Beam them back up

Watching classic "Star Trek" episodes is as surreal as hearing one of William Shatner's records from the same era. Does the future really mean mini-skirts and monochromatic uniforms? But Paramount is re-releasing the old series all the same this week as part of its tech "Trek" makeover.

"Star Trek: The Original Series: Season One" (29 episodes, 10 discs) allows for both standard and HD DVD viewing of the newly tweaked series. "Tweaked" means modern effect gurus updated some of the visuals, and even the famed score has been re-recorded for maximum aural impact.

But never mind the cosmetics. Does the show still work? For the most part, indeed, and we can thank Shatner for that. The hammy actor brought bluster and brains to the Captain's chair, a much needed elixir for a show that would seem pretty silly without his presence.

Don't expect the old series to look like "Star Wars" or "Alien." The new effects are modest at best, often involving the Enterprise hurtling past more realistic planets. At times, you'll scratch your head over effects which were left untouched, like the plant in "Charlie X" that looks like a hand puppet with leaves.

Purists will bark, but the improvements were kept subtle enough not to distract, letting these solid stories capture out attention anew. (Photo: Shatner calls the shots while Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) looks on.)