Star Trek is a sci-fi television series that debuted in American television in 1966.  Created by the late Gene Roddenberry, the show lasted for only three seasons but became highly-syndicated, which accounts for its large-and still growing- fan base.  Furthermore, the success the series earned following its syndication gave birth to five additional Star Trek television series and 11 theatrical movies.

Roddenberry first pitched the idea of for the show to CBS, but when the network decided to go with another sci-fi series, he took Star Trek to another broadcast channel, NBC.  NBC turned down the pilot, but was impressed with the Rodenberry’s concept that the network commissioned a second pilot.  From the original pilot, only one character, Dr. Spock, and two actors, Majel Barrett and Leonard Nimoy, carried on to the series.

The second pilot introduced Star Trek’s main characters: Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), chief engineer Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) and Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu (George Takei).  Other characters, such as Yeoman Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney), Pavel Chelov (Walter Koenig), Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and communications officer Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), were introduced later.

Set in the 23rd Century, Star Trek revolves around the adventures of Captain Kirk and his crew aboard the starship Enterprise.  The starship’s five-year mission, which Shatner states during the show’s legendary introduction, is “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

Last September, CBS Paramount Television released digitally-remastered Star Trek episodes, beginning with the first Romulan episode, “The Battle of Terror.”  Longtime scenic art supervisor Michael Okuda and show veterans Denise Okuda and David Rossi worked closely with the network in order to ensure that “the integrity and style of the original” would not be compromised.  The 2006 return of the series marked the first time in 16 years that the show was syndicated.


Source: TrekToday, startrek.com
(Image Courtesy of CBS Paramount Television)