I was a Trekkie. I started watching Star Trek Saturday afternoons in the 70s - around 4 pm I think it when it was aired. I also read some Star Trek novels. I had some models I put together. We’ve give each other the nerve pinch and stuff. A convention came to my home town and it was a blast. Good times for a 10 year old. Even some of the girls on the show I thought were hot. I never got into the newer Star Treks.
Over the years I’d read more and more about that series. A first popularly known interracial kiss on TV. Some interesting guest stars. One episode had zero speaking lines for any woman. The appearance of Spock was debated - some thought he looked like Satan. Speaking of visuals, the camera work for females on ST was softened during closeups. The producers thought it would enhance the feminine site. Whether true or not, there were some things written about the dynamics I never knew at the time.
Shatner had a bit of an ego and didn’t want “Kirk” to be lesser to Spock. Later Shatner stated Nimoy was his only real friend from the show.
Rodenberry told a story about women on Star Trek.
When he pitched the concept of a 50/50 crew mix, the network rejected it. He asked why, and some network exec replied, “Can’t you see, that would make it look like there was a lot of fooling around going on up there?”
Rodenberry said he, Settled on 70/30 because he figured 30% healthy women, “could handle the crew.”