoning you, lol.
One minor correction. The salt shakers were not DESIGNED... they were actually purchased. This was the era when "modern art" was really taking hold, so Los Angeles was just full of funky, occasionally impractical, but "cool looking" items in stores. So, a while series of yurned sluminum salt and pepoer shaker sets were used... In a few cases with modifications (like the "protoplaser" wound healer) but in particular with his "laser scalpels," with no changes at all.
When I was a kid, I didn’t get this. But I have enjoyed it more and more over the years. Kirk is especially hilarious. The writer was 19 years old at the time of submitting this script, and he lied about his age because he thought they wouldn’t consider him if they knew the truth.
During the Cold War, and I guess still today to a lesser extent, there was a stereotype that Russians claimed that they invented everything. Telephone? Invented by a Russian. Automobile? Invented by a Russian. The American Express card? Invented by a Russian. So a lot of those jokes were written into Chekov's character.
Yes and in this episode that draws attention to the way the show uses the conflict between Humans and Klingons as an analogy to the Cold War via inference.
As David Gerrold pointed out, in addition to the fiercely Russian Chekov, somewhere on the Enterprise had to be a high-spirited Israeli, a fanatical German, a soft-spoken Hindu, a Muslim who continually quotes The Prophet...about the only thing the network would not have let on was a Chinese person.
One great joke you might have missed: Spock: "He just couldn't believe his ears." Kirk: a beat, a quick take, then back to the conversation. That was a riff on the recent MAD Magazine Star Trek parody, which had Spock say "I can't believe my ears," and Kirk reply, "Some days, *I* can't believe your ears!"
Fun fact: days before this episode was scheduled to air, somebody noticed a STRONG similarity between the Tribbles and the "Martian Flat Cats" that are featured in Robert A. Heinlein's novel "The Rolling Stones" (including being born pregnant). Writer David Gerrold was gobsmacked: he admitted that while this wasn't intentional, he HAD read that novel years earlier and he may have inadvertently "borrowed" these elements. The network was prepared to pull the episode but a call was made to Mr. Heinlein, asking what he wanted to allow the episode to air. Mr. Heinlein, a very gracious gentleman, demanded only one thing: an autographed shooting script signed by David Gerrold. Gerrold and Heinlein remained friends until the latter's death in 1988.
Gerrold originally named the creatures Fuzzies, but legal pointed out that H. Beam Piper wrote three novels about Little Fuzzy, so he changed the name.
yeah, I immediately thought of the flatcats. Great scene where grandmother turns off her oxygen to save her little grandson. Hanshaw's are fuel hogs, iirc.
6:00 Yes, William Campbell also played Trelane. But no, the other Klingon is not Lazarus from "The Alternative Factor." But hats off to you for not only remembering his name, but the episode title as well...as well as remembering the aforementioned Organian Peace Treaty. You are TRULY a TREKKIE. 🖖
Robert Brown played Lazarus in "The Alternative Factor" and Michael Pataki played the Klingon Korax who insulted the Enterprise in "The Trouble With Tribbles."
@@mem1701movies To be clear, by "he" you mean Michael Pataki, not Robert Brown. Since both men were mentioned in my comment, your use of "he" in your comment was ambiguous. To be completely clear, Michael Pataki played Nicoli Koloff in Rocky IV.
I have four Tribbles scattered around my house. I keep them away from the kitchen, but they get along pretty well around the house. Yes, William Campbell did also play Trelane in "Squire of Gothos". The assistant to Captain Koloth, was a common character actor in 1960s TV shows, but I think this was his only ST showing, at least in TOS I think. Koloth made another reappearance in the DS9 episode "The Blood Oath", 70 years older. In a different DS9 episode, "Trials and Tribble-ations", they do a very fond call back to this episode, complete with time manipulation and other such Star Trek things. As I recall, there was an animated episode about the Tribbles again, but it wasn't nearly as fun. The Klingon homeworld is a bit larger and denser than Earth, so yes, they are a bit stronger than humans. Starting a fist fight with them is a bit of a challenge.
TRIBBLES!!!!!!GREAT EPISODE! One of the Most beloved episodes ever! Funniest Too! The whole scene in the Bar with the klingons......EPIC....So is the scene where Kirk is questioning his men after! Korax and Scotty's Exchange is stuff of Legend!..So is the scene where scotty is talking about the Fight with Kirk!!!!!
William Schallert was a beloved character actor for many years. He played Patty Duke's dad in her (to me, classic) TV series. Patty was very close to him, and sort of regarded him as her real father, according to her memoirs.
I love Kirk's snarky insults against that Federation bureaucrat: "I have never questioned the orders or intelligence of Starfleet....until now." Or "I take this situation very seriously; it is YOU I take lightly" Or "Tribbles seem to like you, Mr. Barrus - but there's no accounting for taste."
After this was filmed, tribbles kept appearing all over the place on various sets. In drawers, under and inside cabinets, and, if legends are true, in Uhura's uniform with her.
This is considered the most popular of all the original episodes and when it was released on VHS in a special box set, it came with a Tribble and that’s all I’m gonna tell you I’m not gonna give anything away anymore. Have a good one. And you’re still doing a great job keep it up.
This is a good episode. It's funny how you picked up on what was going on when Kirk was standing under the grain compartment door full of tribbles. There was crew up there trying to throw the individual tribbles at him at just the wrong time and throw him off while Shatner was trying to say his lines.
Now you know the trouble with tribbles. This episode has always been a fan favorite, and that may be because it was written by a fan. (episode writer David Gerrold wrote a book about the creation of this episode that I read back in college- it was in the library) Indeed Kirk is especially snarky (but I've never seen a Federation commissioner that didn't deserve such treatment) and Scotty is his most Scotty to this point in the series. (don't worry, I won't spoil what is to come) The look Kirk (buried to his chest in tribbles) gives to McCoy when he orders him to find out what killed the tribbles and McCoy replies he hasn't figured out what keeps them alive yet- for my money, worth watching the whole episode for. The actions, gestures, and dialogue of everyone on the station and ship are also very enjoyable.
This is an episode assured of getting a huge number of comments as there are just so many wonderful angles in it. It is a "comic relief" episode, as was "I, Mudd". The theme of Kirk's disdain of bureaucrats shows up again with his sniping at Nilz Baris, played by the actor William Schallert, who was ubiquitous on TV for decades, almost always playing likable characters, but not here. And the line about too much of anything, even love, is not necessarily a good thing, is important to remember. Without predators, the tribbles became dangerous. The terms of the Organian Peace Treaty would award Sherman's planet to the side that developed it best. Since quadrotriticale was the *only* grain that would grow there, the Klingon sabotage of that grain would have resulted in giving the planet to them if the scheme had not been uncovered. A little exposition mixed in with all the comedy.
That is indeed William Campbell/Trelane of Gothos, masquerading as Klingon Captain Koloth! 😆 Michael Pataki played the Klingon troublemaker Korax. He does look a lot like like Lazarus (played by Robert Brown).
Under-Secretary Nilz Baris is played by William Schallert, who played Patty Duke's dad on "The Patty Duke Show". Arne Darvin, the Klingon spy, is played by Charlie Brill, who's best known for playing Capt. Harry Lipschitz on the Stephen J. Cannell-produced sex crimes drama, "Silk Stalkings".
