Patterns of Force (TOS episode)
Encyclopedia
"Patterns of Force" is a second season episode of the science fiction
television program
Star Trek: The Original Series
, and was broadcast on February 16, 1968. It is episode #50, production #52, written by John Meredyth Lucas
, and directed by Vincent McEveety
.
Overview: The crew of the Enterprise
visits a planet dominated by a "Naziesque"
regime.
Enterprise arrives at the planet Ekos in the M34 Alpha System, to investigate the disappearance of a Federation
historian named John Gill, who is referred to as one of Kirk's professors at Starfleet Academy
.
As soon as the Enterprise enters orbit around Ekos, it is attacked by a rocket armed with a thermonuclear warhead
. It carries technology that is too advanced to be from Ekos or their closely neighboring planet Zeon. The ship easily destroys the weapon, and moves out of range of the planet's detection devices.
The crew is confused as to how the inhabitants of Ekos acquired such technology, since records indicated the Ekosians are supposed to be a primitive, warlike people in a current state of anarchy. Zeon has a more advanced technology level, but the inhabitants are peaceful and would never make such weapons. However, Kirk suspects Gill may have been responsible for that technology introduction which means he has violated the Prime Directive
.
No contact can be made with Gill. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock decide to beam down to the planet to investigate. Before they transport to the surface, Dr. McCoy injects Kirk and Spock with subdermal transponders, which can be used to locate and retrieve them if they are not heard from within three hours.
Upon their arrival, Kirk and Spock are approached by a Zeon man who urges them to hide. Kirk and Spock then watch the Zeon as he is arrested by Ekosian soldiers who appear dressed in uniforms that resemble Nazi German
brown-shirted Stormtroopers
of the mid-20th century. Kirk wants to intervene, but Spock reminds him of the Prime Directive
(the Federation law forbidding interference in the development of alien civilizations).
Kirk and Spock then watch a video broadcast that shows that the Ekosians and Zeons are at war. Kirk is astonished that another planet could independently develop a culture so similar to one that once existed on Earth, Spock agreeing the odds of it happening naturally are virtually impossible. They watch the broadcast further as a female Nazi officer, Daras, receives a medal of honor. Kirk and Spock learn that the denizens of the planet are collectively obsessed with "a final solution
" — the extinction of all Zeons who reside on their planet, in addition to the destruction of the neighboring planet Zeon. The broadcast ends with the reporter making a Nazi salute
to the Führer
— John Gill.
Kirk is determined to get to the bottom of this and find Gill as soon as possible. He and Spock are approached by a Nazi SS
officer who questions them, but Kirk manages to overpower him and steal his uniform. Spock, now disguised as an Ekosian soldier and Kirk acting as his Zeon prisoner, disable a Gestapo
officer and Kirk obtains his uniform.
They then try to infiltrate the main headquarters, but are caught when Spock neglects to salute an SS officer and is forced to remove his helmet. They see his Vulcan
ears and the two are arrested. Their weapons and communicators are confiscated and they are taken for interrogation and torture. Afterward, a senior commander orders them thrown in a cell for an hour for further interrogation. They meet Isak, the Zeon man they saw being arrested earlier. Isak informs them that the Nazi movement started just a few years ago, which coincides with John Gill's arrival, and an all-out invasion of Zeon is being planned.
Spock removes the rubidium crystals from the subcutaneous transponders he and Kirk received earlier, and fashions a crude laser
from them. Using the focused light of an incandescent bulb on the wall, Spock directs the resulting beam which cuts the lock off the cell door. After overpowering the guard, they recover their dismantled communicators, but discover that their phasers have been taken to another location. Isak takes them to meet the underground resistance led by his brother Abrom. Kirk explains to Abrom that he needs to find John Gill in order to stop the war. Abrom is not keen on helping them until Kirk persuades him that it is their only chance for success. Meanwhile, Spock tries to call the Enterprise with a reassembled communicator but is unable to make contact because the ship is still out of transmission range. Spock surmises that the lack of transmission range of the communicator is a result of the device's reassembly.
Suddenly, the resistance group headquarters is raided, led by Daras, the officer who was being honored on the newsreel broadcast. She manages to shoot Abrom before Kirk overpowers her and takes her weapon. Now convinced that the strangers can be trusted, they are then told that the raid was only a ruse to test their loyalty. Abrom is actually unhurt, shot only with a blank. Daras is actually a fifth column
ist — a member of the resistance group. The medal they had seen her receive on the newsreel was awarded for her turning in her father to the Gestapo. Her father had planned this in order to get her elevated to a position of trust within the Nazi government.
