Interesting Article On Command Tunics (and Spock's Skin Tone) from startrek.com

[sanjoelo]

Shirts and Skins in TOS

Some interesting revelations in here, good read.

[PKaneProps]

Fantastic article, so detailed and informative!

[sanjoelo]

I never took into consideration the actual tungsten studio lights or the film. I had honestly always assumed that the different looks were due to the many shades of colored lighting throughout the different sets.

I've always been fascinated with trying to nail down the actual colors of certain things on the show: The Bridge railings and trim, the Saurian Brandy bottles, the recently discussed salt and pepper scalpels, Kirk's tunics. There are so many factors--including time's inevitable wear/bleaching/fading--that play a part in figuring out what they actually were. I guess "Command Gold" has been incorrect for a very long time.

[DigiGal]

The article didn't even cover that original broadcast period was when NTSC Color format was in its infancy tacked on to existing B&W format to be backward compatible.

Thus the reference Never The Same Color instead of National Television System Committee. Sets at home were loaded with vacuum tubes and most people didn't know how to adjust the chroma and hue properly on their sets to begin with.

Once the series hit syndication extra variables were introduced into the mix from the local broadcasters as well as the actual transfers they were supplied with.

[sanjoelo]

The broadcast variables themselves were another whole ball of wax to be sure. Just seeing TOS remastered on an HD Flat Panel has been a revelation to many of us "old timers". I'm just glad they were able to get it cleaned up, remastered, and in digital formats before the masters had degraded too far.

I felt fortunate to watch TOS on a 10" B&W in my bedroom as a kid.

[ponyboy88]

That picture with Kirk and Spock looking up into the camera really shows Shatner's makeup line just below the hairline.

[sanjoelo]

It sure does. I've noticed that some of the makeup definitely was better off left in the standard definition days.