Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of 'Star Trek TOS' – Memorable Aliens

 

While the human stories of the crew aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series were a key source of the show's popularity, the voiceover for the opening credits tells us that part of the mission is "to seek out new life and new civilizations." To that end, the Enterprise did encounter many creatures that were indeed "new" and at times frightening.

While the more familiar alien races like the Vulcans, Klingons, and Romulans will be explored in the next post, in this article I wish to focus on other aliens that the crew encountered that are the most memorable ones for me. 

I do remember that the first time that I watched the series as a kid that some of these aliens scared me quite a bit. Now looking at them as an adult I can understand why. I will also highlight the scariest one of all at the end of this list. 

So, let's take a look at the aliens that made me shiver as a child but also delighted me as well. 

Tribbles

In many ways the Tribbles are the most beloved of any alien species in TOS. Appearing in "The Trouble with Tribbles" (Season 2, Episode 15), one can describe them basically as fur balls – fur balls that multiply faster than rabbits back on Earth. 

The plot is less important than the cute multipliers, but it does involve the disputed Sherman's Planet and Klingons who want to control the planet and its grain resources. After Captain Kirk (William Shatner) decides the situation is stable, he grants shore leave for the crew on Deep Space Station K-7. In a bar Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Chekov (Walter Koening) encounter a shady dealer named Cyrano Jones who is trying to sell different things, among them are cute little creatures called Tribbles. The Klingons also have been granted shore leave on the station, and they seem to hate the Tribbles while humans like them because they make soothing noises.

Back on the Enterprise Uhura's Tribble gives birth to a new bunch, and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) tells Kirk that their primary function is to give birth. Soon the Tribbles are all over the ship and the space station. With the Tribbles everywhere, they get into the grain supply from the planet and some of them are dying. It is discovered that a Klingon agent poisoned the grain. The creatures actually saved people that would have been eventually been poisoned by foods made with that grain. Everything gets resolved and Kirk orders Scotty (James Doohan) to get all the Tribbles off the ship, which Scotty does by beaming them all onto the Klingon ship where he says that "They will be no tribble at all." This is one of my favorite episodes of TOS. 

The Salt Vampire

Season 1, Episode 1 started the series off on a very creepy note with "The Man Trap." The Salt Vampire is exactly what its name implies – it sucks the salt out of its victims' bodies. It is also a shapeshifter, so it can appear like any one of the crew members. To say that this thing scared me as a kid is an understatement. 

The creature is also the last of its race, so there are many implications about having to kill it, and that is what Gene Roddenberry wanted us to understand right out of the gate. It really sets the bar unusually high for a weekly TV series, and we would expect no less from Star Trek as we moved forward.  

The Horta

"The Devil in the Dark" (Season 1, Episode 25) features a living rock monster that is killing miners in the tunnels of a planet. The Enterprise is called in to try to find what is killing them. It is a very scary episode at first when you see the innocent victims staring at whatever it is that is attacking them. Like in most monster movies, the victims do little or nothing but scream as the monster approaches them.

In keeping with Gene's philosophy of mostly benevolent aliens, this one turns out to be a loving mother that's protecting its eggs – which the miners are collecting. This is one of the more memorable and sympathetic creatures the crew encounters, and it also provides Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) with a golden moment when he is going to try to repair the wounded alien when he tells Kirk (William Shatner), "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer." 

Denevan Neural Parasites

"Operation – Annihilate" (Season 1, Episode 29) gives us one of the scariest episodes with flying cellular creatures that attach themselves to their victims' bodies. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) mentions that they look like large brain cells, and once attached to the victim they inflict tremendous pain, which will eventually drive the person insane. 

Spock deduces that the individual creatures are all connected and working together, with the goal of having their victims take them back on a journey to spread to other planets. It may be hard to believe that these blobs of cells could be scary, but as a kid I thought the crew was going to be destroyed (I had yet to realize that they had to be back for the next episode). Even as an adult, these critters give me the creeps. 

The Medusans

"Is There in Truth No Beauty?" (Season 3, Episode 5) presents us with a species so hideous looking that if human beings saw them they would drive them insane. While they are super intelligent beings, they must be kept in containers to avoid people seeing them. 

