Like many science fiction fans, I developed a lifelong love of the genre after being introduced to Star Trek as a child. My older cousin Rick, an avid fan himself, persuaded me to watch the show. The first episode I saw was “Arena,” which featured a fight between Captain Kirk and a Gorn captain orchestrated by an unseen alien race. As a young boy fascinated by dinosaurs, I was initially drawn in by the reptilian Gorn. However, it was the intelligent writing and compelling storylines that kept me coming back for more. The show's spirit of adventure and exploration matched my own longing to travel beyond my backyard. What six-year-old doesn't dream of piloting a starship across the vast expanse of space? After that first taste, I was hooked, becoming a devoted Trekkie and sci-fi enthusiast for life.
Although the show had a loyal fan following during its initial prime-time run, Star Trek never achieved strong ratings. NBC, the network that aired it, frequently changed the show's time slot, often scheduling it against the competition's most popular programs. As is typical when a show is shuffled around like this, the erratic scheduling spelled doom for Star Trek, soon putting it on the path to cancellation. A massive letter-writing campaign organized by loyal fans did persuade NBC to renew the show for one more season, but ultimately the ratings remained too low to prevent its cancellation.
After NBC cancelled "Star Trek", Paramount, who had bought the rights from Desilu, syndicated the series to local TV stations. When marketed to younger viewers as after-school programming, the show amassed a huge following. Soon, "Trek" merchandise like toys appeared in stores, sparking mass commercialization - lunch boxes, posters, model ships, and even an animated spinoff emerged. Fans formed clubs and conventions that ballooned into star-studded events. Never before had a cancelled series been resurrected as "Star Trek" was through syndication. From a mere TV show, "Star Trek" quickly became a cultural phenomenon.
Originally, Gene Roddenberry's vision for Star Trek was quite different from the series that ultimately aired. The show was first conceived as a "Wagon Train" in space, providing writers with ample story possibilities. The unaired pilot "The Cage" reveals a cerebral concept distinct from the action-oriented Trek later produced. In many ways, Roddenberry's original notion more closely resembled the philosophical leanings of Star Trek: The Next Generation. However, NBC executives believed cerebral science fiction would not appeal to mainstream audiences. They demanded simplified "spaceship in trouble" plots before agreeing to broadcast the show. Although forced to make significant changes, Roddenberry managed to bring his creation to television.
The original "Star Trek" series employed some of the best science fiction writers of the time, including Robert Bloch and Jerome Bixby, who were responsible for writing some of the most acclaimed episodes in the history of science fiction television. However, many of these writers came to resent the constant interference in their scripts by producer Gene Coon and story editor Dorothy Fontana, who were tasked with adapting the screenplays for television. The writers frequently complained that the final televised episodes did not live up to what they had originally written on the page. In fact, Jerome Bixby's son shared that his father greatly disliked how his scripts were reworked, becoming visibly upset each time the altered episodes aired. Such creative differences and frustrations seem commonplace in the world of television and film production.
The original series was designed to focus on the Enterprise's charismatic, girl-chasing captain, James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner). However, much to the producers' surprise, the spotlight fell upon the ship's stoic, logical half-Vulcan, half-human science officer, Mr. Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy). Spock became an unlikely sex symbol and icon for the show's female fans. In the late 1960s, Spock was considered the ultimate symbol of cool - cooler even than Captain Kirk. This dynamic found its way into some of the later episodes. After all, who's cooler than someone who seems emotionally unflappable? Just don't tell Shatner that. He still thinks the show revolved around him.
Over forty years after "Star Trek" first aired on television, the original series still enjoys immense popularity and a loyal fanbase, much as it did when it entered syndication. The franchise it launched continues thriving with four spin-off shows and ten movies (with an 11th in development). Fan clubs and conventions endure, along with enthusiasts building life-size replicas of the Enterprise Bridge and mastering the complex Klingon language. "Trek" is a singular pop culture phenomenon that may only come once in a lifetime, except perhaps "Star Wars." It remains to be seen if another TV series could ever cultivate such an avid following again. However, it's certain that "Trekkies" will still exist somewhere forty years from now.
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