re: Best Star Trek speeches

quote:

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I loved this scene, even if you have to pause the part of your brain that asks how in the world these people ended up with the Constitution

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It is canon, though, the "parallel Earth" phenomenon. Sure, it was done to save costs. They did it well, under the circumstances. They wanted to use brand new footage of the Earth taken from the space program, so they made Miri set specifically on a very, very parallel Earth (they beamed down to Mayberry, for Pete's sake). You also saw it in Bread and Circuses (parallel development of a Roman Empire that never fell).

So, cost-wise, you could repurpose other science fiction stories for the show, as well as use pre-existing props and wardrobe elements. It didn't always have to be a parallel Earth to do that, though. See all the set dressing for The Squire of Gothos (based on Trelaine's misunderstanding about time differences) and things in Spectre of the Gun (a Western setting, but one created by powerful beings), Catspaw (similar plot elements with a horror theme, also from Season 3).