There is a scene where Spock wears a special visor to look inside the container to see what the creature looks like. Since he is only half human, Spock is able to accept what he sees that otherwise wise would drive a human mad. In this episode it is implied that humans are a lesser species and that this civilization has evolved to a higher level to exist without their bodies. It isn't the first time that Trek gives us a reality check about our standing in the galaxy.  

The Tholians 

In "The Tholian Web" (Season 3, Episode 9) the Enterprise comes upon the Defiant, another starship stuck in a rift in space with its crew dead. When beaming over to investigate what happened, Kirk becomes trapped on board. Attempts to rescue him are thwarted by a hostile alien race called the Tholians. 

As another non-humanoid race, they seem to exist in a high temperature environment. While it is noted that The Federation has never encountered this species before, Spock hints at the Vulcans knowing about them. This is a memorable episode and yet another reminder that in the vast expanse of the galaxy there are intelligent lifeforms that defy our expectations about appearance. 

The Melkotians

"Spectre of the Gun" (Season 3, Episode 6) was one of my favorite episodes as a kid –  I actually still do enjoy it. Why? Because Kirk, Spock, Scotty, McCoy, and Chekov (Walter Koenig) are transported to an outer space version of the 1881 Gunfight between the Earps and the Clantons at the OK Corral that took place in Tombstone, Arizona. Our crewmembers are cast as the Clantons, who are the losers in the original gunfight. 

It seems that the Melkotians have set up this gunfight as a test of some kind. While in real life the Earps are considered heroic, here they are cast with a tinge of evil that no doubt has been purposely done by the hosts. By the end of the episode the crew has passed with flying colors, and the Melkotians have agreed to establish relations with The Federation. Chalk up another win for Kirk and company.

The Zetarians

"The Lights of Zetar" (Season 3, Episode 18) gives us the last of their kind that have no bodies and are looking for hosts. On the viewscreen they are seen as a circle of blinking lights, and once again we get the idea that life in space cannot always be as we know it.

The Zetarians attack people's brains and the process tortures the victims – which literally involves contorting people's faces with light and sound. As a kid I didn't fully understand this episode, but it scared the crap out of me. As an adult I came to see it as a metaphor of a superior race trying to take over a lesser evolved species. It was definitely another memorable encounter with an alien race.

The Excalbians

We meet tthe Excalbians in "The Savage Curtain" (Season 3, Episode 22) in a very entertaining episode where Kirk and Spock must fight four of history's savage monsters alongside Abraham Lincoln and Vulcan philosopher Surak. The Excalbians have set up this battle as a way to study how other species handle adversity, but it also a test of the two generations of humans and Vulcans.

The representative of the Excalbians is Yarnek, a sinister, huge compilation of rock and lava, making us wonder about the wisdom of seeking "new civilizations" sometimes. While the battle is something that is a cruel manipulation by a more powerful being, in the end there is a victory for the human-Vulcan team. The bonus is Lincoln's reaction to seeing Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) on the Enterprise. While we know this is not the real Lincoln, there is just a subtle moment where old Abe seems to realize what his fight against slavery accomplished when he sees her. 

The Providers 

"The Gamesters of Trsikelion" (Season 2, Episode 16) gives us yet another alien race using our crewmembers for their enjoyment. The Providers transport Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov to their planet where they are to compete in gladiator like games against other captured beings from alien races. The hosts wager on the contests, but Kirk discovers that they are three brains that have evolved not to need their bodies anymore.

As is sometimes the case in TOS, Kirk's actions bring an awareness to his bickering and petty hosts that they should not be using other species for their amusement. It is an interesting trope that happens in episodes like these, but it is also a real world warning from Gene that countries can oftem act like these disembodied brains using their populations as pawns in a game of political chess. 

The Gorn/The Metrons

In "The Arena" (Season 1, Episode 19) the Enterprise takes on another alien vessel, but the Metrons, a highly advanced race do not appreciate a battle between the two ships in their area of space. The captain of the alien vessel and Kirk are beamed down to a harsh planet to fight one another. The Gorn is a large reptilian creature who is obviously much stronger than Kirk. The winner and his ship will be allowed to depart, and the loser and his ship will be destroyed. 