Kirk asks questions about Gill; Abrom explains that Deputy Führer Melakon is the real one in command
. In turn, Kirk and Spock explain that Gill is an extraterrestrial cultural observer in flagrant violation of his orders. Daras says that Gill is due to make a speech soon, one that will bring about a "Final Solution" to the Zeon problem, and she will help get them past security to meet him.
To gain entrance, they pretend to be a film crew that is shooting propaganda footage. John Gill is eventually seen sitting in a chair in a broadcasting booth surrounded by guards and giving a speech that is a barely-coherent string of almost random statements, as if they were pieced together. Isak insists that Kirk and Spock kill Gill as soon as possible, but Kirk refuses.
Spock finally makes contact with the Enterprise and explains their situation while Kirk orders Dr. McCoy to beam down and examine Gill. McCoy materializes in a cloakroom, disguised as a military doctor, but the party is discovered by a security team who have detected Spock's communications in the building. Although the search leader is Eneg, the same officer overseeing Kirk's and Spock's earlier imprisonment, he surprisingly does not seem to recognize them, and accepts their hasty excuses. Kirk then explains that McCoy was intoxicated, and ducked inside rather than embarrassing the Führer with his condition. After he leaves, Isak explains that Eneg has been on their side all this time.
Sneaking into the broadcast booth, McCoy examines Gill and confirms he is heavily drugged, and prepares a serum to counteract the effects. McCoy administers the stimulant to Gill, but it fails to revive him. Spock uses a mind meld
on Gill, which brings him to a state of semi-consciousness that allows him to respond to questions. But Spock does confirm one fact — Melakon was responsible for Gill's condition.
Gill is barely coherent, but explains that he never meant for any of this to get out of control. He instituted a theoretical form of Hitler's
National Socialism
(obviously minus the ethno-religious scapegoats) upon the lawless Ekosians, because he honestly believed that it was the most efficient system of government ever devised. Spock does agree that this small nation rose from being beaten and bankrupt to near world domination in only a few years but Kirk points out it was a horrible system that had to be destroyed at terrible cost. Gill explains he only wanted to bring order to the people of Ekos, and it worked — until Melakon gained control, and took it further, twisting it into a racist
policy to rid the planet of Zeons as Hitler tried to annihilate the Jews. Kirk makes Gill aware of the extent to which Ekos has progressed toward resembling Nazi Germany, and Gill, now lucid enough to speak his own mind, decrees that the invasion fleet headed to Zeon must be recalled and stopped. However, Melakon has already started the broadcast, announcing the planet's version of Hitler's Final Solution
— a genocidal war with Zeon that Gill is to endorse in his speech. Through the help of Spock's mind meld, combined with medical stimulants, Gill renounces the invasion and declares that Melakon is a traitor. Melakon grabs a machine gun and opens fire on the broadcast booth, fatally wounding Gill. Isak shoots and kills Melakon in retaliation.
Before he dies, Gill tells Kirk he is sorry for violating the Prime Directive
, and hopes the Ekosians and Zeons can work together and fix the damage he caused. Isak thanks Kirk for his aid, saying it is up to the two planets to rebuild themselves. As they leave, Kirk wonders if the two societies working together can join the Federation one day. Back on the Enterprise, Spock expresses confusion as to how a man as logical as Gill could make such a mistake emulating the Nazis. Kirk says the problem was not just the Nazi system but having one man possessing so much power
. McCoy agrees that absolute power corrupts absolutely, Spock dryly pointing out all the examples from Earth history of that mentality and Kirk tells them "we just went through one civil war, let's not start another."
John Gill was mentioned in the Star Trek: Enterprise
episode "In a Mirror, Darkly (Part II)
", listed in computer records of the USS Defiant in which Gill referred to Jonathan Archer
as "the greatest explorer of the 22nd century."
". Aside from remastered video and audio, and the all-CGI animation of the Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:
network in the mid 1970s and on the private Sat.1
network in the late 1980s/early 1990s). It was only dubbed into German in 1995, and was presented in the original English with subtitles in all earlier German releases. It was finally shown on German pay TV in 1996 and included on all DVD/Blu-ray season sets. On November 4th 2011 it was finally shown on the public network channel ZDFneo
as well.
Patterns of Force is unusual in that it does not mention a stardate at any point during the episode.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
, and was broadcast on February 16, 1968. It is episode #50, production #52, written by John Meredyth Lucas
John Meredyth Lucas
John Meredyth Lucas was an American writer, primarily for television.He was the son of screenwriter Bess Meredyth and writer/director Wilfred Lucas, and the adopted son of director Michael Curtiz.-Career:...