@@Madbandit77 Yes, and he was also a "that guy" throughout the 60s and early 70s. You know, when you see a guest actor on an episode of Get Smart or something and you say, "Oh, that guy!" One of his last roles was as the mayor of the town in True Blood. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 93.
@@russellsketchley8830 He was also played the mayor in the film version of "In The Heat Of The Night" with Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger, and was president of the Screen Actors Guild.
My favourite line in this episode was the discussion between Bones(?) and Spock. "But it's soft and makes a nice sound." "As would be an ermine violin, Doctor, but I have no desire to own one."
This was Star Trek's attempt to do a comedy and its extremely well-liked amongst fans. Some cite this as the best episode of TOS. It's certainly a very fun episode. And yes, that _is_ Terllaine's actor again playing the Klingon captain.
"Who put the tribbles in the quadrotriticale?" must be the first line of a great song. Even better than "… Who put the bomp in the bomp bah bomp bah bomp Who put the ram in the rama lama ding dong?
TWO BITS OF TRIVIA: - Allegedly NBC got some complaints from animal lovers who thought Tribbles were living creatures and had been mistreated during the filming of the episode (confined in the storage bin, baked under hot studio lights, etc.). - Originally, they wanted to have another appearance of Harry Mudd, but the actor was unavailable. That's too bad - it would have been even better with him involved.
That's another series I have on DVD. I seem to recall Benjamin (who came up with the idea as well as starred in it) saying something about being inspired by this line. I could be mistaken, but I don't think I am.
LOVE this episode and it's one of my favorites also.The comedic tone and humor were-PRICELESS-I laughed several times during this episode.And the actor who played Jones was a perfect foil for Kirk and Spock.The bar fight was hilarious and well done,Kirk detaining his crew members to find out who started that bar fight had a nice comedic touch to it.While in the military I was detained and questioned about some bar/street fights I was involved in. LOL.
Yes, this reaction was what I expected - gold! As for the anti-spoiler warning, I think a screenshot of the end with Bunny's reaction to the engine room solution would serve to dissuade folks from depriving her and us of such future moments. Actually, the Klingons were much more aggressive in general and were toned down and uncharacteristically submissive to Kirk just to stay in the lanes of this lighthearted romp. The grain was to feed Federation colonists and was their unique solution since it was the only earth grain that could grow on Sherman's Planet. Poisoning it would have killed all the colonists and allowed the Klingons to take the planet. This episode is a gem - all our characters got moments. Chekov got several. Uhura started the infestation by taking the promotional sample, showing her sweet nurturing side through her adoring appreciation of the tribble. Scotty demonstrated his passion for his work and his defense of it. Spock and McCoy had great lines in general and some of their best banter with each other in this episode. And Kirk's frustration with a bureaucrat is an easy universal sell to all audiences.
Yes this is a memorable episode, one of the most humorous of the series. Not really one of my top favorites, BUT I have to say that I love the bar room brawl and Scotty's confession to Kirk afterwards. High point of the episode to me. Second favorite moment is Spock explaining how the tribbles have no effect on him! Good, light hearted fun writing in this one.
All the actors seemed to be having fun in this episode. It's rumored that even the stage hands up in the grain silos were having a little too much fun pelting Shatner in the head with tribbles.
Folks - Remember, NO SPOILERS. That includes mentioning future appearances or references to this in other series, or events in other series. I've just, sadly, had to delete a half-dozen posts specifically for mentioning events which take place far into the fictional future from this episode. Several of which I personally thought were funny and well written, but which unfortunately told her about things she, we all can hope, will be surprised to see for the first time someday! Remrmber, if someone watching this episode for the first time, when it first aired, would not have known something... you should not mention that thing to her. The whole point of this channel is for us to see her experience these things, fresh and unspoiled, the same way we did waaay back then. It's tough, when most of us have seen these episodes many times, and they form a complete whole inside our minds. A "history" of sorts. But for her, it's all new. Let's all try to keep it that way! 👍
@@mem1701movies She has repeated asked people to not provide spoilers, to no avail. So, she asked a few people (not just me) to moderate the comments to prevent that. We've been given that authority as "moderators," to prevent people from spoiling, and thus ruining the experience for both her and for others who enjoy watching her discover all this for the first time. As for the nature of the relationship any of us may or may not have with her, outside of this channel... that is entirely irrelevant. And nobody's business, frankly, for that matter. Only the assistance she has asked us to provide matters here.
Some people just have an overwhelming urge to "prove" to everyone how smart they think they are just because they've seen episodes she hasn't. 🙄 They think they're impressing everyone with their "knowledge" when in fact, they're just pissing everyone off. It's a pretty good indicator of low intellect.
@@alexanderfish4797 What is there to explain? "DON'T REVEAL INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WILL OR WILL NOT HAPPEN IN FUTURE EPISODES". It's not complicated unless you're looking for a loophole. 🤨 I would also add: "DON'T EVEN HINT AT SPOILERS!" I witnessed an incident where a reactor was doing Firefly, and some jerk posted "The man they call Jayne". That seems innocent enough, but this was followed by a half dozen other idiots who filled in the rest of the lyrics, line by line and totally spoiled that episode. Each post on it's own was not a spoiler, but the end result was.
@@MrDeathpilot Although there's nothing wrong with a good knowledge dump about an episode AFTER she's seen it. Discussion about upcoming episodes though are best confined to references that are so obscure that they wouldn't give away anything. There was a conversation on an early episode where people were saying that the episodes all have happy endings, and we started talking about which ones don't, but we were almost talking in code. One person mentioned "Let's get the hell out of here", which she would now get as a City on the Edge of Forever reference, but at that point would have meant nothing and given away nothing.
Yes, Bunny. That is William Campbell, who played Trelane in The Squire Of Gothos. His subordinate is played by Michael Pataki, a long time and excellent character actor.
So funny that you said "Tribbles are racist?" But no one could have said it more charming, Bunny. Fact is, tribbles are prey on their planet and dislike species that behave like predators.
Lol the pinch their furry cheeks line is the greatest thing to happen all week. Glad you enjoyed this wonderfully goofy piece of sci fi comedy from TOS.
Bunny, as the bar scene opens, we see Scotty and Chekov sit down with a crewman we don't recognize, who is very quiet, but gets very involved when the fight breaks out. That's stuntman Paul Baxley, and as I understand it, he often served as Shatner's stunt-double. In the next scene, when Kirk is interrogating the crew involved in the fight, he starts with Baxley, so it's a good opportunity to see them side-by-side.
This is a no-spoiler comment: William Campbell played Trelane in "The Squire of Gothos" and he played Koloth in this episode. Michael Pataki played Korax (the Lazarus look-alike) in this episode. Robert Brown played Lazarus in "The Alternative Factor". According to the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty, Sherman's Planet would be awarded to whichever side could develop its resources most efficiently. The Federation wanted to develop the planet by growing a high-yield grain (quadrotriticale) there. The Klingons were trying to sabotage Federation efforts to develop the planet.