The Metron said that the planet contained elements for them to make weapons. As they engage in various fights with sticks and rocks, it becomes clear that Kirk cannot defeat the Gorn. Then he remembers how to make gunpowder and finds the ingredients that he needs. Kirk "shoots" the Gorn with his crude device, but refuses to kill him. A Metron appears and expresses shock that Kirk spared the Gorn, who tells him that while he appreciates his mercy it will still be thousands of years before the Metrons will make contact again. Kirk and Gorn are then returned to their ships. This is definitely one of my favorite Trek episodes.  

Balok

"The Corbamite Maneuver" (Season 1, Episode 10) is the last and creepiest of my memorable aliens that appeared in TOS. The Enterprise encounters an enormous alien ship that is ten times its size. A hideous looking being named Balok appears on the viewscreen and seems to have sinister intentions. After putting the crew through a series of challenges, Kirk literally out maneuvers Balok. Being told these were tests to check the level of human civilization, Kirk is invited aboard the giant ship. 

Once on board Kirk discovers that who he thought was Balok was just a puppet, and what looks like a little boy (Clint Howard, Ron's younger brother) is in charge. As a kid I found this to be amazing that a little kid was in charge of things. As an adult I still find the scene a bit surreal and yet intriguing because it is a lesson of not judging a book by its cover. There is also the infamous "tranya" moment, where the diminutive alien shares an orange colored drink with Kirk. 

Truthfully, I do not know if the puppet or the kid scared me more, but overall I found Balok to be the scariest alien of all. It is the sense of the unknown and the enormous ship that could have destroyed the Enterprise, and it all being under control of a kid or someone who looks like a kid. To borrow from another franchise called Star Wars, another small creature named Yoda said, "Size, matters not." We would all be wise to remember that!

Other Aliens

I'm sure that there are other aliens that you liked more than these, but this list is very subjective and are my favorites. I apologize if I didn't mention ones that you liked here.  

So, that is my look at what for me were the most memorable aliens besides Vulcans, Klingons, and Romulans. I will be looking at them in my next post.

Until next time, Live Long and Prosper.   

Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of 'Star Trek TOS' – 'Trek' Tech

When I was a kid, I was crazy about the storylines – and they were for the most part well written and got my attention. But, let's face it, I was also watching Batman and cartoons like Scooby Doo and Johnny Quest and yes, even Lost in Space, so my taste was not that well developed yet. 

Still, at six years old, I could tell that Star Trek had more gravitas to it. The storylines were more complex, and they were definitely more serious. When kids asked me if I was watching Lost in Space or Star Trek, I would always say "Both!" and it was true.

One of the things that made Star Trek: The Original Series stand out to me was the technology. So many of the things the characters were using were mind blowing. It definitely made me want to trade my cowboy pistol for a phaser, and I would have loved a chance to get beamed up by Scotty to that marvelous ship.

Let's take a look at the various technologies used in TOS.

 Communication and Safety

1. Scanners and Sensors were used when the Enterprise was in orbit to gather a great deal of information, including if the planet was M class (safe for humans to breathe the air). They gathered important details about the inhabitants including the size of their population, their level of technology, and possible hazards that would be facing landing parties. 

2. Communicators were handheld devices that the user would open by lifting a flap to answer an incoming message or to send one out. These worked between planet and ship, or they could even be used ship to ship or even withing the ship itself. As you can see from the image, it looks like an old flip cell phone (Did the communicator inspire that design? Check out the video at the end of the article).

3. Desktop Viewscreens were available in the conference room and in individual offices and crew quarters. Reminiscent of our desktop computers now, they enabled the crew to have a meeting with the ability to see the person in another part of the ship or even for the captain to meet with Starfleet officials. Connected to the computer system, it also gave the crew the ability to do research about things like current passengers' backgrounds. 

