Season 3 producer of Star Trek: The Original Series had a derogatory name for the series

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As a lifelong Trekkie who has spent countless hours poring over every detail of Star Trek: The Original Series, I must admit that my feelings towards Fred Freiberger, the producer for the third season, are rather mixed. On one hand, he was responsible for bringing us some truly memorable episodes like “The Enterprise Incident” and “All Our Yesterdays.” However, it’s hard not to be disappointed when learning about his apparent disregard for the show and its core values.

The Original Series includes 79 episodes, some of which you might not feel like watching multiple times, but many are quite good. Most of the least popular episodes were produced during season three, when the budget was reduced by $15,000 per episode and the show moved to Friday nights at 10:00 p.m. This shift seemed to indicate that the show wasn’t doing well anymore, and the producer for season three, Fred Freiberger, is often criticized for the episodes that didn’t live up to expectations.

According to Margaret Armen, author of “The Paradise Syndrome,” it seemed that Freiberger wasn’t particularly fond of the series. This observation was made after Armen observed an episode during Freiberger’s tenure as producer for the third season, as detailed in “The Fifty Year Mission: The First 25 Years” by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman.

Armen remembered that he watched an episode with him, puffing on a large cigar, and said something along the lines of, “Ah, I understand. Space boobs,” which was highly offensive to her since she was a dedicated Star Trek fan. This comment serves as a clear indication that the producer didn’t hold Star Trek in high regard.

As a devoted fan, I yearned for more thrilling episodes in Star Trek, and to be honest, character-centric pieces weren’t really my cup of tea. That’s why “The Paradise Syndrome” didn’t quite resonate with me. If it hadn’t been for Roddenberry, I believe the episode might never have seen the light of day, as Freiberger seemed to share similar sentiments.

Given his perspective on the series, it’s surprising some episodes from the third season actually aired. Freiberger seemed to struggle with Star Trek, yet he still saw the project through to its completion, likening his experience there to a crash landing in Nazi Germany. This makes one ponder what season three might have looked like if it had been overseen by a more enthusiastic producer.

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2024-12-11 00:23