, and directed by Vincent McEveety
Vincent McEveety
Vincent Michael McEveety is an American director and producer.- Career :TelevisionVince McEveety has directed numerous Emmy Award winning television series, including The Untouchables, Gunsmoke, six Star Trek , Magnum, P.I., How the...
.
Overview: The crew of the Enterprise
Starship Enterprise
The Enterprise or USS Enterprise is the name of several fictional starships, some of which are the focal point for various television series and films in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. It is considered a name of legacy in the fleet...
visits a planet dominated by a "Naziesque"
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
regime.
Plot
The starshipStarship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
Enterprise arrives at the planet Ekos in the M34 Alpha System, to investigate the disappearance of a Federation
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
historian named John Gill, who is referred to as one of Kirk's professors at Starfleet Academy
Starfleet Academy
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet Academy is where the future's recruits to Starfleet will be trained. It was created in the year 2161, when the United Federation of Planets was founded...
.
As soon as the Enterprise enters orbit around Ekos, it is attacked by a rocket armed with a thermonuclear warhead
Warhead
The term warhead refers to the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo.- Etymology :During the early development of naval torpedoes, they could be equipped with an inert payload that was intended for use during training, test firing and exercises. This...
. It carries technology that is too advanced to be from Ekos or their closely neighboring planet Zeon. The ship easily destroys the weapon, and moves out of range of the planet's detection devices.
The crew is confused as to how the inhabitants of Ekos acquired such technology, since records indicated the Ekosians are supposed to be a primitive, warlike people in a current state of anarchy. Zeon has a more advanced technology level, but the inhabitants are peaceful and would never make such weapons. However, Kirk suspects Gill may have been responsible for that technology introduction which means he has violated the Prime Directive
Prime Directive
In the universe of Star Trek, the Prime Directive, Starfleet's General Order #1, is the most prominent guiding principle of the United Federation of Planets...
.
No contact can be made with Gill. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock decide to beam down to the planet to investigate. Before they transport to the surface, Dr. McCoy injects Kirk and Spock with subdermal transponders, which can be used to locate and retrieve them if they are not heard from within three hours.
Upon their arrival, Kirk and Spock are approached by a Zeon man who urges them to hide. Kirk and Spock then watch the Zeon as he is arrested by Ekosian soldiers who appear dressed in uniforms that resemble Nazi German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
brown-shirted Stormtroopers
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
of the mid-20th century. Kirk wants to intervene, but Spock reminds him of the Prime Directive
Prime Directive
In the universe of Star Trek, the Prime Directive, Starfleet's General Order #1, is the most prominent guiding principle of the United Federation of Planets...
(the Federation law forbidding interference in the development of alien civilizations).
Kirk and Spock then watch a video broadcast that shows that the Ekosians and Zeons are at war. Kirk is astonished that another planet could independently develop a culture so similar to one that once existed on Earth, Spock agreeing the odds of it happening naturally are virtually impossible. They watch the broadcast further as a female Nazi officer, Daras, receives a medal of honor. Kirk and Spock learn that the denizens of the planet are collectively obsessed with "a final solution
Final Solution
The Final Solution was Nazi Germany's plan and execution of the systematic genocide of European Jews during World War II, resulting in the most deadly phase of the Holocaust...
" — the extinction of all Zeons who reside on their planet, in addition to the destruction of the neighboring planet Zeon. The broadcast ends with the reporter making a Nazi salute
Nazi salute
The Nazi salute, or Hitler salute , was a gesture of greeting in Nazi Germany usually accompanied by saying, Heil Hitler! ["Hail Hitler!"], Heil, mein Führer ["Hail, my leader!"], or Sieg Heil! ["Hail victory!"]...
to the Führer
Führer
Führer , alternatively spelled Fuehrer in both English and German when the umlaut is not available, is a German title meaning leader or guide now most associated with Adolf Hitler, who modelled it on Benito Mussolini's title il Duce, as well as with Georg von Schönerer, whose followers also...
— John Gill.
Kirk is determined to get to the bottom of this and find Gill as soon as possible. He and Spock are approached by a Nazi SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
officer who questions them, but Kirk manages to overpower him and steal his uniform. Spock, now disguised as an Ekosian soldier and Kirk acting as his Zeon prisoner, disable a Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
officer and Kirk obtains his uniform.