9:00 "They don't like Klingons? Tribbles are *racist*?" In my head it isn't so much about racism as it is that the Tribbles don't like the Klingons from a political point of view, at least in this point in the timeline. We were always in church when Star Trek aired (in reruns) on WAVE-3 in Louisville, but the local library had this episode (and only this episode, out of the series) on 16mm motion picture film, so I got to see it in school (in motion picture film glory, just as you see it in its new digital transfer from the original 35mm here, minus the "special edition" spaceship CGI, of course). When I got home from school, aged 13 or whatever, I had a special day of playing "Trouble with Tribbles" with Arthur and Trillian, my two guinea pigs. To the reactor: I love how much you're now vested in these characters and the world(s) they inhabit enough to get all the little in-jokes. I imagine audiences laughed their asses off back in 1967 (I looked it up, the episode aired a year and one day before I was born). For me, Star Trek, apart from the basic premise of overcoming our differences and exploring space together, is all about the characters, and for all its minor shortcomings, Tribbles is an example of peak Star Trek in terms of characterization. That's what gives the show (and the franchise it launched) its staying power, 56 years on. When it is good, it is so very, very good. My favorite moment in the reaction is when the Klingons insult the Enterprise, and the reactor (sorry I don't know her name) realizes exactly what's coming. It's my favorite moment in the episode, along with the subsequent scene where Scotty parleys his confession to Kirk into getting confined to his quarters to read up on engineering, which is all Scotty ever wanted in the first place. Complete with repeating the Klingon insults to Kirk to his face. Hysterical.
Many of you know that the 11 foot 'shooting' Model of the Enterprise resides at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. When the Curators at the Museum were doing the most recent Restoration of the Model, they chose this Episode as the Reference work to match the 'upgrades' being done to the Model.
The Enterprise is a character in it's own right... and Scotty will not allow anyone talk crap about his baby!!! This is one of the best episodes for the comedic aspects of Star Trek! I am so glad that you're loving the show and we're loving watching you enjoy it as well! Thank you for sharing your journey with us. : )
"The Trouble With Tribbles" is generally considered one of the greatest episodes of the original series, and usually the best semi-comic episode (though "I, Mudd" is another favorite). This is the last one on a common list of 'four best episodes,' along with "Amok Time," "The City on the Edge of Forever," and "Balance of Terror." Of course that doesn't mean there are no great episodes left, or that everybody's best four would be the same.
Just fyi: The ancestral form of quadro-triticale that Spock mentions - triticale - is an actual grain and everything Spock says about *that* and its origins is completely factual. Also, I kind of wonder if tribbles inadvertently helped to inspire the critters in the movie *Gremlins.* Especially the dangers of feeding them at the wrong time; or in the case of tribbles *any* time. Edit: Oops. Posted this before i got to the point in your video where you make the same comparison. :)
Info about the tribbles, only one person made all of the 500 tribbles: "The episode’s author, David Gerrold, wanted to tell a story about the consequences of an ecological balance that is disrupted. He needed to invent a breed of small alien creatures that would be easy for the "Star Trek" artists to manufacture in large numbers. Using real living animals was out of the question. Gerrold’s girlfriend at the time, Holly Sherman, had a key chain that was a pink ball of fluff. Although pink was too garish a color to use, the fluffy ball of fur was the inspiration behind the creatures. Originally named "Fuzzies" in early drafts of the story, Gerrold played with a list of many other names he randomly created. After eliminating names such as "Shagbies," "Puffies" and "Goonies," he finally ended up with the name "Tribbles." The Tribbles were designed by special effects genius Wah Chang, who also designed the show’s most famous prop icons - the Tricorder, Phaser and Communicator. Irving Feinberg, Star Trek’s prop master, supervised construction of the creatures. They were sewn by Jacqueline Cumeré, who was reportedly paid $350 to make 500 of them. TribbleMost of the Tribbles were brown in color, some of which were touched up with lighter or darker accents for variation. A few were white. Some of the earliest created were made of a softer, fluffier fur while they were still experimenting with materials. "Star Trek" special effects man Jim Rugg made six Tribbles "walk" by using toy dogs. He cut off the toy's heads and fitted them with a Tribble skin. One of them can be seen in the episode walking across a railing on the bridge of the Enterprise for a moment before being scooped up by Captain Kirk (William Shatner). Rugg also made a few Tribbles "breathe" by placing a surgical balloon inside them, which was inflated using a plastic tube attached to a squeeze bulb.
Terrible job by Trelane's parents to let him impersonate a Klingon commander. They made 1,771,561 Tribbles for this episode. Tribbles are dangerous only if fed after Stardate 3134.9.
@@kwebb121765 I believe he's referring to the Squire of Gothos . which featured a character played by the same actor who plays the Klingon commander ... good eye there @johnmiwa6256 !
@@Aeroldoth3 You know, it was my intent to type 3141.5! But I messed up, and by the time I realized my mistake I had already received a Heart from Bunny. And if I corrected my error, it would have disappeared.
There is a youtube channel dedicated to analyzing TOS music. Check it out as it is fantastic. The meowing sound is thoroughly dissected in one episode.
0:14 An interesting fact about this episode: You'll notice the absence of Sulu, that's because George Takei was filming "The Green Berets" co-starring John Wayne
lmao, this hilarious episode is always listed as favorite among fans, certainly by me 🙂 Triticale is a real thing, but apparently it comes from Europe, not Canada as stated on the show. Plus quadro-Triticale does not exist yet.🙂 Navy bar fights are definitely things that happen in real life! When my first submarine, USS Florida SSBN-728, went to Ketchikan, Alaska -- the existence of the base is no longer classified but I'm still not allowed to say all the details of what we did there -- only small amounts of people were allowed to go to shore. The legend is that some time in the 90s, a submarine went there, and 80% of the crew was allowed to go ashore at the same time, and they got drunk and trashed the town! The Captain had to write a letter of apology to the mayor! Don't know if that really happened but that was the legend. lol 🙂 I was not allowed to go ashore at all because I was not qualified in submarines yet at the time. They treat you like crap (officers too, fellow officers give them the worst work) until you get Qualified, to motivate you (also if you don't Qualified in less than a year, you get kicked out of the submarine program). 🙂
Gene Roddenberry didn't like the episode, he thought comedy undermined the authority of what Starfleet represented as a military organization. He was on holiday when they made this episode. Shatner on the other hand was thoroughly enjoying himself, he loves playing comedy and was very happy to have the chance here.
Please no spoilers! So that I can provide my best and most honest reaction, please do not mention the names of any future characters, events, or episode titles (this goes for future series as well). Please do not say which upcoming episodes are good or bad, otherwise I will have trouble forming my own opinion!
Thank you, and enjoy!
Here bunny. Your Easter egg. French . Aur revoir. If I got it wrong sorry I'm Danish
If you liked this episode, then check out the Deep Space Nine episode More Troubles and Tribbulations.
Saw a funny bumper sticker a few minutes ago. It said, "Have your tribble spayed or neutered."
"The Trouble w Tribbles" is generally considered one of the best of Classic Trek episodes. One of the things that makes Classic Trek stand out among all the Trek series after all these years is one week could be an action adventure, the next week. Mystery, the next week, heavy drama, or the next week a comedy episode. Such a fantastic show and to think this was made 50 years ago when westerns were the most popular kind of show on TV, it still blows me away
It’s a great argument in favor of bottle episodes, something contemporary TV has abandoned for shrinking season lengths full of plot-burdened episodes. It’s sad to think that we won’t get episodes like this or "Data’s Day" any more unless something changes.
Well, given the wholesale collapse of Hollywood right now, things HAVE to change, somehow.
Personally, I'd love to reverse course back to the 1980s era model... apart from the rampant closet pedophilia, of course.
The best TV, the best movies... all seem to come from that era.
