Here's where it all began - the legendary franchise which still stands strong today nearly half a century after its conception. There's a loyal fan base spanning multiple generations by now, conventions keep the love alive and studios produce further material and rake in troves of money. Star Trek boasts a legacy of multiple TV series and motion pictures of varying quality continuing where the original characters Kirk, Spock and McCoy once set out - nowadays the zeitgeist however dictates that adventuring in space has to be dominated by special effects, quick cutting and convoluted plots, detrimental to the outset of the franchise. The original series cannot deny its roots in the mediocre sci-fi dramas of the 50s and 60s, and therefore comes off in many ways as dated, cartoonish, hammy, however has much more to offer than its successors: an unbeatable combination of wit and charm, interesting characters, adventure stories and strong morality tales often presented as allegories delivering powerful social commentary on contemporary issues.
"Star Trek" as a brainchild of Gene Roddenberry, a screenwriter with a positive futuristic vision for a change, exemplifies its peaceful and humanitarian approach in ever way possible: The year is 2260 and utopia has become a reality - poverty and war have been eradicated, the United Federation of Planets serves as peacekeeping force and its 'Prime Directive' is that no interference with the internal development of alien civilizations is allowed to occur. Conflicts are primarily solved without or minimal use of force, crews include all ethnicities, races and creeds - Russians, African-Americans, Asians, even aliens like Vulcans. The latter bring logic to the mix, which counterbalances the human emotion, and only together they all succeed. "Star Trek" has many an episode that is over the top and whose premise doesn't hold up, but the series makes it up with deliciously delivered dialog and humor, highlight of course being the bantering between the dry Mr. Spock and the snippy McCoy. There's much less technobabble than in the later series, but a lot of imagination and some breathtaking concepts thanks to the creativity of the writers who lay the foundations of a whole realistically constructed universe. Among those writers a certain D.C. Fontana, a female first rank sci-fi writer, an oddity until then unheard of. A premiere in "Star Trek", as was William Shatner's sneaked in first interracial kiss with Nichelle Nichols. So don't say "Star Trek" isn't inspiring...
"Star Trek" as a brainchild of Gene Roddenberry, a screenwriter with a positive futuristic vision for a change, exemplifies its peaceful and humanitarian approach in ever way possible: The year is 2260 and utopia has become a reality - poverty and war have been eradicated, the United Federation of Planets serves as peacekeeping force and its 'Prime Directive' is that no interference with the internal development of alien civilizations is allowed to occur. Conflicts are primarily solved without or minimal use of force, crews include all ethnicities, races and creeds - Russians, African-Americans, Asians, even aliens like Vulcans. The latter bring logic to the mix, which counterbalances the human emotion, and only together they all succeed. "Star Trek" has many an episode that is over the top and whose premise doesn't hold up, but the series makes it up with deliciously delivered dialog and humor, highlight of course being the bantering between the dry Mr. Spock and the snippy McCoy. There's much less technobabble than in the later series, but a lot of imagination and some breathtaking concepts thanks to the creativity of the writers who lay the foundations of a whole realistically constructed universe. Among those writers a certain D.C. Fontana, a female first rank sci-fi writer, an oddity until then unheard of. A premiere in "Star Trek", as was William Shatner's sneaked in first interracial kiss with Nichelle Nichols. So don't say "Star Trek" isn't inspiring...