Star Trek TOS Script City on the Edge of Forever Harlan Ellison Final Draft 1967
Someone contacted me and told me that the scripts I had were Lincoln Enterprise reprints. I have never sold Star Trek TOS scripts so I immediately took all the scripts down. My friend, a fellow eBay seller, used ChatGPT to look at my images and see if this was an original script and here is the breakdown that it gave him.
1. What an ORIGINAL Star Trek TOS Production Script Looks Like
These are working studio scripts created for cast/crew during production of Star Trek at Desilu Productions.
Paper & Physical Construction (VERY IMPORTANT)
Paper color: light cream to off-white
Paper stock: medium weight, slightly fibrous, not bright white
Binding:
Two brass brads (top-left or top + bottom)
Sometimes 3-hole punched with brass fasteners
Page size: US Letter (8.5 × 11)
Typography & Formatting
Typeface: Pica typewriter font (10 CPI)
Printing method: typewritten or mimeograph
Ink: slightly uneven density (not laser-perfect)
Scene headings and dialogue typed, not offset-printed
Front Cover (Key Tell)
Plain heavy stock cover
Embossed or typed:
Copy code
STAR TREK
Lower-left corner typically shows:
Copy code
Prod. #6149-28
"THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER"
Property of:
DESILU PRODUCTIONS, INC.
Title Page (CRITICAL)
Must include:
Episode title
Writer credit (e.g. Harlan Ellison)
Series Created by: Gene Roddenberry
Draft status:
FINAL DRAFT
REVISED FINAL DRAFT
Exact date (e.g. February 1, 1967)
Internal Pages
Scene numbers in margins
Revision dates (e.g. Rev. 2/3/67)
CONTINUED / CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Act and scene breakdowns
Page numbers sometimes with letter suffixes (e.g. 54B)
2. Roddenberry Company REPRINTS (Vintage but NOT Production-Used)
Starting in the late 1970s through 1990s, Gene Roddenberry authorized script reprints for:
conventions
collectors
fan clubs
mail-order sales
These are legitimate collectibles, but not original studio production scripts.
Reprint Tells
Bright white paper
Perfect laser printing
No brass brads (often plastic comb or staple)
Sometimes modern copyright notices
Uniform ink density across all pages
Lacks “Property of Desilu Productions, Inc.”
Sometimes shrink-wrapped when sold new
Some reprints copied original title pages exactly, which is why physical tells matter more than text.
3. DEFINITIVE AUTHENTICITY CHECKLIST (Use This)
ORIGINAL if MOST of these are true:
Brass brads
Slightly uneven typewriter ink
Cream paper
Desilu property line
1966–1967 revision dates
Mimeograph/typed look
Natural aging (edges, oxidation)
REPRINT if ANY of these dominate:
Bright white paper
Laser-perfect text
Plastic binding
Modern copyright
No Desilu credit
Identical ink density page to page
4. Analysis of YOUR Photos (Important)
Based on what you provided:
Strong ORIGINAL indicators:
Brass brads (correct type and placement)
Cream-colored paper with visible fiber
“Property of: DESILU PRODUCTIONS, INC.”
Correct production number 6149-28
Correct revision dates (Feb 1967)
Typewriter-style text with uneven ink
Scene numbering and CONTINUED formatting
FINAL DRAFT date matches broadcast timeline
What I do NOT see:
No modern copyright language
No laser uniformity
No plastic binding
No modern paper stock
These are working studio scripts created for cast/crew during production of Star Trek at Desilu Productions.
Paper & Physical Construction (VERY IMPORTANT)Paper color: light cream to off-white
Paper stock: medium weight, slightly fibrous, not bright white
Binding:
Two brass brads (top-left or top + bottom)
Sometimes 3-hole punched with brass fasteners
Page size: US Letter (8.5 × 11)
Typography & FormattingTypeface: Pica typewriter font (10 CPI)
Printing method: typewritten or mimeograph
Ink: slightly uneven density (not laser-perfect)
Scene headings and dialogue typed, not offset-printed
Front Cover (Key Tell)Plain heavy stock cover
Embossed or typed:
Copy code
STAR TREK
Lower-left corner typically shows:
Copy code
Prod. #6149-28
"THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER"
Property of:
DESILU PRODUCTIONS, INC.
Title Page (CRITICAL)Must include:
Episode title
Writer credit (e.g. Harlan Ellison)
Series Created by: Gene Roddenberry
Draft status:
FINAL DRAFT
REVISED FINAL DRAFT
Exact date (e.g. February 1, 1967)
Internal PagesScene numbers in margins
Revision dates (e.g. Rev. 2/3/67)
CONTINUED / CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Act and scene breakdowns
Page numbers sometimes with letter suffixes (e.g. 54B)
2. Roddenberry Company REPRINTS (Vintage but NOT Production-Used)
Starting in the late 1970s through 1990s, Gene Roddenberry authorized script reprints for:
conventions
collectors
fan clubs
mail-order sales
These are legitimate collectibles, but not original studio production scripts.
Reprint TellsBright white paper
Perfect laser printing
No brass brads (often plastic comb or staple)
Sometimes modern copyright notices
Uniform ink density across all pages
Lacks “Property of Desilu Productions, Inc.”
