Alas, it's financially explosive "reboot" in 2009 by going after Gen Y assures it will run on forever since in sci fi -- if you are without either ideas or the ability to write -- you can simply skip to an alternate universe and mix things up. I, like most of my generation that watched the TOS in college dorm TV rooms (explain that concept to your grandkids), laughed at the 2009 version for its stupidity. When asked why we were laughing, we tried to explain the idiocy of the idea of a Second Class Academy Midshipman being made commanding officer of USS Nimitz. Alas.
Stargate -- a far better storyline -- was recently "closed" by MGM even as a third and even more profitable DVD movie was in the making. Perhaps some Hollywood insider can explain that one.
we now have gay “spock” with the duty of making babies.
the reboot needs a reboot.
Reruns, and reception overseas.
"Wildly popular franchise"? People forget it was almost canceled after its first and second seasons (saved by letter campaigns), and canceled after its third
I think you are engaging in some revisionist history; or at least sins of omission. Sure the original series only ran 3 seasons, but it did become "wildly popular" in reruns, which led to its relaunch as a movie franchise. 4 or 5 successful movies led to the launch of Star Trek: the Next Generation which ran for around 6 years, and which itself spawned several successful movies and at least one other successful spin off series (Deep Space Nine).
Your summation makes it look like they did the original 3 seasons of the original series; had a flop spinoff and a flop movie and left out all the success in between.
Yes,Wildly popular. from wiki
The Original Series (1966–1969)
Main article: Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek, also known as “TOS” or The Original Series, debuted in the United States on NBC on September 8, 1966.[34] The show tells the tale of the crew of the starship Enterprise and its five-year mission “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” The original 1966–1969 television series featured William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, James Doohan as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, Nichelle Nichols as Uhura, George Takei as Hikaru Sulu, and Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov. During its original run, it was nominated several times for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and won twice: for the two-parter “The Menagerie” and the Harlan Ellison-written episode “The City on the Edge of Forever”. After three seasons, the show was canceled and the last original episode aired on June 3, 1969.[35] It was, however, highly popular with science fiction fans and engineering students, despite generally low Nielsen ratings. The series later became popular in reruns and found a cult following.[34] Originally presented under the title Star Trek, it has in recent years become known as Star Trek: The Original Series or as “Classic Star Trek”—retronyms that distinguish it from its sequels and the franchise as a whole.
[edit] The Animated Series (1973–1974)
Main article: Star Trek: The Animated Series
Star Trek: The Animated Series was produced by Filmation and ran for two seasons from 1973 to 1974. Most of the original cast performed the voices of their characters from The Original Series, and many of the original series’ writers, such as D. C. Fontana, David Gerrold and Paul Schneider, wrote for the series. While the animated format allowed the producers to create more exotic alien landscapes and life forms, animation errors and liberal reuse of shots and musical cues have tarnished the series’ reputation.[36] Although it was originally sanctioned by Paramount, which became the owner of the Star Trek franchise following its acquisition of Desilu in 1967, Gene Roddenberry often spoke of TAS as not being canonical.[37] Elements of the animated series have continually been used since Roddenberry’s death by writers in later live-action series and movies, and as of June 2007, the Animated Series has been referenced on the library section of the official Startrek.com web site.
TAS won Star Trek’s first Emmy Award on May 15, 1975.[38] Star Trek TAS briefly returned to television in the mid-1980s on the children’s cable network Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon’s Evan McGuire greatly admired the show and used its various creative components as inspiration for his short series called Piggly Wiggly Hears A Sound which never aired. Nickelodeon parent Viacom would purchase Paramount in 1994. In the early 1990s, the Sci-Fi Channel also began rerunning TAS. The complete TAS was also released on Laserdisc format during the 1980s.[39] The complete series was first released in the USA on eleven volumes of VHS tapes in 1989. All 22 episodes were released on DVD in 2006.
[edit] The Next Generation (1987–1994)
Main article: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation, also known as “TNG”, is set about a century after The Original Series (2364–2370). It features a new starship, the Enterprise-D, and a new crew led by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes). The series introduced alien races new to the Federation as crewmembers, including Deanna Troi, a half-Betazoid counselor played by Marina Sirtis, and Worf as the first Klingon officer in Starfleet, played by Michael Dorn. It also featured Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher, LeVar Burton as chief engineer Geordi La Forge, the android Data portrayed by Brent Spiner, and Dr. Crusher’s son Wesley Crusher played by Wil Wheaton. The show premiered on September 28, 1987, and ran for seven seasons, ending on May 23, 1994.[40] It had the highest ratings of any of the Star Trek series and was the #1 syndicated show during the last few years of its original run, allowing it to act as a springboard for ideas in other series. Many relationships and races introduced in TNG became the basis of episodes in Deep Space 9 and Voyager.[18] It was nominated for an Emmy for Best Dramatic Series during its final season. It also received a Peabody Award for Outstanding Television Programming for the episode “The Big Goodbye”.[41]
It was atypical in that era for a drama show (as opposed to a talk show or game show, etc.) to be syndicated in first run rather than airing on the same network throughout America. Next Generation became one of the most popular syndicated shows of its era, and inaugurated a market for syndicated science fiction series.