3. The Tricorder was a portable device with many functions. It was used to scan the area where the landing party set down for environmental data, discovering lifeforms, and had multipurpose medical applications.  

4. Phasers came in large and small portable varieties. The larger phasers were powerful weapons on the ship that were used in defensive and sometimes offensive situations. The portable one was used by the crew on away missions. A P1 (Phase One) phaser was a small unit that could fit in a pocket. The P1 could also be attached to a P2 (Phase 2) phaser that had a grip that also was a powerpack. The phaser had an intensity settings dial that ranged from stun to kill. 

5. Photon Torpedoes were a more powerful ship-based weapon. They were warp capable, more precise than phasers. and were highly destructive. Photon torpedoes were usually employed when the ship phasers were ineffective against a target.  

5. Tractor beams were graviton streams of energy used to push or pull objects in space outside of the spacecraft. This was particularly useful when a damaged craft needed to be towed by the Enterprise, and it could also be employed to push an asteroid or other dangerous object away from a planet that would could cause destruction if it entered the atmosphere.   

6. Universal Translators were an important part of 'Trek' tech, especially on a ship that is encountering many different alien races who all have their own  languages. The Universal Translator was a clever way to move the story forward with everyone conveniently speaking English thanks to this ingenious device. 

7. The Communication Earpiece was like a communicator but was worn in the ear. In TOS it was mostly worn by Communications Officer Uhura, but it was also sometimes used by Mr. Spock.  

Travel Technologies

1. The Transporter was a system that could dematerialize the crew and objects to transport them to another place where they would rematerialize. This was extremely useful in getting crew members out of dire circumstances or sending food and other life supporting items to the crew on an away mission. The transporter also served the purpose of saving on the budget. Having a vessel leave the ship and go to the planet surface would be significantly more expensive. 

2. Warp Drive was speed of the ship at multiple levels that were faster than the speed of light. The engines that enabled this were powered by dilithium crystals that interacted with matter/anti-matter in the warp core that powered the ship.  

3. A Shuttlecraft was a small space vessel designed for short trips in space. Gene Roddenberry initially wanted to avoid creating something like this by use of the transporter; however, there were situations where the transporter was unavailable, and then the shuttle would come in handy. It was first used in the episode "The Galileo 7" (Season 1, Episode 16) and was designed by Matt Jefferies, who also designed the Enterprise.  

Medical Technologies

1. Sick Bay was a highly advanced medical facility aboard the starship. A key feature was the Bio-bed with diagnostic scanners above the beds to monitor the patient's bodily functions. The Sick Bay also included a diagnostic lab, surgery area, and a decompression chamber.

2. Doctor McCoy's Medical Kit was taken on away missions and became extremely valuable in the field. It contained Hypospray (to give needle free injections), medical scanner, Spray Healer, Medical Vials containing medicines, and other surgical tools.   

The Bridge

Many scenes occurred on the bridge, which was the control center for the Enterprise. 

1. The Command Area featured the helm and navigation panels that were positioned in front of the captain's swivel chair with controls on the armrest. 

2. The Viewscreen was a large monitor which featured views of space in front of the Enterprise. A rear view camera was also available. Many times other vessels, alien objects, and space anomalies would be seen on the screen.

3. Stations: Behind the captain's chair were the science and communication stations. To the left of the captain's chair was the engineering console. 

4. A Turbolift was located between the communication and engineering consoles. It provided a way to enter or leave the bridge. 

Food and Drink

Food Synthesizers provided food and drink instantly upon the request of the user. Many scenes involved crew members in a recreational area where they would be eating and drinking. 

This famous scene involves a character from Earth's past asking for chicken soup, which the synthesizer then provides him. 

Computer Systems

1. The computer system on the Enterprise managed all systems of the vessel. 

2. Connected to the system were handheld devices (like today's iPad), voice activated units, and tabletop screens allowing the crew to interact with the computer or one another. 

3. Ability for thought like humans was a characteristic of the computer's programming; however, this means it could make mistakes (just like AI).

4. Voice commands allowed the computer to interact with the crew, often providing answers about difficult situations or the location of crew members onboard the Enterprise. 

