LIFE AFTER 50
Star Trek boldy went where no show had gone before “
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By Randal C. Hill
W
hen “Star Trek” premiered on NBC in September 1966, creator Gene Roddenberry was knocked for a loop when his much-anticipated show tanked. It never rose above 52 in the ratings during the first season, which normally would’ve caused a big network like NBC to cancel it. Some of the network’s honchos were initially lukewarm about “Star Trek” being a cerebral show, meaning it probably wouldn’t generate much sponsor money. Other overly cautious executives objected to Spock’s pointy ears, claiming they looked diabolical and satanic. But Roddenberry worked hard
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Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, was given the nickname “The Great Bird of the Galaxy” by Associate Producer Robert Justman during the show’s first season. to sell his show and it paid off. Even though the original series only ran for three seasons, “Star Trek” has become one of the most successful TV series of all time.
A NEW KIND OF SCI-FI In 1964, Roddenberry, the Hollywood scriptwriter of “Highway Patrol” and “Have Gun – Will Travel” fame, set out to create something unique for television—a sci-fi series different from the usual doom-andgloom rocket operas of the day. “Star Trek” was set in the Milky Way galaxy in the 23rd century, in a utopian future where divisions of race, gender and nationality have been cast aside. The stories take place aboard the starship Enterprise as it journeys on a five-year mission of scientific exploration and intergalactic diplomacy, zooming to distant planets in response to distress calls and confronting warmongering aliens. The show’s spotlight fell primarily on Canadian actor William Shatner. He had trained as a Shakespearean actor but was willing to take whatever work came his way, including a
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Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner got their big break on Star Trek.
stint on “The Canadian Howdy Doody Show.” When Shatner moved to Hollywood, Roddenberry cast him as Captain James T. Kirk, the takecharge commander who guided the Enterprise and its crew. As emotionless and logically minded Mr. Spock on “Star Trek,” Boston-born actor Leonard Nimoy’s character became almost as popular as Shatner’s. Second in command on Enterprise, Spock was half-human and half-Vulcan (the first extraterrestrial species to make contact with humans). His split-finger salute became iconic, with most viewers unaware that the gesture was a Hebrew blessing that Nimoy conjured from his synagogue youth. Nimoy spent years struggling for a breakout role in Hollywood, where he once delivered newspapers and drove a cab to make ends meet. By the time he joined the “Star Trek” cast, he had acted in more than 50 B movies and in minor roles on numerous TV shows.
A LASTING LEGACY The series featured a groundbreaking, racially diverse cast, as well as American television’s first interracial kiss between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols). “Star Trek” never downplayed its “message” motifs concerning war, sex, religion, politics and racism, yet the show’s ongoing theme seemed to consistently be that in the end, good will triumph over evil. ■