[edit] Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)
Main article: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as “DS9”, is set during the last years and the immediate post-years of The Next Generation (2369–2375) and was in production for seven seasons, debuting the week of January 3, 1993.[42] Like Star Trek: The Next Generation, it aired in syndication in the United States and Canada. It is the only Star Trek series to take place primarily on a space station rather than aboard a starship. It is set on the Cardassian-built space station originally known as Terok Nor, which was redesignated Deep Space Nine by the United Federation of Planets, located near the planet Bajor and a uniquely stable wormhole that provides immediate access to the distant Gamma Quadrant.[43] The show chronicles the events of the station’s crew, led by Commander (later Captain) Benjamin Sisko, played by Avery Brooks, and Major (later Colonel) Kira Nerys, played by Nana Visitor. Recurring plot elements include the repercussions of the lengthy and brutal Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, Sisko’s spiritual role for the Bajorans as the Emissary of the Prophets and in later seasons a war with the Dominion. Deep Space Nine stands apart from earlier Trek series for its lengthy serialized storytelling, conflict within the crew, and religious themes—all of which were elements that were praised by critics and audiences but that Roddenberry had forbidden in the original series and The Next Generation.[44] Nevertheless, he was made aware of plans to make DS9 before his death, so this was the last Star Trek series with which he was connected.[45]
[edit] Voyager (1995–2001)
Main article: Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager was produced for seven seasons, airing from January 16, 1995, to May 23, 2001, launching a new Paramount-owned television network UPN. It features Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway,[46] the first female commanding officer in a leading role of a Star Trek series, and Commander Chakotay, played by Robert Beltran. Voyager takes place at about the same time as Deep Space Nine and the years following that show’s end (2371–2378). The premiere episode has the USS Voyager and its crew pursue a Maquis ship (crewed by Federation rebels). Both ships become stranded in the Delta Quadrant about 70,000 light years from Earth.[47] Faced with a 70-year voyage to Earth, the crew must learn to work together and overcome challenges on the long and perilous journey home while also seeking ingenious ways to shorten the return voyage. Like Deep Space Nine, early seasons of Voyager feature greater conflict between its crewmembers than is seen in later shows. Such conflict often arises from friction between “by-the-book” Starfleet crew and rebellious Maquis fugitives forced by circumstance to work together on the same ship. Eventually, though, they settle their differences, after which the overall tone becomes more reminiscent of The Original Series. Voyager is originally isolated from many of the familiar aspects and races of the Star Trek franchise, barring those few represented on the crew. This allowed for the creation of new races and original plot lines within the series. Later seasons, however, brought an influx of characters and races from prior shows, such as the Borg, Q, the Ferengi, Romulans, Klingons, Cardassians as well as cast members of The Next Generation.
[edit] Enterprise (2001–2005)
Main article: Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise, originally titled Enterprise, aired from September 26, 2001 to May 13, 2005, is a prequel to the original Star Trek series.[48] Enterprise takes place in the 2150s, some 90 years after the events of Zefram Cochrane’s first warp flight and about a decade before the founding of the Federation. The show centers on the voyages of Earth’s first warp-five capable starship, the Enterprise, which is commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer (played by Scott Bakula), and the Vulcan Sub-Commander T’Pol, played by Jolene Blalock.
During the show’s first two seasons, Enterprise had an episodic structure, like The Original Series, The Next Generation and Voyager. The third season consisted of one arc, “Xindi mission”, which had the darker tone and serialized nature of Deep Space 9. Season 4 consisted of several two to three episode mini-arcs. The final season showed the origins of elements seen in earlier series, and it rectified and resolved some core continuity problems between the various Star Trek series. Ratings for Enterprise started strong but declined rapidly. Both fans and the cast reviled the series finale, partly because of the episode’s focus on the guest appearance of members of The Next Generation cast.[49] The cancellation of Enterprise ended an 18-year run of back-to-back new Star Trek shows beginning with The Next Generation in 1987.
Cultural impact
Main article: Cultural influence of Star Trek
Prototype space shuttle Enterprise named after the fictional starship with Star Trek television cast members and creator Gene Roddenberry.