The Engine Room

Of all the 'Trek' tech that I can think about from watching the series. the Engine Room always fascinated me the most. This was Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott's domain, where everyone treaded lightly. Located in the engineering hull at the back of the ship, this room was situated directly below the nacelles that contained the warp engines that made the Enterprise go so fast. 

The room consisted of two decks and featured the engineering warp core, engineering console frequently manned by Mr. Scott, wall panels with many blinking control light displays, and ladders that were used to reach the upper deck. 

This was the room that made the ship a starship, and I would say it was arguably the most important area of the ship. From this room Mr. Scott would often tell the captain how long something would take to get fixed, and Kirk would tell Scotty that he had five minutes. Somehow, Scotty always came through! 

Synthesis

So, there you have it. I've covered some of the most popular technologies that were employed by the crew of the Enterprise that fascinated me as a kid. I think the truth is that they inspired adults too. 

And, while the list keeps growing, there are many real world manifestations of things inspired by Star Trek. The list will continue to grow as more people explore possibilities that the 1960s show made al of us dream about.

It's important to remember that while all the exciting and intriguing aspects of the tech were alluring, the main attraction of Star Trek was the ship's crew members. It was their interactions and reactions with one another that won the hearts of fans. 

Until my next post, Live long and prosper!

Please check out this video about 'Trek' Tech that we use in today's world. 

Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of 'Star Trek TOS' – The 'U.S.S. Enterprise'

 

In my way of thinking, the starship in Star Trek: The Original Series was crucially important to the show. As I have previously written about the significance of the Batmobile in the Batman TV series, the U.S.S. Enterprise was even more important in Star Trek because it was not just a vehicle – it was the place that the characters called home. 

How many times did Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) say "My ship!" in the series? He was not saying it offhandedly but with emphasis and affection. Kirk would have done anything to protect his ship, and I would go so far to say that he loved her and his crew. It can be argued that the Enterprise was as important as any character, and she would have distinctive features and a robotic computer voice that gave her a personality too. 

Scotty

Another crewmember who loved the Enterprise was Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott (the late great James Doohan). Scotty knew every inch of the vessel intimately and, if any damage was done to her, we could be sure that Scotty would take it personally. When a Klingon disparaged the ship, Scotty even got into a brawl to defend her. 

When Kirk was annoyed with Scotty for starting the fight, he wanted to know what instigated the situation. When Scotty explained that a Klingon had spoken badly about the Enterprise, Kirk fully understood what ignited Scotty's anger.

A Totally New Universe

Gene Roddenberry (please see my last post about him) had a grand vision for Star Trek. He had many ideas in his head – the complexity of which could be overwhelming even for him. When NBC ordered a pilot in 1964, it became the time when everything in Gene's head had to be physically realized before filming could start. Star Trek producer Gene Coon said, "Gene created a totally new universe." Now it was time to translate that vision for others, which was not a simple task.

In the written proposal that Roddenberry brought to Desilu Studios, there were many different technologies that were mentioned (I will go into the these technologies in my next post). This included the transporter, communicators, and laser weapons. The ship was simply described as the USS Yorktown commanded by Robert T. April with a crew of 200. That was not much to work with for the person chosen to design the ship.

Not A Flying Saucer

Matt Jefferies

Gene knew a great deal about what he wanted his ship to be, but he never made any drawings about how he wanted it to look. When Matt Jefferies – yes, Jefferies Tubes are named after him – was chosen to design the ship, and he had an enormous task on his hands. One thing was crucial – Gene knew what he didn't want it to look like. No flying saucer – that was being done over at CBS for Lost in Space. 

Gene didn't want it to look like a rocket ship with fins, and he definitely didn't want it to trail smoke like the ship in the Flash Gordon serials. Gene wanted it to be futuristic, but Jefferies said, "I didn't know what the shape looked like." He had to take everything Gene said and try to design a ship that wouldn't look outdated before the show even was on the air. 

Looking at a couple of Jefferies early visions of the ship, you can see he was still bogged down by what came before. Gene liked the sketches but told him that he had to keep trying. Going over what Gene had told him about the ship and what Gene didn't want, Jefferies was trying to figure out what he was missing.

