The eagerly awaited second volume of author Marc Cushman’s exhaustive examination of the production of The Original Series, These Are The Voyages, was released this past Wednesday, and we have a closer look. The first volume, which covered the history of the series from its earliest stages to the end of season one, was lauded by critics, fans, and cast members for it’s incredible attention to detail. Leonard Nimoy himself called the book’s level of research “astounding…an incredible job”. The second volume, which covers the entirety of season two and features a forward by Walter Koenig, promises to be even more expansive than the first. According to the promotional materials the second book will cover a variety of interesting topics: Learn why Leonard Nimoy almost didn’t return for Season Two. Explore why Lucille Ball, whose Desilu Studios had gambled big on financing Star Trek, would lose her studio in trying to keep Star Trek on the air. Discover the real reason Gene Coon suddenly quit as series producer in the middle of Season Two. Learn which stories by renowned science fiction masters never made it to the screen and why. Find out which episodes almost didn’t make it in front of the camera. Read the memos from Roddenberry and his staff, and NBC, concerning all 26 episodes from Season Two. Witness the continuing deception by the network over the show’s ratings, and how the fans took on a corporate giant to save their favorite series.
