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October 6, 2015
Looking at this picture, one can imagine Shatner is explaining, “Oh my God, what will this do to our Nielsen share?!”
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As the script was being written, Associate Producer Robert Justman wrote to Gene Roddenberry and John D.F. Black, “This scene in Janice’s Quarters with Kirk’s Double [is] going to be a very tough scene to handle censorship-wise.”
Jon Kubichan, speaking for NBC Broadcast Standards, requested that “the scenes between Janice and Kirk’s double be tempered in such a means as to make them acceptable both to NBC and the NAB [National Association of Broadcasters] Code.” |
They weren’t. After reading the final draft teleplay, and as the episode was filming, Stan Robertson, NBC’s Production Manager assigned to Star Trek, wrote Roddenberry, “Quite honestly, Gene, our approval of this script is given very reluctantly since we feel that the major point which we objected to in the outline is more prominently apparent in the script. And that is what the characterization of Kirk’s ‘Alter Ego,’ as portrayed, might do to the viewer’s image of our hero.”
Robertson wanted the episode buried late in the season. But Star Trek, having difficulties with its photographic effects, was falling behind in delivering episode to the network. “The Enemy Within,” the fourth episode filmed, ended up being the fifth to air.
At the half-way point in the episode, immediately following Kirk’s attack on Janice Rand, A.C. Nielsen ratings service reported that Star Trek’s audience share dropped from 29.5% to 26.5%. In turn, Star Trek dropped from second to third place. NBC blamed the attempted rape scene as the reason for the mass exodus of viewers, and refused to repeat the episode.
Robertson wanted the episode buried late in the season. But Star Trek, having difficulties with its photographic effects, was falling behind in delivering episode to the network. “The Enemy Within,” the fourth episode filmed, ended up being the fifth to air.
At the half-way point in the episode, immediately following Kirk’s attack on Janice Rand, A.C. Nielsen ratings service reported that Star Trek’s audience share dropped from 29.5% to 26.5%. In turn, Star Trek dropped from second to third place. NBC blamed the attempted rape scene as the reason for the mass exodus of viewers, and refused to repeat the episode.
This is only a small sample of the story behind the writing, filming and first broadcast of “The Enemy Within.” Read about everything that happened, with this episode and all the others from Star Trek’s first season, in the Saturn Award winning book, These Are the Voyages - Star Trek: TOS [The Original Series], Season One. For the lowest price anywhere, and autographed by author Marc Cushman, get your copy here and now directly from Jacobs/Brown Press.