The Star Trek media franchise is a multi-billion dollar industry, currently owned by CBS.[54] Gene Roddenberry sold Star Trek to NBC as a classic adventure drama; he pitched the show as “Wagon Train to the Stars” and as Horatio Hornblower in Space.[55] 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.[56] The central trio of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy was modeled on classical mythological storytelling.[55]
Star Trek and its spin-offs have proven highly popular in syndication and are currently shown on TV stations worldwide.[57] The show’s cultural impact goes far beyond its longevity and profitability. Star Trek conventions have become popular among its fans, who call themselves “trekkies” or “trekkers”. An entire subculture has grown up around the show[58] which was documented in the film Trekkies. Star Trek was the highest-ranked cult show by TV Guide.[59]
The Star Trek franchise inspired many modern technologies, including the tablet personal computer, the personal digital assistant, mobile phones, and the MRI (similar to Dr. McCoy’s diagnostic table).[60] It has even cited that part of the inspiration for the iPod was derived from an episode of “The Next Generation”, where in which Data utilizes his internal processors to “shuffle” through music databases. Michael Jones, Chief technologist of Google Earth, has cited the tricorder’s mapping capability as an inspiration in the development of Google Earth.[61] It has also brought teleportation to popular attention with its depiction of “matter-energy transport.” Phrases such as “Beam me up, Scotty” have entered the public vernacular.[62] In 1976, following a letter-writing campaign, NASA named its prototype space shuttle Enterprise, after the fictional starship.[63] Later, the introductory sequence to Star Trek: Enterprise would include footage of the shuttle, along with images of a naval vessel also called the Enterprise, depicting the advancement of human transportation technology.
Beyond Star Trek’s technological innovations, one of its greatest and most significant contributions to TV history is its creation of a cast of different races and cultures in the sets. This became common in television shows in the 1980s such as L.A. Law but was controversial and daring in the 1960s. On the bridge of the Enterprise were a Japanese helmsman, a Russian navigator, a black female communications officer, and a Vulcan-Earthling first officer - among other members. Also, controversial at its time (in the episode Plato’s Stepchildren), was Captain Kirk’s kiss with Lt. Uhura which became a defining moment in television history as it was American TV’s first scripted interracial kiss; there had already been footage of ‘real-life’ interracial kisses, such as on news footage and in documentaries.[64]
[edit] Parodies
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2010)
An early TV comedy sketch parodies of Star Trek included a famous sketch on Saturday Night Live entitled “The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise”, with John Belushi as Kirk, Chevy Chase as Spock and Dan Aykroyd as McCoy. In the 1980s Saturday Night Live sketch with William Shatner reprising his Captain Kirk role in The Restaurant Enterprise. In Living Color continued the tradition in a sketch where Captain Kirk is played by a fellow Canadian Jim Carrey.
A feature length film which indirectly parodies Star Trek is Galaxy Quest based on the premise that aliens monitoring the broadcast of an Earth-based TV series called Galaxy Quest (modeled heavily on Star Trek) believe that what they are seeing is real.
Star Trek has been blended with Gilbert and Sullivan at least twice. The North Toronto Players presented a Star Trek adaptation of Gilbert & Sullivan titled H.M.S. Starship Pinafore: The Next Generation in 1991 and an adaptation by Jon Mullich of Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore that sets the operetta in the world of Star Trek has played in Los Angeles and was attended by series luminaries Nichelle Nichols,[65] D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold.[66] A similar blend of Gilbert and Sullivan and Star Trek was presented as a benefit concert in San Francisco by the Lamplighters in 2009. The show was entitled Star Drek: The Generation After That. It presented an original story with Gilbert and Sullivan melodies.[67]
Both The Simpsons and Futurama television series and others have had individual episodes parodying Star Trek. An entire series of films and novels entitled Star Wreck also parodies Star Trek.
[edit] Awards and honors
Of the various science fiction awards given for drama, only the Hugo Award dates back as far as the original series. Although the Hugo is mainly given for print-media science fiction, its “best drama” award is usually given to film or television presentations. The Hugo does not give out awards for best actor, director, or other aspects of film production. Before 2002, films and television shows competed for the same Hugo, before the split of the drama award into short drama and long drama. In 1968, all five nominees for a Hugo award were individual episodes of Star Trek, as were three of the five nominees in 1967 (the other two being the films Fahrenheit 451 and Fantastic Voyage). The only Star Trek series to not get even a Hugo nomination are the animated series and Voyager, though only the original series and Next Generation ever won the award. No Star Trek film has ever won a Hugo, though a few were nominated. In 2008, the fan made episode of Star Trek: New Voyages entitled “World Enough and Time” was nominated for the Hugo for Best Short Drama, where it competed with professional episodes from shows such as Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica.[68]
The prestigious science fiction Saturn Awards did not exist during broadcasting of the original series. Unlike the Hugo, the Saturn Award gives out prizes for best actor, special effects and music, and also unlike the Hugo (until 2002) movies and television shows have never competed against each other for Saturns. The two Star Trek series to win multiple Saturn awards during their run were The Next Generation (twice winning for best television series) and Voyager (twice winning for best actress - Kate Mulgrew and Jeri Ryan). The original series retroactively won a Saturn Award for best DVD release. Several Star Trek films have won Saturns including categories such as best actor, actress, director, costume design, and special effects. However, Star Trek has never won a Saturn for best make-up.[69]
As for non science fiction specific awards, the Star Trek series has won 31 Emmy Awards.[70] The eleventh Star Trek film won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Makeup, the franchise’s first Academy Award.[71]
Yeah, kind of like how 2nd Lt. Richard Winters rose to become the Major commander of a battalion in the 101st Airborn in WWII.
-PJ