And yet, the iconic status of Star Trek was not always assured. When Star Trek (later known as Star Trek: The Original Series) premiered in September 1966, its ratings were high, but as time went on the show attracted less of an audience and was canceled after three seasons. However, the show was kept alive through the devotion of a growing number of fans, and Star Trek was eventually resurrected through a collection of massively successful movies and TV shows.
Take a look at the history of Star Trek: The Original Series, the show that started it all, from its creation to its revival in Star Trek: The Motion Picture through notable events, memorable episodes, and even some fan history.
April 1964: Gene Roddenberry’s Pitch
Star Trek was created by Gene Roddenberry, a television writer and producer who envisioned a science fiction show in the style of television westerns. Submitted to Lucille Ball’s Desilu Studios in April 1964, Roddenberry’s pitch contains many details that any fan would recognize, including a doctor nicknamed “Bones” and even a character named Mr. Spock. As described on Badass Digest, some at the studio were skeptical of the show’s potential. However, Lucille Ball herself fought for its creation, and a science fiction legend was born.November-December 1964: “The Cage”
The pilot of Star Trek, ”The Cage”, began filming on November 27, 1964, according to production notes included in StarTrekHistory.com’s account of the episode’s creation. “The Cage” is quite different from other episodes of the show, featuring a different cast. For example, instead of William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk, the captain of the Enterprise in “The Cage” is Robert April, played by Jeffrey Hunter. Leonard Nimoy’s Spock is present however.
“The Cage” was rejected by NBC, the studio that eventually aired the show. NBC’s reasoning has often been attributed to the overly-cerebral nature of the episode, but an article on io9.com lists several other reasons that the episode was rejected, including its sexual elements and the fact that the Enterprise’s first officer was female.