They then try to infiltrate the main headquarters, but are caught when Spock neglects to salute an SS officer and is forced to remove his helmet. They see his Vulcan
Vulcan (Star Trek)
Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
ears and the two are arrested. Their weapons and communicators are confiscated and they are taken for interrogation and torture. Afterward, a senior commander orders them thrown in a cell for an hour for further interrogation. They meet Isak, the Zeon man they saw being arrested earlier. Isak informs them that the Nazi movement started just a few years ago, which coincides with John Gill's arrival, and an all-out invasion of Zeon is being planned.
Spock removes the rubidium crystals from the subcutaneous transponders he and Kirk received earlier, and fashions a crude laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
from them. Using the focused light of an incandescent bulb on the wall, Spock directs the resulting beam which cuts the lock off the cell door. After overpowering the guard, they recover their dismantled communicators, but discover that their phasers have been taken to another location. Isak takes them to meet the underground resistance led by his brother Abrom. Kirk explains to Abrom that he needs to find John Gill in order to stop the war. Abrom is not keen on helping them until Kirk persuades him that it is their only chance for success. Meanwhile, Spock tries to call the Enterprise with a reassembled communicator but is unable to make contact because the ship is still out of transmission range. Spock surmises that the lack of transmission range of the communicator is a result of the device's reassembly.
Suddenly, the resistance group headquarters is raided, led by Daras, the officer who was being honored on the newsreel broadcast. She manages to shoot Abrom before Kirk overpowers her and takes her weapon. Now convinced that the strangers can be trusted, they are then told that the raid was only a ruse to test their loyalty. Abrom is actually unhurt, shot only with a blank. Daras is actually a fifth column
Fifth column
A fifth column is a group of people who clandestinely undermine a larger group such as a nation from within.-Origin:The term originated with a 1936 radio address by Emilio Mola, a Nationalist General during the 1936–39 Spanish Civil War...
ist — a member of the resistance group. The medal they had seen her receive on the newsreel was awarded for her turning in her father to the Gestapo. Her father had planned this in order to get her elevated to a position of trust within the Nazi government.
Kirk asks questions about Gill; Abrom explains that Deputy Führer Melakon is the real one in command
Power behind the throne
The phrase power behind the throne refers to a person or group that informally exercises the real power of an office. In politics, it most commonly refers to a spouse, aide, or advisor of a political leader who serves as de facto leader, setting policy through influence or manipulation.The...
. In turn, Kirk and Spock explain that Gill is an extraterrestrial cultural observer in flagrant violation of his orders. Daras says that Gill is due to make a speech soon, one that will bring about a "Final Solution" to the Zeon problem, and she will help get them past security to meet him.
To gain entrance, they pretend to be a film crew that is shooting propaganda footage. John Gill is eventually seen sitting in a chair in a broadcasting booth surrounded by guards and giving a speech that is a barely-coherent string of almost random statements, as if they were pieced together. Isak insists that Kirk and Spock kill Gill as soon as possible, but Kirk refuses.
Spock finally makes contact with the Enterprise and explains their situation while Kirk orders Dr. McCoy to beam down and examine Gill. McCoy materializes in a cloakroom, disguised as a military doctor, but the party is discovered by a security team who have detected Spock's communications in the building. Although the search leader is Eneg, the same officer overseeing Kirk's and Spock's earlier imprisonment, he surprisingly does not seem to recognize them, and accepts their hasty excuses. Kirk then explains that McCoy was intoxicated, and ducked inside rather than embarrassing the Führer with his condition. After he leaves, Isak explains that Eneg has been on their side all this time.
Sneaking into the broadcast booth, McCoy examines Gill and confirms he is heavily drugged, and prepares a serum to counteract the effects. McCoy administers the stimulant to Gill, but it fails to revive him. Spock uses a mind meld
Vulcan (Star Trek)
Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
on Gill, which brings him to a state of semi-consciousness that allows him to respond to questions. But Spock does confirm one fact — Melakon was responsible for Gill's condition.
Gill is barely coherent, but explains that he never meant for any of this to get out of control. He instituted a theoretical form of Hitler's
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
National Socialism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
(obviously minus the ethno-religious scapegoats) upon the lawless Ekosians, because he honestly believed that it was the most efficient system of government ever devised. Spock does agree that this small nation rose from being beaten and bankrupt to near world domination in only a few years but Kirk points out it was a horrible system that had to be destroyed at terrible cost. Gill explains he only wanted to bring order to the people of Ekos, and it worked — until Melakon gained control, and took it further, twisting it into a racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
policy to rid the planet of Zeons as Hitler tried to annihilate the Jews. Kirk makes Gill aware of the extent to which Ekos has progressed toward resembling Nazi Germany, and Gill, now lucid enough to speak his own mind, decrees that the invasion fleet headed to Zeon must be recalled and stopped. However, Melakon has already started the broadcast, announcing the planet's version of Hitler's Final Solution
Final Solution
The Final Solution was Nazi Germany's plan and execution of the systematic genocide of European Jews during World War II, resulting in the most deadly phase of the Holocaust...