Right now, my wife and I just started rewatching "Moonlighting" on Hulu. It's been a loooong time since anything new came out which could make me smile so easily!
Another fun fact: this is one of only a few Trek episodes in which James "Scotty" Doohan's middle finger is shown to be missing. In most other episode's they found creative ways to hide it, but it's clearly visible in the scene where he's carrying an armful of Tribbles. James Doohan served in the Canadian military and was on the beach on D-Day when he was shot six times by a nervous Canadian sentry. His middle finger had to be amputated, and the only thing that saved his life was a cigarette case in his shirt pocket that took the impact of a bullet that would otherwise have pierced his heart.
Wait, his injuries were Friendly Fire? Like D-Day wasn't bad enough on it's own with the feckin' Germans?
I wouldn't define that as a 'fun' fact.
Who goes looking for missing fingers ?
@@stevejoshua9536 What kind of question is that? Jimmy's missing finger is well known in Star Trek circles as well as Canadian military circles.
Jimmy Doohan was never shy about it. He treated it as a badge of honor... amd I agree.
I served in wartime, but no one I know ever served in quite as serious of a situation as the soldiers who served in WWII. I served well, and honorably, and have some medals and awards for my service, but I don't consider myself a "hero." ANYONE who served on D-Day, or at Bastogne, or pretty much throughout most of the European theater... or who ever set foot on a pacific island... qualifies as a hero in my eyes.
So, I give Jimmy Doohan tremendous credit for his having served on D-Day. That his injury ended his combat career was no fault of his own.
23:20 Sherman's planet was a neutral planet that both the Federation and Klingons wanted to colonize. The quadrotriticale was important because it was the only Earth grain that would grow there. The Klingons poisoned the grain to try to sabotage their colonization effort so the Klingons would get the planet.
Fun fact for this episode. The line where Checkov recognized the grain was actually intended for Sulu. An interest in horticulture was part of Sulu’s character. However,, George T. was filming a movie at the time, so he was released.
The actor who played the admiral was the spokesman in the Allstate commercials at the time. There's an outtake in the bloopers of his scene where someone threw him a tribble and he said "remember, you're in good hands with tribbles."
I saw that blooper reel a few times :-)
The original Allstate ad tagline was "remember, you're good hands with Allstate."
Here is that blooper right at the beginning of this video. The original commercial line was actually "you're in good hands with Allstate."
ruclips.net/video/rMfSgDt3gyc/видео.html
You can watch just the first part and then nothing else so you don't see anything that you might consider a spoiler.
There is an anecdote about filming the scene where Shatner reads the line, “Who put the tribble in the quadrotriticale?”
One of the film crew piped up: “I don’t know, but if you hum a few bars, I’ll sing along.”
(When I was in grade school, the song “Who put the overalls in Mrs Murphy’s chowder?” was popular to teach in music class. I don’t know if that is still true.)
Wow! I've known that blooper for more than thirty years (it's on the Star Trek 25th Anniversary documentary video, hosted by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, of which I bought a copy when I was twelve or thirteen)-but only now do I see the Allstate connection. Thanks for making it even funnier!
3:38 "She wants to shop and I thought I would help her," said _no_ man, _ever._
Fun fact: The look of frustrated defeat on Kirk's face when the mass of tribbles rained down on his head was geniune. That the the EIGHTH time Shatner had to endure it, as there'd been a problem with every take they tried before it. 🤣
David Gerrold also authored a book about writing this "Star Trek's most popular episode". Apparently, James Doohan came up with the parting line, "I transported the whole kit and caboodle into the Klingon engine room, where they'll be no tribble at all!".
As funny as that was... I can imagine giving them all to the Klingons was probably even less Humane then just beaming them into space. We... dare not ask how.
I read that book! Back in the 1970s! I loved the way that it was mostly a primer on how to write a screenplay, and included the script for the episode in the latter part of the book. When I was young, that was a great tutorial on how to write a good story, and put it into a screenplay format. I later wrote stage plays, and did fairly well for a while, but it was that book that really set me on the path.
The genius behind this comedy episode is that all the character stayed in character--even Spock. They did not have to change the characters to make them funny.
Particularly Mr. Scott's typical professionalism, right up to the point that the Enterprise's capabilities are concerned then it becomes personal.
One of the best things about the franchise is that with scripts being submitted by so many different writers the actors themselves became the experts on their characters and were given a fair amount of deference as to how those characters would or should behave. Of course, Gene and other script supervisors had a show "bible" to smooth that process in the rewrites.
Indeed. There is an interview with Nichelle where she tells a story in which a director (working on a different episode than "Tribbles") wanted Uhura to throw her pen out of frustration, and Nichelle insisted that Uhura wouldn't do that. (Uhura is way too professional to vent her emotions on the job, of course.) The director was furious and went to Gene to complain about this "uncooperative actor". Gene backed up Nichelle, and that was the only episode that director worked on.
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Wow great point!!!
Kirk got flamboyantly snarky
I just met the gentleman who wrote this episode at a convention today, he signed a copy of the script for me!
6:02
"Is That Trelane?"
Good catch. That was indeed William Campbell, whom had played Trelane in the episode "The Squire Of Gothos"
Fun Fact: Doohan (Scotty) heard how much the stunt men were getting for the fight. He asked if he would get extra pay for doing the fights himself. They said yes, so that's Doohan actually in the bar fight scene. All the more reason Scotty (Doohan) Rules.
That first punch from Scotty making the klingon sail over the table was epic!
Best Guy Moment On The Series? Kirk,"Here, let me try," to the guard. "I'll do exactly the same thing as you just did, but I'm Captain Kirk so I'll get a different result." Only thing missing? The guard saying "I loosened it for you."
"The Trouble with Tribbles" and "City on the Edge of Forever" are my top two favorite episodes of Star Trek TOS.
Two of them at least, for sure. I could add a few others, particularly The Doomsday Machine.
When Scotty brings in that armload of tribbles, look at his right hand. He is missing his middle finger. He lost it on D-Day.
Along with Balance of Terror and The Doomsday Machine for me!😊
TRIBBLES! We have Tribbles! Props designer Wah Chang had come up with some magnificent creations during his time working on "Star Trek." The post-pilot phaser, the tricorder, the Vulcan lute, even the basic designs of the salt vampire and the Gorn. I'm glad this was the episode Chang gets to go out on before his dismissal from the series.
Wah Chang was one of the unsung heroes in early Hollywood props designs, having built the maquette used for live-action referencing for the title character of "Pinocchio," the headdress worn by Elizabeth Taylor in "Cleopatra," and the titular contraption itself in "The Time Machine." "Star Trek" producer Bob Justman sought him out after getting into an argument with the props union members over at Desilu because Chang came up with far better designs than they ever could (the initial phaser design from Matt and John Jeffries was flat-out rejected by Gene Roddenberry). Because Chang was nonunion, Justman had to get clever, and made it appear that he was buying "preexisting, off-the-shelf" items from Chang because hiring him outright to manufacture props would have been against union rules. The same union rules also meant that Chang could not be properly credited for his work on "Star Trek."
