The Naked Time (episode)/background information

“The Naked Time”
	Star Trek: The Original Series Episode
	297px
In-Universe Details
Stardate	1704.2
Date	26 Dec 2266 (Terran)
Location	USS Enterprise
Quadrant	Alpha
Background Information
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Production
Written by	John D. F. Black
Directed by	Marc Daniels
Produced by	Gene Roddenberry; John D. F. Black (AP); Robert H. Justman (AP)
Episode	TOS: 1x06
Production No.	6149-07
Date aired	29 September 1966
Chronology
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	By date produced
Prev episode ; “The Man Trap”	Next episode ; “Charlie X”
	In-universe events
Prev ; “The Enemy Within”	Next ; “Balance of Terror”
	Main Article In-Universe
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Real-World

"The Naked Time" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series, Star Trek. Written by John D. F. Black and directed by Marc Daniels, it first aired on September 29, 1966. This was the first episode in which the audience saw the Vulcan nerve pinch (the nerve pinch was actually produced (filmed) first in "The Enemy Within", but “Enemy” was broadcast a week after “Naked Time”).

The story has a sequel in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "“The Naked Now”".

Story and script[edit | edit source]

The first draft of this episode's script was completed on 23 June 1966. The final draft was completed on 28 June, with revised pages dated 1 July and 5 July. The actual episode was filmed during early July. According to at least one source, this episode was to have been the first part of a two-part story that would have concluded with “Tomorrow is Yesterday”. [1]
A late script revision came on 11 August, during post-production, as the episode needed some additional captain's log entries. (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One)
This episode was referred to in TNG: "The Naked Now" and TNG: "Relics".
According to Robert H. Justman in his book Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, author John D. F. Black was so focused on writing this episode that his duties as the series' story editor suffered. Black was later outraged when he discovered that Roddenberry rewrote his script without consulting him or even telling him about it.
This episode features the first reference to bulkheads in Star Trek.
McCoy tears the sleeve on Kirk's uniform to inject him with the hypo, but this seems to have been done for dramatic effect only as, in subsequent episodes, a hypo shot is delivered through clothing.
According to Nimoy's autobiography, I Am Spock, the scene where Spock breaks down in tears was originally supposed to have been a simple sight gag of a crewman painting a mustache on Spock. Nimoy wanted a deeper scene for Spock and one that preserved his dignity, so he talked to writer John D. F. Black about it. Black was already working on the next script and brushed Nimoy off, so Nimoy went to Gene Roddenberry. Roddenberry agreed with Nimoy, so Black grudgingly asked Nimoy what he had in mind. According to Nimoy's autobiography, he said to Black, "It's about emotion versus logic, love versus mathematics, grief versus pi-r-squared." Nimoy goes on to say in I Am Spock, "Based on that bit of information, John went back and wrote the marvelous scene for Spock that now appears in "The Naked Time"." As the production day was winding down, there was time for only a single take, but Nimoy nailed it on the first take. Nimoy described the production of the scene at length in Star Trek Lives! The scene is echoed by Picard, suffering an emotional breakdown in Sarek's place, in TNG: "Sarek".
This episode is considered a bottle show, as it contains no villain and only regular characters, and takes place almost entirely aboard the Enterprise. According to Black, at the time both Riley and Tormolen were under consideration to become regulars. (^{[dead link]})

Sets and props[edit | edit source]

File:Spocks Jeppesen Brand E6B CSG-1P.jpg

A 20th century E6B flight computer on the bridge

The hand-held device used by Spock to figure the time before impact is actually an E6B flight computer, which pilots still use today. The particular brand of E6B used is a Jeppesen CSG-1P Slide Graphic Computer. The same CSG-1P can be seen in “The Corbomite Maneuver”, “Mudd's Women”, and “Wolf in the Fold”.
The environmental suits Spock and Tormolen wore down on the planet's surface were made of shower curtains.
The sensor device Spock carries was seen previously in “The Enemy Within” as Scotty checked out the ore on Fisher's uniform. It is actually a repainted and slightly modified Nuclear-Chicago Model 2586 "Cutie Pie" Radiation Survey Meter from the late 1950s. In “Obsession”, it can be seen being held by a crewman as he prepares to scan Garrovick's quarters following the infiltration of the cloud creature. It is also taken aboard the USS Constellation by the damage control party in “The Doomsday Machine”. A photograph of a similar meter can be found here.
John D. F. Black came up with Sulu's "berserk" scenes without specifying the weapon to be used. Unable to decide between a samurai sword or a fencing foil, he left the choice to George Takei. Takei picked the latter. He reasoned that by the 23rd century, humans would have developed to a point where they would choose their cultural artifacts based on personal preference rather than ethnic background. Video on YouTube
The dead woman's body on Psi 2000 was a mannequin. Her torso was permanently damaged by the "ice" put on it, and after the shooting, "she" was taken by Bob Justman to his office, and was displayed there along with the M-113 creature from “The Man Trap” and later the two Gorn costumes from “Arena”. Justman placed the naked mannequin under a shower, to scare unsuspecting visitors in the restroom. (Inside Star Trek: The Real Story)
This is the first appearance of the recreation room in the regular series (after its very different depiction in the second pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before”), which is actually a redress of the briefing room set. The three-dimensional tic-tac-toe game seen alongside the chess prop, can be seen in many later episodes in the same set.
In this episode and “Charlie X”, the Jefferies tube is located in a spur hallway. In the second season, the set piece had been moved to a main corridor.
The lighted panels in sickbay and engineering did not contain lights that moved in patterns; rather, stage hands manipulated objects behind the panels to make it look as if the lights were shifting about. In "The Naked Time" and other episodes, you can see this money-saving trick in action, especially in close-ups or in rooms on the sets that are well-lit. (Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, p 116)