Warp Drive

Gene told him that the ship would be very fast and have warp drive, and Jefferies asked himself, "What the hell is warp drive?" He assumed the engines had to very powerful, but also that they would not be inside the ship. Somehow they would be away from the main body of the ship. Eventually these engine tubes would be called nacelles, and they would be elevated in the rear of the ship on either side of the engineering hull. 

He tried numerous designs – even one with the ship as a ball – but Gene kept rejecting them. Eventually he flattened out the ball, and it slowly became something flatter and wider and a little bit like a flying saucer, but it would be different because of the engineering hull and the elevated nacelles holding warp drive engines making it look distinctive. The color would be white to stand out against a backdrop of deep black outer space, and the ship's name would go across the top of the saucer section, but it would also need a number to distinguish it. 

The Registry Number

Jefferies then decided to give the Enterprise a number. He wanted it to be simple, sleek, and easy to read. He owned an airplane with the license number NC-17740, which he simplified to NCC-1701 (with NCC coming from Naval Construct Contract). Jefferies figured that this would be the 17th ship with the name Enterprise, but since it was a new design it would the first in its class, hence 01.

A New Name

While Gene originally named the ship the Yorktown in the treatment given to Desilu, he changed the name to Enterprise. He wanted to give it a name that would remind people that the crew on this ship were pioneers, courageously embarking on a voyage to the stars, but Gene may also have been inspired by the world's first nuclear aircraft carrier with that name that was the subject of extensive media coverage in the 60s.   

A Beloved Ship

Gene finally approved of the design, and Jefferies had been successful in creating one of the most iconic space vehicles ever seen on TV or movie screens. When looking at the Enterprise from the Original Series today, I still get goosebumps. It not only brings back great memories, but it also reminds me of that idyllic future that Gene envisioned.

I think of my youthful hope that a world without war, hunger, crime, or greed could exist one day. I still believe that it can happen, and that hope is stoked by the sight of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Until next time, Live Long and Prosper!

Please watch this video of the original Enterprise model that Matt Jefferies designed now housed at the Smithsonian.

    

  

Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of 'Star Trek TOS' – Gene Roddenberry

 

Anyone who is a Star Trek fan should truly appreciate Gene Roddenberry. The creator of The Original Series is responsible for this cultural juggernaut that went on to be expanded into feature films and then multiple TV series that were inspired by him. I would boldly say that after the Beatles no one had a greater impact on 1960s America than Gene Roddenberry. But who was this legendary visionary who went on to have such a lasting influence on our lives?

Early Life

Gene when he was in high school.

Gene was born in El Paso, Texas, on August 19, 1921, to parents who lived modestly in a rented home. Fortuitously for Gene, his father got a job in California which brought the family to live in Los Angeles. During his childhood he was very interested in space related stories like John Carter of Mars. 

Gene during WWII

Gene graduated from high school in 1939 and went on to study at Los Angeles City College, where he met Eileen Rexroat, who would become his first wife. While at college Gene became fascinated with aeronautical engineering and obtained his pilot's license. He enlisted in the USAAC and graduated and became a second lieutenant. Gene would go on to flying combat missions during World War II and later would be a pilot for Pan American World Airways. 

His Introduction to TV 

After the war Gene became an officer in the Los Angeles Police Department, where he eventually became a writer for the Chief of Police. This led him to an opportunity to become the LAPD advisor to the popular TV series Dragnet. He eventually became a writer for the show and for other police related TV series. After some time doing two jobs, Gene realized his calling and resigned from the police department to focus on his writing jobs.

Gene went on to write scripts for a number of TV series. During this time he tried to pitch a series of his own but that went nowhere. This did lead to a job with Screen Gems where he wrote scripts for several pilots that were not successful, This is where he met Majel Barrett, who would later go on to play Number One in the first Star Trek pilot and Nurse Chapel in The Original Series, and she also would become Gene's second wife. 