On December 29, 1967 (the exact date "The Trouble with Tribbles" aired), Desilu Studios, which produced "Star Trek," was acquired by Gulf+Western from Lucille Ball (yes, THAT Lucille Ball) and incorporated into Paramount Pictures to serve as their television production arm. Looking through the numbers, G+W saw how much "Star Trek" was hemorrhaging money, and cuts needed to be made. Unfortunately, Wah Chang turned out to be an easy target by these cuts. The FIVE HUNDRED tribbles created for this episode cost quite a lot (including the hiring of an assistant "tribble-maker" Jacqueline Cumeré) and by this point, the props guild had started to catch on to Justman's ruse.
Because of the situation between Justman and the props union, Wah Chang could not be credited for any of his work on "Star Trek." He was not even mentioned in the 1968 reference book "The Making of Star Trek," despite covering the very props he crafted. Fortunately, "Star Trek" has a large fan base. A fan base that corresponds frequently in the convention circuit. Through a lot of digging on the part of the fan base, Chang's contributions became more well-known. By 1996, Bob Justman and Herb Sollow published a tell-all memoir that told the story of their grievances with the propsmasters, the hiring of Chang, and which specific elements of the show were his contributions. And it's good that Chang gets the credit he deserves. Good creative minds like that should never be forgotten. Fans deserve to know who to thank when they hold a phaser or a tricorder, dress up as a Gorn...or pet a stuffed tribble (which thankfully doesn't multiply!).
I remember way back in the 70s, watching with my dad. We both understood Scotties gratitude at being able to get back to his journals.
Guys, nobody spoil the thing. You know the thing I mean. She'll get there when she gets there.
Right. The thing.
@@JJ_W Oh... THAT thing. Okey dokey. 😉
Speaking of props, in the episode “The Man Trap” Gene Roddenberry told the prop designer to come up with some futuristic salt shakers for a scene. The designer came back with a few different designs for Gene. Gene looked at them and said they wouldn’t be recognizable as salt shakers unless the actor picked one up and said “This is a salt shaker.” But Gene did say they would be nifty medical instruments for Dr. McCoy. They ended up borrowing some salt shakers from the NBC commissary.
So when McCoy is scanning you he is actually seasoning you, lol.
One minor correction. The salt shakers were not DESIGNED... they were actually purchased. This was the era when "modern art" was really taking hold, so Los Angeles was just full of funky, occasionally impractical, but "cool looking" items in stores.
So, a while series of yurned sluminum salt and pepoer shaker sets were used... In a few cases with modifications (like the "protoplaser" wound healer) but in particular with his "laser scalpels," with no changes at all.
@@carybrown851 I remember reading this in “The Making of Star Trek” but it’s been a long time since I’ve read it. Thanks.
When I was a kid, I didn’t get this. But I have enjoyed it more and more over the years. Kirk is especially hilarious.
The writer was 19 years old at the time of submitting this script, and he lied about his age because he thought they wouldn’t consider him if they knew the truth.
During the Cold War, and I guess still today to a lesser extent, there was a stereotype that Russians claimed that they invented everything. Telephone? Invented by a Russian. Automobile? Invented by a Russian. The American Express card? Invented by a Russian. So a lot of those jokes were written into Chekov's character.
Yes and in this episode that draws attention to the way the show uses the conflict between Humans and Klingons as an analogy to the Cold War via inference.
Well, they did invent the satellite.
@@michaelbruno1666and the Periodic Table of the Elements.
@@michaelbruno1666 Arthur C. Clarke invented the satellite.
As David Gerrold pointed out, in addition to the fiercely Russian Chekov, somewhere on the Enterprise had to be a high-spirited Israeli, a fanatical German, a soft-spoken Hindu, a Muslim who continually quotes The Prophet...about the only thing the network would not have let on was a Chinese person.
"It frustrates me just as much as it...Wooohaa butterfly wings!" LOL!
One great joke you might have missed:
Spock: "He just couldn't believe his ears."
Kirk: a beat, a quick take, then back to the conversation.
That was a riff on the recent MAD Magazine Star Trek parody, which had Spock say "I can't believe my ears," and Kirk reply, "Some days, *I* can't believe your ears!"
"Star Blecch" LOL
@@steelers6titles And Mad Magazine's parody of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" was titled "Voyage to See What's on the Bottom". 🙂
@@MarkRyan-u3u The Oddfather. 201 Minutes of a Space Idiocy. The Poopsidedown Adventure.
@@steelers6titles 😀
Fun fact: days before this episode was scheduled to air, somebody noticed a STRONG similarity between the Tribbles and the "Martian Flat Cats" that are featured in Robert A. Heinlein's novel "The Rolling Stones" (including being born pregnant). Writer David Gerrold was gobsmacked: he admitted that while this wasn't intentional, he HAD read that novel years earlier and he may have inadvertently "borrowed" these elements.
The network was prepared to pull the episode but a call was made to Mr. Heinlein, asking what he wanted to allow the episode to air. Mr. Heinlein, a very gracious gentleman, demanded only one thing: an autographed shooting script signed by David Gerrold.
Gerrold and Heinlein remained friends until the latter's death in 1988.
Yep, Heinlein was a class act. Granted, Gerrold was, and still is, a really, really nice guy, so that helped, too.
Heinlein also mentioned that a writer named Ellis Parker Butler had used the same gimmick in a story called "Pig is Pigs" published in 1905.
Gerrold originally named the creatures Fuzzies, but legal pointed out that H. Beam Piper wrote three novels about Little Fuzzy, so he changed the name.
@josiahslack8720 and he also said they all might owe something to Noah😅
yeah, I immediately thought of the flatcats.
Great scene where grandmother turns off her oxygen to save her little grandson.
Hanshaw's are fuel hogs, iirc.
6:00 Yes, William Campbell also played Trelane. But no, the other Klingon is not Lazarus from "The Alternative Factor." But hats off to you for not only remembering his name, but the episode title as well...as well as remembering the aforementioned Organian Peace Treaty. You are TRULY a TREKKIE. 🖖
Robert Brown played Lazarus in "The Alternative Factor" and Michael Pataki played the Klingon Korax who insulted the Enterprise in "The Trouble With Tribbles."
@@luminiferous1960he was also a Russian in ROCKY IV
Trelane is one of my favorite Star Trek antagonists. Unfortunately his actor, William Campbell, didn’t get much to do in this episode.
@@mem1701movies To be clear, by "he" you mean Michael Pataki, not Robert Brown. Since both men were mentioned in my comment, your use of "he" in your comment was ambiguous.
To be completely clear, Michael Pataki played Nicoli Koloff in Rocky IV.
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I have four Tribbles scattered around my house. I keep them away from the kitchen, but they get along pretty well around the house.
Yes, William Campbell did also play Trelane in "Squire of Gothos". The assistant to Captain Koloth, was a common character actor in 1960s TV shows, but I think this was his only ST showing, at least in TOS I think. Koloth made another reappearance in the DS9 episode "The Blood Oath", 70 years older. In a different DS9 episode, "Trials and Tribble-ations", they do a very fond call back to this episode, complete with time manipulation and other such Star Trek things. As I recall, there was an animated episode about the Tribbles again, but it wasn't nearly as fun.
The Klingon homeworld is a bit larger and denser than Earth, so yes, they are a bit stronger than humans. Starting a fist fight with them is a bit of a challenge.
TRIBBLES!!!!!!GREAT EPISODE!
One of the Most beloved episodes ever! Funniest Too!
The whole scene in the Bar with the klingons......EPIC....So is the scene where Kirk is questioning his men after!
Korax and Scotty's Exchange is stuff of Legend!..So is the scene where scotty is talking about the Fight with Kirk!!!!!