Effects[edit | edit source]

This is the only episode in which the appearance of a meal from a food synthesizer is accompanied by a puff of steam.
A reaction shot of Spock on the bridge from this episode is reused in both “The Enemy Within” and “The City on the Edge of Forever”.

Preview[edit | edit source]

The preview contains a variant of the logs from the finished episode: "Captain's log, stardate 1704.2. Planet Psi 2000. The science party we were to have picked up has been found dead."

Reception[edit | edit source]

In his autobiography To the Stars, George Takei says this was his favorite episode.
In a 2001 interview, writer John D. F. Black also nominated this episode as his favorite. (^{[dead link]})
This episode was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1967 for "Best Dramatic Presentation".
The book Star Trek 101, by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block, lists this episode as one of "Ten Essential Episodes" from the original Star Trek series.
This episode was long a particular favorite among fans at conventions. At various points they would hiss in imitation of the passage of the virus, sing along with Riley, applaud Sulu's initial appearance as a swashbuckler, and cheer Kirk when he declared that he would never lose the Enterprise.
On the special Leonard Nimoy: Star Trek Memories, Nimoy mentions that after the airing of this episode, his fan mail jumped up from dozens of pieces per week to thousands.
Gene Roddenberry picked this as one of his ten favorite episodes for the franchise's 25th anniversary. (TV Guide August 31, 1991)

Syndication cuts[edit | edit source]

During the syndication run of Star Trek, the following scenes were typically cut from broadcast

An opening shot of the rec room showing crew members playing three dimensional chess.
Conversations on the bridge about the planet's break-up, later followed by a slightly longer exchange between Kirk and Uhura as to communication status
A longer scene of Tormolen's operation
An extended scene of Riley moving through the ship's corridors and blowing on the sickbay doors to have them open
Sulu pricking his thumb on the edge of his foil.
Extended shots of Scott working in the Jefferies tube.
Longer establishing shots of sickbay, including McCoy sitting and Spock entering to speak to Chapel.
A scene where Kirk walks from the bridge down to engineering to check on Scott's status. In the syndicated version, the scene cuts directly to Kirk already at the door to engineering.
Spock walking towards the briefing room, about to have his emotional breakdown.

Other information[edit | edit source]

In an aside to his assistant, Scott indicates that he has his own office somewhere on the ship. Ten years later, Franz Joseph published a schematic of it in the Star Fleet Technical Manual. Similarly, at one point Riley mentions the Enterprise bowling alley. Joseph sketched that room, too, in his Star Trek Blueprints.
The close-up of Kirk in his chair at the beginning of Act One is a recycled shot from the last scene of “The Man Trap” (it can also be seen in “Mudd's Women”).
Hank "Beast" McCoy is watching this episode in the film X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Apocrypha[edit | edit source]

A cat version of "The Naked Time" was featured in Jenny Parks' 2017 book Star Trek Cats.

Production timeline[edit | edit source]

