Ziz said:

Actually, that's working backwards. That color scheme is more like Pike's bridge from "The Cage"/"The Menagerie". A different color scheme would also suggest that the E had already undergone some kind of refit or major upgrade along the way, which would lessen the impact of seeing the actual refit.

I know what you mean Ziz but TMP bridge is pretty much going that way anyway only beige rather than gray (like the bright colours were a temporary fad) and with the Enterprise A much of the colours of the OS (like the red rails and trim in TUDC and the bright coloured GNDN tubes in TFF ) came back only to return to planet beige with TNG.

It still looks enough like the OS bridge to be identifiable and the TMP refit is more radical than a change in colour scheme so not all the impact would be lost (besides The Cage bridge looks much better and arguably more advanced than the OS one which makes watching The Menagerie a bit bizarre).

It's just as odd to watch TWOK after TMP because despite being the same set the TMP colour scheme and better lighting and direction make the set look more advanced.

The 'remind them this is colour television' palette seemed to go in and out of fashion in the Star Trek universe rather than be an indicator of a linear progression.

I love the inspection scene because it's Kirk's love scene.

It's kind of erotic too (he gently caresses her curves and then...ahem...enters her).