"it's only human nature to love little furry animals." Thank you, says the tarantula.
William Schallert was a beloved character actor for many years. He played Patty Duke's dad in her (to me, classic) TV series. Patty was very close to him, and sort of regarded him as her real father, according to her memoirs.
He had a very short appearance as an ambulance attendant in Them!, which also had an equally short appearance by Nimoy.
He's also in 1951's The Man from Planet X, a very cheap but excellent science fiction movie.
Good guy.
He has a great turn in Mant, in Joe Dantes wonderful love letter to 50s movies MATINEE.
Schallert was also in "Colossus: The Forbin Project" and in a bigger role in "In the Heat of the Night."
I love Kirk's snarky insults against that Federation bureaucrat: "I have never questioned the orders or intelligence of Starfleet....until now." Or "I take this situation very seriously; it is YOU I take lightly" Or "Tribbles seem to like you, Mr. Barrus - but there's no accounting for taste."
After this was filmed, tribbles kept appearing all over the place on various sets. In drawers, under and inside cabinets, and, if legends are true, in Uhura's uniform with her.
I heard they made 500 of them. (Source: The World of Star Trek, by David Gerrold, also author of this episode).
She had a hairy tribble according to online pics
@@mem1701movies link
@@mem1701movies It was the '60's.
"One million, seven hundred, seventy-one thousand, five hundred and sixty one." That garage sale could have given the Pet Rock a run for its money.
This was the scriptwriter's (David Gerrold) first professional job (script).
A lot of us have been eagerly awaiting your reaction to this particular Trek episode.
Bunny, as you continue your journey through the Star Trek franchise, this won't be the only time you get to smile and laugh. 🙂
The episode starts out very "heavily", but turns into, perhaps, the lightest episode of the entire series.
This is considered the most popular of all the original episodes and when it was released on VHS in a special box set, it came with a Tribble and that’s all I’m gonna tell you I’m not gonna give anything away anymore. Have a good one. And you’re still doing a great job keep it up.
I look forward to your Star Trek reactions every week, Bunny!!! I'll keep saying it until you believe me! You are my favorite reactor!!! ✌️
Thanks, I believe you!! 😁❤️
I'm glad you finally got to this one. This is the most comical out of all of tos there is another coming up.
I love how Kirk was just so over everything in this episode. :)
Every Canadian youtube reactor swoons whenever Spock mentions the word "Canada."
It's a Canadian inwention
We all reenact the Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme.
Kirk must know a thing or two about Canada.
@@michaelbruno1666 Riker doesn't, though. Despite the rumours floating around the lower decks, he's actually from Alaska.
This is a good episode. It's funny how you picked up on what was going on when Kirk was standing under the grain compartment door full of tribbles. There was crew up there trying to throw the individual tribbles at him at just the wrong time and throw him off while Shatner was trying to say his lines.
Shatner really plays the mounting aggravation to perfection 😂
Now you know the trouble with tribbles.
This episode has always been a fan favorite, and that may be because it was written by a fan. (episode writer David Gerrold wrote a book about the creation of this episode that I read back in college- it was in the library) Indeed Kirk is especially snarky (but I've never seen a Federation commissioner that didn't deserve such treatment) and Scotty is his most Scotty to this point in the series. (don't worry, I won't spoil what is to come) The look Kirk (buried to his chest in tribbles) gives to McCoy when he orders him to find out what killed the tribbles and McCoy replies he hasn't figured out what keeps them alive yet- for my money, worth watching the whole episode for. The actions, gestures, and dialogue of everyone on the station and ship are also very enjoyable.
'There be no tribble at all.'
-Scotty
Surprisingly.. I missed that jokes a dozen or more times.. lol
🤣
13:12 To be fair, last time Scotty was on shore leave several women were murdered.
18:11 - The look on Kirk's face = "Don't f*ck with me, Bones!"
This is an episode assured of getting a huge number of comments as there are just so many wonderful angles in it. It is a "comic relief" episode, as was "I, Mudd". The theme of Kirk's disdain of bureaucrats shows up again with his sniping at Nilz Baris, played by the actor William Schallert, who was ubiquitous on TV for decades, almost always playing likable characters, but not here. And the line about too much of anything, even love, is not necessarily a good thing, is important to remember. Without predators, the tribbles became dangerous. The terms of the Organian Peace Treaty would award Sherman's planet to the side that developed it best. Since quadrotriticale was the *only* grain that would grow there, the Klingon sabotage of that grain would have resulted in giving the planet to them if the scheme had not been uncovered. A little exposition mixed in with all the comedy.
Probobly the most cute-sy of all from OG. There's a good second place contender you've yet to see. Thanks for this ons!
The episode's writer is David Gerrold author of my favorite sci-fi series: the War against the Chtorr.
I really enjoyed that one too... though it was REALLY depressing at times.
Always thought those books would make a fantastic series. Such good writing
That is indeed William Campbell/Trelane of Gothos, masquerading as Klingon Captain Koloth! 😆
Michael Pataki played the Klingon troublemaker Korax. He does look a lot like like Lazarus (played by Robert Brown).
Isn't "Pataki" an insult in Klingonese?
@@johnmiwa6256 ... Close but not exact!
petaQ = a Klingon insult. The equivalent of "abomination", "reviled or dishonorable thing"
Under-Secretary Nilz Baris is played by William Schallert, who played Patty Duke's dad on "The Patty Duke Show".
Arne Darvin, the Klingon spy, is played by Charlie Brill, who's best known for playing Capt. Harry Lipschitz on the Stephen J. Cannell-produced sex crimes drama, "Silk Stalkings".
@@Madbandit77 Yes, and he was also a "that guy" throughout the 60s and early 70s. You know, when you see a guest actor on an episode of Get Smart or something and you say, "Oh, that guy!"
One of his last roles was as the mayor of the town in True Blood. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 93.
@@russellsketchley8830 He was also played the mayor in the film version of "In The Heat Of The Night" with Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger, and was president of the Screen Actors Guild.
My favourite line in this episode was the discussion between Bones(?) and Spock. "But it's soft and makes a nice sound." "As would be an ermine violin, Doctor, but I have no desire to own one."
This was Star Trek's attempt to do a comedy and its extremely well-liked amongst fans. Some cite this as the best episode of TOS. It's certainly a very fun episode. And yes, that _is_ Terllaine's actor again playing the Klingon captain.
"Who put the tribbles in the quadrotriticale?" must be the first line of a great song. Even better than "… Who put the bomp in the bomp bah bomp bah bomp
Who put the ram in the rama lama ding dong?
Definitely one of the most fun episodes of the series. Everyone of the main cast members get their own moment to shine. I loved your reaction to it!
TWO BITS OF TRIVIA:
- Allegedly NBC got some complaints from animal lovers who thought Tribbles were living creatures and had been mistreated during the filming of the episode (confined in the storage bin, baked under hot studio lights, etc.).
- Originally, they wanted to have another appearance of Harry Mudd, but the actor was unavailable. That's too bad - it would have been even better with him involved.
They also wanted to bring back the Klingon Commander Korr but John Colicos was unavailable at the time. Pity
I have a Star Trek themed Christmas tree and have random 'tribbles' (pom pom fake fur puffs) tucked around in the branches.
Hey bunny , we’ll another fun humorous episode. Refreshing after those last few , I think this was a fun change of direction.