Sometimes shrink-wrapped when sold new
Some reprints copied original title pages exactly, which is why physical tells matter more than text.3. DEFINITIVE AUTHENTICITY CHECKLIST (Use This)
ORIGINAL if MOST of these are true:
Brass brads Slightly uneven typewriter ink Cream paper Desilu property line 1966–1967 revision dates Mimeograph/typed look Natural aging (edges, oxidation)REPRINT if ANY of these dominate:
Bright white paper Laser-perfect text Plastic binding Modern copyright No Desilu credit Identical ink density page to page4. Analysis of YOUR Photos (Important)
Based on what you provided:
Strong ORIGINAL indicators:
Brass brads (correct type and placement) Cream-colored paper with visible fiber “Property of: DESILU PRODUCTIONS, INC.” Correct production number 6149-28 Correct revision dates (Feb 1967) Typewriter-style text with uneven ink Scene numbering and CONTINUED formatting FINAL DRAFT date matches broadcast timeline What I do NOT see:No modern copyright language
No laser uniformity
No plastic binding
No modern paper stock
So you can use these indicators to see if my post is accurate. According to ChatGPT it is.
ARTIST / SERIES:
Star Trek: The Original Series
TITLE:
The City on the Edge of Forever
FORMAT:
Original television production script (studio-bound, brass fasteners)
WRITER:
Harlan Ellison
STUDIO:
Desilu Productions, Inc.
PRODUCTION NUMBER:
6149-28
DRAFT / DATE:
Final Draft – February 1, 1967
DESCRIPTION:
Original studio-issued production script from Star Trek: The Original Series for the landmark episode “The City on the Edge of Forever.” This Final Draft script, dated February 1, 1967, was written by acclaimed science fiction author Harlan Ellison and produced by Desilu Productions during the original broadcast era of Star Trek.
Widely regarded as the greatest episode of Star Trek: The Original Series—and frequently cited as one of the finest episodes in the history of television science fiction—“The City on the Edge of Forever” is celebrated for its emotional depth, philosophical themes, and tragic narrative. The episode introduced time travel as a moral dilemma rather than a simple plot device and helped elevate science fiction television into serious dramatic territory.
Harlan Ellison, one of the most influential and controversial voices in speculative fiction, brought literary ambition and social commentary to the Star Trek universe with this script. Although the televised episode was revised from Ellison’s original vision, his authorship remains central to the episode’s legacy, and it later won the 1968 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation—one of the highest honors in science fiction.
This script bears production number 6149-28 and includes period-correct formatting, scene numbers, revision markings, and typed dialogue featuring core characters including Captain Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Edith Keeler. The script is bound with brass fasteners and credits Desilu Productions, reflecting authentic studio practices of the 1960s television industry.
This item is a production script only and is not signed. Any apparent signatures or handwritten-style elements visible are part of the original printed material.
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
• Consistently ranked the #1 episode of Star Trek: The Original Series
• Winner of the 1968 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
• Written by Harlan Ellison, one of the most important authors in science fiction history
• Influenced decades of science fiction storytelling in television and film
• Frequently studied for its themes of sacrifice, fate, and moral responsibility
Star Trek: The Original Series
TITLE:
The City on the Edge of Forever
FORMAT:
Original television production script (studio-bound, brass fasteners)
WRITER:
Harlan Ellison
STUDIO:
Desilu Productions, Inc.
PRODUCTION NUMBER:
6149-28
DRAFT / DATE:
Final Draft – February 1, 1967
DESCRIPTION:
Original studio-issued production script from Star Trek: The Original Series for the landmark episode “The City on the Edge of Forever.” This Final Draft script, dated February 1, 1967, was written by acclaimed science fiction author Harlan Ellison and produced by Desilu Productions during the original broadcast era of Star Trek.
Widely regarded as the greatest episode of Star Trek: The Original Series—and frequently cited as one of the finest episodes in the history of television science fiction—“The City on the Edge of Forever” is celebrated for its emotional depth, philosophical themes, and tragic narrative. The episode introduced time travel as a moral dilemma rather than a simple plot device and helped elevate science fiction television into serious dramatic territory.
Harlan Ellison, one of the most influential and controversial voices in speculative fiction, brought literary ambition and social commentary to the Star Trek universe with this script. Although the televised episode was revised from Ellison’s original vision, his authorship remains central to the episode’s legacy, and it later won the 1968 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation—one of the highest honors in science fiction.
This script bears production number 6149-28 and includes period-correct formatting, scene numbers, revision markings, and typed dialogue featuring core characters including Captain Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Edith Keeler. The script is bound with brass fasteners and credits Desilu Productions, reflecting authentic studio practices of the 1960s television industry.
This item is a production script only and is not signed. Any apparent signatures or handwritten-style elements visible are part of the original printed material.
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
• Consistently ranked the #1 episode of Star Trek: The Original Series
• Winner of the 1968 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
• Written by Harlan Ellison, one of the most important authors in science fiction history
• Influenced decades of science fiction storytelling in television and film
• Frequently studied for its themes of sacrifice, fate, and moral responsibility
FACTS ABOUT AUCTION AND SELLER:
1) If you have any questions feel free to contact me and I will try to get back to you as quickly as possible.
2) I will combine shipping on items that can safely be packaged together. I will send you a refund of the extra costs as soon as I package and print the shipping label. It is a quick process.
3) Shipping for this item in the U.S will be free. International shipping is handled by the eBay international shipping program. I do not have a quote for you because they handle the shipping costs/process directly with the buyer.