Story outline by John D. F. Black: 4 April 1966
First draft teleplay by Black: 14 June 1966
Revised first draft teleplay by Gene Roddenberry: 15 June 1966
Second draft teleplay by Black: 20 June 1966
Revised draft by Black: 23 June 1966
Final draft teleplay by Gene Roddenberry: 28 June 1966
Revised final draft teleplay: 1 July 1966
Additional revisions: 1 July 1966, 5 July 1966, and 11 August 1966
Filmed: 30 June 1966 – 11 July 1966
- Day 1 – 30 June 1966, Thursday (Half Day) – Desilu Stage 9: Int. Sickbay
- Day 2 – 1 July 1966, Friday – Desilu Stage 10: Int. Psi 2000 Frozen lab; Desilu Stage 9: Int. Sickbay
- Day 3 – 5 July 1966, Tuesday – Desilu Stage 9: Int. Bridge
- Day 4 – 6 July 1966, Wednesday – Desilu Stage 9: Int. Bridge
- Day 5 – 7 July 1966, Thursday – Desilu Stage 9: Int. Bridge, Corridors, Turbolift
- Day 6 – 8 July 1966, Friday – Desilu Stage 9: Int. Engineering, Briefing room
- Day 7 – 11 July 1966, Monday (Half Day) – Desilu Stage 9: Int. Briefing room
- Additional filming (Missing pickup shots filmed) – 17 August 1966, Wednesday – Desilu Stage 9
Score recording: 31 August 1966
Original airdate: 29 September 1966
Rerun airdate: 27 April 1967
First UK airdate: 19 July 1969

Remastered information[edit | edit source]

"The Naked Time" was the fourth episode of the remastered version of The Original Series to air. It premiered in syndication on the weekend of 30 September 2006 and most notably featured new effects shots of the planet from space as well as a shot of the science station on the surface. New computer-generated shots of the hyper-velocity time warp and Sulu's chronometer (now featuring a stardate clock and military time) were also added. Cited by Michael Okuda as an example of the mistakes to be corrected by the remastered episodes, Scott's missing phaser beam was finally inserted into the episode.

Psi 2000 surface.jpg

The original shot of the surface of Psi 2000
Psi 2000 science station.jpg

The new CGI science station and surface terrain
Chronometer, tosr.jpg

Sulu's "new" chronometer
Constitution class viewscreen, remastered.jpg

The CG Psi 2000 from orbit
Enterprise enters orbit around Psi 2000 (remastered).jpg

The new digital Enterprise enters orbit of the remastered Psi 2000
Scotty torching with phaser.jpg

Scotty's phaser gets a beam

Video and DVD releases[edit | edit source]

Original US Betamax/VHS release: 28 February 1985
Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 4, catalog number VHR 2247, release date unknown
US VHS release: 15 April 1994
UK re-release (three-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 1.3, 8 July 1996
Original US DVD release (single-disc): Volume 3, 19 October 1999
As part of the TOS Season 1 DVD collection
As part of the TOS Season 1 HD DVD collection
As part of the TOS Season 1 Blu-ray collection

Cast[edit | edit source]

In the original script, it was Lieutenant John Farrell (Jim Goodwin) who sabotaged main engineering, but in later rewrites, the character was replaced by Kevin Riley (played by Bruce Hyde). (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One)
This is the first episode in which Eddie Paskey has dialogue. Originally, his character was to have said more lines. Not having any other acting job than being an extra, he was so nervous that a few of his lines had to be said by Spock instead. [2]
This is also the only episode in which Frank da Vinci (Brent) has on-screen dialogue (four words). Despite this, he was uncredited.
Nurse Chapel appears to be watching a slide show of some sort when Riley surprises her. This episode was Majel Barrett's debut in the regular series (as Chapel), and establishes her love for Spock.
Before being cast in this episode, Barrett, convinced she could play the part of Chapel convincingly, bleached her hair and went into the Star Trek offices, momentarily getting by Gene Roddenberry before he recognized her. Barrett was convinced if she could fool Roddenberry, she could fool NBC. According to Herb Solow, when NBC got their first look at the footage of Chapel, Jerry Stanley, an NBC executive, remarked "Well, well, well, look who's back!"
When Uhura takes Riley's place at the navigation station, she becomes the first of only six female Enterprise crew members to sit at the combined console. The others are Yeoman Rand later in this episode, Jana Haines in “The Gamesters of Triskelion”, Lt. Rahda in “That Which Survives”, and two unnamed lieutenants in “The Way to Eden” and “Requiem for Methuselah”.
This is also one of four episodes in which Uhura is at the navigation station. The other three episodes are “The Man Trap” (in footage reused from "The Naked Time,") “Balance of Terror”, and “Court Martial”.
George Takei had great fun acting in this episode, and took his fencing very seriously, avidly practicing his technique on the set and working out to define his chest muscles for his memorable scene in the corridor. (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages)
Director Marc Daniels visited Takei in his trailer, and asked him to take off his shirt. After observing his bare chest, Daniels announced that they would do the fencing scenes "shirtless". Unknown to him and the rest of the cast and crew, Takei spent all his free time in the next three days doing pushups. (Star Trek: The Original Series 365)
This is the only TOS episode in which the three primary female crew members – Uhura, Chapel, and Rand – appeared together. The characters did not appear together again until Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
This episode is the only time Chapel ever pronounces anyone dead. [3]