Definitely look forward to your weekly reactions. Can't wait for your fashion commentary on the next episode.
Scotty was the forerunner to what we now call "Tech Geeks."
People so fascinated by Technology to the exclusion of everything else.
The 1970s series Quark, starring Richard Benjamin, was literally set aboard--a garbage ship, in space. It had to collect garbage in space.
That's another series I have on DVD.
I seem to recall Benjamin (who came up with the idea as well as starred in it) saying something about being inspired by this line. I could be mistaken, but I don't think I am.
Glad somebody else recalls Quark.
@@starmnsixty1209 Did Buck Henry ("Get Smart!") have any input into that show?
19:21 Notice the Enterprise moving by in the background!
It was a nice detail!
That was a detail added in the remastered version. The original version used a still shot.
Very much enjoyed your reaction, young lady! You picked out Trelane! You know your stuff! Love your channel!
LOVE this episode and it's one of my favorites also.The comedic tone and humor were-PRICELESS-I laughed several times during this episode.And the actor who played Jones was a perfect foil for Kirk and Spock.The bar fight was hilarious and well done,Kirk detaining his crew members to find out who started that bar fight had a nice comedic touch to it.While in the military I was detained and questioned about some bar/street fights I was involved in. LOL.
Yes, this reaction was what I expected - gold! As for the anti-spoiler warning, I think a screenshot of the end with Bunny's reaction to the engine room solution would serve to dissuade folks from depriving her and us of such future moments.
Actually, the Klingons were much more aggressive in general and were toned down and uncharacteristically submissive to Kirk just to stay in the lanes of this lighthearted romp.
The grain was to feed Federation colonists and was their unique solution since it was the only earth grain that could grow on Sherman's Planet. Poisoning it would have killed all the colonists and allowed the Klingons to take the planet.
This episode is a gem - all our characters got moments. Chekov got several. Uhura started the infestation by taking the promotional sample, showing her sweet nurturing side through her adoring appreciation of the tribble. Scotty demonstrated his passion for his work and his defense of it. Spock and McCoy had great lines in general and some of their best banter with each other in this episode. And Kirk's frustration with a bureaucrat is an easy universal sell to all audiences.
Yes this is a memorable episode, one of the most humorous of the series. Not really one of my top favorites, BUT I have to say that I love the bar room brawl and Scotty's confession to Kirk afterwards. High point of the episode to me. Second favorite moment is Spock explaining how the tribbles have no effect on him! Good, light hearted fun writing in this one.
Take care Bunny, me thinks we are growing accustomed to your smile and being a part of the Star Trek community.
All the actors seemed to be having fun in this episode. It's rumored that even the stage hands up in the grain silos were having a little too much fun pelting Shatner in the head with tribbles.
Yeah, I would have loved that job!
Folks - Remember, NO SPOILERS.
That includes mentioning future appearances or references to this in other series, or events in other series.
I've just, sadly, had to delete a half-dozen posts specifically for mentioning events which take place far into the fictional future from this episode. Several of which I personally thought were funny and well written, but which unfortunately told her about things she, we all can hope, will be surprised to see for the first time someday!
Remrmber, if someone watching this episode for the first time, when it first aired, would not have known something... you should not mention that thing to her. The whole point of this channel is for us to see her experience these things, fresh and unspoiled, the same way we did waaay back then.
It's tough, when most of us have seen these episodes many times, and they form a complete whole inside our minds. A "history" of sorts. But for her, it's all new. Let's all try to keep it that way! 👍
How are you able to delete comments? Are you her husband?
@@mem1701movies
She has repeated asked people to not provide spoilers, to no avail.
So, she asked a few people (not just me) to moderate the comments to prevent that.
We've been given that authority as "moderators," to prevent people from spoiling, and thus ruining the experience for both her and for others who enjoy watching her discover all this for the first time.
As for the nature of the relationship any of us may or may not have with her, outside of this channel... that is entirely irrelevant. And nobody's business, frankly, for that matter. Only the assistance she has asked us to provide matters here.
Some people just have an overwhelming urge to "prove" to everyone how smart they think they are just because they've seen episodes she hasn't. 🙄
They think they're impressing everyone with their "knowledge" when in fact, they're just pissing everyone off.
It's a pretty good indicator of low intellect.
@@alexanderfish4797 What is there to explain?
"DON'T REVEAL INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WILL OR WILL NOT HAPPEN IN FUTURE EPISODES".
It's not complicated unless you're looking for a loophole. 🤨
I would also add:
"DON'T EVEN HINT AT SPOILERS!"
I witnessed an incident where a reactor was doing Firefly, and some jerk posted "The man they call Jayne".
That seems innocent enough, but this was followed by a half dozen other idiots who filled in the rest of the lyrics, line by line and totally spoiled that episode.
Each post on it's own was not a spoiler, but the end result was.
@@MrDeathpilot Although there's nothing wrong with a good knowledge dump about an episode AFTER she's seen it.
Discussion about upcoming episodes though are best confined to references that are so obscure that they wouldn't give away anything. There was a conversation on an early episode where people were saying that the episodes all have happy endings, and we started talking about which ones don't, but we were almost talking in code. One person mentioned "Let's get the hell out of here", which she would now get as a City on the Edge of Forever reference, but at that point would have meant nothing and given away nothing.
Tribbles are like Pringles. You can't have just one.
This is a classic episode of Star Trek.
Yes, Bunny. That is William Campbell, who played Trelane in The Squire Of Gothos. His subordinate is played by Michael Pataki, a long time and excellent character actor.
Awesome reaction of my favorite episode of Star Trek The Original Series!!!!!!😊😊😊😊😊😊
Thanks!
So funny that you said "Tribbles are racist?" But no one could have said it more charming, Bunny. Fact is, tribbles are prey on their planet and dislike species that behave like predators.
I used to have tribbles on my desk when I worked at a software consulting firm in Philadelphia. They were always a hit and topic of conversation.
Lol the pinch their furry cheeks line is the greatest thing to happen all week. Glad you enjoyed this wonderfully goofy piece of sci fi comedy from TOS.
I believe the episode's writer was inspired by the ecological disaster of rabbits (apologies to bunnytails) being introduced to Australia.
Jerry Fielding composed the comical score to this episode. He also wrote the theme to Hogan's Heroes.
He also worked on "McMillan & Wife" and "The Bionic Woman" on TV and some films directed by Sam Peckinpah.
Bunny, as the bar scene opens, we see Scotty and Chekov sit down with a crewman we don't recognize, who is very quiet, but gets very involved when the fight breaks out. That's stuntman Paul Baxley, and as I understand it, he often served as Shatner's stunt-double. In the next scene, when Kirk is interrogating the crew involved in the fight, he starts with Baxley, so it's a good opportunity to see them side-by-side.
I have soooo been waiting for this one!!! 🤣🤣🤣
This is a no-spoiler comment:
William Campbell played Trelane in "The Squire of Gothos" and he played Koloth in this episode.
Michael Pataki played Korax (the Lazarus look-alike) in this episode. Robert Brown played Lazarus in "The Alternative Factor".
According to the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty, Sherman's Planet would be awarded to whichever side could develop its resources most efficiently. The Federation wanted to develop the planet by growing a high-yield grain (quadrotriticale) there. The Klingons were trying to sabotage Federation efforts to develop the planet.
