User:AllyUnion/Star Trek

thumb|235px|The Enterprise boldly going where no man had gone before. Star Trek collectively refers to six science fiction television series spanning 726 episodes, ten motion pictures, and hundreds of novels, video games, and other works of fiction all set within the same fictional universe created by Gene Roddenberry in the early 1960s. It depicts an optimistic future in which humankind has overcome sickness, racism, poverty, intolerance, and warfare on Earth; the central characters explore the galaxy, finding new worlds and meeting new civilizations, while helping to spread peace and understanding. Several key elements explored in Star Trek include the human condition. Star Trek is one of the most popular names in the history of science fiction entertainment, and one of the most popular franchises in television history.

History

Main article: History of Star Trek

Gene Roddenberry was originally a fighter pilot during <insert war> and retired to become a police officer in Los Angeles. During his time as a police officer, he helped Los Angeles Police Chief <insert name> by writing various speeches and advancing his career by submitting scripts to Dragnet.

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Gene Roddenberry was a staff writer for such television programs such as Have Gun Will Travel and other westerns. Originally a police officer, he also submitted scripts to Dragnet.
In 1963, Roddenberry created a short-lived drama series called The Lieutenant starring Gary Lockwood and Robert Vaughn. This was a military drama set at the Marine base at Camp Pendleton. It only lasted one season. Many TOS actors including Majel Barrett and Nichelle Nichols appeared on this program.
Around this time Roddenberry conceives of a science fiction series called Star Trek that would be akin to a western series called Wagon Train. The concept would be a group of people travelling from planet to planet, solving a dilemma, and moving on. (According to The Making of Star Trek, Roddenberry first conceives of Star Trek in 1950)
Roddenberry pitches the idea to the networks, using (among other things) a completely fabricated mathematical formula to suggest how many millions of inhabited planets (and, thus, potential storylines) were possible with Star Trek. CBS reportedly turns him down flat as they have a series called Lost in Space. NBC agrees to commission a pilot film, which will be produced by Desilu Studios (owned at the time by Lucille Ball).
Initially, the vessel was to be called the USS Yorktown, commanded by Captain Winter. Later the name of the captain was changed to Captain April, and then it became Christopher Pike. A few other names were tossed around for the ship name until Enterprise was chosen.
The pilot film, The Cage, is produced at the end of 1964 and completed in early 1965 with Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Pike, John Hoyt as Dr. Phil Boyce, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, and M. Leigh Hudec (later to change her name to Majel Barrett) as Pike's first officer, known only as Number One.
NBC rejects the pilot as being too cerebral for 1955 television audiences. However, they like the concept enough to allow Roddenberry to film a second pilot. (This needs to be checked, but I believe "Inside Star Trek" indicates that the decision was the result of Lucille Ball playing hardball with the network regarding other Desilu productions and therefore championing Trek.)
However, NBC makes numerous demands of Roddenberry before he films the pilot. They don't want a woman as first officer, and Roddenberry has to adjust the crew compliment of Enterprise so that it is no longer 50% men/50% women (as Roddenberry later said, NBC brass were concerned it would indicate "fooling around up there"). Famously, NBC also demanded Roddenberry "get rid of the guy with the ears." NBC also asked Roddenberry to eliminate the character of Number One. The reasons for this vary depending on the source: according to Roddenberry this was due to the network being uncomfortable with a female being second-in-command of a starship; other sources suggest the network was upset that Roddenberry gave the role to Hudec/Barrett, who was his girlfriend. Sources for both viewpoints should be cited before this goes into the rewritten article.
Ultimately, Roddenberry agrees to drop Number One and make other basic changes, but successfully negotiates for Spock to remain a character. The emotionlessness of Number One is combined with Spock to create the Vulcan character we know.
Before production of the pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before" could commence in the summer of 1965, Roddenberry finds himself recasting the entire production, starting with the captain, since Jeffrey Hunter declined to return. William Shatner was brought in to play James Kirk. A number of other crew members are recast for this production, while former Lieutenant star Gary Lockwood and Sally Kellerman sign up as guest stars.
This second pilot, which managed to have more action and drama yet actually end up being more cerebral than The Cage, is accepted by NBC which commissions a new series to begin airing in September 1966. Around this time, The Cage wins the Hugo Award and buzz begins to circulate about this new show.
