Anyone been watching the Star Trek marathon weekend introducing the show to TV Land's evening lineup (11pm weeknights)?

What a blast. This was one of my favorite shows as a kid.

I fought like hell liking TNG - it eventually grew on me as well. But NOTHING will ever reproduce the magic that came out of the low-rated, low-budget (and very 'complex')original series.

William Shatner RULES!!!!!

Live long and prosper,
AppleOnYa

I've watched it off and on. My first wife loved it. It reminds me of her.

Apple, have you noticed this? In the episode "the City on the Edge of Forever" which takes place in Depression era Chicago, on one of the buildings there is a yellow and black nuclear civil defense sign.

I agree! I've always loved Star Trek.

Have you guys looked Star Trek on Wikipedia? I looked it up and noticed something VERY strange... Lets see if you guys notice it too!

This article is about the Star Trek franchise. For the original TV series, see Star Trek: The Original Series.

Part of the article series on
Star Trek
TV series
Original Series · 80 episodes
Animated Series · 22 episodes
Next Generation · 178 episodes
Deep Space Nine · 176 episodes
Voyager · 172 episodes
Enterprise · 98 episodes
Films
The Motion Picture
II: Wrath of Khan
III: Search for Spock
IV: Voyage Home
V: Final Frontier
VI: Undiscovered Country
Generations · First Contact
Insurrection · Nemesis · XI
Major planetary nations
United Federation of Planets
Romulans · Klingons · Tholians
Gorn · Q · Ferengi · Borg · Kazon
Cardassians · Bajorans · Trill · Hirogen
Dominion · Breen · Xindi · Vulcans
Spin-off fiction
Novels · Games
CCG · RPG · TOS TrekMUSE
Star Trek fan productions
Chronological lists of stories
Distant past-22nd century
2201-TMP · TMP-2300
2301-2367 · 2368-2371
2372-2374 · 2375-distant future
Reference
Canon · Characters · Races
Timeline · Telepathy · Physics
Warp drive
All Ships · Starships classes
Further reading
Cultural influence
Society · Trekkies · Trekdom
Star Trek Portal

Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise. In addition to six television programs including the original 1966 Star Trek, the same fictional universe created by Gene Roddenberry is the setting for ten feature films, dozens of computer and video games, hundreds of novels and other fan stories, as well as a themed attraction in Las Vegas.

In Star Trek's fictional universe, humans developed faster-than-light space travel after barely surviving a 21st-century World War III. Later, humans united with other sentient species of the galaxy to form the United Federation of Planets. As a result of alien intervention and science, humanity has largely overcome many Earth-bound frailties and vices by the 23rd century. Star Trek stories usually depict the adventures of humans and aliens who serve in the Federation Starfleet.

The protagonists are essentially altruistic whose ideals are sometimes only imperfectly applied to the dilemmas presented in the series. The conflicts and political dimensions of Star Trek form allegories for contemporary cultural realities; The Original Series addressed issues of the 1960s, just as more recent spin-offs reflect more modern topics. Issues depicted in the various series include imperialism, class warfare, racism, human rights, and the role of technology.
Contents

* 1 Television series
o 1.1 Star Trek: The Original Series (1966–1969)
o 1.2 Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1974)
o 1.3 Star Trek: Phase II
o 1.4 Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
o 1.5 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)
o 1.6 Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)
o 1.7 Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)
* 2 Feature films
* 3 Other storylines and canonicity
* 4 Cultural impact
* 5 Current status and future
* 6 References
o 6.1 Bibliography
o 6.2 Footnotes
* 7 External links

[edit] Television series

For a complete list of episodes, see List of Star Trek episodes

Star Trek originated as a television series in 1966, although it had been in the planning stages for at least six years prior to that.[1] Although The Original Series was cancelled in its third season due to low ratings,[2] 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 (twenty-nine, if one separately counts seasons running concurrently), making it the second most prolific science-fiction franchise in history after Doctor Who.

