Star Trek (TV)
"Star Trek" is a groundbreaking science-fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that first aired in 1966. The show follows the crew of the starship Enterprise as they embark on a mission to explore the Milky Way galaxy. Initially, it ran for three seasons, concluding in 1969, but it gained a substantial following that led to a resurgence of interest in the 1970s. This revival included the first Star Trek conventions and the production of an animated series featuring most of the original cast's voice work.
In 1979, the franchise transitioned to film with "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," which marked the return of the original cast and prompted a series of successful films. Throughout the years, Star Trek's vision of a hopeful future, free of racism and greed, resonated deeply with fans, leading to its status as a cultural icon. This enduring popularity gave rise to multiple spin-off series, including "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which premiered in 1987 and featured new characters and storylines.
The franchise continued to evolve, with reboots and new series such as "Star Trek: Discovery," which debuted in 2017, marking the ongoing relevance of Star Trek in popular culture. Today, it stands as one of the largest and most influential media franchises in television history, encompassing films, series, novels, and more, reflecting a commitment to imaginative storytelling and diverse perspectives.
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Subject Terms
Star Trek (TV)
Identification Television series and film
Date Series aired from 1966 to 1969; film released in 1979
Creator Gene Roddenberry
The 1970s witnessed the transformation of Star Trek from a short-lived television series to an iconic media franchise.
Key Figures
Gene Roddenberry (1921–91), television producer
In 1966, Gene Roddenberry sold sixteen episodes of his new science-fiction series Star Trek to NBC, and viewers were able to begin following the adventures of the crew aboard the starship Enterprise as they embarked on a five-year mission to explore remote parts of the Milky Way galaxy. The last episode of Star Trek’s three-year run on television aired in 1969. By most accounts, that was the end of a quirky television show that had achieved moderate popularity. The cast of the show—including William Shatner (as Captain Kirk), DeForest Kelley (as Dr. McCoy), Leonard Nimoy (as Mr. Spock), Nichelle Nichols (as Uhura), James Doohan (as Scotty), George Takei (as Sulu), and Walter Koenig (as Chekov)—went on to find other work, as did the show’s creator, Roddenberry.
Unexpectedly, the 1970s saw an unprecedented resurgence of interest in Star Trek that would result in the creation of a cultural icon. The first Star Trek convention was held in January 1972. These conventions became a national and later an international phenomenon, during which actors from the show made guest appearances, and fans had an opportunity to purchase merchandise. More important, the conventions created the momentum for Star Trek’s comeback.
In 1973, Star Trek returned to television as an animated Saturday morning show with most of the original cast resuming their roles in voice for the cartoon. Over two years, twenty-two animated episodes aired. Meanwhile, actors from the show made appearances on television variety shows and discussed the enduring popularity of Star Trek, which was then airing in syndicated reruns.
Although Paramount Studios indicated an interest in creating a Star Trek feature film, it did not pursue the idea seriously. In 1977, Paramount decided to launch a new television network and feature Star Trek II. The plan fell through, but not before casting and production had been set in motion. However, the viability of theatrical science fiction was solidified with the success of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), and Star Trek II was converted into Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Robert Wise directed the film, Roddenberry served as producer, and the entire television cast reprised their roles.
Released on December 7, 1979, the film cost $45 million to make and grossed $105 million domestically. Fans who had waited eleven years for their beloved characters to return were delighted, but the film had many critics for its uneven editing and slow development. Nevertheless, Star Trek was back.
Impact
While political corruption and the Vietnam War shook the American public’s faith in humanity during the 1970s, Star Trek offered the alternative of Roddenberry’s vision of a positive future that eliminated racism and greed in return for the pursuit of growth and improvement. Fans found this vision so compelling that they brought the show back from the ashes to become an important cultural icon. The unprecedented, albeit slow, return of Star Trek during the 1970s would lead to a series of films, numerous television shows, novels, comic books, and casino and theme park rides as part of one of the largest media franchises that television ever created.
One year after the fourth and arguably most successful film starring the original series cast was released in theaters in 1986, a new series starring a new cast and featuring a new crew traveling on a larger vessel bearing the name Enterprise set several years later than the original missions began airing in first-run syndication, hoping to build off of the cult fandom generated by the first series. While some commentators believe that Star Trek: The Next Generation was ultimately unable to fill the mold created by its predecessor, the series, which included Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, aired for seven seasons and spawned several more films. As further proof of the franchise's endurance, six years after the last film featuring the crew from The Next Generation and four years after the end of the four-year run of another iterative television series Star Trek: Enterprise on UPN, a reboot of the franchise was begun with the release of Star Trek in 2009, which focuses on the younger versions of characters from the original series. As of 2016, two sequels had been released in 2013 and 2016 building off of this concept. Additionally, a decade after the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, CBS announced that it would be premiering yet another much-anticipated Star Trek iteration on its streaming service in 2017, titled Star Trek: Discovery, one year after the original show's fiftieth anniversary.
Bibliography
Fern, Yvonne. Gene Roddenberry: The Last Conversation. Pocket Books, 1996.
Gonzales, David. "Why Isn't There Any Star Trek on Television?" Forbes, 30 June 2015, www.forbes.com/sites/davegonzales/2015/06/30/why-isnt-there-any-star-trek-on-television/#1b9e696f79c3. Accessed 30 Nov. 2016.
Gross, Edward, and Mark A. Altman. The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek; The First 25 Years. Thomas Dunne Books, 2016.
Hise, James Van. The Unauthorized History of Trek. HarperPrism, 1995.
"New Star Trek Television Series Coming in 2017 to CBS All Access." CBS, 2 Nov. 2015, www.cbs.com/shows/star-trek-series/. Accessed 30 Nov. 2016.