Many people in scientific and engineering fields have stated that they were
inspired by Star Trek, which they thought portrayed science and
engineering in a positive light . Even physicist Stephen Hawking was a fan of
the show. Although the original Star Trek series was occasionally sexist
(women wore skimpy outfits and no woman was ever shown commanding a starship),
many women have testified that they were positively influenced by the show's
depiction of women scientists working alongside their male counterparts. Actress
and comedian Whoopi Goldberg has said that seeing a black woman sitting on the
bridge of a starship, and not working as a maid, made her believe as a young
girl that she could be an actress with a real role. Mae Jamison, the first
African-American woman to fly in space, has also said that she was deeply
influenced by the show. Goldberg later played a regular on Star Trek: The
Next Generation, and Jamison made a cameo appearance on the show.
Gene Roddenberry sold Star Trek:
The Original Series (TOS), to NBC as a classic adventure drama, calling it a
"Wagon Train to the Stars" and "Horatio Hornblower in Space." Set aboard the
starship Enterprise (NCC-1701). In reality, Roddenberry wanted to tell more
sophisticated stories, using futuristic situations as analogies for current
problems on Earth and rectifying them through humanism and optimism. The show's
writers frequently addressed moral and social issues in the episodes by tackling
topics such as slavery, warfare, and discrimination.
Gene Roddenberry had an idea for
a new science fiction TV show. To explain and sell the concept to the network
executives, he put it into terms they could understand. He pitched the show as
"Wagon Train to the stars" and as Horatio Hornblower in space. Though set on a
fictional starship, Roddenberry wanted to tell more sophisticated stories using
futuristic situations as analogies to current problems on Earth and rectifying
them through humanism and optimism. Roddenberry had just finished a stint as
head writer for Have Gun Will Travel and knew that Westerns were universal.
On March 11, 1964, Roddenberry
created the first draft of Star Trek. He wound up taking the idea to Desilu
Studios. Roddenberry got an okay from NBC to proceed.
They shot a pilot, called "The
Cage" later renamed and packaged as "The Menagerie" with Jeffrey Hunter as
Captain Christopher Pike.
Star Trek debuted in the United
States on NBC on September 8, 1966. The show, starring William Shatner as
Captain James T. Kirk (originally James R. Kirk), told the tale of the crew of
the starship Enterprise and that crew's five-year mission "to boldly go where no
man has gone before." In its first two seasons it was nominated for Emmy Awards
as Best Dramatic Series. After only three seasons, the show was cancelled and
the last episode aired on June 3, 1969. The series subsequently became popular
in reruns, and a cult following developed, complete with fan conventions.
Originally aired as simply Star Trek, it has in recent years become known as
Star Trek: The Original Series or as "Classic Trek".
The crew of the starship
Enterprise was noteworthy in many respects . The international crew included a
Russian in a time when the nation was involved in Vietnam fighting communism.
Nichelle Nichols played a black communications officer, Lt. Uhura only a year
after Bill Cosby debuted in I Spy as the first black lead in prime time.
Although The Original Series was
cancelled in its third season due to low ratings, it served as the foundation
for five additional Star Trek television series. Altogether, the six series
comprise a total of 726 episodes across twenty-two different television seasons
Issues depicted in the various
series include war and peace, authoritarianism, imperialism, class warfare,
racism, human rights, sexism, and the role of technology.
From Paramount Studios
Created by Executive Producer
Gene Roddenberry
Producers: Gene Coon, later Fred Frieberger, John Meredyth Lucas
Star Trek TOS Cast
William Shatner as Captain James T.
Kirk
Leonard Nimoy as Lt. Cmdr./Cmdr. Spock
DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy
James Doohan as Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott
George Takei as Lt. Hikaru Sulu
Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura
Walter Koenig as Ensign Pavel Chekov
Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Janice Rand (1966)
Majel Barrett Roddenberry as Nurse Christine Chapel (TOS) and as Computer
Voice in all Star Treks
Star Trek - The Next Generation (TNG)
Syndicated 1987 - 1994 178 episodes
Created by Executive Producer Gene Rodenberry
Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes as William Thomas Riker
Brent Spiner as Data
Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi
LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn as Worf
Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher, M. D.
Denise Crosby as Natasha "Tasha" Yar
Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher
Majel Barrett as Lwaxana Troi
Star Trek - Deep Space Nine (DS9)
Syndicated 1993 - 1999 176 episodes
Created and Produced by Rick Berman and Michael Piller
Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko
Rene Auberjonois as Odo
Siddig El Fadil as Dr. Julian Bashir
Terry Farrell as Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax
Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Commander Worf
Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
Colm Meaney as Chief Operations Officer Miles O'Brien
Armin Shimerman as Quark
Nana Visitor as Major Kira Nerys
Majel Barrett as Lwaxana Troi
Star Trek - Voyager
UPN 1995 - 2001 172 episodes
Created and Produced by Rick Berman, Michael Piller and Jeri Taylor
Robert Beltran as Chakotay
Roxann Dawson as B'Elanna Torres
Jennifer Lien as Kes
Robert Duncan McNeill as Tom Paris
Kate Mulgrew as Kathryn Janeway
Ethan Phillips as Neelix
Robert Picardo as The Doctor
Tim Russ as Tuvok
Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
Garrett Wang as Harry Kim
Star Trek - Enterprise
UPN 2001 - 2005
Created and Produced by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga
