"Star Trek" (1966) TV series 1966-1969

Creator:

Gene Roddenberry

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

8 September 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Boldly Go. Again. (2006 remasters tagline)

Plot:

Capt. Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise explore space and defend the United Federation of Planets.

Plot Keywords:

Federation | Space | Starship | Computer | Vulcan

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 5 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock / ... (80 episodes, 1966-1969)
William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk / ... (79 episodes, 1966-1969)
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy (76 episodes, 1966-1969)
Nichelle Nichols	...	Uhura / ... (68 episodes, 1966-1969)
James Doohan	...	Scott / ... (65 episodes, 1966-1969)
Eddie Paskey	...	Lt. Leslie / ... (59 episodes, 1966-1968)
Bill Blackburn	...	Lt. Hadley / ... (59 episodes, 1966-1969)
George Takei	...	Sulu (51 episodes, 1966-1969)
Frank da Vinci	...	Lt. Brent / ... (44 episodes, 1966-1969)
Walter Koenig	...	Chekov (36 episodes, 1967-1969)
Majel Barrett	...	Nurse Chapel / ... (33 episodes, 1966-1969)
Roger Holloway	...	Lt. Lemli (32 episodes, 1967-1969)

Also Known As:

Star Trek: TOS (USA) (promotional abbreviation)
Star Trek: The Original Series (USA) (informal title)

Runtime:

47 min (79 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono | DTS (re-mastered version) | Dolby Digital (re-mastered version)

Certification:

Germany:12 (some episodes) | Germany:16 (one episode) | Germany:6 (some epiosodes) | UK:PG (some episodes) | UK:U (some episodes) | Finland:K-18 (2006) (DVD) (self applied) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (TV rating) | Singapore:PG | Brazil:12 (season 2 and 3) | Brazil:Livre (Season 1) | Australia:G (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Desilu Productions

Trivia:

Grace Lee Whitney was supposed to be the lead female character, hence her prominent role as Yeoman Janice Rand in the first season. However, the producers let go of the character after the first season, much to the fans' regret. Whitney, however was asked back for most of the Star Trek movies, reprising her role as Janice.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the first few episodes, the color of the uniforms worn by members of the Enterprise crew differ from week to week.

Quotes:

Capt. Kirk: All right, you mutinous, disloyal, computerized half-breed. We'll see about you deserting my ship.
Spock: The term "half-breed" is somewhat applicable, but "computerized" is inaccurate. A machine can be computerized, not a man.
Capt. Kirk: What makes you think you're a man? You're an overgrown jackrabbit. An elf with a hyperactive thyroid.
Spock: Jim, I don't understand...
Capt. Kirk: Of course you don't understand. You don't have the brains to understand. All you have is printed circuits.
Spock: Captain, if you will excuse me.
[Tries to activate the transporter]
Capt. Kirk: [blocks Spock's way and interupts] What can you expect from a simpering, devil-eared freak whose father was a computer and his mother an encyclopedia.
Spock: My mother was a teacher. My father an ambassador.
Capt. Kirk: Your father was a computer, like his son. An ambassador from a planet of traitors. The Vulcan never lived who had an ounce of integrity...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Saturday Night Live: The Best of Phil Hartman (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Theme

The magic was in the interaction between the characters.

I have loved Star Trek since I first watched it as a child. However, the series which followed - Star Trek: TNG, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Enterprise - although generally still entertaining, seem to me to have left out the element which made the original series so special. Namely, the interaction between the characters, particularly Spock, Jim, and Bones.

So well written, and generally well acted.

With Bones (Dr Leonard H McCoy) being the opposite to Spock in terms of personality, so that the two of them always found something to argue about. Jim (Captain James T Kirk) in the middle, as a referee, displaying faults and strengths taken from both extremes. Extremes in the sense of McCoy being a very caring, compassionate, yet also highly emotional character. Representative of humanity, perhaps. Spock, the dry, cold, logical, emotionless Vulcan. Jim "a man of deep feelings", as Spock once said, yet also no stranger to thorough analysis of whatever situation the crew found themselves in. Bones seeking always to heal, to return everybody he met (whether friend or foe, human or otherwise) to as close to perfect health as possible. Frustrated by the fact that he (Bones) could not fully understand, for example, Spock's Vulcan anatomy. All three of them the closest friends. All three displaying unwavering loyalty toward each other - even though Spock would have found the suggestion of his displaying such a human quality to be insulting.

The dynamics involved, the interaction, led to brilliant moments of humour. A science fiction programme to be not only enjoyed for the imaginative stories and the themes, but also for the humour, for the humanity.

Which is not to suggest that the other characters were in any way second rate. Scotty's loyalty and his supreme confidence in his engineering abilities, Chekov's almost adolescent playfulness and humour, Sulu's loyalty, honour, and physical prowess, Uhura's dedication to duty and femininity in a masculine world, all added important and welcome elements to what I still consider to be the best science fiction television series ever.

The special effects were often laughable, the sets cheap and often reused, but the humanity, the character interaction, the stories, imagination, the brilliant writing... all added up to something very special indeed.