The first complete season set of the original Star Trek, released on DVD in North America today, was labelled a must-have by many reviewers.

USA Today's Mike Snider described the series as groundbreaking, citing its optimism, Kirk's utterance of the first swear word and the interracial kiss between Kirk and Uhura. "Thanks to a devoted fan base, the Star Trek DVD sets are expected to be top sellers," noted the writer.

"The picture isn't pristine, as one would expect from material this old," stated TV Shows on DVD, but because of the impact of the series, reviewer Gord Lacey wasn't terribly upset about technical imperfections, recalling it as the first show of which he knew someone who could actually name every episode. Though video and audio were rated 7/10 with extras earning only 4/10, "it's hard to measure how much impact this show has had on society."

TrekWeb rated the set a 4/5, reserving most of its criticism for the extras, which "may be seen as rehashed, depending on how much you have read about Star Trek's turbulent production history." The packaging and menus come in for particular praise.

"The bonus featurettes contain plenty of interviews with the cast and crew but no rare archival material to thrill hard-core fans," agreed The Houston Chronicle, lamenting the lack of bloopers in particular. However, "the 29 episodes that make up the series' first - and perhaps strongest - season are what most buyers will treasure: the anti-war tones of 'A Taste of Armageddon', the campy 'Shore Leave' and the romantic and haunting 'The City on the Edge of Forever.'"

The first season complete DVD set is available from Amazon.com. Previous review coverage is here.

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