Star Trek

Gene originally had an idea for a series set on a ship in Hawaiian waters manned by a multiracial crew. Remembering his childhood love of space stories, Gene then changed the premise of the series to be a ship in outer space and gave it the title Star Trek. He took the idea to Oscar Katz, head of programming at Desilu Productions, and they pitched the proposal for a pilot to CBS Television, but CBS passed on the project because they already had a science fiction show ready to go into production called Lost in Space. 

Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Pike in the First Pilot

Roddenberry and Katz then took the idea to NBC, where its concept was approved. Out of the story ideas pitched, "The Menagerie" was accepted and it would be filmed as the pilot – it would later become known as "The Cage" in a an episode of TOS. Somehow Roddenberry secured established star Jeffrey Hunter to play Captain Christopher Pike, and Barrett suggested Leonard Nimoy whom she had previously worked with to play the role of alien science officer Spock. The pilot was made but test audiences did not like it overall, and NBC executives discounted it as "too cerebral."

Shatner and Kellerman in the Second Pilot

Roddenberry and Katz did not give up after this rejection, and somehow a second pilot was ordered – which is usually unheard of when the first pilot is rejected. One factor in the second pilot's favor was that the sets were already built, which cut the cost of filming the second pilot. With Hunter unavailable, Roddenberry chose William Shatner to play the captain in "Where No Man Has Gone Before," and also brought on board established actors Gary Lockwood and Sally Kellerman. 

Success

NBC test audiences approved of the new pilot. Roddenberry brought the pilot to The World Science Fiction Convention where it was viewed and received a standing ovation. NBC accepted the series, and it went into production of 13 episodes and premiered on September 8, 1966. Gene had achieved his goal of getting his concept realized and shown on broadcast TV. 

Nichols as Uhura and Takei as Sulu 

His vision for a multiracial cast for The Original Series was also realized. Nichelle Nichols was brought in to play Black communications officer Nyota Uhura and George Takei was selected to play the Japanese helmsman Hikaru Sulu. Perhaps the greatest casting of all was Nimoy as the Vulcan Spock. For a 1960s television show to have an alien from another planet as a main cast member was quite an accomplishment.

Impact

Despite only running for three seasons (79 episodes), Star Trek has had a lasting cultural impact that resonates to this day. Gene's vision was for a future where Earth was at peace and that space travel to "strange new worlds" was possible, and it is where we would meet a vast array of alien beings who were different from us but also similar in so many ways. 

The crew of the Enterprise lived and worked together in harmony as opposed to life during the era of the Cold War that was far from harmonious. The show did not only feature a diverse crew but also addressed many social, economic, and political issues of the time in a fresh and many times astonishing way that still matters now.

Gene's Legacy

Gene Roddenberry was a visionary who knew the worst of humanity and sought to elevate us in a future world where all of our conflicts were resolved. Things like race and social standing and wealth no longer mattered in the world he created. By overcoming the things that separated people, Gene brought together the human race with beings from other worlds that all basically wanted to live peacefully – although there were the Klingons, Romulans, and Gorn who would have different intentions.

The Prime Directive was an ingenious way of showing humanity at its best. Unlike those the empires and kingdoms that came before, Star Trek showed us the way in the sense that despite superior technology that captains were not kings. They could not interfere in the society of the worlds that they encountered. This was as resonant in the 1960s as it still is today.

Gene's initial concept has spawned multiple TV series, films, and a slew of merchandise including toys, video games, and clothing lines. That young boy who dreamed about space stories could perhaps never have imagined the impact he would have on television, film, and the world.

Nimoy as Spock - Live Long and Prosper

So, I feel a huge debt of gratitude to Gene Roddenberry because Star Trek has impacted my life since I was a little boy. I appreciate his vision and am grateful for how he helped me view the world – and the final frontier of space beyond it. 

Thank you, Gene, for helping me to dream about a better world and countless fans across the decades as well. You helped us to believe we were better than ourselves and could live in peace and harmony. Now, if only somehow we could manifest this in the real world. 

Indeed, I wish everyone reading this will be able to follow Spock's mantra and Live long and prosper! 

Please watch the video below featuring Gene talking about his Trek philosophy.