On Sept. 8, 1966, viewers of NBC television would tune in for the debut of a unique science fiction series. Star Trek's first episode was entitled "The Man Trap," the story of a shape-shifting, vampiric-like alien who fed on the bodily salt of its victims. Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise would defeat the salt vampire and go on to other adventures. But little did anyone watching then realize that this series would become one of the world's biggest pop culture franchises in history.
Although the original Star Trek series ran for only three seasons on NBC, the franchise found a second life in syndication and a growing fanbase that would gather in the thousands to attend Star Trek Conventions. Star Trek would grow to include 10 additional series, 13 feature films, as well as original novels, comic books, and video games. Star Trek Day is observed on Sept. 8.
But "Star Trek" was once just a concept in writer Gene Roddenberry's imagination. Roddenberry, a former LAPD patrolman and airline pilot, struggled to bring Star Trek to life, enduring many rejections from the networks. Roddenberry was helped by television legend Lucille Ball, owner of Desilu Studios. Ball believed in the project and helped Roddenberry secure a second pilot episode of the series.
The franchise has been host to many creative types who have showcased their talent and imagination in the struggle of man to explore the galaxy and beyond. Join us for a behind-the-scenes chronicle of the making of a legend.
In one of the first books about Star Trek, Whitfield writes about the making of the original series along with photos of models, props and the gadgets used by the crew of the USS Enterprise.
Ten years after the final episode of Star Trek, the cast of the USS Enterprise would reunite for a spectacle on the silver screen. This coffee table book is full of photos of the production of the very first Star Trek film as the Enterprise must intercept a giant spacecraft destined for Earth.
Fans of the original series will delight at this chronicle of the late 1960s television era. From the captain himself comes stories of struggle and behind the scenes drama as the Enterprise explored the cosmos while the show itself struggled to stay on the air. A must read for all Star Trek fans.
This time, the actor who played Captain Kirk revisits his memories of the production of all six films featuring the original crew plus Star Trek: Generations when Captain Kirk meets Captain Picard(Sir Patrick Stewart) of Star Trek: the Next Generation. Shatner provides many personal anecdotes and explains why his big screen directorial efforts on Star Trek V: The Final Frontier resulted in a disappointing film.
In this deeply personal account, the legendary Star Trek actor reflects on his career playing the ever-logical half-Vulcan First Officer of the USS Enterprise. From his popularity at science fiction conventions to his behind-the-scenes struggles with Gene Roddenberry to his eventual acceptance of the role of Spock and his directorial efforts on the Star Trek film series, this is a must read for all Spock aficionados
Nichelle Nichols played Lieutenant Uhura, the reliable Communications Officer of the Starship Enterprise. Nichols was one of the few black women in network television in the late 1960s. Her performance helped inspire a generation of women and minorities to reach for the stars. Later, Nichols would help recruit minority and female astronauts for NASA.
George Takei, multimedia superstar but best known for the role of Mister Sulu of Star Trek, chronicles the clashes of personality behind the scenes of Trek as both a film and television series and his own personal journey as the swashbuckling crewmember of the Enterprise.
In this documentary film, William Shatner interviews each of the captains of the famous Star Trek Series and discusses the finer points of acting and starship command with Sir Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Bakula and Chris Pine.