[edit] Star Trek: The Original Series (1966–1969)
The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
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The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Main article: Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek debuted in the United States on NBC on September 8, 1966.[3] 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.[4] The series subsequently became popular in reruns, and a cult following developed, complete with fan conventions.[3] Originally aired as simply Star Trek, it has in recent years become known as Star Trek: The Original Series or as "Classic Trek" – retronyms that distinguish it from its sequels and the franchise as a whole. All subsequent films and television series, except the animated series of the 1970s, have had secondary titles included as part of their official names. The series was rereleased in September 2006 with CGI enhancements as a high-definition "Re-mastered" edition. [5]

[edit] Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1974)
The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in animated form
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The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in animated form

Main article: Star Trek: The Animated Series

Star Trek: The Animated Series was produced by Filmation and ran for two seasons. It featured most of the original cast performing the voices of their characters from The Original Series with the exception of Walter Koenig, who was not asked to return due to budgetary limitations. While the freedom of animation afforded large alien landscapes and exotic life forms, budget constraints were a major concern and animation was of moderate quality. Although originally sanctioned by Paramount (the current owners of the Star Trek franchise since its acquisition of Desilu Productions), the series is no longer considered to be canon, which has caused controversy among some fans [citation needed]. Even so, elements of the animated series have worked their way into official canon, such as Kirk's middle name, Tiberius, first revealed in TAS and made official in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Star Trek: Enterprise also incorporates several TAS concepts into canon. TAS came back to television in the mid 1980s on the children's cable network Nickelodeon, and in the early 1990s on cable network Sci-Fi Channel.[6]

[edit] Star Trek: Phase II
Early concept for a new USS Enterprise
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Early concept for a new USS Enterprise

Main article: Star Trek: Phase II

Star Trek: Phase II was set to air in 1978 as the flagship series of a proposed Paramount television network, and 12 episode scripts were written before production was due to begin.[7] The series would have put most of the original crew back aboard the Enterprise for a second five-year mission, except for Leonard Nimoy as Spock, who did not agree to return. A younger, full-blooded Vulcan named Xon was planned as a replacement, although it was still hoped that Nimoy would make guest appearances.[7] Sets were constructed and several minutes of test footage were filmed. However, the risks of launching a fourth network and the popularity of the then-recently released film Star Wars led Paramount to make a Star Trek film instead of a weekly television series. The first script of this aborted series formed the basis of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, while three others were eventually adapted as episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.[8]

[edit] Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)
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The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)

Main article: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is set nearly a century after The Original Series and features a new starship, the Enterprise-D, and a new crew led by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart. The show premiered on September 28, 1987 and ran for seven seasons, ending on May 23, 1994.[9] The Next Generation had the highest ratings of all the Star Trek series and was the #1 syndicated show during the last few years of its original run.[10] It was nominated for an Emmy for Best Dramatic Series during its final season in 1994. It also received a Peabody Award for Outstanding Television Programming.[11] The series currently airs on Sky One and BBC Two in the UK, Foxtel channel TV1 in Australia, as well as G4, Space: The Imagination Station and Spike TV.[12][13]

[edit] Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)
Space station Deep Space Nine
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Space station Deep Space Nine

Main article: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is set during the same timeframe as The Next Generation and ran for seven seasons, debuting in 1993.[14] It is the only Star Trek series to take place primarily on a space station, rather than aboard a starship. The show chronicles the events of the station's crew, led by Commander (later Captain) Benjamin Sisko, played by Avery Brooks, living on the Cardassian-built Bajoran spacestation Deep Space Nine, which initially orbited the planet Bajor but was moved to a nearby, newly-discovered, uniquely stable wormhole that provides immediate access to the distant Gamma Quadrant.[15] Recurring plots include the repercussions of the lengthy and brutal occupation of the nearby planet Bajor by the Cardassians, Sisko's unique spiritual role for the Bajorans as the Emissary of the Prophets, and a major war with the Dominion of the Gamma Quadrant. Deep Space Nine stands apart from other Trek series for its lengthy serialized storytelling and conflict within the crew – things that Roddenberry had forbidden in earlier Trek series.[16]

[edit] Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)
The USS Voyager (NCC-74656)
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The USS Voyager (NCC-74656)

