10 Times Star Trek Reused Props To Cut Corners
6. Planet Hell
'Planet Hell' was the nickname for the standing set that would become every alien world from Star Trek: The Next Generation onward. It served as Galorndan Core, Cardassia Prime, AR-558 and many planets besides, moulding and adapting to become whatever harsh environment the episode called for.
Technically, sets don't count as props. For this one, however, an exception is being made because the set itself was the prop. It was designed in such a way that the actors would be able to truly experience the discomfort of each planet, as each actor who stepped foot onto this stage hated their experience there. Rarely in fact were the unhappy faces on-screen faked in these scenes.
It was hot, cramped and generally full of smoke, making shooting in there a miserable time. They may have to climb the walls, like LeVar Burton in The Enemy or simply run around them while escaping the Jem'hadar, like Aron Eisenberg in The Siege of AR-558. They were never used as a locale for the actors to enjoy a bit of downtime, relaxation and chilling out. As props go, those walls in Planet Hell elicited some of the most realistic reactions of any additional environment in the franchise, so props for that.
I'm sorry.