Kid's Guide: TOS Episodes 1-5

Welcome to the first of many posts detailing recommendations for when and if Star Trek episodes are appropriate for kids. I have 5 year-old and 2 year-old sons, and I am very keen on introducing them to Star Trek. I also want to do it before other lesser forms of popular entertainment make inroads that are too deep. With that said, I don't think a sequential watch-through is called for at this point. For one thing, it's too much screen time. But for another, which episodes are appropriate? Which ones are entertaining enough to hold the attention of a youngster?

So I'm going to rate these episodes on a few axes and then spit-ball an age that I think is appropriate for each. The axes will be: Violence and Scariness, Sexual Content, Big Ideas, and Entertainment Value.

So, here goes!

TOS Season 1 Episode 1: The Man Trap

 HI KIDS!!! Want to watch some Star Trek?!?!

The Original Series, Season 1: Where No Man Has Gone Before

The Original Series, Season One

"Where No Man Has Gone Before"
Airdate: September 22, 1966
2 of 80 produced
3 of 80 released
Click here to watch on CBS.com

This episode was the second pilot shot for the series. The only character to survive to this second pilot was Spock. Several other later characters are still missing or in different positions. In this episode, the Enterprise, again following the signal of a lost civilian craft, travels to the galactic barrier, a mysterious energy field that surrounds the galaxy. Two crew members are struck by a strange discharge and begin to exhibit bizarre and increasingly terrifying powers.

This was another great episode, again earning a five each from the both of us, for another perfect 10. The same qualities that made "The Cage" such a success are evident here. While many of the characters would not make it into the series, they still managed to convey interesting and textured characters in less than an hour. Both pilots did a fantastic job of establishing the series and are easily in the top ranks of the series as a whole. Today's podcast comes in at 1 hour 2 minutes and a file size of 57MB.