Main article: Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Voyager was produced for seven seasons from 1995 to 2001 and is the only Star Trek series to feature a woman as the commanding officer: Captain Kathryn Janeway, played by Kate Mulgrew.[17] Voyager takes place at about the same time as Deep Space Nine. The series plot' shows the USS Voyager and its crew stranded in the Delta Quadrant, 70,000 light years from Earth.[18] Given a 70-year voyage back to Earth, the crew must avoid conflict and defeat challenges on its long and perilous journey home. Voyager was originally isolated from many of the familiar aspects and races of the Star Trek franchise (with the exception of the individual races amongst the crew). This allowed for the creation of new races and original plotlines within the series; however, later seasons saw an influx of characters and races from prior shows, such as the Borg, Q, the Ferengi, Romulans, Klingons, Cardassians and even multiple instances where the Next Generation crew ended up on board the ship. [19][20]

[edit] Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)

Main article: Star Trek: Enterprise

The Enterprise (NX-01)
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The Enterprise (NX-01)

Star Trek: Enterprise (originally aired simply as "Enterprise"), produced from 2001-2005, is a prequel to the other Star Trek series. The pilot episode takes place ten years before the founding of the Federation, about halfway between the events shown in the movie Star Trek: First Contact and the original Star Trek series.[21] The series depicts the exploration of space by the crew of the Earth starship Enterprise. Commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula), Enterprise is able to go farther and faster than any human vessel had previously gone. Ratings for Enterprise started strong, but declined rapidly; as happened during the initial airing of The Original Series, fan support during Enterprise's second and third seasons helped keep the series on the air. The show continued to lose ratings during the fourth season, and Paramount cancelled the show in early 2005.[22]

[edit] Feature films
The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E), from the eighth, ninth, and tenth films
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The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E), from the eighth, ninth, and tenth films

Paramount Pictures has produced ten Star Trek feature films:

* Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
* Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
* Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
* Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
* Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
* Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
* Star Trek: Generations (1994)
* Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
* Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
* Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
* Star Trek XI (working title)

The first six continue the adventures of the The Original Series cast, while the next four feature The Next Generation's cast. Although North American and UK releases of the films were no longer numbered following the sixth film, European releases continued numbering the films.

A common superstition among fans is that the even-numbered Star Trek films are superior to the odd-numbered Star Trek films; the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth films are considered fan favorites, whereas the first and fifth are often called the worst films[23].

An eleventh (as-yet-untitled) Star Trek film has been announced for release in 2008, to be written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and directed by Lost creator J.J. Abrams[24].

[edit] Other storylines and canonicity
Cover of the 1997 Star Trek: New Frontier debut novel
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Cover of the 1997 Star Trek: New Frontier debut novel

Main articles: Star Trek canon, Star Trek, other storylines, Star Trek fan productions, and List of Star Trek novels

The Star Trek canon comprises the five live-action television series and ten motion pictures. The animated series, novels, comic books, video games, and other materials based on Star Trek, though licensed by Paramount Pictures, are generally considered non-canon, as are fan-made (or "fanon") productions set within the Star Trek universe.[25]

The Star Trek novels typically fill "holes" in the Star Trek story and timeline, with explanations of events that have never been thoroughly explained through live action productions. Many have been accepted by Trek fans as part of the Star Trek canon, even though Paramount Pictures, owners of the Star Trek franchise, say otherwise[25]. Several authors have created spin-off series that are self-contained within their novels.[26]

Outside of the television series and motion pictures produced by Paramount pictures, the Star Trek franchise has been officially expanded and elaborated by various authors and artists in the so-called "Star Trek Expanded Universe," despite the fact that Paramount does not consider these derivative works canon. These works' creators are generally free to tell their own stories set in the Star Trek universe, and are free either to keep an existing continuity, or to use their own. (Similarly, writers for TV and film are under no obligation to pay heed to any of the derivative works.) These works often expand the back stories of characters, species, planets, etc., already seen in the official live-action productions. For example, the Voyager novels Mosaic and Pathways give background information for characters in the Voyager live-action series.

