The TOS end credits

[Carl West]

Hi folks. I've almost finished with my TOS "marathon," courtesy of Netflix. I've seen TOS sporadically since I was a little kid in the 70s, but this is the first time I've sat down and gave the whole series a proper viewing.

Anyhow, one of my favorite parts of every episode is the end credits! I love seeing the succession of some iconic TOS images; but most of all, I love getting to hear the longer version of the theme. It may be sacrilege, but I find the opening title sequence to be tedious, with the old fanfare and Kirk's narration and the abbreviated theme song ... it's just gotten a bit tired over the years. But with the end credits, we get to hear that great 60s theme in its extended glory...

I'm curious, though, how many changes were there to the end credits theme? I noticed that "Where No Man Has Gone Before" has a lovely version with a violin playing the melody -- I'm sad we didn't get to hear that one throughout S1. And then I believe the rest of S1 and S2 have the same arrangement of the theme, right (with the female soprano worked in)? Again, I'm only talking about the closing theme. And then with S3, it sounds different (it sounds as though they're using a different instrument for the melody), and it sadly ends more quickly than the closing theme for S1 and S2.

Can any experts out there confirm this?

 

[Green Shirt]

I believe the music from each season sounds different due to the fact that IIRC (due to union rules, I think) shows were required to re-record opening and closing credits theme music for each new season.

I read something to this effect on a Bonanza website.

 

[Ssosmcin]

The first season originally had the WNMHGB theme in the first 13 or so episodes, both main and end titles. The DVDs restored the main titles, but not the end.

 

[Green Shirt]

The first season originally had the WNMHGB theme in the first 13 or so episodes, both main and end titles. The DVDs restored the main titles, but not the end.

The WNMHGB theme was originally used in only 4 other eps., Charlie X, Mantrap, Naked Time and Mudd's Women. For some reason (although I'm not complaining because its my favorite version) it was added to a number of other episodes in one of the DVD releases. Unfortunately, it was completely done away with by CBS when the CGI remastering took place.

 

[Harvey]

I believe the music from each season sounds different due to the fact that IIRC (due to union rules, I think) shows were required to re-record opening and closing credits theme music for each new season.

The Music of Star Trek -- a fantastic book -- indicates that each season (due to union rules) the producers had to record everything from scratch. So, even when a season 3 episode tracks music from season 1, it's a recording made during season 3. I assume this applies to the main and end titles as well, although I could be wrong.

 

[Ssosmcin]

The first season originally had the WNMHGB theme in the first 13 or so episodes, both main and end titles. The DVDs restored the main titles, but not the end.

The WNMHGB theme was originally used in only 4 other eps., Charlie X, Mantrap, Naked Time and Mudd's Women. For some reason (although I'm not complaining because its my favorite version) it was added to a number of other episodes in one of the DVD releases. Unfortunately, it was completely done away with by CBS when the CGI remastering took place.

Really? I thought it went on a lot longer than that. However, human memory being what it is, and how easily it's influenced, I won't argue. Just could have sworn it went on a lot longer when I was watching it as a kid on channel 11. Ah well.