Some more cosmetic changes are made to the sets and costumes before production of the first episode "The Corbomite Maneuver" could begin. In addition, the character of Dr. Mark Piper is dropped and replaced by Dr. Leonard McCoy, played by Deforest Kelly. Also added to the cast is Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Rand and Nichelle Nichols as Uhura in a groundbreaking role for the African American actress, with whom Roddenberry reportedly starts an affair.
Against Roddenberry's objections, NBC chooses to air the fifth episode filmed, "The Man Trap" which was a more traditional monster-of-the-week storyline, as the first episode. This resulted in some shaky first night reviews. Confusing audiences further, the second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", despite cast and costume differences, airs as the third episode.
A two-part season 1 episode, "The Menagerie" is considered the birthplace of the Star Trek Universe, as it features footage of Jeffrey Hunter's pilot film. It is explained that the events of the Cage took place about 11 years earlier.
In the spring of 1967, NBC cancels the series due to low ratings. However, an unprecedented write-in campaign is organized by fan Bjo Trimble and supported by a number of vocal science fiction authors. NBC receives so many letters that when the season finale is aired, a special announcement is made that Star Trek would return in the fall.
Nimoy receives best actor Emmy nominations at least twice during the show's run.
A notable cast change occurs after the first season. Grace Lee Whitney leaves midway through the first year (reportedly due to personal problems). It is decided to replace her with the character of Russian Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) who is intentionally outfitted to resemble members of The Beatles and The Monkees. Legend has it the character was made a Russian after an editorial in Pravda reportedly criticized the so-called positive future of Star Trek that didn't include a Russian. Some consider this story to be apocryphal.
1967 also saw the release of the first comic books based upon Star Trek, the first of 12 novelization volumes by James Blish, and the first original Trek novel (albeit written for younger readers), Mission to Horatius by Mack Reynolds. (Check date; may be 1968).
For the third season, Roddenberry steps away from day-to-day involvement with the series in protest over NBC's decision to move the show to a poor timeslot on Friday nights. Fred Freiberger replaces him as executive producer. He is often criticized for the drop in quality during the third year although the show remained popular with fans.
Ratings slipped, however, and in early 1969 it was announced that Star Trek had been cancelled. The last regularly scheduled episode aired in either February or March (All Our Yesterdays) followed by a final episode (Turnabout Intruder) that aired in June, just days before the first moon landing.
Roddenberry attempted to interest another network in a fourth season, without success. And by this time Desilu was now part of Paramount Studios so there was no Lucy to champion the show.
In the fall of either 1969 or 1970 TOS entered syndication and the groundswell of popularity began as many who never saw the original broadcasts were introduced to the show. Around this time, James Blish writes "Spock Must Die!" the first original Trek novel for older readers.
First major Trek convention is held in New York in 1972. Only a couple hundred are expected but thousands turn up.
Between 1972 and 1974. NBC airs 22 episodes of an animated Star Trek series. All the original cast participate save for Walter Koenig.
Sometime between 1973 and 1976 Roddenberry tries to mount a low-budget theatrical movie based upon Star Trek.
1977-78 Work begins on a new Star Trek series intended for a proposed Paramount network. After the success of Star Wars, Paramount cancels the series plans and commissions Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Star Trek in Culture

Star Trek's relationship with NASA

Star Trek's impact on modern-day space exploration was cemented in 1976, when the first space shuttle, Enterprise, was rolled out of its hangar in the Mojave Desert for the first time. Originally to be named Constitution, hundreds of Star Trek fans wrote to President Gerald Ford, insisting that the first orbiter be named after the fictional television starship. Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek's creator, and several of the show's stars attended the rollout. Ironically, in the TV series, the Enterprise was to be a Constitution-class vessel, perhaps presaging the shuttle's name change.

Source: http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/enterprise.html ; http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/ships/article/123185.html

Notes

External links

http://www.startrek.com/ The Official Star Trek Web Site
Memory Alpha A Star Trek Wiki

References

Stephen E. Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry, The Making of Star Trek (New York: Ballantine, 1968)