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".
Early Star Trek
promos & commercials
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
Data
compiled from The British Antarctic Study, NASA, Environment Canada,
UNEP, EPA and
other sources as stated and credited Researched by Charles
Welch-Updated dailyThis
Website is a project of the The Ozone Hole Inc. a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Organization
