60 years later, 'Star Trek' continues to 'live long and prosper

NPR(Boise Public Radio ^ | 09/08/2026 | Mandalit del Barco

[Kid Shelleen]

60 years ago, NBC aired the first episode of Star Trek, a television show that became a pop culture phenomenon. The original series starred William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, who led his diverse crew of humans and at least one alien, on adventures in space.

"Space: The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise," Kirk says, narrating in the title sequence of each episode. "Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life, and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before."

[Fledermaus]

Majel Barrett was Number One, 2nd in command, in the original pilot “The Cage”.

She wore a black wig.

[Fledermaus]

They had electronic tablets with a stylus.

[Fledermaus]

They had electronic tablets with a stylus.

[combat_boots]

Robots

https://thelibertydaily.com/rise-machines-chinas-military-prepares-humanoid-robots-combat/

[combat_boots]

Robots

https://thelibertydaily.com/rise-machines-chinas-military-prepares-humanoid-robots-combat/

[combat_boots]

Robots

https://thelibertydaily.com/rise-machines-chinas-military-prepares-humanoid-robots-combat/

[Danie_2023]

“”He also fell in love in “This Side of Paradise” with Jill Ireland.””

***

Spock likes blondes, for sure.

[Rinnwald]

Are you aware of Mozart? It’s kind of the same timeline.

[Rinnwald]

Nice analysis.

And to further drive home the point that capitalism was evil, they introduced the money loving Ferengi. The little buttheads were creepy, but not menacing enough to be the main bad guys.

That lead to the Borg, the best part of TNG, and a dichotomy shift making the collective evil.

[discostu]

I wouldn’t normally put the Muppets on the same cultural plane as Mozart, but sure. And maybe they are. All the celebrity deaths that happened the week after the Muppet episode had a Muppet connection (they appeared on Dolly’s show, Jaye Morgan was on the show, and Tim Curry was in a Muppet movie). So maybe the Muppets are on that plane.

[Dr. Franklin]

Majel Barrett was Number One, 2nd in command, in the original pilot “The Cage”.
She wore a black wig.

Right, and she wore pants. As did Sally Kellerman and Andrea Dromm in the second pilot. Grace Whitney requested that be changed to a miniskirt.


Apparently, this was the first time a second pilot was made for a TV show. The execs didn't want Barrett in the series so Roddenberry made her into a blonde as Nurse Chapel to sneak her into the show. Grace Whitney was sold to the network execs as the female lead. Roddenberry demoted from second in command to yeoman, and then wrote her out of the show.

[Dr. Franklin]

As I remember she spent most of her time on Batman being bound in various ways. It was like 50 shades of Batgirl.

Well, she wore a tight fitting costume to show off her figure. They had to highlight that, and someone had to save her.

[Fledermaus]

It was the first time for a 2nd pilot back then. It’s been done since.

[Fledermaus]

That cute blonde in the lower photo wasn’t on much after.

[NorthMountain]

To boldly go where no one MAN has gone before."

[BlueLancer]

Ah, yes ... Yeoman Rand.

Right up there with Jeannie, Ginger, Mary Anne, Wrangler Jane, and Agent 99 in the feverish imaginings of teenage boys.

[Fledermaus]

After the series was canceled she had a difficult time getting work.

She actually resorted to prostitution once.

I’d pay 600 Quatloos!

[Dr. Franklin]

That cute blonde in the lower photo wasn’t on much after.

Andrea Dromm was in the second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before and then The Naked Time as Yeoman Smith early and season 1, but never after that. She had a short acting career and then returned to modeling. She was a beauty.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

I should have killed this show when I was a tween. Somehow.

My one life regret.

Still on my bucket list.

[Dr. Franklin]

After the series was canceled she had a difficult time getting work.

Roddenberry sexually assaulted her, (although she hid his identity in her autobiography), and then he probably bad mouthed her as "hard to work with". She went from the top actress on the show in the credits to written out of the show after eight episodes early in season 1, and it depressed her. Her son said she was prouder of overcoming addiction than her work as an actress. She was very popular at Star Trek conventions by all accounts, as most fans realized that the show was better with her in the cast, and she played her part very well. She played the role of 1960's American woman, before the woman's lib movement, who took very good care of her man. That is missed.