Their support often allowed Roddenberry's vision to triumph over the objections of clueless TV or film executives. Over the years, Star Trek became a pop culture institution because fans demanded it. And there were even more movies, including three recent "reboot" films with younger actors playing the characters from the classic series. There were spin-offs from the Next Generation universe.
Then a new series launched on syndicated TV, Star Trek: The Next Generation. There were movies with the original cast from the classic series. "It was hard to get it across to the network executives and the studio executives that Star Trek had any value other than a kids' show."Īfter the first Star Trek film with the original cast debuted as a commercial hit, the franchise blossomed on screen. "Gene used to say this: If it hadn't been for Star Wars, they never would have gone big budget on the first movie," Arnold says. Its success convinced Paramount executives they could create their own blockbuster science fiction franchise by releasing a big budget Star Trek film. Then, in May 1977, Star Wars hit theaters.
Ideas like a new TV series, a new TV movie or a low budget movie came and went.
He wound up serving as his assistant and Trek archivist until Roddenberry died in 1991.Īrnold says that in the '70s, Paramount Studios, which then owned Star Trek, couldn't decide how to take advantage of the show's enduring popularity. Gene's litmus test for what made a great 'Star Trek' story was, 'Can you tell it today? Can you tell it 100 years ago? Can you tell it in the future?'Īrnold met Roddenberry at one of the first Star Trek conventions in the '70s. It's one of the few places you can go to get those positive visions of the future." "Because if it does, it's not a good Star Trek story. "Does it require science fiction hardware to make it work?" Arnold continued. "Gene's litmus test for what made a great Star Trek story was, 'Can you tell it today? Can you tell it 100 years ago? Can you tell it in the future?'" says Richard Arnold, a fan who became Roddenberry's assistant in the 1970s.
But by then, the show had made enough episodes to play in syndicated reruns, and its fan base grew. Still, NBC canceled Trek for good after its third season. Plagued by high production costs and middling ratings, Star Trek was canceled by NBC after two seasons.Ī cadre of devoted fans organized a letter-writing campaign that pushed the network to bring the show back. In a way, Takei wasn't far off in his original prediction. 'The Oatmeal' Remembers 'Star Trek' Creator's Heroic Plane Crash Rescue The other faction had the colors reversed. One classic story pointed out the absurdity of racism by depicting a war among members of an alien race, where one faction was colored black on the left side of their face and body and white on the right. But Roddenberry and his writers slipped in subtle messages.
On the surface, the show's plots dealt with exotic alien worlds in a future where space travel was commonplace. Spock and emotional Southern medical officer Dr. Swashbuckling Captain Kirk ran the Enterprise, backed by cerebral first officer Mr. Star Trek debuted on NBC in 1966, developed by Roddenberry, a former Los Angeles cop who wanted to make a TV series that could sneak past the rampant escapism of most programs back then.Īt a time when scripted TV rarely dealt directly with the turbulence of the times, Star Trek set its social messages against a space opera backdrop. 8, one of the most enduring franchises in TV and movie history celebrates its 50th birthday. I think that's why, even a half century later, it's as popular as it is. all coming together in concert and working as a team. people of different backgrounds, different cultures, different races. He feared Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry had developed a show too sophisticated for mass audiences a show that disguised social commentary with space action.įifty years later, relaxing in his comfortable Los Angeles home with a long career as an actor, author and activist, Takei is happy to admit his instincts were off the mark. And that means we're in trouble.' "Īlready a bit cynical about the way TV worked, Takei figured any series he liked wouldn't last long - including the one he was appearing in. "When we were shooting the pilot, Jimmy Doohan said to me, 'Well, George, what do you think about this? What kind of run do you think we'll have?'" says Takei. The Kobal Collection/Paramount Televisionįor Star Trek's George Takei, it was one of the worst predictions he ever made, and one of the best strokes of luck in his life: Takei, known to fans worldwide as helmsman Hikaru Sulu, originally thought the show would last only one season. George Takei predicted Star Trek would be too sophisticated to last - but he says he's happy to have been proved wrong.