The show was always in color, actually. The remaster only brought it up to 1080p (and I think since then, to 4K), replacing some of the special effects with CGI along the way.
That said, the remaster definitely brightens up what was already deliberately very vivid color. Those bright uniforms were the direct result of RCA (who then owned NBC) saying, "We're trying to sell color televisions here!"
It has indeed been catalogued! 😂 https://www.thecaptainkirkpage.com/kirksex.html
The show was always in color, actually. The remaster only brought it up to 1080p (and I think since then, to 4K), replacing some of the special effects with CGI along the way.
That said, the remaster definitely brightens up what was already deliberately very vivid color. Those bright uniforms were the direct result of RCA (who then owned NBC) saying, "We're trying to sell color televisions here!"