Star Trek: The Original Series Invented The "Holodeck Episode" 22 Years Early
Posted October 31, 2025
The holodeck episode is a staple of Star Trek. It's an opportunity to step away from troublesome aliens and oppressed civilizations, and an invitation to explore the fantastical, the historical, and the impossible. The holodeck first became a feature of
Star Trek's Federation ships during The Next Generation, although the concept's broad strokes appeared in Star Trek: The Animated Series beforehand.
Nevertheless, Star Trek's first true holodeck episode is generally considered to be
The Next Generation season 1's "The Big Goodbye," where Picard slips into the guise of Dixon Hill for some noir-ish delights. Things inevitably go wrong, and the crew gets pulled into a markedly less delightful experience. While "The Big Goodbye" was certainly revolutionary for
Star Trek, the franchise's first holodeck episode actually happened during The Original Series' debut season 22 years prior.
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 Had The Very First Holodeck Episode
Check the recipe for a typical Star Trek holodeck episode. It starts with one or more crew members needing downtime. They enter a place that brings their fantasies to life, while also turning works of fiction into "real" environments. Before long, some kind of glitch flips those dream vacations into nightmare scenarios, and the protagonists are forced to confront whatever their imaginations conjured up before the problem is eventually fixed.
Star Trek: The Original Series season 1's "Shore Leave" fits that description as neatly as any conventional holodeck episode. The story begins with a group of Enterprise officers beaming down to a lush, idyllic planet for some sorely-needed time off. The planet's inhabitants then secretly scan the officers' minds, bringing their thoughts and memories to life.
Old stories like Alice in Wonderland and Don Juan are realized in live-action, historical eras collide with samurai and knights sprouting up within minutes of each other, and - since this is 1960s
Star Trek - Kirk and McCoy have little trouble generating themselves some female company.
But the planet's offerings aren't quite as rosy as they seem. Kirks is attacked by an old enemy, McCoy "dies," Barrows is assaulted by the fleeing Don Juan, and Sulu must fend off armed warriors. The "fix" comes when an enigmatic Caretaker steps in to explain the planet's inner workings and warn the crew not to imagine things that could prove dangerous. Armed with that knowledge, the relaxation can continue.
It's exactly the same structure, themes and basic story beats as any of Star Trek's recognized holodeck episodes, and any differences are purely technical. The "holodeck" in "Shore Leave" is an entire planet rather than a deck on the Enterprise
, and robots take the place of holograms. Think of the "Shore Leave" planet as a prototype holodeck set to "shuffle."
Star Trek's Holodeck Fixed The Big Problems With "Shore Leave"
"Shore Leave" may not get enough credit for providing the template future holodeck episodes would follow, but that's partly because it isn't very good. Plagued by last-minute rewrites, "Shore Leave" gets carried away in its premise, introducing one wild fantasy after another with no real logic or direction. It must have been fun to film, but is considerably less fun to watch.
By introducing the holodeck (or "recreation room" before that), Star Trek found a way to capture the whimsy and unpredictability of "Shore Leave" inside a more sensible framework.
The core "
anything you can imagine is possible" idea remains intact, but by making the source of that excitement a piece of technology that the crew members use consciously, the results don't feel plucked from thin air. In other words, Picard envisioning himself as a detective says a lot more about his character than Barrows being attacked by a robotic Don Juan.
Knowing that the holodeck is responsible also gives viewers permission to embrace the frivolity of the illusions. In "Shore Leave," the truth of the planet is only revealed at the very end, and even then only gets a cursory explanation. All the craziness beforehand feels uncomfortably far from
Star Trek's usual boundaries. In future efforts, blaming everything on the holodeck would keep those boundaries intact.
EXCLUSIVE: Actors Bella Ramsey and Daisy Haggard shoot scenes for Channel 4 thriller at Carse of Gowrie cafe
Game of Thrones star Ramsey and Bafta nominee Haggard have been filming at the Horseshoe Cafe, near Inchture.
Bella Ramsey (right) and Daisy Haggard in between takes for Maya, which is being filmed near Inchture. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson
Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey and Bafta nominee Daisy Haggard have been spotted in the Carse of Gowrie for the filming of a new Channel 4 drama.
Scenes are being shot at the Horseshoe Cafe, near Inchture, for six-part thriller Maya.
Haggard, who received a Bafta nomination in 2021 for best comedy actress, has written the show and also stars in it.
The thriller will follow the story of a mum and daughter forced to leave London and go into witness protection to escape a “dangerous threat”.
Ramsey, a Golden Globe nominee for her role as Ellie in The Last of Us, plays the title character.
Tobias Menzies, who played Prince Philip in The Crown, will also appear in the show.
Filming at the Horseshoe Cafe took place on Tuesday night. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson
Crew members prepare for the scene. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson
Haggard has written the show and plays the title character’s mum. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson
The cafe has been closed for more than a week. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson
Make-up is applied to Haggard before a take. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson
On Tuesday evening, both Haggard and Ramsey were seen preparing for scenes on a grassy verge beside the cafe.
Haggard, who has appeared in Peep Show and Black Mirror, was also seen having make-up applied next to the building.
Scenes are set to be filmed both outside and inside the cafe.
The Horseshoe Cafe has been closed for more than a week as the production takes over.
The show focuses on a mum and daughter who are forced into witness protection. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson
Production trucks can be seen across the grounds. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson
Haggard was nominated for a Bafta in 2021. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson
The cafe will remain closed until Friday. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson
Maya, written by Haggard (pictured), is expected to be broadcast in 2026. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson
Closures have been implemented on a 700-yard stretch of the B953 to the north of Inchture when filming takes place.
The affected section is between the roundabout near the A90 eastbound on-ramp and the Baledgarno turn-off.
The cafe will remain closed until Friday as filming continues.
