Primary Color Uniforms, Yellow Badges — Why Does Early Color TV Look So Goofy?

Photo by Diego González on Unsplash

This article was triggered by a conversation on Tumblr about the fact that Spock wears science blue, not command gold.

The iconic images of Star Trek include the primary color uniforms (blue, yellow, red). And another image circulating on Tumblr shows Kirk in front of a graduated background that resembles the bi pride flag. With appropriate jokes.

So, why are the colors in 1960s television so…well…campy? It’s not actually because of early color technology.

There’s another reason.

That Infamous Addams Family Set

So, let’s go back a little further. Go take a visit to this article and then come back.

Photos of the Addams Family set went viral a few years back as it came out that the archetypal gothic house was in fact…pink and gold.

The reason was that bright colors created additional contrast and made the set look good in black and white. (Is this connected to bizarre rumors that Mr. Ed, the famous talking horse, was in fact a zebra?)

And this was common…we just like to point to Addams Family because, well. Ya know. The jokes write themselves.