— a genocidal war with Zeon that Gill is to endorse in his speech. Through the help of Spock's mind meld, combined with medical stimulants, Gill renounces the invasion and declares that Melakon is a traitor. Melakon grabs a machine gun and opens fire on the broadcast booth, fatally wounding Gill. Isak shoots and kills Melakon in retaliation.
Before he dies, Gill tells Kirk he is sorry for violating the Prime Directive
Prime Directive
In the universe of Star Trek, the Prime Directive, Starfleet's General Order #1, is the most prominent guiding principle of the United Federation of Planets...
, and hopes the Ekosians and Zeons can work together and fix the damage he caused. Isak thanks Kirk for his aid, saying it is up to the two planets to rebuild themselves. As they leave, Kirk wonders if the two societies working together can join the Federation one day. Back on the Enterprise, Spock expresses confusion as to how a man as logical as Gill could make such a mistake emulating the Nazis. Kirk says the problem was not just the Nazi system but having one man possessing so much power
Führerprinzip
The Führerprinzip , German for "leader principle", prescribes the fundamental basis of political authority in the governmental structures of the Third Reich...
. McCoy agrees that absolute power corrupts absolutely, Spock dryly pointing out all the examples from Earth history of that mentality and Kirk tells them "we just went through one civil war, let's not start another."
John Gill was mentioned in the Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
episode "In a Mirror, Darkly (Part II)
In a Mirror, Darkly (Enterprise episode)
"In a Mirror, Darkly" is a two-part episode of Star Trek: Enterprise. "In a Mirror, Darkly " was the 700th live-action Star Trek episode broadcast...
", listed in computer records of the USS Defiant in which Gill referred to Jonathan Archer
Jonathan Archer
Jonathan Archer is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. He is the protagonist of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, where he is played by Scott Bakula...
as "the greatest explorer of the 22nd century."
40th Anniversary remastering
This episode was remastered in 2006 and was first aired May 19, 2007 as part of the remastered 40th Anniversary original series. It was preceded a week earlier by the remastered version of "Errand of Mercy" and followed a week later by the remastered version of "Shore LeaveShore Leave (TOS episode)
"Shore Leave" is a first-season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. It was first broadcast on December 29, 1966, and repeated on June 8, 1967. It is episode #15, production #17, and was written by science-fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, and directed by Robert Sparr...
". Aside from remastered video and audio, and the all-CGI animation of the Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:
- The Enterprise is seen passing the ringed Zeon before proceeding to Ekos in the opening scene.
- The Ekos nuclear missile attack has been revised with a CGI animated missile targeting the Enterprise and a cleaned up explosion after the Enterprise destroys it.
- The planet Ekos was given a digital face lift with more realistic features.
- The laser beam created by Spock to burn open the jail cell door has been enhanced.
- The system's sun is seen when the Enterprise departs Ekos (again passing the ringed Zeon).
Comments
Because the episode contains Nazi uniforms and insignia, and features a character who makes the statement that Nazi Germany was the "most efficient society" ever created, it was considered unfit for entertainment in Germany. Consequently, this episode is the only one which was not aired during either of the two original runs in Germany (on the public ZDFZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
network in the mid 1970s and on the private Sat.1
Sat.1
Sat.1 is a privately owned German television broadcasting station. Sat.1 was the first privately owned television broadcasting station in Germany, having started one day before RTL Television....
network in the late 1980s/early 1990s). It was only dubbed into German in 1995, and was presented in the original English with subtitles in all earlier German releases. It was finally shown on German pay TV in 1996 and included on all DVD/Blu-ray season sets. On November 4th 2011 it was finally shown on the public network channel ZDFneo
ZDFneo
ZDFneo is a German digital terrestrial television channel, programmed for an audience aged 18 to 45 to counter the primarily older-skewing main programmes of public broadcasters ZDF and ARD. It replaced ZDF's documentary channel, "ZDFdokukanal", on November 1, 2009.-Name:Although the channel's logo...
as well.
Patterns of Force is unusual in that it does not mention a stardate at any point during the episode.