9:00 "They don't like Klingons? Tribbles are *racist*?" In my head it isn't so much about racism as it is that the Tribbles don't like the Klingons from a political point of view, at least in this point in the timeline.
We were always in church when Star Trek aired (in reruns) on WAVE-3 in Louisville, but the local library had this episode (and only this episode, out of the series) on 16mm motion picture film, so I got to see it in school (in motion picture film glory, just as you see it in its new digital transfer from the original 35mm here, minus the "special edition" spaceship CGI, of course). When I got home from school, aged 13 or whatever, I had a special day of playing "Trouble with Tribbles" with Arthur and Trillian, my two guinea pigs.
To the reactor: I love how much you're now vested in these characters and the world(s) they inhabit enough to get all the little in-jokes. I imagine audiences laughed their asses off back in 1967 (I looked it up, the episode aired a year and one day before I was born). For me, Star Trek, apart from the basic premise of overcoming our differences and exploring space together, is all about the characters, and for all its minor shortcomings, Tribbles is an example of peak Star Trek in terms of characterization. That's what gives the show (and the franchise it launched) its staying power, 56 years on. When it is good, it is so very, very good.
My favorite moment in the reaction is when the Klingons insult the Enterprise, and the reactor (sorry I don't know her name) realizes exactly what's coming. It's my favorite moment in the episode, along with the subsequent scene where Scotty parleys his confession to Kirk into getting confined to his quarters to read up on engineering, which is all Scotty ever wanted in the first place. Complete with repeating the Klingon insults to Kirk to his face. Hysterical.
Klingons don’t discuss their physical abilities or appearance during this time with outsiders.
Many of you know that the 11 foot 'shooting' Model of the Enterprise resides at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. When the Curators at the Museum were doing the most recent Restoration of the Model, they chose this Episode as the Reference work to match the 'upgrades' being done to the Model.
One of my favorite episodes. This was writer David Gerrold's FIRST professional sale (he was 23 at the time), so - pretty impressive!
The Enterprise is a character in it's own right... and Scotty will not allow anyone talk crap about his baby!!! This is one of the best episodes for the comedic aspects of Star Trek! I am so glad that you're loving the show and we're loving watching you enjoy it as well! Thank you for sharing your journey with us. : )
You and I said “is that Trelane” literally at the EXACT same time 😂
Thanks Bunny for sharing! This is one of my favorite episodes of this Star Trek series!
"The Trouble With Tribbles" is generally considered one of the greatest episodes of the original series, and usually the best semi-comic episode (though "I, Mudd" is another favorite). This is the last one on a common list of 'four best episodes,' along with "Amok Time," "The City on the Edge of Forever," and "Balance of Terror." Of course that doesn't mean there are no great episodes left, or that everybody's best four would be the same.
Just fyi: The ancestral form of quadro-triticale that Spock mentions - triticale - is an actual grain and everything Spock says about *that* and its origins is completely factual.
Also, I kind of wonder if tribbles inadvertently helped to inspire the critters in the movie *Gremlins.* Especially the dangers of feeding them at the wrong time; or in the case of tribbles *any* time.
Edit: Oops. Posted this before i got to the point in your video where you make the same comparison. :)
David Gerrold was the writer, still with us, a super nice guy and grandfather, on Facebook and worth a follow.
This was such a fun, character episode and such much fun! Glad you enjoyed it!
Info about the tribbles, only one person made all of the 500 tribbles:
"The episode’s author, David Gerrold, wanted to tell a story about the consequences of an ecological balance that is disrupted. He needed to invent a breed of small alien creatures that would be easy for the "Star Trek" artists to manufacture in large numbers. Using real living animals was out of the question.
Gerrold’s girlfriend at the time, Holly Sherman, had a key chain that was a pink ball of fluff. Although pink was too garish a color to use, the fluffy ball of fur was the inspiration behind the creatures. Originally named "Fuzzies" in early drafts of the story, Gerrold played with a list of many other names he randomly created. After eliminating names such as "Shagbies," "Puffies" and "Goonies," he finally ended up with the name "Tribbles."
The Tribbles were designed by special effects genius Wah Chang, who also designed the show’s most famous prop icons - the Tricorder, Phaser and Communicator. Irving Feinberg, Star Trek’s prop master, supervised construction of the creatures. They were sewn by Jacqueline Cumeré, who was reportedly paid $350 to make 500 of them.
TribbleMost of the Tribbles were brown in color, some of which were touched up with lighter or darker accents for variation. A few were white. Some of the earliest created were made of a softer, fluffier fur while they were still experimenting with materials. "Star Trek" special effects man Jim Rugg made six Tribbles "walk" by using toy dogs. He cut off the toy's heads and fitted them with a Tribble skin. One of them can be seen in the episode walking across a railing on the bridge of the Enterprise for a moment before being scooped up by Captain Kirk (William Shatner). Rugg also made a few Tribbles "breathe" by placing a surgical balloon inside them, which was inflated using a plastic tube attached to a squeeze bulb.
Terrible job by Trelane's parents to let him impersonate a Klingon commander.
They made 1,771,561 Tribbles for this episode.
Tribbles are dangerous only if fed after Stardate 3134.9.
Only in the alternate timeline.
Why? Are you referring to The Trouble with Edward?
@@kwebb121765 I believe he's referring to the Squire of Gothos . which featured a character played by the same actor who plays the Klingon commander ... good eye there @johnmiwa6256 !
I'd think tribbles are only dangerous if fed 3.14159. Gorging themselves on pi just leads to.... a never ending number. : P
@@Aeroldoth3 You know, it was my intent to type 3141.5! But I messed up, and by the time I realized my mistake I had already received a Heart from Bunny. And if I corrected my error, it would have disappeared.
the music was great, the violins always sounded like a meowing kitty to me. Enjoyed the reaction of course 👍
There is a youtube channel dedicated to analyzing TOS music. Check it out as it is fantastic. The meowing sound is thoroughly dissected in one episode.
0:14
An interesting fact about this episode:
You'll notice the absence of Sulu, that's because George Takei was filming "The Green Berets" co-starring John Wayne
I'm so happy you finally checked out this episode - def one of my favorites
Great Reaction to one of my favorite episodes 😁👍👍👍
lmao, this hilarious episode is always listed as favorite among fans, certainly by me 🙂 Triticale is a real thing, but apparently it comes from Europe, not Canada as stated on the show. Plus quadro-Triticale does not exist yet.🙂 Navy bar fights are definitely things that happen in real life! When my first submarine, USS Florida SSBN-728, went to Ketchikan, Alaska -- the existence of the base is no longer classified but I'm still not allowed to say all the details of what we did there -- only small amounts of people were allowed to go to shore. The legend is that some time in the 90s, a submarine went there, and 80% of the crew was allowed to go ashore at the same time, and they got drunk and trashed the town! The Captain had to write a letter of apology to the mayor! Don't know if that really happened but that was the legend. lol 🙂 I was not allowed to go ashore at all because I was not qualified in submarines yet at the time. They treat you like crap (officers too, fellow officers give them the worst work) until you get Qualified, to motivate you (also if you don't Qualified in less than a year, you get kicked out of the submarine program). 🙂
Gene Roddenberry didn't like the episode, he thought comedy undermined the authority of what Starfleet represented as a military organization. He was on holiday when they made this episode.
Shatner on the other hand was thoroughly enjoying himself, he loves playing comedy and was very happy to have the chance here.