The Star Trek series have also inspired many unofficial fan-made productions. For example, in recent years, Star Trek fan films have been created for distribution over the Internet.[27][28] Currently, Star Trek: Hidden Frontier, which is a continuation of the timeline after the Dominion War from the perspective of a station and fleet in the Briar Patch, and Star Trek: New Voyages, a "continuation" of the original Star Trek, are prominent fan series. While none of these projects are licensed by Paramount, some have attracted participation from television and film series' cast and crew.[29] One fan production, Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, even has a Voyager cast member, Tim Russ, as its "fan" director.[30]

[edit] Cultural impact
A commemorative postage stamp issued by the United States Postal Service
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A commemorative postage stamp issued by the United States Postal Service

Main article: Cultural impact of Star Trek

The Star Trek franchise is a multi-billion dollar industry, currently owned by Paramount.[31] Gene Roddenberry sold Star Trek to NBC as a classic adventure drama; he pitched the show as "Wagon Train to the stars." 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[32]. The opening line, "to boldly go where no man has gone before", was taken almost verbatim from a US White House booklet on space produced after the Sputnik flight in 1957.[33] The central trio of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy was modeled on classical mythological storytelling. Harking of human diversity and contemporaneous political circumstances, Roddenberry included a multi-ethnic crew.[32]

Star Trek and its spin-offs have proved highly popular in television repeats, and are currently shown on TV stations worldwide.[34] The show’s cultural impact goes far beyond its longevity and profitability. Star Trek conventions have become popular, though now are often merged with conventions of other genres and series, and fans have coined the term "Trekkies" (or "Trekkers") to describe themselves. An entire subculture has grown up around the show.[35]

The Star Trek franchise is believed to have motivated the design of many current technologies, including the Tablet PC, the PDA, and mobile phones.[36] It has also brought to popular attention the concept of teleportation with its classic depiction of "matter-energy transport". Phrases such as "Beam me up, Scotty" have entered the public vernacular.[37] In 1976, following a letter-writing campaign, NASA named its first space shuttle, Enterprise, after the fictional starship.[38]

Parodies of Star Trek include the internet-based cartoon series Stone Trek and the song "Star Trekkin'".

[edit] Current status and future

After Enterprise was cancelled in 2005, the Star Trek franchise found itself for the first time in over 25 years without a series or film in production or development. Though some assumed that the franchise was essentially dead, predictions of its demise are nothing new. As early as 1993–1994, when Star Trek: Deep Space Nine failed to generate the high ratings of its predecessor, magazines such as Entertainment Weekly predicted the end of the franchise. The rumored near-cancellation of Star Trek: Voyager in the mid-1990s led to more such predictions, as did the poor box-office performance of Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002. However, in April 2006, the official announcement of an eleventh feature film made it probable that the franchise has not yet ended.

Beginning in 2006, CBS Paramount Domestic Television is syndicating an enhanced version of the original 79 Star Trek episodes. State-of-the-art visual effects will replace those in the series (created in-house by CBS), the original theme music has been re-recorded, and the show was transferred from the original negatives in high definition. The show will eventually be syndicated in HD. Presumably, the new series will also be packaged for sale on high-definition DVD after the syndication package airs.[39] It is not yet known whether the original versions of the episodes will continue to be made available.

Perpetual Entertainment is also developing a MMOG based on Star Trek called Star Trek Online. IDW Publishing have also bought the rights to the comic book. [40]

[edit] References

I freely admit, I am an unrepentant Trekker from way back. The original show was always a lot of fun. Actually, the other shows were fun as well.

And who would have thought that "communicators" are now "cell phones"?

Kirk: "What is a tribble doing in my chicken sandwich and coffee?"

Spock: "Apparently, mating with your hairpiece, Captain."

Ahhhh......memories.

Here in the NYC area, our NBC station also airs one episode of the original series late Sunday nights at around 2:45AM (sometimes 3:00AM).

Now, here's something from the Archives: a photo of me (at age 16!) taken in January, 1972 at the very first Star Trek Convention in NYC. The "Talosian" on the left was my high school friend Marc Bilgrey, who went on to write (and illustrate) The Sherlock Holmes Cartoon Book (among other things).

Signor V. (Live Long & Prosper)